Motorsport News Issue 198 - February 2-15, 2001 by V8 Sleuth

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Mo. 198 February 2-15 2001

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2001 QANTAS AUSTRAUAN GRAND PRIX 1-4 MARCH

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Issue 198 2 - 15 February 2001

INSIDE

News and Opinion

4 6 7 12 27 28 82

Kmart, Murf and HRT Kiwi keeps Kmart kolours Aussie set for Minardi Stoddy goes shopping New look for HRT, Perkins Crayons working overtime at MN Crompton to Gibson Cromley stays a Ford man Ferrari unveils 2001 car Is this the car that can do it again? Motor Mouth Cromley has a blab The Box Seat Saward gets all Tolstoy-like Talk Converter Send those cards and letters in!

Features 30 40 56 74

Jordan ready for action Eddie, Honda and no excuses Two in a row? Ferrari has never done it before ... Drag Racing in 2001 New paint, new cars, new stars Saab Sports Sedan We go under the skin of an SS

Race Coverage

48 58

Wakefield Park BOC Morris DNFs! No, really! We were there! Cornish wins!! Monte Carlo WRC Tommi wins again, again Grand Annual Sprintcars Schatz wins The Classic

Regular Departments

i HRmewpaim?; NeiWLoOKf WITH

MHRK WEBBER

Photos: Cover: API Images. Contents: Sutton-lmages. API Images and Peter Prench.

24 50 52 58 68 70 72 74

Motorcycles Rallying Drag Racing Speedway NASCAR Histories National Scene Marketplace 3

Muri k(

Murphy wins the fight to keep ‘ by CHRIS LAMBDEN and GERALD McDORNAN

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie: Webber may have gone, to Benetton, but Paul (Photo by Suiion'bmiges) Stoddart, right, also wants to be a player in FI.

Stoddarfs Minardi deai THE Minardi team was due to be purchased as Motorsport News closed for press by Australian businessman Paul Stoddart. The majority shareholder in the team, Gabriele Rumi, has been trying to sell his 70 percent share of the team for some months but negotiations with two potential buyers both failed. At one stage, Telefonica was keen to buy the operation and move it to Spain and then the Panamerican Sports Network agreed, and even announced, a deal. This fell apart in November, leaving Rumi with little time to find a replacement. FI boss Bernie Ecclestone went to the United States to discuss possible deals with New York merchant banks but no deal was struck and, by the end of December, Minardi's future was looking very short. However, the design team at Faenza continued to work away methodically, designing a new car with a variety of options for the choice of engines. There was talk that the French engineering firm Mecachrome might come in, but that deal also faltered. In recent weeks, it has looked more and more like Minardi would not be able to continue, but Stoddart has been able to save the day because he has the makings of a Formula 1 factory 4

in Ledbury, Herefordshire, and owns an airline, so flying equipment backwards and forwards is not going to be a problem. According to our sources, the team will use the same engine that Minardi had last year. These are 1998 Ford VI Os which have been prepared by Robert Langford's tuning business in Wellingborough, England, but we believe that Stoddart may also have negotiated some kind of development deal with Cosworth Engineering, similar in nature to the arrangement that Fondmetal had last year when Mark Parish and various other Cosworth engineers were seconded to Fondmetal Engines. The drivers are expected to be Spain's Fernando Alonso and Brazil's Enrique Bernoldi (although he was out testing last week with Arrows because of a tiff over money between Tom Walkinshaw and Pedro de la Rosa). If Walkinshaw and de la Rosa's sponsor Repsol-YPF do not agree terms, it is possible that the Spaniard could join Alonso and let Bernoldi drive for Arrows. Repsol has a budget of around US$8m ($11.5m) and so that would be a big help for Stoddart. It is anticipated that the team will be run by Rupert Manwaring, formerly of Tyrrell

GREG Murphy’s deal with HRT is set to expand into a full-time drive - with Kmart backing. An announcement is expected - possibly as early as HR'T’s scheduled launch next Tuesday which will confirm that HRT’s single car Young Lions team is to be replaced by a two-car Kmartbacked satellite team, with Murphy and former Young Lion Todd Kelly as drivers. The deal appears to have been brokered by Murphy himself, although the two-time Bathurst winner was unable to comment on the matter this week. With negotiations involving a Larry Perkins-run Kmart offshoot team having foundered, but with Kmart keen to retain its links with Murphy and Holden, it appears that the driver himself took the initiative to bring HRT and Kmart together. Murphy had already, as we exclusively revealed in our last issue, agreed to rejoin HRT in co-driver mode. While a Kmart marketing spokesman told Motorsport News on Monday that the company was “still considering a couple of very good options”, Motorsport News believes the two-car HRT offshoot will

prevail over other options which include the all-new Gibson Motorsport/Craig Lowndes alliance. The new Kmart-backed team represents a triumph for Murphy who appeared to be left high and dry following the Gibson/Ford/Lowndes deal. Within a period of little more than a month, Murf has gone from nothing to an HRT co-drive and then to a full-time seat back at the hottest Holden team in town. Even without the Kmart deal, there were already moves afoot to provide Murphy with a “full time” car, with backing reportedly from HSV’s NZ arm. The Kmart deal means that the Kiwis now won’t need to dip into their pockets... It does however create one purely commercial poser. Kmart has a strong relationship with Castrol, which had signage on last year’s cars. Will that remain, giving HRT boss John Crennan links with both Mobil and Castrol, or will Mobil take the opportunity to cement a stronger arrangement with Kmart? Either way, the whole thing is a win/win one for Murphy and HRT. The Young Lions

and the abortive Honda Racing Developments operation, and many of the staff will be exTyrrell men as Stoddart acquired most of Tyrrell's equipment and a lot of the staff after the British American Racing takeover of the team.

He already has plans and planning permission to build a half-scale rolling road windtunnel and so it may end up that Minardi gets a new aerodynamic facility before Jaguar and Jordan. - JOE SAWARD molorsport news

NEWS

seps Kmart r

sponsor, and will head a two car HRT-run team

No baloney at Larko’s? Rumour of the week; Tony Longhurst, having lost his full Shell Series ride at Stone Brothers, is believed to be close to signing a deal to run a second car for Mark Larkham's Gold Coast team. If true, the Stones will now need to find a fourth driver for the enduros, Greg Crick having signed to partner Marcos Ambrose in the Pirtek car (see separate story). ■ Rumours continue to circulate about the naming rights sponsor Craig Lowndes will carry this season. No announcement is expected for some time, but latest gossip connects the Gibson carls) with Lion Nathan. The NZ-based brewer is spending large on sporting sponsorships, and Toohey's Blue is the right colour... ■ It's unlikely that Sam Newman will be seen again in a V8 Supercar in the AGP support race, but we hear the footy-head will be racing around the lake. Apparently, Sam will suit up in a Lamborghini in the one-make race, which may put some of those Euro gentleman racers in their place. Please don't call them 'idiots', John...

Off the shopping list: Greg Murphy will keep Kmart, but will return to HRT. nomenclature had started to become a little unrealistic especially when Todd Kelly was overlooked for the vacant spot in the Mobil team following the departure of Lowndes. The Kmart option allows the Young Lions branding to slip quietly away, while at the same time launching a perfectly viable, strong HRT2 team and opening

up considerable merchandising opportun ities via the Kmart chain. The team will be based at the former Young Lions premises, adjacent to HRT’s main building, in Clayton. In terms of AVESCO’s V8 Supercar team franchise structure, the concept of running four cars out of one

Crick for SBR All-Tasmanian Pirtek endurance line-up GREG Crick looks likely to join the Pirtek team to complete an all-Tasmanian line-up for the long distance V8 Supercar races this year.

With former Pirtek driver Craig Baird now confirmed in a role alongside Paul Weel at the K&J Falcon team, Weel's former co driver Crick is set to complete the driver swap and join Marcos Ambrose in the Pirtek car at Stone Brothers Racing. Neither Ross Stone nor Crick were able to comment this 2 Februiry 2001

week, but it is known that Stone has been impressed with the job the under-rated Tasmanian did with the Weel team last year. Crick topped a Thursday Bathurst practice session in Weel's car and qualified in the Top 10 for the Queensland 500. An announcement is expected to confirm the deal over the next few weeks. Cheers: Gi ei’ Crick itv/.v dazzliiif; ai llallwrsi and has earned himself an endnro drive ividi SH/i. ll'hi'Ui hv W\Vh-» nifiihih

(Photo by Dirk Klynsmith)

establishment is an interesting one. The Kmart team may well have to start out at the bottom, as a Level 3 franchise - without any of the benefits and income options available to level 1 and 2 teams. It could also purchase an existing Level 2 or 1 franchise although this would need the consent and approval of the AVESCO Board.

■ Testing of the new Yokohama control tyre for Formula Holden has continued, with two-time champ Simon Wills testing the tyre for Birrana at Mallaia last week. "They were unbelievably good out of the box," reported the Kiwi. "Good from the word go and very user friendly, which is what you want in a control tyre." ■ Two Aussie motorsport personalities were honoured with OAMs on Australia day, Lou Molina or 'Luciano Renaldo Molina', to give him his official moniker - was singled out for his contributions to the restaurant industry and motorsport, while the late Bib Stillwell was honoured for his accomplishments in the motor and aviation industries. ■ Christian D'Agostin didn't have time to shag around after the Wakefield Park Commodore Cup races. The Melbourne driver hopped onto a big silver bird to fly to Daytona on Monday, where he will race this weekend for the Cirtek team. The 24year-old will share his Logicalsupported Porsche 911GT3RS with Jurgen Lorenz and Claudia Hurtgen. ■ Entries for the first round of the Konica V8 Supercar Series close on February 7 and the field is looking set to nudge 30. D'Agostin is said to have organised a deal to run a Holden in the series before he jetted to Daytona to run a Porsche.

Neil’s new wheel deal

Still Is this what the

still a Ford man: Former FTR man Neil Crompton has found another (Photo by Slipstream Photographic) Ford drive with Gibson Motorsport. NEIL Crompton will join Craig Lowndes at Gibson Motorsport this season. Crompton, who parted company with Ford Tickford Racing at the end of the 2000 season, will run a limited program in the second half of the season and partner Lowndes in the Falcon team at the Queensland 500 and Bathurst. “Neil is vastly experienced, very strong technically and a true professional, and we are delighted to welcome him to the team,” said team boss Fred Gibson on Monday. Crompton’s move, which means that he has effectively swapped seats with FTR’s Steven Richards, is something of a return, after having raced for Gibson’s team at Bathurst in 1992. “It’s going to be hard to watch the field from the outside in the early stages of the year but I will happily opt for quality over quantity any day,” said Crompton. “I’m also delighted to continue my association with Ford.” The move also is likely to maintain Network lO’s ‘parity, with Ford’s Crompton and HR'T’s Mark Skaife as lO’s drivers. Crompton will probably drive the ex-Craig Baird Falcon, which Lowndes will drive at the start of the season, when Lowndes moves into a Gibson-built car mid-season. The Gibson team recently took delivery of the ex-Colourscan Racing car, which Rodney Forbes will race this season. The car, which was piloted by Rick Bates, Danny Osborne, Brett Peters and Matthew Coleman during the 2000 season, was 6

delivered to the team’s Dandenong, Melbourne, workshop last week. That means that Bates, who was intending to race the car this season, will be out of a drive, while the future of Colourscan looks unclear, with news that the team has its Level 2 franchise for sale. For Neil Crompton's thoughts on his move, see Motor Mouth on page 27

Ariwotk by Fred Bnggs

Tennis om Fond drops tennis sponsor0hld t0^ spend up big on motoPsp^

Return ofservice: Ford's amioimceinenl is liiif'e for motorspon - and ,s’ivesms a cliance to run a pic of dun top hloke, Patrick Rafter. l

il'holtt hv Cfhr ltrmiskill/Alhiu>ri)

motorspon news

NEWS

Red Army will cheer for in 2001?

n APS Racing looks like running two Commodore VTAA<s in the newlynamed TOCA Touring Championship next season. Team boss Ray Sidebottom, who already races a latemodel car, said at Wakefield Park last weekend that the Numurkah, Victoriabased team will build a second Holden for the 2001/2002 series, with Jason Domaschenz at the wheel. n The Trading Post GP Rally looks like attracting a high level of manufacturer support. The event has attracted entries from Porsche, BMW and Holden, with a Commodore VX SS entered for Peter Brock and son, Robbie. There are likely to be more announcements soon for the event. n Former Ford Australia president David Morgan has been appointed to the board of Austrade. Morgan, who was president of FoMoCo from 1995'99, was responsible for the blue oval brand's 'official' return to racing when an agreement between the factory and Glenn Seton's team was struck to form Ford Tickford Racing.

■" tflat the team will loosely follow the livery run in the BTCC last year by Vauxhall, so Motorsport News had a look at a Commodore VX in ‘Vectra’ colours. Mark Skaife will be joined by Jason Bright in the team this season.

wmg Ilf FORD has made a major commitment to motorsport, with the news that the company will end its major sponsorship of the Australian Open tennis. The company, which sources suggest spent as much a $9m on the event, has said that it will now direct its efforts into motor racing, and reportedly advised Tennis Australia of its decision just prior to the 2001 event. Ford has sponsored the event for the last 16 years, and was naming rights sponsor until 1998, having taken over the title following the departure from tennis of Phillip Morris. The move will allow Ford to significantly increase its spending on domestic motor racing, which has already received a considerable boost with the signing of Craig Lowndes. Ford Australia will also continue on its development programs in karting and Formula Ford, which will receive a major revamp for the 2003 season.

2 February 2001

rCarl Hogan 1929-20011 CARL Hogan, long-time team owner and former CART championship winner, died on January 13 of a suspected heart attack. Hogan, 71, had been involved in the motor sports industry for 31 years, dating back to his involvement with the Formula 5000 series where he won a title with a young David Hobbs. Hogan went on to build a successful trucking business and re-joined Champ Car racing in 1992 when he purchased the assets of Patrick Racing and joined Bobby Rahal to form Rahal-Hogan Racing. The partnership was immediately successful, with the team winning four events and claiming the PPG Cup in 1992. The operation was expanded to two cars with Mike Groff and later Raul Boesel from 1993-95, but the team would not reach Victory Lane again. After a one-year stay with Roger Penske's team, Hogan formed his

own Hogan Racing LLC in 1997, fielding cars for Robby Gordon and a then-unknown Scot by the name of Dario Franchitti. Hogan ended his career in 1999 with a single-car effort for Helio Castro-Neves and, at one race, for Luiz Garcia Jr. Hogan retired to home life with his wife, Lolly, following the 1999 season, but then was linked to running a car for Australian CART hopeful Jason Bright at last season's Surfers Paradise race. The promised funding for Bright never eventuated. Former partner Bobby Rahal was naturally saddened at Hogan's loss. "Carl played a big part in my career as a Champ Car driver and a team owner. As I look back on my career, one of my proudest achievements was winning the championship in 1992 as a driver/owner and that wouldn't have happened with out him," Rahal said. - PHIL MORRIS

n It seems that when you're on top, you've got to keep an eye on the opposition. It was reported in the UK last week that FI czar Bernie Ecclestone is a keen watcher of 'Who wants to be a millionaire?' London's Sunday Times' feature on Bernie also noted that, while Bernie has a computer, he's not quite up on the electronic age yet. ■| have a lapdance, or whatever it's called," he said. ■ Michael Schumacher has admitted to the London press that he talks to his car, especially after it has been 'tortured' by his Ferrari team mechanics. The three-time World Drivers Champion said he felt sorry for the car's engine after the mechanics have run it hot, saying the engine then "howls." "When the race starts I say to my car, 'Come on darling, we're going now'. Then there is no worry any more," he says. ■ CART has added another rung to its ladder of development with the announcement that the Barber Dodge Pro Series will now be sanctioned by the Champ Car body. The Skip Barber Racing School now becomes the official racing school of CART and has produced graduates including Juan Montoya, Michael Andretti and Kenny Brack. ■ Gabriele Rafanelli has confirmed he will run three Ferrari 550 Maranellos in this year's FIA GT Championship. However, his Sportscar plans are less clear with the choice of modifying his team's current Lola-Judd or developing the new Ascari car for either the American or European Le Mans Series. 7

No com|

^cn

Network 10 boss I: m

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THIS is the look that Larry Perkins and Russell Ingall was take into the 2001 Shell Championship Series. LP and the Enforcer will be suiting up for their sixth year together in Castrol colours, which will be highlighted in the firm’s traditional red, white and green hues. Unlike last season, when Perkins raced a Ijlack’car and Ingall a ‘silver’one,both drivers will be in identical "VXs this year. “We finished season 2000

with plenty of car speed,but failed to convertthis into meaningful results,’’said Perkins.“This year,Russell ‘ and I are veiy focussed on putting the score on the ^ board.” ' For his part.Ingall has been imusually quiet during the off-season,but said immediately after Bathurst last November that he would win the 2001 Shell Series... Both drivers will have brand new cars for the first /I race ofthe season at Albert Park next month.

MOTORSPORT can only gain from the recent announcement that AFL Football will switch from the Seven Network to a Nine/Ten /Foxtel consortium in 2002. That is the view of Ten’s Head of News, Current Affairs and Sport, David White, currently in the midst of negotiations with AVESCO over broadcast rights for V8 Supercars from 2002 onwards. “Our involvement in the AFL (Ten will broadcast all Saturday games,including the Grand Final) will in no way compromise our motor sport commitments,” he told Motorsport News this week. “In fact, the opportunities for cross-promotion are a huge plus for motor sport.” White couldn’t comment on the state of play in regard to Ten’s contract negotiations with AVESCO. However, Motorsport News understands that a new multi-year deal is close to agreement. Whether Seven’s now pressing need for replacement Australian sporting content will be satisfied by reports that rugby and soccer are to be the network’s prime sports, or whether Seven may show renewed interest in V8s remains to be seen. AT the same time, industry rumours are suggesting that

-eCuinmms _

the Nine Network may ‘trade’ its GP coverage in a bid to acquire the Melbourne Cup rights from Ten. Nine spokesmen have been quoted in the daily media that such a process could be a bit complicated, but confirming the network’s desire to increase its horse racing coverage...

Wakefield fire $200,000 damage but no injuries A FIRE caused 8200,000 damage at Wakefield Park Raceway after the first practice session of the weekend’s Super Touring round. The fire started accidently after circuit staff were welding, destroying a V8 Supercar engine, a Future Tourer, two Formula Wakefield open-wheelers, tools and equipment. Thankfully the two guys doing the welding got out, and we've got them off to hospital," said Garry Holt, head of the consortium which runs the track. “However, the race cars.

engines, and everything else inside is a write-off, and the total damage is probably around $200,000. The temperatures at the track were about 40-degrees and at this stage it seems likely a spark may have ignited on some vapour from the welding. "Our staff, and the fire safety people who came to the track did a good job to get the fire out in difficult circumstances." The two men, Edward Sueeull and on-site caretaker Shelton Loughrey were treated for shock and smoke inhalation at the track's medical centre before being taken to hospital. motorsport news

NEWS n Former PPI NASCAR drivers Scott Pruett and Anthony Lazzaro have landed a ride in Paul Gentilozzi's Saleen S7R for the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, The open-wheel duo will join Trans-Am drivers Gentilozzi and Johnny Miller for this weekend's race.

promise

n Mark Blundell and Johnny Herbert have been linked to a possible berth with the Bentley team at Le Mans this season. Herbert has missed out on a Champ Car drive while Blundell was released from PacWest in favour of Scott Dixon, and both have reportedly entered negotiations to partner James Weaver, Andy Wallace and Butch Leitzinger.

lacks V8 Supercars

n Callaway will enter the GT class of the American Le Mans Series this year. A new C12-R competition version of the Cl 2 road car, powered by Callaway's awesome 'SuperNatural' seven-litre V8, will debut at Texas on March 4.

Look who’s driving

Still on 10? There’s no deal inked yet, but it looks like Network 10 will (Photo by Marshall Cass) back the SCS for the long-term, despite its AFL deal.

JAMES Courtney was a welcome visitor to Wakefield Park last Sunday. The Jaguar F3 star, who is having a rare month at home, even managed a few laps of the track in a handy Jaguar S-TVpe. The Sydney driver returns to the UK for his P3 test progi-am, which starts on February 15. Nice ride, James.

Webber/Super l\lova deal done

F3000 star dismisses rumours of money probiems MARK Webber will formally be confirmed as team leader in the Super IMova F3000 team later next week,following the launch of the 2001 Benetton Grand Prix car, in Venice, next Tuesday. Having maintained a stoic siience whiie reports in one quarter of the Austraiian motorsport media maintained that his F3000 drive was in jeopardy and that he now needed to come up with something like $1.3 million to secure his seat, Webber this week reconfirmed his position: “I really don’t know where they were coming from,” he told Motorsport News, ”l’ve had an agreement with Super Nova for some time. Mark Webber was never asked to come up with any funding. It was never an issue, ”lt’s really disapointing, from my point of view, when some magazines don’t have a clue what is 2 February 2001

going on and then, worse, don’t bother to ask before they print stories which are wrong.” The issue became a little clouded following the signing of young Spaniard Fernando Alonso to a management contract by Benetton’s Flavio Briatore. The rumour mill began to link Webber and Alonso with Minardi, Super Nova, or combinations of both, but that speculation was put to rest when Minardi was not able to secure and engine supply deal with Renault. “Even if Alonso was going to Super Nova, I was still always going to run in F3000, and that was always going to be with Super Nova,” said Webber. “My role has been clear all along. As the F1 season gets underway, there is going to be much more test work with Benetton, as well as the F3000 championship to chase.” F3000 testing begins on February 13.

n Former Le Mans winner John Winter has been found dead at his home in Atlanta, self-inflicted gunshot wounds the cause.'Gentleman driver' Winter - real name Louis Krages was a German timber merchant who raced under the pseudonym for 20 years to try and keep his weekend activites secret from his disapproving mother. He joined with Klaus Ludwig and Paolo Parilla to win the 1985 Le Mans race in a Joest Porsche. n The son of 1961 World Champ Phil Hill is headed to F3000 with DAMS. Derek Hill will join Prost F3000 reject Sebastien Bourdais in the team, while 2000 DAMS driver Kristian Kolby has signed with Eric Bachelart's Conquest team to contest the Indy Lights series. n 2000 Indy Racing champ Buddy Lazier will stick with #91 rather than switch to the #1 for this season, following a ballot on the Hemelgarn Racing team web-site. There is a lot of identification that revolves around No. 91," said Lazier. "However, No. 1 is a thing of pride. We will remain winners with either number." n Former boxing World Heavyweight Champion Ken Norton has announced plans to form his own Indycar team in the IRNLS."My goal is for Ken Norton MotorSports to become another world champion and win the Indy 500," stated the Hall of Famer. My driver, equipment or sponsorship details are forthcoming though... n Former IRL champ Greg Ray and his Team Menard car will be backed by Johns Manville building products in 2001, featuring a blue paint scheme to replace the traditional green and yellow which Menard’s cars have carried over the years. 9

ten

I n

home of

n n [motorsport] shell Championship Series V8 Supercars 2001* Mar4 ..

Albert Park ...(Non Championship)

Mar25 .

.Rdt

Apr 8 . .

Philip Island . Adelaide ....

Apr 29 .

Eastern Creek

Rd3

May 12 Jun 7..

Hidden Valley Canberra ...

Rd4 ,Rd5

Jun 24 .

Perth

,Rd6

,Rd2

Jul tS .

Calder Park .

Rd7

Jul29 .

Oran Park ...

.Rd8

Aug 26

Ipswich

.Rd9

Konica V8 Supercar Series 2001* Feb 25 .. .Wakefield Park ,Rd 1 Mar 18 .. .Oran Park ...

,Rd2

May 6 ... .Winton

,Rd3

May 27 .. .Philip Island . . Jul8 Lakeside

.Rd4

Aug 12 .. .Mallala

.Rd6

.Rd5

FIA Formula One World Championship 2001 ... .Australia

,Rd 1

Mar 18 .. .Malaysia

.Rd2

Apr 1

.Rd3

Brazil*

Apr 15 .. .San Marino*

,Rd4

Apr 29 ... .Spain

.Rd5

May 13 .. .A1-Ring*

,Rd6

May 27 .. .Monaco* * - denotes F3000 round also

,Rd8

SOOcc World Grand Prix Motorcycle Championship 2001* .Rd 1 Mar 19 . . .South Africa .Rd2

Apr 2

.Malaysia ..

Aprs

.Japan

.Rd 1

Apr 22

South Africa

.Rd2

May 6

Spain ....

,Rd3

May 20 .. .France ...

,Rd4

June 3 ... .Italy

.Rd5

FedEx CART Championship Series 2001* Feb 11

Rd 1

Rio

,Rd2

Mar 11 ... .Monterrey . Apr 8

■Long Beach

Apr 29

Texas . . .

Rd3 .Rd4

May 6 . . . .Nazareth .

.Rd5

May 19 . . .Motegi . . .Milwaukee Jun 3

,Rd7

,Rd6

NHRA Winston Drag Racing Championship Series 2001* .Rd 1 Feb 14 . . .Pomona . . Feb 18 . . .Phoenix . .

.Rd 2

Maris . . .Gainesville

.Rd 3

rt en1

home of

motorsport I

All event dates h this calendar were correct at the time of printing. Please consult any individual tracks andfor associations for dale changes. Series or events telecast on Network Ton are marked with an asterix. Check your local guides for screening details.

TOGA revampi by PHIL BRANAGAN

THERE will be changes coming in the Future Tourers category, which will be known as TOGA Touring Cars in 2001. TOGA Australia, which administers the class, is endeavouring to boost the class by widening the number of control components for a wide range of cars. “We’ve looked to clean up the regulations and we will be submitting them to CAMS in the near future,” TOGA Chief Executive Kelvin O’Reilly said last weekend. “The most important thing is that none of the cars here (at Wakefield Park) will become » obsolete. O’Reilly’s plan is to contain costs for the class by TOGA supplying a parts service, which will attend each race with a stock of parts which competitors buy as necessary, rather than ‘stock up’ at the start of the season. “We are aiming to allow competitors to build a competitive car and run in their first season for less than $200,000,” said O’Reilly. “Our idea in doing this is to create a car and a class of racing that is affordable and exciting, to give drivers to opportunity to win and to encourage a number of new marques. “The ideal for us is to allow a driver to get a podium finish in Race 1 through his driving ability. I think that is something other classes are scared to do.” The series is likely to follow the same eight-race format as 2000/2001, with a likely start in mid-September. The full calendar is expected to be announced at Oran Park on February 10.

Get used to it: Ray Sidebottom’s Commodore leads David Auger’s Alfa Romeo at Wakefield Park. Will we see a 166 V8? (Photo by Jarres Smith) Television coverage will be provided by the Seven Network, with which TOGA has another three seasons’contract. There is also a possibility of an endurance event. “We’d like to incorporate an enduro, and competitors seem to support that. The enquiry rate has been very strong,” said O’Reilly. TOGA also has plans to set up a development program, where a designated team (likely to be Nemo Racing)is contracted to develop performance baselines for each marque. Paul Morris

completed 20 laps in Ray Sidebottom’s Commodore VT at Wakefield Park, picking up one second and reporting that he thought there was another second left in the car. TOGA is also planning a ‘Stage 2’for the class, with future TT specs likely to include gearbox upgrades. Three cars broke gearboxes at Wakefield Park last week, and O’Reilly plans, at least, to allow stronger gears or, perhaps, sequential gearboxes. Non-Ford and Holden marques will be able to choose between the two powerplants.

ELIGIBLE CARS FOR TQCA TC^lglSj Alfa Romeo 166 Audi A6 BMW M5 Citroen Xantia Daewoo Leganza Ford Falcon AU

Holden C'dore VT Honda Accord Hyundai Sonata Lexus GS300 Mercedes S-class Mitsubishi Magna

THE Bridgestone tyre company has wiped out its entire top management and replaced it with a younger generation. The company’s president and chief executive officer Yoichiro Kaizaki and all four of his executive vice-presidents have been replaced, and the control of the company will pass to Shigeo Watanabe, the head of commercial tyre development and technical administration. Among the victims of the purge was the former head of the . Firestone company in Japan, Masatoshi Ono. The removal of Kaizaki throws the Bridgestone and Firestone racing programmes into doubt. Kaizaki was keen on using competition to promote the company's products. - JOE SAWARD

Nissan Maxima Peugeot 406 Saab 9-5 Toyota Camry Toyota Avalon Volvo S70

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J-4;

. motorsport oews

NEWS

SRS

n Having said he won't return to his drive with the Galaxy Motorsports Winston Cup team, Wally Dallenbach Jr is said to be heading towards the IRL in 2001 - Dallenbach joining the ever expanding number of 'name' drivers heading to the oval-exclusive open wheeler series.

n PPG will not be at the Brickyard in 2001. The company has sponsored the pole award and contingency awards for the Indy 500 and the winner's trophy at the Brickyard 400 NASCAR race, but cites a change in its business portfolio as its reason, ^. Cold comfort: Will Colin McRae Rally stay #1? DAVE Richards,the TV rights holder to the FIA World Rally Championship,has scored a major coup in the series' battle to break free of the shadow of Formida 1 by striking an exclusive deal with Sony PlayStation. Richards's consortium,

Formula 1/Euro Union peace deal

THE battle between Formula 1 and the European Commission Competition Directorate appears to be coming to a close, with the announcement that the parties involved have agreed "in principle" to "a satisfactory solution" to the problems. As part of the settlement, Ecclestone has agreed that freeto-air TV deals will not be longer than five years in duration and that controversial clauses in TV contracts, restricting broadcasters from airing other single-seater events, will be dropped.

The FIA has agreed to a new set of rules which will remove any blocks on other series which want to compete with Formula 1, although it is expected that the FIA statutes will retain its role as "the sole international body governing motor sport" holding "the exclusive right to take all decisions concerning the organisation, direction and management of international motor sport". Flowever, the federation has given up all commercial rights to the championship. -JOE SAWARD

International Spoitsworld Communicators, has agreed to help the Japanese giant develop an official World Rally Championship game for the PlayStation 2, following on from the sport's tremendous success on the original PlayStation, headed by the Colin McRae-endorsed simulations developed by the independent designers at Codemasters. After the WRC armouncement came the release of FI World Grand Prix II, the latest ofthe official Formula 1 simulators, but this comes for the rival Sega Dreamcast console. With the massive success ofrace and rally games, this is seen as a key release for Sega. Its Dreamcast is considered by gaming specialists to be the most advanced console on the market but one which is battling for survival against the might ofthe PlayStation brand and Sony’s boundless marketing muscle. An intriguing contest is now expected to take place in the high street between the sport's two bestknovm series, and only after the sales figures next Christmas will a result be declared. -JOESAWARD

MAIMNIE FOLD: THE ULTIMATE TRACKSIDE FAN-BOY FmJU STr’PC’AKv'S Si6FPM&i4toA AAMARpiWtTvtWSTKAU^is FkSTFl TEAK\!

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n Reigning World Superbike Champion Colin Edwards has set the pace on the first two days of the official SBK pre-season test at Kyalami. Australian Troy Bayliss was less than half-a-second behind Edwards' Honda on his Infostrada Ducati, while fellow Honda rider, Tady Odkada was third. n Plenty of private MotoGP testing is going on, with the Marlboro Yamaha squad about to begin a fourday session at Malaysia's Sepang circuit. Both team riders. Max Biaggi and Charios Checa, will concentrate on development work, rather than out-right speed. Meanwhile, Jurgen vd Goorbergh has posted some impressive times while testing Kenny Roberts' Proton KR3 at Alamera in Spain, while Honda's Jerez session fell foul to torrential rain. n The Audi Abt team has had a driver clean-out for 2001. Christian Abt and Laurent Aiello have been retained, though Kris Nissen and James Thompson have been replaced by former Swedish Super Tourer driver Mattias Ekstrom and 19-year-old Martin Tomczyk, who raced in German F3 last year. Thompson is busy hunting for a drive, but says that he may have to race Sportscars to keep his eye in.

By Allan Schofielid

HLIIIII ^tO Shell ’itniocEsimm "f iginfJlr

Add wings, slicks and go like hell: The Rickster looks set for a big year in Birrana’s 95D - and, maybe, the odd outing with HRT ... ?-

Rick gets red hot in Birrana RICK KeUy is in line for a front-line drive in the Australian Drivers’ Championship. The 17-year-old tested a Birrana Racing Reynard 95D at Mallala last week, sharing the car with Gold Star winner, Simon Wills. The two drivers were there primarily to test Yokohama’s new control tjrre and, despite 50 degree-plus temperatures, Kelly was impressed. “We just did a few laps,” he said. “The new tyres fell great, especially when they are cold.

