Motorsport News Issue 185 - August 4-17, 2000

WAR OF WORDS: LOWNDES AND TANDER Australia $4.95 NZ $6.50 inci GST

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John Bowe; High hopes for CAT Barrichelio’s emotional Cerman GP - we identify the traok invader!

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Bob Jane T-Wlarts carry »

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Issue 185 4-17 August 2000

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INSIDE

News and Opinion 4 Lowndes versus Tender Craig and Garth have words ...

5 Webber's Benetton test Yep, it's happening soon,twice 10 Oran Park aftermath Lucky escapes in fiery crash 25 Motor Mouth Larko talks about that shunt 28 The Box Seat Saward on travel 98 Talk Converter Readers' opinion

Features 30 36 58 70

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Photos; Cover: Dirk Klynsmith, Lynley Reid, AF1 Images and Sutton-Images. Contents: Klynsmith. Mpix, Subaru atwI-Strtlon-lmages.

John Bowe In black JB ready for the CAT's roar Inside Holden Racing Team Behind the Dream Team's scenes Never too old to win Roberto Moreno at 41 4 Red Hot Richard Burns WRC's leader in Australia

Race Coverage 20 Sears Points ALMS Audi wins, Brabham fifth 22 CART double for Toyota What's da Matta? Nothing!

27 Formula 3000 Tomas, Tomas and our boy 42 Oran Park erupts Fire, crashes and Skaifey 60 Rubens take Germany But who's that dill on the track?

Regular Departments 26 73 76 78 82 84 88 92

Motorcycles Rallying Histories Drag Racing NASCAR Speedway National Scene Marketplace I

Bene

EXCLUSIVE

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by CHRIS LAMBDEN

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The aftermath: Lowndes parks at Oran Park after clashing with Garth Tander in Race 2.

Lowndes/Tander words

(Photo by Dirk Klynsmith)

IN between races at Oran Park on the weekend,things became quite heated between Hoiden hotshoes Craig Lowndes and Garth Tander.

'The two made contact in race two, the result leaving Lowndes in the wall and out of the race after the touch at the final turn.

Tander wasn’t impressed with Lowndes’claims that ‘GT’ had brake tested The Kid’.

“I don’t know what he was thinking. Had I not been there he would have gone head-on into the wall. I don’t know what his problem is.

“He claimed I brake-tested him, but the data from the CAMS monitors in the hearing clearly proves that I didn’t.

“Anyway, if I was going to do it, I’d do it a better place than that. I nearly ended up in the wall too.”

The Valvoline pilot also said that he was “sick and tired” of being hit by Lowndes.

“I beat Craig into the first comer in the first race,” Tander said.

“At the right hander just after going under the bridge, he just ran into the back of me, pushed 4

'Tm more worried about going fast than playing games"

- Garth Tander me wide and that’s how he got through; basically what he did to Bargs at Winton.

“Everytime he’s been behind me this year he’s hit me. I told him that if he did it again, I’d return the favour.

‘This year’s been the first year that he’s been in the pack. I'm just sick and tired of it. I’m at a loss as to what’s the go.

“I don’t know if he’s got a problem with me or Bargs or what.”

However, Tander remains focused on chasing Mark Skaife’s title lead.

“I’m more worried about going fast than playing games," he said.

“We, as a team, we’re not going to be pushed around. We'l! get results on the track, which is twice as satisfying as any bullying tactics they might employ.”

On the other hand, Lowndes was his philosophical self about

the incidents.

“Garth voiced his frustration (after the race one incident). I guess we all get frustrated in situations like that. Everyone’s pushing hard in those early laps to make ground.

‘There was slight contact which allowed me to get my nose under him. The Stewards didn’t see anything in it."

Of the race two incident, Lowndes wouldn’t be drawn as to whether Tander had brake tested him, saying that he “just locked up the rears trying to avoid him (Tander), tagging him and pushing him wide, which obviously allowed Mark (Skaife) to get by. The wall caught me and broke the front upright."

“We feel there’s something wrong with his car because I don’t go into a corner and jump on the brakes and spin into a wall.” said Lowndes. “(Barth and I get on well. I guess it’s in the heat of the moment. I’m just going to get on with racing. Maybe Garth’s got a problem with me but I don’t have a problem with him.”

-AARON NOONAN

MARK Webber will get his first taste of a Benetton FI car within the fortnight.

Webber confirmed on Tuesday that he will undertake straight-line testing of the current B200 Benetton at the Danielsson circuit in northern France immediately after next week’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

The ‘acchmatisation’session comes as a precursor to a full-on three-day test at Estoril, starting on September 11, the day after the team completes the Itahan Grand Prix.

Official annormcement of the test -first rumoured by Motorsport News back in May -is only days away, with contractual details being finalised as we closed for press.

Benetton is expected to retain an option on Webber until the end of the current FI season - at which point its 2001 plans will be in place.

According to Motorsport News’ FI correspondent Joe Saward, Benetton is said to be keen to see how Webber performs and if he goes well there is a possibility that he might be drafted into the team for the last two races of the season, as a replacement for Alexander Wurz.

With the final two races (Malaysia and Japan)taking place in the Pacific rim, having an Austrahan driver is likely to increase interest in the FI championship across Asia and is thus likely to be supported by FI boss Bemie Ecclestone.

Much will depend on Webber’s test performance, but with Wurz having no future with the team, there seems to be little purpose in the team continuing to use him for the rest ofthe year, reports Saward.

The team’s interest in British F3 Championship leader Antonio Pizzonia also appears, for the moment,to be over, the Brazihan diplomatically saying this week that his Benetton test drives were hampering his progress in the F3 series as “it was difficult to concentrate on the two different things.”

Rumours that Jenson Button has already been signed by team boss moiorspon news

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NEWS

I Two tests for VUSbber Flavio Briatore suggest that the most hkely outcome of a strong test would be a full test contract for 2001 along with a further year in F3000 or possibly a ‘loan’ arrangement with another FI team.

Although the Benetton opportunity has been in the wind for some time, Webber is naturally delighted that he seems set to get a genuine FI test and knows this is the best opportunity he will get to impress: “I was absolutely stoked when they(Benetton) phoned up and confirmed that they were going to give me a run in the car,” he said on Tuesday.

‘We’ve been chipping away at this for a few months now and we’ve had quite a few conversations with the team so. really, this is the result of those efforts./ “It’s going to be nice to break the ice and get to know some o£.the team personnel by doing the aerodynamic test in France before Estoril. It will also give me a chance to get comfortable in the car.

“The September test is very exciting for me and,for sure, it’s going to be a case of grabbing the bull by the horns and doing

"it's going to be a case of grabbing the buii by the horns and doing tte host job I can" - Mark Webber

the bestjob I can and keeping errors to a minimum.

“It looks pretty clear that both seats are taken at Benetton next season, but this is still a fantastic opportunity for me to perform and could bode well for my future.

“At the moment I’m just happy to take one step at a time and then see what happens from there.”

WmUE a Benetton test is enough to concentrate on.

Webber kept his Formula 3000 focus with a fine third at Hockenheim.

The Queanbeyan driver stayed on wet tyres during the race but had to give best to a MYSAP.com IMcLaren 1-2, Tomas Scheckter backing up Tomas Enge on the podium.

Webber’s result cements his current third placing in the championship with two races remaimng.

For more,see page 27.

Got to look my best: Webber is leaving nothing to chance for his Benetton tests '.even making sure his 'personals’ have razor-sharp creases.

Pukekohe one week earlier Change of date: Don't go to Auckland for the Shell Championship Series opener on February 25. The race has been moved forward to February 18 after the Oz Grand Prix was moved to the first weekend in March. There simply wasn't time enough to get the V8s back to Melbourne in four days, so Feb 18 it is. n A meeting of leading Ford teams last Saturday evening has agreed that whatever quantity of the all-new Falcon 'TEGA'front air dams can be produced for Calder will be allocated to cars in championship position order. n Where's Larry? That's the question the boys at Perkins Engineering are asking after team boss Larry Perkins decided to take this week off. It seems Larry just can't get enough time in his new Bell 47 helicopter and he has hovered off into the wide blue yonder. Apparently, he'll be back sometime next week... n Rumours this week are linking Matthew Coleman with a berth in Nations Cup. Coleman wouldn't be specific this week but we believe he may be sliding behind the wheel of a German-made machine... n We was right: As we predicted last issue, Tim Leahey has been formally confirmed for the second Valvoline Cummins Commodores in the endurance races. n Gualter Salles returned to CAFlV racing at Chicago, taking over Takuya Kurosawa’s seat at Dale Coyne Racing. Kurosawa suffered a minor concussion, sore neck and bruised foot in a qualifying shunt a week earlier at Michigan. n While Oran Park's fieries were attracting compliments over their work last Sunday, kudos also the Caltex. It seems that the hard-working extinguisher jockeys did part of their training regarding hydrocarbon fires at Caltex's Kernell refinery.

The Blue Team: Fisichella (in car) will soon be joined in testing by an Australian (Photos by Sutton-lmages)

4 August 2000

n We simply ran out of room to include the Shell Series points in our report from Oran Park so here they are: Skaife 1035, Seton 899, Tander 862, Lowndes 782, Radisich 705, Murphy 661, Longhurst 613, Ingall 607, Johnson 566, Bargwanna 554, Crompton 527, Richards 509, Larkham 503, Bowe449, Perkins 441, Baird 398, Kelly 364, Faulkner 352, Morris 320, Jones 286, Weel 240, McDougall 198, Ellery 183, Forbes 126, Ashby 119, McLean 111, Poole 103, McConville 87, Reed 86, Mezera 34 Donaher 30, Tratt 22, Peters 5, Smerdon, Doulman 4, Romano 2 Heath 1.

Luck

by GERALD McDORNAN BOTH Paul Moms and Mark Larkham have emerged from their fiery accident at Oran Park last Sunday without serious injuries although Morris may be out of action for a short time.

Larkham was released from hospital on Monday and the Mitre 10 driver is determined to be at Calder Park on August 20 for the next round of the Shell Series - his team attacking the destroyed AU and beginning final preparations on a brand new shell that was already near complete.

As Motorsport News went to press, Morris remained in Liverpool Hospital in Sydney and further examinations have revealed slightly more serious injuries than first thought.

After initially being treated for internal injuries a CAT scan on Tuesday revealed three cracked vertabrae.

“I’ve been asking the doctors to tell me what the worse case scenario is,” said Morris.

“They have told me that it takes up to six weeks to heal. I want to get back into a car as soon as I can.”

While the Gold Coast driver is impatient to get back into the team’s other VS Commodore, he said that he would not rush his return and wanted to ensure that his injuries healed for the end-ofseason races.

“We are trying to get Paul back to Queensland and, until we can do that, we really won’t be in a position to think about what we are doing in regard to Calder Park,” said Terry Morris, Paul’s father.

The senior Morris said it was

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possible the team could run a car at Calder, they have the former Garth Tander VS sitting in its shop, but whether Paul or even another driver will run the car is yet to be considered.

Former Holden Young Lion Owen Kelly, who again tested for the Big Kev team recently, is a possibility to drive for the team Kelly having already tested for HYL at Calder three years ago. It is also possible that Kelly may drive Morris’s BMW in the BOC Gases round at Winton on August 27In the aftermath of the incident, Larkham is calling for further steps to be taken to avoid potentially disastrous startline shunts, including a race controloperated in-car warning light system, similar to the system used in Australian NASCAR. (See Motor Mouth on page 24).

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The car saved me MARK Larkham has praised his Mitre 10 team and an opposition CAT Racing crew member after walking away from the fiery 140km/h startline crash at Oran Park last Sunday.

"Everyone that has been involved in the build of that car has got to take some of the credit for the fact that Larko's still here in one piece," he told Motorsport News on Tuesday.

“Everything from the steering wheel to the steering column, the seat mounts, the seat belts and so on that needed to stay intact did stay intact. ”1 would have loved to see a longditudinal g-force reading from the accident, because it would have been pretty damned big, but unfortunately we didn't get it.. ."

Larko also singled out CAT * Racing team member Kevin May who leapt the fence to assist: "I've subsequently found out that he was right there in the midst of the action helping me to get out - I still had drink bottle and radio wires connected to my helmet that were proving difficult to undo.

“The whole thing could have gone up on the spot, yet he was in there, with no regard for his own safety."

Larkham has escaped with muscle and ligament damage around the back of his neck and severe bruising in and around his ribs from the seat belts.

He expects to be fit enough to race at Calder in just over two weeks if the Mitre 10 team is able to complete the build of a brand new bodyshell which was, fortunately, sitting in the team's workshops.

‘I'd be surprised, knowing the dedication of my crew, if we can't do something in ' time," Larko concluded.

1

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Larry says

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'ban the bomb’ Jacques stands

Your shout, Craig: Villeneuve and his manager (and BAR managing (Photo by Sutton-Images) director), Craig Pollock.

team which has seemed to be

struggling in recent months.

The recent upswing in performance has resulted in the Aftermath: The fire bomb

team announcing an extension to

inside Morris’ car. (DimKiynsmmi)

its engine deal with Honda and a new sponsorship deal with the

WITH PauD Morris suffering severe back injuries after his ear’s on°board fire ‘bomb’

protection system was

pushed into his seat from the impact with Mark Larkham’s Ford, Larry Perkins has calDed for the banning of the systems.

"I've said many times over the

years that those fire systems should not be inside the cars," Perkins said.

"In most cases it's not the

impacts which kill drivers, it's the

Dutch-based Internet company World Ordine International. But the wisdom of Villeneuve’s decision

to stay at BAR will be validated by results...

Somehow Villeneuve has been

convinced that staying at BAR is

the right thing to do and given Jacques’s competitive nature this must include undertakings (and perhaps money as well) from

MARK Noske has landed the

ride of his life, with j;he

Victorian yesterday (Wednesday) confirmed to drive the third Panoz LMP-1

prototype at the Adelaide “Race of a Thousand Years’ on New Year’s Eve. Noske will team with either

German Klaus Graf or former FI

driver Pierre-Henri Raphanel in the car, joining regular Panoz drivers David Brabham and Jan

by the BAR JACQUES ViUeneuve’s decision to stay at British Aonerican Racing comes as something of a surprise for the Formula 1 community hut comes as a big boost for the

by GERALD McDORNAN

Magnussen in the lead car, and Hiroki Katoh and Johnny O’Connell in the second machine.

Honda. The decision may also

have been swayed by the fact that Jacques is rumoured to have a shareholding in the team.

Villeneuve admitted that it was

not an easy decision but it was reached because of the progress that the team has been making.

The deal is believed to be worth around US$40m over three years.

Craig Pollock, not surprisingly, took the opportunily to underline that Wleneuve has “registered a

significant vote of confidence in BAR”.

In order to secure Villeneuve’s

signature. Pollock may also have had to agree to make changes in the design team at BAR as the cars to date have not been very

good, although the latest

development version of the BAR

Team owner Don Panoz, impressed with Noske’s Nations Cup drive in his Ferrari 360 at the

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Clipsal 500 meet in Adelaide, earmarked the Australian for the drive in his third car.

“I was impressed with Mark’s efforts - he was fast and t

aggressive in the Ferrari, which is not an easy car to drive - and I was impressed with liis talent and attitude,” Panoz said of his

signing.

“From having David [Brabham] in our team, I Imow there is some great talent in Australia and I ''i:

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02 which was seen in Austria was

a step forward.

-JOESAWARD

The Austrian Decision

things flying around inside the car.

Perkins backed his argument by

also pointing to the fact that most of the systems were damaged in accidents.

"Most of the times the things don't work because the pipes have been crushed in the accident, so

what's the point of having them in there anyway?

"Each and every year when the

technical meetings take place, I argue the point that they should be banned from inside the car and

placed in a better position. This incident might lead to that finally being realised."

- GERALD McDORNAN

NIcLaren fined, lose points. Mika okay

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THE FIA stewards from the Austrian GP last week confirmed Mika Hakkinen’s victory in the event - despite the fact that an official seal was missing from the electronic control unit of his

winning McLaren-Mercedes MP4/15 at the A1 Ring.

The stewards decided that Hakkinen was not to blame for the incident

and so should not be punished but felt that the problem could not be overlooked, taking away the 10 points won by McLaren for the Constructors’ title and fining the team US$50,000. All this was despite the fact that the FIA agreed that the software ‘lock’ was still in place. This is a

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code of 12 characters which only the FIA knows. There are several billion

possibilities and so the code is very unlikely to have been broken.

Despite this, Ferrari sent a letter to the FIA arguing that such a code

could be broken so McLaren should be punished to avoid future trouble.

“Wiile the loss of constructors’ points is very disappointing,” said McLaren’s managing director Martin Whitmarsh, “we believe that with our current performance we will render the loss academic by the end of the year.”

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New season’s fashion: Besnard’s EL wil motorsoort news

News

s Panoz drive

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rototype in Adelaide’s ‘Race of a Thousand Years’

■ Helio Castroneves tested at the

Indianapolis Motor Speedway last week in one of Fred Treadway’s GForce/Aurora IRL cars. "It's a great track and a very technical track, but I

thought it was wider," said the 25year-old Brazilian. ’I was pleased to be here and now Ihave a reference if we ever run here." m The winner of the FedEx Series this season will receive the

Vanderbilt Cup. The award replaces the PPG Cup which was awarded from 1980-1999. The Vanderbilt Cup was presented in the early 1900s for some of the earliest motor races in

the United States, and, since 1996, had been the winner's trophy at the US 500 at Michigan,

■ Stephen Copping is the newlyappointed Ford Racing media co ordinator. Copping replaces Dave Sewell who is returning to university studies.

■ Sylvester Stallone’s film crew for his ’Champs’ film were busy in action at Chicago, shooting a victory podium scene right after the real podium presentation. Kenny Brack and Memo Gidley got the silverware, a welcome sight considering neither have never visited a CART podium in

Knock your top off: Mark Noske has landed the plum Panoz drive for Adelaide and he’s happy...

(Photo by Sutton-lmages)

always had the idea to give a young driver a chance on home soil.

‘Toung people can really shine, given the right opportunity, and I

Adelaide,” Noske said this week.

“I still can’t beheve the news.

event to be involved in and the

Earnhardt will drive for veteran Dave this season in the #71 Chev.

“Obviously it will be an exciting

I§ht’s a great honour to be chosen

by Don Panoz and his team to

opportunity to drive alongside the likes of Brabham and Magnussen

of this opportunity.”

drive in the Le Mans race in

will be fantastic.”

I set for Lites debut DAVID Besnard headlines this weekend’s V8 Lites ^'1 I ‘

^

race at Lakeside, the former MotorSport Young Achiever of the Year set to debut a Stone Brothers EL Falcon in all-new Caltex colours.

Besnard’s appearance adds some sparkle to the growing series and represents the second entry into the series by a Level 1 V8 Supercar team (John Faulkner

Racing again entering Ryan McLeod in a Wynns-backed Commodore).

3

Despite limited testing, Besnard has shown blistering pace and should provide a tough benchmark for the existing Lites contenders.

With series restrictions on t3rre usage, the weekend will be the first time Besnard will have run the Falcon on fresh rubber.

"Our testing to date has been on old rubber," Ross Stone told us this week, "so it may take a little while for him to get to grips with new tyres.

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"But his data’s been pretty good, and he’s a brave bugger..."

Ford driver Dean Canto, who has secured a

Queensland 500 drive with FTR, is cuiTently leading the

4 XUBUSt 2000

■ Kerry Earnhardt, brother of Dale Jr, will make his Winston Cup debut at Michigan next month. Brother

A dehghted Noske said he was looking forward to the drive.

am sure Mark will make the most

Wear this new Caltex scheme this weekend.

their careers!

V8 Lites by 26 points from former AUSCAR champion Matthew White. Ryan McLeod is two points further back.

Marcis, who has struggled to qualify

■ Felippe Giaffone, currently second in Indy Lights points, will test for Mo Nunn Racing at Sebring this week. In other CART news, John Della Penna has confirmed that

Memo Gidley will race the rest of the CART oval races this season for his

team, Norberto Fontana driving the road courses.

■ Keith Wiggins, former boss of Pacific Grand Prix, has become team

manger of the Bettenhausen CART team and is negotiating to become a part-owner. A tentative agreement has been reached between the team

and sponsor Herdez for the company

to buy a majority share of the team.

■ The new Renault Formula 1

engine should be ready to begin

track-testing before the end of season testing ban coijies into effect. The new unit should be run in a Benetton while the racing team is

away at the Japanese and Malasyian Grands Prix. The exciting new engine

is expected to be ground-breaking with a vee angle of 100-degrees, a weight of around 90kgs and a high rev limit, which we hear is well over

20,000rpm.

9

n n I n I n

home of

[motorsport] Shell Championship Series V8 Supercars* ●Rd 10 Aug 20 ...Calder Park ... ●Rd 11

Sep 10 .,.Queensland 500 Gets .Sandown

■Rd 12

Oct 15 . . . .Gold Coast . . .(Non Championship) Nov 19 . . .FA11000 - Bathurst Rd 13 World Superbike Championship* .RdIO UK

Aug 6

.Rd 11

Aug27 . . .TBA

.Rdl2

Sept 3 . , . .Netherlands

.Rd 13

Sep 10 . . .Germany .

FIA Formula One World Championship Aug 13 . . .Hungary

,Rd 12 .Rd13

Aug 27 . . .Belgium

.Rd 14

Sep 10 . . .Italy

FIA Formula 3000 International Championship Aug 12 . . .Hungaroring

.Rd9 .Rd 10

Aug 26 . . .Spa

FIA World Rally Championship* ■Rd9

Aug 20 . . .Finland

,Rd10

Sep 10 . . .China .

Oct 1 . . . .France

.Rd 11

NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series .Rd16 Aug 6 . . . .California . .Rd17 Aug 20 . . .Minnesota . .Rd18 Sep 4 Indianapolis FedEx CART Championship Series* .Rd13

Aug 13 . . .Mid-Ohio

.Rd14

Aug 30 . . .Road America

.Rd 15

Sep 3 . . . .Vancouver . .

Australian Rally Championship* Rd5 Aug 27 . . .Melbourne . .

Oct 8

.Rd6

. . . .Tasmania . . .

,Rd7

Nov 12 . . .Rally Australia

SOOec World Grand Prix Motorcycle Championship* .Rd 11 Aug 20 . . .Czech Rep Sep 3 . . . .Portugal .

.Rd12

Sep 17 . . .Valencia .

Oct 7 Rio

.Rd14

.Rd13

Holden Australian Drivers' Championship* Aug27 . . .Mallaia

.Rd8

American Le Mans Series* ,R d6

Aug 6 . . . .Canada.

Sep 2

.R d7

Texas . ,

.R d8

Sep 10 . . .Portland

.R d9

Sep 30 . . .Atlanta

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Ford on ookout Blue oval cashed up and shopping for V8 drivers

by CHRIS LAMBDEN FORD is on the lookout for a couple of guns for 2001.

Pit lane chat at last weekend’s Oran Park V8 Supercar round is suggesting that, having failed to line any of Holden’s leading drivers across the divide last year, Ford is redoubling its efforts for 2001.

Russell Ingall and Greg Murphy were unsuccessfully targetted last year and while both are contracted beyond this year by their current teams, the incidence of contract buy-outs is becoming common in the modem world of professional sport - particularly motor sport.

Whether either or both have been approached again is purely a matter of speculation at present One driver who is out of contract at the end of the year is Craig Lowndes. Despite Craig’s recent assertion to Motorsport News (issue 184) that he is “99% likely to stay with HRT’ it is not a far-fetched notion that Ford could make a serious bid.

After all, aU-hut-one of Ford’s top teams is based up on the Gold Coast, where Craig now resides.

But where would a top exHolden pilot go?

It is not unreasonable to conclude that at least one seat at Stone Brothers viill be available.

Rumour is suggesting that Craig Baird’s time viith the team will end at the conclusion of the year, while some significance could be attached to the fact that highlyrated former open-wheeler ace David Besnard is making Ms V8 Lites debut at Lakeside this weekend in a Caltex-Uveried Stone Brothers EL Falcon.

There are even rumours that one seat at the SheE team could be made available and, whEe he is expected to stay at BTR, NeE Crompton doesn’t yet have a written contract for 2001...

Mark Larkham is also expected to field a two-car team next year.

Interesting times. WhEe the V8 Supercar brigade seem unwiUing to play the Fl-style Sisiting other team motorhomes’ game, a quick look at the outgoing phone log at Broadmeadows might well make intriguing reading...

This time around? Could Greg Murphy be on Ford’s shopping list?

(Pholo by API Images)

Skaife/Lowndes pair up

HRT is now certain to pair Mark Skaife and Craig Lowndes together for Bathurst.

With Lowndes virtually out of title contention, the question was put to Skaife after last Sunday’s Oran Park meeting, the championship leader confirming that the two were also more than keen to drive together.

"I'd say it's all but decided," he said. "Championship position aside, Craig and I decided, on a personal level, way back at the start of the year that we'd like to run as a pair,'to really give Bathurst a go. We shook hands and agreed that, if at all possible, that was our preferred option."

Barring disaster for Skaife's championship chase, expect the two to also pair up for the Queensland 500, leavihg Todd Kelly and expected fourth driver Nathan Pretty in the second car in Queensland, the Young Lions (third) car for Bathurst.

Euro stars Jason Plato and Yvan Muller have been confirmed by the team as Bathurst drivers and while either would make a competent back-up for Lowndes or Skaife in separate cars, there is no doubt that a Skaife/Lowndes combo in HRT's lead car would present a more formidable outright contender.

Toyota Oran Park V8 presence felt SPECULATION concerning Toyota’s possible peurticipation in the SheU V8 Supercar Series was further heightened by the appearance of Toyota Australia’s motorsport head, Peter Evans, at Oran Park on the weekend.

Evans was keen to again take a close-up look at the V8 series and, courtesy of a guest pass issued by series broadcaster Channel 10, made his way to Oran Park.

Evans said many within Toyota are supportive of the concept of the factory making the move to V8s.

“It would seem that if you are. interested in the Avalon being seen alongside the market’s two biggest selling units as an alternative, then you really need to be seen in V8s,” Evans said.

“We’re continuing to take a look at the series and what it may offer Toyota.”

motorsport nows

HWViS

2001 Brunei V8 race 90 percent done" according to AVESCO

11

THE likelihood of a V8 Supercar race in Brunei in 2001 is close to 90 percent, according to AVESCO. CEO Wayne Cattach this week confirmed that acceptance of AVESCO’s proposal in relation to a race in Brunei was ‘^‘ust a few days away” and that such a race would take place for the first time in 2001.

At the same time,the group is struggling to finalise its proposed 2001 calendar, with date clashes affecting a return of the Bathxrrst race to the holiday weekend in NSW (September 29/30)- both AEL and Rugby League finals are schedulecj that weekend - or indeed a week later, when CART wants to schedule the Honda Indy 300 at Sui-fers.

Discussions were ongoing with IMG (promoter of both events) and Channel 10, the host broadcaster of both the Bathurst and Surfers races, as w® closed for press.

At the same time,AVESCO has yet to hear from the Perth City Council in relation to the proposal to stage a street race there. The Council met this week, but tbe matter did not feature on the agenda.

At this late stage, there is some chance that WA may not feature on the 20001 Shell series calendar-, due for release in midSeptember.

... CAMS/AVESCO broker peace bM A meeting between CAMS and AVESCO last Thursday has delayed the court action between the two.

CAMS has initiated action to clarify its ownership of the intellectual property that is Group 3A Touring Cars and to define the limits of AVESCO’s rights in terms of running the category under its category management delegation.

Following pressure from the FLA to try and resolve-the impasse outside court, the two parties met last Thursday to try and thrash out a workable arrangement to suit both parties.

Although both were not keen to comment over the weekend, Motorsport News understands that a proposal resulted from the meeting which was to be'presented to both Boards this week.

AVESCO Chairman Tony Cochrane hinted that “there seems to be the basis for some agreement” and indeed the AVESCO Board met on Monday to consider its position.

However, Cochrane also warned that “it has to be more or less sorted out his coming week or we will have to consider the possibility of revolution...”

In the meantime, CAMS went into court on Friday, and was granted an adjournment for 18 days for the parties to extend the mediation process.

CAMS CEO Peter Hansen was unable to comment on the case.

- CHRIS LAMBDEN

a Auguti 2000

n For the first time in the history of the World Championship there was a woman steward. Mrs Waltraud Wunsch represented the Deutsch Motor Sport Bund, the German national sporting authority, while the two international stewards were FI regulars Paul Gutjahr from Austria and Britain's John Quenby. n As we predicted recently, Jordan has re-signed Heinz-Harald Frentzen for two more years. There have also been rumours that Jordan's bright young Australian engineer Sam Michael has received an offer to go to work for Ferrari. The 29-year-old is understood to be deciding what to do. n A group of Dutch investors has approached the Thai government with the intention of building a USSIOOm racing circuit in the Rayong province, not far from the Pattaya beach resort.

The group hopes to get government incentives for the scheme which will help to create jobs and promote tourism. There is believed to be a problem because Thailand has a ban on tobacco advertising.

Like sands through an hour glass: AVESCO’s Wayne Cattach says a race in Brunei is close. (Photo by di* Kiynsmim) 9,

mixed reactions LAST weekend's first experiment by V8 Supercars with grid reversal didn't come without a great deal of angst, and only after a precedent-setting overnight change in the race meeting's regulations.

The intent of TEGA's Board decision in framing the regs for the change wasn't reflected in the weekend's official Supplementary Regulations and it took some urgent and heated action from a number of leading drivers to force action.

The very public fracas created a degree of internal friction within TEG/VAVESCO, with CEO Wayne Cattach and Board members Dick Johnson and Mark Larkham at odds with co-Board member Larry Perkins and several leading drivers.

In essence the Supp Regs made no reference to an agreed reduction in points value for the second (top six spots reversed) heat and simply used the finishing position in heat two as the grid position for race three - not an aggregation of races one and two.

As Perkins, Mark Skaife, Glenn Seton and a myriad of drivers suddenly realised, it would thus pay to go for sixth place only in race one, cop pole for heat two and thus the opportunity to win race two and get pole for race three (phew!).

Despite Cattach's frustration that his charges had received the regs some three weeks earlier, driver pressure eventually resulted in an overnight revision of the regs, requiring a full sign-off by all teams.

While TEGA/AVESCO officials were keen to write off the discord as the price of "experimenting with formats and ideas, so that we can get a 100 percent solid set-up for 20001" it did lend weight to the occasionally aired criticism that AVESCO's obvious steps forward in the big picture have been at the. expense of some of the finer detail required to run the sporting element of its category correctly.

n Ferrari drivers Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher are due to appear at the Marlboro Masters Formula 3 race this weekend at Zandvoort in Flolland. The pair will do demonstration runs in the current Formula 1 cars. The event is one of the most important in the F3 calendar as it sees the leading runners of the different European series racing against one another. n The 1979 World Champion Jody * Scheckter was in Hockenheim to watch his son Tomas in action for the second time in Formula 3000. The youngster is racing for the McLaren junior team, which is sponsored by MySap.com. Scheckter Jr made a very good impression,finishing second to his team mate-Tomas Enge in only his second race in the series (see page 27), n We hear that the Hockenheim authorities have been given six weeks in which to come up with the money to fund the rebuilding of the circuit.

Bernie Ecclestone is believed to be offering a new 10-year deal for the race if the funding can be sorted out between the local government, the town of Hockenheim and the German motor industry. If the deal goes ahead Hockenheim will be completely rebuilt. n The Telefonica company has a new chairman as expected. Juan Villalonga resigned last week and there are signs that his replacement Cesar Alierta may be less keen on flamboyant and expensive promotional activities such as motor racing. The Spanish telecommunications giant is currently supporting cars in FI, CART and Formula 3000.

11

CART Worid Championship?

FORMULA 1 could face increased competition for sponsors and television coverage from a CARTinspired FIA Worid Ovai Racing Championship within the next five years.

The recent days have seen announcements that CART will host races next year at the ‘Eurospeedway Berlin Brandenburg’(otherwise known as the Lausitzring) in the former East Germany and at the new Rockingham ovai near Corby in England. Both deals are believed to be for five years. The German 500 will take place on the Eurospeedway's two-mile oval on September 15 2001 with the Rockingham race taking place a week later on September 22.

CART is also expanding to race in Mexico City next year and already has races in Canada, Brazil, Australia and Japan. Our spies tell us that since Bobby Rahal took over running the sport there has been a significant switch in strategy with the intention being to reach some kind of agreement with Indianapolis Motor Speedway so that CART teams can race their cars in the Indianapolis 500. It is probably significant that CART team owner Roger Penske has announced his intention to rent an IRL car later this month to run for Gil de Ferran and Helio Castro Neves at Indianapolis.

We also hear that CART has agreed to become directly sanctioned by the FIA with the long term intention of establishing a World Cup and eventually a World Oval Championship. This could mean that Grands Prix and oval races will run on alternate dates throughout the summer months.

CART'S global popularity is likely to be boosted by Sylvester Stallone planned movie which is expected to be in cinemas by the middle of next year.

The movie is expected to be called ‘Driven’ and will feature Stallone, Burt Reynolds. Estella Warren and Kip Pardue under the direction of racing fan Renny Harlin.

CART'S shift towards ovals may also open up the possibility of Formula 1 taking over some of the road races which CART currently runs in the United States, notably the Long Beach and Detroit Grands Prix.

-JOE SAVI/ARO

12

Bright determihid after Chicago crash I

Blues Brothers? Bright leads a Dorricott Racing pack at Michigan, while Scott Dixon (below) leads the series.

JASON Bright is in a determined mood after crashing out of the Chicago round of the Indy Lights Championship last Friday.

Bright crashed his Dorricott Racing Lola in practice and missed the weekend after suffering back and neck injuries. Despite treatment from CART medico Dr Terry Trammell wasn’t well enough to run the race.

Worse still- for the Aussie, arch rival Scott Dixon won the race on the 1-mile oval, retaking the points lead after Bright took a slender 1point margin at Michigan.

Bright has just set the quickest time of the session and had passed team-mate Tovrasend Bell when the car got away from him in turn four, slamming into the outside wall. He told the team that the car crossed the white line on the bottom of the track.

Trammell told Bright that the injuries he suffered were almost identical to those Nigel Mansell had when he crashed an Indy Car at Phoenix in 1993, eventually prompting surgey to correct his injuries.

WHILE Bright sat out the Chicago race,Dixon moved back into the championship lead, passing Bright’s team mate Casey Mears for the lead on lap 27 of the 97 lapper on the one-mile oval.

“We’ve had a couple of bad races in Michigan and Portland so it sort

of goes up and down in racing,” / Dixon said,“but we are lucky that we had a great car this weekend. It just got better and better with the weightjacker in traffic, it really wasn’t myself it was the car. It was very, very good. I’m pretty happy.”

Bright’s other team mate, Townsend Bell, finished second ahead of Dixon’s team mate Tony Renna, who started from the back after being underweight in qualifying.

Veteran Derek Higgins, who substituted for Bright, was involved in an opening lap accident with Rolando Quintanilla and Mario

Dominguez. He finished 13th.

Points: Dixon 77, Giaffone 65,Bell, Mears 59, Bright 57.

New Le Mans Chrysler

CHRYSLER'S 2001 Le Mans 24 Hours contender should be on the grid for the Sebring 12 Hours in March. , The decision of the American car maker and its motorsport partner, the French ORECA team, to link up with Dallara appears to have sealed its participation in the event.

ORECA boss Hugues de Chaunac said: “We want to do a minimum of one long-distance race to prepare for Le Mans and Sebring definitely makes the most sense.”

He explained that one of the reasons for the deal with the Italian constructor was to enable the Chrysler prototype to be up

and running before Christmas.

De Chaunac conceded that the chassis ORECA planned to build on its own would have emerged “three months later and that, for me, was too late”.

The Frenchman denied that Chrysler would merely be rebadging a chassis Dallara has had on the stocks for some time.

He described the arrangement as a “technical partnership”.

“I felt that if we put our design people and their design people together we would be much stronger, he said.

De Chaunac said he planned to do as many races after Le Mans as his budget would allow.

- GARY WATKSNS motorsport nows

NTERES

FRli call to reach your nearest store

●Adelaide ●Ballarat ●Brisbane ●Cairns ●Canberra ●Central Coast ● Darwin ●Gold Coast ●Hobart ●Mackay ● Melbourne ●Newcastle ●Perth ● Sydney ●Sunshine Coast ●Townsville ●Wollongong ’Auckland, NZ

PEUG

m

by GERALD McDORNAN

Orange around the gills: Tom Walkinshaw has signed a deal with AMT for Peugeot power in 2001.

(Photo by Sutton-lmages)

Arrows secures Peugeot ARROWS has secured AMT/Peugeot engines for 2001, the French car manufacturer last week confirming its withdrawal from the sport.

AMT-Asia Motor Technologies - has also been confirmed as the purchaser of the Peugeot FI technology. Arrows boss Tom Walkinshaw securing the powerplants last week in a twoyear deal.

The Arrows engines will be modified versions of the current Prost engine.

AMT is an interesting company with no obvious racing pedigree. It’s best known shareholder is Hideo Morita,the eldest son ofthe late Akio Morita who, with Masaru Ibuka, built the vast Sony Corporation.

Morita died last October leaving

Hideo as head of the family holding company Raykay Inc which, along with the Morita Foundation, controls a 10 percent share of Sony, which is worth an estimated US$5bn. The family has no representation on the modem Sony board of directors.

Enrique Scalabroni, who has not been actively involved in FI for over a decade, has links with the company.

The Arrows annoimcement came with a confusing “the first time that the team has had the fuU factory support from an engine suppHer” statement, suggesting there is more to AMT than meets the eye.

Sources suggest AMT may have a link to Mitsubishi, with Scalabroni seen with Mitsubishi personnel at the Nurburgring.

AMT said it would make a full announcement of its plans at the end of the current World Championship.

The biggest question for AMT is likely to be whether or not they will be able to keep the current Peugeot Sport staff. At the moment Citroen Sport is in the process of moving out of the building it currently shares with Peugeot. The facility will then be divided in two with the Peugeot rally program on one side and AMT on the other.

Holding on to staff is not going to be easy because a lot of them are Peugeot company men and would prefer to stay with Peugeot and work on the WRC program.

Others have been offered jobs at nearby Renault.

NATHAN Pretty wiU soon be confirmed as the replacement for Mark Noske at Holden Racing Team,as predicted in Motorsport News a fortnight ago.

Pretty, along with former FFord racer Gavin Monaghan, completed an impressive test for the team at Winton in June and both were hopeful of gaining a drive with HRT for the long distance races.

Both drivers were disappointed with the announcement that European drivers, Jason Plato and Yvan Muller would drive with the team, although Pretty’s second opportunity has now come about with the release of Mark Noske.

A strong indication of Pretty’s position with the team came on the weekend at Oran Park with Nathan in attendance at the race

with HRT.

Indications ofPretty’s appointment were given farther weight when the Wodonga driver again tested with the team at PhUlip Island on the Monday prior to last weekend’s Oran Park round, driving Craig Lowndes’new VT Commodore.

Sources close to the team suggest Pretty completed the tasks given at the test by team manager Jeff Grech and, despite being “a couple of seconds off the pace”, they were happy given the pressure and the fact it was Pretty’s first drive at the daunting circuit.

Procar dyno tests contenders

Eight cars undergo posWran Park testing in Sydney to help maintain parify

by GERALD McDORNAN

NASCAR has come to Nations Cup with PROCAR directing Seven competitors to present

their cars for dyno testing in Sydney last Monday.

Two Ferraris 360s, two Dodge Vipers and four Porsche GT3s had their engine compartments and engine management systems sealed by PROCAR officials in Parc Ferme following the

conclusion ofSunday’s race and

the teams affected told to be present at Wayne Jones Performance in Mt Druitt the

following morning.

The cars tested were Wayne Park and Christian Jones’Ferrari

360 Modena Challenges, Gooff Morgan and Mike Conway’s Dodge Viper ACRs and the

Porsche GT3s of Championship leader Jim Richards, Peter Bradbury and Mark Williamson.

The planned tests by PROCAR had been kept secret from the teams until Sunday night.

Bettes told Motorsport News that the test was designed to pve PROCAR even more information about the vehicles.

“We kept the teats secret from the competitors as we wanted to

untleftake them -wifh the cars in the configufation in which they raced on the weekend,” he said.

“Everything pretty much went as we expected, although the tests did uncover some things which did surprise us.”