When I was at Manfeild, you had to take it easy and I spun on the third corner, but I felt like I could go hard on cold tyres(on the Yokohamas).” While the 2000 Formula Ford runner-up is keen to take a step up, he is not certain whether it will be with Birrana. “Hopefully (it will). They are an excellent team, but nothing has been conformed. It’s close to being there with Formula Holden, and I hope that things will be settled next week.” - PHIL BRANAGAN

FERRARI has launched its 2001 title defender, the F2001, and fired a shot at its closest challenger, McLaren. The Scuderia finally to the 'double' in 2000, with Michael Schumacher becoming the first Ferrari driver in 21 years to win the Drivers' crown, and Ferrari taking the Constructors' title. “Winning the world championship was something

Sauber C20 7^ \ '.la

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special," said Schumacher. "Some might think we'll lose motivation, but that's absolutely not the case. We want to keep the number one for many years, and this is what we'll keep fighting for." "There's exceptional motivation, which is even stronger than in the past," said team manager, Jean Todt. "There is even more motivation to continue

by NICK G,fcilMilBikiVl: THE Sauber team unveiled its new Sauber Petronas C20 chassis last week in Switzerland. The car is the first to be produced by a technical team led by Geman Willy Rampf, who took over from Leo Ress as the team’s technical director last Spring. The C20 was designed by Sergio Rinland with the aerodynamic work being done by Irishman Seamus Malarky and the result is a neat and tidy chassis. It is slightly worrying that Sauber used the launch to announce that Rinland is to leave the team in March after less than a year at Hinwil. The emphasis at Sauber these days is youth and with drivers Nick Heidfeld (23)and Kimi Raikkonen (21)the team is trying to present a moiorsport news

NEWS Doin’ the Scuderia shuffle THERE is to be a reshuffle of the race team management at Ferrari, with Britain's’Nigel Stepney taking a much bigger role. Stepney has been race team coordinator for several years and had been rumoured to be looking to move up the ladder. There had been rumours that Stepney was headed for Jaguar Racing but our sources in Milton Keynes say that the deal fell through because Jaguar was not willing to match the offers from Ferrari which was also apparently willing to give Stepney the role he desired. If confirmed, this will mean that current Ferrari team manager Stefano Domenicali will move to a new position in charge of logistics while the team's senior strategist Ignazio Lunetta will move to a new role in the research and development department. - JOE SAWARD

winning and we want to keep this number one on the car. But we are fully aware that it will be a hard struggle - we are ready for it." The F2001 is an evolution of the car that was so fast - and reliable - last season. External changes appear to be limited to a 'droop' nose, which is no doubt a factor of FI's new aerodynamic changes. The car features and all-new engine an revised

new image. The recruitment of McLaren design Stephen Taylor to be Rinland’s replacement has added to the image. Peter Sauber said that in order to get better results, Sauber had needed to change its drivers and had decided to go for youngsters rather than spend money on established stars. This has meant that the team has more money available to invest in equipment and the result of this(and the extra money coming in from Credit Suisse) will result in the construction of a completely new windtunnel. Sauber has suffered in recent years because it cannot get as much time as it would like in the half scale Schweizerische Flugzeugwerke windtunnel in Emmen.This meant that Malarky and his team were only able to get into the windtunnel for 35 weeks last year. The new windtunnel will 2 February 2001

transmission, which will accommodate traction control, which will be permitted from the Spanish Grand Prix onwards. Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello are expected to start testing the new car at once, while test driver Luca Badoer, who was injured in a shunt at Barcelona (see separate story), is expected to be back in harness in two weeks.

not be finished in time for the 2002 car but will be a step forward in the longer term. The team hopes that the new deal negotiated with Ferrari will mean that there will be better performance from the Petronasbadged VlOs. These will be modified versions of the engines used in 2000 by the factory team. This was much lighter and lower than the engines used by Sauber last year but these units will now be developed by Sauber’s engine boss Osamo (Toto and his team. They hope to be able to squeeze extra horsepower out of the engines. The car has proved to be reliable in testing to date but it remains to be seen how it will compare to the other 2001 machines as they appear in the weeks ahead. “My aim is to be in the top six from time to time but preferably on a regular basis,” said Rampf

Sauber points to points changes PETER Sauber took the opportunity to fire a broadside at the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone over the points-scoring system of Formula 1 while speaking at the launch of his team s 2001 championship campaign in Switzerland last week. Sauber finished eighth in 2000 with a mere six points and the team's lengthening mid-field inertia is a cause of some disquiet with principal sponsor Red Bull. According to Sauber, his team would have finished sixth instead of eighth if the points scoring system mirrored that of Champ Cars, where the spread of points reaches further down the field and, as such, was a more accurate barometer of team performance. “The FIA and Bernie Ecclestone want to keep the scoring system that has been in place for 50 years because people want to compare today's championship to the results of Juan-Manuel Fangio," he stated. Sauber's argument is that his team completed many more laps than several rival teams for no reward. Last year saw the team's cars retire only 10 times in 34 starts, compared with 19 non-finishes at Jordan, 13 at Williams and 11 at BAR. - JOE SAWARD

n Lovers of Formula 1's past could be set for a treat at the British Grand Prix if the proposed support slot for the FIA Thoroughbred Grand Prix series gets the green light. The championship for 3-litre FI cars of the 1966-85 era is a Mecca for historic buffs and was won in 2000 by Martin Stretton in his six-wheeled Tyrrell P34. n BAR'S launch began with scenes of chaos as set designers and lighting men went berserk and were castigated by the event host Tony Jardine before the assembled media... fortunately it was all part of the show, although with Jacques Villeneuve demolishing the new car before its big day several guests were convinced it was bona fide. n Bernie Ecclestone appeared sixth overall in the list of Britain's wealthiest people published in The Mail on Sunday newspaper with a reported £1.9 billion ($4.7bn). Queen Elizabeth II came in 50th with £480 million. Tom Walkinshaw was equal 161 st with Mick dagger on £180 million. n CART will be racing on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal in August 2002. if all goes to plan, it will be the first time that CART and Formula 1 cars have used the same circuit in the same year. The last time Indycars and FI ran on the same track was in 1978 when the leading US teams visited Brands Hatch. The Montreal event will replace the event in Vancouver, where organisers were unable to agree terms vdth the local landowners. n The doubts that there have been in recent months about Orange's commitment to Formula 1 in the long-term seem to have been overcome with Orange's owner France Telecom having now started a major advertising campaign in Europe to support the growth of the Orange brand. The company is also pushing ahead with a partial flotation of Orange on the Paris Bourse although the sale will still leave France Telecom in control. n McLaren race team coordinator Jo Ramirez has denied reports that he is going to be retiring this year. Ramirez will be 60 in the summer and has been working in FI on and off since 1962 when he came to Europe from Mexico with his schoolfriend Ricardo Rodriguez. After Rodriguez was killed, Ramirez worked at Ferrari and then after a spell in sportscars and some Indycar work, became a regular fixture in the FI pitlane. He has been with McLaren since 1983. -JOE SAWARD 13

The ^101 really a BAR 003'launch BRITISH American Racing has struggled to be truly competitive in Formula 1 to date and the hopes of a better season in 2001 were somewhat blunted when the prototype BAR-Honda 003 was badly damaged in a testing accident as the result of a mechanical failure. Even before the test, Jacques Villeneuve had been less than complimentary about the speed of the car and the team admitted that it was struggling to find the right set-up. As a result, the launch of the new car - a development oflast year’s BAR 002- became a launch of an old car in a slightly new hvery - which amounted to very little excitement. Team boss Craig Pollock said that the team was not happy with fifth in the Constructors Championship and added that noone would really be satisfied if the team did not end 2001 in third place. “Our aiim in 2001 has to be at least a third place finish overall and to win some races,” said Pollock. “With the team and infrastructure we now have in place, that is achievable and that

is what I want. “Last year, no single facet of our car was really good or really bad, but in order to compete with the likes of Ferrari and McLaren we must insure that every aspect excels. In the BAR003, we feel we have the car that can fulfil our high expectations.” There is little doubt that the performance of BAR in 2001 will be very important for the future of the technical staff. This is technical director Malcolm Oastler’s third FI car and the previous two have not been remarkable. Reliability has not been good and this is an area the team has worked hard on, while the aerod3mamic performance was also lacking, although a mid-season upgrade did help. The new car will be pov/ered by Honda’s latest VIO, the RAIOOE. According to Honda’s Kazutoshi Nishizawa, the new engine may not look very different, but it has undergone considerable change. “The result,” he said, “is a superior unit.” The driver line-up has been strengthened with the arrival of McLaren test driver Olivier Panis as \filleneuve’s team-mate. -JOESAWARD

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THE BMW.Williams team launched its new FW23 chassis in a low-key ceremony at Silverstone on Saturday and Sir Frank Williams said that he hoped the team would be a position to win races in , 2001, after a rather disappointing year last year. Although Williams finished third in the 2000 Constructors Championship, Williams and his partner Patrick Head were not happy with the number of points

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they scored. “We hope fqr’a grey or the red.pars.J^Mfeal. mistake!” Said WilUM i« '●J Williams adinitt^® mi f&hi^; 'n n idfield, these.dayM^ competitiye-envirpil^ ' Williams will>havd;j^pf^; stay ahead of Jordanj^^Ji ● < Benetton amongst ● ■ f The new FW23 ‘j, designed by the samh

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molorsport news

NEWS

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Cautious first laps: Ralf Schumacher drove the first laps in the new BMW.Williams FW23 at Silverstone. (Photo by Sutton-lmages)

FW23 launch in charge of mechanical design all design coordinated by Head. “The FW23 is, in concept, an evolution,” said Willis,“with developments and improvements for the engine installation and gearbox and improvements for the new engine installation and gearbox, and a large number of changes reflecting the impact of the new regulations.” The most significant change is the brand new design V10 BMW engine, which has a 90-degi-ee ‘V’

compared to last year’s 72-degi-ee. Dr Mario Theigsen of BMW said that BMW had li^ed at wider options (like Renault’s new 111degree engine)and concluded that it would create “problems packaging the exhausts, which in turn starts you considering whether the engine has to be packaged higher in the chassis.” BMW Motorsport Director Gerhard Berger said that it is unlikely that the Williams-BMW will be able to fully close the gap

to McLaren and Ferrari in only the second year of the relationship, but said that the team intends to be “ready and waiting to pounce as soon as one of the Ferraris or McLarenMerc.edes runs into trouble.” Williams immediately began testing the new car at Silverstone, with poor weather hampering any real progiess. Still, Ralf Schumacher and Juan Montoya completed useful miles. -JOESAWARD

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FERRARI test driver Luca Badoer escaped a gigantic accident at Barcelona last weekend when the left rear suspension gave way on his F1-2000 at around 300kmh on the Spanish circuit's main

_ straight. The rogue wheel was flung back into the rear wing and -^caused the Ferrari to spin into -the gravel trap, where it was H f flipped into a series of somersaults that carried the hapless Italian over the tyre . wall. He was taken to the \ medical centre and then airlifted * to the Catalunya Hospital at Sant 2 February 2001

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Cugat for observation after complaining of back and neck pain, although the doctors found only whiplash and a small injury to his neck vertebra. Badoer was flown back to Italy the following day and will be out of action for at least a fortnight, as the team attempts to find a root cause of the problem, delaying their test program. Badoer's accident occurred in the same week as Eddie Irvine endured a major shunt at Valencia when the throttle stuck open at 230kmh, damaging the team's new R2 chassis.

Jacques Villeneuve also suffered a rear suspension failure at Jerez that took the car out of circulation in time for its launch. BAR continued with its event in London, substituting last year's car in the 2001 livery. Speculation that the dramatic increase in grip from the tyres as Bridgestone and Michelin prepare for a tyre war in 2001 has been discounted, although Jaguar Racing technical director Steve Nichols claimed that failures could be a feature of the coming season given the newlyimposed restrictions on testing. - JOE SAWARD

The silly season is over and now it's time to get serious.

Don't miss our full-on V8 Supercar season preview in the next issue of Motorsport News.

PLUS What to expect as the FI circus readies to load their cars and head to Melbourne for the season-opener on March 4...

±S Febrim^

IS THIS YOU? Motorsport News has a vacancy for an informed, enthusiastic and capabie journaiist to join its well-respected team. If you want to work in a small team environment, can commu nicate and write well, are able to work weekends and other occa sionally unsociable hours, are competent with Quark-Xpress page design software and, above all, have a knowledge and love of motor sport, then you might just be the person we are looking for. Written applications only to: The Managing Director Motorsport News PO Box 1010 Cauifieid North ViC 3161 Fax: 03 9527 7766 email: msnews@ozemail.com.au 15

Champ Car Ne\>fs

Tiller for the Tiemann

More new colours: Cristiano da Matta put miles on the new-to-Newman/Haas‘ Toyota powerplant. (Photo by Dan R.BovtlBomwell}

TESTING for the busy 2001 Champ Car season is well underway, many teams spending time at Phoenix International Raceway’s onemile oval. After many teams had been frustrated running on purely test circuits such as Sebring, the Phoenix oval, even though CART doesn’t race there, was the first real chance for teams to test together following the CART Sneak Preview media days at California Speedway, which replaced Spring Training. Defending Champion Gil de Ferran suffered a late day crash which stopped his test in the #1 Marlboro Reynard/Honda. ‘Being our first test on the short oval, we had a lot to learn about the new car,” said de Ferran. “We damaged the left side of the car, but luckily I was One for the Kiwis: Dixon, above, debuted his able to walk away from the incident with PacWest work clothes, while defending champ Gil de Ferran, top, now sports the #1, though only a swollen left that didn’t stop the wall getting him ... ankle and a pair of (Photos by Dan R.Boyd/Bothwell) bruised knees.” Team Rahal and spending time testing, while Newman/Haas Racing set the pace rookies Scott Dixon (PacWest) and during the two-day session, Max Tora Takagi(Pioneer/Walker) also Papis and Cristiano da Matta clocked at an unofficial 20.6 got further experience in Champ Cars on an oval. seconds. “We’re still learning,” said the The Rahal team are using a Lola Kiwi. for the first time, while Newman/ “I haven’t been here before, so it Haas are adapting to the new took me a while to get a feel for the Toyota engine. track. We had a little bit of Bryan Herta(Zakspeed/ oversteer in 'Turn 'Two, but other Forsythe), Patrick Carpentier than that, it was pretty good.” (Player’s/ Forsjdhe) and Paul - PHIL MORRIS 'Tracy(KOOL Green) were also 16

GERMAN Marcel Tiemann has been confirmed as Bryan Herta’s team-mate at Zakspeed/Forsythe Racing. The 26-year-old finished ninth in the DTM series last year, and recently tested the team’s Reynard/Ford at Firebird, impressing the team sufficiently to line up alongside the American. “Along with Formula One, the Champ Car series is one of the greatest challenges for a ‘ racecar driver,” said Tiemann. “I have been watching the CART series on television in Europe and the worst Champ Car race is better than the best Formula One race, action-wise.' The team will undergo his oval baptism at Homestead in early February with the team planning to reveal its sponsorship program in Germany shortly. - PHIL MORRIS

Penske back to Ganassi ready to defend as welf by PHIL MORRIS TEAM Penske is returning to the Indy 500 this year. Having been away since the infamous CART/IRL split of 1996, the 10-time winning team will run two Dallara-Auroras for regular drivers Gil de Ferran and Helio Castroneves. The engines will be prepared, as we predicted some issues ago, by llmor Engineering, while the team has undertaken plenty of testing at the Brickyard recently, using equipment lent by Treadway Racing. To ensure that the CART champions are ready for the May classic, they will also run the IRL season-opening Phoenix race on March 18, as it is the only IRL race which fits into a comfortable gap on the CART schedule. De Ferran has made just one start at Indy, in 1995, and was taken out in the Stan Fox lap one crash, while Castroneves will be an Indy rookie.

THEIR CART rivals. Chip Ganassi Racing, expect to confirm their Indy 500 campaign shortly,though Ganassi admitted at CART Sneak Preview at California Speedway that he'd ordered 2001-spec cars. "I've ordered the cars, so just relax," grinned Ganassi. He also said that if he went back to defend the title Juan Montoya won last year, then new recruits Bruno Junqueira and Nicolas Minassian would do the driving. "I would love to do it," said Junqueira. "If Chip gives me a car with four wheels and a steering wheel, I promise you I will drive it fast." The team has commissioned Comptech to service its Aurora engines and already has an IRLspec car in the shop, something it didn't have this time last year. Juan Montoya led 167 laps of the 200 lap event last year, having qualified on the front row of the grid. moiortport news

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Champ Car Nevsfs

CART goes to Montreal

Champ Cars to race on FI track in August 2002

FOR the first time in history, Champ Cars and Formula 1 cars will use the same circuit in the same calendar year, with the announcement that a Champ Car race will be staged on the Circuit du Gilles ViUeneuve in Montreal in 2002. CART has signed a five-year deal for the Molson Dry Indy, which will be run in August 2002 on the circuit which has held the Canadian Grand Prix since 1978. However, direct comparisons between the two types of open wheelers may not quite be possible, as race organisers are looking at modifying the circuit slightly if required for the Champ Cars. The new event would become the third Canadian race on the Champ Car calendar, but Bob Singleton, general manager of Molstar Sports and Entertainment which oversees the Vancouver and Toronto events as well as Montreal, said that the new race didn’t automatically mean that the contract to run in Vancouver would not be entended after it expires this season. “If people have any doubts that the grandstands will be full,” said Team Player’s driver Alex Tagliani. “1 think that with just my family alone that won’t be a problem.” - PHIL MORRIS

Doubling up: The shrieks of F1 and fhe whistle of turbo-charged Champ Cars will both be belting around Montreal in 2002. (Photo by RaceAccess)

Question mark over Rio race

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what CART’S contract calls for. “CART recognizes the importance of this event to the economy of the city and Brazil itself,” said CART CEO Joseph Heitzler. “It has a huge following and we do not wish even a momentary interruption in our long-term relationship with this important market for us.” The race is scheduled for March 25, having been moved from a February date, and is scheduied to run on the Rio road course rather than the ioval’, upon which it has been held since 1996.

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ORGANISERS of the Rio CART race are considering not running the race this season. The race has suffered severe financial problems over the past three years, even despite CART taking over the promotion of the 1998 race. Newly-elected mayor Cesar Maia has placed all existing city contracts under review and put this year’s race on temporary administrative suspension. However, the governor of Rio, Anthony Garotinho, has announced that the state of Rio will pay the difference between the money that Maia has and

All enquiries should be directed to the manager on

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BRAZILIAN Max Wilson, previously announced as the driver for the new Sigma team in the Champ Car Series, has found a new ride at another new team - Arciero/Brooke Racing. The team is a combination of Frank Arciero, who formerly was a partner with Cal Wells, and Barry Brooke, and will use Lola chassis and Phoenix-llmor engines. The seat at Sigma is expected to be filled by former PPI driver Oriol Servia, while there will be no less than five Forsythe cars in this year's FedEx Championship Series. Mexican Mario Dominquez will run the full season for a new organisation, Millenium Racing, which will be presided over by general manager of the Monterrey Grand Prix, William Meyer, team manager Antonnio Marron and Dominquez under Forsythe Racing. He will run a Reynard/Ford, though there are no sponsors as yet. That brings the number of Mexicans in Champ Car racing to three, Dominquez joining countrymen Adrian Fernandez and Michel Jourdain Jr on the grid for the opening race of the year on their home soil. moiorsport news

Modem

NOW, competitors in post and pre 19S2 ears win compete for epuai honours in the

2001 Trading Post Grand Prix Rally f 24-28 Pebruary /■

Commencing in Shepparton, the rally winds its way through Victoria. Competitors enjoy overnight stops in Bendigo and Geelong before arriving in Melbourne on the Wednesday prior to the Oantas Australian Grand Prix. Join other enthusiasts ... ● in a friendly event for experienced and first time competitors ● and owners of classic, sporting and collectable cars - your road car can easily be your Grand Prix Rally car! ● for 5 days of action - circuits, sprints, auto tests ● for more than 20 performance and driving skill events, plus navigation ● in a ‘car friendly' event conducted on sealed roads boasting an impeccable safety record ● participating in exclusive laps of the albert Park Grand Prix circuit ● in an exclusive Trading Post Grand Prix Rally car display at the Qantas Australian Grand Prix ● eligible to receive a presentation for Modern and Classic winners on the Formula 1 podium.

Calling MstI

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2001 QANTAS AUSTRALIAN

BRAIMDPRIX i.yr»ndptU.cam..

■ltCl?Qc^S closer 19

9001

Bailey goes Now Brabs will drive MG for Le Mans I

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DUMPED by Lister, FIA GT Champion Julian Bailey will be behind the wheel of the allnew, Lola-built, MG LMP 675 prototype for this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours. The Englishman is one of six drivers to have signed for the race, Warren Hughes and Anthony Reid, who will pilot MG’s touring car campaign in a pair of Rovers in the new-look BTCC, are also said to be in the squad. Jonny Kane, the Indy Lights rookie of the year in 1999, has confirmed his participation in the project, while Arena Motorsport, who ran a sole Renault Laguna in the 1999 BTCC, are believed to have scored the deal to run the MG programme. The new car isn’t expected to run until March.

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AFTER all of the ‘he won’t, he will, he won’t’, David Brabham will join Allan McNish, Ralf Kelleners and Eric van der Poele in the Risi Ferrari 333SP for this weekend’s Daytona 24 Hours. Brabham was set to miss the event in order to clashing testing commitments with Panoz, but a change in the schedule allows him to suit up in the last hurrah for the Faz. “The 333SP might be a bit dated, but it’s still a Ferrari and I’m excited about racing one.’’ His Panoz team though has halved its ALMS attack and will run one car for he and Jan Magnussen. The team will run two cars at Le Mans, Sebring and the Petit Le Mans. Panoz race director Dave Price hopes to have BMW-contracted JJ Lehto on his driving strength for Le Mans, but he has yet to secure the Finn’s release.

GM back for more

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Not getting scrapped: The Caddys will live for another year at Le Mans and in the ALMS. {Photo by Sunon-lmagea} GENERAL Motors have finally announced their 2001 Sportscar program. The DAMS team will again run two updated Cadillacs at Le Mans this year before the program returns to America for selected ALMS races, whi le the Chevrolet Corvette program will again run virtually the same program as last year. However, former Panoz driver Johnny O'Connell will replace Justin Bell in what is expected to

be the dominant GTS car with the withdrawl of the ORECA Vipers. "We began in 1999 with a limited program, admittedly struggled a bit that year, then found our mark and started winning races against the fastest GTS sports cars in the world in 2000," said Corvette program manager Doug Fehen. "Quite frankly, the Corvette C5-R program has achieved success faster than most expected."

inrail-racealfeerite^: ^ 'driversjfov.tHhre^^'*'^ VI ●‘ ■ : arei'etit6..he.-ahn^;m The Chi-yalje'rIM builihy Hugh’ellJ^ ■ OMECAQutfiito^|l&i^ ●A» The DAMS team will only run the Cadillacs at Le Mans, while the manufacturers' racing program in America will be run from Atlanta. "The Cadi llac program required a radical change in direction," said GM Racing executive director Herb Fishel. "We looked for the best engineering and race team talent to assist our effort and join GM Racing and Team Cadillac."

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VAUXHALL has become the first manufacturer to shake down its 2001-spec BTC Touring car at Albacete, Spain. Jason Plato and Yvan Muller shared the driving duties in the new Astra, which features a host of new-spec BTCC-standard parts such as the standardised gearboxes and brakes which are part of the category's cost-cutting measures. "It really was just a shakedown, but once I started stringing a couple of laps together, I was having fun,” reported Plato. The team's only other works rival, Peugeot, is expected to start testing in Vallelunga, Italy, in February, while the Vauxhall team expect another evolution of their engine from new suppliers Sodemo, who formerly supplied the Renault BTCC team.

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We wiU do everything we can to win Le Mans in 2002,’ said de Chaunac. We have to prepare for Le Mans next year it’s too early to say which races we’ll do in 2001, Doesn’t the wheel go on the car? Beretta, but the plan at the moment is to Dalmas and de Chaunac hope it gets put back ... race against a ●' specifically for Le Mans, after strong level of Chrysler made a brief run at Le opposition and the ALMS is where it is at the moment.” Mans last year, using a Moparengined Reynard 2KQ chassis. The latest challenger, which features radical rear-end A dehut at the Sebring 12 hours in March could happen. aerodynamics, has been designed

OFFICIALS REQUIRED l limHDPRiXRAU.1

The Trading Post Grand Prix Rally will be conducted during the period Saturday 24th to Wednesday 28th February, and the organiser, Octagon Motorsports, is seeking officials to: ● set up and run auto tests, ● man navigation control points, ● assist with marshalling of cars at various locations. Commencing in Shepparton on the Saturday and Sunday the event will then travel to overnight stops in Bendigo (Monday) and Geelong (Tuesday), and finish in Melbourne on Wednesday. Octagon is looking for teams of three people for the auto tests, of which there are some 20, and teams of two people to man the many major time controls and route passage controls. The teams can either travel with the event. or make day trips from Melbourne, as the course is mostly conducted within a coupie of hours of the city. Teams will be required to provide their own vehicle (any type is suitable), meals and shelter and Octagon is offering the following: ● fuel costs

2 February 2001

● decals for vehicles ● shared accommodation for the period of involvement if travelling with the rally ● an invitation per team member to the Awards Presentation at the Grand Hyatt on Thursday ● one four day General Admission ticket per team member to the Qantas Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix ● an event cap ● an event polo shirt ● access to discounted Melbourne Motor Show tickets (starts 5pm Thursday) ● an invitation, per team member, to the Bendigo Special Rally Function on Tuesday 27 February ● an invitation, per team member, to the Shepparton BBQ Breakfast on Monday 26 February Teams not travelling with the rally but coming out of Melbourne are entitled to all of the above, except for the shared accommodation. Anyone interested can obtain an Application Form from Octagon by calling Sandy Nichols on 03 9427 9655 by fax 03 9429 1591 or email: sandy.nichols@octagon.com

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OLIVIER Panis has made himself the champion of the winter testing to date, having topped the timesheets more often than any other rivals who have been pounding round Jerez, Valencia, Barcelona, Silverstone and Estoril this winter. The Frenchman, returning to race duties with his new team BAR after a season as McLarenMercedes test driver, has been fastest twice at Jerez and once apiece at Silverstone and Barcelona, underlining his decision to leave the lucrative role he had forged at McLaren for a chance to race once again. Buoyed by his pace in testing in which the majority of the teams have run hybrid 2000 cars with 2001 aerodynamics and tyres - the 1996 Monaco GP winner has high hopes for himself and BAR in the coming season. "My career had had ups and downs," Panis said. "But I hope it will now continue to go up rather than down. I am not in Formula One just to say I have been a Formula One driver. All the time I have a target of winning the championship and winning races. I know it is not easy, but I am sure that BAR can do it. We are making progress and with two experienced drivers it could 22

the season-opening race seeing the retum to Melbbunie of Feri’ari to begin the defence of their Constimctors and Drivers World Championships. Already Melbourne1ms gone

the same car Schuey.usj^dilkrpi^ shiint.Jacques Villlefih^^i^k Jei’ez.in,l?97'“ display for an adsembleHjK .'^^. medih throng on -!GER/VLD McDO^A

Panis sets the pac

Fast in white: Olivier Panis has set the fastest times ofanyone testing at Jerez. Silverstone and Barcelona, giving him the off-season championship. (Phoios by Suiion-lmagfs)

happen." Meanwhile Benetton, Williams, Ferrari, Arrows, McLaren, Jordan, Sauber and Jaguar have all had their cars end the day fastest at least once in Panis wake, highlighting the ferocious competition which will, it is hoped, make 2001 a season to remember.

Only as the teams unveil and begin running their new cars, however, will their true potential begin to emerge, and come the season-opening Oantas Australian Grand Prix, the consensus is that McLaren and Ferrari will again set the ultimate pace. - JOE SAWARD

WEBBER/AGP COMPETITION Cut-out token (see page 23)

molorsport news

2001 QANTAS AUSTRALIAN

ERAIMOPRIX www.atandori*.

How often will you have an FI driver as your host? Well here’s your chance to spend a weekend with Benetton test driver Mark Webber.

WHRT YOU WIN! l A guided tour of the Benetton Renault Sport Team garage. l Two Pit lane walk passes. l Event merchandise. l Two Grandstand tickets to the 2001 Qantas Australian Grand Prix. l Five nights hotel accommodation to help you recover. l You’ll also be Mark Webber’s guest at the MotorSport Awards Dinner. Plus if you live interstate, Qantas will race you to and from Melbourne. Good Luck. And get ready to live the greatest prize of them all.

HOW TO ENTER This is the fourth issue of Motorsport News to contain one of the Mark Webber Helmet Tokens (see sample, right) which you will find on the opposite page. Just attach four to an entry form and send to PO Box 1010, Caulfield North, VIC 3161 by 5pm, 9 February 2001. MARK WEBBER GP COMPETITION: CONDITIONS OF ENTRY' 1 Promoter is Australasian Motorsport Nows, PO Box 1010 Norlti Caullield. Vic. 3161 and ont^ of Australia. Employees and immediate families of the Promoter, Australian Grand Prix Corporation lAGPC) Benetlon Re"a“"SPOrtTMm and any aperies assocaled w^ thrs promohm^ MotorsoortS PO BoxTofo NortSlM? form (in issues of Motorsport News published from 21/12/00 to 1/2/01) and enclose four(4) original official compefition symbols (of Mark Webber s ItidmeO and send entre lo Mark Webte GP Compel tion MotorspOT^^^ VIC 3161. Multiple entries accepted but each entry must be on a separate entry form in a separate envelope. Entry Iwm may be 5aVdSdram wlll& ' misdirected mail. 3. Promotion starts 21'12/00 S closes at 5pm 9/2/01. A draw will occur at 11 am in Sydney on 12W01 Winner will be nolified by ™P4"d their name '' !L''s for 2 people to Melbourne, including return economy Qantas airfares from the winner's nearest capital city to Melbourne (if necessary) 2 four-day grandstand tickets to the 2001 Qantas Austra an Grand Prtx (aAGP) 5 nights Iwn snare accommoflation c pillane walk passes, a guided tour of the Beneflon Renault Sport Team pit garage with Mark Webber and be guests (of Mark's) at the Australian Australian Motorsport Awards from 28®0' to 4,3/01. The garage lour must be taken on the dale and lime determined by the /IGPC and he wihneimbs ^mdes un'fte SaKiher freouent once tickets are purchased Flights on Qantas Airways Limited only and not It's subsidiaries (ie Sunslate, Eastern Australian, Southern Airlines and Airlink and flights don I accrae 'I'Phf P“'’’P„„^P8™“'®.“"'“P“'SS,?'' Oyer points 6 As a condition of taking the pri/e. the winner S their companion must comply with all directions regarding access to anrVor conduct within all areas Sme w nner is noU^

?irrre^:?rver^«Z7o»fhV5?^P^C»»^^^^

;^&rS«?lyrrS»erm?;rarS^^^^^ is under the i™ of 18 years, the pile will be awarded to a member bf the winner's immediate lamlly (as nominated by the winner) provided such person is 18 years of age or over and complies with all of the above conditions Permit Nos NSW TCtxi/t 2639. SA TOO/5051, ACT TPOO/2423

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2001 QANTAS AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 1-4 MARCH

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AUSTRALIA’S 1987 500cc Grand Prix World Champion . Wayne Gardner will guide World Superbike hopeful IBrock P.arkes in his debut season on the world stage. Mk- W Parkes has signed to replace ^ Spaniard Juan Boija at the j^ factory-supported NCR Ducati outfit,joining Giovanni Bussei, while Gardner has also signed with the team to help the 19year-old Australian. Parkes’signing brings to seven ,- the number ofAustrahans ; contesting the WSB series in

^ 2001,five ofthem aboard Ducatis. Veteran Australian Superbike Champion Steve Martin has signed with tyre manufacturer Pirelli to ride a 996 Ducati as the Italian company aims to get its two-wheeled nibber back up to the grade as it prepares to return to Grand Prix racing in 2002. As reported previously, Marty f Craggill has signed to ride a privateer, but again factorysupported 996. Parkes and Bussei arrive at NCR at the expense of Borja and i Lance Isaacs, although Ben

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n *'♦ p^hilliplglalîa^yêek. -j j;' - The team;vrith riiiere gê. l ^.(âncg.to gg|^&niiliar:vrith^ h-ijibiaâu apd new World '' "i bika.van^riShis n.eyft.eamjIBe': 1 ChamplofiigeimyRebeife.tested 7 '■■rimpresl^hs ali .'b;^ -fittiifg in, ■ £ at Sei^gjuMSaysia-the greyipus . immgMatdy, .andjals.o^^fhthe ' * t weefct^^îm'spê oftrogidJ’faih levd^'hih'fepdb.aând^"' ' infoima1ipn.'tS the Je%cficians', >3 ['Storms,;%^,p^g,awayTi'aip)y .. ve^ mucKafithe' -ij: t:jjrithj^^Mvplase,ofte^Bgthe ^ i:- mc^G^dhs mate to the R(3^5C|Q' .deydiipaehtrstag^‘wiptthe'2001 j maChMe: ●WemcpePt.tdbe tatog;ri’ ri|jmiuM^R3ike-the,work anoth^ step forward'at theTRTAI designedly the racing department tests next month.” ■ " to finalis.e the 2001 bike. The team said important ,' Further changes will be made i by the racing degartment in time engine development and ' for the ofidci^ IRTA tests, which reliability, tests were successfully . carried out, while chassis wise, * ’ win take place.at Jerez in midtheje have been several " Febrjiaty. i ' TKenny was pleased to get geomet^.^^ges made and hack oh:a G1 bike, but the same

molorsporl news

BIKES TYRE manufacturers Bridgestone and Pirelli will soon be taking their places on the gi-ids for the MotoGP series, with both planning on resuming their GP programs within the next two years. Pirelli will be the first to join the circus in 2001, having announced it has signed Australian Steve Martin to ride a Ducati 996 in this year’s World Superbike Series as a development progi'am, while Bridgestone plans an all-out assault in 2003. Bridgestone has already begun a series of GP tests starting at Jerez this week,the testing schedule designed to enable them to be competitive when they do return in two years. Bridgestone’s program, which is being run by Erv Kanemoto of Kanemoto Racing, one of the most respected team managers and racing gums in the business, will take place over eleven scheduled sessions, mostly at Jerez and Bimo. Honda’s racing arm, HRC,are supplying full factory NSRSOOs for the development, while Nobi Aoki

Aoki’s

500 GP return

Goddard rides again

a: More rubber for MotoGPs and Shinichi Itoh have apparently signed to become full-time test riders for the program. Both riders have years of valuable 500cc GP experience, 29year-old Aoki finished third in the 1997 World Championship while

Itoh, 34, finished fifth in the 1995 season. He won the Japanese Superbike Series in 1998. Bridgestone has reportedly budgeted around $10m for the progi'am and have allocated 38 full-time staff.

HAVING endured a miserable

The 25 year old Aoki endured a miserable WSB campaign with the R&D Bieffe Ducati outfit last season and finished way down in 18th position in the points after parting company with the Italian team before season's end. Having excitedly signed with the team, Aoki's dreams turned sour as the team, partly owned by ex-500cc rider Doriano Romboni, could not afford to pay Aoki or buy many new parts. Aoki left, forcing Romboni back into action as team rider.

year in the World Superbike Series, Haruchika Aoki is returning to the Grand Prix tour, with the dual 125cc World Champion signing to ride a 500cc Honda V-twin in 2001, Aoki will again team with Molenaar Racing, the same team in which he won the world titles for in 1995/'96, although the V-twin will not enable him to return to the forefront of the series, the bikes very much overshadowed by the V-fours.

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THE World Superbike Series will have six manufacturers involved this season, with Italian marque Benelli looking set to fill the gap left by Yamaha's departure at the end of last year - with Australian Peter Goddard agreeing to ride their one-bike entry. The Italians are expected to find the race against time to make their triple-cylinder Tornado homologated firstly, then competitive, although Goddard's development skills are well known and respected. Goddard is the man largely responsible for developing the Aprilia RSV1000 into a race winning machine and appeared last year as a replacement for the injured Gregorio Lavilla in the factory Kawasaki team. "I haven't signed a contract yet, but everything should be sorted within the next week or so," Goddard said last week. The Tornado will be unique in WSBK ranks as it will be the only triple cylinder bike on the grid, but the firm believe they can compete with the more powerful four-stroke competition. While Yamaha have left the series, there will still be at least three Yamaha R7's on the grid in the hands of Valli Racing's Alessandro Gramigni and JeanMarc Deletang and Juan Borja on a pair of R7s fielded by Yamaha Russia.

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OPINION I

Going to Gibb w

hat a difference a few weeks can make in motor sport! Things were looking a little glum for me after Bathurst last year when it became apparent that most of the good seats for 2001 had been taken. It had started to look like the best I could do would be a good long distance spot with one of a few teams. There was a possible project with the Prancing Horse team, and then the option with Fred Gibson came up - so 1 grabbed it. The Prancing Horse project was a serious option. It Involved both a GTP project [ED: reportedly a Ford Mustang] and a Falcon V8 Supercar and I really gave it some serious thought, but when the Gibson Motorsport possibility emerged, I went for it. It involves less actual racing this year, but it’s more V8 Supercar, which is what I'm all about. Fred, and Craig, would be the first to say it's going to be pretty tough at the beginning of the year. When you start a project so close to the start of the season and with such a competitive field, you're inviting a belt on the chin. But given the people involved, they’ll figure it out and be strong by the end of the year. The plan is to have a second car up and running for some of the sprint races later in the year. It's best not to be locked in to detail at this stage, so just when and how the second car will appear is something that's a bit flexible. While I'm not sure, my hunch is that, although there'll be that second car on stream later in the year, we’ll only run one at Bathurst. Given the enormity of the task they've taken on, it would be a huge ask to run two. It's hard to describe to anybody just how big a task it really is to get this whole show on the road in this space of time and to do a good job. Certainly, the appeal for me with the whole deal was that it didn't involve just turning up for the Queensland 500 and Bathurst. I wanted to be part of a team and they're offering me the opportunity to do that from the start - testing, the technical

2 February 2001

Motor Mouth

wNi Nel Gronotoo

Geoff and Howard (Marsden) and the Ford execs are laying the foundations for benefits which may well come when they themselves are no longer there. But there will be benefits - from the karting programme, their investment in Formula Ford, and now an aggressive move in V8 Supercars.

Still a Ford man: Crompton makes the switch from FTR to QMS, effectively switching rides with Steven Richards.

Cromley, right, will be warming the chair though for the first half of the year though as the Falcon project gets up and running. (Pholos by Slipslream Photographic, MNcws Digital)

processes, and team PR activities. It means you're a part of it rather than a visitor, which is important if you want to go to Bathurst. The prospect of at sharing a Falcon Bathurst with a young driver who is clearly very much in the public's focus is something I welcome and relish. I've been alongside Peter Brock, Wayne Gardner, Glenn Seton, Win Percy and I haven't shied away. The record shows we haven't done too badly... Freddie and I talked about that and I genuinely think it’s a positive. Craig is rated as one of the best, if not THE best - his CV over recent years is outstanding - so it will be fascinating to work alongside him and see what and how he contributes to the team. The guy has got a winning

formula, so working on the inside will be fantastic. “ord's withdrawal from the Australian Tennis Open, to ensure it has the resources to undertake its motorsport programme well, is a good thing. Ford don't sell tennis racquets and Geoff Polites will tell you that over recent years Ford has let too much of the blanket go across to the Holden side of the bed. Now they're wrestling it back and they know it's not going to be a fiveminute process.

raig's switch from Holden to Ford has certainly awakened some emotion out there and I've been asked whether that will create its own pressures on him. I’m not Craig, but as a long time observer of the game, there’s no doubt that we are going to go through some interesting turmoil in the opening monthsi The fact is that Craig has enjoyed icon status with Holden and he's now changed to the other major brand, so there'll be a whole legion of loyal fans scratching their heads... But at the end of the day, he's a professional race driver and didn't want to continue with HRT This opportunity is a hell of a good one, and I can see why he'd want to do it. As time goes by, he’ll carve out a pretty impressive niche for himself as the key Ford highprofile icon, if you like. It's good for him to be his own man. The level of household interest is already on the up. It's got lots of people talking - there are various brawls and battles going on across morning tea tables all around the country. That's good for the sport. As Tony Cochrane continuously reminds us, it's all about entertainment these days. It's all about bums on seats and not so much about brake compounds and a new indicator stalk... 21

The Dih( Se with Jes

he other day I was going through some old things w hich belonged to my grandmother. She died 25 years ago and is remembered fondly by the family as having been a bit of a dragon who made us poor children eat Spanish Liquorice and spend long and boring afternoons with her old lady friends, all of whom seemed to have had very impressive moustaches. In amongst all the documents there was a letter and two photographs. One of the photographs was of a young man with a cheerful smile, a very stiff collar and a cloth cap; the other was from the Director of Graves Registration & Enquiries and showed a wooden cross on which appears the name Second Lieutenant S E Boulting. He was killed on April 14 1917, somewhere near Ypres. The letter came from “Stanley" and is dated April 9 1917. It begins with an apology for not having been written sooner. "I don't know quite why, unless perhaps I might blame the Boche”. From there it passes on to the weather and growing vegetables and eventually gets to the war. “I am glad to say that I am still quite fit," he writes. "So far there hasn't been a shell or a bullet with my name on, although most of the officers who came out with me have been wounded, gone sick or the other thing. It is always the best who get hit, isn't it?" He did not want to write about the war. "I might write a long description of how a shell just didn't hit me or a bullet whizzed by my ear or how I led my little army into battle with a stone heart and shaking knees and so 28

on, but I should probably only bore you stiff. Besides. I want to forget it myself." At the time of writing, Stanley Boulting was away from the front line. Everything was "topping" and “the only cloud on the horizon" as that he would soon have to go back to the trenches and "the sterner business of our present existence." At the end of the letter he bid my grandmother "adieu" without knowing that he really meant it. had heard about the letter but I had never read it before. It brought home to me just how lucky we are these days. I remember when I was a schoolboy, walking past 600 names on a memorial board every day without ever thinking about it and then being shocked when one morning I realised that 600 people was an entire generation at the school. It stopped me in my tracks. And some schools had it

much worse. Eton College had 1100 old boys killed. The Duke of Wellington is famous for having suggested that “the Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton". This was an interesting remark, suggesting that lots of contact sports, plenty of thrashing and chilly dormitories made the chaps strong enough to beat everyone - even Napoleon's Imperial Guard. It is a nice idea, apart from the fact that Eton did not have any playing fields at that time. The comment, so they say, came as a result of a remark made by the Duke that his grasp of strategy was based on games he used to play in the garden when he was a schoolboy. This was then translated into French and many years later translated back into English. This did not stop the British using the remark to inspire several generations of empirebuilders.

War has in changed and so ha_S''_ sport, the days before ™ high explosives, war was more of a caper. It was nasty, grisly and sweaty but it was not widespread. Eventually, with nastier weapons and faster vehicles, there were World Wars and, in these, one did not get much choice. You had to live with it as best you could, writing home about the weather and growing vegetables and not talking too much about "the other thing". Nowadays, with weapons of mass destruction, war is so terrifying a concept that sport has taken over. Ask any Formula 1 team boss and he will tell you that fighting for the World Championship is war and that they take no prisoners. It is all metaphorical, but I doubt that the effort put into winning in FI is any different to that used to be employed in winning wars. In fact race teams probably work harder than did the average soldier in any war. nolorsport news

FORMULA ONE i

Fits United Nations; English car, German engine, Japanese tyres (now French), German and British (now Colombian) drivers, Brazilian fuel, British oil, sponsorsfrom the four corners of the world...

difference is that FI is not about nationalism. It is about corporations and that is not nearly as interesting as 'the good guys' and 'the bad guys’. One cannot label Michael Schumacher 'The Red Baron' because the people trying to shoot him down in FI are Mercedes-Benz. Even that most nationalistic of racing teams Williams is now in partnership with the Germans. In this respect. Formula 1 will always struggle to have the same kind of raw appeal as international football or the Olympic Games. The natural aggression which used to be expended when the youths of rival countries bayoneted one another is now used up in drinking beer, yelling abuse and (for the rowdy elements) hitting each other over the head with plastic chairs. The players are not much better as they are happy to kick, poke, gauge and crush one another at will. While little old ladies (with 2 February 2001

moustaches) in Bournemouth think this sort of behaviour is dreadful, I am not so sure. It is better than firing mortar bombs at one another. One could even argue that mankind has made some progre.bs.

owever,' I'do draw the line at the idea':put'forward recently by a Swedish politician who thinks that the sport offootball should be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. Admittedly, the 1969 Football War which broke out after El Salvador beat Flonduras for a place in the 1970 World Cup competition was in reality only the resolution of a long-standing territorial dispute, but football is not a peaceful business. But I guess it is no more ridiculous an idea as the concept that there is Peace Prize named after (and paid for by) the man who invented not just nitro glycerine, but also dynamite and, finally, gelignite. Nobel was therefore partly responsible for the deaths of thousands and

The British have a Ilovely expression: “Oh, say, that's not cricket" which means that something is not very sporting. Well, what is sporting in a world where cyclists inject themselves with monkey hormones so that they can pedal faster than others, and athletes have their blood changed before a race? What is (Photo by BMW Media) sporting about using illegal systems on racing cars? From that point, one must conclude that sport really is'a - n modern version of warfare and to enable FI to compete with other conflicts (read sports) teams really ought to be more nationalistic, McLaren is silver-grey and likes to be efficient and, so, has n the makings of a German national racing team. Williams is. British that it would be impossible to change it. Ferrari y is Italian. Frost is a French team. Saube'f^ is Swiss (and - thereforea pon-cpmbatant). >>..,^BAR will eventually turn and Jaguar is without the stars and ^:i^/fthouUheapangles. Jordan ed to be ilisfrgreen andjLJ oui^gctf^ to b'ein^;(frisl^' ^^gjvSit^f^'-ÎJdnsha^s^ ai^^S.'inv^ve h ifTtsf^fJ ri l as^ b'j'ain^Si.^row&;',.. tl nds of people. ^.ôul^be sent to'Sib^ria ~''T5enBtteR3Jaos~not~fitxi^Jly into" -sounds harsh, one must remember that Nobel did not any packaging and so should be have to sell his inventions to made to represent Belgium, while Paul Stoddart's takeover anyone. -p’. of Minardi should result in thb The Swede^ are a funny lotB^ of an Australian' FI spent a surnmer there once"'""'*^ touring around in Sweden, visiting places with names like Renault the'grandstands cars: Tvaaker, Tvingo, Glommi^fe^fôuld heave to the sound of and Sveg. As a nation, they Williams fans'singing: "If it been clever enough to stay out of wasn'tfor the English, you'd all wars and made money from both be KrautsAwhich 1 am told is sides. sung to the French, the Dutch and the Belgians at football Flowever, try as I might, I matches. The anthem “Two cannot bring myself to seeing World Wars and one World Cup" football as an instrument of peace could be chanted at McLaren and tranquillity. No sport is about fans. peace and my feeling is that the Of course, taken to extremes, Swedish politician proposed the this would be a bad idea but I idea because so many people like cannot help but think that if football and he thinks that they there had been a few more will like him and so might one day football matches in the build up vote for him. Baron de Coubertin, the founder to World War I, perhaps there would be fewer graves today in of the Olympic movement, might the fields of France, have thought that playing the And perhaps my grandfather game was more important than would have been called winning but it is not a view which Stanley... is widely held in any sport. 29

Eddie Jordan Motorsport News: What result would satisfy you in 2001? Eddie Jordan: Our objectives are maybe slightly different to Honda's. Honda is very committed, and they are only focussed on winning a championship. We know how powerful McLaren and Ferrari are. This time last year, I was very conscious that I felt we had gone down a road where I felt we could take them on. That didn't happen. But we learned so much as a result of that. I believe we can get back to where we were, by fighting and winning some races. I don't want to say whether I'd be happy with that or not; it depends on the format. I don't want to win it if people are falling out of races. It's vitally important that we get on right from the very beginning and take the fight to them. It's a super opportunity; Honda coming to us, continuity with the drivers, a complete set of new rules, which has given I believe the designers a better chance. I think we've come up with a very different car to the other ones that have been launched so far. The emphasis is absolutely on reliability. In actual fact last year the car started off not too badly. We led the first race, and we were third and fourth in the second race. The unreliability of the car strangled us, and I will never let that happen again. MN: At the start of the 2000 season, did you think you could get closer to Ferrari and McLaren, or did you expect that it was going to be tough to hang on to third place? EJ: I may have got my sums wrong. I was very optimistic about the car at the beginning, and I felt we'd made very good progress. But a number of things happened. BMW came in as a works team, and obviously there was a works Jaguar team. The emphasis was clearly changing towards factory engines. Having a customer engine, like ourselves and the people with Supertecs, wasn't going to be an easy task. I don't want to make that our excuse. Our reliability at the beginning wasn't good, and later the unfortunate driver incidents, where through no fault of their own our drivers had very good potential finishes taken from them through coming togethers in racing incidents with other 30

people, when we were very well positioned. Could we have got 60 something points like the previous year? I don't think so. From that respect, it was disappointing. But I think in some respects, the podium at Indy helped us mentally. MN: Do you think you were flattered in 1999 by other teams under-performing? EJ: That's possible, but we still won a number of races, so I don't agree. I think we were still able to carry the fight to McLaren and Ferrari better. In 2000, there weren't a lot of spare points around, if you know what I mean. Benetton were the only team to finish second, other than McLaren and Ferrari, and only after Coulthard was disqualified. In years gone by, in 1998 and '99, Jordan were able to win races. That didn't happen last season. MN: So you agree that you under-performed, and it's not just a question of other people coming up? EJ: I just think that overall we didn't have the speed. Whether it be the car, or whatever. The driver line-up is very strong. I think the fairer assessment will be 2001, when we have the works Honda engine. We have to perform. There is no excuse. It's an unbelievable opportunity, and I've got to make the most out of it.

Time to MN: It's a fundamental part of racing, isn't it? You reach a certain level, and then to move forward you have to push the limits in all areas of the car... EJ: In 1999, the reliability was so good with the car, we knew it was at the end of its line. Last year was the start of a new type of car with Jordan, which was much closer to the edge, technically and weight-wise, with the electronics and all sorts of things. And I think we suffered and paid the penalty. But if we were able to get out of fourth position, then it would have been a very worthwhile exercise in terms of taking the risk factor into play. It will stand us greatly in the future. With the car we had in 1999, we weren't going to be in the

position to make significant headway. It was reliable and aerodynamically efficient, and people often say 'Leave well enough alone.' But in FI you can't do that. If you try to stay with a philosophy for more than a couple of months, you are just dead in the water. The technology advancesbeing made now are so ■.< unbelievably great, you just get left behind. , . ■ MN: Was Monaco 0;$^]|iggest . disappointment?;, \ ; EJ: 1 don't know wh^.i^i^^^’-': . Mpnaco alyvaiys seemlM^^'ch; -a ■ me out. iri '98 it wasttra^fpo' * th^we redesigned"' waS'go.bad that wei'y^" . witfeMinardi. ;No- refle B Mina rdi; &ut we: sho’&iS|r^^ that position '

MN: What went wrong in 2000? EJ: We had a major problem where we brought out a major development gearbox, which was more in line with what Ferrari and McLaren had, or certainly McLaren. It was ultra lightweight. But it was fragile. We led the race in Australia, and the gearbox failed on the car. It took us a bit of a while to sort that out. It turned out to be a bigger problem than first envisaged. The problem is that we lost momentum. We did get seven points in Brazil, but had we got six points or so in Australia, and then picked up four here and five there, we would have been off, and I think it would have been impossible to catch us. The problem was initially the gearbox. With things like that you lose development time. You lose time for bringing the car forward in other areas. I think that hurt us a lot more than what the results show. motorsi;3il news

INTERVIEW

pentonm It made me re-do a whole lot of other things that drought about the one-two at Spa later on in the year. Last year, we should have finished second and third at Monaco. It would have been another 10 points in the bag. But we didn't get them. There's no point in crying about it. We didn't take advantage when they were available, for all sorts of different reasons, and we've got to make sure we've learned our lessons. This year there will be a huge responsibility, there vvill be a lot of pressure. Not just pn ourselves, but on everybody.

MN: Did the announcement of the Honda deal basically save your season? EJ: It was such a big surprise. It kept everyone alive in terms of the hope factor. History shows that when Honda come into Grand Prix racing, they have won championships, with monotonous regularity. We don't want to be the team that hasn't delivered the fair share of the goodies for them when they came back. We've got to show them that the decision that they made, to go with Jordan was the right one.

Continued on page 32

After such a great season in 1939, Jortlan GP's fortunes took a tfiue last year, anil the team never came close to matching its] > . earlier achievements. Wtth^ works Hondas in there's no room tqty excushs^!^ ADAn/iC99PERsfipi(^!i^ team boss EililieJof^iij^ ●-●f?

Eddie Jordan continued from page 31 MN: Were there times last year when Heinz lost a bit of motivation when things were going badly? EJ: I wouldn't say he lost motivation. I think there was some sense of frustration. I think that Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes upped their game, and it was pretty much inevitable after the first two races that the speed had appeared to have gone away from us. I always find it a disturbing factor when it's contract renewal time. He had a big offer from another team. Should he do it, or shouldn't do it, where's his career going, what does he want to do. He had a new baby. I don't think it was anything to do with motivation. I think there may have been a number of peripheral things that may have given that impression. There were a number of frustrating things that happened, with the car not being reliable enough in the beginning, and then coupled with changing the family structure, new contact time, all these offers, they must have had their effect, even subconsciously. MN: The other thing is that in 1999 he made himself into a clear number one, but last year he was up against Jarno. How did he cope with that? EJ: I think Jarno has been positive. Damon retired, and this time last year no-one knew how Jarno was going to turn out. I think he has moved on. He and Heinz will be a very strong team together this year. Both of them are very quick, they play against each other. There's absolutely no doubt that Jarno is absolutely into the qualifying situation. He's so determined to outqualify everybody, and particularly his team-mate. That's a very healthy situation. And that's indicated by Jarno being on the front row twice, to Heinz's one. MN: Has he exceeded your expectations in some ways? EJ: I've always had huge regard for him, on a personal basis. He's a lovely boy. When he can get away from Jenson Button in a race let's see what he can do, and then we can make a better appraisal. But I 'm very pleased with him. Jenson and him seemed to have this magnetic attraction to each other, and if they were 32

good job. We had the opportunity, but the connection between us and Bridgestone goes back a long way. I like the people, I like the commercial people and the technical people. Also there's the connection between us and Honda - that was one of the key issues.

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PPBns. Eddie Jordan, riglit more sensible, both of them would score vastly more points. MN: Jarno is a very emotional guy, and at times he seems to get quite upset with the retirements and so on... EJ: Jarno is emotional, full stop. There's no 'side' to him. You know how he's feeling by the way you talk to him. MN: Is that something he needs to control a bit, in order to make the very top? EJ: No, I don't think so. I think Ayrton Senna was a very emotional person. Some people may call it a Latin temperament. I don't think he's Latin at all. Under pressure he's amazing, brilliant. What you see is what you get. I don't think anything is contrived: it's all very natural, and it's there. You ask him a question and you get an answer, and I would stake my life on it being a true and fair and accurate reply to what you've asked. Is he emotional and is it a deterrent? I don't think so. There's emotion and there's commitment, and his commitment is par excellence. MN: You mentioned Button, but Jarno had a lot of bad luck at early on in other races... EJ: One of the areas of becoming a great driver as opposed to a very, very good one is knowing your position on the track, and knowing how to avoid those first lap things. I think Jarno has learned the basic rudiments of that! The pain that those incidents have caused him, and the loss of points... He's beginning to understand that although he may have a very definite line, that may be the quickest line for him may not always be the best line in the middle of the heated battle of a race.

MN: In other words, you have to drive defensively and look after yourself... EJ: Sometimes. It may not be in his nature, but it may have to be part of his overall package in the future. MN: Several of your immediate rivals are on Michelin. Is there a risk that they will have an advantage? EJ: There's always a risk when there's competition. That's part of the joy of it. Somehow or another, Michelin will do a very

MN: Williams, Benetton and Jaguar obviously view Michelin as a chance to close the gap to Ferrari and McLaren. By staying on the same tyres as them, aren't you ensuring that you will still be behind? EJ: I've learned over the years never just to assume, otherwise things never move on. On the basis that Williams were top dogs for some time,, and they moved aside somewhat to let McLaren in, I think it's time for another team to hone in on the likes of McLaren and Ferrari. I have to believe that it's got to be Jordan. Don't automatically assume that we weren't be able to beat them. On the same basis, don't automatically assume that we'l l be number three in the pecking order at Bridgestone. m

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win Ready to Jordan's Heinz-Harald Frentzen on his 2001 season DESPITE changes to the FI regulations for 2001, McLaren and Ferrari will be the teams to beat, according the Heinz-Harald Frentzen. The Jordan driver has said that the pecking order will be similar to that in 2000 when the cars hit the Albert Park track next month. "My opinion is that they will be able to find the edges and holes of the regulations quicker than most teams," he said. "They are the most experienced with aerodynamics, they have the best wind tunnels and McLaren also has Adrian Newey. That’s why I believe McLaren and Ferrari will initially be stronger than average - it’s because they have the most resources in Formula 1. "From our point of view, we have spent far more time in the wind tunnel than In Jordan’s history. We have put a lot of effort into this part of the new car, so hopefully we will be right there from the beginning of the season too." Despite securing works Honda engines, Frentzen, right, says that the team may lack the aerodynamic

expertise of the ‘Big Two’. "From my experience in FI with Sauber, Williams and Jordan I’ve come to realise that it’s not only Important to have a big budget and the best wind tunnel, you need good people," he added. "Jordan is a team which is taking steps forward and getting better each year, and hopefully our deal with Flonda will attract more professional and experienced people." The German is in peak shape to carry Honda’s hopes this season. "I’m at the highest performance level of my career," he said. "I think I’m in good shape for this year. "After such a catastrophic season last year, Jordan has a big boost from a confidence and morale point of view with Honda coming on board. That’s not only giving me a big horsepower shove in the back and a lot of technical support, but they want to win races too. That gives me a big mental boost too. "The pressure, which comes with their arrival, is all positive. This is one of the big chances in my career to be successful and win more races."

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INTERVIEW

2000 proved to be a tough initiation as a V8 Supercar team owner/driver for Brad Jones, finishing 24th in the Shell Series points. But the former AUSCAR/NASCAR and Super Touring Champion wontbg^^y^ deterred and he'sJooking towards

^ GERALD McDORNAN last week spoke with Jones about everything V8.

MOTORSPORT NEWS: You've had sucess in every category of racing Brad Jones Racing has contested. So, having spent your first year in the Shell V8 Supercar Series as a team owner/driver, how do you feel you went? How would you rate 2000? BRAD JONES: To tell you the truth, disappointing would be the first thing I would say. I'd like to think we're far better than 24th, which is where we finished in the championship. We really struggled at the start and I don't think we could have made things any harder for ourselves if we tried, in terms of mucking around and not finding any direction fast enough. By the end of the series we had made a fair amount of progress - the car was reasonably fast at Surfers and reasonably fast at Bathurst. I think if we can carry that speed into this year's championship season, that should give us a good base to start with. MN: Was the Audi programme,thanks to the hitech nature of the cars, a hindrance when it came time to deal with the Falcon Super Tourer technology is a fair way departed from V8 Supercar technology. BJ: The experience we had with Audi Sport was one where we got the cars and fine-tuned them and ended up being extremely competitive with them, whether we raced them in Australia, or against the best teams in the world in Macau. We had a good

handle on those particular cars. With the Falcon, I think the whole situation was different. We weren't quite starting with a fresh piece of paper, but there was a lot of work to be done. We changed the car significantly when we first got it, which in hindsight was a bit of a mistake, and we really struggled to understand the Falcon and get the most out of it.

"To tell you the truth, disappointing wouid be the first thing i wouid say. i'd iike to think we're tar better than 24th, which is where we finished in the championship tl

-Jones on the Ozemail team’s debut season in V8 Supercars

So, really I don't think the Audi programme, on a technical side, either hurt or helped. What we embarked on was an entirely different learning process and it took us longer than I thought it would to get a handle on it. From the organisation side, it [the Audi programme] certainly helped us having everything at BJR sorted out. The same too for the long distance races with our strategies and the like. continued on page 36

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Brad Jones continued from page 35 The problem with the Audi was, when we got something, it really didn't need much of a change to make it work for us, whereas it was a lot different with the Falcon Supercar - making things and trying to develop everything as we went along. With the racing schedule as tight as it is and with the testing limited as it is, we also didn't have the ability to do what we have done in the past. If we weren't happy with the performance of the car or equipment, we'd test it until we had a handle on things and had everything sorted out. That's not the case with the restrictions on testing in V8s ... you just can't do that. MN: Is that restriction valid nowadays,considering the budgets of the bigger teams? Also, do you think new teams coming into the series, such as yours, should be allocated more opportunities to learn? BJ: Testing should be structured in a way that it should be fairer for everyone. At the moment, teams like HRT, Perkins and FTR have a lot of experience and a fair amount of data and so they don't need to test as often as the newer teams.

When yojj conne into V8s and you don't have that stuff and you're trying to gather it all up and be competitive and race as fast as you can, it's impossible to do. I believe they should have a number, say the top 12 teams in the championship, and they're limited to 12 test days. The teams following that, say up to 20th or so, should get 15 or 16 test days. The other teams after that should be allowed to test any time they want, free practise days and those sorts of things only to the two designated tracks - so it doesn't cost them much money...

Testing should be structured in a way that it should be fairer for n everyone.

- Jones talking about how some teams are disadvantaged by the current testing restricitons

There has to be another way of doing things. The idea of the game, I believe, is to make as many people capable of winning as possible. To do that, the majority of the time, you need to experiment with drivers and equipment to get the best out of your car. If everyone has the same amount of testing, it's very difficult. When you go testing on the same day as HRT, you'll see that they turn up with plenty of cars, people and equipment. If you look at NASCAR, you'll see that all the big teams are the ones that are really competitive. They have huge testing restrictions, so when Hendrick or Roush go testing with three or five cars in one day, they gather more information in one day than a single car team can in three or five. That doesn’t seem entirely fair to me... MN: Are those extra three or four days insignificant, budget-wise, in the scheme of things? BJ: No, money is a very important thing and that's one of the reasons the restrictions are in place - to try and control the amount of money that teams are spending. But, if you're trying to run at

I f

MN: Well, where did you see you fell down in 2000 and where will you find that bit extra to improve your position this year? BJ: Last year was probably the toughest year ever of V8 Supercar racing and I think this year will be even tougher. And it's going to continue on that

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the front and you're not, you end up spending a lot of money anyway. And really, how much money you have access to is going to control how often you can go testing. But, if your days are freed up a little, you can then pick and choose. Towards the end of last season we still had two days left for testing. Twice we went and twice it looked like it was going to rain, so we turned around and came home. That cost $500 worth of fuel each time, the deposit for the track hire, downtime for the guys at the circuit, a night's accommodation because we'd sent them down the night before - that's all expensive as well. Keep in mind, the extra testing might not have changed where we finished in the championship. I would like to think though, it would have helped us come to grips with the car a lot sooner than v,/e did.

cai w: next goal

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- Jones on future expansion at BJR moiarsport news

VIEW "Last year was probably the toughest year ever of V8 Supercar racing and I think this year will rr be even tougher - Jones on what he experienced and what he expects

way for a fair while yet. We've got to get the car set up so I can get the most out of it. Every driver wants something a little different out of their car for us, last year was getting the car to do something that would

enable me to get the most out of myself and the car. We didn't find the package until the end of the year when we became more competitive. 1 can't tell you that we changed one particular thing, because we were changing things all the time. It's a matter of getting the package right so the driver is comfortable in the car. MN; Qualifying was a problem and, if you can't qualify at the front, you're usually in trouble. This year's format is different and brings the whole team into play. Will that be of help to you? BJ: I don't know if it will be, the fast guys will always be fast. continued on page 38

On the ups: One of the strengths of BJR, in the past, has been their pit work. Jones believes it might be ofsome advantage in 2001, with the altered race formats, albeit an advantage that won’t come into play all the time. (Photos by Melanie Brooker and AFI-lrnages)

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Brad Jones continued from page 37 Every now and again pit-stop strategy might help, but they're so strict with pit windows, I can't see a huge advantage with it yet. But, we do have a lot of experience in that area and we've raced a lot in classes where pit-stops have been an intregal part of the race, so I'd like to think it will help us from time to time. Bottom line though, is the fast guys are still going to qualify up the front and win a lot of the races. To beat them, we'll have to get the most out of everything - the driver, the team and the car. MN; What changes have you made to the team and the equipment to enable you to run at the front this year? BJ: Being 9/10ths of a second off the pace at Calder and being 24th on the grid, it doesn't take a lot to get up the grid. Half a second is a long time in motor racing, but if we can find that, we'd be 10th. We're only talking tenths of seconds here and everyone is looking for them, so they're hard to find.

"Being 9/1 Oths off the pace at Calder and being 24th on the grid... half a second Is a long time in motor racing, but if we can find that, we'd be 10th" - Jones on the closeness of racing in V8 Supercars

We've got a few different things to try this year. We've got a new car, along with a few new people in the team, which is making everything just a little bit nicer. Hopefully, we'll have a little more pace, so a realistic goal for us this year would be for us to run in and around the top 12. I hope we're capable of doing that, but time will tell. I know that ultimately we can be a competitive force in V8 Supercar racing. It's just a matter of chopping and changing things around until we can find the right mix that makes things competitive. Make no mistake, to run in the top 12 of the V8 Supercar Series is a very big ask. 38

A year Brad Jones’ whole world was turned upside-down: 2000 saw Jones make his debut as a team-owner/driver in the get married to Melissa and check out the flipside of his Ozemail Falcon in Adelaide above. Still, the 40-yearold from Albury right keptfit and focussed on the job ahead.

We're looking at quite a Significant increase [irt 2001]and while it might not come straight awa]/, I'm sure we can get there II

(Photos by Bob Polls and Dirk Klynsmiih)

Look where we ran last year 18th to 20th - and every now and then we'd struggle up into the top 10. We're looking at quite a significant increase and while it might not come straight away. I'm sure we can get there as the season goes on. MN: Does a second car come into the equation? You've spoken about the information gained by racing and testing two, maybe three cars, so does BJR look to adding another car soon? BJ: We need to become successful with one car - when I say successful, I mean a regular top 10-12 runner - before we add another car and when we achieve that, then we will look at how we get to our next goal. At some stage I would think that we need to run two cars, because you need to get, even if it's not a race meetings, you need the feedback. If someone came along with enough money, then I'd have a look at it. At this point in time. I'd say no. If someone can along with more than enough money, or I thought we were at the point where we needed it, then it would happen.

m, -

- Jones’expectations far 2001 BJ: Engine development is just an ongoing thing, it all depends on how much money you've got to throw at it. I believe our engines will be a little bit stronger than they were last year and hopefully that will be one of the areas that will help us a little.

MN: Is the new car much the same as where you ended up with your current car at the end of last season, or have you departed from that? BJ: We've changed it around a bit and hopefully it will be more competitive. We're looking to find some of that speed we're chasing in the fact that we are running a new car. We've got a few different things on it compared to the old car and they should make a difference. MN: Have you worried about engine development up to this point in time, or has everything just centred on the chassis?

MN; How do you see the recent developments with Ford signing Craig Lowndes and Gibson Motorsport? Will it have a positive effect on your programme? BJ: One thing is for sure, Geoff Polites and Ford have made a huge commitment to motorsport. They want to see Falcons running up the front. That can only be good for a team that has any sort of association with them and is running their cars. Certainly from BJR's point of view is what that signals to me is that Ford will do whatever they need to do to get their cars to the front. Hopefully that will involve us. We've got a good relationship with Ford, as with do with Ozemail who are really keen on their motorsport programme, and we're really keen to develop both of those relationships and grow them for a long time into the future. Ill

newt

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO.

by AARON NOONAN AYRTON Senna’s career path has heen very well documented. From karts to Formula Ford to that season of F3 against Martin Brundle in 1983, to Toleman and ‘that’ drive at Monaco 1984 and onwards to Lotus, McLaren, Williams and that fateful day at Imola. But there was a fast British bloke called Calvin Fish who was Senna’s major rival in the 1982 Formula Ford 2000 series and pushed the Brazilian all the way. However, his name isn’t one which instantly registers in the radars of motorsport fans generally, despite his successes in the UK and later in the USA. “I came up through the ranks in karting. I didn’t do that much car racing before I came to the States actually - did a little bit of Formula Ford in 1980 and then Formula Ford 2000 in 1981 and 1982. “In ’82, of course, was the year I ran against Ayrton and we had a pretty good year that year. Unfortunately I finished second way too many times! We had, like.