The tests were requested by PROCAR to clearly establish the power output ofthe vehicles, to enable accurate assessments for panty adjustments in the near future, and not check on technical eligibility.

Bettes said PROCAR had given its competitors an undertaking that the horsepower figures would not be disclosed, although they

y/ould provide valuable

information as to how tlie category could continue to provide a level playing field, He also said the tests were carried out under insi rnclions flmt only two ^ from each team were to ™prS«n the lyno cell when their vehicle was running and no members from oHrer teams were allowed in the cel at tnat time.

The testing will be extended to other vehicles in the near future, and the results of all the testing will be collated to establish any changes which may be required to maintain competitive racing. .moiorsnori news

NEWS

f

W

hat a weekend at Oran Park. What a wild one it was ...

From where I saw the racing I thought it was a little bit on the boring side but it wasn't until I watched the videotape on Sunday night that I was very happy that I qualified up the pointy end. Down the field it looked like there were bombs going off everywhere and cars getting speared off. Once you get lower than grid 12, it tends to get very ugly indeed.

In my view that really enforces the positives for the reverse grid situation. There's plenty of fast cars and fast drivers down the field but, because of poor qualifying performances, they get stuck in that midfield danger zone, never to return.

At least, with the reverse grid, as long as they take it further down the field and not just the top six, it will actually give a few drivers a chance at the pointy end (who probably should be there anyway). The old format, with three 20 minute races gridded on results from qualifying and the races, means that it's just a qualifying battle. The weekend is won and lost on Saturday.

■■;

Looking ahead; Nathan Pretty is soon expected to be confirmed by HRT.

(Photo by AF1 Images)

Dario tests Jag liApilCi FrancKiiii

Jaguar last week at

fcif

rapidly, that sometimes things aren't quite worked out right When they ahould be but I'm sure that the boys running the show will get on top of that

Silverstqne but failed to set gny startfing jap t|nries and we hear that the possibility of the Scotsman getting a ride with the team in FI next

soon. ..

o

year is looking increasingly remote despite the fact that

Johnny Herbert has said that he will be heading off to CART in the US.

Jaguar was hoping to sign up Jenson Button and has had talks with a number of drivers including Giancarlo Fisichella and Olivier Panis.

if a decent Formula 1 drive

is not available, Franchitti is expected to stay in America where he has been offered a 4 IlHSUSt 2060

have to say that the third race restart after the massive Larkham/Morris accident was a complete sham. The grid was cleaned,.up sufficiently so that there would not have been a problem and I think that a couple of drivers were saving their own butts as it was better for them to have a rolling start rather than a standing start.

As a driver, I am not in favour of making major format changes when a race meeting has started, let alone during a race i must say that, witl’i the VO Superc^r series growing sp

good deal by Team Kool Green, his employer for the last two seasons.

Sources close to Franchitti

say the Scotsman was

actually happy with the test, despite being frustrated by mechanical dramas.

Enforced Views .m Bussell Inoall ...the third race restart after the massive Larkham/Morris accident was a conmlete sham -1 think a couple of drivers were saving their own butts...rr

IS

-Russell ‘the Enforcer’Ingall

O

n a different note, on Saturday in sunny Launceston I will have the honour (thanks to Holden plug!) of running a leg in the Olympic torch relay. It's fantastic that a few of the drivers in racing are involved in this event and again shows the strength of our sport and the recognition it attracts.

B

efore the Oran Park weekend, the matter of whether I had brought the sport into disrepute was cleared up with no action being After having a chat with the officials concerned last Friday, I am sure both sides have a

belter understanding of the

ne thing tiiat I was very

importance of the media to the sport and individual

work by the Safety Crews at Oran Park. When a huge accident happens, like it did, and there is potential for serious injury, especially when fire is concerned, it's reassuring for the drivers to see the marshals perform to such a high level of professionalism.

Well done, guys.

badly needs).

From my side, I know the importance of the media, not only for myself, but to the sport as a whole. We have to be careful not to become too clinical about issues, as this will drive personalities out of the limelight, which is never good.

happy to see was the great

personalities (which the sport

IS

4

NEWS

j

HANS knees boomps-a-daisy: Ollie Panis tests McLaren’s heads-up (Sutton) -.u^nTwhileSistian Fittipaldi models the HANS urtit irt Michigan.

Gizmo-fest ANEW head restraint appeared for the first time in competition conditions at CAET’s Michigan 500.

Newman-Haas team-mates Michael Andretti and Christian ,,1 Fittipaldi used the HANS(Head and Neck Support)system during practice for the superspeedway race.

Fittipaldi has been involved in the development of the system and also tried the devicgdn practice at

Goodyear changes

the Detroit street race in June.

The system, which limits the movement of the head relative to the torso in an accident, was used earlier this year by Norberto Fontana at Nazareth and by Steve Knapp in the Indy 500.

The creator of the HANS system.

Dr Roberto Hubbard, oversaw the use of the device at Michigan.

AT the same time, McLaren has been testing a new heads-up

4 display system to allow its drivers to get car information without bothering with a dashboard.

Olivier Panis has been testing the prototype, which uses a monitor mounted on the top of the visor.

McLaren is not the first team to tiy such a system. Seven years ago, Lotus trialled a system during testing at Hethel, though the unit was never used in a race.

V for V-vooiff

IT is worth noting that there is a major restructuring of management going on at Goodyear with Bill Sharp,the head of the company's North American operations(and the man who made the decision to pull the company out of Formula 1 back in 1997) stepping down at the age of 58.

He will be replaced by John Polhemus, who is currently in ' charge of Goodyear's Latin American Region, an area where the popularity of FI is huge. With Goodyear struggling to remain the top tyre company in the world in competition with Michelin and Bridgestone, a change of management at Goodyear might signal a change of policy. The problem for the Akron company is that most of its old FI team have left the company and so a new group would have to be trained up. As part of the restructuring there will be a new division for global marketing progi’ams. This organisation may quickly conclude that FI is an essential step for the company.

- JOE SAWARD 4 JIUBUSt 2000

THE trend in recent seasons has been for Formula 1's engine manufacturers to do everything possible to lower the centre of gravity of the motors, in order to give the car the best possible handling.

This has resulted in tiny clutches and curious angled gearboxes. It has also meant that the angle of the V between the two banks of cylinders has gradually increased. While most engines in the early days of the normally-aspirated formula were between 65-degrees and 75degrees (the exceptions being the Lamborghini and Porsche V12s, which were both 80-degree engines, and the disastrous Subaru flat-12) the angles have

gradually grown with this year’s Ferrari and BMW engines both boasting a 90-degree V angle.

We hear that engineers at Renault Sport in Paris are now experimenting with even wider angles up to 115-degrees.

Various design studies have been done over the years by other manufacturers but have been dismissed because of the problems involved in packaging the exhaust pipes while allowing for the rear bodywork which sweeps inward at the back of the car. This has resulted in a number of experiments with exhaust systems which exit through the bodywork rather than by the more traditional rearward piping.

JOE SAWARD

n There are likely to be questions asked about a spectator who managed to get onto the track and disrupt the race at Hockenheim last week, A 47 year old Frenchman was arrested following the incident which led to a Safety Car having to be sent out. The 47-year-old Frenchman, a former Mercedes-Benz employee, was protesting about what he believes is unfair treatment by the company which led to him being fired because he was unable to do the job offered to him because of health problems. The man tried to make a protest on the grid but was bundled off the road by marshals but he later cut his way through a wire mesh fence out in the forests. We understand that he tried a similar protect at the French GP but was spotted and prevented from his gesture by an FIA employee. See over page for his true identity ... n Former FI driver Bertrand Gachot was very fortunate last week when he stepped off Concorde in Paris having flown in from New York.

The plane crashed on take-off on the flight back to New York a few hours later, killing everyone onboard.

Among the dead were a couple called Frentzen from Heinz-Harald Frentzen's home town of Monchengladbach but we understand that they were no relation to the Jordan driver. n Huge rain storms at Hockenheim over the weekend resulted in an estimated 20,000 campers being flooded. On Friday evening 13 people were injured when lightning struck a huge puddle of water and they all received serious electric shocks. Fortunately no-one was killed. n The last Ford Escort rolled off the production lines at Halewood last week. The facility has been producing the Escort since 1967 and has built more than five million of the cars. The Merseyide facility has now been closed so that its production lines can be changed and staff retrained in preparation for the launch of the new X400 Jaguar. The Jaguar Racing Formula 1 program has been designed to help Jaguar sell the new car. n The organisers at Silverstone are planning to restrict parking considerably next year in an effort to combat the traffic jams which caused such chaos at the British GP this year. Race fans will be encouraged to either travel by coach to the event or to share their transportation with friends. The circuit says that only 18,000 spaces will be available to spectators. Normally there are 40,000.

- JOE SAWARD II

Ecclestone aad the car industry THE rumours that a consortium of automobile manufacturers are trying to buy a shareholding in Formula One is not a surprise, given the recent agreement between Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA for the commercial rights to the World Championship to be leased for 100 years.

The current trend in FI is for manufacturers to buy or estabiish their own teams. Fiat owns Ferrari, DaimierChrysler is a shareholder in McLaren, Ford is represented by Jaguar Racing, Renault recently bought Benetton and Toyota is putting together its own team. It is possible that Honda will follow suit and that Peugeot may buy Prost Grand Prix. in addition there is talk that General Motors is looking at an F1 involvement.

The increase in manufacturer

about to

Frost

sol

IkJ

VlflII new owner ran iupertecs - and Is Briatora involved?

PROST Grand Prix is about to be sold to a US-based company and it is expected that the purchaser(rumoured to be Tony Johnson's Hidden Creak Industries)is paying US$67m ($112m)for the deal.

This does not seem like a lot of money given that last autumn Prost sold 10 percent of the company to Louis Vuitton Mbet Hennessy for an estimated US$12m. This transaction valued the team at US$120m and so anyone spending US$67m would only be buying

around 55 percent of the shares.

This poses an interesting question: who owns the remaining 35 percent ofthe team?

According to all the available records the team has been wholly owned by Alain Prost since he bought the operation from Flavio Briatore in February 1997.

Our sources suggest that Briatore may have retained a third of the shares and has spent the last three years as a silent partner in the operation.

Briatore is now in charge

of the Benetton FI team which wdl become the Renault factory team in 2002 but it is not believed that he has any shares in the operation so he may want to keep an involvement elsewhere.

Briatore last weekend announced that he has no further involvement in Supertec and that the future of the engine company is still to be decided.

With Renault Sport planning its own engine programme, there is unlikely to be much work for the Mecachrome company, which has been

preparing the current VlOs for Supertec. Tlie obvious move for Mecachrome is to go on using the old engines next year and supply them to customers but with Arrows having done a deal with the mysterious AMT operation, the only teams needing engines are Prost and Minardi.

What is clear at the moment is that Renault does not want to be involved with Alain Prost but is happy for the team to use Supertec engines if there is another team owner.

-JOESAWARD

interest presents Bernie Ecclestone with a problem because, although he is still able to control rebel teams, it is going to become more and more difficult when he tries to take on huge corporations, which have a great deal more money than he does.

At the moment - and until the end of the current Concorde Agreement in 2006 - the Formula 1 teams receive only 47 percent of the income from television. Ecclestone gets the rest and pays the FIA from his share. Teams receive none of the money raised from fees paid to Ecclestone by race organisers.

While the payments to the teams constitute a considerable sum of money - the big teams take around $15m a year from TV income - there is a strong feeling that Ecclestone is taking too much. Teams are also worried by his 100-year deal with the FiA but they know that they are only bound to Ecclestone until the current Concorde Agreement runs out.

After that, Ecclestone needs a new Concorde Agreement to tie in the teams and they are going to ask him for more money. He is unlikely to agree to hand over a bigger percentage.

There is, therefore, the potential for trouble ahead.

- JOE SAWARD 18

NIGEL Mansell could qualify on the front row of a GP this season, according to the man himself.

Speaking after driving a Lotus 94 FI car at the recent Coys Historic Festival at Silverstone, the 1992 World Champion said he could mix it with the current stars - provided he had the right car available to him.

“It wouldn’t be a problem,” Mansell said.

“I could definitely be on the front row in the right car. It would all depend on the machinery.”

The Briton, who turns 47 next week, has not raced in GPs since 1995. He was present at the event with fellow Fl retirees Stirling Moss, John Surtees and John Watson.

Watson was similarly optimistic about his chances of qualifying in

Oh no, he’s talking again: Mansell was in fine form at Silverstone but Moss (left) was more modest.

(Photo by Sulton-lmages)

a modern race.

“Yes, no problems,” said the 54year-old Irishman.

“But if I was in a Jordan,for instance, I think I would be 11th or 12th on the grid, no higher.”

Moss, 70, was more realistic.

“No,I couldn’t do it in a modern car,” he admitted. “But I reckon I could take on most of the drivers here today in a historic car on treads in the wet.

“I never raced competitively on

slicks, apart from a brief spell in touring cars, so I’m not much good on them. I wouldn’t even think about getting onto a modern FI grid.”

He was backed up by Surtees, at 66 still the only man to win world titles on two and four wheels.

“I think you drive a car automatically, and when you get behind the wheel of a car with which you are familiar you get back into the groove very quickly,” he said.

“I think I’d still be up front in period machinery, but it was very different in my day, and there’s no way I could be competitive in a modern Fl car.” moiorsport news

Who is going to run Toyota Flf

THERE are whispers in the Formula 1 world that Toyota has found someone to run its Formula 1 operations in Cologne and that the person in question will be able to attract a large number of British engineers to join the team which is currently being put

together in Germany.

The identity of the man in question is not known but there are a very limited number of people in FI with the necessary skills to run a team and with sufficient popularity to convince team members to relocate to Germany.

The implication is that there is a group of people who are used to working together and may be employed at the moment by one of the existing F1 teams.

The news, if confirmed, is very good for Toyota which to date has seemed to think that it can do the job itself with its old staff from the Toyota rally and sportscar teams.

It seems, however, that wiser counsel has prevailed and that the team is recruiting. Basing the team in Cologne is not perfect but it is not impossible to operate from there, although winning will be another matter.

-JOESAWARD

JAMES Courtney’s charge towards a British Formula Ford Championship continued at Bonington with a second place finish behind Mygale driver Anthony Davidson.

In a race of rough tactics, Courtney was shoved off the track at the first comer by the Briton, and later, the pair touched wheels several times when Courtney had taken the lead.

The 20-year-old Aussie decided to run for second, thereby optimising his overall championship prospects and his lead to 24 points over Mark Taylor.

“I took the lead at the start and was feeling pretty confident of scoring a victory,” Courtney said.

“Then Anthony Davidson charged up my inside (at Goddards)and ploughed into my left-hand sidepod. I spun around but managed to keep going and (after leading the middle section of the race) decided to settle for second.

It was a good result in the circumstances.”Courtney’s team mate. Swede Robert Dahlgren, was third ahead of Taylor’s Mygale.

With three rounds to go, Courtney is looking every inch a winner with only bad luck or fowl play able to rob him of the title.

ALSO in England, although a week earlier, was Marcos Ambrose, making his debut in British Formula 3 in an Alan Docking Racing DaUaraMugen-Honda at Croft.

Ambrose qualified the car the highest it has been all season in sixth and improved one position in the race to grab fifth, a good effort considering he had had one and a half days testing prior.

“The result is absolutely fantastic. I have had to learn very quickly. We worked really well as a team to set up the car and make me more confident in it. We went

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Aussies abroad: Marcos Ambrose (above and bottom) and James Courtney had mixed results (Photos by Sunon-lmages) in the UK. faster in every session and I really showed people what I can do with a good opportunity.”

Japan’s Takuma Sato won the race ahead of Tomas Scheckter.

Ambrose said that he has no money to continue in the category and is exploring other racing options.

His name is continually mentioned in regards to driving the second Castrol Perkins Commodore at Queensland and Bathurst.

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Audi to return in ’01

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Coming back: Expect to see even better versions of Audi’s Le Mans winner in the 2001 ALMS. (Photo by Audi Sport)

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AUDI has given the strongest indication yet that it will defend its Le Mans 24 Hours crown in June 2001.

Marque motorsport boss Wolfgang Ullrich said that he "thinks Audi will do the race again next year".

At the same time, he talked down speculation that the German manufacturer would abandon sportscars to join Opel and Mercedes in the new-look DTM touring car series in 2001.

Ullrich said: "I hope that we can continue this program [in the 24 Hours and the American Le Mans Series].”

He also denied that Audi had little to gain by returning to the 24 Hours in the wake of its dominant one-two-three result this year.

“If you look back at Le Mans history, the winners that stick in the mind are not those manufacturers that won it just once. It would be nice to create a little sportscar heritage for Audi.”

Ullrich argued that a return to the DTM would represent a stepdown and that it was not the runaway success its founders , claimed.

“Norisring was a good race, but the two races before [at Hockenheim and Oschersleben] were boring. I can think of any number of Super Touring races over the past 10 years that were more exciting.”

He denied rumours that Audi had committed to enter the DTM. Series insiders have suggested

by GARY WATKINS that the privateer Abt Sportsline team was only given dispensation to run the TT because Audi had agreed to enter with the new A4 Coupe inside three years.

“All contacts [with the organisers] were with Abt,” said Ullrich. “The only thing that happened is that the team asked for the necessary permission from us to race the TT in the series.”

Ullrich stressed, however, that it was unlikely that Audi would build an all-new car to replace this

year's R8 in 2001.

A decision on Audi's plans for next year is due in the autumn.

WHILE BMW has not confirmed it will face its German rival in Adelaide’s Race of 1000 Years in December, Motorsport News believes that the team will make the trip down under.

A keen-eyed M News reader has reported that a German group has made a clandestine accomodation booking for the race and it was not just “a bunch of tourists ...”

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19

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,V . -n.Scottish squash: Allan McNish and Rinaldo Capello continued the glorious year for the Audi team with an easy win at Sears Point in the United States.

Bpabham 'slips' his way to fifth

AUDI have „ continued their overwhelming domination of the American Le Mans Series at Sears Point, with Allan McNish and Rinaldo Capello bouncing back for the German marque after David Brabham and Jan Magnussen’s win for Panoz at a wet Nurburgring.

McNish drove a double stint at the beginning of the race when the team had determined that its tyres would be able to hold up over the duration of the run, Thinking of a way to beat the Audis: David Brabham - “How much do you think and the Scotsman Audi would charge for their spare?” Team manager Dave Price - “Hmmmm ...” promptly carved out a lap lead on the field, Pirro admitted that he and Biela Jean-Marc Gounon in fourth, both including the team car of two laps down. were always half a step behind Emanuele Pirro and Frank Biela.

The Panoz LMP-1 of Aussie McNish. “He’s been a little quicker “The car was very, very good,” all weekend,” said the former.

David Brabham was fifth, eight McNish said. “In fact, the balance “Allan’s been here before, but we laps down, and crawled to the got better as the fuel load went finish with a slipping clutch, had to spend time learning the unable to make it two wins in a down. I expected us to be quick but circuit. That cost us in terms of row in the series.

I didn’t expect us to pull so much our set up.” in the second stint.”

In the class battles, the Dodge The Italian lost time early on All that was left for Capello was after nudging a slow Porsche and Viper of David Donohue and Tommy Archer beat home team to maintain the edge. “I just had to then ran out of fuel just before his mates Karl Wendlinger and concentrate, not push,” Capello first pitstop. “For some reason I Olivier Beretta while Hans Stuck missed the call and I had to coast said. “My biggest problem was to and Boris Said grabbe'd the GT into the pits,” he explained. keep concentrating. Honestly, ray win for BMW’s M3.

The BMW of JJ Lehto and Jorg feeling was for me to push but I Muller followed in third with the The series visits Mosport in had to force myself not to push Canada this weekend. team car of Bill Auberlen and because we didn’t need it.”

20

Former FI boss to run ELMS NEXT year's European Le Mans Series will be masterminded from Britain by former Grand Prix team boss John MacDonald.

MacDonald has been chosen for his years of motorsport experience, series boss Don Panoz said.

“John's been around aiong time, running race teams and series,” said Panoz. “He's the guy for the job.”

MacDonald was a Formula 1 entrant with RAM Racing between 1976 and 1985. He subsequently looked after the Formula 3000 International and the World Sports-Prototype Championships for the FIA in 1989-90.

McDonald's first task is to arrange next year's calendar.

“My brief is get four or five good races,” he said.

MacDonald's role means that FIA GT Championship Stephane Ratel will no longer be involved in the ELMS. Panoz said: “Stephane did a good job co-ordinating our European events this year, but he has his own series to run.

We needed someone who could focus solely on our championship for next year.”

Panoz would not speculate on which tracks the ELMS would visit.

- GARY WATKINS

BMW gives Mosport OK THE controversial Mosport circuit has been given the thumbs up by BMW ahead of this weekend's sixth round of the American Le Mans Series.

The Munich marque decided to inspect the track last week in order to avoid any repeat of its withdrawal from last year's race. BMW pulled out in 1999 citing a lack of safety.

BMW driver JJ Lehto described the track as “much better” after an extensive makeover during the off season. ‘The walls have been pushed back in a lot of places, but it still needs a few more tyre barriers,” he said.

- GARY WATKINS molorspon news

●s'

17 paces s a wh la

BTCC

Reid takes first win of season and IT took 17 races to do it, but Anthony Reid finally won his first BTCC race of the year at Bonington over the weekend.

He was aided by some good luck though.

Honda’s Gabriele Tarquini made a mistake on cold tyres having started from pole and went off at the Old Hairpin, handing the front running to Reid.

The Ford Mondeo driver couldn’t repeat the feat in round 18, with Tarquini taking the feature race.

Reid’s third place was enough for the Scotsman to move to the overall lead of the championship, relegating team mate Alain Menu to second.

“I’m more relieved than ,■ delighted to win my first race this year,” said Reid.

“Actually it was just so easy after Gabriele went off. It was much easier to win than it was to finish second or third, as Matt (Neal) and James (Thompson) will testify. Getting the lead doesn’t often happen like that - you’ve just got to be grateful for it..”

While Reid took the lead.

Independent hot shoe Matt Neal ran home in second, holding off a close-behind Thompson and Yvan Muller.

Muller’s Vauxhall team mate Jason Plato was in the wars, clashing with Tbm Kristensen, but managed to get fifth even with a badly understeering car.

The third Vectra of Vincent Radermecker was punted by an out of control Rickard Rydell (Mondeo) but managed to grab ninth, while the Swede retired with broken steering.

Returning to the series in an ' Independent Nissan Primera, David Leslie was seventh.

The feature race saw Reid win the start from Tarquini and Neal.

The dice for the minors was quick to heat up, Plato and ^stensen touched with the latter spinning into retirement, while Tarquini pitted later and came out ahead of Reid who pitted as well.

The Italian cruised away when Reid became stuck behind former team mate Leslie, who had inherited second by not pitting until late. That allowed Neal to zero in and the big Pom muscled his way past on the penultimate corner to claim runner-up honours.

Reid was third ahead of Muller,

4 fluBust 2aeo

Reid my lips: Anthony Reid took a win and the BTCC lead.

However it’s still a Ford 1-2-3, just a different order.

(Photo by Sutton-lmages)

Thompson, Rydell, Plato, Radermecker and Menu.

“It was a nice payback for all the team,” said Neal. “It’s weekends like this for the little independent teams that make it all worthwhile for everyone. Hopefully there’s more to come.’

Points: Reid 15G, Menu 149, RydeU 139, Muller 131, Plato 123, Tarquini 112, Neal 94, Kristensen 92, Thompson 88, Radermecker 55.

If only I had my old Alfa : Gabriele Tarquini is the best of the Hondas. (sutton)

Tourers and GTs for Spa 24 Hours?

by GARY WATKINS

NEXT year's Spa 24 Hours touring car classic looks set to be opened up to GT sportscars.

The organisers have decided that the Super Production formula to which the Belgian event has been run for the past two years doesn't provide the necessary spectacle.

Former Spa winner Pierre Dieudonne, a consultant to the

race, said: “Ideally, the race should remain for touring cars only, but we need to raise the profile of the event.

“If we are to have faster and more spectacular cars, Spa is going to have to come up with its own category. That would take time to grow, so the obvious short-term solution would be to open it to GTs.” Dieudonne said that talks with FIA GT Championship organiser Stephane Ratel were already in progress but he doubted that the

race could become a round of that series.

Spa has already introduced a number of changes for this year's event on August 5-6. Group N cars, such as the BWM M3, and diesel machinery have been let

in.

“There was a feeling that we needed to do something right away,” said Dieudonne. "but there was a three-year commitment to Super Production, which should still supply the winner of this year's race.”

21

The party of the first part: Brack has a new contract.

(Photo by Sutton-lmages]

Brack, da Matta re-sign for 2001 KENNY Brack and Cristiano da Matta are staying in Champ Car racing for the coining season.

Team Rahal and PPI Motorsports have been quick to re sign their drivers for the 2001 racing year/ The Brazilian took PPI’s first series win at Chicago last weekend while Brack is still to take his breakthrough victory.

“When we hired Kenny, we knew we were getting a championship-cahbre driver who is the consummate professional away from the track,” said Rahal.

“Ifertny and the Shell team are a factor in the championship already this season and as the chemistry between the team and him continues to develop he will be even stronger on the track.”

Bobby want less horsepower

Toyota, Toyota dealer; Montoya and Andretti (who sells Toyotas in his Pennsylvania dealership!) set up a nuclear finish to the Michigan 500, while da Matta took his and PPI’s maiden win a week later. (Phoiosbysuiton.images)

Toyota’s slam dunk ALL of a sudden,it seems you need a Toyota to win a round of the FedEx Champ Car series.

A week after Juan Montoya won on Michigan’s superspeedway Cristiano da Matta broke through for his and PPI owner Cal Wells’ maiden win in the championship on Chicago’s mile, holding out points leader Michael Andretti who took his second straight second placing.

The new engines-of-choice have y.

by PHIL MORRIS now won three races, and Toyota’s combination of top-end horsepower and fuel economy are threatening to make companies like MercedesBenz, once the cornerstone of the class, rethink its CART program.

Toyota’s middle-America fairytale continued in Chicago, Montoya grabbing pole position by the slenderest of margins. The Fl-

bound Colombian dominated the race early, leading most of the first 170 laps until his engine quit on the back stretch. The TargetGanassi team suspected electrical failure.

That handed Andretti the lead but the 26-year-old Brazilian charged past, using the lapped car of Michel Jourdain Jr to box the veteran in and he held on grimly for the rest of the journey. n'

j'.- ■.

CART interim CEO Bobby Rahal has said that he would like to see a major reduction in horsepower in the series.

Rahal said that he would like to have the V8 turbo engines from Ford, Honda, Mercedes-Benz and Tbyota have up to 200 less horsepower than the current level which Ls said to be approaching 900 thus season.

Rahal and CART officials are looking for agreement among the manufacturers as to the best way of reducing power, with the 1.8 litre formula, which was mooted two years ago, being among the options being considered, along with reducing boo.st from the current 40 inches to 34.

-PHIL MORRIS 22

moiorsport news

CART

Hard hit; Christian Fittipaldi smeared his Lola-Ford in practice.

(Photo by Sutton-lmages)

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-

“For sure, it wasn't an easy race for me,” da Matta said through a smile that stretched from ear-toear. “The last restart was the part of the race where I was the most relaxed in the car because I think Michael had that little trouble passing Michel. I was able to get a big lead. I decided to control that.”

Andretti's result came through clever pit strategy. He dove into the pits on lap 19 under the first caution flag which allowed him to remain out when the rest of the leaders pitted on lap 26. As a result, Andretti moved into second place and was a contender for the remainder of the race.

Gil de Ferran ran a solid race to finish third. “It was a great day today,” de Ferran said. “I had a _ good start and was just slowly picking my way through traffic really. That was it. I did quite a few passes, some on lapped cars and some for position. I had a great day, actually, thank you very much.”

Kenny Brack led 41 laps and finished fourth ahead of the consistent Adrian Fernandez, while raspberry award went to Team Kool Green ‘team-mates’Paul Tracy and Dario Franchitti, who somehow conspired to run into each other.

“Dario had got around me and I was trying to get the position back,” Tracy said. “I made a move on him but he was busy trying to work on da Matta an he didn't see me coming. I was down on the edge of the apron and we just barely touched each other. It's frustrating because Dario and I have gotten together a couple of times. But it hasn't upset the team or our program.”

Two years ago Barry Green had to take Tracy aside and calm him down after a series of incidents.

The early-season points leader has plenty of speed but it appears that Green may have to speak out again.

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A WEEK earlier at the Michigan 500, Montoya took the third-closest win in CART history when he beat Andretti to the line by 0.04s.

With 20 laps to go the defending Champ was seventh, second-last of the unlapped cars. It took him four laps to shake off polesitter Paul Tracy, by which time he was around 4s behind the leader, Adrian Fernandez, who had survived a brush with a concrete wall after a pitstop, and who was about to be passed by Andretti’s Swift-Ford.

The Colombian lit the afterburners and surged through the pack, passing five cars in two laps. Over the final 16 laps the two cars swapped the lead over and over, sting up a classic dash for the win.

Andretti tried to box Montoya in behind the lapped Tarso Marques, but the red car beat the black to the flag by just over half a car’s length.

“I was flat and he was flat. It was just down to who was going to cross the line first,” exclaimed Montoya after the race. “He (Andretti)kind of pushed me up as we came down the front stretch

and then the backmarker moved up. It was pretty close and if I had to I wasjust going to ‘Vrooom!’

(Montoya motioning that he would have run into Marques). Last year I lost it by about the same but this year I came out on top. So I'm pretty happy about that.”

The win was Toyota’s first in a 500-mile race, and Montoya’s second, coming after the IRLsanctioned Indy 500.

While official statistic reported 51 lead changes(coimted at the start-finish line) there were actually around three times that number.

Andretti, who took the 2000 points lead for the first time, was philosophical; “Ever3fthing was going as planned until we came upon Tarso.

He had been running low all day so I though he was going to go low but he went high. If he would have just gone down one half of a car width on the track we could have won.

Juan and I were racing each other clean and giving each other room.”

Franchitti was third, his best superspeedway result, from Patrick Carpentier and Helio Castroneves, who led most laps in his Penske Reynard-Honda.

Unlucky man at Michigan again - was Max Papis. The Team Rahal driver, who lost the race on the last comer last year when his car ran dry, struggled with a lack of power late in the race, parking four laps from the end.

His team-mate Kenny Brack was taken out after being hit by Christian Fittipaldi, while points leader Roberto Moreno retired with mechanical problems.

Points after 12 rounds: Andretti 120, Moreno 98,de Ferran 89, da Matta 82, Tracy 80, Fernandez 79, Brack 78, Montoya 77, Vasser 68, Carpentier 66.

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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 below 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, FI welcome party ^ Monogrammed polo shirt and cap HOW TO EWITER 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!

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motorsport news

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OPINION

Let's learn from this w

hile what happened to me last weekend was very unpleasant, there are things that we could and should learn from it.'

I reckon I saw it coming about eight milliseconds before it happened - it really did come out of nowhere.

Having got a good start from down the back of the grid I was looking to go up the right-hand side of Steve Ellery but realised there was going to be no room between him and the pit lane entry. I then started to peel across and tuck in behind him.

At that point, he then peeled left, which exposed Paul Morris parking there...

I only had time to think ‘Oh shit, this is going to hurt’-that’s about all the time there was. In fact, I’ve got to look at the logger if the logger’s still in order- I’m not sure' if it is, although I know the TEGA logger stayed intact- because I’d be surprised if I even had time to lift off the throttle. I don’t know. It really did happen that quickly.

Irrespective of what you read or hear, the impact was just under 140 km/h - it’s pretty fast to slam into a parked car, I guess ...

Everyone that has been involved In the build of that car has got to take some of the credit for the fact that Larko’s still here in one piece.

Everything from the steering wheel to the steering column, the seat mounts, the seat belts etc that needed to stay intact did stay intact.

I would have loved to see a longitudinal g-force reading from the accident, because it would

have been pretty damn big, but unfortunately we didn’t get it.

Obviously, it’s broken just about every other bit in the car, but from a safety point of view that’s what’s meant to happen.

I guess that hitting the rear of Paul’s car probably helped, because historically, the rear of these cars crumple up really nicely on impact.

I realised that there was a fire . involved pretty well immediately and that was the scariest part of the whole incident, because there was then this urgent decision making process...

You’re brain goes temporarily numb, you’re not quite sure what day of the week it is, and I didn’t know if I should stay in the car or get out because I thought that if I was getting out of the car too soon, someone else might slam into it at 140 kays.

That was a really hard decision, and then when there’s a fire happening, that decision got just that much harder!

I didn’t actually burst out of the car at a million miles an hour and that was primarily the reason why. I was comfortable to get out at my pace and monitor what the fire was doing and hopefully by then all the other cars had gone through.

I didn’t stop to think about internal fire extinguishers - by then I was only interested in the OUT button I

The next period was a little vague.

Probably to the surprise of everybody I just wandered off and walked down to my tmck, sat in the front of the trailer, to regather my thoughts and take a few deep breaths. It was about then that everything started to hurt-the adrenalin keeps you going for a bit...

Forty laterin I’mhospital pretty soreeight -thehours morphine obviously does wonders. I've never had it before and boy. does it work...

All I saw of Liverpool Hospital was the ceiling, because I was in a neck brace all the time. But I have to say, the level of care was fantastic from the moment we went into the medical office at Oran Park to when I was discharged a day later.

Everyone involved was so thorough and they did every test known to man.

Itthis sometimes needs to re-open yoursomething eyes to a like number of issues in relation to safety that we as drivers need to stand firm on.

There have been too many things - at Canberra and other events - where we’ve looked at it and said ‘gee, that’s crazy.’ Sooner or later someone is going to get seriously hurt- and that’s too late in terms of doing something about it.

Motor Mouth

with Mirl lirtlaH

Things like run-off areas, and so on. Not that that had any effect on what happened to me at the weekend, but it does make you think harder about them.

This isn’t the first time there’s been a shunt like this and it won’t be the last- it’s actually killed F1 drivers - but there must be things we can do to reduce the chances of it happening.

I’ve already spoken to AVESCO about it, but how about a simple transmitter system that the starter has up on his stand which, if a car stalls, allows him to activate a light on everyone’s dash.

Look at the technology we have in our cars these days- it shouldn’t be too hard at all to have something like that.

As I said. I’m grateful to the team for building such a good car, and to Kevin May at the CAT team for his personal, unselfish inten/ention, but it’d be good if we could now do something to reduce the chance of this sort of shunt happening again.

1ifdnl Stop to tMi* aboin taternal fire extingiisfiers-by then I was only biterested in tfie OUT button!n

‘liawO They breed ’em tough in Griffith: Larko is working hard to make sure he will be back at Calder.

(PhoiOi by Olils Klynjmith ana John Mortis)

4 AttORtI 2600

*5

MotoGP BRAZILIAN Alex Barros secured his second MotoGP victory of the season after a magnificent 31 lap SOOcc battle in the sunshine at tight and demanding Sachsenring.

Barros (29), riding the Pons Honda,fought off the challenge of 21-year-old Valentino Rossi, who had been a lowly 16th at the end of the first lap. Kenny Roberts increased his lead in the Championship to an,impressive 38 points after finishing third, riding the Suzuki.

“That makes up for the disappointment oflast season when I crashed. And it was great to win a race in the sunshine”, said a delighted Barros, after his third GP victory.

“Once I'd taken the lead from Kenny on lap seven I tried to preserve my tyres but then " Valentino arrived and took the lead with five laps remaining. I managed to outbrake him into the first bend with two laps to go and hold on to the finish. Both the team and me are now looking forward to a holiday before the next MotoGP in four weeks time”.

Rossi, who won the previous round in, had an incredible race.

He missed the start, claiming the gap between the red and green lights was too long, and was 16th at the end of lap one.

The current 250cc World Champion sliced through the field and with the 72,000 sell-out crowd on their feet he outbraked Barros into the first turn with five laps left. Barros was not to be beaten and with two laps remaining he completed a similar manoeuvre on the Italian and held firm until the chequered flag.

Loris Capirossi was in third

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More for Barros Who’s a one-man band: Last corner, and Barros leads Rossi and Kenny Roberts to the flag. Mick Doohan (left) heard Kenny Roberts had called Honda and ‘one man band’ and attacked him with a brolly. (Photoby RaceAccess)

place but two bends from the finish he clashed with Roberts and was forced into the gravel. He was not too impressed with the Championship leader as he limped home in sixth place behind Max Biaggi and Tadayuki Okada.

Roberts's third place increased his Championship lead to 38 points over Carlos Checa who finished a brave ninth, one day after a big crash in practice.

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FRENCHMAN Olivier Jacque increased his lead in the 250cc World Championship after an impressive start to finish vietory in the 30 lap race.

Jacque, riding a Yamaha, won his second MotoGP of the season in impressive style with the Shell Advance Honda of Tohru Ukawa in second place. Ukawa chased Jacque in the early stages but dropped back with rear tyre problems. Jacque's team-mate Shinya Nakano was a lonely third and he now trails the French rider by 16 points. Daijiro Katoh was fourth fighting off the Aprilia of German Klaus Nbhles, who's team-mate Ralf Waldmann was eighth after crashing on the first

bend and rejoining practically last.

TIffiRE was also a crash on the first bend of the 29 lap 125cc race which provided a comfortable win for Championship leader, Japanese rider Youichi Ui. Riding the Derbi, Ui led from start to finish to increase his Championship lead to ten points over Italian Roberto Locatelli who was second.

Locatelli's Aprilia team-mate Simone Sanna was third with fifth placed Mirko Giansanti moving into third place in front of World Champion Emilio Alzamora who went down, and out of the race, in the first bend melee.

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motorsport news

FORMULA SOOO

The Tom Tom Club Enge wins, Scheckter stars, Webber tbird IT has been a miserable year for the Mysap.com Formula 3000 team - the McLaren Junior team - but at Hockenheim things finally came together and Tomas Enge led home Tomas Scheckter in a 1-2 for the team.

It was a dominant performance, made all the more impressive by the fact that in changing conditions one driver was on wets and the other on slicks. Both strategies worked out well.

Mark Webber took a strong third place, struggling home on worn-out wets on his European Arrows entry, cementing.third place in the series.

The qualifying was disrupted by rain and so the grid was fairlyunusual with the two McLaren men first and second on the grid. Enge has shown his pace in the past but the Czech driver has always looked a bit too wild to be a serious contender. And young Scheckter (with father Jody - the 1979 Formula 1 World Champion looking over his shoulder)seemed to be too new to be a serious contender. But the team got the set up right and the drivers did the job while others made a mess ofit.

Of the three championship contenders, Bruno Junqueira (Petrobras Junior Team)and Nicolas Minassian (Super Nova Racing) were both out ofthe picture with 12th and 13th on the grid.

Webber was third and looked to be well placed to close the gap to the two championship leaders.

The field was much as it has been in recent races but increasingly teams are getting desperate to score and so driver changes are beginning to become an issue with Soheil Ayari (Coloni) deciding that he wanted to svidtch to the World Racing Team. The move was blocked by the stewards because Ayari was nominated by two teams-something which is not covered by the rule book - and in the end the Frenchman appeared in neither car.

Fourth on the grid was the promising Sebastien Bourdais (Gauloises Formula) with Jeffrey 4 Augasi 2000

van Hooydonk (Witmeur Team KTR) behind him, ^ead of Fernando Alonso(Team Astromega), Andrea Piccini(Kid Jensen Racing)and Enrique Bernoldi(Red Bull Junior Team). Franck Montagny (DAMS)and Dino MoreUi (World Racing Team) completed the top 10.

Incidents at vital moments meant that Christjian Albers (European Arrows) and Bas Leinders (Kid Jensen IV Racing) did not quahfy.

Bourdais's hopes of success were quickly gone on Saturday afternoon when

Who you callin’ a a SAP? McLaren’s Junior team came good in spades in Germany, with Tomas Enge and Scheckter going 1-2.

Webber was pleased with third while European Arrows team-mate Christijan Albers failed to qualify...

(Photos by Sutton-lmages)

Hie day belongeilto bige. the flpst Czech drh/ep to

motop pace since the 1920sri

he spun off during the recognition laps before the grid formed up. The track was damp and after some consultation it was decided that the race would be started behind a Safety Car. And so it was not until the start oflap three that the race was on with Van Hooydonk jumping Webber to grab third at the'first comer. Within a matter of seconds Webber was ahead again and before the end ofthe first lap Webber was ahead of Scheckter as well. The Australian looked very strong and with Enge's reputation for wildness it seemed only a matter of time before Webber would go ahead.