15 second places in one year or in the title before the money went something ridiculous, but we ran dry again and he spent time racing both the British and European for Jack Roush at Sebring and Championships and Ayrton won Daytona, winning classes at both in 1990. both championships and I finished second. But these days he’s driving a “Then we got what was microphone and it was at the supposedly going to be a big break Adelaide Le Mans race we caught and got the BP ride in Formula 3 up with him working for NBC in but it just pit lane. didn’t work tl “I really enjoy the out. broadcasting now. “Ayrton I’ve been doing that moved onto for about five years Formula 1 working for and I was -Fish on his season versus Senna Speedvision (a cable left network in the US scratching dedicated to motorsport) and now around and that was when I made doing stuff for NBC Sports and the move to the States. previously I did some IRL on Fox “I picked up an Atlantic ride in Sports. 1986 but didn’t do the full season “I’ve been very fortunate. The but won four races and finished racing’s given me the second in title and the following opportunities I have now in year I won the Atlantic broadcasting and running the championship. racing school. “My sponsor gave me a full “I have regrets about my last budget to go and do Indy Lights year in Europe. A lot of people the next year. We ran with Doug thought we’d be competitive Shierson, who had an Indycar at the time(Domino’s Pizza) with straight up in ’83 after what we did Raul Boesel and we were a against Senna but that wasn’t the satellite team.” case. It was the pivotal year in my DNFs hurt and Fish was fourth career and then you’re washed up.”

Unlortunately, I finished second way too many times!

Holiday snapshot; Fish enjoyed his time in Adeiaide for the ALMS race. (Photo by Dirk Klynsmith) Fish runs the racing school at the Mid-Ohio circuit and is chief instructor, and now lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

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CRM GEAR As the Grand Prix organisation ban us from selling merchandise at this event, this is your chance to get your season 2001 CRM gear now. 39

Ferrari

Defenders ef tl Ferrari ended a 21 year drought last season -can they defend the title they MICHAEL Schumacher’s title win has finally put a stop to the two decade saga of when Ferrari’s next World Championship victory would come,and no longer will team personnel be haunted by the words‘Jody Scheckter’and ‘1979’.

"ITS like rolling two double sixes. Once you've roiled one double six, the odds of rolling another are the same It

- Ferrari’s Ross Brawtt

But now there’s another challenge - that of achieving back-to-back successes. And Ferrari hasn’t done that since Alberto Ascari dominated the 1952-’53 seasons. In fact there’s no logical reason why Michael can’t win again, since the basic elements of the package are unchanged. “It’s like rolling two double sixes,” says Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn.“Once you’ve rolled one double six, the odds of rolling another are the same. But if you’d said a year ago,‘What are the chances of winning the next two championships?,’it would be a different matter! “But we’ve reset the table now, and the odds and chances are just the same as they were at the beginning oflast year. I don’t think the previous season has any great influence on winning another one. There’s nothing that happened last year which is going to affect this year in the sense that it’s let’s start again, this is a new championship.” Schumacher himselfis rarely motivated by statistics, with the

notable exception of the record of outright GP wins. However, being the first Ferrari champ to successfiilly defend his title for 48 years will endure him even further to the tifosi. But why hasn’t Maranello done it before? Firstly it’s worth considering that veiy few drivers have won consecutive titles with any single team. Indeed, apart from Ascari, the only others to manage it were Juan Manuel Fangio (Mercedes, 1954-55), Jack Brabham (Cooper, 1959-60), Alain Prost(McLaren, 1985-86), Ayrton Senna(McLaren, 1990-91), Schumacher himself(Benetton, 1994-’95), and Mika Hakkinen (McLaren, 1998-99). Even within that short list there are a few anomalies; in 1954 Fangio scored some of his points with a Maserati, and Michael’s Benetton successes were earned with different engine manufacturers, which in some ways makes for an even more impressive achievement. As far as Ferrari is concerned, there are very specific reasons for the lack of consecutive wins. Firstly, there’s the dearth of World Championship victories which might have earned a repeat; after Ascari’s second success in 1953 the team won just seven further titles before Schumacher came on the scene. On three of those occasions the World Champion was not around to defend his crown; Fangio went to

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FORMULA ONE

le Faith

DUght so hard for? By ADAM COOPER

an incredible amount of physical and mental energy in so doing, a driver and his team often find it hard to pick up again at the start of a new season. That was the usual explanation for the total absence of repeat champions between Jack Brabham in 1960 and Alain Frost in 1986. The same criticism was levelled at a weary Mika Hakkinen when the Finn was gunning for his third title last year. Brawn says that Ferrari won’t fall into that trap, but admits that it’s not easy. “Everyone’s working tremendously hard here. But you need that first race to get back into it again, to forget everything that’s happened over the past 12 months, because it is history. Get into the first race, see where we are and what work needs to be done, and get on and do it. “All sorts offactors drive people at this time of year. The thing that drives me is fear offailure, more than ambition to succeed. I’ve been fortunate enough to have won the championship at Ferrari, and there’s a tremendous fear of failure after that that drives you on. I don’t think of it as a negative thing; these are the standards we’ve set for ourselves, and we can’t let them drop. We’ve got to improve them if anything.” Perhaps that double six will turn up again...

Maserati at the end of’56, Mike Hawthorn retired at the end of’58, and Niki Lauda went to Brabham at the end of’77. In other years, 1962,’65 and ’80, the team simply lost any edge it had as the opposition - usually the Brits made better technical progress. Sheer misfortune also played a part. Had Lauda not crashed at the Nurburgring in 1976, he would surely have wrapped up his second straight title. He did win again in ’77, in the middle of what was a golden era for the team. FeiTari won three times in five years in the late 70s, its most sustained period of competitiveness until the Schumacher era. There are other parallels with today. Just as Lauda lost out in ’76, so Michael missed a golden chance to win in 1999 after breaking his leg at Silverstone. Indeed, with a little extra luck here and there, he might have won in 1997 and ’98 as well. But that’s the point; winning titles ain’t easy, even with a great driver and a very competitive package. There’s always someone else who’s quick and pushing hard, and mechanical g-emlins or other people’s mistakes can trip up even the veiy best. And there’s that other indefinable factor that so often plays a part; a loss of motivation. The conventional wisdom is that having won the title, and used up

Ferrari has done everything in Formuia One except win two titles in a row. race and reigning champ Phil Hill slipped to sixth. 1965: John Surtees finished second in the opening race, but thereafter Lotus and BRM held sway. As in '62 Ferrari failed to register a victory. 1976: Niki Lauda was well on course for a second title before his dreadful Nurburgring accident. He missed the next two races in Austria and Holland, pulled out in Japan, and yet still only lost the title by one point to the charging James Hunt. He made amends by winning again in '77. 1978: Champion Lauda moved to Brabham. The 312T3 was not a bad car, and Carlos Reutemann managed to win four races. But the goalposts were moved by Lotus as ground effect proved the way to go. 1980: The 312T4 was just about fast and reliable enough to take Jody Scheckter, below, to the crown in '79, but Williams, Renault and Ligier were all coming on strong. The following year Ferrari proved it still hadn't fully mastered ground effect and the hopeless 312T5 was left behind Scheckter even failed to qualify in Canada.

1954: Ascari turned down the chance of a hat-trick by signing for Lancia, although the car wasn't ready until late in the season. Jose Froilan Gonzalez and Mike Hawthorn scored a win apiece, but the new Mercedes team dominated. 1957: Fangio did not enjoy his victorious '56 season with the LanciaFerrari D50, and switched to Maserati. Hawthorn, Peter Collins and Luigi Musso showed speed, but none won a race; meanwhile Fangio swept to his fourth title, although Vanwall came on strong in the second half of the year. 1959: Hawthorn retired at the end of his championship year, and having lost Collins and Musso in the course of the season, Ferrari was in disarray. New signing Tony Brooks helped to pull the team together, and won twice. But the rear-engined Cooper took command, and Jack Brabham pipped Brooks to the crown by four points. 1962: Ferrari's dominance in 1961 was exaggerated by the failure of the British teams to be ready for the new 1.5-litre formula. But by '62 BRM, Lotus and Cooper were up to speed, as was Porsche. Ferrari didn't win a

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2000/2001

ROUND 1

BRISBANE INT. SPEEDWAY

7th October 2000

ROUND 2

BRISBANE INT. SPEEDWAY

21st October 2000

ROUND?

BRISBANE INT. SI

ROUND 3

BRISBANE INT. SPEEDWAY

4th November 2000

ROUND 8

BRISBANE INT. SI

ROUND 4

TOOWOOMBA SPEEDWAY

11th November 2000

ROUND 9

BRISBANE INT. SI

ROUND 5

BRISBANE INT. SPEEDWAY

18th November 2000

ROUND 10

LISMORE SPEED'

ROUND 6

BUNDABERG SPEEDWAY

25th November 2000

(RAIN DATE 9th Decer

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ROUND 11

BRISBANE INT. SPEEDWAY

3rd March 2001

EEDWAY

2nd December 2000

ROUND 12

BRISBANE INT. SPEEDWAY

17th March 2001

EEDWAY

16th December 2000

ROUND 13 TOOWOOMBA SPEEDWAY

24th March 2001

EEDWAY

26th December 2000

ROUND 14

i/AY

24th February 2001

I 2001)

BRISBANE INT. SPEEDWAY FINALE (RAIN DATE 19th May 2001)

WWW. raceteams. com.au

21st April 2001

■'V

Wakefield Park f

visit youp winner's circle The Streak ended at 13 when Paul IVIorris DNF'd at Wakefield Park. Jim Cornish took his first race win and lim Shaw sealed the Future Touring crown. PHIL BRANAGAI\I reports

TOP wondering. The answer to the question i which has been asked for much of the season is ‘Wakefield Park, January 28.’ That’s where, and when, Paul Morris’s dominance of the BOC Gases Super Touring Championship ended. After winning 13 straight races, a loose wheel forced the four-time Champion out of the first race, allowing someone else to take the chequered flag for once. That ‘someone else’ was up in the air for quite a while. John Henderson took the lead, but power steering problems dealt with his challenge. Luke Searle took over, but Jim Cornish timed his run to perfection, slid through on the last lap and held on to take his first race win. The earth’s normal axis was restored in Race 2, Morris storming away to take a 1-2 from team-mate Owen Kelly, whose Race 1 effort was slowed when he was severely affected by the heat. The second race was a little tame, with Henderson’s problems preventing him from starting, and some Race 1 carnage also DNS’d the Future Tourers of Jason Domaschenz, Kerry Wade and Jamie Brock. 'Tim Shaw sealed the FT crown and his party started, soon to be out-paced, surely, by the one which was about to rage at Cornish’s pit...

Your turn: Jim Cornish was the man who beat the odds and bagged a win when Paul Morris DNF’d in Race 1. (Photo by John Morris/Mpix) But the result was in doubt for quite a while, Searle and Henderson taking turns up front.

Qualifying

nee upon a time, there was a Super Touring Championship with two scheduled races in Victoria - and none at Wakefield Park. But a combination of insecure toilets at one track and built-in expense at another took the 2-litre cars to Wakefield Park TWICE and made all eight races in the series fly-away events for any Melbourne-based teams, or magazines...

So it was that Goulburn got its second go at a BOC Gases race and, after the reception first time around, there was a fair bit of interest in what would happen. Would the gilds be bigger? What would happen in the Future Touring division, the last championship not actually decided? And where would Searle qualify? Oh yes, there was also Morris to consider. Not,'Will Paul Morris win?'- it's not like people actually

go to the cricket wondering whether Australia will beat the West Indies - but what will he do? How much will he win by? That sort of stuff. Oh yes - how hot will it be? Bloody hot. The track was reading mid-50s. Even Morris looked warm; he did a lm02.76s in Ql, a lm02.53 in Q2 and then parked, obviously looking for some shade. Fifteen sessions, 15 poles. Morris put a serious bent on the weather, having suffered some tyre moiorspori news

SUPER TOURERS

Back to business: Morris fled the scene in Race 2, but The Streak has (Photo by John Morris/Mpix) been interrupted.

ttiuG

problems here in late 2000, and looked genuinely to be in conservation mode. Henderson was second twice, and Searle third which, given the pace he usually runs in warm-ups, looked about right. Hendo felt that the Vectra was a little down on top-end speed, which was backed up by the data from the November meeting, but countered that the handling was as good as it had ever been, which helped him out of the corners and, he hoped, would lead to good tyre life. Freed from Saturday qualifying for the Narcolepsy 500, Searle looked right at home among the quick guys. “This is the first time I've been able to qualify and it's great to be starting on the second row,” he said. “Now I've got to get the car off the line at the start and make a clean run through the first corner...” There was a mixed bag behind. Hills was encouragingly close to Searle on the first grid but would be, ironically, starting from the rear for Race 2. A wheel had collapsed on the Signature Mondeo (Hills has had a rash of ill-fortune with wheels this season) and he was fortunate that the Ford was not damaged in the process. That left fourth on grid two to Cornish, bowling along in the Honda. Fourth was a more representative effort than his 13th in Ql; the Accord rolled to a halt

2 February 2001

on the circuit with what looked an electrical problem. It was; the alternator wasn't working because the engine wouldn't turn it over because there was no fuel in the tank. Bloody modern racecars ... To be fair to the crew, the vet had pitted for minor attention during the session and had run more laps that he had planned. Kelly bagged a fifth and a sixth in the second Morris Beemer,the Tasmanian taking things a little conservatively on his first ST trip to Goulburn. Like Morris’, there was no problem with the BMW and the Nemo Racing crew was looking forward to raceday. While Searle impressed, so did another Novacastrian. Super Touring virgin Kiel Johnston wasted no time in getting to grips with the Hi-Tech Motorsport Nissan Primera, which had been raced in the last WP round by Matthew Fox, and lined up seventh for race one and fifth for Race 2. For a bloke whose most recent experiences are in karting and a one-make Daewoo series - where the drivers don't even have a tacho to watch - it was a pretty solid debut. The 18-year-old said he was struggling a little with the severe stopping ability of the car but otherwise said he was fairly comfortable. Mixed results came Jamie Miller's way. Gearbox problems the apparent bugbear of the Toyota

Camry - left him ROG for Race 1, but the Sydney driver vaulted to seventh second time around. Ironically, he was not running his usual mount but a later model Camry which had come from Millen Motorsport in the USA. Likewise, David Auger had mixed fortunes. Sixth in Ql, with a time identical to Kelly's (despite a few years between the cars and more than a few between the drivers!) he would be 11th for the second race after a strut broke and speared the yellow Alfa into the boonies. There was no damage to speak of and the 155TS was ready for the race after a few hours work by the Queensland crew. Of the rest; Aaron McGill had a suspension failure in the Trinovin Nissan and the resulting damage was enough to put the car out for the weekend. Mark Zonneveld was

suffering from understeer in the second Signature Mondeo (“as usual,” he reported). Sam Dale was having his second run in the ex-Hills Mondeo, and qualified in a strong 11th for Race 1. Mick Webb Jr was back, in the SVO Falcon EL which went so well at Oran Park. History never repeats, according to fable and Crowded House but, in the BOC Gases Series, it does repeat repeat. Two years ago at Queensland Raceway, a rainstorm prompted half the field to leave pit road during qualifying, which is illegal and resulted in almost half the grid having their times nixed and they started at the back. All, but there were no Future Tourers around then ... Jamie Brock, Jason Domaschenz and Mark Papendell learnt their

continued on page 46

u iik DRIVER TEAM/CAR Mount Cotton BMW 320i Paul Morris John Henderson Sydney Cranes & Transport Vectra Luke Searle RoadchillExpress-SAEBMW320i Peter Hills Signature Security Ford Mondeo Thermo King BMW 320i Owen Kelly Leatherman Alfa Romeo David Auger Hi-Tech Nissan Primera Kiel Johnston Mark Zonneveld Signature Security Ford Mondeo Kerry Wade Racing Ford Falcon Kerry Wade Tim Shaw ISASO-Carplan Holden Commodore Sam Dale Mumbo Racing Ford Mondeo Ray Sidebottom APS Racing Holden Commodore Visit Your Vet Honda Accord Jim Cornish Paul Leabeater Redline Motorsport Hyundai Lantra SVO Ford Falcon Mick Webb Trinovin Nissan Primera Aaron McGill Biante Models Holden Commodore James Brock Mark Papendell Pretty Motorsport Holden Commodore Jason Domaschenz APS Racing Holden Commodore Jamie Miller Phoenix Motorsport Toyota Camry

*● Quail 1:02.76 1:03.44 1:04.01 1:04.08 1:04.58 1:04.58 1:04.98 1:05.96 1:06.05 1:06.13 1:06.19 1:06.41 1:06.81 1:08.66 1:09.39 1:12.00 No time No time No time No time

Pos Qual 2 Pos 11] 1:02.53 1 [2] 1:02.86 2 31 1:03.54 3 41 1:32.87 [19] 5] 1:03.84 [6 6] 1:05.34 [11 7] 1:03.82 [5 [81 1:05.24 10 [9 1:05.48 13 10 1:04.65 [81 11 1:05.84 [151 12 1:05.35 [12 13 1:03.75 [4 14 1:09.82 18 15 1:09.49 16 16] No time 20 [171 1:05.50 14 181 1:09.82 171 19 1:05.12 [9! 20 1:04.63 [7]

BOC Gases Round I WaKefielil Park 45

Wakefield Park

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BOC Gases Round 1

WsKerielcI Park Mmi-SI last Pos Driver Race time 1 Cornish 33:58,75 * 2 Searle 33:58.82 34:05.91 3 Kelly 4 Hills 34:07.75 5 Henderson 34:19.79 6 Miller 34:21.06 34:54.47 7 Auger 8 Shaw 34:55.60 9 Dale 29 laps 10 Sidebottom 29 laps 11 Webb 29 laps 12 Papendell 29 laps DNF Morris 14 laps DNF Leabeater 12 laps DNF Zonneveld 10 laps DNF Domaschenz 9 laps DNF Johnston 6 laps DNF Brock 0 laps DNF Wade 0 laps Rau2-2iia«s 1 Morris 29:40.35 29:53.07 2 Kelly 3 Auger 27 laps 4 Sidebottom 27 laps 5. Miller 27 laps 6 Shaw 27 laps 7 Dale 27 laps 8 Webb 27 laps 9 Hills 27 laps 10 Papendell 26 laps DNF Cornish 26 laps DNF Searle 22 laps DNF Johnston 4 laps DNS Brock DNS Domaschenz DNS Henderson DNS Wade DNS Zonneveld DNS Leabeater

F/lap 63.4377 63.7095 63.7799 64.0531 63.2775 63.9068 64.4384 65.4453 65.5308 65.4995 67.8272 68.7743 63.0598 68.6869 65.0007 65.6815 65.0912

62.5623 63.3633 64.7916 65.5064 64.1526 65.1277 65.1664 67.1043 64.8220 68.0747 63.5296 64.1759 65.7530

DRIVERS POINTS (after round 7): Morris 223, Henderson 124, Auger 107, Hills 93, Gurr87, Searle 61, Kelly 46, Miller 46, Letcher 31, Cornish 30, McGill 26, Downard 14, Zonneveld 13, Dale 13, Bewley 10, Fox 9, Leabeater 8, Newman 8, Saunders 7, Robson 6, Stratton 5, Rolfo 3, Fitzgerald 2. INDEPENDENTS: Auger 203, Searle 120, Miller 97, Letcher 66, Cornish 49, etc. FUTURE TOURERS (after round 6): Shaw 168, Domaschenz 103, D'Agostin 67, Brock 65, Wade 55, Sidebottom 51, Webb 50, Gillespie 16, Papendell 16, Holt 12. 46

Coming, going, Owen: Jamie Miller debuted the ex-Millen Toyota Camry, while Owen Kelly struggled in the heat, having an off in Race 1 before taking a strong second in Race 2. (Photos by James Smith and John Morris/M pix)

-^4m continued from page 45 lesson the hard way. They left pitlane during Q1 and were thrown to the rear. Tim Shaw was fastest in the second session, giving best to Kerry Wade in the first. Holden versus Ford; ah, parity... Shaw’s Commodore was looking much more pristine than it had been at Symmons Plains (and he survived the Sunday warm-up unscathed), while Papendell was driving sensibly in the Commodore VS he leased from Nathan Pretty.

Race 1 (30 laps) ItMorris all started so innocently; out-jumped Henderson, Kelly out-jumped Hills, Physics ruled. But there were problems behind. Wade and Brock tangled - not for the first time, Wade pointed out later - and the Biante Commodore headed for the kart track, from

where it was trucked back. Wade struggled around but eventually retired. Elsewhere, there was other V8 carnage. Domaschenz had an engine blow and, out of control on his own oil, he clouted Sidebottom. The Greens pirouetted off together, Ray’s VT eventually regaining its steam and continuing. But Domaschenz was done for the day, and there was oil on the back straight... Meanwhile Searle was second, a situation which Henderson fixed on lap 3, but soon attention turned to Johnston, who stopped on the outside of Turn 1, where he sat for a couple of laps ... The Safety Car was called for. Morris was already worried; when he had a half-lose earlier on Domaschenz’s oil, he felt like a front wheel was loose. It was. He was a sitting duck. After two laps of trailing around, off they went, Morris slowing the field down to try and

allow Kelly to make some spots at the restart. Owen took the grass and tried to get through on Hills. He made it, but Hills was soon attacking back. Morris made it to half-distance before the wheel got him. As he fired up the hill on lap 15, the BMW took to the dirt and, even after it regained the track, he was struggling around. Quickly, the world went past. He pitted and The Streak was over. Now Henderson led. At last, it looked like he would get his maiden win but the power steering was playing up, first intermittently, then permanently. He wrenched the Vectra around for another six laps until Searle got past, and trailed in fifth by the end. Now a Searle win looked likely but there was a threat; Cornish. The Honda had been off on the first lap, avoiding the incidents, and again on the oil, but after starting 13th, the vet was driving

moloriporl news

SUPER TOURERS

PROMOTIONS

Tough weekend: Peter Hills and David Auger had a battle, but the Mondeo and Alfa were not at their best at Wakefield. (Photo by John Moms^pix) sensibly, nursing tyres and locking rear brakes to get past Kelly and Henderson to get onto Searle’s tail. He followed the BMW around until the last lap, driving hard onto the straight and neatly outbraking Searle into Turn 1. Much to his amazement(his radio was also out) the chequered flag came out and he’d won. “I saw him miss the apex and I knew he t)rres were going,” smiled Cornish later. “I was surprised to see the chequered flag; I thought there was two or three laps to go.” “First would have been better than second, but I can't complain too much because it was still my best-ever result,” shrugged Searle. “I think I did as well as I could.” Kelly was third from Hills, Henderson, Miller and Auger, while Shaw headed Dale and Sidebottom.

Race 2(28 laps) For the second outing, script was back. There werethe fewer

cars, no Safety Cars, and Morris won - by 13s. The better news was the form of Kelly, who got through to second on the first lap and stayed there, while Auger got up to third after Cornish and Searle tangled, leaving the Honda to serve a drive-thru penalty and forcing the BMW to retire with a guard rubbing on a tjrre after struggling around for most of the race. Cornish also DNF’d, pitting on the last lap, not realising that he could have coasted across the line for a sixth place. Also copping a penalty was Shaw, who got a little enthusiastic at the start, drove onto the grass and headed back onto the track. That allowed Sidebottom to take the FT honours, and fourth outright, from Miller, the recovering Shaw, Dale and Webb. It was that sort of race, with most of the action having been spent in Race 1, leaving little for the second. But The Streak may be back at Oran Park ...

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SONJA Currently I am working full time for a well known Law

ability to enjoy the journey towards success.

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I enjoy doing promotional work and have been lucky

helps pay for my education. I am a 3rd Year Law / Commerce student when I graduate I would like to

enough to represent Qantas at the 199f5 SOOcc Motorcycle GP, and the 1999 and 2000 Formula 1 GPs.

specialise in Taxation and Corporations Law. I enjoy challenges and have the determination to overcome

Being able to combine travel and work is always exciting, and I was able to travel

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Phone/Fox 9557 7750 Mob 0408 561 662 Super model: Jamie Brock went less than a lap, tangling with Kerry (Photo by Mick Fishbum) Wade’s Falcon and heading home after Race 1. 2 February 2001

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^ ■ ^OMMI Makinen has made I history by taking his third consecutive victory in the opening round of the World Rally Championship the Monte Carlo Rally. Makinen benefited from the demise of Ford rival Colin McRae just three stages from home, the Ford driver stopping with a broken throttle system. But while the Finn inherited the lead, nothing could be taken away from him after driving an attacking rally, pressuring McRae when the problem occurred. Carlos Sainz was able to scoop up second and save some face for Ford in an event which saw both Peugeot and Subaru lose all of their factory cars on the opening day of the coldest and most snowaffected Monte in years. The four-time world rally champion has become only the third man to achieve the Monte Carlo hat-trick, the others being retired legends, Italian Sandro Munari and German great Walter Rohrl. 48

Day 1 Tbe opening stage proved Monte’s reputation as a lottery with Toni Gardemeister, starting 16th in his Peugeot, taking fastest time, while cars in front acted as snow ploughs. Petter Solberg was fastest on SS2 while Makinen and McRae clawed their way up the leaderboard, in sixth and seventh respectively. The first big surprise of the rally was on SS3 when a water pump failure forced World Champ Marcus Gronholm out. “Fifteen kilometres before the end the lights started fl ashing and the temperature showed 140 degrees,” said Gronholm. “When we got to the service, the team had a look at it and decided there was nothing we could do; it was over.” Didier Auriol led after three stages while some of his major rivals struggled up the leaderboard. The Prodrive squad suffered its fi rst problem on SS3 when it lost Marko Martin with an

Take Three: Makinen took his third straight Monte win after Colin McRae struck trouble while leading - for the third year in a row. Delecour, below, (Photos by Sutton-lmages) salvaged some Ford pride with third place.

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engine problem in his new Subaru. Peugeot suffered more bad fortune, losing tarmac ace Gilles Panizzi, who rolled out on the hazardous Monte Carlo roads. But worse was to come for the French squad. Rally leader Auriol hit a wall and lost a wheel on the

final corner of SS3 and was refused permission to start SS4. It was a cruel repeat of Peugeot’s Monte curse from 2000 when, at the start of day two, all three of its cars developed engine problems and were forced out. This left McRae leading, his motorsport newt

WORLD RALLY

Tough start: World Champ Marcus Gronholm had a shocker for Peugeot.

steady start paying dividends. He was fastest on SS4 ahead of Burns, who also had a slow start but was now in sixth place just over a minute behind his team-mate Solberg in second. Despite leading, McRae still confessed his hatred of the event run in the mountains just behind his tax haven home; “Just because I’m leading doesn’t mean I like it,” he said. “The conditions are pretty shitty - it’s just about making sure you’re concentrating 100 percent on not making any mistakes.” It was Subaru’s turn to run into further problems, with young gun Solberg rolling out on stage five. Neither he nor co-driver Philip Mills were uninjured, but it meant Subaru was down to just one works car. Hyundai was also having problems, with new recruit Piero Liatti crashing his Accent, leaving Alister McRae to fly the Korean flag. On the last stage of the day Colin McRae increased his lead to hold a 30.2s advantage on

2 February 2001

Makinen going into the overnight halt. On the way back into Monaco, Subaru had the last of its cars eliminated. Burns retiring with major engine problems. “As we came into Monte Carlo, the car dropped onto three cylinders and lost power,” Burns reported. “After studying the data, we realised we wouldn’t get out of Monte Carlo again, so we decided to save the engine. I have no idea what caused it.” The overnight leader board read McRae on top from Makinen with Sainz in third. The most amazing result was Armin Schwarz’s Skoda, which had taken a stealth approach to be fourth ahead of Delecour and Loix in sixth.

Day 2 Makinen started legmode, two in maximum attack taking 8s out of McRae’s lead despite the opening stage having 75 percent snow coverage. “I went a bit too carefully in Sisteron. I was on more or less the right tyres, but I just went too slowly on the snow. I was still a little surprised to have lost so much time to Tommi there,” said the Scot. Makinen was in classic form as he continued to rip time off his Ford rival, gi'abbing the lead on SS9 to take a 5s advantage, the Finn picking the switch from studs to racing slicks and capitalising. Adding unwanted spice to the proceedings, the massive crowds thronging the Alpine stages resorted to their traditional activity of throwing ice and snow onto the racing line of key corners.

McRae blamed spectator congestion on SS9 for losing him the overall lead. “I had to slow down about five times at least,” he said. “They were just standing in the middle of the road. “If it’s going to be like this, then it’s impossible to hold a rally in this area.” The problems came to a head on SSIO, with spectators causing the stage to be cancelled just seconds before McRae was due to start. McRae put the day’s problems behind him to take the lead back from Makinen on the final stage. The standings going into the final leg saw McRae with a 3.5s lead on Makinen, while Sainz was just over a minute behind in third. Schwarz continued to amaze and astound as he held fourth ahead of Delecour and Alister McRae in.

Days Th e final day started dramatically for Colin McRae. The Scot dropped 13 n

opening stage and lost any chance of a points finish. A fly-by-wire throttle failure on the Focus ended his victory hopes with just three stages to run. McRae connected a manual cable and limped to the start of SS13 but, with the system’s actuator motor seized, he was advised to retire by his Ford team. His problems put Makinen into the lead, from Sainz and Delecour, who had overhauled Schwarz’s Skoda just as the Skoda squad prepared to celebrate its first ever World Championship podium finish.‘Frankie’sunk their hopes after a crushing fastest time to sink their hopes of a top three result. Makinen was cruising, only going fast enough to stay ahead of Sainz, who set the fastest time on the final stage, with Toni Gardemeister taking second fastest. Makinen finished exactly one minute ahead of Sainz, while a further minute behind came Delecour. Schwarz impressed throughout the event to finish in fourth. Gardermeister was fifth in the Grifone Peugeot with Loix taking sixth and Alister McRae posting a spirited fightback in his Hyundai after an early morning mishap. The Accent had hit a wall, collapsing a wheel, but fortunately was able to limp to seiwice. With neither Ford’s Delecour or Peugeot-mounted Gardemeister nominated to receive makes’ world championship points, Mitsubishi reaped the benefit of its opposition’s demise to lead in the World Rally manufacturers’ standings. Skoda is a surprising third after Schwarz’s impressive fourth and team mate Bruno Thiry’s eighth. The victory is Makinen’s first WRC win since last year’s Monte and leaves him sitting at the top of the standings with only secondplaced Sainz scoring points among his title rivals. The next round is in Sweden from February 9 to 11.

Results 1 2 3 4 5 6

Tommi Makinen/Risto Mannisenmaki Carlos Sainz/Luis Moya Francois Delecour/Oaniel Grataloup Armin Schwarz/Martin Heimer Toni Gardemeister/Paavo Lukander Freddy Loix/Sven Smeets

Mitsubishi Lancer Ford Focus WRC Ford Focus WRC Skoda Octavia WRC Peugeot 206 WRC Mitsubishi Carisma GT

4h38m04.3s 4h39m05.1s 4h40m09.6s 4h40m30.3s 4h43m56.4s 4h44m30.2s

Drivers Championship points: Makinen 10, Sainz 6, Delecour 4, Schwarz 3, Gardemeister 2, Loix 1. Manufacturers Championship points: Mitsubishi 13, Ford 6, Skoda 5, Hyundai 2.

WRC Round 1 Rally of Monte Carlo 49

VW pulls out

Bums dodges Evans considers 4WD ARC program for 2001 trouble by PETER WHITTEN

RICHARD Burns' 2001 WRC campaign got off to a rocky start in Monte Carlo. Even before starting the event, in which his Subaru stopped with engine problems, the Brit was involved in a collision with a truck during a pre-event recce. Because of the shunt. Burns was forced to miss the drivers' press conference after being dispatched to hospital for what the team described as 'precautionary checks'. Burns, below, was released after the examination and started the event on schedule.

SEMON Evans is without a drive for 2001 after Volkswagen pulled out of all their rally programs world wide. Evans was informed of the news last week, which stems largely from the British Rally Championship changing from Formula 2 cars to World Rally Cars. Speaking to Motorsport News, Evans said that although he was disappointed, it opened the door for him to move into a 4WD later this year. “Our plan was always to move into a 4WD car in 2002, but this has just meant we'll have to do it sooner,” he said. “I’m not sure what sort of car we'll have or whether it will be Group A or Group N, but our first event is likely to be Rally Queensland in June,” he added. Evans said that he could still run the Mk 4 Golfin the ARC this year, but without manufacturer support it wasn't worth it. “VW Australia were keen for us to run this year, but the decision came from Germany,” he said. ‘We'll try and sell both the Golfs we have and use that money on a 4WD program.” Evans will continue to be co driven by wife Sue this year.

Golf season? Simon and Sue Evans may be going 4WD this year.

Who are you callin'FM?