In the early laps Junqueua took care of Saelens and himself when he ran into the back of the Belgian.

Both pitted but their races were hopelessly compromised. The incident also dropped Morelh down the field.

On lap form Justin Wilson (Nordic Racing) decided to stop for slick tyres. Just as he was rejoining the heavens opened again. He spun off before he could complete the lap.

There were a variety ofincidents in

p\ the rain with fifth-placed Alonso going off and narrowly missing a track which was in the sand trap extricating Wilson's car. It was decided to send out a Safety Car. Hockenheim in the wet is dangerous because the mists do not clear and visibihty is very had.

Later several drivers were critical ofthe decision to leave the Safety Car out for so long. The rain stopped and at the end oflap 12 the race was on again. At the first chicane fomth-placed Van Hooydonk was taken out by Montagny. The Belgian retired at the spot after being hit from behind while Montagny lasted only a couple of laps. Also in trouble was Darren Manning(Arden Team Russia) who ran into the back of Kevin McGanity(Nordic Racing).

Both men had to pit for repairs.

With Webber’s car set up for drying conditions, he found himself struggling to compete and on lap 19 Scheckter was able to pass him for second as Webber's tyres began to gooff.

On the next lap Enge took the decision to stop for slicks. The track was wet on one side but dry on the

other. Enge felt the switch was a good move. Scheckter, the new leader, did not. A number of others stopped from shcks and there was no doubt that the dry weather tyres were faster but those who had changed were 40 seconds and more behind the leader. On lap 25 Enge did not help his case by having a quick spin.

A lap later Scheckter also had a spin but he rejoined before Webber could take the lead. As the two frontrunners struggled with their tyres: Scheckter's in better shape than Webber's, Enge closed in, lapping eight seconds a lap faster than the leaders with four laps to goOn lap 29 Enge overtook both Piccini and Webber, and, as the cars started the last lap, he moved ahead of Scheckter, who could offer no defence. And while Scheckter was disappointed not to have won, he had made a good impression. So too had Webber, but he needed more than four points to become a serious championship challenger.

But the day belonged to Enge, the first Czech driver to win a major international motor race since the 1920s.

-JOESAWARD 21

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Mr Wakibaki and The_W T

his is the time of year when the professional Formula 1 travellers begin to get twitchy. It has been a long year with 11 races in 22 weeks and people are getting tired.

And it will not feel like we are in the home stretch until Monza in mid-September when Europe will be finished and we will be off on the aeroplanes again to the United States and the Far East.

The reason that FI people are twitchy is not because of the constant slog of keeping up with the World Championship, nor even because of the miserable weather that Europe has been suffering in the summer of 2000.

It is because the rest of the world is now on holiday and we are not only jealous but travelling is much more difficult. Everything takes twice as long as normal.

It is that time of year when one encounters people trying to board aeroplanes without first checking in; when airport concourses are blocked by people in silly hats, lugging home souvenirs.

There are busloads of Japanese who are not quite sure in which city they are but are busy nonetheless buying every conceivable piece of garbage on offer in the airport shops.

Everywhere there are cute little children being decidedly “un-cute” with the modern equivalent of the bucket and spade and on the planes young parents discovering the hard way that pushchairs do not fit into overhead lockers. The stewardesses are so fed up that rather than saying “Hello, how are

The will BoxJoeSeat Sawiri you?” all they can manage is “Chicken or Beef” or “Tea or Coffee” You cannot go anywhere without falling over a smelly rucksack full of unwashed,fortnight-old socks.

You are forever being run into by people who do not understand the vehicle dynamics of the luggage trolley and you go mad with the tannoy which in every airport seems to be calling for the same missing passenger, who has a ridiculous name like 'Takako Wakibaki” and who is urgently required to go immediately at Gate 45 where his flight is ready to depart.

Grand Prix people are not by nature a patient group. They do not like to wait for things to happen. The grab and they scream. This is why they are

m

successful in the FI world. This means that by the end of July you soon begin to hear FI people muttering about the need for a good war.

This may sound a little bit radical but there is very sound logic to the argument. When there are little wars taking place normal people get worried. They do not go on holiday. Instead they dig up the vegetable patch to build bomb shelters and stock these uncomfortable places with tins of baked beans. People are far too worried about terrorist bombs and

TMs year R seems to me there is a kHid of Dunkirk Spirit in the Formuia 1 paddock. It is a long hard slog through the Formida 1 season.

There is a race every two weeks(which means that one leaves home every 10 days)

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A*: In they roll; Every two weeks, thousands of people roll up to see Formula One. Techno-heads: “Jean, they say that we are obsessed with toys.” “Unbelievable, Mike.” (PtioiD* by suton)

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motorsnori news

FORMULA ONE

mbats at Number Six

ground-to-air missiles to buy aeroplane'^ickets.

This means that the number of airline passengers drops dramatically. Airlines and travel agents do not get the business they are used to having and that means that they quickly begin to undercut one another in an effort to grab the remaining customers.

This means that not only do prices dive but planes are empty and the remaining passengers are treated well. Yes, wars are a good thing for the professional traveller,

I

t is actually much the same story with coups d'etat. The minute people read that there is a coup d'etat in Bongo-Bongo Land they immediately cancel their beach holiday in the sun. This means that the hoteliers quickly begin to feel the pinch. Suddenly they need any business they can ge.t. Soon the prices begin to go down as the hotel owners try to grab the few available travellers.

Adventure holidays are all the rage - or so it said in an inflight magazine I was reading the other day. People no longer want to go to Majorca to lie on the beach.

Nowadays they want to go rafting on the Orinoco or glacier-skiing in Alaska. This gives people something to talk about when they stumble home after their fortnight of adventure.

There has always been a certain competition between those who live in the same 4 August 2600

neighbourhood to see who can have the most impressive holiday.

“Darling,” the wife will say on a cold wintry night. “We simply must keep up with Mr and Mrs Wombat at number six. They went marlin-fishing in Botswana this year. All we ever do is go to Cleethorpes. Couldn't we go to Buenos Aires and learn how to dance the tango or something?”

“Yes dear.”

I am not a great holiday-maker.

When it is time to take a holiday I try to stay at home and take to my hammock with a bottle of red and a Raymond Chandler (although it is always the blonde who did it). However, over the years I have had one or two quite interesting holidays. The best, without a question of doubt, was my holiday in a coup d'etat.

If you happen to be reading the newspaper and see that there has been a coup d'etat my advice is to hail a taxi and head for the nearest airport to get the first flight to wherever the trouble is happening. In most countries the locals are far too busy watching television during a coup to go out and do anything so there is nothing much happening except in the immediate vicinity of the palace or parliament building.

Obviously there are one or two places which should be given health warnings as fundamentalist lunatics with knives and nooses can seriously damage your health but in most places (particularly sunny ones) coups do not amount to much. One elite replaces another and everyone else has a few days at home watching CNN. A few years ago I happened to have some time to spare when there was a coup in Fiji and so I jumped on a plane and flew to Nadi (pronounced Nandy)for a holiday. It was marvellous. It cost next to nothing because the hotels accepted whatever money you offered them and as there were no other people the service was exceptional. There may have been a curfew but what difference does it make when you are on a small island without roads which one can circumnavigate on foot in 10 minutes?

In addition to this there was a very special feeling among the guests because in times of crisis people are always more open and more friendly. The four guests in the 200-room luxury hotel had a splendid time. There was much singing in the bar.

Hard at work: FI and F3000 people face a brutal schedule so what do they do in their time off? Pedro Diniz (left) likes karting and so do Mark

i

Webber and FI lensman Keith Sutton. (Pholos by Sutlon-and we're not paying for IMsom,Keith!)

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he British - the nation which dominates the FI world - have a phrase for this increased sense of togetherness in times of crisis. It is called ‘The Dunkirk Spirit” and is named after one of those wonderful military disasters which the British somehow manage to turn into a victory: the evacuation in Dunkirk in 1940 was the ultimate humiliation and yet it is remembered as a triumph; the Charge of the Light Brigade was a fearful screw-up and yet it is now the epitome of glorious actions.

This year it seems to me there is a kind of Dunkirk Spirit in the Formula 1 paddock. It is a long hard slog through the Formula 1 season. There is a race every two weeks (which means that one leaves home every 10 days).

In previous years there was always at least one three-week break, usually two and so there was a feeling that one was getting a little extra time. There are very few people who can easily miss a race. Some team managers and

engineers go from race to test to race to test. They never go home for more than a day at a time.

Drivers work hard but then they get paid such vast amounts of money that no-one feels sorry of them.

They can get their rest when they retire with their millions.

The modern FI calendar is decided upon by people who do not have to do all the travelling.

They do not care if it makes life difficult for those who do all the races. It is not going to change because they want as many races as they can get and it is impossible to move the TV facilities from place to place in less than 10 days and so everyone is condemned to a never-ending 34-week season.

And, ironically, it seems to me that while people are more tired than they have been in previous years, there has developed amongst the FI regulars a stronger sense of togetherness - an esprit de corps if you like.

Or perhaps I should say an “esprit de coup”.

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In his second year since ieaving Dick Johnson's team. John Bowe It CAT for

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INTERVIEW

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4 August 2000

John Bowe continued from page 30 location ... John is in the process of building a purpose-built raceshop - we have been operating in temporary premises since he bought the team. It's all been quite difficult. We've had all new people.

I'm not trying to make excuses.

We've had some terrible luck this season; some of it's our own doing and some of it isn't. I've never been a believer in luck in motorsport but some of it this year has just been purely bad luck.

Having said all that I've still been encouraged by the team and I think that we have a'lot of serious potential.

MIM: There's a number of experienced people there now, notably yourself. Are you having input into the structure of the team?

JB; Without a doubt. It's a terrific team and we all have quite a say in how the team is structured and how it operates.

As you know, Alan Heaphy has just joined us and he will, in my opinion, add a great deal because of how he goes about his business. It's a building exercise; the building blocks are in place, but we certainly have not got there yet. The intent has always been to build us into a top-notch team and that's what we're aiming for.

MW;Is Heaphy arriving at just the right time, given that the team is in a rebuilding phase?

JB: Yes, I think that it /sthe right time for him to arrive. The requirements now of being competitive in V8 Supercars is different to what it has been in the past. Each year it gets more competitive and there are more good teams, better operators and it requires a much more detailed approach to it. That's where Alan will be a big benefit to us.

MN;You went to CAT Racing from DJR which,for all the time you were there, was a two car team. What's the single biggest disadvantage that your team has compared to a team like DJR? JB; A single-car operation will always be at a disadvantage, especially now that testing bans are on and you are only allowed 12 test days. We haven't tested enough and we are aware of that.

That's purely a resource matter.

When you have two cars you can do twice as much testing and development and twice as much 32

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Clear, Simple, Fast: Bowe has had mixed results this season, but not through not trying hard ...

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New Allies; Bowe now has Alan Heaphy and John Briggs in the CAT corner.

(Photo by Marshall Cass)

learning. In the old days that wasn't the case; if you had a one car team you could test as much as you wanted to. With only one car you get no input from anyone else, obviously. With two good cars, with two good drivers, in a team structured for that, you get results.

MN:There's been talk that the 12 day limit preserves the status quo and allows the big team to keep the small team at arms'length. Would you like to see some changes?

JB: In one sense the very wellmoneyed teams can use much more science. Their 12 test days, by two is, effectively, 24 test days. There are computer simulation programs and if you had a lot of money, you'd have a seven post shaker rig and all that sort of stuff. So, really, it doesn't

think it isVnB night time for him to arrive...

Alan will he a big benefit to us"

111

- Bowe on new team manager Alan Heaphy help the lesser-funded teams.

The intent was, when the rule was drafted, was to save costs.

AVESCO, in their defence, are trying very hard to try and keep a lid on costs. That's difficult to do, when you have SO many competitive people out there.

There's no doubt that it has got a lot more expensive over the last couple of years, and it has by quite a lot.

MN:Isn't telling a race team not to spend so much money

like telling teenage boys to stay away from teenage girls?

JB: True. But if you don't have enough money, you don't have enough money. You can't spend money that you haven't got. Or, if you do, you're not in business for very long ...

There's no doubt that there needs to be some cost containment but how that is done IS very difficult to implement.

MN: Big teams have big iresouirces. When you had your Phillip Island crash it knocked you around more than it knocked the team around. If you had a similar accident now - and fingers crossed, you don't- it would put you off the track, wouldn't it?

JB; Yes - and thanks for bringing that up!

That would apply to quite a number of smaller teams, wouldn't it? Really, there are very few teams that are in a position to cope with that sort of accident.

Only the very well funded teams, with the right resources, would be able to handle something like that, motorsport nows

1

INTERVIEW You only have to look at the newer teams out there and it is very difficult to make that climb up the ladder. It's been much more difficult than I thought it would be, to be honest...

By nature, racing drivers look at things through rose-coloured glasses but I thought that it would be a much simpler thing to do than what has turned out. It's a very tough business.

MN: What was your biggest misconception? What did you think you would get right and you haven't?

JB: A number of things. It's down to having the right people and the right funding and both of those things are hard to achieve in the short term. I think that we are getting there and everyone in the team is working very hard at it.

But you can't just wave a magic wand and make it happen.

Look at anybody; I guess Garry Rogers' team is a classic J. example. This year and, to a degree, last year, they really arrived. But they have been around for a while.

MN; It even took HRT a few years to arrive.

JB: Everyone says that but, while it did take then a long time to arrive, the level they are at now is SO high it will take a long time before everyone else gets to it.

To build those blocks together, that contribute to a successful team is a long-term exercise much more long-term than 1 thought, and I am just one cog in a big machine.

If you look at Indy cars and NASCARs you don't see domination in those categories any more. You could arguably say that HRT dominates our category, but the rest of it is not so clear cut. In the future, I don't think we

Motor racing is the MOST team-oriented sport in the world.

Without the right people and the right commitment, you just don't go anywhere"

1«

will have the same degree of domination as we have had in the past, where ONE team is THE team to beat. I may be wrong, but I think there will be lots of teams enjoying small snippets of success in the future.

MM: When Howard Marsden took the reins at Ford last year he made the comment,'to beat HRT we have to be like HRT. Does that mean teams like yours will have to become two car outfits?

JB: I think so. But there are a lot of two car outfits out there that don't beat HRT. I agree with Howard wholeheartedly but to be like HRT you need a level of funding which nobody else has, no doubt.

That's why Formula One is McLaren and Ferrari with 400 people and the smaller teams with 100, 150 or whatever. It's all relative. And you can't hire the people without the funding.

And motor racing is the MOST team-oriented sport in the world.

Without the right people and the right commitment, you just don't

go anywhere. It becomes so competitive and there are so many good operators ...

Other than HRT, there are plenty of teams which are hovering.

MUM: So is there a time line for two CAT cars?

JB: I don't know, to be honest.

Caterpillar have been terrific they have had no involvement at all until last year and they have helped the team and guided us in many ways. They are not just a sponsor.

But the degree of financial commitment required to run two cars is very large. In the near future, probably not. I'd love to see two CAT cars but when?

That is not for me to say.

MN:There have been growing pains in the first two seasons but there have been some standout moments. In particular, your pole lap at Queensland Raceway last year where you were seven-tenths dear of the field.

JB: We've had some very encouraging times - but they haven't been regular enough and that is the frustrating part about it.

I think that we have a lot of potential we haven't shown yet but to turn that potential into reality takes a lot of hard work.

I'm not unhappy about it. I'm just frustrated and anyone at this i. level in motorsport is not just here to go around, we want to win. There's always a lot of frustrated blokes out there.

MW: As one of the senior members of the fraternity these days, what's your take on the young drivers?

JB: I think it's good. Terrific.

When I started it was hard to

get a start. A lot of the people who were involved in touring car racing were quite protective of it

Good times, bad times: Bowe and Dick Johnson Racing were a potent combination, taking the SATCC title in 1995. But a year later he had the biggest shunt of his career and it took some time before JB was back to full race fitness.

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4 August 2D0D

and for many years, I battled to get a drive, even in a long distance race.

It's really changed and I think it's terrific. There's a lot of focus at the moment on Formula Ford, with teams plucking drivers out of that, which is good. But I think that there are other drivers in other categories out there who are good, like GTP, Nations Cup and Formula Holden. Some of them are very talented - and some of them are a bit loony. But it all adds to the show and that's what it's all about.

MN: What don't they -those continued on page 34 33

Isw TT

rJohn Bowe

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continued from page 33 younger drivers - realise?

When you were a younger driver breaking into the touring car ranks, what did you need to know that you know now?

JB: Over the years you gain experience, obviously. But coming from open-wheelers, V8 Supercars are, as a car, a fairly serious culture shock. They don't do anything particularly well when compared to an openwheeler. That's what I found a bit hard to adjust to in the early days.

Now you have all the data acquisition and information available to young drivers that helps them to learn much quicker so, providing you have a young driver in a team with a more experienced driver, it's a much quicker exercise to learn how to drive one of these things properly. You can pore over the data and find out where you are going wrong and what you are doing wrong - particularly if the experienced guy is willing to talk you through it a bit.

MN: You've already been a mentor to drivers like Steven Johnson, Paul Weel and Cam McConville.

JB: Steven was the boss's son!

And I've had a bit to do with Tim Leahey and young Owen Kelly.

I don't feel protective towards things at all. Providing they have the right sort of commitment and 34

When we are ready to take on a younger dpiver we wil take one on... iHit at the moment Jim is just wimt we need"

- Bowe on co-driver Jim Richards a small team and a small number of people to turn the car around and get it to the next meeting.

With the amount of damage it has sustained, that's been very difficult sometimes, which is disturbing. dedication, and that's pretty easy to find, I enjoy seeing young guys develop. I guess you get a sense of satisfaction out of seeing them improve.

Then of course, you make a rod for your own back because they're harder to beat. That's part of the game.

last year. He had a Caterpillar involvement through the dealer in South Australia and he's a terrific team player. When we are ready to take on a younger driver we will take one on - we have our eye on a few already - but at the moment Jim is just what we need. What else can you say?

MN: You're not taking on a youngster for the enduros.

Anything Jim Richards can teach you?

JB: I'm sure that there is. He's the MOST calm bloke I have ever come across. He's a terrific driver and a terrific fella, he's an inspiration to any driver who wants to continue in motorsport.

There was no question of us getting anyone else because he did absolutely everything right

MN: We CAN say that the record for the combined age of Bathurst winners is '95. You may be able to reset that this year...

JB; That's good, isn't it? How nice ef you to point that out!

To take on a young guy we need to be structured to give them plenty of testing and we have done only three days of testing this year. Not because we don't want to test, we do, but it's

MN: Ford's role is changing.

That's a big step for you and your team.

JB: Ford's racing department under Howard Marsden is making major developments and will continue to do so. In the past Ford's involvement has been very much arm's length and now it is much more involved.

Howard's vastly experienced and a very determined fellow.

Over a period of time he will make a difference - he is already making a difference. But it's like setting up new teams; you can't just wave a magic wand and have all this stuff happen. Holden teams have had a commitment from Holden for many, many, many years - serious commitment. Ford is in a catch up phase, no doubt about it. I moiorsuort niws

INTERVIEW wouldn't write Ford off.

MN: That's one of the hardest things about this sport- it's a 'Go get'em'sport that needs a lot of patience.

JB: You're right, it is a 'Go get 'em' sport' but you have to have the-foundations. That's what Howard is building and it takes time for all of that to happen.

And the AU Falcon has been a quite difficult race car to balance.

There's no doubt that there is an inequity in the parity. It's as plain as the nose on my face. At least now AVESCO has recognised that fact and is going to try to address it.

There are some discussions now about trying to standardise some things like the front suspension and so on. Way back when, and I have been in V8 Supercars since they started, the Fords were quite a bit better.

There were adjustments made to the Fords quite regularly to slow them down - witness the 'shotgun' panel to limit the front suspension travel, the 200mm off the undertray and so on. It was quite a number of significant changes.

We have had the Holden dominant for quite a long time and when they did make a change, they cut 100mm off the front of it!

The fact remains that the front track of the Holden is 50mm wider. That's two inches - that's huge! No-one ever talks about it and there IS an inequity.

We never grizzled when we were penalised, we just got on with the job. I don't know the answer and I don't want to get too involved in the politics. But the discussions I have heard about standardising the cars the Holden having the Falcon front suspension, which I assume means the same width track, having the same undertrays - has to be a step in the right direction.

I've always been an advocate of trying to eliminate some of the aerodynamic effect - in other words, take the wings and the undertray out and run some sort of NASCAR-style rear blade that you can measure very easily and control how much downforce you've got. I said that about three or four years ago but nobody seems to have thought it was a good idea. But that would make it very simple and very easy.

I don't blame the Holden guys for not wanting to give up anything. We'd do the same if we were in the same boat. They 4 Auousi 2000

Highs and Lows: There’s plenty to come from the Bowe-CAT Racing combo, despite having a tough season so far. John got together with The Toddler’s Holden Young Lions car at the Adelaide 500.

(Photos by Diri< Klynsmith and John Morris/Mpix)

. have had a very, very, very long run without having anything done to them which has made any difference. They fight and squeal so hard they end up getting the adjustment to be so small that it doesn't make any difference.

IMIM; Control tyres has happened too. What's yoyr take on that after a few seasons?

JB: It obviously works out okay. I personally enjoyed the open tyre thing. I think that it's healthy to have that sort of competition and I had, and still have, a healthy and strong relationship with Dunlop.

To be involved with the testing process with the tyres was very interesting, technically, and very interesting. Any of the other drivers involved with tyre testing would say the same thing. If you have that sort of brain where you like technical things it was good and satisfying.

The control tyre thing works okay but I wouldn't mind seeing it opened up again. If Dunlop and Yokohama, or Michelin or Pirelli got into it, it would be healthy. They all spent quite a bit of money. Competition is what it is all about.

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I

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33

I

Inner-sanctum: Holden Racing Team’s facility is clean, organised, efficient and potent. Everything has its place and purpose.

(Photo by Slipstream Photographies)

Awill always Champion Team beat a team ef champiens...

H !t has virtually dominated the Shell ^Ttr Series for V8 Supercars for the last four % and a halfyears. After fairly ordinary beginnings, Holden Racing Team are now most definitely the yardstick from which all other teams are measured.

GERALD MqDQRNAM received a rare invitation to take a stroll through the inner-sanctum at HRT and find out what really makes this team the success that Everybody, clap your hands: The HRT crew celebrated Skaife’s come from behind victory in Adelaide, Their work gave the series leader the it is. Here is what he found.,,.. machinery that enabled him to pass every other car in the field. (DtruKiynsmith)

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36

motorspofi news

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FEATURE

I

T is not often that Holden Racing Team offers to open its doors to a publication like Motorsport News.

Letting a journalist with a reasonable knowledge of 'what's what' and phptographer with a prying lens inside its inner-sanctum is pretty much a no-no, especially for an organisation like HRT, which has all but scuttled its V8 Supercar opposition over the last four and a half seasons.

But, when the call does come, it is an opportunity that can't be missed and, without hesitation and with pen, pad, camera and film in hand, we headed down the road to Clayton ready to soak in as much as humanly possible and secure the right images...

T

he first thing which comes to mind when you actually arrive is that HRt appears not to have a presence at the Clayton Industrial Centre facility where the team is housed. Aside from its impressive B-double transporter sitting outside the shop, waiting patiently to be loaded before the trek to Oran Park, you would hardly know Australia's premier factory Supercar team is actually there.

It seems as though it's an impression they want you to have...

Hidden behind the transporter is a slight, nondescript glass door pointing the way to reception, where our eyes will be opened. Step inside, make your way up some stairs and the first true impressions of HRT and what they're about hits you.

Bold, bright and colourful is the impression given by the team photos spread around the walls - the first headed 'Welcome to the Jungle'.

Appropriate, perhaps...

While the outside of HRT's premises might be inconspicuous, everything inside is directed towards making the most of the available resources and achieving their ultimate goal - winning.

And a history of winning is quite evident the instant you are actually inside. Glass cabinets filled with literally hundreds of trophies fill reception - success in the air. But, the trophies weren't what we'd come to see...

With corporate support for a venture like HRT so important, the team have recognised the fact and, in an effort to help the actual process of getting the 4 August 2000

Technology centre: Chief machinist Steve MacDonald studies the design of a new component. Silicon Graphics hardware and Unigraphics software, along with the recent addition of a new five-axis CMC machine have helped make the transition from design to production far easier for HRT. (Photo by Slipstream Photographies)

Bold, bright and colourful are the impressions given by the team photos -the first headed 'Welcome to the Jungle'.

Appropriate perhaps... cars on the track to continue uninterrupted, installed a viewing platform above the main race shop for visitors.

The view is spectacular.

Directly below and occupying a third of the shop floor is the machining and fabrication department. To its left, the lead cars and their assembly bays.

This is where all the vital build and assembly work is undertaken prior to each outing.

Each area is a hive of activity with preparations well underway. continued next page

Inside HRT The [CniC] machine is impressive,state-ofthe-art computerised miiiing technoiogy that enables the staff to churn out a multitude of parts quicker and more precisely than ever before...

continued from previous page

0

n this day, the day prior to the transporter leaving for Sydney, both Mark Skaife's championship-leading Commodore, and Craig Lowndes' #1 are in the final stages of prep - all components, including the engines and gearboxes, ready and waiting for fitting before the cars are to be loaded in the B-double.

The engineers assembling the

line for sale, but retain it for security.

It recently had a 'birthday' according to the team, but further work on chassis #41 will have to wait until time allows.

cars intended for Oran Park are extremely busy. Not rushed, just busy. Our presence goes almost unnoticed as they attend to the tasks at hand. They are more interested in adding to their collection of empty champagne bottles, each one gathered from the podium after a round win...

Not far from the two race cars is Lowndes' recently superseded mount, team boss Jeff Grech having made the decision not to send it down the

% r

N

earby, four staff, led by Steve MacDonald, run and maintain the machine shop and their experience, despite an apparent youthful look, is vital in helping this team tick. This is no more evident than with new team member, Kingsley Edgar.

Edgar learned his trade at Gibson Motorsport during the halcyon days of Nissan and Winfield funding, and has recently returned from two years in the UK, working for the likes of West Surrey Racing and John Barnard.

A recent addition to the engineering and fabrication team has been a five-axis CNC machine, courtesy of a technology partnership with John Hart technology, an HRT team sponsor.

The machine is impressive, state-of-the-art computerised milling technology that enables the engineering and fabrication staff to churn out a multitude of parts - some complicated, some intricate - quicker and more precisely than ever before.

The acquisition of the hi-tech milling centre will also enable HRT to become less reliant on out-sourcing, with the current 90:10 percent out-sourcing to inhouse ratio being turned totally

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Pushing the right buttons: HRT’s value to sponsors is well reoognised with the team recently receiving this $600,000 five-axis CNC machine on a technology partnership basis.

(Photo by Slipstream Photographies)

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From beginning to end: Starting with a program and billets of aluminium, HRT’s machine shop use their five-axis CNC to create what could almost be described as modern pieces of art and engineering marvels. The programs ensure that not much waste is left at the end.

38

(Photos by Slipsteam Photographies)

motorsDort nnws

FEATURE around within the next six months.

Naturally, for the team to make components, critical design details are thought about and drawn up long before the CNC is programmed. Silicon Graphics hardware is loaded with the Unigraphics CAD-CAM design program - the program being developed by General Motors and used in the design and development of GM cars around the globe. The technology is, quite apparently. everywhere, something that obviously pleases MacDonald and his engineering cohorts, all who have a hankering for tinkering.

W

hile the rules of the V8 Supercar category are fairly well controlled in most areas, some areas of freedom within the engine bay have the team's engine builders scurrying for covers when we make our way into the engine building department. Green towels quickly cover the all-important intake manifold and injection system on one engine, while another gets a similar cover over its manifold, sans the injection.

Ray Lester and his team are

f

cautious to say the least, while still being inviting and polite.

Perhaps the sight of a journo and a photographer inside his domain is enough to intrigue...

The HRT engine boys have two distinct jobs to do; 1 - keep the current engines fast and reliable enough to help their three cars succeed on the track and, 2- search for more ways to make the powerplants more powerful, more reliable and ahead of the opposition.

Constant trips are made by the six race engines‘to one of the team's two dynos, each time searching for power and potential problems.

While six engines doesn't seem like a lot for a team that continued next page

The HRT engine boys have two distinct jobs to do; 1 - keep the current engines fast enough and.

2- search for more ways to make more power and stay ahead Of the opposition...

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u

Trophy cabinet: A great measure of success.

You're invited to be part of Australia's fastest growing motor sport Why not see what it's all about for yourself? Attend a race meeting at your local club and talk to the drivers and crew. There are classes to suit almost everyone from 7 years to 77 +.

Midgets 7-11 years Rookies 10-12 years Juniors* 12- 16 years in TWO weight divisions Seniors* Over 10 classes of varying powers driver weights to choose from. * Other more powerful classes available for experienced racers.

4 A08USI 2000

(Photo by Slipstream Photographies)

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38

Inside HRT would be the envy of many other V8 Supercar teams.

Rob Crawford leads the HYL team, utilising a small staff of three although, following their Race 2 win in Canberra and with the might of the entire operation behind them, they just cannot be underestimated.

Sharing space inside this building is the bodywork department - the team responsible for repairing the damage that they, jokingly, say is only ever inflicted on their cars by the opposition...

Behind the green towels; While the rules concerning engines are fairly much controlled, freedoms allowed In the intake/injection set-up quickly had the HRT engine staff covering their secrets.

(Photo by Slipstream Photographies)

continued from previous page runs three cars at most opportunities, top-end rebuilds every 1500-2000kms and full rebuilds - where new conrods, pistons, cams, crankshafts and the like are installed - are undertaken every 3500-4000kms to ensure maximum reliability.

The crew say they tend to stick with tried and proven combinations, trying little bits and ideas along the way. Their engines are both on the leading edge and tried and tested. There are no dinosaurs in the engine room, apart from one small, green plastic toy...

Ttie use and in-house development of advanced motor sports technologies at HRT isn't just restricted to the fabrication and engine departments, with Peter Schaefer leading the two-man in-house composites department - housed away in its own building, away from the main race shop.

Schaefer, who is also the team's aerodynamicist and led the development project for Holden on the VSA/T models, has worked closely with the CSIRO in the past and developed formulae for the pre-impregnated resin composites the team uses in its fabrication of components.

Schaefer also designed and built the team's three autoclaves, giant ovens used for the curing of carbon-fibre pieces.

While designs must be adhered to, the attention to detail by the composites department in critical areas is a major contributing factor in HRT becoming the success that it is.

Like theYoung composite HRT's Lionssection, team is separated away from the main pack, still within the same complex but in its own facility.

The Young Lions camp, while perhaps a little sparse inside, is still a facility worthy of any leading team and one which

Again, in a technology partnership with sponsor PPG, the team is able to utilise some of the paint and panel industry's leading technology, including an impressive in-house spray booth.

Here, the team's panels and aero kits are prepared and painted before being re-lettered prior to each round. Presentation is one of HRT's strong points. To be good, you have to look good and that's obviously the ethic here.

That really is the theme of the entire facility. In each and every department a sign carries the message 'Clear, Organise, Clean, Maintain, Pride'.

Looking at the results achieved out of the workshop domain, it seems that the team continues with that ethic wherever it goes ...

'Clear, Organise, Clean, Maintain, Pride'.

It seems apparent that the team continue with that ethic out on the track...

""

Carbon compositions; Peter Schaefer is the team’s composites and aerodynamics guru. His work and his department’s work has been instrumental in the team's and Holden's on-track success.

(Pnolo by Silprilieom Photooraphta)

Look good,feel good, are good: To be a championship leader, you have to look like one and HRT’s presentation on track is never short of first class.

It all begins here in the team’s paint and panel department.

(Phoio by Sllptlroom pholooraphics)

motorsport news

FEATURE

[Tiakes perfect: Mark Skaife’s championship-leading )re undergoes its final prep before it is packed away rter for Oran Park. Incidents aside, success of the aration should be reflected in Skaife’s results.

(Photo by Slipstream Photographies) V.-^'

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Round 4 4 to G Augumt 3000 Action starts 9am See homegrown heroes, Wak^ield and Harris take on the southern cars of Canto and McLeod

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41 August 2000

Action pocked racingforV8 Supercars, Porsche Cup, Daewoo Lanos, Sports Sedans, Saloon Cars and Improved Production Cars

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ORAN PARK

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The Red Baron strikes again: Mark Skaife was again the dominant one at Oran Park, winning two of the three races and coming home third in the second, inverted top-six second race. Skaife and Garth Tander still enjoyed the spoils of the day, despite Tander and HRT’s Lowndes having some words foilowing two incidents.

[Photos by Dirk Klynsmith and Chris Carter)

i

SHEIl CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

igs change

A last-minute reverseghd ‘fix’ still wasn’t enough to stop the Holden juggernaut at Sydney’s Oran Park. Mark Skaife again dominated, winning his fourth round ofthe season while continuing towards his third Shell championship. CHRIS LAMBDEN was there...

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Shel! Championship Series Round 9 29-30 July 2000 experiment hasn’t Aslowed tentative reverse-grid Mark Skaife’s unerring progress to what now seems certain to be his third touring car title, a second in the V8 era.

Skaife dodged potential first lap disaster in race two’s pioneering top-six gi’id reversal to score a virtual maximum and extend his lead in the Shell Championship Series.

Indeed,the faces on the rostrum were all familiar, Tander and Seton taking the places after defending champ Lowndes became the only real victim of the reverse format, 4 HUBUtl 2000

— taking himself out-after a fracas with Tander at the concrete-lined final corner.

As Oran Park continued to provide moderately processional racing - at the front at least - the day’s national media headlines belonged to Paul Morris and Mark Larkham,the pair escaping fimm a fiery startline shunt in race thi'ee.

Practice and Qualifying

The more things change ...

A strong pattern is emerging as the 2000 Shell Series heads towards the home straight. And as much as you’d like to come up with

varied and interesting reasons, a firm pecking order, in terms of qualifying at least, is emerging.

How many times this year have the HRT duo and Tander duked it out for pole? Four actually. Yes, Oran marked the fourth time in 2000 that the hot Holden threesome have headed the sheets...

Oran Park practice and qualifying ran to form and when it was over Mark Skaife had his sixth pole of the year, a quite healthy three-tenths quicker than Tander, Lowndes and Seton with a mere fom-hundredths between the three of them...

The teams expected some difference at this year’s Oran Park round, with the now

Bridgestone control tyre bound to need set-up tweaking to adapt to the undulating layout. But that, allied to a fair bit of cleansing rain over the previous week or so, produced more of a problem than most had anticipated.

No rear end lateral grip became quite a common gripe as both practice sessions concluded, but it was the regular faces making the best of it.

“I’m quite encouraged by the consistency my car seems to have,” was Skaife’s assessment after topping both sessions.

“The gap 1 to the rest] isn’t much early in the session, but it gets bigger us the session goes on.” continued on page 46 43

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Qualifying^ ^

Remember the days: Paul Romano in happier, more competitive times.

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IN 1995 Paul Romano outqualified a list of big names to plant his privateer VP Commodore on grid six for the opening race of the Oran Park SATCC round.

In 2000, using effectively the same base car, converted to VS spec, Romano didn’t make the fieid. Two cars didn’t make the pre-qualifying 32-car cut, the Romano car one of them.

While Romano’s fortunes have ebbed, the team desperate for the sponsorship funding to bring their ageing car into the 21st century - or indeed retire it in favour of a new one - comparison with 1995 iilustrates just how tough it now is to make the grade in V8 Supercar racing.

In 1995 there were 28 cars, a healthy field present. John Bowe took pole (1m08.25s) in the pre-control tyre Dunlop-shod Shell Falcon.

Taking out the bottom two qualifiers (who at 1:15 and 1:20 respectively were clearly out of their depth!), the 26th-fastest was Garry Willmington, with a 1:13.84 best lap - 5.6 seconds from pole.

In 2000, in a 32-car field, the 26th-fastest was Peter Doulman, the Team Gatorade Commodore posting a 1:09.64 - just 1.8 seconds from Mark Skaife’s pole time.

In 1995, a second covered the top 10. In 2000 it was half a second.

To state the obvious, in five years, it’s become extraordinarily tough to qualify in the top 10. In 2000, factory teams, Bathurst winners, can occasionally be found at the bottom of the top 20.

You can’t afford to blink...

44

POS 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 DNQ ONQ

DRIVER Mark Skaife Garth Tander Craig Lowndes Glenn Seton Greg Murphy Russell Ingall Todd Kelly Tony Longhurst Paul Radisich Steven Richards John Bowe John Faulkner Mark Larkham Jason Bargwanna Paul Morris Steve Ellery Rodney Forbes Brad Jones Steven Johnson Larry Perkins Neil Crompton Craig Baird Dugal McDougall Cameron McConville Mike Donaher Peter Doulman Anthony Tratt Rick Bates Paul Weel Trevor Ashby Steve Reed Cameron McLean Paul Romano Rod Nash ●T'l''

Moloili:!

GRR Flolden Racing Team Commodore VT Valvoline/Cummins Repco Commodore VT Holden Racing Team Commodore VT Ford Tickford Racing Falcon AU Kmart Racing Commodore VT Castrol Perkins Racing Commodore VT Holden Young Lions Commodore VT Caltex Havoline Race Team Falcon AU Shell Helix Racing Falcon AU Kmart Racing Commodore VT CAT Racing Falcon AU Team Asia Online Commodore VT Mitre 10 Ford Racing Falcon AU Valvoline/Cummins Repco Commodore VT Big Kev Racing/Nemo Racing Holden VS Super Cheap Auto Racing Falcon AU Wynn's Racing Commodore VT OzEmail Internet Racing Falcon AU Shell Helix Racing Falcon AU Castrol Perkins Racing Commodore VT Ford Tickford Racing Falcon AU Pirtek Racing Falcon AU Pepsi-Cola Commodore VT Repco Racing Commodore VT Ultra Tune TDK Valvoline Commodore VS Team Gatorade Racing Commodore VT Toll Racing Falcon AU Colourscan Printing Falcon AU K&J Thermal Products Racing Falcon AU Lansvale Smash Repairs Holden VS Lansvale Smash Repairs Holden VS Greenfield Mowers Racing Falcon AU Romano Racing Commodore VS Autopro/Highlift Commodore VT

TIME 1:07.8327 1:08.1291 1:08.1677 1:08.1690 1:08.1973 1:08.2111 1:08.3127 1:08.3199 1:08.3433 1:08.3915 1:08.5676 1:08.5973 4:08.6575 1:08.8314 1:08.8535 1:08.8848 1:08.9200 1:08.9512 1:09.0286 1:09.0508 1:09.0903 1:09.3399 1:09.4379 1:09.6062 1:09.6247 1:09.6438 1:09.6816 1:09.7787 1:09.8105 1:10.1375 1:10.7099 1:15.9948

RoiiiiiiS Oran Park Raceway maiorsport news

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SHELL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES "I genuinely don't know how it happened. The next lap was over hall a second worse.n - Gteg Murphy on qualifying fifth with the Kmart VT Eammodare the session. On the basis of the results, slow and deliberate might have been the way to go...

Lowndes thundered out to grab the early running with his 1:08.16, while Skaife - some three minutes later as a result of his

Where the %#&@ did that come from? Even Greg Murphy was questioning where his quaiifying iap, good enough for fifth, came from.

(Photo by Dirk Kl^nsmilh)

l

continued from page 43 The cooler, earlier session produced the best, a 1:08.1861 just a tenth outside Lowndes’lap record.

HRT was going through the same process as everyone else, picking one or two options from the myriad of ride height, roll

centre, spring and shock combinations available, but as is usual seeming to have a stronger base to start from.

When Q-time came, Skaife was conspicuously deliberate in warming both his fresh sets of rubber slowly, in contrast to team mate Lowndes, who set his top time on the very first flying lap of

careful tyre warming - popped in not one but two quick ones, a 1:08.18, then a 1:08.13. We’ve said it before, hut margins of two or three-hundredths are just plain miniscule...

Lowndes messed up his run on the second set. “I buggered it up over the flip-flop,” he confessed, “and really I’m happy to have hung on to [an eventual] third.”

In terms of the challenge from his team-mate, Skaife didn’t need to go quicker then, but there were a couple of other lurkers.

At the same time as Skaife was setting his quick time, Glenn Seton was setting his. He too had carefully warmed his rubber, diving in on lap one to swap the rubber diagonally as well, and joined the 8.1 Club with a 1:08.1690. We include the extra pair of figures (thousandths of seconds) because that’s all that would split he and Lowndes (1:08.1677)- 1.3 thousandths of a second...

Garth Tander had started with a 1:08.37 ‘banker’before whipping in and out for a couple of quick adjustments on the almost new rubber. As the session entered its last five minutes, the Valvoline

team confirmed its pick of the set ups and popped on Garth’s second set.

It produced a 1:08.12, which beat Skaife’s earlier time by a hundredth.

“We gained 1.3 seconds,” a delighted Garth would report.

“The guys did a very good job...”

The bad news was that Skaife had himselffound a comparatively huge three-tenths( yes, tenths!) on his second set in the meantime. 1:07.8327. And for good measure he went out once more, right at the death, on the now used rubber and clocked a 1:08.07 anyway. Cop that.

Skaife, Tander, Lowndes, Seton.

No big surprises.

Fifth was.

The rollercoaster ride that is Greg Murphy’s 2000 season continued in the same vein it had at Winton.

Murf wasn’t even in the ‘fastest 50%’of the field in the first 25 minute qualifying session. It had been a bad day. The car was terrible and whatever was done to it seemed to make no difference.

GM wasn’t too confident...

But, with the track cooling rapidly as the mid-afternoon sun began to set, he pulled one right out of nowhere. It wasn’t pretty in fact it looked like a nightmare ride - but there it was. 1:08.1973 - only seven-hundredths off the front row!

“I don’t know how it happened,” a genuinely bemused Murf reported. “The next lap was way over half a second worse. I just don’t know how it’ll go ir^the race...”

Another to make it into the top ten from the second (slower?) half of the session was Russell Ingall.

Rusty had arrived at the circuit with a set-up which he described as “a bit different.”

“We’ve always struggled here, so we tried something a bit different this morning. It’s worth persevering with, but it wasn’t right, so we went back to something more normal for qualifying, which wasn’t too bad.”

Todd Kelly put in another exemplary qualifying performance in the third HRT(Young Lions) car to be fifth after the main session, demoted to seventh only

by Murphy and Ingall’s late move.

In just nine laps all up, three runs, Todd put in four laps in the 1:08.3/1:08.4 bracket. Quick - and consistent.

continued on page 46 Aussie ft/lale: Brad Jones had a solid weekend with the OzEmail AU, finishing in the top 10 in the third and fourth races.

(Pholo by Cbris Carter)

4 Aueusi 2000

4S

ORAN PARK continued from page 45

[♦SMoj

Wanna bet? Even when the grid is reversed, most predicted the m (Photo by Bob Potts) finishing order would resemble the starting grid...

Prophetic predictions...

Prior to the first ever top-six grid reversal, third rowers Skaife and Lowndes speculated on how they might go. "Three or four spots would be a good result,” said Skaife.

Lowndes was a little more conservative: ‘A couple of spotsis realistic - and any passing will happen in the first three laps. After that, unlikely...” Quite prophetic.

■ Running a solid fourth in race one, did Glenn Seton give a moment's thought to sacrificing a spot in order to ensure a front row start tor race two? "No, not for a moment," ■ Craig Baird turned in some laps in one of the Prancing Horse Nations Cup 360 Ferraris on Friday. Having never been to Oran Park before, the laps were a valuable introduction to a tricky venue.

■ Baird was quite impressive in, and impressed with the Ferrari, likening it to a Formula Ford with doors.

"The way it hangs on and moves around the track reminded me very much how a FF runs," Baird said. The likeable kiwi was actually listed as 10th fastest on the Nations Cup sheets following Friday's practice sessions.

■ Neil Crompton turned 40 on the weekend, but was trying to avoid thinking about it. "I woke up this morning and thought 'Oh, Oran Park,' not 'Oh hell. I'm 401' Shame we're having such a shitty run though. I actually thought we'd get a result here..."

■ While talking of age, it is interesting to know that the average ago of Holden's 'Team of Champions' (Bargwanna. Ingoll, Lowndes, 46

Murphy, Perkins, Richards, Skaife and Tander) is just over 31 years boosted by 50-year-old Larry Perkins - while the average age of the Fordsupported drivers (Baird, Crompton, Johnson, Jones, Larkham, Longhurst, Radisich, Seton and Weel) is 35.

■ Having sold his former racecar to Team Kiwi, Larry Perkins has polished up the Queensland 500-winning car that has sat with a cover over it since last October to complete the sprint races with. With a brand new car almost completed and destined for Bathurst, the team is reluctant to risk it in the hurly-burly of what sprint races remain.

■ With 34 cars turning up for a 32car track, two cars failed to make it past pre-qualifying on Friday. Rod Nash (AutoPro Commodore) and Paul Romano in the venerable VS loaded up early on this occasion.

■ Anyone know what's going on?

Oran Park management must have felt a little hard done by by Channel 10 as twice during Saturday night's viewing, advertisements for round seven of the Shell Series at Queensland Raceway were screened.

■ On the subject of television, whispers have one board member of AVESCO pushing to have the 'big man' Darrell Eastlake take over as main commentator of the Supercars coverage next year. Could Eastlake be moving to Ten, or could the coverage of the Shell Series be moving to Nine?

■ Shell Australia motorsport boss, Ross Brodie will carry the Olympic torch on August 8.

- CHRIS LAMBDEN /GERALD McDORNAN

Tony Longhurst was secondbest Ford, eighth, with a 1:08.3199, a six-tenth gain over his practice best. Tony confessed to a couple of little errors on his best lap. A couple of tenths could have been front row...

Radisich was ninth, pressing on as always, but - like a number of Ford men - struggling with initial understeer, then oversteer. But again only just a couple of tenths adrift.

Steven Richards rounded out the top 10, a 1:09 dead in the ' second session flattering to deceive: “That was a bit of a one-off after I put on a fresher set of old tyres,” he said. “The car’s not really quite right - mid corner understeer, then oversteer out...”

Still, a further seven-tenths gain on new rubber got him to within three-tenths of a front row start.

John Bowe was, as at Winton, struggling - and unsure how to improve his lot. The CAT car

retains a mid-corner understeer problem. JB is among those hoping for a miracle with the new, common,‘TEGA’ undertray...

John Faulkner was 12th.

Complete with a fresh engine built, for the first time, by John Sidney, JF was pleased with progress: “It’s got very good torque and driveability,” he reported, after being fourth quickest in both practice sessions. Unfortunately, the Asia Online car didn’t produce a new tyre gain to match,improving by just a quarter of a second. - .

Modest new t3rre gains for Larkham and Bargwanna saw them headed for a row seven start, with Morris, Ellery, Forbes, Jones, Johnson and Perkins (wheeling out the 1999 Queensland 500 winner to replace his recently sold race car) rounding out the 20, from Crompton and Baird.

You only have to be a little off the mark these days... continued on page 48

Race two view: Ingall ran away with the second race - having finished sixth in the first, he started on pole thanks to the top six being inverted!

(Photo by Chris Carter)

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The more things change... Jason Bargwanna continued with the season's theme - ‘Hit me and try ruin my day’. Todd Kelly did in the first race, although Bargs bounced back and finished strongly In the next two.

(Photo by Chris Carter)

continued from page 46

Race 1-17 laps As an advertisement for the

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race two reverse grid concept, the opener at Oran was pretty good.

Not a lot happened.

Skaife made a clean start to clearly get the running into turn one, but behind him there was a bit of a shuffle.

Lowndes and Seton also got moving well to challenge Tander, but Glenn was on the outside and wasn’t going to push the point out there, conceding as they hurtled into the opening left-handers.

Lowndes got his nose inside to emerge in second, but Garth plunged down the inside into the right-hander, Craig returning the favour into the next one, before they scuttled up over the bridge.

These two were to see a bit of each other during the day...

Big winner out of the first lap was Bargwanna. As he has done many times, the gritty Bargs barged from 14th to eighth in the opening tour but the reward was not going to match the effort Kelly clanging into the side of the Valvoline car on the second lap in a clumsy repassing attempt.

It left Bargs to start all over again from way down the queue but on a track not noted for passing opportunities his drive back to the pointy end during the rest of the day would be a highlight.

For his input, Kelly would cop a rear-of-field start for race two.

Up front, very little would change.

Lowndes initially caught Skaife, then fell back a little as his rears looked to start to go, but by late race was there again, but

clearly unable, or unwilling, to have a big lunge.

Tander held station in third, Seton alone in fourth, while Murphy defended fifth successfully as Ingall and Kichards put on some pressure, with Kelly, Longhurst, Radisich also in line astern throughout.

Ingall’s life, on the sixth place ‘bubble’ wasn’t made any easier when the power steering started to fail.

“In the end I was driving it NASCAR style,” he said, “both _ hands on the same side of the wheel to get it to turn. Man, it was heavy, but sixth meant pole and I wasn’t going to let Richo through...”

That really was it.

The action was back in the midfield, where Perkins hauled past Forbes, who then found Jones (another to progress in later races) and Baird on his bumper.

Jones muscled through, but then Forbes didn’t really allow room for Baird too and Pirtek tagged Wynn’s, the latter rotating.

Johnson had been an early retirement, a power-steering fitting broken after contact on the opening lap.

Race 2-17 laps

Here it was. At last, brought to you (after much gnashing of teeth) by AVESCO. The first ever (partially) reversed grid race.

Richo, who’d finished seventh, just metres behind Murf, could just see his team-mate, lined up on the front row alongside Ingall...

Ingall made one of his solid starts to take the initiative, from Murf, Tander getting the better of Seton, Lowndes, Richards, a

It left Bargs to start all over again from way down the queue - but on a track not noted tor passing opportunities, his drive back to the point end during the rest of the day wouid be a highiight. surprisingly tardy Skaife, Radisich and ... Morris, a blinder from Big Kev. There was near disaster for Skaife at turn three as they headed for the bridge. He got a substantial clout in the rear from the Rat, which pushed him into Richards.

Richards rotated, Skaife went left, Radisich right. Left turned out to be the right option.

Shell glanced off Wynn’s and both would need pit attention Radisich would return to finish last, Richards retire.

Bowe too had been delayed by the melee, dropping several spots as he bobbed along the inside grass.

Morris’ super start was as good as it was going to get. Longhurst, then Perkins went by the VS, but all was not as bad as it seemed.

Morris was on his race one tyres, saving a brand new set for the third race. An interesting punt, but one that would ultimately be wasted - spectacularly.

Larkham had a slightly deranged front air dam and, after a hustle with Baird over property rights, would pit for repairs, fi nishing down the field in 26th moiorspoft Raws

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The more things change... Cameron McConville continues to struggle in the second of Rod Nash’s Commodore, finishing 22nd, 21st and 20th in the three races. McConville and Nash swapped paint schemes, not cars, before the round - Nash failing to qualify with the new car.

(Photo by Dirk Klynsmith)

from which he too would head for his spectacular end of the day...

Up front Ingall was looking good, inching away from Murphy who was, surprisingly, keeping Tander at bay.

Both Lowndes and Skaife got

by Seton, who couldn’t hand on this time, the HRT pair joining on the end of the MurfATander pair to create a four-car train.

For lap after lap nothing looked likely to happen, but with four to go there was a circuit-breaker.

Lowndes had the quicker car and was looking at options with Tander and as they dived down

into the last (Autotek) corner, nosed inside.

From the outside it looked as if Lowndes nosed in, decided to pull back, but couldn’t quite do so in time, tagging the rear of Tander’s ● car as the rear of the HRT Commodore started to come around. Tander slid a little wide and recovered, while Lowndes rotated and clanged the outer wall with the left side of the car, breaking a steering arm and damaging the corner.

Lowndes would later, at a heated Stewards hearing, claim that Tander ‘brake-tested’ him...

With his momentum disrupted, Tander couldn’t resist Skaife, who slipped up the inside as they headed down the main straight.

That would be sufficient to guarantee pole for the third race, so despite pressuring Murphy for second as the race came to its finish, there were going to be no heroics from Skaife.

Ingall cruised in three seconds clear to earn grid four for the finale, while Seton completed the race in a solid fifth, but with a

OCTANE BOOSTER

Racing fotmuLi

continued on page 52

Reversal of fortune 2 ALTHOUGH none of the leading championship contenders are entirely happy with the mid season experiment with reverse grid formats, they're copping it in the name of entertainment.

"While I don't necessarily disagree with the concept of reversing some or all of the grid, the fact that it's a mid-season change isn't totally fair," championship leader Mark Skaife summarised after his day's work was done.

"If it had been agreed at the start of the year, fine. We're in the entertainment business and it's seen as a way to help come up with different winners but, as Cromley {Neil Crompton) says, we musn't ever take the sport out of motor sport."

Glenn Seton agreed: "Clearly, there have been some mistakes in bringing in the reverse grid system - that's why I was one of those who vetoed it for Winton - but that's been fixed now and we can live with il. I agree with Mark. It's a big thing to bring in half way through a championship..."

4 «HBUst 2000

The hassle, heartache and downright disorganised fashion in which the first top six reversal came to pass didn't help driver heart rates on this weekend, but there is little doubt that in this first case, it prevented another potential HRT clean sweep.

The top six reversal for heat two is expected to remain for the remaining (Calder, Sandown) sprint rounds this year, but a driver straw poll suggests that if a reversal is done, it should be more meaningful and involve many more cars.

Top 12, top 15, whole field: all are being canvassed.

For our money, let's go the whole hog. Reverse all the race one finishers for race two and be done with it. Make the races a little longer and then we'll see which of our stars can really race.

That's the sort of thing they do in karting - and guess where most ef our young talerfts learned their craft...

- CHRIS LAMBDEN

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(Photo by Dirk Klynsmith)

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Don t look now: Mark Larkham need not have worried about how well the front of the Mitre 10 Falcon looked after this incident... it looked a whole lot worse shortly after.

(Photo by John Morris/Mpix)

Secure future: The Castrol team used a year’s supply of racer tape on Larry Perkins’ VT, below, to ensure he (Photo by Marehall Cass) could complete the third race - Larry having been involved in the Morris/Larkham affair.

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You’re spinning me out, man: Craig Baird’s tough initiation into V8s continue, the Pirtek Ford driver caught up in this incident with Rodney Forbes

Can t befieve your luck: Russell Ingall, above, couldn t believe it when his sixth in the first race earned him pole, and a win, for the second.

(Photo by Dirk Kfynsmith)

Signs of the times: The FTR fans celebrated Neil Crompton’s 40th birthday, right, while the Holden fans were asking Cromley’s boss, Glenn (Photo by DlrdKIynsmllh) Seton, if he wanted a present too!

4 August 2000

ORAN PARK SCS Round 9

Oran Park Raceway Baa 1 -17 laos Pos Driver Race time F/lap On 19:57.1320 1:08.9630 2 1 Mark Skaife 19:59.2791 1:09.0357 2 2 Craig Lowndes 3 Garth Tander 20:00.8194 1:09.1657 2 4 Glenn Seton 20:03.1066 1:09.3006 4 20:08.1439 1:10.1129 4 5 Greg Murphy 20:10.5449 1:09.9281 3 6 Russell Ingall 20:10.8319 1:09.9229 3 7 Steven Richards 20:11.4253 1:09.7293 3 8 Todd Kelly 20:12.2421 1:09.8716 4 9 Tony Longhurst 10 Paul Radisich 20:12.7611 1:09.8232 3 11 John Faulkner 20:13.3400 1:10.0355 3 12 Mark Larkham 20:16.7812 1:09.9868 3 13 John Bowe 20:20.0807 1:10.4039 5 20:20.6644 1:10.3731 4 14 Steve Ellery 15 Paul Morris 20:22.6603 1:10.4244 4 20:23.5999 1:10.8480 10 16 Larry Perkins 17 Brad Jones 20:23.9569 1:10.5712 4 20:25.4834 1:10.4341 4 18 Neil Crompton 19 Jason Bargwanna 20:25.8402 1:10.3085 6 20:29.9657 '1:10.1736 4 20 Craig Baird 21 Dugal McDougall 20:35.4271 1:10.9252 4 22 Cameron McConville 20:35.9166 1:11.2670 6 20:36.9000 1:11.3550 10 23 Mike Oonaher 20:39.7922 1:11.1325 24 Anthony Tratt 20:43.0859 1:11.2503 7 25 Trevor Ashby 20:43.3928 1:11.3814' 11 26 Steve Reed 27 Rick Bates 20:44.3151 1:11.8735 7 28 Peter Doulman 20:48.6932 1:11.6783 4 20:49.7865 1:10.5059 6 29 Rodney Forbes 30 Paul Weel 16 laps 1:10.9201 4 DNF Cameron McLean 9 laps 1:11.6968 5 ONF Steven Johnson 3 laps 1:12:3640 2 R8ei2-17l«U Race time Pos Driver F/lap On 20:05.0515 1:09.9373 6 1 Russell Ingall 20:08.2958 1:10.0464 3 2 Greg Murphy 20:08.6025 1:09.4521 3 3 Mark Skaife 20:10.6106 1:10.0752 6 4 Garth Tander 5 Glenn Seton 20:12.6497 1:09.5237 3 20:12.8553 1:10.0042 4 6 Tony Longhurst 7 Jason Bargwanna 20:16.4894 1:09.9246 6 20:24.2401 1:10.5459 6 Larry Perkins Brad Jones 20:26.6074 1:10.5353 20:31.8031 1:10.5626 5 10 Craig Baird 11 John Faulkner 20:32.4924 1:10.6201 9 12 Paul Morris 20:35.4203 1:10.9608 20:37.2403 1:10.9125 6 13 Todd Kelly 14 Steven Johnson 20:40.1880 1:10.9482 15 Paul Weel 20:46.8670 1:11.3118 6 20:47.7302 1:11.3766 16 Trevor Ashby 20:47.9571 1:11.0201 6 17 Rodney Forbes 18 Steve Reed 20:48.5773 1:11.5917 19 Mike Donaher 20:49.1118 1:11.4239 6 20:50.3431 1:11.6766 20 Neil Crompton 21 Cameron McConville 20:52.3329 1:11.2160 6 22 Peter Doulman 20:52.8060 1:11.2931 6 23 Rick Bates 20:53.1449 1:11.6180 6 20:54.2341 1:10.0530 4 24 Steve Ellery 25 John Bowe 20:56.6337 1:11.1383 7 26 Mark Larkham 16 laps 1:10.4534 8 27 Paul Radisich 15 laps 1:09.8296 4 DNF Craig Lowndes 13 laps 1:09.4523 2 DNF Dugal McDougall 11 laps 1:11.1638 7 DNF Steven Richards Slaps 1:12.4953 3 DNF Anthony Tratt 2 laps 1:29.1730 1

Race 3-19 Ians (anonenem

Pos Driver Race time F/lap On 1 Mark Skaife 17:35.4774 1:09.4256 5 2 Garth Tander 17:38.6663 1:09.6651 5 3 Glenn Seton 17:43.2756 1:09.7442 4 4 Jason Bargwanna 17:44.3206 1:09.8927 5 17:48.8042 1:09,9486 2 5 Greg Murphy 17:49.0876 1:10.0529 5 6 Tony Longhurst 7 John Faulkner 17:57,6120 1:10.2209 4 17:69.4543 1:10.8358 3 8 Lar^ Perkins 17:59.6745 1:10.0951 7 9 Craig Lowndes 10 Brad Jones 18:00.3103 1:10.4661 6 11 Steven Johnson 18:00.5328 1:10,6449 4 18:00.8035 1:10.5693 4 12 Neil Crompton 18:01.0215 1:09.9414 3 13 Todd Kelly 14 John Bowe 18:02.4689 1:10.7665 13 18:07.3197 1:11.0687 5 15 Rodney Forbes 16 Paul Weel 18:08.2331 1:10.9965 6 17 Steven Richards 18:08.7433 1:10.6475 18 Paul Radisich 18:09.6294 1:10.4685 4 18:10.3209 1:10.4755 9 19 Steve Ellery 20 Cameron McConville 18:10.7300 1:10.9298 18:13.8828 1:11.0574 6 21 Anthony Tratt 22 Peter Doulman 18:16.9953 1:11,8704 n Dugal McDougall 18:20.2785 1:11.2434 2 18:20.7129 1:11.2076 7 24 Trevor Ashby 25 Craig Baird 14 laps 1:11.4975 11 DNF Rick Bales Slaps 1:12.0592 DNF Russell Ingall Slaps 1:10.1158 2 ONS Mark Larkham DNS Steve Reed OMS Paul Morris DNS Cameron McLean

02

continued from page 49 fast-approaching Longhurst all over him at the end.

Bargwanna’s recovery continued with a strong run to seventh, from Perkins, Brad Jones, Baird, Faulkner and Morris.

John Bowe had a busy race.

Surviving a muscle session with Faulkner early on, the CAT car would end up in the sand for some time at mid-race after McDougall tried an over-optimistic inside move at turn three.

On the outside looking in: John Faulkner was quick in practice but qualified outside the top 10. He found his way to seventh by the last race.

Seven-seventh: Canberra winner Steven Richards looked good, but an incident in race two involving Skaife and Radisich put paid to his weekend.

(PholosbyAFi Images)

Race 3-15 laps (shortened)

A part from the obvious, the restart of this final heat was bad news, especially, for Garth Tander.

The Valvoline car had comprehensively out-dragged pole man Skaife off the line and an interesting duel was in prospect for a minute or two at least, until attention turned to the conflagration on pit straight...

The single file restart decision put paid to a repeat from Tander and turned the restarted race into, well, another fairly settled affair.

Skaife soon pulled some metres on Tander, Murphy, Ingall, Seton, Longhurst and Bargwanna, while Perkins (the rear of the Castrol car covered in red tape) led a group containing Baird, Faulkner, Kelly, Jones, Johnson and, later, Crompton, which would provide much of the mid-race excitement.

IngaU’s day came to a sudden end on lap two when the Castrol car slowed dramatically and trickled into the pits. It was jammed in second gear.

Murphy’s car had used up its rubber pretty much in the first two races, so he was unable to

offer too much resistance to Seton and then Bargwanna in rapid sequence at the turn 2/3 sector, Bargwanna having already slipped past Longhurst.

Bargs would finish the race fourth - certainly the comeback of the day after being taken out in the opening laps of race one.

While Faulkner and Kelly survived a torrid early contest side-by-side into the kink at the end of the straight - Baird would need pit attention for left-front damage. Kelly too would drop a handful of spots after a ‘moment’ on lap 11.

While this was going on the rear-of-grid mob - headed by Lowndes, with Richards and Radisich not far behind was carving through.

Lowndes was up to 14th by lap seven, on his way to an eventual

points-grabbing ninth, while Radisich found himself right in the middle of a huge late-race scrap involving Forbes, Weel, Richards, Ellery and McConville.

It was good stuff.

Up front, though, it was business as usual for the man who seems inexorably headed for the Shell Championship. Twice now in two rounds he’s dodged potentially costly bullets. And there hasn’t been a driving mistake worth mentioning.

While Glenn Seton, still second in the points thanks to a stunning run of consistency, points out that there’s a lot of points still up for grabs, it isn’t speed that is going to cruel Skaife’s chances. The danger lies in the reverse grid races that are scheduled for the remaining sprint rounds. That’s about all that can stop him now. motorgHon newg

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Richards extends NC lead as Ferrari challenge falters

by EDWARD KRAUSE A couple of quick getaways and the misfortunes of others conspired to help Jim Richards extend his lead in the GTP Nations Cup series after the sixth round at Oran Park.

Richards won both races while all his championship rivals had mechanical failures or spins during the two races.

Qualifying Wfhil e the Porsches of Richards

on Friday only to find that it stuck in ‘automatic’ mode, so he reverted to his older car for qualifying.

Fifth position was supposed to be the Diablo of Paul Stokell.

Admitting the circuit doesn’t suit the “big lump of a car”, Stokell was happy enough with fifth, until he was found to be 2kg underweight and sent to the back of the grid.

Moving up to fifth was the second Prancing Horse Ferrari driven by ■V

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pressure to Richards, but a big slide and clipping of a kerb at turn one cracked his windscreen and the gap blew out to over a second.

The Ferrari driver began to pull that back, and, with four laps to go. Park was all over the back of the black and gold GT3. This battle allowed Noske to close up.

What was shaping up as an exciting duel ended at Recaro Comer on lap eight when Park put '.i'is-,

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<*' . 1 .

and Peter Fitzgerald were fastest on the Friday, in qualifying it was a Ferrari that led the way.

Wayne Park came storming out and on his first lap put his spare Ferrari 360 Modena on pole with a lml2.26s.

Having worked all week to fit manual throttle bodies to the newer, yellow RPM Ferrari, PROCAR approval wasn’t given in

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time, so the team had to prep the older red car, which hadn’t been run since the Queensland round.

Park was also the only driver in the first two rows running the softer compound tyres.

Richards was second and headed a very tight threesome, his lml2.430s heading Mark Noske dm 12.451s) and Fitzgerald (lml2.457s). All three drivers had been baulked on their hot laps, Fitzgerald doing his at the same time as Park, despite running into traffic on the dog leg, which his data showed cost him 0.3s.

Noske, who had the brand new ‘Rosso Marlboro’-coloured 360 Modena Challenge, ran the new car S4

Had to be British Racing Green: Peter Landen’s new Lotus Elise.

(Photo by Marshall Cass)

Christian Jones (still running the standard suspension), followed by the Porsche of Peter Bradbury.

Race 1

Richards got what looked damn close to a perfect start, pulling straight across to the inside line.

Park held on to second from an understeering Noske, with Peter Bradbury getting a great jump to move into fourth.

Park began to apply the

a wheel on the grass and spun, giving Noske a very big scare.

Contact was minimal, a black t3re mark on Noske’s front bumper the extent of the damage. Richards then had an untroubled run to the flag from Noske, Fitzgerald (who lost first and second gears but managed to fight back for third) firom Bradbury, who also lost second gear.

Fifth was Jones, who also had to regain positions lo.st at the start, followed by Stokell who came from the rear of the grid.

Race 2

Noske’s Ferrari pulled off on the warm-up lap with a gearbox/clutch malady, so Richards had the front row to himself and he made the most of it to lead from Bradbury into the first turn.

Stokell wasted little time in passing Bradbury, who still didn’t have second gear, and set out after Richards.

By the halfway mark the gap was down to just over two seconds and a dramatic fight to the finish seemed imminent.

Then on lap eight Stokell’s car lost all drive and he pulled off.

That put Bradbury back into second but he was quickly caught

by Jones, who had already dispatched of Mark Williamson.

With four to go Jones, who was suffering some ABS brake problems, was all over the back of the Porsche, with Wayne Park (who started 10th), lurking right behind them.

Jones momentarily got past only to have Bradbury force his way back into second. That was how they would finish, with Richards a comfortable victor from Bradbury, Jones, Park and Steve Webb (GT3).

Having started from pit lane due to his absence of first and second gears, Fitzgerald fought his way through the field to finish eighth, although he was fuming about Williamson’s driving which resulted in some contact, although both finished the race.

Points: Richards 135, Noske 95, Stokell & Fitzgerald 76, Bradbury 58, Williamson 56.

mqlorsDort news

NATIONS

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1C Shaw consolidated his points lead in the Century Batteries GT Production Car Championship with two crushing victories at the sixth round at Oran Park.

Shaw's chief rival, Mitsubishi driver Mark King, emerged triumphant in qualifying, outgunning Shaw by 0.09s.

However come the opening race, the Mazda driver got the jump and walked away from the procession of 4WD turbos that — filled the minor placings.

A storming opening lap, which gave him a 3.4s gap to build upon, set the scene, as Shaw built his buffer up to over eight seconds before easing off over the last couple of laps.

King, who was suffering from chronic oversteer, quickly dealt with the Subaru STis of Wayne Boatwright, Scott Jacob and the Evo 5 of Graham Alexander, the end result a spread out top haff dozen at the end of 10 laps.

Any potential for a close second race was thwarted on the opening lap when King's Mitsubishi broke a CV joint and he was forced to pull out, dealing his cham'pionship hopes a serious blow.

Shaw kept a steady pace to build his lead to 10 seconds and finished off a near perfect weekend, two wins from two starts and an increase in his championship points lead.

The best of the rest was again Boatwright with Alexander improving to third ahead of Jacob and Don Pulver.

The ongoing battle for the Hippies Sports Touring class between series leader David Wood (Honda) and Wayne Russell(BMW)ended up square.

Wood qualified fastest and won the first race while Russell managed to win the second after , a good battle early on.

Rubbin s racing: Scott Jacob and Dennis Gilbert argue over turn one.

Shawt Odds On Ric’s Title The Falcon XR8 of James Philip won both V8 Touring races while the Pennzoil Six-Cylinder class was another Daryl Coon whitewash, the Falcon XR6 driver qualifying fastest and vvifining both races.

In the Poolrite Four-Cylinder series, Warren Luff (Peugeot 306) made a clean sweep of the weekend, with Nathan Thomas second in qualifying and race one but Kosi Kalaitzidis fought back from fourth in the first race to finish second after a torrid battle with Thomas in race two.

Outright points: Shaw 133, King 99, Hughes 59, Wiorcom 50, Kenny 44 Sports Touring: Wood 146, Russell 128 V8 Touring: Wiillett 112, Loadsman 88 Six Cylinder Touring: Coon 156, Chadwick 125 Four Cylinder Touring: Kalaitzidis 133, Thomas 116

- EDWARD KRAUSE

Put yourself in the driver's seat l Drive our Karts, Formula Fords or V8s l Fully catered drive days ® Cars in full race condition l Formula Ford Race Schoo with Australian Formula ' Ford Champion Greg Ritter l Corporate Days and motorsport parties ® Gift Certificates-for something different Calder Park Raceway Locked Bag 7 Sunhury VIC 3429 Web; htlp://members.xoom.com/glorce gwr/ Ph 03 9217 8933 Fax 9217 8958

4 AUBUSI 2000

<Photo by Chris CarterJ

Lock ‘er up: Daryl Coon found time to lock the XR6’s brakes but it didn't stop him from belting the six cylinder touring cars again.

(Photo by Marshall Cass)

Sportscover Formula Ford Race Team offer a unique opportunity in our corporate entertainment area at the calder Park round of the V8 Supercars Join us in an exolusive invitation into the hub of the Sportscover Formula Ford Race Team, including:

l Full catere(j pit-side entertainment area l All the action televised in-house l Race cars on display l Meet our celebrity drivers l Sportscover race team in action in the same building Saturday $95 l Sunday $125(incGSTi Includes entry tickets, lunch, tirinks & enlerlainment| _ Call Greg Woodrow from the All at Calder Park Racewayj Sportscover Race Team on Saturday August 19 03 9217 8933 to secure your spot at the V8 Supercars & Sunday August 20 SS

Just

Mallala to go

by GERALD McDORNAN

REIGNING champion Simon

Wills scored a clean-sweep of victories at the penultimate

round of the Holden Australian Drivers’Championship at Oran Park, with the New Zealand driver, barring a Mallala disaster, now appearing to have secured his second title.

With two wins. Wills has extended his points lead over his series rival, NEC’s Christian Murchison, while Matthew Halliday looks to have ensured third place with two good results for the Challenge/Ralt Australia team.

Again, Tim Leahey looked strong in the Boost/Greg Murphy

Racing entry, Leahey actually resetting Mark LarlAam’s 1992 track record, although engine difficulties robbed him of a sure

"podium finish.

Practice/Qualifying

Paul Dumbrell set the pace in Friday’s practice with the Kmart entry, although Wills rebounded on Saturday to take pole, the blue Reynar^ the only car to break into the Im-even barrier, recording a lm00.7499s.

Leahey, who ran Friday with the same NRG engine he used to great effect at Winton, reverted to the team’s usual powerplant for qualifying and racing. He used it to good effect to qualify second, 0.42s behind Wills.

Murchison sat the NEC car in third, while Dumbrell ended up fourth, 0.87s behind Wills.

Such is the difficult nature of the circuit, the field, which was down to 13 entries, was stretched out a little further than usual after qualifying. It really didn’t get much better in racing...

Race 1-14 laps

If there was criticism pointed towards the V8s for a boring first race, then it could have been slung at the FHoldens. For the most

part, it was so processional that it was nothing short of a shocker.

From the outset, the field was basically stuck in the order that it began, with no passing at all until Roger Oakeshott moved his 97D Reynard past the older Ralt RT23 of Terry Clearihan and Ian Peters’ older 91D Reynard.

Wills and Leahey were the pure class of the field, the two lapping much quicker than anyone else.

Leahey actually produced a new lap record on the fourth lap ImOl.6718s -in the Boost Reynard, although Wills was able

Stewart McCollects two wins

by GERALD McDORNAN STEWART McColl had the perfect weekend at Oran Park Raceway,the 20-year-old qualifying his Kmart Van Diemen on pole and taking two wins in the 2000 Ford Racing Formula Ford Championship.

McColl set the pace from the beginning, leading all three practice sessions on Friday, prior to setting the pole time (lml2.7642s)just 0.29s ahead of Justin Cotter’s Spectrum, with local Chris Dell joining Nick Agland on the second row.

The surprise in practice and qualifying came with championship leader Luke Youlden and challenger Leanne Perrier qualifying back in seventh and eighth positions respectively.

A slightly slicker track and a strong headwind on the main straight in the second session put paid to any improvement.

96

Title too far away: Stewart McColl simply wiped the floor with the field at Oran Park, erasing dramas from earlier in the season. (Photo by oirkKiynsmiih)

Race 1-14 laps

On the green. Cotter got a tremendous start and led polesitter McColl,(who turned the tyres)into the first turn.

A1 eyes were on championshipleader Youlden and challenger Ferrier, the ‘lady of speed’

dropping a place at the end of the first lap, giving Youlden just a little more breathing space...

Youlden had even more of a break, when the Valvoline Van Diemen speared off the track in an incident with Tfy Hanger and broke the front left .suspension, putting her out.

The contact was ruled a racing incident and Hanger was cleared.

Ferrier was extremely disappointed at the time of contact, her frustrations showing when she hurled the steering wheel and stormed away.

“I’m very disappointed - TV got a better run up towards the bridge and, as I’m racing for the championship, I gave him room,” Fei-rier said. “He hit my rear wheel. He wasn’t even alongside me, and sent me off the track.”

After the Safety Car, McColl skipped out to a solid 2s lead over Cotter - the gap 2.3s at the end.

The mid-race battle between Rick Kelly, Barton Mawer and Youlden was enthralling, Kelly moving past with a temfic move on the seventh lap, Youlden past Mawer on the main straight.

Just two laps from home, Kelly made another breathtaking move under Agland, who had been holding two places(and more points) over Youlden.

The youngster was looking good molorsporl news

FORMULA HOLDBN/FORD car was stuck in such a position it was decided to fly the red flag and bring the race to an end, three laps prematurely.

Wills won strongly from Leahey, Murchison third ahead of Halliday, Dumbrell, Booth, Brede, Stevenson, Hill, Clearihan, Steve Owen,Peters and Oakeshott.

Too bad if you don’t like blue: Simon Wills iq qm ui * u t , .. sii but home in the Holden Australian Drivers’ Championshi[.f {Photo by Mar*hnii Cji

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Race 2-17 laps

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u . to maintain a comfortable lead in the number one Birrana.

Wills steadily pulled away from Leahey, while Murchison chased hard in the NRC car - the Kiwi’s lead extended out to over 2.5s.

By the ninth lap Murcho was right on the tail of Leahey, courtesy of traffic, and he need not have pushed hard as just three laps later the green Reynard pulled off the track, another eiigine drama the cause.

Brede, Leroy Stevenson and Steve Owen were involved in a fabulous dice, Brede trying to find and had Dell in his sights, producing the fastest lap of the race to surge past into third where he stayed to the finish.

What had promised to be a good weekend for Owen Kelly faltered on the first lap when the shifter linkage in the Toll car failed, making gearshifts impossible.

He visited the pits, going a lap down and giving him a ROG start for race two.

Race 2-14 laps

Hill.

Points: Wills 212, Murchison 182, Halliday 133,Leahey 109, Dumbrell 96, Stevenson 81, Staff63, Brede 58, Booth 57, Owen 40.

Race two was another entertaining battle that produced a second Safety Car appearance.

Cotter led McColl away, although the Kmart car was back

w Third ain’t fhaf bad: Kiwi Matthew Halliday sits in a solid third in the (Photo by Slipstream Photographic) Challenge/Ralt Australia Reynard. in front by the first turn.

Ferrier didn’t make much of a move in the earfy laps, feeling her way with the altered car. After a hesitant start, he began to turn it on, moving through the pack and surging to ninth by race end.

Owen Kelly was decidedly different earlier, storming from the rear to be 14th at the end of lap one. His progress continued, moving to 11th a few laps later and then finishing seventh.

"It was a Kttle difficult early with a few ofthe slower cars, but once I'd got past them I had a clear track," he said.

Rick Kelly made his move after the Safety Car, talcing the lead from McColl and Cotter, and the young kid again looked good.

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over two seconds.

The final finishing order was Wills, Murchison, Halliday, Dumbrell, Booth, Stevenson, Brede, Owen,Ian Peters and Peter

Thankfully, the second race produced a little more interest than the first, although Wills again ran away, scoring his 20th career FH win and edging closer to his second Drivers’ Championship.

A surprise appearance came with Oakeshott making the grid, the Sportsfned SA car wearing a significant amount of bandages...

Dumbrell dropped behind at the beginning but the Kmart driver pulled out a brave move around the outside of Booth to take back , fourth,

umbrell had moved closer to ^ J-.

Halliday and Murchison in the Kmart car, but the Melbourne youngster turned the car around coming off the bridge on lap ten.

So much so had the field strung out that Dumbrell returned from the grass and still resumed in front of Booth and Brede!

On the 13th lap Oakeshott stuck the newly liveried Sportsmed SA Reynard in backwards heading onto the main straight, emerging unhurt, but the

Infantile driving wizard: Rick Kelly is making the FF title more than just a Youlden/Ferrier fight.

(Photo by Chris Carter)

his way around the Kiwi, with Owen closing on the pair in the Hocking Motorsport Reynard.

With two laps to go. Wills’lead was out to over 4.1s and the Birrana driver went into cruise control.

Booth started to look a little untidy as they headed towards the flag, but he held out Stevenson by 0.15s, Brede following them by just

However McColl again stuck his nose in front and he pressed home to vwap up a perfect weekend, the result moving him from eighth to sixth in the points.

“I’m really happy with my result. I’ve achieved everything I wanted to,” McColl said. “My aim is now to finish in the top four for the season and I’m just six points off Nick [Agland].”

Agland’s race finished with some di-ama, the championship hopeful falling to 18th with troubles late in tbe race, having run at the front and finishing fifth in race one.

Points: Youlden 142, Ferrier 120,R KeUy 116, Agland 102, McColl 96, Power 74, O Kelly 72, Kostera 65, Davison 64, Cotter 46.

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Qimm SI

He was the Hot Young Brazilian -18 years ago. Then he was CARTs Super Sub. But now, for Roberto Moreno ...

Life begins at forty (one) MN: Winning your first FedEx Champ Car race must have been a great thrill. How did you feel?

RM; I felt a sensation so indescribable, it was like when my daughters were born. It was just brilliant...

It was 12 years since I won my last competitive race! That was in Formula 3000. I had a lot of emotions, even before the race.

MN: Was it 12 years since ANY race win?

RM: I think so-but not counting go karts, where I won a couple of races.

MN:That's a long time. How did you keep going? Twelve years without a win would discourage a lot of drivers.

RM: Yes, but if you look at my

career, even the beginning would discourage a lot of drivers. You can watch a lot of races from the past when R oberto Moreno's career might h ave stopped.

Even back in the early 1980s; I could only continue racing because I had a test drive with Lotus. That allowed me to be in Europe and allowed me to chase other drives and something came up for me.

The story of my career has always been trying to find the breaks. I have had a 20 year career and, in that time, I have had five good breaks. Except for one of-those breaks, when I have been racing in a competitive team, when I have done the whole championship as a full-time driver, I have been able to fight for the championship and

finish in the first three.

How can I continue? It's just because I love racing. It's in nny blood. I always find something to do to be happy while I am waiting for a break so I can win races.

MN: I guess that whatever you have driven, all the way back to Formula Ford in the UK, you've been competitive against competitive teammates.

RM: For sure. And that has happened in good teams.