A major controversy arose on the first day of competition at the Rally Monte Carlo when two leading competitors were threatened with exclusion as a result of the cars being deemed overweight at the start of the rally. Both Skoda's Armin Schwarz and Hyundai's Alister McRae had to fight to stay in the event at a Stewards' hearing on the first night of the event. However they were both allowed to continue after it was decided the duo's cars were not underweight at the start of the event. Both cars had tipped the scales below the World Rally Car minimum weight limit before the start of leg one on Friday, but the meeting of the event's stewards determined that the scales were at fault. -JON THOMSON

Rally Oz; privateers still welcoi

We of the Never Never: Perth will still support privateers.(Photo bysuiion-images) 50

FEARS that privateers are being squeezed out of Australia's round of the World Rally Championship have been hosed down by Rally Australia Clerk of Course Garry Connelly. A number of Australian privateers have expressed concern over the reduction in field size, and the possibility that they won't have the chance to take part in the WRC qualifier, as starting spots are taken away. But Connelly has assured them there will always be a spot for privateer runners despite the reduction; “This year, Telstra Rally Australia will have 70 entries plus four reserves, all of which will be guaranteed a start,” he said. “There is no intention of limiting the entries only to professional or seeded teams - there will, I trust, always be the facility for a fair number of privateer competitors, to be able to compete in their home WRC event,” he added. “The need to limit entries will only come about because of the technology requirements, which will mean ultimately that numbers will be restricted to the number of'black boxes' made available by ISC/FIA. “In relation to the ARC,I have not heard of any plans to restrict numbers and I am sure that the individual organisers will be encouraging all those who wish to enter, to do so. ARCom supports that view,” he said. - JON THOMSON moiorspon news

RALLY NEWS

GirrII power Jutta Kleinschmidt wins controversial Paris-Dakar

THE 2001 Paris-Dakar Rally has ended controversially, with Jutta Kleinschmidt taking victory for Mitsubishi. The German became the first woman to win the gruelling event but may still be stripped of the victory, subject to an appeal by Jean-Louis Schlesser. The French veteran was penalised an hour for allegedly jumping the start queue on the penultimate day of the 20 stage event, he and team-mate Jose Maria Servia pushing ahead of Mitsubishi's Hiroshi Masuoka, whose chase resulted in broken suspension. The appeal will be heard by the FIA at a date to be fixed. Earlier in the event, Schlesser was penalised an hour after receiving illegal assistance in a control area. He was provisionally placed third behind Masuoka. "It is fantastic, incredible," said Kleinschmidt. "1 can hardly believe it. I slept very badly last night, my stomach was in knots, and I was worried about throwing it all away. I'm a little sad for Hiroshi, but I

took my chance. Maybe Hiro was a little too overexcited these last few days. I think what happened was good for the sport." Schlesser, who led much of the event in his buggy, was absolutely graceless after the finish; “We won today's special, and I am very satisfied," he said. "For the rest, people are responsible for their own actions. I have every confidence in my federation. We'll have to see how long the appeal takes. "This Dakar is not finished yet," he continued."A win by appeal will have just as much merit. For me, Kleinschmidt does not deserve to be on the podium. She didn't win one special and does not merit her victory." Fellow French Formula One reject Paul Belmondo won the Improved Diesel class in his Toyota. The motorcycle class was a KTM benefit, Italian Fabrizio Meoni winning from Jordi Arcarons and Carlo de Gavardo.

Swedish Lancer for Radstrom HOT from its Monte Carlo and Paris-Dakar wins, Mitsubishi will turn up the heat in Sweden’s WRC round next month by adding Thomas Radstrom to its line-up. Tlie 1997 Swedish Rally champion will line up in a third Lancer alongside regulars Tommi Makinen and Freddy Loix. "I am very excited about partnering Tommi and Freddy on my home rally," said 34-year-old Radstrom. "It feels very good to be competing in a works car this year. Tommi has won Sweden before and was second last year in the Mitsubishi, and it will be my job to support the team in the Manufacturers' Championship. I am really looking forward to it." In last year's Swedish, Radstrom won four stages on his way to fourth place. Experienced navigator, Tina Thorner, will partner him.

MG/Rover plans Super 1600

iish#rs killed in copter crash BRITISH rallying was -dealt a dreadful blow last week when a helicopter crash claimed the life of Bertie, Mark and Emma Fisher. Mark, 27, and his sister Emma died instantly in the accident near Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, while their father, Bertie, succumbed to his injuries in hospital two days later. Mark Fisher, right, had considerable success in domestic rallies and had just started a limited WRC program, running a 2 February 2001

number of events in a works Peugeot 206. Bertie Fisher was a noted tarmac expert, claiming wins in numerous British championship events

and had a great, and friendly, rivalry with Scot Jimmy McRae, father of ex-world champion Colin. Fisher Sr, who was an experienced pilot.

was flying the helicopter at the time of the crash. Irish air safety authorities have begun a full investigation of the accident.

ROVER’S all-out bid to revive MG's motorsport credentials seems near-certain to include a Super 1600 rally car that could be in action by April. Rover hasn't been seriously involved in rallying since it stopped running Metro 6R4s in 1987, but the new car is said to be taking shape at Gordon Spooner's premises in southern England and it is reckoned that it will not only be light, but could give up to 220 bhp - towards the limit for Super 1600 cars with the mandatory 60mm air restrictor. Former British Champion Gwyndaf Evans is tipped to drive the MG. He has considerable frontwheel-drive experience, is a noted test driver and has enjoyed a long relationship with Spooner. Even though MG Rover is already committed to Le Mans and the British Touring Car Championship, a Rover spokesman pointedly declined to kill the story. A host of car manufacturers are gearing up for the new category, the first international rally class to impose a limit on costs. Citroen, Peugeot, Fiat and Ford are expected to run cars in this year's World Championship, while 'WV, Opel and Suzuki are also showing an interest. An Opel Corsa was on display at last week's Autosports show, but reliable sources doubt that it will be turned into a true rally car until 2002 at the earliest. -JON THOMSON 51

Nationals drama

Jane hands over the Big Go's running to ANDRA with just eight weeks remaining by GERALD McDORNAN JUST eight weeks out from drag racing’s most important annual event, the Nationals, Calder Park owner Bob Jane has asked ANDRA to take over the running of the event. Jane’s decision puts in doubt the event, with ANDRA,as Motorsport News went to press, still undecided as to whether it is able to afford to risk its financial security to run the event - the short notice being the major obstacle. The shock move by Jane flies in the face of his December announcement in which he cancelled the remaining national open events for the season at both Calder Park and Adelaide International Raceways, but publicly committed his organisation to running the Nationals. It is believed the controversial promoter’s latest move reflects his organisation’s inability to organise and run the event successfully, with very little, if any of the staff once employed by Jane to make the Nationals the success it grew to from its beginnings at the track in 1992, still remaining with the Jane facility. Despite being shocked by the news,ANDRA CEO Tony Thornton hasn’t written the event off for the year, believing its importance and standing in the calendar very much worth fighting for - a draft agreement being offered to the sanctioning body by Jane. “The news was a complete surprise,” Thornton said. “This is the sort of project that needs a year’s work at least, and the Nationals event is less than two months away. “A draft agreement is on the table, but a range ofissues require further negotiation and we still don’t have any details offees and charges,” he said at the time of being notified of Jane’s decision. “Racers and fans around the country and some from overseas need to finalise their travel arrangements right now if they haven’t already, which makes a decision even more urgent.” ANDRA is said to have received the full details ofJane’s costs and charges late last week, with the National Control Council, which includes former Calder Park General Manager Steve Bettes(albeit as a temporary member), working 52

Like it used to be: Drag racing in Melbourne is crying out for a stand-alone facility to avoid dramas like being experenced with Calder Park at the moment. (Photo by John Winkler/Thunderpics) through the list of details, including the venue contractual arrangements. Sources are suggesting ANDRA would need to comply with existing contracts with the venue caterers, security and advertisers, although it is thought ANDRA will try negotiate percentage rights Jane is thought to have regarding turnover with the caterers. Whether Jane would also need to substantially reduce any costs regarding the leasing ofthe facility due to his decision to ignore his five-

year agreement for the event- an agreement which he requested and secured from ANDRA in late 1999is not known,although legal experts believe any requests made by ANDRA in this area would be nothing more than fair and reasonable. It is ironic that, a week after Jane had notified Thornton of his latest move, Calder Pai'k’s website continued to promote the venue’s next event as the Nationals, while also stating that “Calder Park has

achieved the status ofAustralia’s premier Drag Racing venue.” Ironic for a venue that now nins no racing... Jane’s decision is seen as yet another major blow to the sport, again destabilising ANDRA’s position and the industry’s and, despite whether the sanctioning body takes the decision to run the event, it is seen as just another reason why ANDRA should look to securing drag racing’s future at a stand-alone facility.

ANDRA calls for government support

The price is right: Would Bob Jane sell AIR to ANDRA? The (jueslion should be asked.

ANDRA CEO Tony Thornton has called on the South Australian Government to support the development of a local drag racing venue following Bob Jane's December announcement to cancel the remainder of the 2000/2001 drag racing season at Adelaide International Raceway. Thornton made the call while addressing a sometimes heated meeting of over 300 racers and supporters in Adelaide last week, the meeting called by Thornton and AIR venue manager Anna Micheal to address their concerns. Like the Melbourne situation, ANDRA has looked at a number of options to run events at AIR, although the development of an alternative track would be a better option. "I can understand the frustration and anger I saw tonight," Thornton said after the meeting."Many racers have significant sums tied up in equipment they can't use, and some have made commitments to sponsors they can no longer honour. "Drag racing is a major market for some local businesses and they are rightly concerned about their future and that of their employees. The industry in South Australia conservatively represents an investment of over $13 million and a prompt solution is necessary. "As well as the local competition, drag racing has the potential to deliver another major national event to South Australia, and we will be looking to the state government for assistance." - GERALD McDORNAN

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DRAG RACING

Sydney closer NSW Government commits to drag racing

CONFIRMATION of the Western Sydney Motorplex is believed to be only just weeks away following the New South Wales Government’s public commitment to the establishment of a stand-alone drag strip in Sydney. The Bob Carr/Labor Government last week announced its commitment to the proposal put forward by Jim Read and David Cook, while also stating that they wanted to achieve an early decision on the matter. Robyn Kruk,Deputy Director General of the NSW Premiers Department, advised ANDRA in writing that'an intensive and significant commitment is being made to resolve probity,land and financial matters associated with the development of a dedicated drag racing facility in Sydney.' It is believed the Premier’s Department is trying to ensure the development will incur no next cost to the Government, with the plan looking to maximise the benefits from colocation of a landfill site on an adjacent block of land to the one being sought by the Read/Cook proposal. Discussions are now taking place with Waste Services NSW, with those talks expected to conclude next week. The Government’s stand has come after three long, hard years of lobbying by Read and Cook, with the proponents having received numerous knockbacks and setbacks along the way. Read is naturally pleased with

Pumped up: \With WSM looking closer, and with Willowbank and Kwinana up and running, Adelaide and Melbourne’s Adrenalin are, hopefully, next, the latest development which could see, within 12 months, championship di-ag racing return to Sydney for the first time late 1997 - 12 months after the ARDC assumed control of Eastern Creek Raceway. 'We’re satisfied that the Government is doing everything possible at the moment and we know there are many issues to be resolved.," Read said. 'For the industry, the racers and the fans in Sydney, a new track can’t come soon enough, but it’s vital that everything is done properly at this stage for

the long-term benefit and security of us all. 'We have undertaken to work with the Government and other projects on surrounding properties, and after all, the February date is only weeks away." It would appear that the often outspoken Read is remaining cahn, while being obviously excited that the original Western Sydney Motorplex proposal nears reality. A final announcement can’t come soon enough... - GERALD McDORNAN

UltLE DRAG racing has been rocked by the deaths of three great contributors to the sport and, most importantly, friends to all - Christine Gatt, Roy Stivala and Rob Featon. Christine Gatt, wife of veteran racer Benny Gatt, passed away on January 5 after a long battle with caner.', Christine was widely . respected in the drag racing;- -; community, while her charity; J and church work never went-',-/':: Kunnoticed. Christine first fougjit.:Pff'.her,ri illness in :1;992v'buit sadiy- it;' n I returned ifi late-1999; She yvas.,i only 53'. Former Riio'Stp.Gk racef'Roy.-'i Stivala also'sadly succurtibe^ to cancer on:Jartugry' T3;after ,a year-^long; battle With dhe;■; I ,■ ■ illness/,.-. ■.( ' . . ; R6f,;;whg’w,as pal^, 4X;; ;-p>. J ;'carrida/g.>|e'd nnany vehicles.; / ; over Hi^length Sport//nnoSt'reGent0tegrh\ngb^;P withilhîplrnbrie Brdthj’erff tb^ nuw'a^C6iipddpfe^\ri Su(iigif%^ m St5e^'®®fee iS perh#|i remernbdi#dt besj Mf ieic{ing a ● Tbran^^^^Stock^.-m.the'’; ‘‘ early^la®§'S%. ■ . / '' > Royîs sLpived'fey'his .wife;JpanS ai^d three-ctiildreri; I / SteRhah|d?- Frafife<|iii|d Mie hae.t % January T6,; carfeeraggi^. ●pause'fpr Rob playâîtel- roiînla^ assisting, man^jacefg with;' their careej^frjpfuding fiiel racers Gharlie'ipiRnp'pO'atfd^ ●Keith'Agiu'is..''-in receiiit'year&,':,Rob.h''aî^ fielded a cQbn'petitive-'^"'* - ti Alcohol. Dragster for his; sone^ Matthew and Troy. ● ~ ■V''i Rob issurviyed^y Inis, s^s. and wife Sheridan. :

i 2 February 2001

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Pro Mod confirmed by JON ASHER THE NHRA has confirmed David Ostaszewski’s exclusive story of the Pro Modified category’s appearance at five national events - with qualified eight-car fields during the 2001 NHRA'Winston series. And, while their first appearance, at the Mac Tools Gatornationals in Gainseville, is still two months away, that hasn’t stopped at least some racers from voicing serious concerns about the inclusion of arguably the most popular category of competition in the IHRA Summit Drag Racing series.

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The most vocal protests are coming from NHRA’s FederalMogul alcohol dragster and Funny Car competitors as well as from the Pro Stock ranks. Strangely silent thus far are the Pro Stock Truck troops, arguably the weakest of NHRA’s five professional categories and the one seemingly ‘on the bubble’if it ultimately came down to considerations of adding or deleting eliminator categories. NHRA executives have stressed to MN that the inclusion of Pro Mod is nothing more than an effort to provide the fans with “more bang for their bucks” and absolutely no consideration is currently being given to adding the class to the regular mix of

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eliminators in 2002. It’s also worth noting that the NHRA clearly recognizes that the Pro Mods are racing for points and money on the other side of the fence, so none of the exhibition outings conflicts with IHRA’s points-paying races. There can be little doubt that the possibility of Pro Mods joining the NHRA circuit on a full time basis would appear to be a threat to the IHRA Summit Drag Racing series, where the category is the deserved headline attraction. However,IHRA president Bill Bader doesn’t see it that way, at least at the present time.

Not concerned, still smiling: IHRA boss Bill Bader. (Photo by Jon Ashor)

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ISN'T it funny how one phone call to the US can reveal things that you never even considered? That's what happened when we gave ace US artist Greg Ozubko a call to source some of his latest renderings of the 2001 season NHRA contenders, with the parting comment from Ozubko offering the artwork for Australian Mike Tlnney's brand new VT Commodore Pro Stock car. Tinney is reportedly close to debuting the Wayne Daley-built mount, with the first current generation Commodore Pro Stocker being readied for the Nationals (if they happen). Already the power unit for the car is a known quantity, with Tinney having teamed with fellow Queenslanders Smith and Ware at last year's Winternationals - the 352 cubic inch, splayed valve Chev purchased from Peter Ridgeway having run in the 7.7s. - GERALD McDORIMAN

Mopar Gray commits Koretsky’s Another two-car team joins the fold

INDEPENDENT Funny Car racer Johnny Gray has committed to run the entire NHRA serie®, with Gray having secured enough private funding for his first full season on tour. Gray, the first ever racer to top 200mph in a naturally aspirated car and the only racer to have competed in seven different eliminators, has also signed experienced tuner Rick Cassel for the season. “I’m excited. I’ve never run a full schedule before. In fact, I don’t even know what Bristol or Gainesville and some other tracks even look like. I’m going to find out though,” Gray said. With backing from his own Marbob Energy oil company and some private investors. Gray has invested heavily in the season, purchasing two new Murf McKinney cars, a stack of new engines and a transporter, along with also hiring six full-time staff. “From the cars to the motors to the truck and trailer, we’re ready to go. I will not hit a point this season where we throw up our hands and say, )» ‘Well, we’re out of money. - DAVID OSTASZEWSKI 54

MOPAR's roster of Pro Stock teams has grown even further with the announcement that Kenny Koretsky's two-car operation will join the fold this year. Koretsky has re-signed veteran Rickie Smith to the team, with the duo making the move to Dodge Neons and David Nickens-supplied Hemi engines. The team will start the year with their seasoned Chevrolet Camaros, with a pair of Jerry Bickel-built Neons expected to debut at the Gatornationals in Gainsville in mid-March. The team had expected to stick with Chevy, and run the new Cavalier Z24s, but Dodge's offer and the obvious improvement in the development of the new generation Hems proved to be too much to pass on. - DAVID OSTASZEWSKI raoiorsport news

DRAG RACING

Mopar troubles?

BRETT Fischer, Daimler Chrysler’s new drag racing program manager, may have his hands full convincing the company’s upper management of the value of the company’s involvement in the quarter mile sport, with sources suggesting the long-term plan is to leave the sport. Those sources have suggested a sign of DC’s disinterest in drag racing , as well as the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series, was their plan to completely eliminate the two series from public relations considerations. However, it appears that most of the drag racing teams have banded together to retain the services of the SFX Cotter Group, who handled the PR for DC last year. The teams are apparently funding this effort out of

their DC sponsorship monies, which will obviously impact their bottom lines. Continued troubles within their teams has also had a negative affect, with the latest word that Scott Geoffrion, lost his ride with the David Nickens-owned, factory-backed team because of a severe personality conflict within the organization. Sources are suggesting that Geoffrion was also less than pleased with the licensing contract he had to agree to regarding merchandise sales. The current NHRA record holder’s place will be taken by Mark Osborne, although Richie Stevens was rumored to have all but signed a contract to join the team. Stevens reportedly withdrew because of potential sponsorship extensions with Valspar and Pontiac. -JON ASHER

n The only man to have beaten John Force for a Funny Car championship in the '90s, Cruz Pedregon (1992), has been hired as a specialist commentator for ESPN's coverage of the NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series. Pedregon, who won with his own Garry 'Skippy' Kennedy-tuned Pontiac in Memphis last year, hasn't given up on his driving career, but the commentary job will keep his name in front of potential sponsors.

No ride: Mopar’s Scott Geoffrion, above.(jonAshao

Pomona l^;hts up in July NIGHT time racing will return to Southern California in July as the NHRA celebrates it 50th anniversary, with the 50th Anniversary Nationals being announced for Pomona on July 5-7. The event goes back to the sport's early days when there were more than 20 drag racing strips in SoCal, most offering night racing on a weekly basis. "As we celebrate our 50th

anniversary, it is fitting that we return to our birthplace. Southern California, and offer our fans, for the first-time ever, night racing at Pomona," NHRA president Tom Compton said the event one of three to run at the track in 2001.

n Triple Australia Super Sedan Channpion Graeme Cooper will be making his first visit to the west in March, when he will contest the Westernationals with his infamous 'Bricklayer' EH station wagon. Cooper has won major titles in every state except WA and the veteran is looking to add to his tally of 15 Australian Drag Racing Series event wins at the new Quit Motorplex - Kwinana Beach. "I can't believe how excited about getting the opportunity to race in Perth and at the new track, I think I'm more excited than when I got to race in Stock at the 40th anniversary US Nationals in 1994," Cooper said.

Under the spot light: NHRA boss Tom Compton has initiated a third (Photo by Jon Asher) eventfor Pomona.

"It has been more than 20 years since the last drag race took place at night in Southern California and the roar and visual spectacle of modern day 6,000hp machines under the lights will be truly amazing." The once-off event will run Thursday-Saturday nights, with a full complement of Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock fields being joined by an eight-car field of front-engined fullers. Other nostalgia vehicles will be featured in exhibition formats, including fuel altereds and gas coupes. Rumours of no sportsman vehicles running at the event were also quashed by Compton. -JON ASHER

n John Force's plan to run a Top Fuel car this season, for either - as rumours have it - Gary Ormsby Jr, Cory McClenathan, Melanie Troxel or Tim Gibson, have advanced with the ordering of two chassis from renowned dragster builder Brad Hadman. Force's Top Fuel program advanced rapidly when crew chief Jimmy Prock quit Don and Tony Schumacher's camp before the beginning of the season. a Following the recent death of his crew chief, Clayton Harris, in plane crash, three-time IHRATop Fuel Champion Paul Romine has appointed Mike McLaughline and Sam Shockley to co-fill the head wrench role. McLaughlin was crew chief on Don Lampus' 1999 IHRA Series winning campaign, while Shockley, was was crew chief for Jim Bailey last season, tuned Bobby Taylor to the '96 NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster crown. - GERALD McDORNAN /DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

2000/01 ANDRA CHAMPIONSHIP DRAG RACING STANDINGS 16 DEC Australian Top Doorslammer Championship 1.Andrew Searle. ACME‘57 Cusiomline ....358 2.Gary Phillips. Luca.s Oils ‘53 Stude

305

175

I. Ian Ashelford. Atlitude Racing Harley ....260

2.Bruno CugnettO. Vpw Mail Order Cutlass

145

2. Brett Stevens. Jack Daniels Harley ...

.245

3. Jeff Smith, Creative Spraying Harley.

165

3. John Barbagallo

120

.265

4. Jason Grima

100

4. Garry Thoma.s, Garry Thomas Racing

160

5.Robin Judd. Moonshine Bandit ‘53 Stude 265

5. Jay Watson .

100

5. Steve Kitchen.Budweiser Kawasaki .

160

6.Peter Kapiris. Kapiris Bros ‘53 Stude

.233

6. Bruce Leake

100

6. Craig McPhec, McPhcc Racing Puma ....140

7.Davc Koop. Tectaloy ‘55 Chev

140

7.JoePolito

7. Graeme MorcII. Morcll Racing Harley .... 120

8.Peter Hamilton

..90

8. Mark Marchetti

8. Craig Bonwick. Harley

9. Mark Ashelford

3.Brett Stevens, Jack Daniels ‘53 Studee ....280 4.Victor Bray. Castrol ‘57 Chev

9.Rob Broadbent. Aussie Bananas Statesman 80

2 February 2001

Au.straiiim Top Bike Championship

Australian Pro Stock Championship 1.Peter Ridgeway

9. John Andriopoulos

100 .40

With the new year comes a new season and lots of new cars, sponsors and drivers in both the NHRA and IHRA series. Ace US motorsport artist Greg Ozubko gives Motorsport News a little insight into who’s got what and who will look like what in 2001 - the new millennium

Indigenous Americans: With the departure of Aussie Troy Critchiey, Johnny Rocca has a new driver, new car and new iook for his Ironhorse team - the American indian-owned Mohegan Sun Casino backing the operation. ^Kendall

'-a> l i

■»

TOIVI HAAniVIQMCB

^motqrhqmbb

Different views: Tom Hammonds has retained the corporate look with his Winnebago Chev Cavalier, while independent Pro Stock racer Bob Benza’s Pontiac Grand Am remains as colourful as the sport itself.

ffendalf

It’s a matter of being first: Chuck Etchelis’ return to the seat of his Funny Car wiil come with this aggressive scheme on his Chev Camaro fuei coupe, whiie Pro Stock Truck’s first ever champion. Larry Kopp, wiil return to full¬ time competition with this new look for his Chev S10 pick-up.

molorspon news

DRAG RACING n Top Fuel racer Bruce Litton has already begun preparation to resume racing following a massive fire which burnt his raceshop to the ground a fortnight ago. Litton lost both his lead cars, plus all equipment associated with racing, including his transporter. However, Litton did have a third car stored elsewhere and that car will now become the Wix team's primary chassis, while new engines and a transporter are being sourced. It Is hoped he will make the IHRA season-opener in March. n Having announced the 2001 race would be the last at Denver's Bandimere Speedway, with track owner John Bandimere looking to relocate in time for 2002, it has now been announced the annual Mile-High Nationals will stay put for the foreseeable future. Town planning problems with a proposed site have meant the Bandimere family have now abandoned plans to move and will remain at the current location, which was renovated in the early '90s. n Talk of Eddie Hill making a comeback on a limited basis in 2001, with the veteran racer expected use the opportunity for a farewell tour. Hill missed the 2000 season after sponsor Pennzoil pulled the plug on their deal at the conclusion of 1999.

Oddy’s Summit reached ry

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^ SummlWaeUiB-cem

n With pre-season testing producing such good results, Scotty Cannon's rumoured future expansion to a two-car team -joining with Canadian Todd Paton - could come quicker than planned. Cannon's form, plus the desire to also run a 'blocker' car if you are in the points race, could prove to be the deciding factor in enlisting extra help. n Pro Mod racer Mike Ashley's planned move to a supercharged combination has been canned, with the heads-up doorslammer pioneer now electing to stick with a nitrous mountain motor. Ashley's decision means he'll now split with partner Matt Grillo, with the latter continuing on with his move to a blower motor. Ashley has also been linked to a move to a Mopar-bodied car, with rumours suggesting he might team with veteran Rickie Smith. Smith has continued to run a limited Pro Mod campaign while running the NHRA Pro Stock tour, but his move to a factory-backed Mopar there, with team owner Kenny Koretsky, could give a hint to his future IHRA ride. - DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

CONTACT DETAILS Australian drawn: Melbourne artist Lachlan Craven produced this look at Jim Oddy’s new Murray Anderson Corvette in its intended Summit colurs 2 February 2001

For those interested in obtaining renderings from either Greg Ozubko or Lachlan Craven, you can contact them on the following numbersGreg Ozubko: -i-l 770 888 3367 Lachlan Craven: 0411 056 956 57

Grand Annual Classic

Donny takes the Standard Gt thfecta at Premier Speedway, nights of racing where the An Second best Aussie: As the Americans ploughed their way through the weekend out front, Max Dumesny and the rest of the Aussies chased hard. {Photo by John Morris/Mpix) ^/AMERICA,America,” is *how the song starts and a small group of fans were singing it loud and proud after the American trio of Donny Schatz, Danny Smith and Danny Lasoski top the first three positions in the 20001 Standard Grand Annual Classic. There was a touch of deja vu at this year’s Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic when, like last year, half of the 16 car starting grid was made up of Americans. Skip Jackson was the first Aussie home in fourth, driving probably the best he ever has at Premier Speedway but with no luck in traffic and therefore unlucky not to finish higher up. ‘Local hero’ Max Dumesny rounded out the top five. On the downside, both Dean McComb and Ray Scott left the arena in the ambulance and a myriad of cars were left smoking wrecks. While the racing at times was either fast or exciting - and at times even both - there were a lot of other things that transpired which, at least from the competitor’s point of view, detracted from the history and prestige that has been established.

Saturday From a rain delayed startfinal, to a tyre-tearing black track it was a case of flashback to the 2000 race on opening night. Chad Kemenah in the Flocon Gambler ran a smart 25-lap race that saw half the field fail to finish after destroying their right rear tyres on the abrasive track. Kerry Madsen paced the Bikebiz/Craft Differentials Twister in second place from a fast 58

finishing Skip Jackson in the Toyota/Pennzoil Maxim. Stephen Bell, Brooke Tatnell, Smith and Phil Johnson were the only other finishers. A fanatical crowd sat through persistent light rain which led to a late start, but it was worthwhile as defending champion Lasoski set the track alight during time trials with a 10.47 second lap. Schatz was second quickest and Kemenah kept the top three an allAmerican affair. Heat racing kicked off with Tony Bartlett scoring first up, followed by impressive rookie Brent Hough in heat two. Jeff Drew drove well in heat three and Johnson took heat four from the front. Phil Chillcott won the final of the first round heats. Smith scored in heat six while Fred Rahmer struggled, whacking the wall three separate times. Drew’s good run in his first heat ended next time around when he became the first to roll-over after an assist from another car. Robbie Farr scored the win on his way to being top point scorer. Heat eight had plenty of action on a slickening track when Blair Jones did a dozen quick spins in front of the field and survived. John Vogels won after numerous stoppages. Heat nine saw Drew Kruck destroy his car against the wall in turn one after contact with Schatz. Phil Johnson doubled his tally in the final heat but was still forced to run the B-Main. Incredibly, some good cars were trailered after failing to make the C-Main. David Murcott in the Phil Coates Eagle elevated himself into the B-Main along with Brent Antill, Mark Reuter and Darrell Hodges. moiortpon news

SPEEDWAY Grand Annual Classic Briefs

'and Annual Sprintcar Classic in a US n BRETTSWANSON reports on the two big nericans didn’t give the Aussies a chance. The Standard Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic Results Time Trials: 1. Lasoski 10.47, 2. Schatz 10.51,3. Kemenag 10.55, 4. Jensen 10.58, 5. Dumesny 10.63, 6. Jackson 10.68, 7. Tatnell 10.68, 8. Bell 10.70, 9. Rush 10.71, 10. Farr 10.73, 11. Rahmer 10.75, 12. Meyers 10.77, 13. Murcott 10.80, 14. McCarl 10.82, 15. Reuter 10.82, 16. Madsen 10.83, 17. Sheills 10.84, 18. Van Bremen 10.86, 19. Tarlton 10.87, 20. Green 10,87, 21. Maiolo 10.88, 22. MacDonald 10.90, 23. Kruck 10.93, 24. Hodges 10.94, 25. Shore 10.95, 26. Antill 10.98, 27. Monte 10.98, 28. Maher 11.00, 29. Smith 11.01,30. Knight 11.03, 31. Veal 11.05, 32. Lewis 11.07, 33. Anderson 11.08, 34. Scott 11.11,35. Vogels 11.12, 36, Scheuerle 11.13, 37. McComb 11.17, 38. Tunks 11.23, 39. Judd 11.34, 40. Burford 11.34, 41. Barlee 11.36, 42. Reed 11.36, 43. Bastow 11.38, 44. Priolo 11.38, 45. Maggs 11.40, 46. Warren 11.50, 47. Ramsdale 11.55, 48. Swayn 11.55, 49. Brown 11.56, 50. Johnson 11,60, 51. Chilcott 11.61,52. Hough 11.64, 53. Drew 11.65, 54. Parr 11.81,55. Hunter 12.16, 56. Bartlett 12.23, 57. Jones 12,49, 58. Nelson 12.82, A-Main Grand Annual Classic results: Schatz, Smith, Lasoski, Jackson, Dumesny, Tatnell, Kemenah, Meyers, Tarlton, Rahmer, Lewis. B-Main: Murcott, Lewis, Rush, Maiolo, Scheuerle, Monte, Reuter, Maher, Vogels, Van Bremen, Saturday Prelim A-Main: Kemenah, Madsen, Jackson, Bell, Tatnell, Smith, Rahmer, Johnson, Jensen. Saturday Prelim B-Main: McCarl, Johnson, Tarlton, Lewis, MacDonald, Murcott, Shore, Scheuerle, Vogels, Antill, Maher, Reed, Reuter, Van Bremen, Hodges. Monte Motorsport’s Men: Donny Schatz, above, carried over his form from Western Australia’s Speedweek to take out the Grand Annual Classic last weekend, while team-mate Jason Meyers, left, faught hard to end up in eighth in the A-Main. (Photos by Brett Swanson)

Saturday Prelim C-Main: Murcott, Antill, Reuter, Hodges, Bartlett, McComb, Veal, Priolo, Scott, Judd, Chilcott, Burford, Monte. Terry McCarl, driving the Lynton Jeffries Vortex, made the Australia-American Challenge feature by winning the B-Main from Johnson, while Tommy Tarlton’s last lap lunge just fell short.

A-Main

ith the track now hard, the grid lined up for the 25 lap feature with Farr on pole from Schatz, Jason Meyers, Kemenah, Tatnell, Lasoski, Madsen, Dumesny, Garry Rush, Smith, 2 February 2001

Jackson, Rahmer, Darren Jensen, Bell, McCarl and Johnson The track was tailor-made for the Americans however, and at the drop of the green, Farr led away but Schatz moved past on the start of lap three, A dozen laps in and Farr’s race was obviously doomed when huge clouds of smoke started to eminate from his right rear. Meyers was also smoking his tyres severely and then on lap 18,

GARRY Brazier, who was a late nomination for the Classic, was also a late withdrawl from the event. ''Unfortunately, I will not be at this year's Classic because we still don't have a motor ready and Dad and I are struggling to get our car up to the new weight rule," said Brazier. He said that they need to add an extra 90 kilograms onto the car to get it up to the required weight but said he was reasonably sure he'd be at the 50,000 race at Parramatta. H Phil March was another not behind the wheel for the Classic due to a lack of sponsorship for his twocar operation for he and Danny Lasoski. "Phil just couldn't get the sponsorship he required to run two cars, so we'll just run Danny's car and do it properly," said crew chief Ashley Smith. n David Anderson was relieved of his driving duties on Saturday night for the rest of the meeting by son Grant, who normally steers the ACT #4 car. 19 No pain, no gain: Californian Jason Meyers is a tough customer. He started from 10th and finished runner-up in the first round of heats on Saturday, but what made it even more impressive was that he was racing with kidney stones ... E3 The Titan Garages team had a tough sort of a weekend at Warrnambool. Drew Kruck hit the turn one wall in heat nine after contact with Meyers, damaging the right front torsion tube and other components, with the team working hard to get him back on track. While they repaired the car, there was chassis damage to the right front corner and they decided to save the car for the CAT 50,000 and the Australian title. Team-mate Dean McComb's Eagle chassis had heavy contact with the back straight concrete after riding Blair Jones' wheel on Sunday, the Queenslander tearing a muscle from his right shoulder bone. B Another to take a tumble was Ray Scott. He came together with Andrew Scheuerle in turn one, barrel rolling into the wall and destroying the Scott Transport Maxim. He was taken to hospital for observation with pain in his chest and back. B The Saturday night A-Main was Chad Kemenah's second win in a row in the event. As an example of how slick the track was, 10 of the 16 starters blew right rear tyres ...

continued on page 60 59

Grand Annual Classic continued from page 59 Farr’s, Meyers and Rush all blew their tortured tyres. For the restart, Schatz lined up ahead of a smooth Kemenah, Lasoski, Madsen, Dumesny, Jackson and Tatnell, but before the race could restart Lasoski and Dumesny were both out with - you guessed it- flat tyres. Racing resumed and on lap 18 McCarl exited followed by Schatz on lap 21 and Jensen on lap 23, who also hit the wall. With a two lap sprint to the flag, Kemenah had enough tyre left to take the win. “It wasn’t vibrating so I knew I had about two laps left in the tyre,” said Kemenah later, after thanking his new engine builder, Maxwill Motors. Madsen was under-geared and couldn’t really challenge but held on gamely to second from Jackson, Bell, Tatnell, Smith and Johnson.