My key element is that I will fit in to any team and make sure that I have a good relationship with the engineers and the other drivers, and I try to stick my nose into things as well. That has really helped my career. I can be a bit technical as well.

moiorspori news

INTERVIEW There are other drivers who have different histories and they come into the sport with a good sponsor, which gets them into a good team at the beginning. They do well and they get into the best teams with the big budgets.

Unfortunately I did not have that at the start. I had to become a test driver, I had to do things test drivers do just to survive.

I have worked through my career to get the breaks. Luckily, those five times through my career came and I always enjoyed the possibility of fighting for the championship.

MN: What were those five breaks?

RM: Formula Ford in 1980 with Van Diemen - I won the British Championship and the World Cup Festival; Formula 2 in '84 with Ralt-Flonda with Ron Tauranac; '86 with Rick Galles - that was the year that I did not fight for the championship;'87 I came in third ; in Formula 3000 with Ralt-Honda again; and in '88, when I won the (Formula 3000) championship with Bromley Motorsport.

In Formula One, I had breaks here and there, but the teams I was racing for at th6 start were shit. There was pre-qualifying ...

MN:There are photos of you in Formula One in some pretty ugly cars!

RM: The best one I had was when I was qualifying was Andrea Moda - we qualified at Monte Carlo!

MN: If Life was the worst team to appear in Formula One, Andrea Moda would have been second ...

RM: They were the worst team

Why is FI so unkind: Not to be too blunt, Moreno drove some crap FI cars, like this Eurobrun (above) but he did get a second in Japan in ’90 when he backed up Nelson Piquet at Benetton. Then Schumacher arrived ...

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but, funnily enough, the car wasn't that bad - if they could have kept the cars going and in one piece!

MN: Are you dosappointed that Formula One didn't work out for you?

RM: Not at all! If you consider a guy from Brazil in his first year, with six friends from home putting in $12,000 American so I could go and race in Europe and I made a lifetime career out of it.

(Photo by Allsport}

I'm not disappointed at all.

And when I did get the right opportunity, I was able to perform well in the races as well.

MIM: You raced in Australia in Formula Atlantic. What are your memories of driving in those Australian Grands Prix?

RM: That was fantastic. In '81 I had only half a season in Formula 3 and that was my first year there in the Australian Grand Prix. It was the first time that I got to drive a bigger car - up to that point I had only driven Forftiula 3 cars, but Pee Wee put me straight into that car and we qualified on pole and won the race!

And AJ drove me home with the trophy! If you saw the size of the first-place trophy and the second-place trophy ...

Bob Jane had convinced Alan to come out of retirement, after his last win in Formula 1, and it was tremendous for me, not only to drive a bigger car for the first time and be competitive straight away, but to be able to race against the big guys like Alan Jones and Nelson Piquet straight away ... that was a tremendous achievement for me.

Changing colours: Moreno starred for Newman-Flaas (left) and PacWest before finding a home at Patrick Flacing (above). (Phoiosbysuiion.imngos)

MN:After last year, when you had the 'Super Sub'role, it must have been particularly

gratifying for you to get the call from Patrick Racing for this season and then be able to repay their faith in you.

RM: Yes, indeed.

But MORE gratifying than that was the call I got from (PacWest Racing team owner) Bruce McCaw. Fie was the guy who actually got me back into CART again. Out of the blue he called me while I was actually testing for the Indy 500 and he asked me back to race in CART. That was something that I never imagined was possible.

After the results, and the people that were starting to talk to me, I pretty much thought that I was going to get a good ride. When (Patrick Racing General Manager) Jim McGee talked to me about driving for him I was over the moon with that.

MN: And then this year; the breakthrough win and you've led the championship...

RM: It's good but the championship is still wide-open. It only takes one race to bring you down to earth again. It's one of those deals; it's a competitive championship where a lot of drivers can win races but we have to start winning more than one race to be part of the championship.

MN: Roberto, you have a lot of fans down here and we're all happy to see you get the success you've earned.

RM: Thanks, and thanks to everyone in Australia for their support.

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German GP

Winning tii

ViHa Loea

had more than his share Rubens Barrichello has bf bad luck during his 124 race Formula One career so it was with some justice that the result of the German Grand Prix was largely down to luck.

It was going to be a McLaren walkover - until a disgruntled Mercedes-Benz ex-employee walked onto the track and gave eveiyone a nasty surprise, which meant that a Safety Car had to be sent out while the gentleman was rounded up and locked away.

That helped Barrichello, who had suffered a qualifying nightmare and had scythed his

Report by JOE SAWARD

way from 18th to third in 14 laps,ridding him of a half minute disadvantage.

Then it started to rain and Mika Hakkinen pitted for wets.

Barrichello stayed out. After that it was down to the clouds...

Qualifying

o

/^n with the Scnnitzel Season. If it is the end of July it must be Hockenheim and the annual gathering of the Schumi Fundamentalists in the grandstands of the Motodrom. The camper vans are dusted down,

I can’t stand heights: Everyone was happy to see Rubens Barrichello (Photos by Sutton-lmages and RaceAccess) break through for his first win for Ferrari.

FORMULA I

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loaded full of beer and fireworks and sent off to the woods of Hockenheim.

Once installed, the^chumi fans slip on their best pyjama trousers (Hockenheim's sense offashion continues to lag behind the catwalks of Coo-ol London and chic Paris) and don their red hats and, having painted a Oerman flag on their forehead, they take their seats in the grandstands. And they have fun, cheering frantically whenever a car vaguely resembling that of Michael comes hurtling by and constantly launching their fireworks in celebration of his monstrous talent.

One day one of these pyi-otechnic devices is going to arch gracefully down and land in Michael's lap as he dives into the first comer. And you can be sure that this will add fuel to the dispute about whether or not Schumacher should be allowed to swerve in front of his rivals at the start of a race...

Hockenheim is a little different from other races these days because the track is fast. Take a look at the average speeds of the cars at tracks these days and you will find that most are around the 200kmh mark.

Hockenheim and Monza are up in the 240kmh bracket. This means that the engines get a real workout, running at maximum revs for 60% of the lap. The longest bm-st offull throttle in the year comes on the run up to the first chicane when the engines are wide open for 17 seconds.

Usually it is very hot in Germany at this time of year and so it is often a race dictated by engine power. But that is not to tell 4 August 2000

the whole story because Hockenheim is all about finding the right compromise between the fast woodland road out in the woods and the twiddly bits in the stadium section of the circuit. It is a question of balancing everything correctly.

Nomially the grid at Hockenheim is a team by team affair but that was not the case at all this year. This was entirely due to the intemperate weather than is currently destroying any vestige there might have been of a European summer. For most of the time the FI folk were watching the skies, waiting for the next torrential downpour.

On Friday the storms were such that 13 unlucky Schumacher fans ended up in hospital, having been zapped by lightning which was conducted into their tents by flood waters. In total 20,000 campers had to remove flood waters from theii’ tents. If it had not been for the trees which hid all the nasty muddy stuff, it would probably have looked a lot like Silverstone.

The tunnels into and out of the circuit seemed to be permanently underwater and fire engines were being used to pump all the water out of the way. It was hon-ible.

There were even stories that one of the beer can pyi-amids which they like to build had been sti-uck by a bolt oflightning and the owner of this edifice killed. But it was probably not true.

When qualifying began, with black cloud ringing the track and a sniff of rain in the air, everyone continued on page 63

Wet wet wets; Mika Hakkinen made a career-best start to go from fourth to first but he, Arrows’s Jos Vertstappen (below) and everyone else had to bow to Barrichello.

(Photos by RaceAccess and Sutton-lmages)

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Don't try this at home, kids Schumacher squeezed Fisichella in the first corner (below, 1, RaceAccess) and then it all went wrong.

The Ferrari skated off into the kitty litter and left Schumacher wondering what happened (right) before he and Fisi had a chat about things on the (Photo sequence by Sutton-lmages) way home (6 and 7).

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West McLaren-Mercades Marlboro Ferrari Mild Seven Benetton-Playlite West McLaren-Mercades Orange Arrows-Supertec BSH Jordan Mugen-Honda Mild Seven Benetton-Playlife Jaguar-Cosworth Lucky Strike BAR-Honda Jaguar-Cosworth Orange Arrows Suportec Lucky Strike BAR-Honda Gauloises Prost-Peugaot Compaq Williams-BMW Red Bull Sauber-Petronas Compaq Williams-BMW B&H Jordan Mugen-Honda Marlboro Ferrari Red Bull Sauber-Petronas Gauloises Prost-Paugeot Tolofonica Minardi-Fondmetal Tolofonica Minardi-Fondmetal

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David Coulthard Michael Schumacher Giancarlo Fisichella Mika Hdkkinen Pedro de la Rosa Jarno Trulli Alexander Wurz Johnny Herbert Jacques Villoneuve Eddie Irvine Jos Verstappen Ricardo Zonta Nick Heidfald Ralt Schumacher Mika Salo Jenson Button Heinz-Horald Frentzon Rubens Barrichollo Pedro Oiniz Joan Alosi Gaston Mazzacane Marc Gono

TIME 1:45.697 1:47.063 1:47.130 1:47.162 1:47.786 1:47.833 1:48.037 1:48.078 1:48.121 1:48.305 1:48.321 1:48.665 1:48.690 1:48.841 1:49.204 1:49.215 1:49.280 1:49.544 1:49,936 1:50.289 1:51.811 1:53.094

motorsDort news

FORMUtA I iiiv

This was the worst day of the year for me. irff

- Banichella after qualifying 18th into perspective as he sailed round to record a lap time which was 1.4secs faster than that of his McLaren team-mate Hakkinen.

The Finn said that he reckoned he had been “a little bit too cautious” because he was worried about going off.

Coulthard had no such worries and was dehghted with the outcome.

“It was a bit of a rush at the start,” he admitted,“ I was probably able to read the conditions better than everybody else.”

The McLaren 1-2 looked to be pretty solid as a sprinkle of rain came Mong but as it was happening Fisichella (in his spare car) was out on a desperate mission to m^e the grid. It probably helped that Fisichella knew that

5

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continued from page 61 went rushing out to try to get a time in the bag. It was not the moment to have a mechanical problem or a spin. And so there was

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and while the spannermen flexed their wrists everyone else ran around singing “Rain, rain, go away, come again another day”.

It worked.

In those frantic opening minutes, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Jacques Villeneuve, Jamo Trulli and Michael Schumacher were all briefly in the number one spot but then Coulthard put all their effoids

continued on page 65 , Michael Schumacher in

CREWS CLOTHING ■STEER! NGJWHEELS HARNESSES

some consternation m the BAR, Benetton and Ferrari pits when one of each of their drivers did not return from their first runs.

Jacques Villeneuve and Giancarlo Fisichella had overcooked it and spun while Rubens Barrichello had suffered a mechanical problem.

There were also troubles down in the Arrows pit where Jos Verstappen's car refused to start

he had very Httle to lose and so pushed harder than he might have done otherwise. The result was that he popped up to second on the timesheets.

And then the rain ended dreams of others doing any better. In fact at the end of the session the track had dried enough to allow Michael Schumacher to sneak a time which was six-hundredths ahead of Fisichella but he was stiU a very long way behind Coulthard.

Down at the back of the grid there was some excitement as both Barrichello and Frentzen just

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FORMULA I continued from page 63 managed to get into the field with their final efforts.

Michael Schumacher's second place was good news for him and came after a difficult Saturday morning when he shunted his own car. This meant that he went into qualifying with the spare car. He said it made httle difference but it -..did mean that he did not have the confidence to push to the absolute hmit on his first flying lap.

Barrichello ended up 18th on the grid having used Michael's repaired car after his own stopped with an electronic problem.

Rubens was not happy.

“This was the worst day of the year for me,” he said.

Benetton was happy to have Fisichella third and Alexander Wurz seventh (although the Austrian was nine-tenths of a second slower than the Itahan).

While it is nice to see the cars going well, there was a large element of luck in Fisichella's position. If he had not spun off he would not have been out on the track'at exactly the moment he needed to be there without anyone else to get in his way. But in FI you must ride the luck when it comes along.

The nature ofthe qualifying meant that there were quite a few surprises, notably fifth place for Pedro de la Rosa, using the Arrows spare car because of an engine problem in his own at the end"of the morning practice session.

“It was not a particularly good lap,” Pedro admitted later. “I just took my chances. We were a bit lucky with the rain but we've been very unlucky in the past so that is the way it goes sometimes.”

Verstappen was less happy but 11th on the grid was not bad given that he might have failed to qualify altogether if the rains had come a few minutes earher.

The Jordan team was pretty disappointed with sixth and 17th positions on the grid with the revised EJIO and the latest Mugen Honda engine. Trulli was happy enough with fifth given the fact that he had had problems on Saturday morning but Frentzen was not pleased. He had been right up there in the early minutes of the session but his best time was taken away because he had gone through a chicane.

“I felt it was a harsh decision by the stewards because I did not overshoot the chicane on a fast lap and so did not gain an advantage from it.”

So Frentzen ended the session struggling to qualify and had to be satisfied with 17th.

It was a good day(a rare one)for Jaguar Racing, with Johnny Herbert qualifying eighth ahead of 4 August 2000

a newly-blond Eddie Irvine who was 10th.

Boy Wonder: Button stalled on the formation lap but made amends, hauling the BMW.Williams onto Coulthard’s tail and fourth place by the end of the race.

“We had a bit of help from the man upstairs today,” admitted technical director Gaiy Anderson.

“Donations of that kind are gratefully received. It was all about timing really and we decided to go l with the main bunch because of the threat of heavy rain. As it turned out we timed it well.'

The team had the latest version of the Cosworth engine and the reports about them were generally favourable.

British American Racing had its cars ninth and 12th which was a little bit disappointing given recent good showings but in the circumstances it was quite good as Villeneuve had dropped the ball and ifthe rain had not come would probably have been in serious trouble. Ricardo Zonta complained that he had encountered traffic on his lap so he did not go as well as he had hoped to do.

Life was not good at Frost but local hero Nick Heidfeld was 13th which was not so bad, considering that he had lost half the morning with gearbox trouble. Jean Alesi had a miserable time and made a mistake on the all-important first run and was only able to improve in the very last seconds of the session.

“I want to forget it very quickly,” he said.

It was a bad day for Williams as well, with Half Schumacher 14th and Jenson Button 16th. Button looked threatening throughout and reckoned he would have gone much quicker if he had not had to hft off

Having more fun, Eddie?

Irvine returned to the Jaguar cockpit in Germany. At least, we 4 think \t was Irvine ...

(Photos by RaceAccess and Sutlon-images)

risk to get pole position!

As it turned out he was last on the grid instead because the man upstairs was busy looking after Jaguar...

when Fisichella spun off. Jenson went out just as the rains came down. After that the cars were a handful as they were set up for the diy.

It was a pretty poor day for Sauber as well with Mika Salo 15th and Pedro Diniz 19th. The team blamed the poor performance on the weather having made it a lottery.

Rain or shine it seems to make little difference to Minardi. The two cars were 21st and 22nd on the grid as they usually are with Gaston Mazzacane ahead of Marc Gene for once. This was because Gene went out on wet tyres in the critical moment, hoping that it would rain as everyone was on the warming up laps. If you are in a Minardi it is worth taking the

Race(45 laps) On racehave day the upstairs must beenman looking the other way when the grid set offfor the final parade lap because poor Button was left sitting there as his BMW engine had refused to fire up.

He would have to start from the back of the grid. Button would have to start from the back of the grid.

When the fights went out neither Coulthard nor Michael Schumacher made a good start. As it has now been decided that a driver is allowed to make one change of direction before the first comer, Coulthard moved across the road into Schumacher's path.

Schumacher is allowed to do it and so Coulthard no doubt felt that he

continued on page 66 65

I

German GP continued fronn page 65 would be allowed to do the same thing. In the Media Centre there were howls oflaughter.

Schumacher had bean given a little of his own medicine.

This was rather frustrating for Michael but he was in no position to complain.

As this was happening on the inside, Hakkinen had gone to the left and was quickly ahead of FisicheUa, Schumacher and Coulthard.

“I made one of the best starts of my career,” Mika explained.

Schumacher was going a httle faster than Coulthard and so he moved to the left after Hakkinen had gone by. In doing sb he moved across in front of FisicheUa who drove straight into the back of the Ferrari. It was curious that he did not hft off Whatever the case the result was that FisicheUa had a fairly big accident and Schumacher ended up out ofthe race as well.

“It is hard to accept something like this for the second race in a row,” Michael said.

FisicheUa, not surprisingly, saw things differently.

“I was on my line and then suddenly Michael's car was right in front of my front wheel so I went into the back of his car. I think we should really decide in the rules about whether a driver should stick to his line or not because it is just a waste of a race.”

The upshot of all this was good news for McLaren and bad bad news for Ferrari. Hakkinen and Coulthard were running 1-2 and Schumacher was walking back to the pits.

The only hope for Ferrari was that Barrichello might be able to do something from his 18th starting place on the grid. At the end of the first lap Rubens had made up eight places. He then overtook the two BARs,Irvine, Verstappen, Herbert and de la Rosa to run fourth by lap 12.

Three laps later he overtook Trulh for third. But the McLarens were 14 seconds ahead and Rubens was coming up to his first pit stop because he had picked a two-stop strategy. On lap 17 he came into the pits and was sent on his way He rejoined in sixth although this soon became fifth when Frentzen (another two-stopper) came in two laps later.

Ahead were the two McLarens, Trulli's Jordan and de la Rosa's Arrows. Rubens closed quickly on the Spaniard. He would offer little resistance. Tnrlli was only a few seconds ahead of him but the gap to the McLarens was half a minute.

Barrichello could only really hope for third place.

And then a man appeared beside

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View from the cheap seats: Diniz had an entertaining dice with Gene until he battered Jean Alesi.

(Photos by Sutton-lmages) There’s never anything good to watch: Trulli keeps an eye on the opposition. both cars at the same time. At the same time Coulthard was a bit confused by what was going on. He had not seen the man beside the track.

I A the track at the run down to the Clark Chicane. He carried a sheet with a message about MercedesBenz. He wanted it known that he was unhappy with the company The man had cut his way through a fence beside the track. The problem was that no-one knew whether he was going to do something really stupid. In the end he did, running across the track to avoid the marshals who were trying to stop him.

When faced with such a situation, the only thing the race direction could do was to either red flag the event and ruin it for everyone or send out a Safety Car until the protester could be apprehended. It later emerged that 15 seconds prior to the start he had tried to run onto the gidd but had been grabbed by marshals and dragged off. At Magny-Cours he had done something similar but had been grabbed by the FIA

Photographers' Delegate 10 laps from the end of the race.

The man in question could not have known that his intervention would give Feirari the chance to win the race. He is probably quite happy that it did but it is doubtful that he would have had the necessary grasp of the strategic situation to have done it deliberately. It is hard to follow races when you are walking thi’ough the woods and cutting holes in fences...

Tlie decision to send out the Safety Car was taken after Hakkinen and Coulthard had gone by. The first teams to reahse that there was a chance to make up ground were Jordan, Aitows and BAR. So -while the McLarens continued on their way Trulli, de la Rosa, Villeneuve and then others came into the pits. At the end of the next lap there was a problem because McLaren could not handle

“I was due to pit on that lap anyway, but I didn't hear the radio in the Stadium section, and then Mika pitted in front of me. At that point I didn't know the Safety Car was out, so I thought there must have been some confusion over which one of us was coming in.

That's why I went past and continued. Then I realised the Safety Car was out. It is just one of those unfortunate days when things didn't work out.”

The Safety Car meant that the 30-second lead which Hakkinen had enjoyed disappeared and although Tnilli was between them, BanicheUo was within striking distance of Hakkinen. His disadvantage had completely disappeared.

There was trouble soon after the restart when Diniz and Alesi colhded, Jean having a big accident at the third chicane.

Amd then when the race began again it began to rain almost immediately There were 10 laps to go. It was raining on one side of the track but not on the other. Pitting for wet weather tyi'es was an option but whether it was the right thing to do was really in the lap of the Gods. Who could say whether it would rain enough in the' last 15 minutes of the race? continued on page 68 motorsport news

FORMULA f WH^T THEY I^AID Highlights of the postww n n n bbh n race press conference Rubens Barrichello: I still cannot believe it! I feel great. I had been told that when you are leading a race the last lap was the longest and it really felt like it.

It was very tricky because the rain was falling on different parts of thejrack at the time.

Regarding my decision to stay on dry tyres, I was told Hakkinen was coming in and I said I wanted to stay out one more lap.

I saw it was only wet in the Motodrome and the team told me that if I kept doing the same lap times I would win, so I decided to stay out.

With seven laps to go, I flatspotted my left front tyre and I could not see so well after that. I had started with a light fuel load and that helped me pass a lot of cars. The other drivers were very fair.

My car was not good in the warm-up but we made changes and it was great for the race.Jt was a great race from 18th bn" the grid.

I did not realise Michael was out until I was in fifth place, because I had been concentrating so hard in the early part.

I

Sutton-lmages

want to think about the championship, I just want to celebrate this win.

Mika Hakkinen; I made one of the best starts of my career to go from fourth to leading into the first corner. I felt in control during the opening stages of the race even though David was right behind me.

When the Safety Car came out I went in for my pit stop and when the rain started to fall really heavily on lap 34 I pitted for wets.

I might have won the race if I had remained on slicks.

However the risk of spinning off was too big as it was very slippery, especially in the stadium section and the car was not easy to drive. I had to be careful with the wets in the fast dry sections not to ruin them, which would make them useless for the wet parts.

This has been a long time coming. I dedicate it to Ayrton Senna, who helped me so much in my life since 1984. I do not

David Couithard: Obviously, I did not get the perfect getaway at the start.

I did not notice the Safety Car as there were no flags or signs

deployed prior to me seeing it. It came out on the lap where I was meant to have my pitstop and seeing Mika entering the pitlane I stayed out for another lap which put me back to sixth place.

When the rain began I stayed out for a long time to see what sort of difference wet tyres made on lap times. I only decided to come in for wets one corner before the pit lane so it was a late call.

However I am happy to settle for points today and close the gap to the championship leader considerably.

Jenson Button: I am very happy, thinking how my race started with my engine not firing up and having to start at the very back!

The team made an excellent job calling me in at the right time to switch to wet tyres. It was very difficult to drive at that moment, because at the back of the circuit it was dry, yet in the pit lane it was raining!

A very exciting moment was also passing Mika Salo, two laps before the end of the race.

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67

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continued from page 66 HakMnen took the gamble.

Barrichello did not. For a few laps we had four men on dry tyres: Barrichello, Coulthard, Frentzen and Zonta. The others all stopped for wets. Trulh was running second when he went into the pits but the stewards felt that Jamo had overtaken Barrichello under a yellow flag and he received a stopgo penalty, which dropped him out of contention.

“He and I were side by side and I was on the racing hne,” Jamo said later. “I cannot imderstand this decision. To me there is no clear reason why I received this penalty.”

Jordan's hopes of a podium rested with third-placed Frentzen after that but his race ended soon afterwards with an electrical problem.

“The Luck of the Irish really does not seem to be with us at the moment,” said Eddie Jordan.

For the last laps everyone was watching the sky. Of the four on dry tyres, Frentzen disappeared and on lap 38 Zonta spim out. Coulthard also decided that he had gone as far was possible in the situation and so he came in for wets, dropping fi^om second place to fifth. This left Hakkinen 10 seconds behind Barrichello. Their laps times were similar. It was wet enough for the wet tyres and dry enough for the dry tyres. But would the rain increase?

It was tense stuff but the miles went by and the rains held off and an ecstatic Barrichello finally made it to his first Fl victory. It was a popular one because Rubens has few enemies. Even the McLaren men seemed happy for him. After the chequered flag the rains suddenly increased but it was too late.

Barrichello had won his first Fl victory.

Hakkinen was philosophical in defeat.

“I might have won the race if I had stayed on slicks,” he said with 20-20 hindsight.

The demise of Frentzen left third place to Coulthard and he was happy in the circumstances. The World Championship situation has been transformed.

Fourth place was a remarkable effort from Button. He had started at the back and had made little impression early on. He was late to stop during the first Safety Car interlude, making up time as others sat behind in fine. This promoted him a few places.

When the rains came he pitted early. It was the right thing to do and he jumped from 10th to eighth.

He then overtook de la Rosa and gained places when the Jordans hit trouble and so was soon chasing Salo for fourth. He overtook the Sauber driver with three laps to go.

88

RESULTS German 6P, July 30 45 laps/307.ikm _ ●).

k.

Good Day for Brazil: Ricardo Zonta aced his team-mate Villeneuve.

(Photo by Sutton-lmages)

A splendid effort.

The same could not be said for Ralf Schumacher. He made some progress early on but was then run into by Zonta and had to pit for repairs. This dropped him back and a spin followed when the rains came. He finished seventh.

Salo's fifth place was a good result for Sauber. He had a very near miss when Wurz's gearbox failed just as the race was restarting after the first Safety Car intervention, but just managed to avoid contact with the Benetton.

Diniz had a less successful time. his race ending when he coUided with Alesi on lap 30.

“He must have put two wheels on the grass and ran into me,” explained Pedro. “Suddenly it started raining wheels.”

Alesi saw the incident in a rather different fight, “I was overtaking Diniz before the chicane when he suddenly changed his fine,” said Jean. “It was probably one of the worst accidents of my

fife.

It was the end of another imperfect day for Frost. Heidfeld was running 10th when his

alternator failed with just five laps to go.

The final point went to de la Rosa's Arrows. He had been mnning strongly until the rains came but then made a mistake and went for a wild ride over a gravel trap before heading into the pits. It cost him a few seconds but they were vital ones and he lost a couple of places. It was a good effort nonetheless.

The Arrows team press release was bizarre in that it quoted de la Rosa as saying that he had been in third when he went off. One can only imagine he was talking about the gear ratios because he never got higher than fourth place.

Verstappen was running in seventh for half a lap when he fell off.

“Seventh means nothing to me,” he said.

It was not a great day for BAR. Villeneuve was running eighth at the start and finished eighth. This was largely because of an incident on lap 34 when the two BARs collided and Villeneuve spun.

“I have to say that I don't have much respect for him as a result,” said the team leader.

Red Army: Barrichello celebrates with Schumacher’s, er, his crew.

(Photo by RacsAccess)

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RACE TIME POS DRIVER 1h25m34.418 1 Barrichello 1h25m41,870 2 Hakklnen Ih25m55.586 3 Coulthard 1h25m57.l03 4 Button Ih26m01.53fl 5 ■ Salo 1h26m03.498 6 de la Rosa Ih26m05.316 7 fl. Schumacher Ih26m21.955 8 Vllleneuve 1h26m25.319 9 Trulli 1h26m54.082 10 Irvine 1h27m03.922 11 Mazzacane 12 Heidfeld 40 laps (DNF, alternator failure) FASTEST LAP Barrichello Im44.300 on lap 20 RETIREMENTS 39 laps (spun off) Verstappen Frentzen 39 laps (electrical failure) Zonta 37 laps (spun off) Gene , 33 laps (engine) Wurz 31 laps (spun off/stalletf) Alesi 29 laps (accident with Diniz) Diniz 29 laps (accident with Alesi) Herbert 12 laps (gearbox) M, SchumacherO laps (accident wrth Fisichella) Fisichella 0 laps (accident with Schumacher) DRIVERS POINTS M. Schumacher 56, Coulthard and Hakkinen 54, Barrichello 46, Fisichella 18, R. Schumacher 14, Villeneuve II, Button 8, Trulli and Salo 6, Frentzen 5, Irvine 3,Verstappen 2, do la Rosa 2, Zonta 1.

CONSTRUCTORS POINTS Ferrari 102, McLaren Mercedes 98 (includes Austrian GP penalty), BMW-Williams 22, Benetton 18, BAR-Honda 12, Jordan-MugenHonda 11, Sauber-Petronas 6, Arrows 4, Jaguar 3.

Zonta said he was sorry. He stayed out on dry tyres and so rose to fourth but was then radioed by the team and told that he had been given a 10-second penalty for overtaking under a yellow flag. This was sufficient to cause him to lose concentration and he spun off.

Jaguar Racing had another bad day. Herbert and Irvine emerged at the end of the first lap in fifth and sixth places and slipped backwards from then on. Herbert disappeared with gearbox failure (as usual) after only 12 laps while Irvine lost a lot of time when he pitted just before the Safety Car came out. He then had two spins within a couple of hundred metres when the rains came and after that it was a fairly pointless (if profitable) exercise for Irvine.

Gene had a good run early on in his Minardi but it ended when his engine blew up in fiery fashion after 33 laps. Mazzacane ran around until the flag came out and finished 11th and last.

A marvellously entertaining and bizarre - race was over, motorsport news

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Cat. 5263 60 mins

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A year of incident and drama. Schumy's accident, McLaren knocking themselves out, Damon's last year, a hard charging Irvine, a prominent Schumacher Jnr Disqualifications and reinstatements - 1999 will be a year to remember.

Cat. 3499 150 mins

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Rhhmrd Bvrns Motorsport iMews; Let's dive straight in - is it starting to feel like your year for the championship?

Richard Burns; It is, yeah. It's been the plan, obviously, since I joined Subaru.

It didn't happen last year, " although it was quite close at the end, but this year I've attacked every rally like it was the last.

The only way to win the channpionship is to win rallies, so I'm attacking everything. I've got to keep the pace up, because everyone else has shown they're also capable of winning events.

MN; What's been the difference this year? Is it you or is it the , car?

RB; It's really a bit of continuity.

The team and 1 novv know how the other works.

Even last year I was only doing some of the events for the second time, and going to events like Monte Carlo and Finland for the third time makes a big difference to your confidence.

I've also been very, very comfortable with the car.

The 2000 car is obviously a very good car, but we won three rallies at the end of last year and the last rally we did with the '99 car was the Safari and we won that. iWillM: So it's not just the new car then?

RB; The car is a fairly big step forward, but we were on a roll.

It comes from a few things in the team, like 1 have my own engineer full-time who is just there for me. There are always four mechanics on the car with me for the whole year and you don't have to say anything twice to get it done.

MN: But you're also clearly the number one for Subaru too, aren't you?

RB; Yeah, it's ven/ important to have the team 100 per cent behind you. This year 1 haven't for a minute felt that they're aren't.

It makes a big difference when you say something and have it acted upon straight away. The trust is there, the mutual trust from myself, the team and Pirelli.

If I give some feedback, they act on it as quickly as they possibly can. It's the only way to go forward. To win the world championship you have to be 100 per cent confident and the team have to be 100 per cent confident in you.

WIN: Did you have to sit the 70

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V'- '

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a?

most of the rallies, despite giving team down and tell them you weren't the kid any more? ' everything, and that was quite a RB; It's more of an evolution. formative time. After running fourth or fifth or whatever to be There was a point last year when at the front. yye needed to turn things around, before Corsica. Corsica didn't turn 1 was driving out of my skin at the start of last year and coming out a particularly good event, but it showed that we were away with very few points, but competitive in coming to Argentina we every situation. 'll At least he showed his knew we could I feel with do it.

Subaru that I coloiirs. And I could deal It was fairly am driving with it From then on I better than I messy, and I had been at came away knew what the situation with four fewer Mitsubishi, would be" purely because points than I - Bums on Juha Kankkunen’s should have, I feel a lot more ‘stolen’ 1399 Argentina win but from a support and 1 know that I'm team point of view it was a giving success. absolutely 100 per cent.

At the next event, in Greece, I WIN: What about the situation just had a lot inside of me that I last year with Juha needed to get out.

It worked. I was so Kankkunen, when he stole a determined, so focused, to show win from you in Argentina? everybody that I should have RB; That was part of my evolution. Part of my learning won the last one in Argentina. curve.

We had been uncompetitive in WIN: That you were robbed?

/

-at

*

%

The prospect ot being an Englishman who wins at anytMng doesn’t taie Richard Burns as he zeroes in maybe - on his first World Rally Championship titte.

PAULCOVER

spoke to Subaru’s pumber 1 during his recent trip to Australia.

RB; Yes, basically.

MN; Is (co-driver) Robert Reid talking to Kankkunen and Repo now? He said at the time he would never talk to them again?

RB; Yeah, yeah. That was a bit of a storm in a teacup.

It was a difficult situation, because if I was in Juha's position 1 would probably have done the same thing. If you haven't won a rally for five years and you sniff it, then you're going to give it a go.

What people don't understand is that I was still going flat-out all day and Juha was as well.

1 was running first car and that made a difference. Plus 1 had the engine cut-out, and I had a 10-second road penalty and I had a different specification on the car.

Those are little things, but in hindsight any one of them on their own would have caused us to lose the rally.

WIN: So how was it afterwards with Juha?

RB; Well, at least he showed inoiorspori news

his colours. And I could deal with it.

From then on I knew what the situation would be.

MN: On the subject of team mates, how would you feel about having Colin McRae back with you at Subaru?

RB: Not a situation I see arising. I don't know he isn't switching, but I don't think so.

MN: Does that mean you've said you don't want him?

RB: No. It just means, I think, he would be better somewhere else.

And I think he knows that as well.

MN: Rather than fighting with you inside Subaru?

RB: Like I've said, it's difficult for any team to give 100 per cent to both drivers. Of course they do their best, but even if it's only one tyre choice in the whole World Championship that one driver cannot have then that's not a good precedent to set.

Whether it's in Formula One or rallying, I think it's proven that the team that focuses on one driver is the most successful team.

4 August 2000

MN: Do you see rallying getting more like Formula One? RB: Certain aspects are and, with David Richards controlling the television, it will move more that way.

But it's not there to rival FI and I don't think it will rival FI. It's a completely different package.

The idea is to make it as popular as possible, get as many manufacturers as possible involved.

MN: But the winning margins now are often closer than Grands Prix, salaries are up and speeds are up. What's the biggest difference you see today?

RB: It's the structure. There are a lot of people in the team now and the structure is more like a Formula One team.

Everything is very well organized, very well planned. Not that it wasn't before, but these days there are 400 people working at Prodrive and there were only about 100 when I was first there. It's a major, major company.

MN: What about salaries?

RB: Yeah, I'm being paid a bit more than I was then. That's for sure. *.

MN: But you haven't moved to Monte Carlo yet?

RB: I might, possibly. But I won't be doing it this year.

I'm happy where I live, I pay my taxes, and it's not at the point where I need to move. I'm not a particularly greedy person.

I enjoy my life when I'm at home and I have enough money to have a good time.

MN:Are you still one of the lads, down at the pub on a Friday night?

RB: Occasionally, occasionally, (laughing) MN: But you don't have a private jet like Carlos Sainz?

RB: Well, Carlos has been doing it a lot longer than me. If I'm still doing as well as him in 10 years, with two world championships under my belt, I'll be happy.

I'm not driven by that side of it, the toys. I get paid very well and I have a great job.

MIM: What are you driven by, then, if not greed?

RB: I want to win.

*

MN: Do you want to win every stage, or every rally, or every championship?

RB: I want to win every rally. I go into every rally wanting to win it.

Not desperate to win, but I know I can so I want to get on and do the job.

MN: Which of your rivals worries you?

RB: You can't worry about anyone else. You've got enough of your own to worry about.

Everybody is dangerous because they all want to win as much as I do, but if I concentrate on what I'm doing - my test, my car, my recce, my rally -1 know we can win.

MN: But you are now the one to beat, aren't you?

RB: I know if the car is fast enough I can do it. One of the things I learned last year is that, no matter what's going on, if the continued on page 74

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Ri€h&rd Bifms continued from page 73

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car is competitive or not, you've got to make the most of it.

You've just to keep at it.

n

MN: What is your temperament like these days?

RB; I'm probably more demanding, more likely to put my point of view across.

Because I know it gets listened to and gets acted on.

I'm also more confident that what I say is right, because the more you succeed the more it's obvious that you are right. So there's no point in holding back.

MUM; What's it like to drive one of the latest WRC cars flatout?

RB: It's quite special. I just did a day testing in Wales before I came here and that's what I enjoy, that sort of work. It was some development work on the Impreza.

I took one of my best friend's fiancee in the car, and she said when she got out that she tried not to think of it as a car with wheels - because it doesn't feel like that.

She's right. You get used to it, not really blase about it, but I know what it's like to ride in the passenger seat and sometimes it is amazing.

It is phenomenal what you can do with the car. What the car can do, what it can cope with.

MN: How would you describe your owe driving style?

RB: 1 really don't know. iVillM: You seem pretty relaxed on the in-car shots.

RB: I try to be as relaxed as possible, because I like to feel everything that's going on in the car, I sit as low as possible for that reason, because if I sit any higher I feel like I'm on top of the car, instead of part of it.

And I just, I don't know, try to make the car do as much of the work as possible.

MN: What's your partnership with Robert like now?

RB: Good. It's been nine years or something like that.

It's difficult to say who's the best co-driver, because you don't get to try them all out, but he's clearly one of the best- if not the best.

I don't think there's any co driver that does a better job in the car than he does. He has a lot of work to do, because I have a lot of information in my notes and he copes with it very well. n

BORN: JANUARY 17.1971 IN; READIHC, ENGLAND LIVES; OXFORD, ENGLAND GO-DRIVER; ROBERT REID FIRST DRIVE; TRIUMPH 2000, AGE 8 FIRST RALLY; DRIVING COURSE, AGE 15 FIRST TITLE; PEUGEOT 205 ONEMAKE. AGE 19 WRC DEBUT; 1994, SUBARU FIRST WRC WIN; SAFAR11998, MITSUBISHI LANCER

Crowd favourite: Burns and Reid blast by the spectators in Greece.

(Photos by Sutton-lmages)

And you don't really see the discussions that you see with some other crews going on in our car, because we don't need

“Lack of opportunity, I would sayL I don't know my other reason"

RB: Lack of opportunity, I would say. I don't know any other reason.What is clear,

- Bums on the shortage of Mussie drivers in the WRC

them. n

MIM: So you don't get the "Listen to me,Colin" stuff the way Micky Grist has to do it?

RB:(Laughing) No. I'm always listening to him and what he's saying.

MIM: Are you worried that the cars are getting too fast?

RB: Not really. I think it's a good speed now, a good formula.

The cars are now developed to a point where they've very good technically, and good to watch.

They're spectacular.

The biggest thing is always spectator safety and we're fairly comfortable that the cars themselves are good.

MN: What about an Australian driver in the world championship; why can't we get them up the way you do from Britain?

^ny sport, is that if you don't start young you won't be successful. Maybe the opportunities aren't available for Australian drivers to do a lot of events when they're young.

If you're trying to be successful, the first thing to do would be to move to Europe.

WIW: There is talk about Rally Australia moving from Perth to Melbourne. Any thoughts?

RB: I've enjoyed every Rally Australia I've done, apart from the one where it rained like hell.

The organization is fantastic.

It's difficult to comment about Melbourne, because I don't know anything about the roads or the people.

MN: You've had the best and the worst in Rally Australia, winning and crashing,so what's your feeling about the event?

RB: That was some year, the

last year with Mitsubishi. There was something going on at that event - someone up there didn't want me to win it.

But I wasn't going to let that stop me trying. And it was a good rally for my perception of other drivers.

MN: In what way?

RB: I just didn't give a shit. I just kept on attacking on the first day and ended up leading by more than a minute.

Everyone said that couldn't happen and that you didn't want to lead in Perth and run first on the road.

It would have worked out OK, but I rolled on the second stage the second day. But I just kept on and kept on, and in the end we were one of four drivers that could have won the rally on the last stage.

I didn't let it enter my mind that I couldn't win. Even though we crashed out in the end.

MN: Does that guy still exist today?

RB: Oh, he's there. He's there all the time.

He just doesn't crash so often.

MN:So, have we seen the best of Richard Bums yet?

RB: No, because I've got to win the championship. I've still got that to come.

I'm lucky to have got the experience I have at a fairly young age. I'm still only 29 so I've got a bit to go yet. motorsoort naws

m

'

ctivi If not?

by JON THOMSON MANUFACTURERS and prospective manufacturers in the Australian Rally Championship still can't agree on whether the series should switch to passive differentials after a second meeting in Sydney last week.

After initial discussions in late June regarding the potential banning of active diffs, the second meeting ended without any resolution being made.

Some key delegates were missing from the second meeting, including Ford Racing

Manager Howard Marsden and ARCOM Chairman Garry Connolly, according to sources within the group.

Apparently, agreement on the way forward could not be found and tbe group will be reconvened in a phone hook-up ahead of the August deadline imposed at the June meeting.