Sunday Most offor thepart competitors came back two of the proceedings on Sunday with the buzz going around like wildfire that Lasoski was not going to front. The story went that it was not a burnt-up tyre that went flat in the

Murcott Modifications DAVID Murcott has been driving the wheels off the Ranbuild Johnboy in local Victorian races. For the Warrnambool weekend, however, he had the use of stepfather Phil Coates' exPaul McMahon Eagle. This car and engine were considered to be slightly better than the Johnboy. The team missed Mt Gambier as they finished building the car, but when Murcott tried to race it he was in trouble. The frame was simply too small and tight for the stocky Murcott. The biggest problem was his knees and hands hitting the dash, so on Sunday the crew set about cutting out some seat support bars and re-welding them in a 'Murcott friendly' position. This made a lot of difference as he then made the main event via the B-Main before tagging the wall and rolling. - BRETT SWANSON 60

previous night’s feature, but rather a bead lock that had not been fitted correctly. Lasoski was said to have had words with the crew and the car owner Phil March and was not going to race on Sunday. When questioned, a coy and evasive crew chief said,“Do you think Danny would go home without any money?” The hard knocks started immediately on Sunday when McComb had something break and slammed the wall, injuring his shoulder. On the next start, Luch Monte helped Blair Jones in his attempt to set a new altitude record. Thankfully in this instance, the driver was okay. Monte won the heat when the rookie Defending of Australian honour: Top Aussie Chief Steward runner Skip Jackson. “didn’t see” the (Photo by Geoff Rounds) earlier incident and so restarted on the demise of Scott after a bone pole. jarring roll triggered by Andrew Smith drove well through a Scheuerle. series of stoppages to win the next McCarl and Tim McCubbin won heat and then Tatnell went base the next two heats and then over apex in heat 13 after David Madsen suffered Murcott when he was moved up squeezed into the to avoid a wall and rolled over. pair of Dumesny and Jamie §i spinning Maiolo won the last cars and two heats. - Kemenah on his Saturday win Tatnell got The B-Main turned squeezed into a crash-fest, with into the Garry Rush triggering the first wall. The ingenious Tatnell then used his helmet restraint to tie a two majors. shock absorber onto the car. Ian In the first incident, he squeezed Lewis won the heat. Jensen into the wall at the start, Nathan MacDonald won a who rolled, leaving John Shore trouble-free heat 14 and Green with nowhere to go. He too rolled, won heat 15. Heat 16 saw the while Jensen’s front wheel joined

It wasn't vibrating so I knew I had about two iaps left In the tyre

Shore in the cockpit, continuing the team’s run of physical injuries from the weekend. On the next start. Rush was in the thick of it again as Brent Antill spun and rolled taking Adrian Maher along with him. Matthew Reed, like Shore, also copped a wheel in the cockpit in the melee. Jensen rejoined the fray but was to exit soon when something broke and he smote the wall, falling over again. David Murcott eventually won from Lewis, Rush, Maiolo, Scheuerle, Monte, Reuter, Maher, Vogels, Bartlett and Van Bremen.

Grand AnnuaS CSassic Smith placedonto the pole Dawkins gi'eenhad machine for the 40-lap feature with Kemenah alongside. Schatz, Jackson, Tatnell, Lasoski, Dumesny, Madsen, Bell, Meyers, Farr, McCarl, Rahmer, Tarlton, Murcott and Lewis were next. Farr jumped away well to lead Schatz until Lewis caused the first stoppage on lap two after bicycling to a spin. Officials took over a lap to get the yellow lights on, by which time the steaming head of the race had come around but managed to avoid Lewis. On lap three Schatz made his move and took over the lead until lap six, when Murcott bumped the wall and rolled. Under the red, Schatz’s crew changed the diff gears but damaged the gasket, causing it to seep. From here until lap 13, Smith and Schatz put on a display of fast racing until Schatz broke away as Smith struggled with no brakes. “When you lose your brakes in traffic, your nuts shrivel up,” stated the veteran American. On lap 16 Rahmer was lapped

When you lose your brakes in traffic, your nuts shrivel up

- Danny Smith

The off-set buzz at Premier THE big buzz going around the pits was that Danny Lasoski's car was illegal because it had an off set engine which would be a distinct advantage, especially at Warrnambool. A glance at the car would suggest that the engine was indeed off-set, however the chassis construction is a bit different and this may have been an optical illusion. An examination of the rule book revealed that there was no rule about off-set engines, which led some people to ask when and how was the rule changed without the knowledge of the state clubs. Rules are only changed or omitted after a vote from the state member clubs and no-one could remember voting to remove the rule about off-set engines. One crew chief simply stated: “I know what I'll be doing to my motor plates next week ..." - BRETT SWANSON motorsport news

SPEEDWAY by Schatz. “We were way tight.” Rahmer explained. “We couldn’t get a handle on this place all weekend it’s nothing tike the tracks back home but I like it, however it was the same track for everybody.” On lap 30 Bell went upside down when his steering failed robbing him of a good result. Over the final 11 laps there was little change as Schatz claimed the $20,000 cheque from Smith, Lasoski, Jackson, Dumesny, Tatnell, Kemenah (“we were way too tight”), Meyers, Tarlton, Rahmer and Lewis. Off the pace: Fred Rahmer. (Photo by John Monis/Mpix)

The purple and red Avenger; Robbie Farr’s new machine continues to run OK, the New South Welshman though didn’t have the best results at Warrnambool. (Photo by Brett Swanson)

Lasosm IT wasn't Australia Day at all on January 26, when American Outlaw Danny 'The Dude' Lasoski showed a clean pair of heels to everyone in a dominant display at Mt Gambler's 2001 Kings Challenge. Lasoski had a straightaway lead within a lap of the green flag waving and was never troubled, although runner-up Max Dumesny closed with the aid of traffic, but then that same traffic would allow Lasoski to pull away again. Skip Jackson pushed his Maxim to third, narrowly thwarting a last lap lunge across the line by Donny Schatz. Lasoski's record-breaking dominance started in time trials with a lap of 11.08s, with compatriot Schatz and Tommy Tarlton also timing well. Queensland's Dean McComb scored the first heat win of the night and then in heat two, Schatz and Darren Jensen tangled hard while dicing and 2 February 2001

y on Austr

The Dude spoils the national day celebrations: Danny Lasoski proved to be on (Photo by Pant Charles) the money straight away in Phil March's machine. both flipped. Schatz jumped out of his car and pushed it back onto its wheels unaided. Both were able to restart but neither stop winner Phil Johnson. The rest of the heat wins went to Andrew Scheuerle, Luch

Monte (two), Ian Thomsen, Dennis Burford and Darryl Downing, with Lasoski taking the six-lap dash to score pole in the feature. The B-Main was a star-studded affair in itself, however Burford

i took a wild engine-revving flip after contact from McComb. Chad Kemenah spun and was clipped by Thomsen, who was then hit by Jensen with both of them rolling. Ken Veal led after the restart until Danny Smith rubbed rails in an aggressive pass. Trevor Green secured the last transfer to the feature. From the drop of the green Lasoski pulled away instantly and was never headed. The only stoppage occurred when McCarl's car stopped in turn two and was able to be re-fired. Lasoski cruised to the win with Dumesny behind. Jackson was a solid third and Bell and Schatz were having an enthralling dice with each taking turns ahead of the other. As the trio of Jackson, Schatz and Bell raced towards the chequered flag, Schatz made a desperate lunge around the outside that almost paid dividends. Bell took fifth ahead of Madsen, Tarlton, and Farr. - BRETT SWANSON 61

CATS

set ENTRYUST

by WADE AUNGER IN terms of racing credentials, it’s hard to go past Freddie Rahmer and Donny Schatz as big chances to take home the $50,000 on offer at the second annual Gough and Gilmour CAT 50,000 at Parramatta City Raceway on February 2/3. Last year’s event was rained out just minutes before the main event, so this year’s race could technically be referred to as the first pay-out of the 50 big ones in the Southern Hemisphere. Schatz has just come off a dominating win of Speedweek 2001 in Western Australia, and his late season World of Outlaw form was a revelation compared to the way the summer began. Rahmer has once again given the Pennsylvania Posse plenty to consider, as well as thumping the World of Outlaws at Williams Grove in June. Jason Meyers and Tommy Tarlton have not had a great deal of experience on the East Coast (Meyers won’t see PCR until he races there on Feb 2/3) but the experience of Danny Smith and Chad Kemenah around the red ribbon of clay cannot be underestimated. Local talent-wise, it’s hard to go past the usual suspects of Robbie Farr, Brooke Tatnell, Kerry Madsen, Max Dumesny, Skip Jackson. No less than nine Queensland cars have nominated, by far the biggest contingent from outside NSW.Among the QLD stars nominated is Garry Brazier, whose appearance at last year’s event is still shrouded in controversy. QSSS livewires Darrell Hodges, Drew Kruck, Dean McComb and Tony Bridge will join the likes of Gessner, Hoffman and Scheuerle, while South Aussie star Trevor Green will hike on over as well as West Aussies Pino Priolo and Luch Monte. David Murcott could be a dark horse, considering his recent form in Victoria. The event borrows heavily from the Knoxville Nationals in terms of the format. Each car time trials, then runs heats, scrambles and main events over the Friday and Saturday night. Special guests on the weekend will be the Grand Marshall Sid Hopping (the founder of PCR)and TNN Motorsports announcer Brad Doty. 62

No AUS1 NSW2 QLD2 USA2 WA2 NSW3 QLD3 TAS3 OLD5 VIC5 NSW6 OLD6 NSW8 WAS NSW9 NSW11 NSW12 NSW14 USA15k USA15 NSW16 USA16 NSW17 WA17 NSW19 NSW20 QLD21 NSW22 VIC22 OLD24 VIC24 NSW25 NSW29 NSW30 OLD32 NSW33 NSW36 OLD36 VIC37 NSW40 NSW42 VIC44 NSW47 NSW49 NSW50 NSW52 WA52 NSW53 NSW54 NSW55 NSW56 NSW61 NSW68 QLD68 NSW74 QLD74 NSW82 NSW88 NSW92 WA92 OLD95 NSW95 NSW96 NSW99 USA VIC

Driver Car Garry Brazier Metalcorp/Mopar Maxim Garry Rush 2UE/Pick & Payless Maxim Todd Wanless ABC Auto Gear Stealth Fred Rahmer 2UE/Pick & Payless Skip Jackson Pennzoil/Toyota Parts Maxim Mick Goode O'Brien Aluminium Avenger Clem Hoffman Hypermax Internet Avenger David Murcott Cedar Blinds Eagle Valvoline Maxim Darrell Hodges Valvoline Maxim Max Dumesny John Shore Caltex Havoline Eagle Stephen Bell Speedflow Maxim Brooke Tatnell Shell Helix Avenger Pino Priolo Yale Budget Forklifts Maxim Darren Saillard Regemade Cranes Schnee Peter Murphy Australia Wide Towing Eagle Bob Jackson Sydney Express Couriers Jackson Justin Mineef IsuzuWreck Maxim Chad Kemenah Flocon Engineering Gambler Donny Schatz US Motorsport Maxim Gough and Gilmour John Boy Danny Smith Jason Meyers US Motorsport Eagle Trevor Shields Royal Purple Oils John Boy Luch Monte Sunnyvale Plants Maxim Warren Ferguson Trylow Plant Hire Eagle Barry Smith Isuzu J&J Troy Little Dean McComb Titan Garages Eagle Antz Pantz Gambler James Thompson Tommy Tarlton l&V Truck Repairs Maxim AB Bridge Removals Avenger Tony Bridge Flocon Engineering Foster Steve Knight Jeff Rogers Cars Stealth Kelly Linigen BikeBiz Yamaha Grizzly Kerry Madsen Damian Abbott Gerry's Automotive Avenger RAAF-AIS MAC 1 Nathan MacDonald The Van Man Gambler Brett Leadsman Jamie Jones Danny Jones Truck Spares Gambler Drew Kruck Titan Garages Eagle David Anderson Wagga Mobile Cranes Foster Steven Graham Fox Sports Net Stealth GRQ Engineering Supplies Gambler Gary Rooke Penrite Oils Gambler Ron Dalton A1 Forklift Trucks Schnee Adam Constable Antz Pantz Pest Control Gambler Ashley Anthony Kevin Burton Nathan Troy Motors Eagle JPPS Painting Service Maxim Marty Perovich PRC Gambler Jeremy Warren Peter Attard Supreme Poultry J&J Grant Tunks RM Race Fuels John Boy Out of Control Surf Shop J&J Chris Pym Robbie Farr EWT Auto Dismantlers Avenger Mick Turner Truckline Parts Eagle Dave Hall Regemade Cranes John Boy Cameron Gessner Union Steel Viper BA Mechanical Service Gambler Alan Day Ross' Autos Gambler Adam Tulloch Dyno Flow Exhausts Eagle Mark Blyton Gordon MacDonald Electrical Maxim Clay Laneyrie Bevelite Glass Gambler Adrian Maher ADRAD Radiators Maxim Trevor Green Lucas Oils Maxim Andrew Scheuerle GM World Jenkins Rodney Maxwell Bruce White Wesco Sand & Gravel Tognotti Warrenne Ekins Eagle One/CR&D Maxim TBA Brent Antill TBA Ken Veal

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SKIP Jackson saved his best for last in the 2001 World Series Sprintcars competition, with a win in the final round at Parramatta City Raceway on January 20. The result was the same as his performance at Horsham, though this time the #2 machine made correct weight on the scales after the victory. “I feel like we’ve really been gelling as a team since Christmas, and Saturday night’s win at PCR was another stepping stone for us,” said car owner Shane Krikke. “We’ve come into form just at the right time for the big dollar races and now we have some much needed confidence for the $50,000 show.” Jackson started off the evening slowly with a pair of eighths in his heats before a fourth in the Dash, chasing home winner Kerry Madsen, Brooke Tatnell and Donny Schatz. But in the main, Jackson suddenly came alive. He passed early leader and Series winner Tatnell on lap six motorsport news

SPEEDWAY

breaks through

"hes fourth World Series Sprintcars title over Dumesny

Both of ‘em are winners: Skip Jackson, left, broke a season-long winning drought in World Series Sprintcars, while Brooke Tatnell, above. clinched his fourth WSS title after a season where he slugged it out with Max Dumesny before taking the title at Newcastle. (Photos by John Morris/Mpix and V«iarren Bndge)

the main event. and pulled away to lead a classy field that included three “I feel that this has been one of Americans - Donny Schatz, Fred the toughest series to date,” Rahmer and Danny Smith. grinned a satisfied Tatnell. Schatz took the Monte “We’ve worked hard with the Motorsport Maxim to second place, help of many people including my though Madsen competitors Danny ran second for Smith, Skip much of the Jackson and event before Nathan Schatz moved MacDonald to win this deal. past when the “After the -Brooke Tatnell motor began to disappointment of go off in the our World of BikeBiz Yamaha #29. Outlaw Series it’s good to get some wins back home.” He eventually placed third Dumesny was disappointed with ahead of Tatnell, Rahmer, Garry the runner-up position but happy Rush, Robbie Farr, Pete Murphy and Adrian Maher. to be running at the front as a major contender. On the Wednesday of that week “This is the raciest we’ve been in (January 17), Newcastle Speedway some time, so I’m happy with that had hosted the penultimate round side of things,” said the Valvoline of the WSS, where Tatnell driver. outpointed Max Dumesny to clinch his fourth WSS title. “We may have to build a new car “Max was the fastest car in the after PCR’s round though, because there are some big money shows heats and Dash for sure, but I have to hand it Alan Felsch coming up and we want to win them.” because he really had us fast in

"I feel that this has been one of the toughest series to date"

2 February 2001

It’s unlikely that Fred Rahmer was happy with his first foray in the Garry Rush 2UE/Pick and Payless Maxim,even though he qualified on the second row of the final. Rahmer had a car which was way too tight in the main and he dropped from the second row to just inside the top 10 in one comer. Dumesny led early, though Tatnell never really let him get too far away, and Brooke was by and never to be headed. Meanwhile, Madsen was lucky not to be nicknamed Molotov. In his second heat he drove one handed for three laps while the other hand attempted to stem the steady flow of methanol out of the fuel line. After three laps he bailed out with the seat filled with fuel. “I’m thinking,‘make the dash or one day have a family, these are my options,” he said as infield officials hosed the fuel from his race suit. Madsen was eventually third, with Farr fourth. Skip faded to fifth with a deflating left rear ahead of Smith, Rahmer, Gessner, Loadsman, and Murphy. - WADE AUNGER

WSS Final Points After 14 Rounds 1. Brooke Tatnell 12956 11153 2. Max Dumesny 8740 3. Skip Jackson 6186 4. Cameron Gessner 5010 5. Kerry Madsen 4526 6. Andrew Scheuerle 4341 7. Robbie Farr 3383 8. Danny Smith 3235 9. Nathan MacDonald 3226 10. Chad Kemenah 3189 11. Tony Bartlett 2903 12. Steve Knight 2479 13. Mark Reuter 2201 14. Phil March 2128 15. Tommy Tarlton 2118 16. Adam Constable 2083 17. David Anderson 1904 18. Alan Haynes 1903 19. Mike Van Bremen 1840 20. Jeff Judd

A-Feature Winners: Tatnell (5), Dumesny (4), Farr (2), Madsen, Jackson (1). A-Feature Lap Leaders: Tatnell 139, Dumesny 103, Jackson 58, Madsen 39, Farr, Kruck 28. 63

Hossack wants a Sprintcar Former Supercar regular keen te run with the hig hoys FORMER V8 Supercar regular Darren Hossack is eyeing a move to Sprintcar racing, having spent time racing in the Midget Speedcar category. "It's really what I want to do but of course it all depends on money," said the Victorian, who spent last year combining his speedway racing with endurance drives with Kmart Racing and racing a SAAB in the Australian Sports Sedan Championship. Hossack won the Christmas Cup at the end of 2000 in the ex-John Mills Beast/Scat V4 of Barry Power, though the category is struggling somewhat in Victoria with only a handful of cars and spasmodic racing appearances. "I've been fortunate that Barry Power's given me a good car to run with this season in the Speedcars. "Basically it's like in circuit racing, where everyone wants to run V8 Supercars, and Sprintcars are the V8 Supercars of speedway. That's where you can prove yourself and there's money around." Hossack's only experience of a Sprintcar was a quick drive in Fred Edwards' car some time ago and he sees the SRAAutopro Series as a logical step. "You're looking at a fair size budget to get in World Series Sprintcars and no-one, regardless of what you've done in circuit racing, is going to give you a free drive straight off.” Hossack has driven a wide range of cars in his career, from Mini Sprints on the dirt to a Gemini Sports Sedan and a full-time drive with Wynn’s/Gibson Motor Sport in 1998. He finished a strong ninth at Bathurst last year. -AARON NOONAN

by TONY MILLARD

Eyeing a Sprintcar: Speedcars, Sports Sedans and V8 Supercars. Everything Darren Hossack drives seems to start with an ‘S'... (Photo hy Di.-k Klynsmith)

Thomas is Aussie Chamu m

Victorian veteran avoids the Premier carnage

CLEVER, calculated and persistent is how Melbourne's Ken Thomas drove to clinch his second Australian Compact Speedcar Championship at Premie; Speedway on Januray 13. Thomas, 53, was lucky enough to avoid the carnage and mechanical failures ahead of him after starting from position five to win the championship - his second in four years - from Craig Hume and David Robotham. A tired and emotional Thomas emerged from his Suzukipowered car after his victory lap and said the numerous race stoppages had made the race a hard one over the final few laps. "With all the stops that we had it took the fun out of it but that aside I can tell you this smile

BfeeGP

won't go away for quite a while," Thomas said. "When I could see there was under 15 laps to go I thought that I was either going to come first or go over (roll the car)." Thomas, who last won a national Compact Speedcar title during 1997-98, inherited the lead with three laps remaining when race leader, Victorian Darren Burgess, suffered mechanical failure and was forced out of the event. The championship's top pointscorer and defending Australian champion Anthony Abson's race was short-lived when he became tangled with four others cars on the first lap. He suffered a heavy crash and rolled on the main straight and was taken to hospital for observation.

ON the same evening in Mount Gambier, Warmambool's Darren Mollenoyux claimed his first major victory by winning the South Australian Formula 500 Championship at Borderline Speedway. The 18-year-old said he was relieved to have the win finalised after race-leader Laurence Quagliatta spun with 10 laps to go. He hung onto win from Quagliatta, Luke Dillon and veteran Laang driver Ken Willsher fourth. Quagliatta wanted to protest the result, long after the race, claiming that he had lapped most of the field and deserved to regain his handsome lead back. Officials dismissed Quagliatta's request. -GEOFF ROUNDS

THE calendar for the 2001 FIM Speedway Grand Prix and Speedway World Cup has been confirmed. The FIM Speedway Grand Prix breaks new ground in 2001, visiting three new stadia in three capital cities: Berlin’s Friedrich Ludwig Jahn Stadium, Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium and Stockholm’s Olympic Stadium. There’s a strong Australian representation in the series with Jason Crump, Leigh Adams, Todd Wiltshire and Ryan Sullivan ensuring that no country has more riders racing in the GP series. All four are expected to form the basis of the World Cup squad with the addition of Jason Lj'ons. The inaugural FIM Speedway World Cup will be held in two Polish cities during the first week of July. It opens in Gdansk’s Wybrzeze Stadium on Sunday 1 July and remains in the famous Polish port for three days before heading to Wroclaw’s Olympic Stadium for the race-off on Thursday 5 July, and final on Saturday 7 July. The event format for World Cup pitches the eight seeded countries - Sweden, Denmark, Great Britain, Poland, USA,Australia, Czech Republic and Germany against four of the eight countries competing in two qualifying meetings on June 3. Slovenia, Russia, Latvia and Ukraine battle it out in Ljubliana, Slovenia, while Hungary, Norway, Finland and Italy meet in Debrecen, Hungary. Australia finds itself in a very strong gi'oup, facing the USA and Czech Republic in one of three eliminating gi'oups from which the winners automatically progi’ess through to the final at Wroclaw. The runners-up in the gi’oup will face a consolation event on the Thursday from which two more nations will make the final.

FIM SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX dates Mays June 9 July 28 Aug 18 Sep 8 Sep 29

Berlin German GP Cardiff British GP Danish GP Vojens Czech GP Prague Polish GP Bydgoszcz Swedish GP Stockholm moiorsport news

calendar announced umesnys SA Stampede

A trip well worth it: Max Dumesny’s visit to South Australia reaped rewards. (I’liolo hy hiris Charles)

Max Dumesny Motorsport Australian Distributors for

Xoo$trr

^ ^ RACING TIRE

For more information on Hoosior Drag and Speedway Tyms call:

NSW; 02 9679 1990 ● Fax 02 9679 1187 VIC-03 9331 6477 ● Fax 03 9331 7444 SA- 08 8332 0800 ● Fax 08 8364 0296 2 Fedruary 2001

A LATE decision by Max Dumesny to contest the third Australian Sprintcar Stampede at Speedway City proved fruitful when the former national champion shook off the challenges of five Americans and several local drivers to claim the $10,000 winner's pay cheque on January 19. His nomination had not been anticipated by Stampede organisers but “with the World Series title already stitched up, the stakes were worth us making the round trip from NSW,” said chief wrench Daimyl ‘Mouse’ Green. Dumesny's crew faced the heavy workload of transporting the #5 Maxim from Newcastle following the mid-week penultimate WSS round, hitting Adelaide and then promptly returning a few hours later for the WSS fi nal at Parramatta. However, the smiles all round from Dumesny's team as he crossed the line ahead of USA's Tommy 'Tarlton, Donny Schatz and local ace Phil March, meant the effort had been worthwhile. Tarlton had assumed the early running in the #22 l&'V Truck Repairs machine, though Dumesny hit the front at one-third distance, leaving Tarlton ahead of Jason Meyers. Schatz passed both his fellow Americans, though Meyers had a right rear tyre explode, leaving him up against the turn two wall and out. March used the traffic to help work his way past Smith to take fourth place on the last lap. - DAVID McNABB

SPEEDWAY Shepard’s number five JEFF Shepard will take over the #5 Wirtgen Maxim in the 2001 World of Outlaws season, having signed with Guy Forbrook. Shepard ran third in the WoO Gumout Series last year. ■| 'm excited about this opportunity,' Shepard said. "It's one of the few times in my career I'll get to be just a driver and I'm looking forward to that role. I just want to drive the wheels off the race car. ■|'m looking forward to driving for Guy. He knows what to do and he has the equipment to win. That should make it a lot easier for me. I think you'll see a big change in me as a driver." Forbrook managed the Vasser family's Millennium Racing last season and says that he will own the team unless a corporate sponsor can be signed prior to the start of the WoO series on February 23. 'We're going to start the season with the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series,' said Forbrook. 'We will run the entire schedule if we can get another sponsor by April 1. Otherwise, we'll run the Gumout Series.'

McMahan ups to OutBaw status MEANWHILE, the runner-up in the Gumout Series in 2000, Paul McMahan, will race with the Outlaws this year. 'We're excited to be back,' McMahan said. 'Growing up, all I wanted to do was race with the Outlaws. Warren Johnson has given me the opportunity. He has given me great race cars and Mike Cool, who is a great mechanic.' The transplanted Californian drove Johnson's United Expressline Eagle to victory in three of four September features to finish second in the inaugural Gumout Series championship behind Craig Dollanksy.

2000/01 AUTOPRO SUPER SPRINT SERIES SCORE Point Standings to January 29, 2001

I.V6 Mike Van Bremen 2.VII Jeff Judd 3.V32 Ian Thomsen. . . 4.VI2 Colin Bulmer . . 5.WS2 Jeremy Warren 6.V9 Rod Matthews. . . V20. David Swayn 8.V2I Frank Ramsdale 9.VI8 Ian Lewis 10.V70 John Vogels . . .

1907 1812 1684 1571 1515 1465 1465 1375 1191 1133

II.VU Peter Knight 12.VST Ian Smith . .

924 917

I3.V43 Garry Chippendall I4.V56 Brent Hough. . . I5.V30 Darren Russell . I6.V84 Graeme Pitcher I7.V73 Charles Hunter. I8.V6I Allan Bariee . . . I9.V7I David Murcott. .

874 853 832 776 746 653 652 621

20.V36Troy Shellls

Grand National Sprintcar Classic I. Donny Schatz. , 2. Danny Smith . 3. Danny LasoskI 4. Skipjackson . . 5. Max Dumesny 6. Brooke Tatnell . 7. Chad Kemenah 6. Jason Meyers . . 9. Tommy Tarlton iO. Fred Rahmer .

USA 15 Tl I USA20 W2 V5 N8 ISK USA 16 V22 USA2

Flying to victory ClarkI Lewis takes Simpson Autopro round

Adam takes th by WADE AUNGER

Flying up the inside: Ian Lewis, above, continues to prove that age is no barrier to success in anyform of motorsport. 'The Fly’ was a strong winner at Simpson Raceway, while Tommy Tarlton, below,filled the runner-up (Photos hy Ian Robinson} spot but left his run late, hampered by an engine problem. SIMPSON Raceway hosted the seventh round of the Autopro Super Sprint Series on January 20 and it again saw another new winner for the season,though not a new winner in any other light. Ian The Fly' Lewis (Glitter Liquor J&J) held out hardcharging American Tommy Tarlton (l&V Truck Repairs Maxim) and local Camperdown driver Jeff Judd (Autopro Avenger) to move to ninth in the highly-competitive SRA series. "The car was good - we were pretty close to the mark tonight," said Lewis. "I stuck with running the car high, I just thought there was more drive up there. I am happy with that. In fact I'm very happy I" Lewis had swapped the lead with Judd in the early stages as they fought their way through traffic, but the first stoppage of the race was championship contender Ian Thomsen. The front wing of the Como Tilers Maxim had come adrift and sat dangerously on the 66

main straight, prompting officials to send Thomsen to the back of the field for the re start, only for him to spin and prompt the next yellow light period. Tarlton had to fight his way to the front, which he did even despite a niggling engine problem which the Walsh Motorsport team are stil l trying to find. Starting from eighth, Tarlton moved past Mike Van Bremen and Matthew Reed (in only his second run of the season in the Greg Raggatt-owned machine) as well as Judd to nail the runner-up position. "The car is so sluggish down

low which really hurt us tonight," said Tarlton, "About halfway through th e car felt good so I just gassed it up. We picked off a few cars but ran out of time." Although Judd ate slightly into his points lead. Van Bremen continues to lead the series which heads to Avalon for a twonight event on March 10/11. Thomsen and Colin Bulmer had horror nights at Simpson and need to score well in Geelong to ensure that they stay in touch with the top two. Points after round seven: Van Bremen 1907, Judd 1812, Thomsen 1684, Bulmer 1571, Warren 1515, Matthews, Swayn 1465, Ramsdale 1375, Lewis 1191, Vogels 1133.

THE 51st Australian Speedcar Grand Prix presented by Rondalee was 40 laps long and paid $10,000 to win at Parramatta Speedway on January 28, but Craig Brady had to do 80 laps to get within half a lap of the biggest payout in Australian Speedcar history. Adam Clarke would be the man who made the $10,000 withdrawal from PCR’s bank account after a weekend of wheel-to-wheel wizardry with Californian Corey Kruseman in an event that saw many of the big names fall by the wayside. Hot favom-ite Steven Graham was chasing his tail all weekend with a missed transfer spot in the heat race on Friday, a piece of clay which knocked his external fuel switch off in the B-Main and then a rattle in the Fox Sports Gaerte during the $10,000 main on Sunday. Craig Brady had blocked nozzles on the Friday, suffered a broken batteiy lead in his heat race and then, unbelievably, his other battery cable broke in the CMain. This put the former Aussie champ in the final night C-Main where he won and transferred to the B. He placed second in the 20 lap B-Main and started from way back in the A-Main, before eventually placing fourth behind Clarke, Fh’useman and Brett Morris. The 40-lap marathon was a continuation of the Friday slugfest between Clarke and Ki'useman. Kruseman had won the preliminary battle on Friday night, though not without several passes made by Clarke to re-take the lead over the non-stop 25 lap main. When the big bucks were on the line on Sunday, however, it was Clarke who waited patiently until the American ran high in turn three with lapped traffic and the lead was his. From here Kruseman chased valiantly on a slick PCR surface, while Clarke got stronger on the bottom and pulled more and more ground on his adversary. “We weren’t making much ground on Adam with 10 to go so I thought I’d better get up on the moiorsport news

SPEEDWAY

9 of the Course

grand in the Australian Speedcar GP

cushion and see if we could get moving there,” said Kruseman. U But by then we’d run out of time.” Brett Morris ran third for the race’s entirety and gasped “those young guys are in serious trouble if I ever get fit. I was pulling the visor up and gasping in as much cold air as I could get through the helmet on the yellows.” Following the lead trio home were Craig Brady, hard charging Kiwi Mark Cooper, vastly improved Darren Jenkins, Dave Lambert, West Aussie Joe Little, Peter Baker, Paul Farrell and Ian Black. Not one, but 10,000 reasons to smile: Adam Clarke, below, outran Corey Kruseman, while Craig Brady, above right, had to do it the hard (Photos by Warren Brid ge) way and work his way through the C and B-Mains.

Mod Prod Title back on THE 2001 National Modified Production Title will now be run at Lismore Speedway after it was previously announced by the Australian Saloon Car Federation that it would be held elsewhere. Pressure from drivers and supporters who had made travel and accommodation plans for the weekend in the Lismore area for the Easter weekend (April 13-15) was one major consideration in the decision, with the ASCF Executive and committee agreeing to concessions “due tQ the economic climate affecting all speedways across Australia.” The Lismore showgrounds circuit will host the event for which in excess of 60 drivers are expected to nominate with representation from all states.

Miller gets the Riverview Blue hat not blue hair like his namesake Colin: Winner Bill Miller. IlMu h> l'i.>nr .MnUlq

BILL Miller in the Blair Athol Trans Am scored an all-the-way win in the Riverview Super Sedan Championship at Murray Bridge on January 20. With two second places and a win in his three heats, he was top point scorer and started off pole with eventual runner-up Steve Vaughan alongside him. The only stoppage occurred on lap eight when Andrew Keen and Broken Hill's Greg Wilkins tangled on pit corner. Miller led away on the restart ahead of Vaughan, Peter Evans and Graham Cowland, who had earlier slipped past Steve Stewart. Evans slowed towards race's end and Cowland and Stewart passed, with the latter managing to slip into third with Kym Cottrell following to displace Cowland. These positions were kept to the end with Miller taking the chequered flag at the end of the 20 lapper as well as the $1300 winner's cheque. - FRANK MIDGLEY 2000/2001 SPRINTCAR RACING ASSOCIATION OF VIC CALENDER

S.O.S. RACEPARTS CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDS Suppliers of quality race parts n Weld Wheels n Eagle chassis n Pro Shocks n All titanium parts Mail order available - all credit cards accepted Ph;02 4332 8755 Fax: 02 4385 8395 Mobile: 0411 470 712

Jan 20 Mar Mar 24 Mar 24

Simpson ...Rd 7 Avalon ...Rd 8 Premier ..Rd I I Wagga ..Rd 12

QSSS 2000/2001 CALENDER

NON CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS Jan 28

Warrnambool ...Classic

Feb 24

Bacchus Marsh ...Fireball

Apr 7..