Despite voicing his support at the previous meeting, Neal Bates Motorsport team manager Peter Reynolds was reportedly not keen to commit strongly to the passive solution, in case the Toyota team is forced to pull out at the end of this year.

Subaru apparently continue to hold out for a continuation of

active diffs (in line with WRC rules) while Mitsubishi Ralliart is hoping that the rules can be altered to make it favourable for them to run Ed Ordynski in a customer-spec Evo VI Group A Lancer.

Marsden's non-appearance at the meeting may signal that the local Ford arm is not ready to contemplate running a WRC Focus under passive rules.

Rumours are about that Ford Australia may drop plans to import the Focus to Australia, which will have a much bigger influence on the Blue Oval's rally plans than a switch to passive diff rules.

Dear Santa Howard; If FoMoCo decides to maket this car here, can we have a WRC Focus please? (RaceAocess)

4000kni course set for 2000 iUSTRiLliN 2000 Australian Safari SAIAil COURSE COMPETITORS in next month’s Austi’alian Safari international cross-country rally will cover more than 4000km over eight days.

The route for the 15th Safari for four-wheel-diive vehicles and motorcycles was released by the event’s Competition Du-ector and Clerk of Course Bob Carpenter, who finalised details after a 10-week trip inspecting terrain through the Noithern Territory.

Carpenter said the total distance of the com’se from Alice Spiings to Dai-win from August 20-27 would be 4067km,including 2422km in 24 competitive stages, Tlie event starts in Todd Mall in Alice Springs and finishes on Mindil

4 August 20eo

Beach in Darwin, and the longest competitive stage is 468km from Alice Spiings to Cui-tain Springs on August 21.

Carpenter said this year’s coui'se was 300km shorter than in 1999, but included a liigher percentage of competitive stages.

“We’re going through many of the same areas as before, although the competitors will be covering different tracks compared to ’99,” he said.

“The Safari is traditionally Australia’s ultimate endurance test for man and machine, and this year will be no different with a variety of ten-ain and conditions to challenge the competitors.”

AUSUST 20. aUCE SPflIKOS-ROSS RIVER-AliCE SPRINGS LENGTH. TOTAL 329AM, COMPETITHIE 242AM (4 STAGES) AUGUST 21, ALICE SPRINGS-GURTAIN SPRINGS LENGTH. TOTAL S32NMi OOMPUITiVE 488KM (3 STAGES) AUGUST 22. CURTAIN SPRINGS-ALICE SPRINGS LENGTH, TOTAL S62KH, COMPETITIVE 392KM (3 STAGES) AUGUST 23: ALICE SPHIHGS-HfVClIfrE WELL LENGTH. TOTAL GGSAM, COMPETITIVI 431(3 STAGES) AUGUST 24. WTCLIFFE WELL-TOP SPRINGS LENGTH. TOTAL 80SKM, COMPUITIUE 402KM <4 STAGES) AUGUST 25, TOP SPRIHOS-NATHERINE LENGTH, TOm SS2HM: COMPETITIVE 329AM 12 STAGES) AUGUST 26. 86THEHIHE-DARWIH LENOTH. TOTAL 519AM, COMPniTIVE 1SSAH (4 STAGES) AUGUST 21: OARWIH/MIHDIL BEACH SPRINT LENGTH. TOTAL SAM, COMPETITIVE SAM II STAGE) total LENGTH, A.OGTNM COMPEIITISE LENGTH. 2,422AM STASES: 24.

RALLY NEWS Wanted: Tarmac guru for Accent HYUNDAI will concentrate on urgently needed tarmac rally development rather than contesting the latest addition to the World Championship, the Cyprus Rally during September.

“We think we could do well in Cyprus, but if we didn't do it we can concentrate on the asphalt specification. We don't expect to be a top runner in France and Italy, but we'd like to look at the spec for next year's car,” said David Whitehead,Director of Hyundai's team.

The works Accents were badly offthe pace on their one tarmac outing so far (in Catalorda) and testing will concentrate on improving the suspension.

Whitehead conceded that the Catalan cars were set too low, making too little allowance for comer-cutting and contributing to the holed sump that forced Ahster McRae into retirement. Raising the cars wfil also in%'olve adjusting the suspension geometry. Meantime the team could take on a specialist tarmac driver for the 2001 series.

The team seems certain to keep existing duo Kenneth Eriksson and McRae after strong peiformances in New Zealand from both.

However,the avid Whitehead 4 has confirmed that hiiing a tarmac expert is a possibility.

Citroen's European Championship contender Bnmo Thiry and Peugeot man Gilles Panizzi have both been mentioned in connection with the drive. Both have extensive tannac and four-wheel-drive experience.

“We haven't really gone into it in detail. I think om- drivers are doing a greatjob for us, but if we're going to step it up on tannac, we'd have to look at it.

It's notjust a question of diiving the car, it's testing for the event,” Whitehead stated.

-JON THOMSON

Tar star? Hyundai’s Accent.

73

WRC calendar

^

AS predicted in the iast issue of Motorsport News, a shakeup in the WRC caiendar wili see the Raiiy of New Zealand move to a spring date in 2001 to avoid the mid-winter slush which has plagued the event in July.

The new date for the Shaky Isles rally was revealed with the announcement of the draft calendar for next year's WRC events in Europe this week.

While initial speculation was that the New Zealand event would move to October, the rally will actually be held during the third week of September, delivering much better conditions for teams and spectators alike.

The Safari Rally has also been moved, shuffling forward from the February slot it was given this year to the middle of July, in the middle of Kenya's dry season.

However Cyprus organisers may not feel so happy, their provisional date of February next year wili only give them six months to prepare for the rally, giving that their first appearance in the WRC is in September this year.

Provisional 2001 dates: Monte Carlo January 19-20; Sweden February 9-11; Cyprus February 23-25; Portugal March 9-11; Catalunya March 23-25; Argentina May 4-6; Acropolis June 1-3; Safari July 13-15; Finland August 24-26; New Zealand September 21-23; San Remo October 5-7; Corsica October 19-21; Australia November 2-4; Great Britain November 23-25.

Chrysalis to get WRC TV deal WORLD Rally Championship television rights holder David Richards is putting the finishing touches to a contract with British-based company Chrysalis to film the series from next week's Rally Finland until the end of 2003.

However Richards cautioned against expecting a massive rise in TV coverage in the near future. '“That's a separate set of problems altogether and I've got other people working on that Chrysalis are not involved at all in program distribution,” said Richards.

Chrysalis is the British TV production company that makes Grand Prix programs for ITV in Britain.

- JON THOMSON

n

Colinwatch: No Subaru SUBARU has officially decided to drop plans to lin-e Colin McRae back to the team,instead concentrating its resources on World Championship leader Richard Bums.

“We told Cohn about six weeks ago that we'd signed a long-term contract with Richard and we were pulhng out of serious negotiations,” said Prodrive Chairman David Richards.

This only serves to fuel speculation about whether the Scotsman will choose to stay at Ford or take up strongly 'rumoured offers from Peugeot.

The remaining bidders in the high-stakes auction are apparently offering McRae in ‘ excess of $16million a year, despite the fact that he has had up and down form this ■year and hasn't won the world title since 1995.

Peugeot is eager to sign an acknowledged superstar and Ford's budget is set to rise as the works rally team ceases to be a marketing responsibility

and becomes part of global product development.

Although there is speculation that he is likely to stay put, McRae has maintained that he is in no hurry to sign a new contract, while both manufacturers are anxious to agree terms as soon as possible.

“We've been speaking with Colin over the weekend. We've talked about certain things and we will be in a position later this week to make our final offer,” said Ford rally team chief Malcolm Wilson.

Peugeot Sport director Jean-Pierre Nicolas declined to speculate on rumours surrounding McRae or any other non-Peugeot driver for that matter. All three of Peugeot's current drivers Marcus Gronholm, Francois Delecour and Gilles Panizzi are seeking new contracts for 2001 and Nicolas has only confirmed that flying Finn Gronholm will stay with the team.

-JON THOMSON

nftClIW

MARTW

Casting the eye: “Nicky, those 206s might be the things to have next season ...”

“Listen to me now, Colin!” (PholosbySutton-lmages)

Finiand, Finland, Finland ■■

Evo III set for 1000 Lakes debut SEAT is relying heavily on its new Cordoba Evo 3 to salvage some pride from a shocking season so far.

Neither of the Evo 2s (above, Sutton-lmages photo) finished the Rally of New Zealand as both Didier Auriol and Toni Gardemeister crashed heavily, while a below-par engine prevented Auriol from getting into a points-scoring position.

Team Manager Jaime Puig put a brave face on his team's woeful New Zealand showing.

"The roll cage seems to work very well. That is the only thing we can take away from this rally!" h'e said.

The Evo 3 should be more powerful, thanks to new manifolds and re-mapped electronics, and the Spanish team believes it will be 60 kgs lighter, bringing down to the weight .limit eliminating a significant handicap to the other WRC cars.

Other changes include improved aerodynamics, a new dashboard and new wiring. The car will debut on next week's Rally of Finland.

Melbourne still in WRC running?

THE signing of a three year deal with Dave Richards' ISC does not guarantee Rally Australia will stay in WA beyond 2001, according to sources within the sport.

Reports suggest that Melbourne Major Events chief Ron Walker has also signed a similar deal and that the Melbourne team is working towards a takeover in 2002.

MME is said to be considering legal action against what it cites as an anti-competitive agreement between CAMS and WA Eventscorp that gives Perth an 80-year mortgage on the event.

Richards has confirmed it is up to CAMS rather than ISC to decide where the Australian round should be held, in concert with the FIA, and that the contract between WATC and ISC will not prevent Victoria from pressing home its claim to organise the event.

-JON THOMSON moiorsport news

www.subaru.com.au

/

GET YOUR Subaru Rally gear online If you're into rally action then the Subaru website can get you into top gear. Just log on and get into the Subaru World Rally Team and Team Subaru merchandise.

There's everything from Caps and T-shirts to Jackets and Collectables. But hurry, we're sure the merchandise will move as fast as our cars.

Visit www.subaru.com.au and just click on shop.

ALL.-WHEEL DRIVE

SUB2172/MSN

I

Andy Weiner is Siddy

... ‘‘And the winner is Sydney’’.[Juan Antonio Samaranch, BVionte €ario, 1993]

by BRIAN REED THE rescheduling of the traditional September HSRCA meeting at Eastern Creek to July 22-23 because of the Olympic Games in no way dampened the enthusiasm of Historic racers.

330 competitors,including a strong interstate contingent, supported the meeting and contested 33 events in superb Sydney weather. The only category , to not attract numbers was the pre war ranks- only two cars competed for the Vintage Sports Car Club's perpetual trophy, won on this occasion by Peter Kenny in the Reid Ford Spl. The Frank Gardner Trophy for 'y Group L sports cars went to Paul Samuels in his Lotus Eleven Climax, which finished the race in an ominous trail of smoke. Next home was Paul Armstrong in the Repco-headed Jewitt GT. The Group L event for openwheelers was for the Alec Mildren Trophy, and appropriately it was Dick Willis in the 1959 Mildren Cooper Climax who took the honours. Willis made a bad start but scrambled back into the lead ahead of an impressive Peter Landan in his 1959 Cooper Climax T51.

Victorian Mike Glynn, driving his very quick 1975 Lola T400, was victorious in the Ron Tauranac Trophy for Group Q cars, disposing of such leading lights as Richard Carter(March 73B), Chris Farrell (March 73B)and Michael Henderson (Ralt RT4).

Vivian King(1974 Modus)was a standout performer in this field and deserves watching in the future.

I I

Today, To Morrow: Bob Morrow leads the Formula Fords in his neat 1973 Elfin 620.

After a tussle with Alan Nolan's 1977 Nola Chev,Aaron Lewis got through to win the Bib Stillwell Trophy for Group Q sports cars in his thundering 1974 Elfin MS7.

Another driver to watch in future is Peter Griffin, well known for his exploits in a Group S Iso Rivolta.

Griffin has recently purchased the Boral Ford from South Australian Richard Bertschinger and should provide some interesting competition amongst the big sports cars next time out.

The Groups M and O cars provided a great spectacle, with close dices taking place throughout the field. The sports amd racing cars were grouped together for this one as they battled for several class trophies in the one race. The outright winner was Max Brunninghausen(1968 Chevron B8

Now Landing: Peter Landan was a clear winner in the Group J, K, L and Invited MO Racing and Sports cars in his 1959 Cooper Ciimax T51.

GT), after early leader Mike Ryves retired with engine problems in his Brabham BT HA.Brunninghausen took the Spencer Martin Trophy for Group O sports cars.

A welcome visitor from Hong Kong was Neville McKay, who had a drive in Adam Bressington's MallockMkSB. The Frank Matich Trophy is one that all Group M sports car drivers would like to win, and this year it went to a competitor who tries hard and drives well, Stewart Mahony in his 1965 Bolwell Mk4. The Jack Brabham Trophy for Group M racing cars saw Les Cortina in the act: Cortinas can still get going, as Dominic Truelove showed.

16

[Pholos by Marshall Cass)

Wright and the mighty Dalro Jag win out from the more nimble Brabhams.

Peter Simms, driving his 1966 Brabham BT23A Repco won the Leo Geoghegan Trophy for Group 0 racing cars. It was good to see Brian Wilson giving Sir Jack's 1967 BT24 a run after initial teething troubles. The car is now back on the tracks after a painstaking rebuild

by Garry Simkin. Spokesman for the meeting, John Sexton, said the success of Eastern Creek's Festival of Historic Racing was due to the efforts of a great many people, and paid special tribute to the outgoing Clerk of Course, David Medley and his team of officials.

“Also, Charles Jardine was there showing the flag after his recent illness, and he deserves credit for true grit in a pressure-cooker environment,” he said. moiorsport naws

HISTORICS

GP legends Nigel Mansell, Jackie Stewart and Stirling Moss were reunited with some of the cars in which they made their names last month at Coys Historic Festival at Silverstone.

Mansell drove a Lotus-Renault

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98T, similar to the car he drove back in the 1984 season, Stewart drove the Tyrrell 003-Cosworth in which he won his second world title in 1971 and Moss got to the Maserati 250F he raced after he left the Mercedes-Benz team for the 1956 season.

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Legends of the Summer: Tony Brooks appeared in a classic Ferrari (what else?)

WO would be proud: Silverstone, sunshine, Bentley.

More human than human: No, not the Tyrell Corporation, but Jackie Stewart in a Tyrrell 003.

The Annual General Meeting of the HSRCA Inc. will be held on Wednesday August 16 at Waverton Bowling Club starting at 8pm. All the usual reports will be delivered as well as others from the bulletin editor, eligibility officer and the club's CAMS delegate.

Some new blood would also be welcome on the committee, so if you would like to put something back into the Historic motorsport scene, contact one of the present committee members and nominate.

Also, if you are planning to dine at the club on the night, Ian or Christine Blake will need to know by 12 noon on the 16th.

Phone them on (02) 9487 3836 for reservations. n It's time to dust off all those old, unwanted, superseded motoring wares and have them ready to go under the hammer at the next meeting of the VHRR. The annual auction night is to be staged on August 22 starting at 7-30. If you have any bits and pieces 4 you wish to dispose of car parts, books, magazines and items of memorabilia, bring them along beforehand for Noel Robson to list.

A venue for the VHRR Annual Auction is yet to be announced.

- BRIAN REED

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Canberra loses Supreme case THE future of Canberra International Dragway is in doubt following a decision over terms of the promoters’ lease on the land was handed down in the Supreme Court last week.

Despite the decision against the promoters, given on a technicality, CID's Geoff Develin said the group would appeal a certain aspect of the ruling to the full bench of the Supreme Court which, after having been given advice, he believed would open the way for financial compensation.

"We are naturally disappointed about the ruling, but still upbeat about the possibilities," Develin said.

"Still, it is hard to believe that, on a technicality, we have lost this case and the long term future of the sport in this region is in doubt yet the ACT government are able to spend $10 million on a once-ayear V8 race.

"Questions have been asked in the legislative about the crowd figures -the published and the actual -from the V8 race, yet drag racing, which is a year-round activity, is treated like it is." n Queensland's Rodney Bailey drover his and brother Ashley's Ford Probe nitro Funny Car to its first five second et at Willowbank recently, a shut-off 5.89/238 the result. Slight engine damage prevented the pair from trying to improve on their time.

H Former alky Funny Car racer, Vic Baker attempted his first Top Fuel licensing passes in Dwayne Riley's fuller at VVillowbank's Winter Finals event. Baker's first run produced a massive explosion on the step of the throttle, while the second faired little .better. n The Nationals-winning duo of Roy Smith and Mick Atholwood fronted for testing at the Winter Finals, with a quarter-mile, flame throwing 5.53/253 their best effort with the Sainty-powered digger. n Winston Top Fuel Champion, Tony Schumacher will be sporting a new look in Sonoma next weekend following the loss of a side bet with rival, Gary Sceizi in Seattle last weekend. Schumacher will have his hair clippered by the two-time champion before this weekend's race. n Cruz Pedregon and Helen Hofmann both debuted new Pontiac Firebirds in Seattle last weekend.

Both cars qualified well, with the bodies contributing greatly to their performance on the slick track.

IB

Amato eyes Denver victory

JOE Amato had the comeback of the year in the rarefied air of Denver, with the five-time Winston Top Fuel Champion recovering from recent, critical eye surgery to win the Mile High Nationals.

Amato, Top Fuel’s winningest racer, was joined in the winner’s circle by Funny Car’s Whit Bazemore and Pro Stock’s Kurt Johnson, both making comebacks of sort and winning for the first time this season.

Bazemore’s win couldn’t have been,more emphatic, with the former photographer driving Chuck Etchells’Z28 Camaro to the track’s first ever four-second Funny Car pass in the final - a 4.99/301 downing first-time finalist, Scotty Cannon’s 5.44/273.

Amato’s victory came over reigning champion, Tony Schumacher, who was appearing in his seventh final for the year 4.83/300 to 4.91/298.

"We were really the underdogs today," said Amato."Tony had been running strong all day but we just wanted to be steady, not beat ourselves. It worked out..."

KJ ended a long drought with the win in Pro Stock, the ‘first in the sixes’ driver also defeating someone on the comeback, Mopar’s Darrell Alderman.

Johnson, the low qualifier at

Russ Aussie veter

by DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

Lovely to watch: Amato crew {David Ostaszewski) chief Jimmy Prock.

7.33, won the final in a 7.35/188 to 7.37/185 confrontation to take his first win since Seattle last year.

"It's been a struggle and the first part of the year we were really inconsistent," Johnson said. "Our power was off a little, the car was fast on occasion, but not consistent.

This weekend we found it."

Despite the loss, for Dodge fans and event sponsor, Mopar, Denver was a banner event with no less than three Hemi-powered Avengers, plus one Wedge-engined Avenger qualifying for the show.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

AUSTRALIAN Peter Russo had the perfect start to his 2000 US campaign by taking out the 38th annual American Hot Rod Association World Finals at ._ Spokane Raceway Park, Washington on July 22- the win giving him the AHRA’s World Fiumy Car Championship.

Russo, driving his and wife Helen’s Dodge Avenger, defeated strong-running independent Wyatt Radke in the final round 5.76/238 to 6.04/240.

The win was also the first ever by an Australian in a professional nitro category, surpassing Graeme Cowin’s ‘Stroh’s Night of Fire’ victory - a qualifying shootout which awarded the quickest run on the night victory at IHRA events in the mid-’80s - at Norwalk, Ohio in 1985.

“Twelve fuel coupes attended the Spokane event, with Russo being joined by four Canadians, a number of strong independent teams, and touring pros Cory Lee, Gary Densham and 1992 NHRA Winston World Champion, Cruz Pedregon.

Russo had already raced both Lee and Densham in Australia,

Critchley scores US Pro Modified runner-up again

AUSSIE Troy Critchley moved to fourth in the IHKA Pro Modified standings with another ruimer-up finish, this'time at the Empire Nationals in New York State.

Critchley overcame the recent rule revisions that severely hampered the supercharged cars to reach the final round, before falling to Quain Stott 6.34secs/222mph to a slowing 6.52/212.

The Australian qualified best of the four blown cars to make the field - 11th at 6.44/205 - with current points leader, Fred Hahn,A1 Billes and Tommy Mauney qualifying 14th-16th respectively.

The quickest pass by a supercharged car for the weekend came from Hahn,who red-lighted away a 6.42/224 against Critdiley in the second round.

“The rules have really slowed the blower cars a lot more than what the IHRA thought and now we’re at a distinct disadvantage,’’ Critchley said.

“Stott’s slowest pass was a 6.38, but the nearest to that was Hahn’s 6.42 - we’re over a tenth behind now

and it’s going to take a lot of parts to catch that up, if we can.’’

Critchley is now just 31 points out of second in the series, with Hahn leading Stott by over 200 points.

Nitrous-assisted driver, Ed Hoover,is third.

Bruce Litton drove his Wix Filters Top Fuel dragster to its third victory of the year with a final round, 4.84/257 to 9.84/85 win over Paul Romine, who red-lighted.

Romine, with his second straight nmner-up finish, still retains the IHRA point lead, with Litton 5 points back. Clay Millican, Jim Head and Jim Bailey fill out the top five.

Ron Miller took his 714 cubic inch-powered Chev Monte Carlo to its third straight win, Miller’s 6.72/206 holding out John Montecalvo’s quicker 6.69/207.

The IHRA tour continues August 4-6, when the series heads to the Mid-Michigan Motorplex for the Northern Nationals.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI motorsport news

DRAG RACING

OS Win WbPld title clean

AHRA World Finals, set low elapsed time

Densham many times on this n'umerous tours down under, although the veteran failed to qualify his Pontiac in Spokane.

With track conditions marginal at best, Russo used his experience on lesser Australian tracks to great effect, qualifying third and producing the fom- most consistent runs of the event.

Russo ran consistent 6.1s times during the first three rounds, the first two shut-off passes and the third, where a blower belt went flying, a 6.19 atjust 186 mph.

For the final round, Russo left the car alone but just allowed it its legs, setting the low elapsed time of the weekend in the process.

“We’re thrilled with the.win, it was good fun,” Russo saiddater.

“The conditions weren’t the best, the car turned and smoked the tyres the entire track in the final, but they were the same conditions for everyone, so it was good.”

Renowned for his dry sense of humour, Rffsso had a warning for his NHRA counterparts for the following weekends in Seattle and Sonoma.

“I bet they’re all worried now ...

Force, Pedregon, Bazemore, Toliver ... I bet they’re all starting to pack death that we’re coming,” he laughed.

On the serious side, Russo said the event gave he and Helen some quality track time, something they

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Working Class World Champions: While happy with the AHRA title, the Russos aren’t getting carried away and are looking to hopefully qualify at one of the two NHRA races they will be attending. (PhoiobycodycoiBman) really hadn’t had for two and a half years.

“We really haven’t had a race since early ’98 - last year we only did two runs at Sonoma and four qualifiers at Pomona - and this weekend has been good for us.

“In all areas - in the pits, on the startline and in the seat - the whole team has benefited from the opportunity the AHRA have given us this weekend and we’re grateful for that. This weekend’s experience will, hopefully, allow us to achieve

our goals over the next few weekends in Sonoma and Seattle.”

While happy with the win, Russo thought its impact was lessened a little with a braking area incident that saw damage sustained by both his and Radke’s cars.

The incident, caused by a gust of wind, saw Russo’s car being picked up at th« rear and dropped in Radke’s lane. The American’s Pontiac, which was travelling faster, side-swiped Russo’s Dodge,

tearing the left side out of Radke’s car. Russo’s car sustained some slight body damage and damaged headers.

The title win by Russo can and should be strongly recognized at ^ home in Australia as, while the AHRA is far from being the sport’s leading sanctioning body (this event being it’s one big ‘Nationals’ for the season), the event is hotly contested and highly desired and the class was represented by some of its best racers and teams.

Five minutes with Peter Russo - Austraiia’s new Worid Champion...

MOTORSPORT NEWS: Congratulations Peter on winning the AHRA World Championship. It's the first professional nitro class win by an Australian in the US. Is that hard to believe?

PETER RUSSO: Yeah, thanks. A win is a win and we are more than happy to take it and celebrate, but we're not getting carried away with it. We went to Spokane to get some laps on the car, which we really didn't have the opportunity to do last year.

MN: The field at Spokane did include Cruz Pedregon, Cory Lee, Wyatt Radke. Gary Densham didn't qualify, too...

PR; Sure. From the point of view that the conditions were 4 August 2080

the same for everyone and we won and set low elapsed time of the event makes it a special win. You can only race to the conditions, I suppose.

MN: You've always been considered a battler back home but you've put everything on the line to have a go over here in the US. Is the win some justification of that decision?

PR; We would have been quite happy to have continued racing at home if we'd been allowed, but racing here was always a dream too. We just want to go out, especially at the NHRA races, and run as quick and fast and consistently as possible.

Helen and I don't kid ourselves

about where we stand, so we are just here to achieve our own goals and please ourselves.

MN: This is your third trip to the US to race. How hard is it racing from Australia, especially on a part-time basis like yourselves, as opposed to how the Cowins and Harkers race?

PR: It's really hard and without Helen, who works hard at her own job and at home along with also organising so much on the phone for the car and then on the car at the track, it just wouldn’t be possible. Thankfully, we've also got the support of some terrific people both here and at home, especially Steve O'Connor, Frank Aldana - who did the tinwtsfk bn the car and

has just left his business back in Los Angeles and joined us for the next few weeks - Jason, Geoff Adams ... there's really a lot of people who help that get little recognition. We thank them for their help.

MN: What's up next? Seattle this weekend, then Sonoma...

PR: We're going to try and make the car go from one end to the other without hurting anything and, hopefully, we'll get in the field at one of the races. We're just going to do what we've always done and that is our best. If we come up short, we can learn from the experience, if we qualify, that would be great.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI 19

rew s TA5.65 Drag racers organise rolling blockade of city for August 10

Sydney standstill

by JOHN BOSHER ANGRY at stiU having received no response from the NSW state government regarding the proposal to huild a stand alone drag racing facility on a parcel ofland adjoining Eastern Creek,Sydney’s drag racers will bring their city to a standstill on August 10.

That will be the day that an estimated 500 cars, trucks, trailers and race cars will be used by many concerned drag racers to block the city as a protest for the on-going delays and failure by the state government to act over the Western Sydney Motorplex proposal.

“Tradfic in Sydney is chaotic at the best oftimes and it wiQ be a nightmare on August 10,” Cook said.

“It’s about time the government listened to what we had to say and allowed the sport its opportunity, like every other sport is allowed.

Cook said the organisers of the protest had consulted closely with police and had received approval.

It is believed Macquarie Street, which runs past Parliament House, will be closed by the police to allow the protest to proceed Parliament will also be sitting on the day.

Cook said that over 400 concerned racers and sponsors attended a meeting in Sydney, all committing to taking part in the protest. He said commitments to take part in the protest had also been given by many that couldn’t attend the meeting on July 23rd.

It is also believed a convoy of racers from both Melbourne and Brisbane will join the protest.

It is believed that Sydney radio personality,Alan Jones, who has been a keen supporter ofthe WSM proposal, will address the following rally.

ANDRA’s NSW Divisional Director, Geoff Crisp, said he looked forward to the protest.

“We’re looking forward to seeing everyone join in a united peaceful protest against the injustice that is being done to the sport of drag racing and its supporting industry,” Crisp said.

“Not only is Sydney and the state being affected by no championship drag racing, but also the rest of the country. Hopefully, this protest will open their minds and eyes.”

For information on the protest, contact either David Cook(02 9894 7499)or Jim Read (02 9637 4539).

80

... While Perth proceeds

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Perfect Government reactions: Kwinana’s Gary Miocevich and Con Migro lap up the local media attention.

WHILE Sydney waits, Perth's new $16 million Kwinana Motorplex is on schedule for its opening on November 17/18.

Construction is well advanced with the major earth works completed and work well under way for the spectator terracing and seating areas, while the electrical and plumbing services are in’ progress and the pit road work in an advanced state.

Kwinana chief, Gary Miocevich, said the complex will arguably be one of the best drag racing and dirt speedways in the world.

"The facility has been designed to allow both the spectators and sponsors to feel like they're part of the action, while the racers will enjoy the very best in facilities," he said.

The Kwinana Motorplex was created following the closures of both the Ravenswood drag strip and Claremont speedways, both facilities long-time Perth icons.

STOP PRESS:

Sack Minister!

THE proponents of the Western Sydney Motopjlex have called for the sacking of NSW Minister for Sport John Watkins following a hastily called press conference at Eastern Creek last Saturday.

Watkins and the ARDC announced the ‘first step of approval for a international level drag strip’ at Eastern Creek -the announcement offering no dates or details offunding.

WSM’s David Cook and Jim Read have called for Watkins’ sacking, saying the Minister has “deceived the sport’s part,icipants, the public and the media with a dishonest presentation”.

Cook and Read say Watkins has clearly ignored the independent Widnall Report, commissioned by the government, which says that

the construction of a stand-alone drag strip within the confines of Eastern Creek is not viable.

They say the proposal is nothing new and, with the statement that the Department of Public Works and Services could call for tenders next year, say the announcement has again delayed for up to four years any resolution to the problems the sport has faced since the ARDC took over Eastern Creek in 1996.

“Minister Watkins has deceived the people who put him in office. It is time for him to be sacked by Bob CajT,” an angry Cook said on Monday.

Motorsport News, along with other specialist motor racing titles, were not invited to the conference last Saturday, only being informed of the ‘plans’on 'Tuesday morning.

MARK Brew used the testing opportunities at Willowbank’s Winter Finals to perfection when the Queenslander recorded this country’s first ever 5.6sec Top Alcohol rim - a 5.65/247- in his Romac/Proforce dragster.

Brew’s run in the Bob Brackham-tuned mount was also the fastest ever by an alcohol ear and gives Brew great impetus heading into the season-ending Wintemationals in October.

The Winter Finals actually finished prematurely, the first in Willowbank’s history when the track was deemed unsafe by following an appearance by Victor Bray’s demonstration burnout car during some down time.

Like Brew, a number of other racers used the event to record their best ever numbers, Debbie Reed amongst those, with the Brisbane mother running her small block-powered dragster to a 6.07/223.

Les Winter was also included in the “best ever’lists, taking his Winter’s Smash Repairs/Medibank Private Chevy doorslamer to a 6.48/207.

Sadly, the event also saw the demise of Chris Reid’s Modified altered, the car veering left before being manhandled away from the wall. The altered flipped on its side and skidded down track for another 200 metres before falling back on to its wheels and coming to a halt. Reid escaped without injury from the incident.

Reid’s incident, which followed two close calls for Comp racer Ron Newton and Super Stock’s Colin Lloyd, brought an end to the event.

The posted prizemoney was split between the remaining competitors in each bracket, with no finals contested. A decision on the track championship poihts will be made at the next Willowbank board meeting.

- KEN FERGUSON

Best dressed Funny Car: Dean McLennan was in good form with (Marshall Caaa) the Autobarn flopper.

motorsport news

DRAG RACING

Scelzi claims sixth SOB

while Force beats up on all three Pedregon brothers

GARY Scelzi claimed his and team owner Alan Johnson’s sixth win of the NHRA season with a resounding win at the Northwest Nationals in Seattle, Washington on Sunday.

Scelzi downed Connie Kalitta’s MGM Grand Hotel fueller in the Top Fuel, 4.71/303 to 4.78/291, the win making him just the third driver to have ever racked up six wins in two different seasons, joining the late Gary Ormsby (’89/’90) and Cory McClenathan (’97/’98).

“The key here was gaining lanechoice,” Scelzi said. “We ran quick enough every round to maintain it and that’s why we won. The left lane has a bump out there and whenever anyone drove over it, their car broke loose.”

Scelzi had a perfect weekend, also claiming top qualifying points for his 4.65/312, while championship-rival, Tony Schumacher red-lighted in the first round against Aussie David Grubnic.

Grubnic enjoyed some luck, lasting to the semi-finals before falling to Kalitta.

John Force took his first win in Seattle since 1996, dovming Frank Pedregon in the final round.

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Mum,John’s beating up on us: Frank joined Cruz and Tony on Force’s hit list (Photo by David Ostaszewski)

4.97/299 to a t3Te-smoking 6.53/140.

Force defeated all three of the Pedregons, Cniz in the first round, employee Tony in the second and Frank in the third. His victory over Frank also meant that Force has beaten all three Pedregons in the Seattle final(Cruz in ‘93 and Tony in ‘96).

Whit Bazemore put the Kendall Camaro on the Funny Car pole at 4.87, but he lost in the first round to Helen Hofmann’s Pontiac Firebird, driven by Tommy Johnson Jr - Hofmann’s car sporting one of the new,improved Pontiac bodies for the first time.

After not qualifying in Denver, Richie Stevens was able to transverse down the tricky Seattle track better than anyone was; Stevens grabbing his third career win over Jeg Coughlin in the final.

“We pulled out our old Pontiac here after the DNQ in Denver and we put our own engine in there, just like old times and it worked,” said Stevens.

“We were not the fastest, but we were consistent, while everyone else was struggling to stay straight. We went from zero to hero in one race... I love it.”

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

Alfred E Newman for Prez Fish dead in the water MAD Magazine hasjoined the Pi'esidential race in the US,nominating its figurehead,Allred E Newman Newman, and his opposition in the upcoming election for President, George W Bush and A1 Gore, will figure on Dale Creasy’s new Pontiac Funny Car, below, which will debut at Sonoma this week.

THtE popular Nitro Fish Funny Car is now dead in the water following the failure of the team and its sponsor, Nu Trend Manufacturing,to reach an agreement.

Driver Todd Paton and crew chief Wayne Dupuy are now seeking alternative backing in eui effort to continue on the NHRA tour.

Dupuy tuned the Nitro Fish car to the win at last year’s Pontiac Naitonals with former driver Phil Burkhart behind the wheel.

“We enjoyed racing with Nu li'end for the first half of the season but,unfortunately, we weren’t able to put together a package that would see us through to the end of the season,”Paton said.“Everything is ready to go,so the minute we find some backing, we’M be able to pick up where we left off.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

»Sleepless in Seattle Ri

FOLLOWING on from his World Championship-winning victory at the AHRA World Finals in Spokane the previous weekend, Aussie Peter Russos missed the cut at the Northwest Nationals in Seattle.

The Melbourne Funny Car racer qualified 21st out of 24 cars in attendance, missing the 16 car field by just two-and-a-half tenths - his best run being a 5.443/275.

Russo's efforts on the slick track were hampered by a lack of personnel, the team having just five members who valiantly tried to turn his and wife, Helen's Dodge Avenger around in the allotted time. The pressures on the team meant that Russo, who has always tuned his racecars himself, was unable to give the tune-up the attention and consideration it needed to pick up the pace.

Despite being understaffed, the Australian team impressed all in attendance by, at least, making each round call and producing four consistent runs, the slowest being a shut-off 5.74/201, with no engine damage experienced.

"We didn't qualify but we're extremely happy with the way things turned out," Helen Russo said. "The car ran consistent, the crew is working so well together and we've come away with everything still in one piece. We're looking forward to Sonoma next weekend."

Russo pointed out that, if the team completes all four qualifiers next * weekend, they will have completed 12 runs on their three event/two week tour of the US -the same number of runs their yearly average over 16 years of racing Funny Cars in Australia I "This is a tough deal here and we are really under-manned, but we are achieving what we set out to - learn as much as we can, get down the track consistently and have some fun.

"The only pressure we've had applied here is what we put on ourselves."

It is worth noting that the Russos were one of only a handful of nitro cars to make four consistent runs and they were also the 15th fastest Funny Car in attendance.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

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1 147 1024 859 859 857 681 670 537 517 515

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5 Jim Epler 6 Scotty Cannon 7 Dean Skuza 8 Del Worsham 9 Whit Bazemore 10 Al Hofmann

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Pocono perplexions: Wallace celebrated his win, although he was sympathetic to team-mate Mayfield who cut a tyre while leading on the last lap.

Penske's Wallace and Mayfield experience it all POCONO on July 23 was success and heartbreak for Penske’s pair, Rusty Wallace and Jeremy Mayfield - the pair reaching both the highs and lows of Winston Cup, all on the final lap.

Wallace visited the highs, bumping aside the ‘Intimidator,’ Dale Earnhardt in the final turn to take victory.

For Mayfield, though, the final lap was a heart breaker with the #12’s right front tyre blowing entering the second turn while leading and costing Mayfield the race. Wallace’s .126s winning margin more painful knowing he could have taken the chequered first, instead of being shuffled back to 10th like he was.

“I don’t know what went down faster the tyre or my heart,” said

Ma)field.

Wallace was quite sympathetic to his once bitter in-house rival.

“You can sit back and say,‘Hey, Rusty won that race because Mayfield lost a tyre’, but what would have happened if he didn’t?”

Wallace questioned.

“Worst I could have done was finish second. I’m not going to let that sour my victory at all.

“We had a great car all day long.

I qualified second, took the lead early and he had some misfortune.”

The first three-quarters of the race lacked racing, but saw many blown engines - Mark Martin the first on lap 25, followed by Sterling Marlin, John Andretti, Kyle Petty and Bill Elliott. In fact, 10 drivers suffered blown engines by race’s end, plus two burnt transmissions and one broken axle, so attrition 82

was a major factor. Some pointed to engines turning to over 9000rpm at the three-corner ‘Bermuda Triangle’ before gearshifts being the obvious cause.

The final quarter, and particularly the segment following the last caution, was action packed - Wallace and Burton running side-by-side for as long as they could, trading paint and bumping in the process.

“I was like,‘man, I wish this thing would hurry up and get over because it’s about to wear me out’,” remarked Wallace.

In the June race at Pocono, Wallace elected to take on four tyres during a late race stop. This time, under the same circumstances, he took two - the move obviously paying off.

Dale Jarrett was leading the race when the final yellow flew 32 laps from the finish, but fell to 13th when he exited the pits - 12 drivers electing to take on two tyres. Jarrett finished fourth to keep his title hopes alive.

Wallace jumped from ninth to fifth in the points, while Bobby Labonte clung on to his lead with a sixth place finish.

Pole sitter, Tony Stewart slipped from sixth to 26th one lap from the finish with an ill-handling car, one lap off the pace.

Earnhardt also finished a lap down after the #3 shredded a right front tyre while lying second.

Ricky Rudd suffered the same fate, although his #28 RYR Taurus smacked the wall a ton and the veteran recorded his first DNP of the year.

Rick Mast, in the Foyt-owned

Pontiac, came away with the team’s strongest result of the year, eighth, after starting 35th - the result building the team’s momentum leading to the Brickyard, Mast having won the first ever pole there.

“Indy is a big deal to me,” said Mast. “This is AJ’s race team and AJ ‘owns’ Indy, so we’re putting a lot of emphasis on that race.”

Ted Musgrave, filling the SABCO seat left vacant by the late Kenny Irwin, finished a

(Photos courtesy of Ford Media)

respectable 16th while the un sponsored Johnny Benson came home 12th.

Results: R Wallace (Ford), 130.662 mph, J Burton (Ford), Gordon (Chevy), Jarrett(Ford), Kenseth (Ford), B Labonte (Pontiac), Skinner (Chevy), Mast(Pontiac), Spencer (Ford), Mayfield (Ford).

Points: B Labonte 2825, Jarrett 2772, Earnhardt 2718, J Burton 2624, R Wallace 2557, Stewart 2540, W Burton 2535, J Gordon 2518, Martin 2487, Rudd 2468.

- MARTIN D CLARK

Given the Berrys...

Have steering wheel, can drive: The now-unemployed Ed Berrier.

ED Berrier and his crew chief. Dean Johnson have felt the wrath of team owner Junie Donlavey, with the veteran firing the two in the lead up to next week's Brickyard 400.

Berrie and Johnson were notified of Donlavey's decision following another poor outing at Pocono, although no replacements have been announced. In fact, there has been some doubt cast over the team, with the underfunded operation's future rumoured to be in doubt.

- MARTIN D CLARK moiorspori news

NASCAR re

I

^tty siilfciies to 45

by MARTIN D CLARK

IN memoi-y of his son, Adam, Kyle Petty will switch to the #45 next season, driving the Sprint-sponsored Dodge Intrepid in Winston Cup. Petty made the announcement last week, also saying that he will step out of the #44 Hot Wheelssponsored entry from the September 3 Darlington race two weeks before the series again heads back to New Hampshire.