Bacchus Marsh ...360ser

Apr 13

.... Avalon ..EasterT

Apr 14

Mt Gambler ..EasterT

Apr 15

Warrnambool ..EasterT

Apr 21,

Bacchus Marsh ..360 Ser

Feb 24

Lismore

.Rd 10

Mar 3

Brisbane

.Rd I t

Mar 17

Brisbane

Rd 12

Mar 24 ...Toowoomba

Rd 13

Brisbane

Rd 14

Apr 21

21 Sanctuary Place Bateau Bay NSW 2261

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Days of Thunder: Rick Fedrizzi, not Cole Trickle, completed the first, tentative laps of the UK’s new Rockingham Motor Speedway. (Photo by Sutton-lmagos;

the UK England's new quad-ova superspeedway sees ^ action for the first time AFTER almost 10 years of planning and 23 months of construction work,England’s Rockingham Motor Speedway came to life on January 15 when Rick Fedrizzi undertook the first laps around the 1.5 mile banked superspeedway. Fedrizzi, head of the English

arm of the Richard Petty Driving Experience school, completed around 20 laps in the former Kyle Petty Hot Wheels Pontiac Grand Prix Winston Cup car, with the fastest lap averaging over 130mph - the track still requiring its top layer of asphalt. "Its really good; smooth,fast

and even. Its wide enough for some real wheel to wheel racing and technically very challenging,’ Fedrizzi said. “Its going to be big fun when Rockingham opens in May!" Fedrizzi carried out testing to establish baselines for gearing and suspension set-ups, along

with also evaluating suitable for the;,track; Rockingham, whicji;i,^;$i^dj«p; near Corby in Northanipt^shKef,opens on May 26-with a'Jotil^';.- 'r j*. stock car race,- vybiile theffl^ European rp'urid.of th^l^Ex.'t|^^' Champ'Car Series-will in late September.,^'; -V

2001 Winston Cup Entry

#. Driver 01 Jason Leffler 02** Ryan Newman

enske troubles General Manager sacked, police called in THERE'S been a little trouble in Penske land, with general manager Marty Gaunt leaving under suspicious circumstances. Gaunt, who headed up Penske's Winston Cup operations of Rusty Wallace and Jeremy Mayfield, was fired from his job on January 19, the details of his sacking not being made public. Everyone on the team remains tight-lipped about his release, but a police officer was present out the front of Penske's Charlotte headquarters for three days, so one assumes the parting was not a good one. Gaunt had been with the team for five years, previously working for Peter Gibbons an CASCAR in his native Canada. On race day, Gaunt acted as Mayfield's Mobil 1 team - Mayfield's team being brought into the fold this past year having been previously separated from Wallace's. - MARTIN D CLARK 68

Car Team entrant Sponsor BellSouth Dodge GanassI Racing Ford Alltel Penske South 1 Steve Park Pennzoil Dale Earnhardt Inc Chevy 2 Ford Miller Lite Penske South Rusty Wallace 3 Dale Earnhardt Goodwrench Richard Childress Chevy 4 Kodak Chevy Robby Gordon Morgan McClure 5 Terry Labonte Chevy Hendrick Motorsports Kellogg's 6 Ford Mark Martin PfizerAfiagra Roush Racing 7 Mike Wallace Ford Nations Rent Ultra Motorsports Dale Earnhardt Jr Budweiser Dale Earnhardt Inc Chevy 9 Bill Elliott Evernham Motorsports Dodge Dodge Dealers 10 Pontiac Valvoline Johnny Benson ValvolineMBZ Motorsport 11 Ford Brett Bodine Ralph's Food Stores Brett Bodine Racing 12 Ford Mobil 1 * Penske South Jeremy Mayfield 14* Ron Hornaday Pontiac Conseco AJ Foyt Racing 15 NAPA Dale Earnhardt ire Chevy Michael Waltrip 17 Ford DeWalt Tools Matt Kenseth Roush Racing 18 Pontiac Interstate Batts. Joe Gibbs Racing Bobby Labonte 19* Casey Atwood Dodge Dodge Dealers Evernham Motersports 20 Pontiac Home Depot Joe Gibbs Racing Tony Stewart 21 Ford Motorcraft Elliott Sadler Wood Brothers Racing 22 Ward Burton Caterpillar Dodge Bill Davis Racing 24 DuPont Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevy 25 Delphi/UAW-GM Hendrick Motorsports Chevy Jerry Nadeau 26 Ford K-Mart Carter-Haas Motorsports Jimmy Spencer 27 TBA Pontiac Eel River Racing Kenny Wallace 28 Texaco Ford Robert Yates Racing Ricky Rudd 31 Mike Skinner Top Choice Chevy Richard Childress Racing 32 Ford Tide Detergents PPI Motorsports Ricky Craven 33 Oakwood Joe Nemechek Chevy Andy Petree Racing 36 M&M's Ken Schrader Chevy MB2 Motorsports 37 Pontiac TBA Quest Motorsports Derrike Cope 40 Ganassi Racing Dodge Coor's Light Sterling Marlin 41 TBA Jeff Fuller Chevy Larry Hedrick Motorsports 43 Cheerios John Andretti Dodge Petty Enterprises 44 Buckshot Jones Dodge Georgia Pacific Petty Enterprises 45 Dodge Sprint Petty Enterprises Kyle Petty Midwest 50 Rick Mast Chevy Midwest Transit Racing 55 Andy Petree Racing Chevy Square D Bobby Hamilton K-Mart 66 Ford Todd Bodine Carter-Haas Motorsport 71 Realtree Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevy 75 Ford TBA Galaxy Motorsports Wally Dallenbach Ford 77 Jasper Jasper Motorsports Robert Pressley Ford UPS Dale Jarrett 88 Robert Yates Racing P Ford Hill Brothers 90 Hut Stricklin Oonlavey Racing 92 Kodiak Moiling Racing Stacy Compton Dodge 93 Amoco Gill Davis Racing Dodge Dave Blaney McDonalds 96* Andy Houston Ford PPI Motorsports Ford TBA 97* Kurt Busch Roush Racing 99 Ford Jeff Burton Roush Racing Citgo ' denotes Rookie of The Year entry, "donates limited sohedute maximum six events.

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Popular, not fast: Bill Elliott might be popular, altho ugh Dodge’s Daytona testing form was far from fast, by MARTIN D CLARK SOME of Dodge’s drivers might have left Daytona a little uneasy after their first official testing session at the home of NASCAR where the new Intrepid’s best speed recorded was some seven mile per horn* slower than Ford’s fastest, but Ray Evernham, who oversaw the Dodge program from its beginning, doesn’t appear to be too concerned. Evernham said the downfall in the Intrepid’s speed on the Daytona timesheets came through the Dodge teams’

decisions not to draft around the 2.5 mile oval, while the Ford and GM team speeds were recorded while they were drafting during their tests. “We’ve all got to work on getting these cars into the races and when they’re in the race, then they’ll have the opportunity to draft,” Evernham said. “We know where we are on the dyno and we know where we are in the wind tunnel, so we knew we would be running the speeds we’re running here. “Sure, we’re a little behind, but I’ve left Daytona half a second behind before...” Stacy Compton’s Mailing Intrepid recorded just a

180.82 Imph average, well shor t of Rusty Wallace’s Penske Taurus’ 187.719 and still five mph short of Jerry Nadeau’s 185.755 in his Hendrick Chevrolet Monte Carlo. But, it appears that the Dodge program has centred on the more populous tracks rather than the two Superspeedways at Daytona and Talladega. “We concentrated more on our cars for the downforce tracks than our Speedweek program,” said Ward Burton’s crew chief Tommy Baldwin. “Overall we learned a lot about the balance of the new design and what we need to do to go faster when we go back.”

Busch cars and trucks fly BOTH the Busch Series stockcars and the Craftsman Series trucks have been

Pace setters: The Pontiac Busch Series cars have set the pace in Daytona testing, while the Dodge trucks have done it for the Craftsman Series.

'flying' in testing at Daytona. PJ Jones' Pontiac hit 184.649mph, more than 2mph faster than the best non-draft time of Winston Cup testing two weeks ago, while the trucks have been clocked at over 189mph, two mph faster than the Winston Cup cars. And, unless changes are made, the Busch cars are expected to run even faster in the drafts and be the fastest of Speedweek, surpassing the big-league Cup cars and the trucks. Conditions were more favorable during Busch testing last Wednesday, with Joe Bessey, also in a Pontiac, following Jones at 184.155. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Green were next, with Scott Wimmer fifth and Kevin Grubb sixth, both in Pontiacs. - MARTIN D CLARK

Beyond this Wally Galaxy... GALAXY Motorsports' future looks in serious doubt as their sponsor search has come up with a big fat zero and team members depart in droves. Driver Wally Dallebach Jr has now also stated he will not return this year even if the team does. The news does not look good for new team owner Danwin Oordt, who took over full control from Butch Mock early last year, Oordt said to have pumped in up to US$1 Omillion into the team. ■ Derrick Cope's spot in Winston Cup is also looking a little doubtful after the Daytona 500 winner signed to drive in the Craftsman Truck Series this year. Last year Cope announced he would run his own team in Winston Cup, team with drag racing champion Warren Johnson, who is renowned for making huge amounts of horsepower. As yet, no details on their plans for 2001 have been announced, so it looks as though everything is shelved at Quest Racing. ■ Joe Nemechek has the honour of becoming the first Winston Cup driver in 2001 to have split with his crew chief, with Danny Gill having parted with 'Front Row Joe’ after a short stint with the team. Team owner Andy Petree has announced Chris Carrier as the interim crew chief for Nemechek, while Gill is expected to return to Bobby Hamilton’s Craftsman Truck team. ■ Along with the addition of a ten foot wider pit road reported in a previous issue, Martinsville Speedway have started work on a 600ft garage area, something that has never been seen at the storied half-miler. In an effort to keep it's two race dates safe, Martinsville continues improvements and will become the last track to install a proper garagetype building for teams to work in. Rusty Wallace, a six-time winner at the track, parked his helicopter just yards away from the building construction to help make the announcement. 'This has always been a first class place and to see a garage area come in here, that's just great," Wallace said. ■ Both the Kentucky and Chicago speedway dates, added to the calendar just this year, will be 400mile races, NASCAR announcing the format for the new events last week. - MARTIN D CLARK 69

All bound for Mornlngton by BRIAN REED

AROUND 500 veteran, vintage and classic vehicles took part in this year's RACV Great Australian Rally to the Momington Penninsula on January 21. There were two starts - one in Swanston Street, Melbourne after the vehicles assembled at the MCG carpark, and for the smarter ones, a start at Frankston's Ballam Park Homestead. After being flagged away by RACV chairman Dr. Max Lay and the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Cr. Peter Costigan, it was a laborious procedure travelling along the Nepean Highway with heavy traffic as well as roadworks to slow down progress. Once through Frankston it was a relatively clear nm to the Hastings Marina where a huge crowd was on hand to welcome the participants for a morning tea break. An enthusiastic bunch of seasoned musos playing trad jazz added to the atmosphere, and then it was on to the picturesque Momington Racecourse for the main display and judging. Lots more jazz as well as food and craft stalls, the Momington Theatre Group and the Momington Concert Band kept another huge crowd entertained, and the broad cross-section of vehicles dating back to a working replica of tbe first 1885 Benz, the world's first petrol driven car, provided a fabulous spectacle as vintage aircraft flew overhead. Proceeds from this highly successful annual rally were donated to the Penninsula Health Care Network and the RACV Foundation. The big award was for the Car of the Show - The Dr. Max Lay Trophy for the vehicle judged the most outstanding exhibit. It went to George Hetrel's magnificant 1936 Mercedes- Benz 540K - a worthy winner indeed. The next event of this type will be the 14th Annual Picnic at Hanging Rock Rally to be held on Febmary 11, 2001. Last year's event saw more than 1400 entries as well as approximately 8,000 people in attendance. It's a great family day with excellent facilities and is organised by the Macedon Ranges & District Motor Club Inc. For further information contact the club on 0418 341 415 or fax 5427 0705. 70

And the winners were....

Veteran Section Hugh Guthrie (1916 Stutz Bearcat) Vintage Section Helen & Raymond Wageningen (1926 Standard V3) Early Classic European John Matthews (1936 3-wheel Morgan) Early Non-European Classic Gordon Evans(1929 Reo Flying Cloud) Classic European Ron Baker (1954 Ford Zephyr Series 1) Classic Non-European Peter & Sandra Hibbert (1940 Ford De Luxe coupe) Modern European Classic Everlyn & Stewart Garmey (1974 BMW 2002) Modern Non-European Classic Bob Nordlinger (1969 Chevrolet Corvette 427) Commercial Vehicle Don Sherlock (1928 Chevrolet Van) Military Vehicle Michael Kaukas (1944 Ford Jeep & Trailer) Motor Cycle Jonathon Munn (1951 Royal Enfield)

Somethingfor everyone: There were all sorts at Momington, from the BMW and Frazer Nash, top, to the presumably economical Stanley Steamer. (Photo s by Brian Reed)

F Juniors taM AUSTRALIA'S first international Formula Junior race will be held at Phillip Island during the February 23-24 Historic meeting and, hopefully, it will be the forerunner of others to follow. With assistance from Owens Global Logistics and the VHRR, the Australian Formula Junior Association has arranged for New Zealand's Geoff Manning to bring his 1958 I* t Volpini FJ across the Tasman for the meeting, and this rare car will create plenty of interest V amongst the fans. n The Volpini was first R purchased from the H factory by Count Johnny Lurani and was hired to various drivers over the next three years. It was the original works car to be driven by Italian ace

Midfifim)and Tomitso (DJ). ^

Lorenzo Bandini. Geoff Manning purchased the car in England during the mid80s and shipped it to New Zealand wheie it underwent ●

:■

'estoration before taking part in local competition. Unfortunately New Zealand never catered for the Formula Junior category, although many Juniors made their way there and were fitted with larger engines to compete in mixed grid events. The AFJA ra olorsport news

HISTORICS t

Briefly Historic

Different to the rest; Note’s Fang combined proven mechanicals with a new look.

Nothing like a Nota by BRIAN REED NOTA enthusiast Bruce Bloodworth from Saratoga, NSW is keen to establish a register of the Sydney-built cars that began to emerge from

Guy Buckingham's workshop from the mid-50s onwards. Bruce is currently restoring chassis #7 back to its original form - a Clubman sports car from 1957 fitted with a side valve Morris Minor motor and gearbox. (Later, when campaigned by Les

entre stage

(Photo courtesy Chevron Publishing)

estimates there are more than 12 cars of Junior heritage across the Tasman, and during the past year has been holding discussions with the Kiwis on the feasibility of holding combined events in Australia and NZ. During his stay in Australia, Geoff Manning will be guest speaker at the annual general dinner meeting of the AFJA to be held at the Garden Room, Charmandene Cottage, Phillip Island on Saturday February 24. As places are limited to 30 for this function, members and guests are asked to contact the secretary, Kelvin Prior ASAP on (03) 9707 1652 for bookings. Meanwhile, overseas, the 2000 FIA Lurani Trophy Series the pinnacle of Formula Junior racing internationally - has been won by Ian Scott from England driving a 1959 Elva 100 with BMC engine. The series was contested 2 February 2001

throughout Europe over seven rounds with the best five results counting towards the championship. Australia's Gary Ryan contested the rounds at Monza and Donington Park in his Lola Mk3A and managed to score some points towards the trophy. The winner, Scott, works for Benetton - which may explain why his car is so competitive! On the local scene, congratulations to Geoff Fry from Bathurst who has won the coveted Leo Geoghegan Perpetual Trophy driving his Australian built Jolus Formula Junior. Geoff didn't record the fastest lap times during the 2000 season but was rewarded for his consistency and ongoing participation ideals which the award is meant to encourage. - BRIAN REED

Westman of Sydney, it ran a Skoda 1100 povverplant.) As well as Clubman cars, Nota also produced an impressive range of competition vehicles including front and rear engined openwheelers and hillclimbers. There were also several road cars, the most attractive being the shapely 1963 VW-powered sports car, and the Nota Mini, an open two-seater with the engine and gearbox placed behind the driver and passenger driving the rear wheels. Such was the innovation of the company's founder Guy Buckingham, who came to Australia from England in the mid fifties having already established a firm reputation there as a nononsense car constructor. Nota,(which according to legend stands for ‘No Other Transport Available’), continued to build cars into the seventies, the most famous being the Fang, a functional sports car which remained in production even after Guy Buckingham returned to England around 1975. His son Chris carried on the business until the 62nd Fang was produced in 1978 and another batch was built by his father back in the old country. Bruce Bloodworth's aim is to establish a register of all Notes produced, and if anyone can help with articles, magazine reports, photographs, race results and anecdotes, he can be contacted on (02)4369 5033, fax 4369 8444 or email:jebb@ozemail.com.au

THIS year's VHRR Calder practice Day has been restricted to current financial members of the Victorian Historic Racing Register and the Historic Touring Car Association of Victoria, and will be held on Sunday 18 February. Although not a race meeting, the Practice Day is run strictly according to race procedure under the watchful eye of Clerk of Course John Shepherd, with Noel Robson and Ken Williams acting as stewards. Entries are open to members of the invited clubs who hold a CAMS C2 Licence or superior, and the first 100 entries will be accepted in order of receipt The annual Calder Practice Day is a great way to sort out any bugs under track conditions and to 'get the eye in' for the busy Victorian season of Historic racing starting with the Historic Phillip Island meeting the following weekend. Entries close at the last mail on February 9, 2001, and no late entries will be accepted. For entry forms and further details contact the meeting secretary Brian Simpson on 9744 7309. H A classic battle is looming in the 2001 Trading Post Grand Prix Rally between past winners and motorsport 'legends' Jim Richards and Graham Hoinville. Reigning Nations Cup GT-P champion Richards will be out to claim an incredible sixth outright Grand Prix Rally win in his brand new yellow 420hp Porsche 911 Turbo 'supercar' with four times winning navigator Lis Burgess calling the shots. In stark contrast, the veteran Hoinville and his son Gregory will rely on the same ageing red 1962 Elfin Clubman, a decidedly 'low tech' sports car alongside the modern opposition which they crewed to victory a decade ago in 1991 to become the only nonPorsche entry ever to win the event. Since their historic 1991 win, the Hoinville team has returned to the podium on three more occasions, finishing second in 1993 and 1995 and third in 1996. They are amongst an elite group of four competitors who have taken part in every GP rally since the event was established in 1988 and have finished.in the top 10 on seven out of 13 rallies contested. It's good to know that a 40-year old Historic sports car can still keep the Porsche fraternity awake at night. Go, Graham and Greg! - BRIAN REED 71

natitnal

scene

n Noonan

Sports Sedans get limits

SPORTS Sedans will have racing weights throughout the engine capacity range, effective from January 1, 2002. The main purpose behind the move is to discourage the use of exotic materials as an expensive means of weight reduction in the class and such a move would thus preserve the long-term effectiveness of the class. The 12 month moratorium will allow competitors to modify existing cars and also guide those who are constmcting new cars. The weight limits for each engine capacity bracket are as follows: 5001-6000CC 1160kg 4501-5000CC 1120kg 3551-4500CC 1020kg 3001-3500CC 930kg 2501-3000CC 880kg 2001-2500CC 830kg 1601-2000CC 780kg 1301-1600CC 730kg up to 1300cc 680kg

Falken get Evo Six THE Queensland-based Falken Tyres rally team has taken delivery of its new car for the 2001 season - a new Evo VI Lancer. “The decision was made to update now for (driver) Steve (Shepheard),” said team crew chief Reg Shepheard. “His pace has been improving throughout the year and if he is going to try and catch the likes of Cody, Reid and Ed, we have to be using the same up-to-date cars. “Stewart Reid proved this year at Tassie that the Falken tyre is up to the task, and we have proved we can provide the car, so the rest is up to Steve.” “I am extremely happy to make the move into an Evo VI for the start of the year and the thought of an Evo VII late in the year excites me even more,” said Steve Shepheard. 72

Getting chased by a pair of car radios: Geoff Emery holds off the blue duo of Christian D’Agostin and David Gittus. (Photo by James Smith)

Extending the D'Agostin inches closer to title

COMMODORE CUP by MICHAEL SHAW CHRISTIAN D’Agostin extended his lead in the ROH Wheels Commodore Cup series with a win and a second place in the penultimate round of the series at Wakefield Park on the weekend. David Gittus started on pole alongside teammate D’Agostin, though the young Victorian made the better start to lead the first lap, while further back Glenn MacKenzie and Ryan McLeod (making his Commodore Cup debut in a JFR-prepared car) came together. D’Agostin then created a gap on the field while Gittus slowly slipped back,finishing fourth. Greg Waters, meanwhile, worked his way up to second place and closed in on D’Agostin but he was unable to get close enough to make a pass. Brett Holdsworth moved ahead of Gittus on the last lap

to take third place. Race two continued where race one left off, with Waters chasing D’Agostin. Geoff Emery had moved up fi-om sixth to fourth at the start and quickly ahead of Gittus for third. On lap 10, Waters tried to pass D’Agostin on the outside, managing to hold his line and pass up the hill, only for D’Agostin to come back a couple of corners later. Waters moved into the lead into the final turn, though it was to be short-lived as just before the line his engine blew itself to pieces. All of this allowed Emery into the lead which he held to the end. D’Agostin finished second from Gittus and Holdsworth. “I was vei-y lucky when he (Waters) popped his engine,” said D’Agostin. “This helps with the championship but there are still two rounds to go and it could easily happen to me.”

Looking to the last round: Christian D’Agostin. Commodore Cup Points D'Agostin 631, Waters 603, Emery 545, Gittus 534, Holdsworth 488, Pearce 481, Papendell 442, Parker 342, Zukanovic 207, Marshall 201. moiorsDon news

NATIONAL

n The location for the fourth round of the 2001 CIK series has been announced. As expected, the final round will be held at Eastern Creek, however the date has changed to a week earlier to that originally announced and will now be the weekend of September 22-23.

by AARON NOONAN THE list of young guns making the move to the national Formula Ford series from their respective state series’ contin ues to grow, with New South Wales Champion Jack Lynch another to make the move. The 19-year-old raced karts for four years in Australia and Japan and finished every race of last year’s NSW Formula Ford Championship on the podium on his way to the championship, driving an RF94 Van Diemen. Lynch won two races, had four seconds and four third-places and

took out the title by a decent margin of 52 points over Grant Ashby, Justin Watt and Clayton Pyne. Lynch drove for Tim Beale’s Anglo Australian Motorsport team and will continue with the team in 2001, driving a new Stealth chassis with the team in an assault on the national series. The team in the past has run drivers including current FFord hotshot Nick Agland and Formula Holden driver Tim Leahey. The team is also interested in signing a second driver for the national series as well as one for the NSW State Series.

February National Racing Calendar Date 4th !!th

!7th !8th 23rd 24th

25th

Circuit Event Queensland Raceway Racing Nirimba NSW Motorkhana Championship:! Oran Park BOC Gases Supports Winton Winton Motor Racing Masters;! Portland Ford Australia Street Grand Prix Rob Roy Victorian Hillclimb Championship:! Wakefield Park NSW Hillclimb Championship:! Queensland Raceway QLD Motorkhana Series:! Mallala Twilight Race Meeting Calder VHRR Practice Day Barbagallo Night Master Series Wimmera, Hamilton Vic Country Classic Series:! Victoria Grand Prix Rally (to March 3) Narooma NSW Rally:! Narooma Booma Strzelecki's, Vic Mirboo Meander Rally Jimna, QLD KCF Series:! Phillip Island Phillip Island Classic Pakenham Victorian Motorkhana Championship:! Queensland Raceway Racing

To make sure your event is listed in future issues, write to (PO BOX W10, Caulfield North 3161) or email (msnews@ozemall.com.au) the National Scene Editor with details of your event. 2 February 2001

been added to the prize pool for the Ford Racing Portland Kart Prix on February 10-11. Over $30,000 of prizes and trophies are on offer including a Formula Ford test for the winner of the feature class. Formula 100. Almost 340 entries have been received so far for the sea-side event.

n Long-time DPE stalwart Doc Pearson has been named Victorian distributor for Tim Craig's Top Kart organisation. As one of Australia's foremost authorities on chassis development, Pearson proves an excellent addition to the Kart One stables as Craig makes his first major foray outside of his NSW home base. n Free four-day double passes to the Australian Grand Prix for every class winner have

4 Feb

n An information booklet for the 2001 Ford MAX Challenge is scheduled to be available this week. After the success of the inaugural series, where two of the top five drivers received funded Formula Ford drives for this season, interested is expected to be high. A number of competitors, such as William Yarwood, Mark Winterbottom and Bn/ce Godfrey have expressed their intention to return and race the series

again. Competitors interested in receiving a copy of the booklet should register their interest by contacting Adam Klunyk at Drew Price Engineering on 03 9545 3944. n The MG AZ-Red tyre has been approved' to run alongside the Maxxis HG3 in the Formula Australia, Piston Port and PRD classes through to the end of March. The decision was prompted by supply problems with the Maxxis (the only tyre allowed in those classes) and now allows competitors to commence preparations for the season ahead. The temporary rule change does not apply to the Victorian Open. A decision regarding tyres for this event will be made in February. -MARK WICKS

Vic Open Shake Doiivn Go Kart Club of Vic ●

●5;vr ■ V

10/11 Feb Ford Australia Street Grand Prix — Portland 18 Feb

Victorian Country Classic Round 1 — Wimmera

(to be held «t Humllto n)

25 Feb

Club Day for all Clubs

For information on any of the above call the Victorian Karting Association

03 5449 6302 or 03 93621144 'AClOWAHKAWmO ASSOCIMIOU 73

SAAB Sports Sedan

iS. <

He’s smiling because he knows where the back half of the car is: Hossack grins for the camera, while car owner Gourlai (in the background) has obviously gone looking for it... (pnoio by Aaron Noonan^i News Digital)

built by John Reardon, who then T'S hard to imagine in the current climate of worked for Ron Harrop but has been with Williams Grand Prix for Australian motorsport, quite some time. It was built for where touring cars rule the Peter Brock and Alan Jones to race shores, that once upon a time, in the USA, but while both tested there were other racing cate it, they never raced it. gories which grabbed more It sat in a shed in America for 10 headlines in the motorsport bibles of the time than the tinyears before Gourlai got it and turned it into a Saab. Just the idea tops. of converting a car from one to Leafing back through magazines another sounds strange, but in the of the 1970s, the Formula 5000s world of Sports Sedan racing, it’s regularly were the lead item of a all about re-building and refining race report, but the other category the wheel rather than building a which had the fans on the edge of new one. their seats was Sports Sedans. And, as opposed to other Some of the cars of the era are categories where you study the simply Australian motor sport rule book and figure out what you treasures. From the Sidchrome can build, in this Mustang in class you can come which Jim up with an idea Richards made yourself and then his Aussie consult the rule debut to Bryan book to see Thomson's VW whether it fully -Hossack on Sports Sedans Chev, Frank conforms and Gardner's what Corvair, Tony modifications you need to make to Edmondson's Alfa, Bob Jane's make it right. Monza and later Graeme There’s not much left from the Whincup's Monza, the class has original car. It’s been lengthened to produced some of the most revered the Saab wheelbase and fitted with cars in Aussie racing. a different transaxle as well as of But the category has taken a few course the Saab panels. body blows in the past, though it's The roof, doors, grill, tail lights on the way back. One only had to and bonnet are all that remains witness the recent Sports Sedan ‘Saabish’ about this six-litre monster. support races at the Adelaide Le Mans Series race, where a 40 car ower comes from a six-litre field had the Sportscar mechanics hanging over the pit wall in total Chev 'V8(producing some 680 awe. horsepower and 540-570 Nm of torque) built by legendary engine estled in amongst a flock of builder Neil Burns, and in the Audi road cars sits another same way as an open wheeler, the foreign car in John Gourlai’s suspension is mounted onto the workshop. This one though is the powerplant as a stressed member. Saab Sports Sedan which Darren And there’s no change from $65,000 for the motor. Hossack has campiagned in recent “There’s more work in them than times in the Australian Sports most people think,” said Hossack, Sedan Championship - and there’s not much Saab left in it! “Things are handmade, you can’t just go and buy them off the shelf Believe it or not, this car started like touring car racing. There’s life as a Chevy Monza in 1983,

There's more work in them than most people think"

One of the machines at the forefront of the SAAB driven by former V8 Supercar driver AARON NOONAN visited the team’s Oakle you put the ‘Sport

NATIONAL

much more time spent on keeping them going than getting them to go faster.” Gourlai says that there’s quite a bit of touring car technology in the engine. “We go through the same replacement schedules. Cam followers at 1500 kilometres, valves, followers, springs and timing gear at 3000,” he said. “It’s pretty much a six-litre touring car engine, we just run higher compression.”

JK?>0W Dy John Mofn&'Mpix^

Australian Sports Sedan Championship is the Darren Hossack and owned by John Gourlai. gh (Melbourne) workshop and found out how into Sports Sedans.

when it Hossack is comparing well placedthe comes to Sports Sedan to V8 Supercars, having been a regular in Gibson Motor Sport cars over the past few seasons. “The touring car has less power but uses it better. These cars are more physical too. “There’s more happening inside than a touring car. They move around, whereas a touring car is a lot more floaty,” he said. In terms of comfort, the Supercar wins every time. Sports Sedans aren’t built for comfort and the sheer heat takes it toll when it hasn’t got anywhere to escape. Gourlai reckons you could have fried an egg on the car after one of the races at Adelaide! The weight of the Saab is about 1030kg compared to 1350kg for a V8 Supercar thanks to the carbon kevlar panels, but it uses a smaller wheel and tyre (16-inch versus 17inch for the Supercar) which means that a sprint race distance is about the limit for the Saab in tei-ms of tyre life, while the brakes on the front are touring car rears. While there’s a MoTbc system on board, there’s no data logging in the Saab,though some of the the top cars ran with it.

s an indication of the capabilities of Sports Sedans, which generally have been perceived as nothing but the sheer power of the engines, with Phillip Island gearing the Saab can do 90 mph (150km/h)in first gear alone! Because the cars race in sprint races, costs are somehwat down in comparison to other racing though to build a top-line car, Gourlai reckons there’d be no change from $200,000. That doesn’t include the labour which would go into crafting one of these rocketships. Teams are constantly refining and tinkering away with these cars, adding bits and pieces rather than re-inventing things. While there are some completely new cars emerging in recent times, a lot of them feature parts from previous cars, which makes the parts cost for a new car a bit lower. There are improvements set to come for the Saab as well for the 2001 five-round season, which is set to be very strong as a support to the V8 Supercars. Koni shocks are going to be bolted on with some help from Koni man Ric Kemp and Hossack and Gourlai think that could help make up the gap to champ Tony Ricciardello and Kerry Baily. “Darren’s driving the car harder than it’s ever been driven before, though the car's well known and we’ve got a good point to start from,” said Gourlai. Hossack in fact led the series after Mallala last year but had to miss the Oran Park meeting because of the clashing Queensland 500. The team had a tough weekend at Adelaide’s Le Mans Series support event, where a brand new solid brake line broke twice, but Phillip Island in March sees the first round of what is anticipated to be a big year for the big bangers.

The people at Saab would have a coronary ... The gearbox is actually a 1989 Indycar unit ... (mNews D.gnai)

Beneath the skin: The cockpit of the 680-horsepower machine, above left, wasn’t built with driver comfort fully in mind but does the job. Both the front and rear of the Saab, below left, are one-piece carbon kevlar units which bolt onto the respective ends of the vehicle. In the mould of open wheeler formula cars, above, the suspension bolts directly (Photos by Aaron Noonan/M News Digital) onto the engine. 2 February 2001

Industry Nev^s

Hot shots website

—]

Lap timer ntercomp's hand held timing unit is capable of simultaneously recording and storing four vehicles up to 100 laps. Data is easily recalled via the dual screen, and the standard RS-232 output enables quick downloading to a printer or computer. A backlight enables easy viewing in all conditions. The addition of Intercomp's tyre or brake temperature probe enables the pyrometer function of the unit. For more details contact Revolution Racegear on 1800 804 778.

mins

Leading photographer Dirk Klynsmith has launched a wehsite showcasing over 600 photos covering all major categories of motorsport from Formula 1, V8 Supercars, Super Touring, Formula Holden and many others. The general public can now access and view a wide variety of photos published in leading motorsport magazines in Australia and around the world, including Motorsport News. Also available are many photos that have not previously been seen.