“It makes me feel so much closer to him and right now that’s very comforting to me,” remarked Kyle.

“I had been so focused on where Adam was going and what he was doing that I kind of let my career go in a lot of ways. I’m going to have to step back and re-focus my attention to driving a racecar. I think it’s better for all of us.”

Petty Enterprises TVuck series driver Steve Grissom-will take Petty’s place in the #44 for the remainder of the season.

Hot Wheels will move to the #43 and #45 cars as an associate sponsor next season and Grissom is a popibility to get a full-time drive in the #44 in 2001 if a major backer can be found.

While now re-focussing o.n the future. Petty said he was deeply affected by Kenny Irwin’s recent passing in an accident at New Hampshire.

“Wlien I heard the news about Kenny, I was devastated,” he said.

“Same place, same time, same ever3d;hing it seemed like. It was just too close to home for me.”

*■,(;. .. .

In memory: Kyle Petty will carry his late son, Adam’s #45 and sponsor, Sprint, into the Winston Cup battles next season.

(Photo by Sullon-lmages)

www.US$l15m.com

TYLER Jet Motorsports have filed a US$115 million lawsuit against internet search company Lycos for failing to stand by their sponsorship arrangements.

Team owner, Tim Beverly, who last week sold almost all of his interests in Tyler Jet to MB2 Motorsports, filed the suit in a US court last week, claiming the IT company had failed to deliver on any of its agreement conditions.

In the arrangement with MB2,’the Tyler Jet operation will now join forces with the Ken Schrader-driven Pontiac, although, following the Brickyard, the Johnny Benson-driven car could be forced to sit out the remainder of the season due to a lack of sponsorship.

It has been rumoured that 2001 and beyond is secure, with the Benson #10 car having signed an agraement with Valvoline, who recently announced their decision to leave the Roush/Martin outfit.

- MARTIN D CLARK

Attention Kmart Shoppers Attwooil's Cup debut

WORD has It appears as Kmart not though Carter is returning as considering a number of rookies major sponsor of Travis Carter’s to fill, at least, the t\vo Ford shoes of Waltrip, one under Tauruses in 2001 consideration said - the retail giant to be Truck series joining retiring veteran, Darrell regular, Andy Houston.

Waltrip on the outside.

Houston, who There is also drives a Chevy with Hendrick doubt whether Questio ns: Who will power for Jimmy Spencer replace Darrell Waltrip? will return to Addington Racing, drive the second of currently lies third in the Craftsman series Carter’s cars following his recent and team sources are suggesting public outburst of criticism he could fi ll the Waltrip void against the team, many insiders nicely. suggesting they have had enough - MARTIN D CLARK of the volatile driver, 4 Huoutt 2000

CASEY Attwood, who many predict will be the 'next Tony Stewart', will make his Winston Cup debut at Richmond next month.

Attwood, who has been signed

by Ray Evernham to pilot one of his new Intrepids when Dodge makes its to Winston Cup return next season, will drive a Bill Elliottowned Ford Taurus on debut.

A Busch Series regular, Attwood is using the occasion in his soon-to-be Evernham/Dodge team-mate's car for experience before the new Evernham team and Dodge hit the track running next season.

- MARTIN D CLARK

The Ultra Switch -Chevy to Ford...

MICHAEL Waltrip will be behind the wheel of a Ford Taurus in the near future following Ultra Motorsports' decision to make the switch from Chevrolet, effective at Talladega in October.

The team announced the switch to the blue oval brand last week, also taking the opportunity to announce an engine arrangement with Penske Racing - Larry Wallace-built powerplants the chosen option.

It is believed the deal with Penske also extends to an information sharing arrangement that will give Ultra, formerly Mattel Motorsports, access to chassis and wind tunnel data.

Penske already supply team owner Jim Smith's Ultra outfit with a Ford truck for the Craftsman series Mike Wallace, brother of Penske's Rusty, the driver.

Waltrip, who has also signed a one year extension to his contract with Ultra, as has crew chief Bobby Kennedy, is excited at the prospects. '"Load me up give me ail you've got for me to win', that's what I've told these guys," remarked Waltrip, who is still winless in his 15 year career.

The stability within the organisation has also been enhanced with sponsor, Nations Rent, signing on for a further two years.

■ THE days of owner/drivers within NASCAR's Winston Cup series are not quite over yet, with ' Brett Bodine announcing that he will continue to campaign his Ralph's Supermarkets-backed one-car team again in 2001.

There has been some doubt over the single-car, owner/driver operations continuing in the days of multi-car, multi-sponsored teams, in recent times.

Bill Elliott, a long-time stalwart of owner/driver operations, has sold the basis of his operation to Ray Evernham - Elliott also driving for Evernham and Dodge next year while Ricky Rudd abandoned the concept at the end of last year, this season taking over the reigns of Robert Yates' #28.

At this stage, Bodine does have the company of Dave Marcis, although there is considerable doubt whether the veteran, who has been far from competitive and has rarely qualified this year, will return in 2001.

Bodine’s fortunes have appeared on the up as of late, with crew chief, veteran Mike Hillman, making some good calls, while Ernie Elliott's engines have some promise.

- MARTIN 0 CLARK 83

Brazier heading Stateside?

by BRETT SWANSON THE hot rumour coming out of Sydney last week is a potentially powerful combination of Garry Brazier crewed by American legend Kenny Woodruff,in a Junior Holbrook Eagle powered by Mopar engines.

Brazier, our sources tell us, left Australia on July 23 bound for the USA to team up with Woodruff in the Holbrook car. The team is apparently going to be based at Knoxville.

Woodruff, who is currently retired, could be enticed out of the woodwork by his strong friendship with Brazier’s father Steve.

If the rumour proves to be correct, this could be a very powerful outfit at the up coming Knoxville Nationals, the unofficial Sprintcar World Championships.

Eyes on the prize: Could Garry Brazier be linking up with Kenny Woodruff for an attack on the United §tates?

(Photo by Brett Swanson)

Wildcard Pom upstages GP regulars A SHOCK result in the British Grand Prix at Coventry saw wildcard entrant Martin Dugard take the title, the Englishman only the third wildcard entry ever to win a Grand Prix.

England's Mark Loram is now favourite to become World

Sliding Sullivan: Ryan Sullivan picked up second at Coventry.

(Photo by Mike Patrick)

Who’s the wise guy ...

JEFF Pickering’s Litre Sprintcar and trailer has been stolen.

Sometime between dark on July 25 and daylight July 26, his race trailer was stolen from a security car park at Tubemakers Yennora in Sydney.

The trailer contained a Litre Sprintcar (purple NSW 28 less engine), four wheeler motorbike, full assortment of spare spare wheels with tyres, axles and shocks, torsion bars, magnetos and all pit tools and equipment.

Anybody with information should contact Jeff Pickering on 02 9632 5231. A reward is offered.

84

Champion after gaining a third place in the main final behind Dugard and top Australian Ryan Sullivan from Adelaide.

Current World Champion Tony Rickardsson came second in the BFinal to ensure he is just four points behind Loram with two GPs to go.

Sullivan's effort was his best yet in a Grand Prix and has lifted him to joint sixth in the series alongside Todd Wiltshire.

Jason Crump,twice a winner of the British Grand Prix,faced a tough battle but came through relatively unscathed to finish fourth in the B-Final and lift himself to fourth in the standings behind Loram, Rickardsson and former World Champion Billy Hamill.

The pleasant surprise of the night for the Aussies was the fourth place earned by Victorian Jason Lyons.

The Mildura rider received a

late call-up to race his first ever Grand Prix in place of the injured Pole Tomasz Gollob. The 30 yearold took Gollob's place directly into the main event, much to the consternation of many of his rivals.

His third place first time out left him a possible single ride from elimination, but he stormed back to gain a second place in heat 15 behind Rickardsson. He then won heat 20 to earn a semi-final place and a second place behind Sullivan gave him an unlikely ride in the final.

Loram has not been out of the top five in the four meetings to date and, realistically, only Rickardsson can deprive him of becoming only the eighth Englishman to win the world title.

The four Australians competing throughout the GP season are all in the top eight and look set for automatic qualification for 2001.

Leigh Adams races at Hoisted in Denmark on August 12 and could join them, either directly, or via a place in the GP Challenge round at Abensburg, Germany in October.

Points: Loram 73,Rickardsson 69, Hamill 56, Crump 62, Louis 61, Sullivan, Wiltshire 48,Adams 47, Gollob 43.

- TONY MILLARD matorsDori news

SPEEDWAY

Making up lost ground

WESTERN Auto Raceway at Bacchus Marsh opened in a blaze ofglory But less than 12 months later, it closed Its first ‘full’ season prematurely leaving clubs out of pocket and a lot offans vowing never to return.

Butch Morley the speedway’s new main -^promoter, plans to win back the fans.

By BRm^SWANSON LONG time speedway supporters,including many driving legends, easily recognise the weathered head that appears shadowed by his trademark red Morley Engineering baseball cap, as that of 60 year old Melbourne engineer. Butch Morley.

Born out of frustration and a chance discussion with the track owners, Morley is now poised to take control of the speedway venue and hopes to turn Bacchus Marsh into a speedway showpiece.

Agreement has been reached between the track owjiers Bacchus Marsh Motor Sport P/L(BMMS) and B M Promotions P/L, which will see Morley installed as promoter, subject to certain provisions.

“It’s going to be a hard road to hoe,” explains Morley about reversing the damage inflicted by the track’s previous promotion. “I love this sport and the opportunity arose to do something here and to try and give something back to the sport, so I’m taking a bit ofa gamble.

“Speedway, and Sprintcars in particular, haven’t shown their true potential yet.

“The first thing I need to address and eradicate is the dust and that will be my number one priority. It’s not good enough to -have the crowd bathed in dust.

Sure it’s a big track, but I believe with the right track preparation and some grass on the infield a lot of the problem could be resolved.

“During the winter they’ve sown some grass in the centre so if it can just have a chance to come up, which it already is, then that will be a big help.”

Other plans, which may not all be achieved in the first season, include altering the pit gate system to incorporate it into a flat wall all the way around, re-shaping the bottom end (turns one and two) and lighting improvements.

“We have to remember that we’re in the entertainment business and I realise the importance of what the public deserves. We have to win back the crowd and I hope that if they just give me a chance, they’ll come back and enjoy the show and the venue, without the dust,” he said.

Another problem last season was the often late finishes, which

Cheques paid please; Morley says clubs will be .Utiiit/. paid before any engines tire Morley aims to change.

“We’ll have a self imposed curfew of no later than 10:30pm so that people can get home at a reasonable time. To aid that I’ve secured the service of the best pit manager in the business.

“Jim Muir, a former competitor and a man well respected within the Sprintcar industry has offered his services. If you’re called up to race and you’re not there when the gate closes, bad luck. He doesn’t care whether your name’s Garry Brazier or Joe Blow.

“I’m not an egotist and I’m open to suggestions and help from anybody. I’m currently taking advice and help from a lot of good

Look after the crowds: Morley emphasised his hopes to bring the fans back.

(Photo by Tony Loxloy)

Max Dumesny Motorsport Australian Distributors for

^^ RACING TIRE for mom Infomation on Hoosier Drag and Spealway Tyre, call:

NSW;02 9679 1990 l Fax 02 9679 1187 V/C- 03 9331 6477 l Fax 03 9331 7444 SA;08 8332 0800 l Fax 08 8364 0296

people and the response has been overwhelming.

At time of writing, Morley had a full schedule of meetings with Sprintcars, Speedcars, Sedan gi-oups and other promoters.

“Unhke the last promoter, Tm very willing to work hand in hand with Avalon, Nyora, Warmambool and other tracks,” stated Morley.‘T think it would be suicide not to work together but to go head-to-head.

“BMMS had agreed a deal with Hot Rods to run them as a class this season at the track, and I can tell the Hot Rod guys here and now that I fully intend to honour that promise.”

While many divisions have misgivings about racing at the venue, Morley plans to pay the clubs by bank cheque at the start of the night, before an engine is fired.

“No money, no racing,” he says.

“The place has so much potential but it will take time to unlock it. I have an idea what the competitor needs and with no offence to other promoters, I believe that it could be developed into the best track in Australia.

“I’m not living in fantasy land. I won’t make a million bucks or have a ‘Knoxville’. If the crowd will just give us a chance, we’ll prove we can do it.”

Anyone wishing to contact Butch Morley can do so on 0408 542 056.

2000 WOBIJO OF OUTLAWS SERIES POINTS SCORE Williams Grove 30 july 2000

Point Standings to 29 July 2000 I.Steve Kinser

4 lususi 2000

ift

2.Sammy Swindell ..

3. Mark Kinser 4. Stevie Smith ,....

5. Danny LasoskI ...

6. Dale Blaney 7.Andy Hillcnburg ..

8.joey Saldana 9.Johnny Herrera 10. Jac Haudenschild

6518 6341 62S4 6235 6209 5999 5893 5914 5777 5679

I I. DonnySchati.

12. Daryn Pittman 13. Tim Shaffer.,.

14. Danny Wood..

IS. Greg Hodnett.

16. Brooke Tatnell 17. Brian Paulus,.

16. Dean Jacobs ..

19. Lance Blevins .

20. Paul McMahan

5SI6 5504 5486 5418 5032 4644 3990 3957 3693 3SS1

I. Sammy Swindell 2.Steve Kinser

11. Danny Lasoski i2. Keith K.iufTman

3.Gr«g Hodnctc 4. Don Krelta Jr S.Jac Haudcnschlld 6. Dale Blancy 7,Andy Hlllcnbut g 8.johnny Herrora 9. Cris Eash

13. Daryn Pittman U.Stevie Smith l5.)oey Saidana 16. Donny Schatz 17, Dean Jacobs 10.Tim Shaffer 19. Shawn Keen

10,Jof( Shepard

XO.Jcff Shepanl

85

Pronger proves too quick BUNDABERG’S Mick Pronger executed a miraculous recovery to win the raindelayed 2000 Queensland Formula 500 Championship at Gladstone’s Reef City Speedway.

Having rolled during the afternoon practice session, Pronger bounced back to secure his second state championship crown.

An impressive 35-car fieid fronted for competition with Laurence Quagliata topping qualifying with three heat wins aboard his Shell Rotax.

Australian title runner-up Gavin Casey continued his fine form to record two heat wins. Aaron Finglas also had a double..

The remaining preliminaries were shared between Pronger, Kris Finglas, Townsville’s Alan Iverson, Lyle Gilmore and Barry_ McCulloch.

Defending champion Gavin Jaenke endured a miserable run through qualifying before progressing through to the main event via the last-chance repechages, only to encounter problems prior to the start of the feature that ended his run.

The remaining transfer spots went to Brad Metcalf, Dean Griffen and Troy Josefski, who engaged in a spirited battle with Mark Krause before storming around the outside and charging ahead.

Starting from the outside of the three-wide front row, Pronger led the field away.

Quagliata slotted into second spot, with Iverson slipping ahead of Finglas to take third.

Quagliata charged into the lead on lap seven until his drive chain came adrift on lap nine.

Pronger went back to the front at the restart with Iverson engaging in a spirited chase that took him to the front momentarily, before Pronger immediately regained the lead and powered home.

The race continued without incident until the final lap when Iverson collided with the lapped car of Tony Schmidt.

Officials declared the race at this point with Pronger awarded victory. Having been reinstated by officials despite a flat tyre, Iverson collected his second consecutive runner-up finish in this event.

Brisbane’s Eddie Schwehia was third, with Jasen Allen the first of the locals in fourth.

- CHRIS METCALF 86

Kinser Quakers Mark has his own fight though!

WHILE Steve Kinser continues his domination of the Pehnzoil World of Outlaws series, his cousin Mark and Sammy Swindell are engaged in an intense battle for second position, Swindell taking victory in the ninth annual Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville Speedway.

'We tried to set the car up for the end of the race," Swindell explained.

'We wanted to be tight enough to get around once the track slicked off a little bit. I Was having trouble just keeping up there at the beginning - it was pretty hard to turn - but then the track kind of came to us. This place usually changes quite a bit.

Early on it stayed the same and I thought we were in trouble."

Swindell broke M.Kinser’s four year stranglehold on the

event, passing Jeff Shepard late in the race to claim a US$33,000 pay cheque.It was Swindell’s sixth ‘A’feature victory of the season. ' He started on the inside of the fourth row while Shepard and Kenny Jacobs took up the front running in the 40th Outlaws feature of the season.

'The caution first flew on lap seven when Fred Rahmer spun. Kinser,in the #5 Mopar Maxim,spun three laps later, which forced him to the back.

Another spin later forced him out of the race.

Stevie Smith took second from Jacobs on the ensuring restart, while Danny Lasoski pushed Jacobs back one position further to take third.

Shepard raced away from the field and opened up a 12 car-length advantage within four laps. Swindell continued to make his way toward the front and passed Jacobs on lap

Consistant Amoco: Dale Blaney and the #93 continued to score strong points in the World of Outlaws title chase, sixth at Lernerville.

(Photo by Martin D Clark)

Here’s looking at you, title: Steve Kinser eyes yet another World of Outlaws championship while cousin Mark fends off Sammy Swindell.

(Photo by Martin D Clark)

22 of the 35 lapper.

Ahead,Smith caught Shepard in lapped traffic, while Swindell worked on Lasoski for third.

Sammy passed them all with five laps to go and was headed for an untroubled victory until the yellows flew when Andy Hillenburg stopped his J&J in turn two with a handful of laps remaining.

When the race resumed for the sprint to the chequered flag, Shepard simply couldn’t keep up with the ChanneUock car and he was a half straightaway behind when the race finished.

Smith held off Lasoski for third, while Tim Shaffer passed 10 cars to finish fifth.

Dale Blaney gi’abbed sixth in relatively ease ahead of points leader Steve Kinser, Joey Saldana,Jacobs and Greg Hodnett in the Jimmy Vasserowned #12, motorsport news

SPMEDWAY

i ASCF/NASR peace

SRA 360ci sub committee formed FOLLOWING our last piece on the renewed push for recognition of 360ci Sprintcars as an individual class within Victoria, the Sprintcar Racing Association of Victoria (SRA)has taken the forward step of setting up a 360ci sub-committee.

Melbourne’s David Smith and

On the same page: NASR’s John Hughes. (Photo by Dim Kiynsmiih)

Aussie out, Aussie in WHILE Brooke Tatnell is out of Outlaws action for a month having sustained a broken sternum, a fractured scapuia and a broken vertebrae in a wiid ride at Eidora Speedway in Ohio, there was an Aussie in the fieid at Lernerviiie.

Skip Jackson, driving the Shaun Keen-owned #53 chassis, qualified 25th in the 41 car field and finished seventh in the first NAPA Auto Parts heat race.

The level of the field in Jackson’s heat was full of class with Stevie Smith, Sammy Swindell, Steve Kinser, Danny Lasoski, Greg Hodnett filling the top five.

This placed him in the B Feature, where he finished ninth in the 20-car field, missing a berth in the feature.

Tatnell’s #6 Parsons machine has been taken over

by Brian Paulus as Tatnell recovers from his injuries.

Tatnell, meanwhile, hopes to be back in time for the Knoxville Nationals which will be run later this month.

4 Rugusl 2000

AN agreement between the Australian Saloon Car Federation and the National Association of Speedway Racing has been reached, which paves the way for the two organisations to work together.

The announcement follows somewhat of a ‘cold war’ between the two groups following the formation of NASR towards the end of 1997.

"The decision to review the position of the ASCF came during its President’s Conference earlier this month when ASCF President

Neville Harper invited NASR’s John Hughes to attend the conference with a view to the ASCF joining NASR.A draft agreement was negotiated that was subsequently accepted by ASCF member states.

“Whilst some issues remain open for discussion, a basic agreement has been reached,” said Harper.

The move will see ASCF members licenced under the National Speedway Licence scheme while car registration and specifications will remain under the jurisdiction of the ASCF.

Burke and White, not Wills

ACT Super Sedan racers Robert Burke and Warren White have joined forces for a serious attack on the 2000/2001 speedway season.

Following the revelation from a scrutineer that the new Super Sedan White had built for the coming season was ineligible due to inadequate roll cage and bar work, the duo have found an ally in multi national and state champion John Pyne.

Having heard of the plight of the duo and their no-go racer and drained funds, Pyne has come to an agi-eement with the two, with White to purchase Pyne’s VT Commodore Super Sedan (which is a first for Pyne, as he has never previously parted with such a new racer), the VT having raced at only eight events.

Currently Burke is on a major sponsorship drive to build, lease or purchase a competitive front running racer or a rolling chassis, with which he intends to chase many of the major interstate Super Sedan events this coming season.

Meanwhile, in a further revelation, it has been found that the Chevrolet engine which powered Burke’s former Pontiac, which was subsequently deemed illegal, has, on inspection, been found to be within the rules following a total dismantle for rebuilding by its new owner.

- MICHAEL ATTWELL

Mildura’s Darryl Bottams have| accepted positions on the sub committee and are now pushing on in attempting to arrange and manage 360ci race meetings and the associated series, point score fund and sponsorships.

Bottams welcomed the initiative and sees it as the first step in building a competitive group of 360ci Sprintcars that will enable Sprintcar racing to be showcased to many country tracks.

Bottams cites the recent change in the Sprintcar Control Council of Australia’s(SCCA) 360ci engine rules as the catalyst for this fresh attempt at securing the class’s individuality.

With 360ci cars now permitted under the rule change to race with aluminium cylinder heads, a quick count reveals around 23 cars currently in the state that fit these rules.

The new committee is currently negotiating with a number of tracks in country Victoria and is working with their counterparts in South Australia to ensure a full program of 360ci competition this season.

For it’s part the SRA has recognised the importance of this group and believes with careful management that it will augment the club’s ‘open’ meetings.

SRA Secretary Kevin McCallum stated recently that, “The SRA supports the development of the 360ci class however, the SRA needs to carefully monitor both the 372ci and 360ci classes to ensure the long-term viability of both classes are maintained."

- BRETT SWANSON 81

national

laMtetiiiy ^

Aaron Noonan

Froude claws back in a Keene encounter PORSCHE CUP SIMON Froude has moved to the top of the Pirelli Porsche Cup outright pointscore after a win and a second at Winton on July 16.

Race One After qualifying in pole position for both races, Froude had the inside run into the Motorsport News Esses.

Greg Keene attempted a bold inside overtaking manoeuvre towards the end of lap one, which was unsuccessful, allowing Martin Wagg to move into second.

While trying to come back, Keene sptin his GTS on lap six whilst trying to overtake Wagg and was bogged.

Wagg learnt the hard way that the first corner was a bit hairy when he overshot it and consequently lost time on Froude in the last lap, but managed still to hold second place.

In Class B, Don Tryhom and Michael Walkerden engaged in a race long duel that saw the experience of the 964 C2 driven by Tryhorn pay off, defeating Walkerden's 911 S by 3s.

Other notable performances came from the Burkepower GTS of Victorian Perry Spiridis who returned to Porsche Cup competition after a long absence.

Spiridis was involved in a race long battle with the 993 RS/CS of New South Welshman Wayne Cooper.

Tim Pritchard's persistent efforts in recent rounds finally paid off, securing third in Class B in his newly purchased 911 Carrera.

Race Two Despite a first lap tussle with Wagg and Froude, Keene performed at his outstanding best to score a victory by 1.3s over first race winner Froude.

“I was determined to get a win in this race because I needed to make up for not scoring any points earlier in the day,” said Keene.

Beaten off the start by Keene, Froude was ultimately content to play follow the leader, applying pressure whenever possible realizing that second was good enough to secure him another round victory.

Wagg had a spin at the end of lap one and, once rejoining, faught his way back.to fourth place by the end.

Spiridis again finished third in Class A, while Tryhorn created plenty of last lap excitement in Class B by overshooting turn one

A sea of yellow and blue: Simon Froude and Martin Wagg, above, run onto the old pit straight.

Busier than an M News staff member: Chris Stannard, obscured, heads for the canteen.

(Photos by Dirk Klynsmith)

and causing the other three class protagonists to also run off.

Azim Sahu-Khan had, until this incident, managed to withstand the pressure applied by Tryhorn, Walkerden and Crocker throughout the previous laps and was looking good for a win.

Unfortunately, Sahu-Khan could not complete the remaining lap with tyre damage.

This resulted in Ray 'Jack' Crocker taking Class B honours ahead of Walkerden and Tryhorn.

Porsche Cup Points Outright - Froude 143, Keene 127, Wagg 110, Stannard 70, Cooper 63, Webb 52, French, Ayton 33, Spiridis, Miller 30.

Class B - Scaysbrook 115,Tryhorn 86, Agnew 73, Crocker 37, Bisher 35.

H.R. Luffenstuff the status quo in the Logical Mirage Series returned at Winton Motor Raceway with Warren Luff returning to the top of the tree after Dean Evans’ slight interuption to the Luff party in the previous round at Oran Park.

Luff won race one easily over former works Audi driver Matthew Coleman, who was making a guest appearance in the series for the weekend.

Coleman had suffered engine problems in the lead up to the 88

races but had them sorted to finish ahead of Mark Eddy, Dean Evans and 1999 series runner-up Gavin Harvey in the opener for the day.

Luff repeated the dose in race two but things were a lot closer, Coleman in fact setting the fastest lap of the race and trailing at the chequered flag by just seventenths of a second.

Eddy, Harvey and Barrie Nesbitt filled the top five.

Anybody for weight penalties?

- AARON NOONAN motorsport news

NATIONAL

old panning at the Creek

NSW ROAD RACING CHAMPIONSHIPS

by MICHAEL SHAW THE New South Wales Road Racing Championships headed to Eastern Creek on July 23 with a number of close tussles in the various classes.

the circuit and had to fight back.

Dunkley and Delhaas battled hard, going side'f nct by-side around m turn one. i .m, .

O’Loughlin caught back up to the duo, and had moved up to Anyone for Nations Cup? Ken Mathews had too much top end speed for the Porsche second, when on (Photo by Michael Shaw) GT3s in race two of Producfion Sports Car. the last lap, Delhaag,had the Lynch and Watt pulled away from Papadopoulos, Douglas, Lewis and back end step out going around John Milan. the rest with Lynch scraping turn nine and spun. through to win by a mere 0.1s.

Dunkley won from O’Loughlin Grant Ashby(RF93) was third Production Sports Car and a fighting Delhaas. ahead of Colin Ward (RF93).

Peter Landen dominated all the

W'

VQl n

Formula Vee Phil Moyes dropped to fifth in race one, but over the remaining laps managed to claw his way back to the front finishing 0.3s ahead of Gary Ogden,Ian Chivas, Ken Smith and Paul Corcoran.

Race two was even closer. Ogden got the jump on Moyes, but Moyes found a way back past and won by less than 0.1s at the line, having broken the lap record as well.

Ogden was second from Chivas, Ken Smith and Corcoran.

HQ Holden Charlie D’Aquino started from pole in a tight race and came out on top by less than half a second from Vince Gatt, Shane Hunt,Ashley Cooper and Johnathon Fishbum.

Race two proved more controversial and also produced a closer finish. After only a couple of laps, Gatt and D’Aquino came together, resulting in a non-finish for Gatt and non-classification for D’Aquino.

This left Ashley Cooper and Shane Hunt leading the field. They swapped the lead a number of times, and Hunt led onto the straight for the final time, only to have Cooper manage to sneak past before the line. Fishburn completed the podium.

Sports Sedans

Two rather spread out races were both won by Daniel Jameson (Falcon)in convincing fashion.

Joseph Said(Fiat) Mowed in second in both races, while Kevin Clark (Mustang)finished third ahead of Graham Smith(Cahbra)and Chris Jackson(Commodore VP).

In the second race, third place was taken by Smith ahead of Clark andMackson.

Formula Ford Justin Watt(Swift SC94) and Jack Lynch (RF92) provided the highlight of the FF racing.

After a red flag in race one.

Watt make an excellent start to lead race two and held the lead to the end, despite L3mch closing, to record his first win.

Third place, almost seven seconds back, was Matt Howard (RF91) who had a fair margin on Ashby and Ward.

Formula Alfa Enzo Piazza built a two second lead to win after starting at the back, while Papdopoulos came second by a clear margin from Alan Lewis, Chris Douglas and Greg Sticker.

Race two had a familiar feel to it, except this time Piazza started from pole and led all the way to win by over IS^seconds from

Improved Production (Under 2L)

Elliot Hart(Escort) and David Loftus (Starlet) built a sizeable lead on the field in race one, only 0.3s apart at the end. Tliird place was Gavin Fazakerley (Corolla) ahead of Mathew Pearce (Civic) and Trevor Keene (Gemini).

Race two must have seemed familiar to Hart as he battled for the lead, this time with Bob Jowett (Escort). Loftus followed in third, well clear of Fazakerley, Phil Armour(Swift GTi)and Bruce Pearce (1600).

Improvsd Production (Over 2L) «●

Scott Fleming(RX-7), started from pole in race one, which meant he had won the class title.

He still went all out to win the first race and was leading when he spun on oil left by another car.

Fleming dropped back to fifth, leaving Noel McFarlane (RX-3) to win. Des O’Loughlin (RX-3) finished second, while third went to Kees Delhaas (Commodore VS) ahead of the recovering Fleming.

Race two saw McFarlane make a bad start from pole, allowing Fleming to move up to second.

Fleming took the lead into turn four, but slowed at the same place and pulled out. O’Loughlin then lost the lead having come off 4 flugosi 2000

way from pole to the finish in his Lotus Elise, one of only 30 created for a one make series.

Second was Bill Pye (Elise), ahead of Ken Mathews (Viper), Reg Johnston(GT3)and Paul Murray(RX-7).

Landen made an excellent start in race two, only to go too fast into turn two and drop to the back. This left Mathews to build a lead over Pye and Wayne Tu(GTS), while Landen stormed through the field.

Landen closed on Mathews and was right up with the Viper by near the end of the lap, only to be beaten easily dovra the main straight by the VlO’s power.

Nothing like a wagon: Anybody want to see Rickard Rydell drive this?

(Photo by Michael Shaw)

Limited Production

Sport Cars

With all bar two drivers in PRB Clubmans, it was a surprise to fi nd Chris Barry ahead of Paul Shacklady, and Steve Brown in race one.

D contact: Charlie D’Aquino made contact with Vince Gatt in HQs.

(Photo by Micftaoi Shaw)

Race two saw Tavener and Phil Poat at the front ahead of Barry with Shacklady fourth.

as

Karting Briefs LOCAL hot shots Brendan and Wesley May took victory in the opening round of the Newrcastle Pro Series 2000 recently.

The brothers took a one-two in Senior Pro Clubman Light Brendan winning ahead of Wes, Mark Winterbottom and an impressive Scott Withers who has just moved up from Juniors.

Wes backed his second up with a win in the Heavy division, ahead of Chris Cox and David Hardy. Double points are on offer at the second round of the series in September, which has a new car as a prize. n Not content with the-power of one Rotax MAX engine, Perth's Tim Major, in conjunction with Flatout Kart’s Ty Carter, has put together a twin-engined MAX. Dubbed the 'Extreme 250', it features a Rotax FR125 MAX engine on each side of the Demon XP chassis which now boasts front brakes.

While no class currently exists to race the beast, the two have been getting their kicks performing donuts.

"It does some amazing circle work," commented Carter... n After winning the JJ McDonald $1 OK at Townsville, Troy Hunt jetted back to Europe to commence a week of testing with the Top Kart factory team at the Braga circuit in Portugal in preparation for the World Championships there on September 9-10. There is also a good possibility that Hunt will be on the grid at the final round of the APS Racing series at Geelong in October. n The moratorium placed on the silencer ruling in Queensland has been lifted having been in place for only a few days. This means all AKA competitors Australia-wide are now racing under the same rules again, requiring the fitting of a registered silencer in the Clubman classes, and karts not to exceed the 88 decibel noise limit. n Josh Hunt has now moved to seniors. The 15-year-old will make his senior debut at the Eastern Creek APS round in two weeks time in Intercontinental A. Hunt will continue to use Italcorse chassis and Coleman prepared engines. n Australians wishing to compete in the sixth annual Monaco Kart Cup are urged to contact the AKA national office as soon as possible regarding an entry to this prestigious event.

Held around part of the FI circuit through the streets of Monte Carlo, this year's spectacular takes place on October 8. Adam Graham competed last year in the junior ICA class with Energy karts.

- MARK WICKS 90

Caruso cruises SEVENTEEN year old Sydneysider Michael Caruso dominated round three of the Ford Max Challenge at Newcastle on the weekend.

“It all went to plan, we just wanted to get a good start and establish a gap. From there I just had to relax and get to the end of the race,” said Caruso.

After qualifying second to Mark Winterbottom, Caruso was never headed, winning all three heats, the pre-final and final in convincing fashion to become the most dominant driver in any round.

Qualifying proved to be the highlight of the weekend for Winterbottom, stealing top spot and five bonus points from Caruso, William Yarwood and Bryce Godfrey.

Series leader and winner of round two, Neil McFadyen,struggled with a disappointing 11th.

The pre-final and final were a demonstration of the grasp that Caruso has on the technicalities of the control chassis, engine and tyres, leading all but the first four laps of the pre-final.

Winterbottom threw out the challenge at the start of the pre final but could not hold Caruso off.

The threat of Yarwood disappeared as Caruso established a handy lead leaving Yarwood to battle for the minors with Jamie Whincup,

Caruising: Michael Caruso, above, was unstoppable while William Yarwood, right, gets closer as each round goes by.

Winterbottom and the improving McFadyen.

The final was almost a repeat of the prior events with Caruso leaving the field in his wake.

Whincup had gone the wrong way with set-up and faded away to eighth while Yarwood and McFadyen set chase to eventually gain second and third respectively.

Winterbottom had a lonely and frustrating race for fourth place while Tyson Pearce made a last lap lunge on Matthew Wall to come home fifth after qualifying lowly.

Caruso went on to record a 5.726s victory and became the series’ third winner from three rounds.

The series heads to Raleigh, NSW for round four on September 2-3.

Superkarting revievv AT the recent NSW Superkart titles, discussion on proposed changes to Superkart racing in Australia brought almost as much excitement to competi tors as the actual racing.

At the centre of the controversy is a proposal to dramatically alter the categories which currently comprise Superkart racing.

The proposal centres upon the replacement of lOOcc non gearbox karts with 125cc Max Karts as the new basic category to the sport and a rationalisation of most other categories.

This means the phasing out of the 80cc and 125cc classes. 250cc Nationals would also go, replaced by an as yet undecided class.

Preliminary discussions see a four stroke control format as the likely replacement for the National category.

A phasing in period of three

years is recommended, with the previous categories able to continue as club level from then on, with National titles only for the restructured three classes.

Many Superkart competitors are currently angry and more than a little dismayed by these decisions.

Furthermore, many are also confused by the misinformation that the decision was forced upon the committee by CAMS. This is not true, though CAMS supports the decision.

The decision of the National Committee is further disputed by the lack ofresearch undertaken prior to the proposal. There are currently only a small proportion of the total niunber of Superkarts actually racing, though no national survey heis been completed to find answers.

Superkart owners and competitors, particularly in the lOOcc and 80cc categories, will be

left with motors and perhaps chassis of little or no worth after the implementation phase. Finally, potential competitors are currently unsure as to whether they should commit to the sport or not, given this unstable climate.

It is also true that Superkarting has seen a decline in participation over recent years, though a move to restrict categories and make machinery obsolete, seems to be illfounded and fundamentally opposed to the concept of actually increasing the number of competitors.

A quick suiwey of drivers at Oran Park suggests that many would be lost to the sport. Further damaging is the perceived Tack of confidence’in the decision makers.

The handling of the entire proposal appears to have created further rifts in the sport.

- JOHN MORRIS

moiorspon news

NATIONAL

1

P

TESTING of tyres for the next three year tender period has heen concluded.

Various compounds and constructions were submitted by Bridgestone, Vega, Dunlop, MG and Maxxis for the four ‘categories’ of sprint karting which use control rabber, being National/Midget/ Rookie, Clubman, Formula Australia/Re'S§^, and Formula 100/Piston Port.

An announcement confirming

\ which tyi’es will be used in which class will be made later in the year.

Meanwhile, the AKA have issued the new contracted prices for the current nabber in the control tyre classes. The adjusted prices effective from July 1 include GST and the AKA lyre Royalty and are, per set: Dunlop SL4 - $248.24; Bridgestone YEQ - $172; Maxxis WT3 - $185.

- MARK WICKS

Going electric FOLLOWING the new trend in karting for self starting engines, comes news of the electric start PRD. Originally run as a traditional direct drive lOOcc piston valve engine, the PRD has undergone a re-design and features a new crankshaft and crank case to house the clutch and starter system.

The dutch engages at SOOOrpm The electric start PRD: and drums will be available with ^ varying sprocket sizes. Developed by Targeted overseas. (Hensheiwood) St George Kart Centre’s Peter Dell, the engine is around 1kg heavier than the standard PRD and should retail for around $2000 complete with carburettor, muffler, battery and charger.

The engine is mainly targeted for overseas markets, particularly the recreational market, with orders already in place from Japan and France. At this stage there are no plans to develop a water cooled version or to create another ‘experimental’ class for the engine in Australia.

- MARK WICKS

to cut classes

^t to go? 250cc National Superkarts could go, being replaced by an as yet ^named class.

(Pholo by John Morris/Mpix) 4 Augosl 2000

1

I Hunting for cash: Troy Hunt scooped the pools in Townsville and heading back to Italy $10,000 richer.

(Photo by Sean Henshelwood)

Troy Hunt’s

$10,000

HE came, he saw, and he took miraculous escape. He barrel off back to Italy with the rolled his kart, landed back on money. his wheels and continued!

Hunt won the re-start and from Troy Hunt returned to Australia to win the cash at the JJ there was never headed, setting fastest lap, before backing off McDonald & Sons Engineering $10,000 CIK feature at the pace but still winning by nearly seven seconds.

Townsville. The Top Kart factory Caruso appeared to have the driver doipinated the event, pace and the rubber from the qualifying fastest and winning comfortably having controlled the rear, but a collision with Andrew pace throughout the heats.

Tomlinson put them both out.

McLeod took a well earned Run for Formula A and second while Payne salvaged Intercontinental A combined, the third, some 22 seconds behind svent saw a mixture of reed and Hunt. Holden put in an rotary valve engines competing impressive run, hauling his bent together. With a $10,000 prize machine to fourth. riding on the final race, the leadIn the Junior Intercontinental A up heats became insignificant, class, APS Racing series leader some talking of not racing them.

While Hunt was fastest Andrew Thompson (Tony Kart) continued his run at the front qualifier. Regan Payne was with another impressive win, proving quick, having changed to although he was pressured by Vega tyres for this meeting, with Michael Caruso third. another of the Top Kart brigade, NSW’s Tim Slade.

The one set plus one spare Slade fell back at the tyre rule effectively turned the heats into demonstration races beginning of the final, allowing Thompson to build a healthy as Hunt controlled the pace and lead and go on to score the conserved rubber, although $5000 that went with victory.

Payne attacked in the early Slade pegged back the gap to stages and Caruso got up to win heat three. just under half a second by the final lap. This meant Vega Hunt then won the pre-final from Richard McLeod. Caruso scored a one-two as Bridgestone shod Grant claimed third, one broke a chain and would be second ahead of Kipper. relegated to the tail of the field for the final.

Hunt salvaged fifth, suffering an engine problem in his last The final was initially rerace in Juniors. Ryal Harris was gridded after McLeod was next, once again struggling to judged to have jumped the start find a fast set-up. over Hunt. Behind them Barclay - MARK WICKS Holden (Azzurro) had a

91

INDUSTRY NEWS

A Show with pepformance

THE Brisbane Convention Centre will host the 3rd annual Performance Racing Trade Show on the 15-17 September 2000.

Each year the show has been growing to become the premier performance trade show in Australia. Over 100 companies from across Australia and around the world will exhibit the very latest in performance equipment, cars, machinery and services covering all aspects of the performance industry.

Also on display will be over 40 vehicles and boats showcasing the best in performance motoring.

Technical seminars will be run over the 3 days covering a wide range of topics including‘New devlopments in Braking’,‘Race Piston & Ring Design’and ‘Valve Spring Design’.

You will also have an

Stone Bros Pirtek V8 Falcon Supercar or a ride in Victor Bray's wild blown Castrol 57 Chev burnout drag car.

Visit the Dick Johnson Performance Parts booth to win a tour of the Dick Johnson V8 Supercar Race Facility. Buses will be leaving from the show directly to the facility in Stapylton.

Friday and Saturday are restricted to trade personnel only.

Members of the Automotive industry including proprietors, mangement, employees, tradespeople, race teams etc, over the age of 17 and with trade identification will be granted admission.

Sunday is open to the public (and trade) and would be of great interest to the nsotoring enthusiast.

Motorsport News is proud to support the Performance Racing Trade Show. We will be at the

show with copies of the latest issue of Motorsport News, so come up and say hello and let us know what you think of our recent changes to your favourite magazine.

The show opens to the trade on Friday at 12 noon until 10pm, Saturday 10am to 7 pm and Sunday (public and trade) 10 am to 5 pm.

For information regarding attending the show or exhibiting your companies products and services contact the Performance Racing Trade Show on 07 5537 9955, fax 07 5537 7450 or visit the official website at www.performance-racing.com.

opportunity to test your skills in the Mitre 10 V8 Falcon Supercar Simulator. Mitre 10 driver Mark Larkham will also be making guest appearances throughout the

show.

Ifthe simulator gives you a

taste for more action, there are 3 chances to win hotlaps in the newly built Sprintcar 2 seater.

Go! Win a three lap ride in the Pirtek Falcon at the Performance (Photo by Melanie Brooker) Racing Trade Show.

Professional motor racing photographer, Dirk Klynsmith, is to host a tour to the Asian Le Mans Series, Race of a Thousand Years to be held in Adelaide December 28-31.

The tour gives race fans an opportunity to get a real insight into the behind the scenes world of motor racing. The package includes return airfares with Ansett, 5 nights accomodation with breakfast, transfers, 3 day Chicane grand stand pass and the tour is fully hosted by Dirk Klynsmith. For more information contact the S.A Travel centre on 07 3229 8533. n For the latest Subaru rally gear visit wvw.subaru.com.au.

You also have the chance to win $1,000 worth of Subaru gear or a trip to the Monte Carlo Rally. n A new website has been launched for the motor sport fan. www.revcounter.com contains results from all the major motorsport categories around the world. FI, Nascar, GP motorcycles, V8 Supercars and more. n www.carshine.com au, is a great site which displays the latest auto accessories from Lorinser, lender, Foliatec and many more.

Shoe! appoints GMP

GMP Racing Products has announced their recent appointment as the exclusive Victorian dealer for SHOEI motorsport helmets.

Each of the four helmets in SHOEFs motorsport range boasts its own unique features and comes with the mandatory Snell SA95 approval.

■The open face ZRJ-IOIVN allows the use of eyewear such as goggles or glasses while maintaining complete visibility and comfort.

The RF-4V is the first in the range of full face helmets, offering a wide eyeport, adjustable cooling vents and impact absorbing materials (EPS) in the chinbar area for complete protection.

The aerodynamic design and narrow eyeport of the Xi 4V make it the preferred choice of top drivers.

The X-4WV completes the SHOEI range, delivering all the benefits of the X-4V, only with a larger eyeport.

SHOEI helmets are 92

available in many sizes and prices start at $480 for the open face, and $590 for the full face RF-4V. You’ll find the complete range of SHOEI helmets, and a huge range parts and safety equipment at GMP Racing Products - 37A Fenton St, Oakleigh Vic or phone 03 9543 6222.

VT Coupe Released

The VT Commodore Coupe has been released as a 1:43 scale die-cast model.

The VT Coupe was unveiled by Holden at the Sydney Internetional Motorshow in 1998.

Intended as a design and marketing study, the car was to be utilised by Holden market researchers to guage consumer attitudes and preferences.

Although a design study, the VT Coupe was far from being a concept car. Using existing tooling the VT Coupe was easily producible. Such was the reaction to the car that Holden announced

it was considering manufacturing the car for release in 2001.

Produced by Autoart and distributed by Biante Enterprises the VT Coupe model is a detailed and faithful reproduction of the original car unveiled in 1998. The attention to detail is excellent, which includes a colour interior and fully detailed undercarriage.

With a hmited production these models are set to become much sought after collectors items. To secure your piece of Australian motoring history contact Pitstop Models on 03 9743 1100 or email pitstop@lexicon.com.au.

moiorsport news

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Commodore Cup #44, '99 spec car, new front end still in box. Heaps of spares, urgent sale. Best offer. Ph 02 9528 8392 or 0414 867 201. is6

Monaco HQ 2 door, new 5lt injected engine.

Super TIO 4 spd, 9" LSD, Corvette 4 spot caiipers and rotors. Drop tank, 6 point roli cage with intru sion bars, foil Autometer dash, Porsche seats, fuii harness both seats, custom fabricated coii over. Suit race or road. $14,000. Ph 0419 719 179 or 07 5428 7384. is6 EL Falcon, Ciub Car spffis, coil over suspension, 4 spot Volvo calipers, 12" rotors front, alum fuel tank, fresh 351 Cleveland steel crank, Carillo rods, Wiseco pistons, A3 aluminium heads, roller cam, approx SOOhp. Eight new tyres & wheels. Tech inspected with log book. $22,000. Ph 0419 719 179 or 07 5428 7384. 186

Godzilla Junior, 1993 Nissan Skyline GTS-Turbo coupe, manual, 200kW, factory pearl red, 16x8 wheels, 3" exhaust, competition suspension, many modifications, full compliance with 12mths rego, road or race. $25,200. Ph 02 9522 0763 or 0417 455 63.S.-IM-

1-

● 9=

HG Monaco Gcoup Nc, high HP 350 Chev (dyno sheets available). Body sandblasted, seam welded.

Steel roll cage, Tilton peddle box. Tilton triple plate clutch, autometer gauges, Zinner gearbox. Car built by Raven Motorsport, no expense spared.

Best prepped touring car at Phillip Island Histories. $60,000 ono. Ph Jeremy 0418 545 185 or 03 9425 9443. ibs

Subaru Impreza WRX Group A, good HP engine recently rebuilt. Roller bearing turbo, just serviced.

New paddle clutch, just assembled steel gear set, S.T.I. diffs, new quick rack 2.1, Bilsteins, fuel cell 80 litre A.T.L, Corbeau seats, 3" Willans, Motec M4, anti-lag, water spray, 7" Compormotive x 24. $NZ 50,000.Ph Dennis Lukies 0064 4 902 7232 bh or 0064 4 904 2348 ah. las

mg Midget, sportscar 1973. Rare round wheel arch, in excellent condition. RCW. $9800. Ph 03 5436 1223. m

h'.

Holden HQ 1971 sedan, 3 spd man, 202, mech Al, perfect chassis, small rust in panels, suit rebuild for HQ racing. $800. Ph 03 9873 0201 or 0417 560 784. i66 Club Car Capri V6, highly developed race car, spares - engine, wheels and panels (convert to Group N). Ph John 03 9801 9907 or Neii 0418 517 257. 166

21 luiy 2000

VN Club Car, fresh 5 It, EFi, steel cage, T-5, 3.9 locked diff, VT brakes, log book, heaps of poten tial. $13,700 ono. Ph 0417 061 990 or 02 9624 8640. 185

IfS.WWIi

Mazda RX3, 12A large extend port, 4sp, 13x7 Hotwires, 6 point cage, seam welded shell, Koni shocks, modified brakes, race" seat & harness, spares, 13B PP, 121 5 sp, panels, lots more. $5500.

Ph 03 5358 2526 or 0428 519 311. is5 ■

A

Historic Hillman Imp, raced UK, NZ, Aust. 998cc full race motor, heaps of gear ratios & 2 final drives. Highly competitive. Very rare and attractive car, log book. Targa ready. $8000. Ph 0418 742 837 or 07 3267 7210. i86

1996,97,98 4AGE 190hp. TRD close ratio box, Motec M4 pro, Quaif 4,4 diff, Centreline rear rose jointed, WA reg, custom trailer. $35,000 ono. See www.customcolour.com.au/racecarsale. Ph 03 9699 8533. m

centres, 2 sets Hoosiers, spare engine, front springs etc. Potential Nc front runner. Trailer available $46,500. Ph 03 9696 5800 or 0418 318 934. 185

Escort Mkll Sports Sedan, 2L, Pinto, Supra 5 speed, Supra rear end, MX5 locked diff, fully adjustable front suspension, complete with spares $6000. Ph 0418 280 480. iss

«

-W-

i

Westfield Clubman, MSCA Sprint champ winner

Mustang Grp N, Big HP fully sorted, top $ spent.

2 sets wheels 3 diff ratios + Detroit & GoldTrak

VW Beetle 1963, recon 1300 engine, very good and original condition, always garaged, rust free, 2nd owner, unreg (2/2000), new tyres. $1200 ono. Ph 02 9953 4826. las

Escort Mk II Sports Sedan, 2L Pinto, Supra 5 speed, Supra rear end, MX5 locked diff, fully adjustable front suspension, complete with spares. $6000. Ph 0418 220 480 186 Club Car TE Cortina, 4.1 6 cyl 350 hp, top loader, HQ/XB front brakes XF rear, very quick & reliable car, Oran Park 50s, comes complete ready to race with spares and trailer, serious offers considered.

Ph Ken after 5pm 02 9605 7517. i66 Commodore Group C, new engine, box and clutch. Al, mint condition with original log book. $35,000. Ph 03 5762 5541 or 0418 144 783. i86 Mazda RX7 Group C, ex-Murray Carter. Al con dition, original log book, spare set wheel & more. $17,500. Ph 03 5762 5541 or 0418 144 783. i66

absolutely free

accepted (marked with a ●) and must be prepaid at the following per issue rates: $5 per 10 words

0 Off Road, prepared Nova, Full weld-in rollcage, Konis, strengthened, log book, excellent condi tion, only one event Fiat twin cam motor, cheap road, race, rally reece car, long rego. $3000. Ph 02 4969 2593. las

2 issues*

Porsche 911 1971, red, later model bumpers, resprayed, retrimmed, bigger cross drilled & ventiilated brakes (front), 2.4L, 5 speed, Sony CD player, carbies just rebuilt, good clean condition. $33 OOo'ono.

Ph 02 4774 2267. iS6

Porsche 911, Hamilton's service history, manual, red, 1976 model. Australian complianced. $35,000. Ph 07 5530 6228. las HQ racer, QLD top 10, new diff, box, suspension, brakes, two pak paint, $5200. Ph 07 5520 4855. las Ford Sierra Cosworth, 1988 Sapphire, 4 door version. All options, never raced and in great condition. $28,000. Ph 07 3814 3762. iss

1964 Austin Healey Sprite Mk2A, ex-Alby Middleton race car now converted to fun road car.

1 lOOcc motor fitted with Wade cam. Weber car burettor, stiff suspension. Less than 50,000 miles since new. More than $2000 just spent on mechanical overhaul (receipts). $8500 Ph/fax 03 5439 5296. las Holden 'HQ Series' race car. Recently repainted, strong engine, good tyres, some spares, ready to race. /Assistance to purchaser, ind sponsorship in S.A. $4800. Ph 0418 842 750. las

Must sell. Missus' car in rain, no room! 12A turbo 5 speed. Won class Bathurst 1975. Log book, $10,500. Will trade E30 BMW parts. Ph 03 6394 3541 or 0407 543 006. les

Lotus Esprit S4, ex-Lotus Cars Australia, factory built race car, Motec engine management system, AP calipers, firebomb, dry break filler etc. CAMS log book, ideal Targa/race car, can be registered. $68,500. Ph 0418 545 185. las Jaguar XJS V12, Ssp manual, 370hp, new engine. Wolf injection, big brakes, adjustable suspension, daily driver, looks std except 8-in wheels. Lot of spares. $11,000. Ph 08 9332 7349. las

Nissan GTR Godzilla, twin turbo, Nismo-equiped HR32 model, ABS brakes, 4WD, 4WS, traction control, 10 stack CD, air con, elec windows, cen tral locks. Any inspection invited. $39,000. Ph 0418 752 348 or 07 5530 6228. i65

RX7 Sports Sedan, 138 PP, 300hp, 5 spd turbo gearbox, alloy roll cage, spoilers and flares, 10 & 12 wheels, Volvo disc brakes, loa book, $9999 ono'. Ph 03 9742 9526 bh or 03 9708 0992. i8s

OS

Open Wheelers

nets, ratios, '94 update, spare '90 bodywork, 3rd in '98 NSW series. $15,900 ono. Ph 02 4774 2267. to

m I

iwa;

●Irr-*—'

%

r..Formula Ford Van Diemen RF86, Fresh engine, no race miles, car in good condition, full set ratios, 3 sets tyres, many spares, ful^ enclosed trailer. $15,000 ono. Ph 03 5250 5158 or 0407 432 378. to Formula Ford Van Dieman RF92, immac condi tion, rebuilt for 21300 GP, new uprights, brakes & discs. Winner 97/98 NSW state championship, lap records at Bathurst & Wakefield Park. Complete with Lamer engine, Ohiin adjustable shocks. /Lstratech data logger with all info on NSW tracks. $22,500. Ph Stewart 0418 489 518. i86 Go Karts, Azzurro M6H, 40ml axle, KT1005, $3000, Azzurro M5CIK, 35ml axle, KTIOOJ, $2200, wet tyres for both. Trailer, stands, trolleys, pit shelter, many spares, complete p_ackage $6000. Ph Ray Ingram 03 5143 0896

Arrow AX5 Ultima, 3 meetings old. J&R Clubman

heads, flow 637hp, sheet available. Just revamped

by HSD $2750. Delorto 4x48mm on Chev mani fold with linkages, regulator, pressure gauge & braided lines. $1750. Ph 03 5762 5541 or 0418 144 783. 186

& new spare engine, stand, trolley, Digitach etc. As new condition. $2950 the lot. Ph 02 6943 1468. to Go kart, Swiss Hutless, RTIOOJ motor, not raced

Mazda 5 speed, Holinger gearbox, $2900. LSD 4.8 diff $1400. 13 inch 8x10 wets and slicks. Ph 03 9792 9526 bh or 03 9708 0992. is6

for 3 years in good condition, suit beginner, urgent sale. $1200 ono. Ph 03 5429 6868. iss

VW flywheel, balanced and doweled pin to suit 1' box $160. Berg push rods with oil squirters, top of line to suit Type 4 2 Itr $100. Ph 02 6655 5715 or 0409 125 965. las Gearbox, G/Force 5 speed dogbox, exV85upercar, has done little work, includes ratio sets and quick shifter. Rated 800hp, originally designed for Trans-Am series. $9200 ono. Ph RD Motorsport 02 4969 2593 or 0414 864 120. to EL Ford lightweight shell, brand new, genuine, with all panels including a demister windscreen. $3500. Ph 08 8250 1903 AH or 0427 501 903. to

Go kart, Swiss Hutless Maximo, 5 meetings since new, McAuley KTSlOO tacho, trolley, sprockets, driving suit plus enclosed trailer. $4000. Ph 03 9590 9196. 185

Reynard 92D, competitive car, Sandown 500 win ner. Good HP engine with spares including wings, wheels, ratios etc. Traitor also available. $55,000. Ph Owen Osborne 0417 320 866. to

Go Kart, PCR Jaguar with Stones blueprinted Yamaha KTlOOs and Powermac exhaust. 40mm rear axle, front caster/camber adjusters. Selling to graduate to the ReSa class. Ph 02 9639 0959. to Formula Libre, Kawasaki fuel injected 1 lOOcc for hillclimbs and sprints. Spares, moulds, setup, jigs etc. Fully enclosed tapdem trailer. $9600. Ph Lee 03 5332 6900. to

1951 Cooper JAP MkV, Group Lb. Ex-Tom Hawkes, Stan Jones, Bill Patterson. 1 of Australia's most highly credentialled Historic race cars.

Australian Hillclimb Champ 1954, winner of 1 st F3 race in Oz. 500cc JAP Speedway engine, Norton gearbox, a rare piece of Australian motor racing heritage. Ph/fax 03 5439 5296. iss

Tony Kart, 30x40, winner Australian and NSW championships, Yamaha super heavy. $2700. Ph 02 9838 4944. to Class 1 Rimco Buggy, all Chrome Moly construc tion SR20 Turbo Engine, G50 Box Autronic injec tion, PWR intercooler. Sold complete with all spares, rims & tyres. Immaculate presented vehi cle. $40,000. Ph Phil 0419 252 898. to

Tony Kart, 30x40, pole 2000 Australian Championships, Clubman Super Heavy. Raced once only $2850. Ph 02 9838 4944. to

Formula Ford Van Diemen RF87, with '89 body work. Ex-Brett Francis car comes complete with pan els and moulds. Spares package available incl hillclimb ratios, $11,900. All offers considered. Ph 0414 915 267 or 07 3806 5056. .86

Kosmic junior kart, rolling chassis, qualified sixth at Nationals. 2 meetings old, suit new kart buyer. $3000.

Ph Brendan 0428 519 423. to NG Elfin Formula Vee, competitive, top HP Elliot engine, just rebuilt. Complete with box trailer and spares $10,000. Will separate car $8500. Trailer $1500. Ph 03 9804 7642 or 03 9884 5675. >65

1963 Elfin Catalina, Group M. Ex-David McKay Scuderia Veloce as driven by Greg Cusack. 1500cc pushrod Ford. 5-spd gearbox, front 'discs, eligible also for F.Junior. Excellent condition and in original Scuderia Veloce colours. Sparingly used. $40,000.

Ph/fax Brian Reed 03 5439 5296 ibs

C.R.D. 852 Formula Two, eligible for Historic Group R, full race history available, paper work ready for CAMS, very reliable, fresh Ford engine, Hewland gearbox , mounted wets, spare ratios, suspension, engine parts. $14,500 ono. Ph.0417 851 716 or 03 9878 9515 AH . .86 Reynard 90F Formula Ford, complete, spare cor-

Subaru STi, close ratio g/boxes x 2. Both freshly rebuilt for 2000 season. Both Group N ratios.

POA. Ph 0419 800 684. ibb Wheels, BBS 14x17", 2 sets. $2500 a set. Tyres, brand new 355x700x17 $300 each. Ph 03 5762 5541 or 0418 144 783. to Gearbox, close ratio 4 speed, straight cut, Tranex, just rebuilt with new parts, suitable smaller Ford to 300hp. Ph 0419 335 670 or 03 9696 9147. to Tyres, brand new slicks.

270x680x17, 280x680x17, 290x680x17, 280x670x17. Brand new wets, 280x60x17. $300 each. Ph 03 5762 5541 or 0418 144 783, ise Body panels, side panels to suit Van Diemen RF86, new, $600. Side panels & radiator panels, suit Van Diemen RF85. New. $600 per set. Ph 0414 731 788. lae

Formula Ford 'Swift SC97K, all latest factory upgrades, rolling chassis or with engine. Will trade. Ph 0418 327 155. .86

ASP 340B Clubman, chassis #1, genuine 340B racing clubman with original log book and history.

Totally unique, only road registered racing ASP, therefore eligible numerous classes. $POA Ph 08 8264 2948 .bs

Hydraulic clutch, bell housing, complete to fit a Holinger gearbox. Suit Group A Commodore or Sports Sedan. $2600.- Ph 02 4736 7826. las 3 19-inch snake tongue, touring car rims, centrelock. German made, good condition. Regret sale, $600. Ph 02 6655 5715 or 0409 125 965. to Mag wheels, set 5 Mitsubishi Station Turbo, also fit Datsun. $250. Ph 03 5338 1155. to Rotary PP racing piugs. Champion N80 and N555Q, equivalent to NGK BIO EGV and B9EGV. 50 plugs cost $750, sell for $250. Ph 08 8357 2319. 186 Hawk Carbon Metallic, brake pads, suit

Parts Historic 1976 Zinc Z10 F/Ford, CAMS tog book & certificate of description. Alloy wheels, very roomy and easy car to drive. $25,000. Ph Chris 03 9736 1021. TO

1 Group A 2 stage, dry sump oil tank. Hardly used with modified oil stick and breather out lets. $500 ono. Ph 02 6655 5715 or 0409 125 965. 186

Harrop brake kit, complete to bolt on to Commodore VB-VN $2500. Auscar style fuel cell SOL $400, Super T10 Z ratio, complete to fit 308 $2500. Ph 03 9432 9482 or 0418 500 287. to 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". $600. Ph 08 8357 2319. to Head and carbies, Chev Pontiac 21 degree bare

Wilwood Superlite & Dynalite calipers. Black & blue compound. $100/set. Ph 03 9435 5407 after 7pm or 0408 435 010. i8s Chev bowtie block, CNC, 4.125" bore. $3000.

Ph 08 9452 2808. iss Group A rims, one set in top condition five stud pattern $2000 Ph 02 4736 7826. las Tyres and rims, Dunlop slicks to suit Sports Sedan 310/650R16 on 280 rims 325/700R16 on 300 rims 50% tread $1800. Ph 02 4736 7826 les Four platform scales, $1200. Affco rear leaf springs $150, coils from $50 to $85. 175, 250, 275, 450, rear ram for power steering $150. Ph 02 4572 5949. las Edelbrock Victor, water pump, dyno time $250.

Yella Terra lightened flywheel, brand new $360, both suit Cleveland. Ph 0418 247 011 bh or 02 6291 5605 ah. iss Cosworth 1300 conrods, 4.414" CRS. $800 for 4. Also Cosworth pistons BA0125. $800 for 4. Ph Ken 03 9796 4588 bh. ibs New 5.7 Eagle rods, to suit Chev $600. New 660 centre squiter Holley $560. MSD 7AL2 system box & dizzy to suit Ford, new $900 + other parts, Ph 0419 188 010. 185 Weber twin carbys, 48mm IDF on four barrel manifold adaptor plate with linkages. Suit any V8 Group C type, brand new. $850. Ph 03 9874 0081 or 0409 952 732. les Mazda 5 speed Holinger, gearbox $2900. LSD 4.8 diff $1400, 12 inch 8x10 wets and slicks. Ph 03 9792 9526 bh or 03 9708 0992 ah. ibs Escort RS1600 parts. Atlas full floating axle assembly, alloy hubs, 2 piece large spline axles.

Send us your classified ads and we’ll run them far FREE* CatCflOIH: □ Sedans □ Open Wheelers □ Speedway DDrag □ Parts □ Engines □ Trailers □ Wanted □ Photographs □ Other.

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NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS Please use the form provided and print clearly. Please note we are unable to return photographs used in classified ads. Ads will appearas soon as possible after receipt. *FREE Classifieds are for the sale of private goods and vehicles only, not business advertising (Trade advertisers see Classifieds header for rates). Photos marked 'proof'’ will not be used.

moiorspart nsws

MarNeiplace 53" axles, 2F LSD centre set up for coil overs. Very rare. $3150. Ph 08 8278 5988. .as 0 Air jacks, new/used, large ranae, most applica tions, quick release handles available, top quality.

C.C.I. Ph 0418 925 767.

plete or separate, never bent, low mileage, quali ty equipment. Parts, complete front end, alum Carrera shocks, 2xfully adjustable ARS shocks, set sweaded radius rods. POA. Ph 02 9875 1041. iss

» Clutches, 7.25, 5.5, 5.0 singie, twin, triple piate, sintered or carbon, AP-Tilton-QM, new/used. Spare covers, rings, plates also avail able. C.C.I. Ph 0418 925 767.

Single axle trailer, suit Formula Vee, built in ramps, mech brakes, new tyres & lights. $450 ono. Ph 03 9435 7082. to 1995 Freightliner FLC112 series 60, Detroit, 470hp, 18 speed road ranger, 40" bunk, cruise control, UHF & CB. $100,000. Ph 0407 359 828. to

0 Brake calipers, discs, pads. Mega range, new/used, exc condition - AP, Alcon, Brembo, Outlaw, Willwood. Overnight delivery. C.C.I. Ph 0418 925 767.

0 Pedals, brake/clutch, floor mount/hanging, new/sued. Also available, bias valves, bias cables, master cylinders, reservoirs etc. C.C.I. Ph 0418 925 767.

Topolino Altered, body only, inc tin, windows, hatch, painted. Vinyl lettering, tested to 198mph. $1950 ono. Ph 03 9359 9769 or 0404 466 403. 186

l Hewland, DGB, 5 speed transaxle, top condi tion, new 9:31 CWP, ratio'choices and spares available, $14K ratios, over 300 in stock to suit DGB, GFGB, TPT, FT200. C.C.I. Ph 0418 925 767.

XE Falcon, tubbed, roll cage, hornet seats, all steel & glass. Could be street registered, 9" braced, coil over shocks, Cragar stars 15x3 front, 15x10 Mickey Thompson street & 15x12 slicks rear. Bob Grant power glide, 351 Nascar block, Ross custom made pistons. New paint. $16,000. Ph 0419 719 179 or 07 5428 7384. to

C Oil coolers - heat exchangers, Earls, Setrab, Serck, 6-70 row, new/used, also used water to oil heat exchangers, over 100 in stock. C.C.I. Ph 0418 925-757. 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. C.C.I. Ph 0418 925 767.

n

Race car transporter, 28 foot long, suit 1 touring car or 2 F/Eords. $16,000. Ph Mike Quinn 02 4774 0045. TO

Transporters/Trallers

rockers, pushrods, all top quality, exc condition.

C.C.I. Ph 0418 925 767. l Radiators, aluminium, new/used, single/dual pass, top quality, large range, various sizes, suit all applications, from $300. C.C.I. Ph 0418 925 767.

Speedway

Super Sedan Camaro, new paint/Rayburn copy chassis, 6 cyl Holden leaf rear end, Toyota diff. autometer gauges. Commodore body and Camaro panels, board, rego, trailer 7ft x 16ft, new paint. $7200 ono. Ph 02 6352 2773 or 0408 635 479. is6 Schnee, Maxim copy Sprintcar. All the best running gear, everything less engine. $16,000. Ph Nathan Macdonald 0419 756 212. las Super Sedan, 82 Camaro, top B grade car, 327 Chev, methanol, wide 5 with McCrearys, with car trailer & spares. $9500. Ph 07 5494 5240. to Wrecking Super Sedan, Rayburn copy chassis with Camaro body, quick change diff, all shocks & springs, rims with bead locks, front hubs & stubs and much more. Ph Jason 0418 861 224. ise

m

f

Mitsubishi FMS1S dual cab, 1985 model.

274,000kms, race car transporter, excellent condi tion, dual cab, nothing to be done. Long range fuel tanks, chassis tool boxes both sides, highway diff, alum bull bar, built in air compressor. Much, much more. $65,000. Ph 08 8523 4944 or 0418 831 282. 1B6

Custom Ford F150 1989, dual fuel & auto gas, P/S, /VC, running boards, very tidy unit. $22,500.

Ph 02 6887 2730. iss

Nissan UD transporter, alloy Pantec 20ft x 8ft, work bench, winch, long range tanks, under belly storage, 6 seater, 240 volt wired, new paint work, rego UNP 443. $15,000 ono. Ph 08 8564 2048 or 0419 808 537. ise Go kart trailer, holds 2 karts. Reg 9/2000 $600, Ph 0414 705 353 or 02 9974 5493. to UD 84 CMA 86, turbo, long range fuel tank, 18ft pan, ramps, 240V, winch, tyre & shocker racks, good condition, $10,900. Ph 03 5594 3288. to 38ft transporter, 2 car ex-Super Touring team.

Winch, heaps of storage, 240V power, ready to go, excellent condition. $20,000. Ph 02 4577 2779 or 0407 272 165. to

Ford 1996 F350 crew cab, dually fully loaded xlt 7.3ltr power stroke turjjo diesel. Automatic Alcoa wheels, side steps, factory black, low kms, $69,500. Ph 03 5176 1355 or 0418 514 444. 185

Crew cab dually, 454 auto, power steering, LPG (lOOL) 150L fuel tank, truck and trailer $25,000.

Will separate, can organise delivery anywhere in Australia. Ph 0403 274 551 or 08 9272 9201. iss

406 Ivan Walker engine, cast dart heads, Correlo rods, Yella Terra roller rockers, Cosworth pistons, Victor Jnr manifold. Rale sump, ready for street, drag or race. $7500. Ph Jason 0418 861 224. 186

Production Sedan TE Cortina, adj suspension, p/s

n

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Super Sedan Camaro, built by Danny Smith. Aust #1 1998, two seasons old, proven car, too much to mention. Sell complete, ready to race. Ph 03 5176 1355 or 0418 514 444. las Super Sedan, late model Camaro, new body, good 350 Brodix heads, roller cam, Vertix magne to & new trailer. No local racing. $15,000. Ph 07 4957 7698. iss Speedcar clearance sale. Stealth Midget com-

4 AugDSI2000

Roll cage. To suit Mk 1 Escort. Racing seat and 4 point harness, also front spoiler. Ph 03 5877 5825. to 1 pair Weber, 40mm IDF carbies for VW. Ph 03 5261 6044. 186 Ford Trader or Mazda T3500, dual cab with 350 Chev or 351 Ford. On gas, no mst, must be cheap. Ph Jason 08 8261 6672. to Torana racing rims (U), 15x10 and front racing spoiler. Both to suit Sports Sedan. Email ixia@21century.com.au. Ph 0407 044 847. ise Two JE pistons, or similar. 13.5:1 comp, 3.48 stroke + .035. Ph Jason 08 8261 6672. to Tyres, used but good cond slicks wanted to suit Clubman. 195x490 and 230x550x13" cross ply. Ph 0418 804 620. to Minichamps models, David Brabham Simtek & Alan Jones' FW07 Williams. Ph John 0418 858 788 or 08 8522 2276 AH. to Chev S/B, air flo research head (one). Ph Gary 08 9249 1466 or 0408 417 036. to Suzuki Stockman or Sierra, or Holden Drover ute wanted. Any considered. Ph Gail 03 5334 6364. to Shock absorbers, lightweight, adjustable coll over shock absorbers to suit Clubman. Ph 02 9954 4277. iss

inflines

and_reduction box, 3 speed g/box with race clutch.

Quick, competitive car with spares. $4500 ono. Ph 03 5024 7218 or 0417 504 799. to

Chev, one set S/B Corvette aluminium, fully recoed heads, new guides, springs, retainers, valves 2.02 x 1.60 ported. Ph 08 8249 1466. to Mazda turbo diesel B2200, complete refresh or convert your own motor. Two units, one with turbo, one without. $500 both. Can deliver Sydney metro area. Test drive available, ideal for towing. Ph 0417 454 676. las Cleveland 357, balanced, 4Vs, mech cam, Edelbrock manifold, roller rockers, super pan, set up to run unleaded. Dynoed 440hp, low kms. Ph .0418 247 01 bh or 02 6291 5605 ah. iss Escort exhaust manifolds, genuine Lotus T/C $350, RS2000 Group 1 cast manifold/downpipes $450, Group 2 RS2000 3 piece, 1 7/8" primary $425, cus tom Pinto pipes FF2000. Ph 08 8278 5988. 185 Escort RS2000, 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. to

Wanieil Chevrolet Silverado 1994, 6.5ltr turbo diesel, extra cab, dually electric brakes, Sucken goose neck hitch, P/S, A/C, cruise control, running boards, captins chairs, very tidy hauling unit. $67,500. Ph 02 6887 2730. las

9 Uprights, fabricated/cast, fronts/rears, various sizes, new/used, also CVs, driveshafts, wishbones,

Holden 330 stroker, forged pistons, cam dynam ics HYD cam, roller rockers. Crane springs & retain ers. Balanced, ported, Edelbrook manifold & carb. $3000. Ph 0419 719 179 or 07 5428 7384. iss

Transporter, tri axle, all wheel brakes, in excellent condition, 6.7m long x 2.45m wide with full size annex, work bench and fridge. 240/12V power with electric winch. Ph 0413 878 516 or 08 8293 5802. TO Transporter, 1992 Isuzu NPR 200 chassis, cus tom made “all alloy” tray with lockable toolboxes under, hidden ramps, custom made 175lt fuel tank, 3.9lt Turbo Diesel, 5spd with electronic Hi/Low range splitter, /VC, P/S, Electric Windows, Low Prof, tyres, new trim, Rad/Cass, Regularly serviced. Stunning truck, low kms $30,000 ono.

Ph 07 55966676 or 0427 704 219. TO Isuzu Pantech, 86 with 22' pan, belly lockers, bull bar, nose cone, 240V wiring, 10x6m annex, benches. Very economical. $18,000. Ph 02 9838 4944. TO 1985 Mitsubishi Canter, 17ft enclosed, back electric winch, ramps, tyre rack and bench. Duel fuel tanks etc. $7000. Ph 07 3494 5240. to

Holden 202 turbo engines, x3. Nissan SR 20 alloy block and heads. Ph 03 5762 5541 or 0418 144 783. 186 Formula Ford race engines, one complete front running national engine $4000 ono. One short motor, top 10 national quality $1500 ono. Both low kms since rebuild. Call for more info. Ph 0419 895 692. 186 Cleveland 347ci, off-set grind crank, Chev U Bill Miller alloy rods, groot filled block, Ross HP coated pistons, flat lappet comp cam, HP coated 4V heads, all titanium valve train, comp cams lifters and springs. 630 hp. $15,000. Ph 0419 719 179 or 07 5428 7384. to Chev 350, steel crank, Carillo steel rods, Wisco pis tons, Summer Bros gear drive, roller cam, fluid damper ballancer, raised runner bow-tie heads, bow-lie single 4 barrell manifold, roller renders, magnetic pick-up dizzy, all new internals. $18,000.

Ph 0419 719 179 or 07 5428 7384. to

Videos, V8 Superstars telecast 4/6/00, V8 AMSCAR series 1997, any touring car races pre 1994. Ph Terry 03 9725 6344. to

Ollier Alfa Romeo, showroom sales brochures, various models, Giulietta Sprint, Alfa Sud GTV, Alfa 75 33 16V. $3 each plus postage. Glossy, exc condition.

Ph Gail 03 5334 6364 AH. to Hot rod, fibreglass body oniy, 1934 Ford Roadster with guards, running boards, grill, dash, bonnet, com plete. $5000. Ph 0419 179 719 or 07 5428 7384. to Kit car, fibreglass body only, Lamborghini Countach. $2000, Ph 0419 719 179 or 07 5428 7384. to Ferrari artwork, Villeneuve Monaco '81, Mansell '89, Irvine '99 Aust GP, 1st win in glass frame. $250 the lot. Ph 02 9804 7223 before 5pm. Plus bonus Ferrari M Schumacher model, to Great Race books, no 5 (85), 6(86), 7(87), 8 (88), also original Great Race book (1960-1980). Excellent condition. Ph Anthony 08 8351 4801 ah. to Australian Motor Racing Yearbooks, Nos 10, 11, 12, 13. $15 each plus postage. Ph Tony 02 4981 7323 or email - tony@netexcel.net.au ise Rally tyres, 40 of. 195 x 65 x 15 Dunlop 84-R, Kevlar side walls, little use. Ideal for speedway or clubman rallying. Ph 0419 800 684. to Langr range of, motoring magazines inc full set Sports Car World, Racing Car News and many 1000s of others. Also motoring books. Ph 08 9279 7003 or fax 08 9377 3939. to Tool chest, limited edition Harley Davidson 95th Anniversary. Brand new. $5500. RRP $7200. Ph 03 5766 4218 or 0417 581 976. to Melbourne Grand Prix, number plates.

Collectors item, 301 GP $2000 or best offer. Must sell. Ph 03 5391 3016 or 0419 300 908. i8s Great Race Video, Vol 2 (1967-1974). $25 ono, Ph0417 163 193. TO 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. iss

91

OPINION

motorsport

nBws

EDITORIJIl STIFF Editor; Phil Branagan Assistant Editor: Gerald McDornan Staff Journalist Aaron Noonan .

PRODUCTIOH Adv & Graphics Co-ordinator: Viv Brumby RDVERTISINB Advertising Manager: Brendon Sheridan RDMIMISTRHION Managing Director: Chris Lambden CONTieTS 89 Orrong Crescent North Caulfield Vic 3161 (PO Box 1010 North Caulfield Vic 3161) Ph:03 9527 7744 Fax: 03 9527 7766 Email: msnews@ozemail.com.au CONTRIBUTORS General: Grant Nicholas, Danvl Flack, Tony Glynn, Mark Jones, Jon Thomson FI: Joe Saward, Adam Cooper Europe: Quentin Spurring, Gary Watkins US: Phil Morris Speedway: Brett Swanson, Julie Pearce, Geoff Rounds, Wade Aunger,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) National: Mark Wicks, Sean Henshelwood, Graeme Burns, John Morris, Michael Shaw 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 Morris/Mpix, Frank Midgley, John Bosher, Lynley Reid, Mike Patrick (UK), Daniel Wilkins, Wayne Nugent, Peter French, Chris Carter Artist: Bernie Waish 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.

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

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Mick Molloy doesn’t write though ...

where the sun doesn’t shine!

Good luck Russell with future races. We hope you win

Perhaps the forecast court battle between AVESCO and

the ‘big one’.

CAMS highlights the difference between showbiz and sport.

V8 Supercars are great arcade game-type shows,just like World Championship Wrestling. You coudd hardly call it a sport or of any use in the development or technical evaluation of motor transport.

Perhaps it is time to divide into two different and separate operations. AVESCO could go for broke with the Holden v Ford category and V8 Lites at separate meetings, reverse grid, demolition derbies, compulsory pitstop to change the drivers underwear or whatever.

The real sport categories like GTP series production. Nations Cup, open wheelers, etc could then have their own.meetings to satisfy the other market.

Maybe, if a smarter bunch than Seven had been involved we could now be watching two different types of racing on two different channels...

By the way, is.Queensland Raceway the most boring circmt in the world? If only they had spent all that money on toilets for Lakeside.

Tony Martin Mountain Creek, QLD

Andrew and Cameron Ogar Whyalla Norrie, SA

OP observations Having seen the racing at Oran Park on the weekend and the ‘attempt’from AVESCO to reverse the grid, I have but one thing to say.

Reverse the whole lot!

More on the new ...

I’d just like to say ‘absolutely first class Motorsport News’to the new format.

Secondly, hear, hear to Russell Ingall’s comments to Jamie Purcell’s letter(MN #183).

I have been a motor sport fans since I was young boy, growing up with legends like Peter Brock, Cohn Bond and Allan Moffat, in an era I regards as the golden age of Australian motor sport.

Now in my 30s, married with two sons, I am still hooked. My eldest son, Cameron(who is five) thinks Russell is the best.'

I always say the best things to come out of South Austraha are Coopers Beers, Holden cars and Russell Ingall. So Jamie Purcell, you can shove your comments

Six cars isn’t a reversed grid, it’s merely an inverted pack of Holdens.

Skaife still fought his way through to be overall first on the day so the whole field has to be reversed for the proper effect.

The good guys will still work their way to the front(Canberra was a perfect example) and the ones who can’t cope with it obviously aren’t champion material!

Make the races a little bit longer to give the good guys time to work their way through and you have racing which will prove good television viewing.

As long as Greg Rust doesn’t yell over the top of it hke he currently does, the race will be worth watching.

Joel Lucas Cobden, Vic

Can’t help but wonder ...

Having just watched the horrific Mark Larkham/Paul Morris crash at Oran Park(on the fantastic Network 10 telecast), I couldn't help but wonder what might have happened had the Russell Ingall/Mike Imrie incident panned out a httle differently.

I'm sure that in Russell's mind he had every right to shunt Mike off the track (he is in it to win after aU), but I think this accident demonstrates that if it weren't for the incredible driving ability of Larry Perkins there may well have been a very, very serious outcome indeed!

I am well aware that the pressure is on everyone to win, but is running someone off the track "to let him know what he'd done was hopeless" really an acceptable practice?

I would hope that if Russell is still of the opinion that he "would cto it Eig'aifi, if fiScessai-y" life will promptly remove himself from the Shell Supercar Series before someone is selioUsly injured as a

reeult of ehildish behaviour.

Anthony Guinea Hoppers Crossing, Vic

Saying thanks; Mark Larkham sends his thanks following his big shunt at Oran Park on the weekend. Unfortunately, the AU Falcon which sat on pole for last year’s FAl 1000 is the worse for wear.

(Photo by Phil V/illiams)

Ten out of ten A thank you from Larko ...

Just a short note, to al! the

others who unselfishly put their own safety aside to assist me out of the car.

friendg,- well wishers and those

It;*s great to see that beneath

say thanks following the crash at Oran Park on Sunday.

face to our sport, lays a gennino

who tiave offered aSsiatancO, to

In particular T would like to

extend my personal thanks to Kevin May from CAT Racing and

cameraderie when it matters.

Mark Larkham Mitre 10 Racing, QLD

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