You are able to browse the site and view the photos at no charge. Any photos you wish to purchase can be done over the net as a high resolution download or you can order prints in four sizes for personal use. If you wish to use a photo for commercial purposes this can also be arranged by contacting Dirk directly via email through the site. The website will be updated after each race meeting with the latest action shots from that round. Formula 1 fans will be able to

view and purchase the latest shots of their favourite FI scars and drivers the week following the Australian Grand Prix. The site also contains many nature shots and images from other sports including golf, cycling, cricket and soccer. A links page is included with links to teams, magazines and other relevant sites. Designed for easy access the site offers the images as thumbnails which can be enlarged for closer inspection.Check out this gi-eat site at www.graphicdakphotos.com

m? 1^

Australian 2001 Motorcycle ExhibitI

Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Buildings will host the Australian Motorcycle Expo from 30 August to 1 Sept 2001. Staged by event management specialists Southern Cross Promotions, the Australian Motorcycle Expo will be a showcase for all the motorcycling industry has to offer, delivering the latest sports, off road, ATV, scooter, cruiser speedway, drag, vintage, collectors models and everything in between from local

and international motorcycle manufactures. When Yamaha Victoria’s Lloyd Fletcher booked their 50 x 9m site he stated "Australia needed a dedicated motorcycle expo and Yamaha wanted to be included from the start". Feature events already confirmed in the four day schedule for the Australian Motorcycle Expo include a $10,000 Show and Shine competition featuring Australia’s top 100 custom and show bikes

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must see event for motorcycling enthusiasts. For the industry a specific trade day will be held on the first day of the Expo culminating in a trade cocktail party. This will give manufacturers and importers an opportunity to meet and network. Eor further information, trade details, sponsorship packages and entries to the Show and Shine and Photographic Awards, contact Southern Cross Promotions on 03 9974 6350.

with first prize of $5,000. The Australian Motorcycle Photogi'aphic Awards will feature images from Australia’s leading motorcycle photogi'aphers. An ongoing feature of the show will be regular fashion shows showcasing the latest trends and designs in motorcycling gear and casual wear. There will be a free style motorcross display as well as children’s entertainment and child minding facilities. All this and more is set to make the Expo a

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I mUl^ RACESHOP gives you the opportunity to promote your products and services to the widest possible range of motorspo^™ " " ^ competitors and enthusiasts. Advertising in RACESHOP costs as little as $50 per issue! Call Brendon Sheridan on 03 9527 7744 now!

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19 January 2001

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motorsport news

IFREE Sedans/SDorts Cars

Ex-Bathurst A9X, currently displayed at Bathurst Museum, Immaculate, genuine race car with CAMS log book. May take road car as part pay ment. Urgent sale. $60,000. Ph 07 4925 0220. 199

Nissan Bluebird Sports Sedan, alloy space frame, midmount 2.2 Itr, Motec M8 injeaion. Sierra turbo 450hp, intercooler, fibreglass remov able shell, FI carbon-fibre brakes, FI flooring, tita nium parts, trailer and extras. $35,000 ono. Ph Gino 0417 577 063. .99

UC 1978 Torana, 202 Red motor. 2 1/4 inch exhaust, extractors, 14 inch hot wire mags, with 205/65 tyres. Good interior. Not registered. $1500 ono. Ph 0408 878 542 or 07 5495 5415. .99

Capri 6 Itr Chev, Cola, JE, H-rods, 23 degree, CR bulinose, counter lever front, cambered rear, Molley space frame, Harrop, winning State level. National level with right budget, well sorted, reli able. 30ft trans. $40,000. Ph 07 4634 8562. m

Nascar Chev Lumina, with 40ft container and spare tyres, pit equipment, helmets and suits and display pergola. Based in Darwin, NT. Ready lor use as ride school business. $35,000 Ph Charlie 0419 886 338. 199 Mitsubihsi Lancer Evo 4 1997, silver, GSR, 4WD, ABS, Active Yaw Control, tein suspension, Recaro interior, all power options, sunroof. Pioneer stereo, HKS gauges. Immobilizer, alarm, complianced Nov 99, warranty, rego Nov 2001, 25,000kms, fastidi ously maintained. $65,000. Ph 0417 217 502. 199 Mkl Escort Sports Sedan, Z20 Nissan engine Z18 turbo, 5 spd, twin Webers, OP South 52s, ideal for Supersprints, urgent sale, make a reason able offer. Ph Richard 02 4578 3745. 199

Mazda RX7 Club Car, complete, ready to race 2001, fresh top HP 13B Bridgeport, SV turbo gear-

2 February 2001

MARKET PLACE

Classifieds

2 issues

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*IVIotorsport News Classifieds are FREE for private sales. Classifieds from motor sport traders are accepted (marked with a ●) and must be prepaid at the following per issue rates: $5 per 10 words (min $10 per ad), photo $10, Further enquiries to our advertising department on 03 9527 7744, Classifieds can be mailed, faxed or emailed. Classifieds are not accepted over the telephone. Forward to Motorsport News Free Classifieds, PO BOX 1010 North Caulfield 3161. Fax: 03 9527 7766. Email: msnews@ozemail.com.au. Make sure to list your category.

box, torsion diff, lap record holder at Phillip Island, Sandown and Symmons Plains. Some spares. $22,500. Ph Rohan Ambrose 0409 945 828. m

ono. Also many Cooper S and performance parts for sale. Ph 02 9773 1909. 199

Group A VL Commodore, total rebuild, every thing new, Harrop front and rear, 14" front discs, Motec, 4 sets wheels 17x10, spoilers plus mani fold, carb and spare injection manifold. Ph 08 9045 4305. 199

Ford Falcon 500 XA Coupe, V2 1972 250, 170hp, 6 cyl, one owner female driver, manual, rego 5/01, goes well, suit enthusiast. $9900. Ph 0412 465 998. .98

Honda 1971 95 Coupe, daily driver, well main tained, CAMS 3J log book, leather seats, electron ic ignition, rare car with proven performance, some spare panels and glass. $6000 ono. Ph 02 4967 3445. .99

Austin Healey Sprite MkllA, race car, CAMS log book Sb. Very well sorted package. Race ready and entered for QLD Histories. Must sell urgently as owner updating to new class. All assistance avail able if required. $12,500. Ph 02 9833 2400 bh or 02 4736 7146 ah. 19a

Gemini Coupe Club Car, 2 Litre, twin 40 IDF Webers, adjustable Konis, modified brakes, locked diff, many spares. You won't be at the back of the field. Dorian available. $6000 ono. Ph 02 9274 2201 bh or 02 9181 3071 ah. .98

Club Car TF Cortina, 350hp 6 cyl, t/loader, suit sprints or race, nothing to spend. Oran Park 50s, ring for details, no reasonable offer refused. Ph 02 9605 7517 or 0403 011 924. 199

Godzilla, Nissan Skyline GTR R32 July 91 build, very original, Australian delivered, immaculate car, 70,200 km. All factory options, owner's manuals, service records available, just a sensational car. $59,000 ono. Ph 0419 965 995. .98 LH Torana Sports Sedan, V8 s/rail 4 spd, fibreglass bumpers, bonnet, flares, HQ brakes, adjustable Konis, 15x10 wheels and slicks, CAMS certified cage, cheap hillclimb or Supersprint car. Can deliver to Sth QLD or Sydney. $2750. Ph 02 6765 4277 or 0419 441 164. .98

Corolla KE10 U/2L Sports Sedan/Club Car, fresh 1209cc, motor improvements 3K, twin Webers, big brakes. Watts link, 14x7 challengers, fibreglass, CAMS log book, road reg, phone for info, $4900. Ph 03 6344 9091. .99 Alfa GTV 105 Sports Sedan, unfinished project, mid-mount Nissan SR20 & 5 speed, BMW diff and suspension rear, a-arm front, pushrod suspension, fibreglass box guards etc. Can be completed. $5000 ono. Ph Grant 07 3277 3114. .99

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HQ race car. Dome or circuit, good cond. $5500. Also, HQ circuit car, needs work, no wheels. $1200. Ph 0411 726 951. m V8 Supercar, ex-John Bowe CAT car, '98 model EL Falcon, 6 Supercar races old. Spares package inc. Ph 0412 895 560. iw

Escort Twin Cam 1970, 1800cc steel crank, 45s, elect ign, 5 spd steel Supra, newly rebuilt engine, clutch and diff, adj Konis, roller strut tops (new), quick rack (new), 4 wheel discs, 3pc enki 14x6 plus much more. $12,500. Ph 02 4393 0222. ™ Mini Sports Sedan, full roller, (no engine/box), log book, full cage, big brakes, race seat and harness, coil over suspension, laminated screen etc. $1000

rryma

Cheapest race winning HQ in Australia, engine by BRE, no expense spared for last 3 yrs. Car has set fastest laps and holds 2 NSW Hillclimb records. All assistance to new owner. $3750 ono. Ph 02 6765 4277 or 0419 441 164. .98 HQ race car, consistent top 10 Queensland Raceway, well sorted complete spares, doors, pan els, rails, motor, diff, gbox, workshop clearance. Offers around $4500. Ph 07 5520 4855 or 07 5593 6368 ah. .9b Group C Mazda RX7, ex-Murray Carter, spare wheels, axles, diff ratios, fresh paint, original log book. $20,000. Ph 0418 144 783 or 03 5762 5541. .98 MX-5 Mazda 1991, Australian delivered, 130km, red, good all over condition. Never raced, just a great car. $19,990 ono. Ph 0419 965 995. .98

Nissan Silvia, SR20 roller bearing turbo, big breaks, massive intercooler, tinted windows, three inch exhaust, massive rear wing, 17 inch wheels, the best available. $18,500 ono. Ph 0418 131 428 or 03 9449 8221.™ Nascar Pontiac Grand Prix, 18 degree Chev engine with 650hp, very reliable and consistent performer, comes with Alcon and JFZ brake pack ages, Jerico and TIO gearbox and all spares, ideal for 2001 Nascar Series or Sports Sedan. Must sell. Ph 0410 640 644. m

Valiant Wagon '69 model, 6 cyl auto, genuine two owner, absolutely rust free, original paint, tint ed windows, disc brakes, new 17-inch wheels and tyres. $5850. Ph Phil Howe 0418 131 428 or 03 9449 8221. .98

S.SsiK'fi

'.I

Ford TransAm Mustang 1969, 351 Windsor engine producing 595hp. Built from the bare shell up by craftsmen. This vehicle has only done 18 months of competition and has never been scratched It comes with 4 foolscap pages of spare parts, panels, gearboxes, diffs, axles, tailshafts etc. A thoroughbred racing car that could not be repli cated for three times the price. $110,000 Ph Graham Hunt 03 9528 1188 bh or www. presidentford.com.au/mustang. 193

V -a

Commodore Cup car, new this season. To be sold in February after last round at Oran Park. $25,000 ono. 2nd car Baxter/Hoosier 1996, current specs. $19,000 ono. Ph Mark 0409 846 717. m RX7 Turbo Group A rally car, (original one of 10). Fresh Koni Shocks, full cage, Sparco seats, Terratrip.etc. Ready to rally. $13,000. Ph Mark on 0419 512 735. Also, single axle car carrier trailer. Extremely light - 300kg. Suits up to medium sized cars. $1100. \98 Commodore S5 Ute, 1998 model. Blue, auto, p/s, aircon, power windows, cruise, h/d l/b. Many extras. Excellent condition. $24,000 ono. Ph 0411

692 600. m Gemini Coupe Sports Sedan, roller. Log book. $3700. Rover 3.5L V8. New heads, flow op 360 hp. $2500. Ph 02 6734 2259 or 02 6732 3353. m Commodore Cup car, '99 spec, strong engine, quick in right hands. $16,000. Ph 02 6383 3341. igs

Kosmic Junior Kart, rolling chassis, 3 meetings old, excellent condition, sale due to sponsorship commit ments. $2750. Ph Brendan 0428 519 423. m Drive available, 2001 Formula Ford National

Open Wheelers

Galloway-developed, race-winning Spectrum 07, Speedtech engine, MoTec, spares package, with assistance given to new owner. $37,000. Trailer also available. Ph Owen Kelly 0419 896 382. 199 Open Wheeler, 1986 86/50 Lola Formula 3000. Ex works car fitted with Mazda 12A rotary turbo. Stunning car. Full ground up rebuild. Ready to race. Many spares. For full details contact Donnie Mackillop (Scotland, UK) Ph 0011 44 1360 440902 or email juliasquire@hotmail.com 199 Van Diemen RF94 Stealth, rolling chassis or com plete with engine. Pi system, Ohiins, all setup avail able. 2nd in Aust FF 2000, winner Bathurst. Ph Peter 02 9630 6509 or 0418 217 451. 199

Formula Vee Rennmax Mk2, Motor just top ended, new floor, new trailing arms, 2 pac paint, adjustable brake bias, adjustable shocks., some spares with registered trailer. Ready to go racing or hillclimbing. $5850. Ph Matt 0417 240 255 or 02 9676 5154. 19s

i 1 Formula Ford Van Diemen RF96, fresh engine, fresh shock absorbers and new springs, tyres 1 race old, new 2 pak paint job. $26,000 ono. Ph Bob 02 4421 5471 or 0402 033 986. i9s

Mini-based open wheeler, Roy Goodman built chassis. 1098CC with 5 type head, Weber 45 DCOE S front discs & Minifin rears, Mawer 13" wheels

Torana LC/LJ XU1, dash and wiring loom. $130 neg. Ph 0428 535 245 or 03 9366 6872 ah. 198 FM band expander, to suit Jap imports. Brand new. $35. Ph 0428 535 245 or 03 9366 6872 ah. 198

JWF Milano 750, fibreglass body, complete with double skin doors, bonnet and hard torneau. All moulded from original 1959 car. $3500. Ph 07 5525 2009 ah or 07 5530 5248 bh 199 Borg Warner, Super TIO, steel case gearbox, ex-Janson Bathurst '77, shifter, bell housing & Tilton clutch bearing. Short driveshaft, fully rebuilt. $3000. Ph 02 9905 6114 or 0429 771 1 1 7. 199

Formula Vee Elfin Crusader, raced 4 seasons since new. Full rebuild for 2000 season, 2nd '00 QLD Championship,just resprayed, comes with trailer & some spares. $9700 plus comprehensive spares package. PDA, will consider trade. Ph. Nick 0419 680 380, email meaculpa@ozemail.com.au 19a

S type 10- wheels, $1,000 ono. Ph 02 9797 9724 ah. 198

series, 2nd fastest lap time 2000 Nationals, fresh Cutts engine, long and short gearboxes, spares, enclosed trailer with annex. $10,750. Ph Benjamin Porter02 9876 1618 or0414 767 833. 199

PRD kart "98 Forza", clubman engine, hydraulic brakes, nose cone, Edwards mag wheels, comes with trolley/stand (2 in 1), in immaculate condition and A1 mechanical condition, comes with set up information. $2,400. Ph 02 4655 6266. 193

Formula Vee, Elfin, lots of $$$ spent including new bodywork and moulds. Needs some work, 90% complete, suit beginner, with trailer. $3200. 199

Dino Kart, 1995, rolling chassis, 3 bearing, hydraulic brakes, magnesium rims and parts, in immaculate condition, suit new kart buyer.

$1250 neg. Ph 0428 535 245 or 03 9366 6872 ah. 198 Gearbox, Aussie 4 speed, 6 cyl M20, A1 shifter linkages, bell housing. $350 neg. Ph 0428 535 245 ah or 03 9366 6872 ah. 196

Mygale SJ97, complete, freshly painted. Lamer eng, spare set wheels and nose cone. Exc cond. $26,000. Ph 0413 585 359 or 03 9369 4812. 199

Formula Vee, Kestrel. 2 round wins NSW 2000

Parts

series, close to half normal price, suit first year driver. Fully setup and competitive RF95. Ph 0411 052 944. 199

Swift 5C96K Formula Ford, rolling chassis, will accept Zetec engine, all latest factory upgrades, will consider offers or part trade. Ph Ray 0418 327 155. 199

Sports Sedan, McPherson Racing Escort RSI 700, spaceframe, 2000 Victorian 2ltr Sports Sedan Champion, 5 pole positions, lap records at Lakeside, Calder, Phillip Island and Winton. Eully rebuilt, race prepared for 2001, Fresh Cosworth BDE, new block, new crankshaft, Speedtech fuel injection, Motec system, Hewland 5 spd $33,000 ono. Ph 0408 522 175. i9s

Regretful sale. $850. Ph 02 4655 6266.

Off Road Racing, 2 x 2L Kombi gearboxes, best of everything $1900 each. Beard ultra seat $450, 2L VW Golf engine inc all parts to bolt onto buggy $600. 4AGE adaptor plate and fly wheel $200. Ph 0414 367 997. 199 Intercomp lap timer 81 beacon, great low cost in car lap data $395. Also, RPM switch/shift light $125. Both as new condition. Ph 0412 252 821. 199 Ford Cleveland, 3.310" stroke, nitrided crankshaft, 5.950" Ridgecrest alloy rods, 4" std Glidden design Venolia pistons, internally balanced set up, as new. $1500. Ph 03 5472 4116 or fax 03 5470 6966, email: farrell@iaccess.com.au 199 SBC Parts, Cola 3 5/8 4340 four hole stroker crank - 6‘ Carillo mid weight conrods - 13:1 Wiseco pistons $2500. Hilborn 2 7/16" injec tion and 80A pump $1500. Stepped headers HPC coated $700. Remote oil pump and sump to suit $200. Ph 07 4978 1726. 199 MoTec M8 ECU, interface cable, software, loom, some sensors. $3000. Ph 02 6562 7832 or 0428 625 730 for details. 199 Escort RS1600, works Atlas, full floating axle assembly, alloy hubs, 2 piece large spline axles, 53" tubes, 2F LSD centre set up for coil overs, very rare. $3150. Ph 08 8278 5988. 199 Escort R52000, twin IDF/PP manifold $250, Lotus T/C timing chest $625, Sierra Cosworth crank u/size $450, Earls 13 row cooler $175, Escort T/C dash $625. Ph 08 8278 5988. 199 Wheels, four 13x9 with Avon slicks $450. Racesuit, Emerson, ex-Colin Bond, Hyundai Super Tourer, double layer medium, red with yellow stripes. $400 suit. Ph 0407 668 835. 199 Super TIO, X ratio, suit Commodore Cup, with shifter and bell housing. $3500. Ph 0418 133 274. 199 Chev 350, studded 010 nickel block, Albert +

Ford V8 bell housing, with adaptor to suit T5 gear box. Powdercoated in gloss black. $300. Ph Gerard 0419 554 019 or 03 9852 4520 after 7pm. m Ford 429 O rods, balanced as a complete set, have not been used. $450 ono. Ph Gerard 0419 554 019 or 03 9852 4520 after 7pm. 198 Ford XM/P parts, XM/P Future sedan window frame, chromework $50 complete set, XM grill (straight) $30, XP deluxe coupe exterior side mouldings: door (1) $35, guard (1) $40. More parts available. Ph Martin 03 8800 4791 or 03 9852 4520 after 7pm. 198 Mawer Clubman, chassis #003,'72 body panels, front suspension, disc brakes, 13" Mawer 2 piece wheels, log books. $1500. Ph 02 6287 0612 or 0401 144 028. 198 Gearratios, Mk 9, 21:30 and 19:32. $110 each. Ph 07 3806 1465 ah. 198 Ford EL, brand new lightweight shell and panels. Including a demister windscreen. $2500. Ph 08 8250 1903 ah or 0427 501 903. 199 l Air jacks, new/used, large range, most applica tions, quick release handles available, top quality. C.C.I. Ph 0418 925 767. l Clutches, 7.25, 5.5, 5.0 single, twin, triple plate, sintered or carbon, AP-Tilton-QM, new/used. Spare covers, rings, plates also avail able, CCI Ph 0418 925 767.' l Pedals, brake/clutch, floor mount/hanging, new/sued. Also available, bias valves, bias cables, mas ter cylinders, reservoirs etc. CCI Ph 0-118 925 767. l Brake calipers, discs, pads. Mega range, new/used, exc condition - AP, Alcon, Brembo, Outlaw, Willwood. Overnight de'very. CCI Ph 0418 925 767. l Flewland, DGB, 5 speed transaxle, top condi tion, new 9:31 CWP, ratio choices and spares avail able, $14K ratios, over 300 in stock to suit DGB, GFGB, TPT, FT200, CCI Ph 0418 925 767. l Oil coolers- heat exchangers, Earls, Setrab, Serck, 6-70 row, new/used, also used water to oil heat exchangers, over 100 in stock. CCIPh0418925757. l Racecar parts, brake parts, chassis stands, diff oil pumps, exhaust collectors, fuel cell accessories, oil filters, quicklift jacks, ratio boxes, radiator caps, springs, spoilers, wings etc. CCI Ph 0418 925 767. l Uprights, fabricated/cast, fronts/rears, various sizes, new/used, also CVs, driveshafts, wishbones, rockers, pushrods, all top quality, exc condition, CCI Ph 0418 925 767.

Childs alloy rods, sized and balanced. Pontiac 21 degree alloy heads, revamped by HSD, 637hp. 4x48 IDA downdraught 75mm wedges on flat plain manifold, braided lines, gauges, nitro water injection lines, all linkages, bolt on system. PDA. Ph 0418 144 783 or 034 5762 5541. 199

l Radiators, aluminium, new/used, single/dual pass, top quality, large range, various sizes, suit all applications, from $300. CCI Ph 0418 925 767.

Carb, triple Webers 45mm to suit Holden 6 cyl. Linkages, fuel rail, short manifold, air cleaners.

Modified

Speedway Production

VH Commodore,

methanol 202, just been built, adjustable suspen-

BOW Send us your classified ads and we’ll run them for FREE* CRteflOni: □ Sedans □ Open Wheelers □ Speedway DDrag □ Parts □ Engines □Trailers □ Wanted □ Photographs □ Other.

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moloriport news

MARKET PLACE Sion, Koni shocks, Wilwood brakes, powehead reduction box, tell-tail tacho, plenty of spares, too many to list. $5500. Ph 03 5962 5538 or 0428

brakes and breakaway, Sunraysla wheels, rear ramp door, must sell. $12,000 ono. Ph 02 9524 1623 or 0415 445 386. 19a

101 420. 199

VL Commodore, 253 V8, Ford 4 spd, Toyota diff, alloy Sprintcar wing and seat, MSD ign, auto metre etc, heads, spares. $4600. Also, LH Torana Hatchback, complete, ready to race minus engine. $2300. Ph 0404 060 481. 199 Bedford bus transporter, unfinished project, tail gate and ramps done. Suit Super Sedan. Carry 13 people plus car. Owes me $3500. Ph 02 4944 9660. ,99 EA Super Sedan, turbo 3.9, 2 spd, Q/C, near complete, near new, very light, 600hp at 5000 and 881 nM at 4500. Spare turbo alloy crossflow motor. $17,000 neg. Ph 0409 562 318. 199

Modified Production, TE Cortina, 250 Xflow methanol engine, 4 speed, p/steerIng and also reduction 15" wheels, adj suspension, plenty of spares. Urgent sale. $5000. Ph 03 5983 6393 or 0419 388 192. ,93

Isuzu SBR dual cab, near new pantech, engine etc, checkerplate rear ramp door, side door, tyre rack, air conditioned, dura torque tow bar, electric brakes, VGC throughout. Urgent sale. $13,000 obo. Ph Adam 0414 248 855 or 02 9521 1901. .93

Drags

Refuelling equipment, 2 churns, 1 vent bot tle, 1 overhead rig, ail alloy with stand and fuel pump. Ph Peter 02 9630 6509 or 0418 217 451. 199

Wanted Transmitter, Dorian Tv8000 (blue) and charger. Momo open wheeler steering wheel. Ph John 0413 503 259 or 03 9511 8079 ah. ,99 Full face helmet, size 59. XL race uniform, 10 1/2 size boots, large gloves, separate items just fine, Ph 02 6384 7311. 199 Books, Autocourse 1990, 91, 93, 94, 98, 99. Australian Motor Racing Year 1987, 88, 90. Ph 02 9264 0034 ah or email: andrew.playdon@baker net.com 199 Weber inlet manifold, to suit 1750cc Marina or

1992 Formula 1 season, review video titled '9/16 Well Done Nigel'. Willing to buy to update collec tion. Write to: Lance Black, 105 Broad Street, Sarina QLD 4737. .99 U Torana, full chassis set up for Super Gas, 350 Chev, powerglide throttle stop and timer. Has run 9.60 at 141 mph. $20,000. Ph 0412 716 025. 199

Engines

Van Diemen RF80, Sydney region only. Ph 02 9922 2481, >99 Racesuit, FIA-approved, double layer racesuit in good condition, size S/M, Perth area. Ph 08 9332 5471 or 0417 960 414, 199 Race suit, XL, suit 6"2' 14 stone male. Boots 10 1/2-11. Ph Keith 02 6384 731 1, i9» Models, 1/43 Lowndes HRT VT/Brock & Lowndes HRTVR. NZ releases only. Ph Phillip 03 5253 1598. 193

2000 Indy program, signed by ail the drivers except Shinji Nakano, Memo Gidley and Orol Servia. Excellent condition. $60. Ph Peter 07 3807 3326. 199

John

Bowe

Shell-FAI Falcon, Classic

Carlectables, 1:43 scale, model 42001. Original, mint condition, never removed from box, rare Will sell to first reasonable offer. Ph 0410 622

Shelby 302 manifold, for 48 Webers. Ph Jim 02 9838 4944. 193

087. 199

Cosworth BDA, BDG alloy cylinder block includ ing main caps, little use, $3500 ono. Ph Michael on 0412 480 744 or 07 5547 5085 ah. 199

Books, Autocorse, Rallycourse, World Rallying, A^utomobiie Year. Any condition or quality. Ph 638 or 0412 904 Mike

Brownfield 235, alloy heads, Jessel rockers. Isky Tool springs. Crane Cam. roller lifters, rev kit, pushrods, alloy rocker covers. GC. $5000. Ph 0412 738 604 or 07 3800 9982 ah. 199

speedsigns@interact.net.au 193 Racing Sprintmasters, to suit LJ Torana (13x8). Ph 0408 353 930 or 03 5147 2462 ah. ,93

Queensland Raceway life membership, com plete pass entitles free circuit entry, VIP car park and free practice, $2600 including transfer fees. Ph 0415 357 398 or email: stevek@ozlinx.com au i»

Boss 302, blocks, DOZE 6015C x 2, heads DOZE 6090A X 2, standard M&BE steelcrank DOZE 63030A. $6800. Ph 08 9045 4305. 199

Nissan, A series, GX cylinder head. Ph Allen 02 6297 6566. 193 Automotive technician or senior apprentice, to become a team member and work on our Group N EVO VI rally car. This includes workshop preparation, testing (forest and tarmac) and rallies (Australian Super Series and limited State Rounds). Workshop in Kippa Ring, Brisbane, Ph Michelle 0418 243 033. 19s

Other Formula 1 and MotoCross blockmounts, 3 FIs (90x60) + 5 MXs (50x40), great presents for FI and MX fans. Very good condition, $40 ono (FI), $15 ono (MX). Ph 08 8636 2527. 199 HSV 195kW VT engine, complete without com puter and harness. Engine is brand new. $6500. Ph 08 9398 1439. .98 Twin turbo, all alloy, quad cam multi point injection, duel induction, 3L V6, 500x900x75 intercooler, bell housing to take Super TIO. $5300. Ph 0418 144 783 or 03 5762 5541. .9a Holden 186 (2x), 1-bottom end built as same spec as '79 Round Australia Commodore, standard head. 2-standard bottom end, 12

Trailer, fully enclosed 6.4 x 2.5 x 2.0, tandem axle, rear door, ramps, display door, 2 side access doors, 12/240V power, insulated roof, 3 opening win dows, electric brakes, near new, delivery kms only. $10,500. Ph 02 4464 3565. .98

port head roller rockers, big valves etc. Too many spares to list. Both need freshen up. $1200 neg. Ph 0428 535 245 or 03 9366 6872 ah. 19a

Transporter, 8 x 2.5 x 3m, colourbond panelled. Alloy checkerplate, superwinch, bench, full lighting and power, full length enclosed awning, electric

Holden HP T04, turbo engine studded block, o ringed, 12 port Mankin head and cam, 650 D/P Holley and manifolds and gauges. POA. Ph

2 February 2001

Racing pit scooters, brand new Vespa/Piaggio. 50/125/200CCS. $2500. Ph Paul Morris 0418 752 001 or 0411 631 000. 199

Engine, 360 Sprintcar engine built to WA specs, done 6 meetings since overhaul. $10,000. Ph 08 9459 8444. 199

Trailer, fully enclosed tandem 6.5 x 2.5 x 2, colour bond panelled, rear door ramp, side door access, winch, full length awning, near new. $8200 ono. Ph Paul 0418 109 006. 199

Chev Banana Back, 350 4 spd, duel fuel, bullbar, new tray, ramps, lights, winch, chains, wiring, tyres, engineered, 6 mths rego. $13,000 ono. Ph 03 9785 1263. 199

Senna commemorative replica helmet, no 727 of 1000 produced worldwide. Comes in original casing, accompanied by certificate of authenticity. Highly collectable. Sound invest ment. $9000 neg. Ph 0413 264 427. 199

501 Rover 6 cyl. Were made by Lynx Engineering. Ph 001 1 64 3 832 172. m

Toyota IG-GE motor, complete with EFi, comput er, air flow meter & filter box. VGC. 2 litre 6 cyl. $480. Ph 03 9555 2144 bh. 199

UD Prime Mover, air cond, radios, radial tyres etc. 36 ft 2 car trailer, kitchen, fridge, m/wave, w/tank, air bottle storage, tyre racks, work benches. Full annex. $56,000. Long rego. Ph Des Wall 02 9754 1308 or 0408 228 770.

Bolts and fasteners, huge range, GR-8, GR-5, 8.8, M/5teel, rivets, Unbrako, washers, comes in 20 X 8 shipping container that is shelved and has carpet and lighting. Must see, must sell. $7500 ono. Can Inspect In Castlemaine, Vic. Ph 03 5472 4116 or fax 03 5470 6966, email: farrell@iaccess.com 199

Adelaide Le Mans photos, most Prototypes and Sports Sedans. Some GT, GTS and GTP cars. Ph David Batchelor 08 8634 5310. i9s

Transponers/Trailers

In Castlemaine, Vic. Ph 03 5472 41 16 or fax 03 5470 6966, email; farrell@iaccess.com.au 199

605. 193

Isuzu JCR 5 speed, 2 speed diff, 22ft x 8ft pan, under body storage, new winch, generator, 1 ,4T tailgate loader, 6 new tyres, long range fuel tank, reg Jan 2002. $22,900. Ph 0414 661 113. .99

Photographs

42ft drop deck race car transporter, carries 4 FHoldens or 5 FFords, full length x 20ft awning. 90001b lifting crane on monoroil. Exc tyres and brakes. Ph Ray 0418 327 155. 199

Super Sedan, fresh 366 Chev, all good com ponents, new (frankland diff, Brinn box, rack) 12 wheels and new tyres, heaps of spares. Very competitive car. Consider trade. Ph 0409 705

Frehauf aluminium pan, 40', takes 2 cars, 240V light and power, aluminium ramps, huge tool boxes, priced for quick sale. $5000. Ph 0408 503 366 or email: poolel995@yahoo.com 199

Group C Commodore VH, new engine and trans, original log book and spares. $35,000. Ph 0418 144 783 or 03 5762 5541. 19a

B-i

.\ Modified Production VL Commodore, worked 3.3 blue, CNC brake setup, powerglide, very com petitive, nothing to be done, heaps spares, $7000 ono. Ph 02 6624 6071 or 0418 229 791. 193

0418 144 783 or 03 5762 5541. 19a

1996 Indy polo shirt, signed by Mario and Michael Andretti, Greg Moore, Alex Zanardi, Dario Franchitti and 7 others. Ph Martin 07 3285 3547 ah. 199

Bathurst, Castrol Grid Cards, 84, 86 to 90, 92, 95 to 00. All 13 cards in mint condition. Ph Gerry 03 9792 4339 after 6pm. 199

Race harness, six point, brand new, Klippan 2001, 3" wide straps, blue in colour. Still in box, $450 Ph 0410 640 644, 199 SusProg3D for Windows 95, 98, 2000 & NT4, A 3 dimensional automotive suspension design program. $275 inc GST. Demo available at: http:// byoung.mtx.net or posted out on request. Inquiries/orders Beven D Young Ph 08 8298 5548. All major credit cards. 193 Magazines, Motorsport News 1-168, Auto Action 531-553/568-868, Motor Racing Australia 1-45, Racing Car News Oct 91-Jan 92. Reasonable offers. Ph Gail 02 9682 5881 ah or 02 9851 2991 bh. 193 Motoring books and magazines, large run of Autosport 1988-1998. Autocar and The Motor UK 1950-1964, set of Modern Motor 1954-1998, Ph 08 9279 7003 or fax 08 9377 3939. 193 Motoring books. Automobile Year 16-29. Bathurst yearbooks 1984/85 and 1986/87. The Grand Prix Car 1954-1966. Motocourse 1980/81 5th edition and 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13. All EC. Ph 03 9804 7642. 193

Bathurst, 1982 3 hour highlights including Hardies Heroes. 1986 to 1992, 1996 to 2000. Full

Mick Doohan, autographed knee sliders. Letter of authenticity, best offer. Ph 03 53913016 or 0419 300 908. 193

race coverage, all very good condition. Ph Gerry 03 9792 4339 after 6pm. 199

Clipsal 500, pit straight gold ticket, $90 ono, Ph Steve 02 4971 2639. 193

Camera, Pentax MZ50 with 28-80 lens, brand

Situation wanted, fabricator, ex-NZ now Gold

new, still in box, ideal for motorsport shots. $500. Race suit, red RPM Mondial 2 layer, brand new. $550. Ph 0419 242 025. .99-

Coast based. Experienced in design and total build-up, space frames, suspension, bodyshells, all welding and machining. Seeks work in motorsport or restoration. Ph/fax 07 5575 8303. 193

Exhaust tube bender, 3 phase binnie, computer controlled, as new condition. $8000, Can inspect

OPINION

ntursiNii EDITORIIL STRFF Editor: Phil Branagan Assistant Editor: Gerald McDornan Staff Journalist: Aaron Noonan

PRODUCTION Adv & Graphics Co-ordinator: Viv Brumby ADVERTISIHO Advertising Manager: Brendon Sheridan AOMINISTRITION Managing Direaor: Chris Lambden CONTACTS 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 CONTRIRUTORS General: Grant Nicholas, Darryl Elack, 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, Michael Shaw Photographers: Sutton Motorsport Images, Dirk Klynsmith, Bothwell Photographic, Marshall Cass, Nigel Snowdon & Diana Burnett, Tony Glynn, AFl 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, James Smith Artist: Bernie Walsh Cartoonist:Allan Schofield Motorsport News is published by Australasian Motorsport News - ABN 55 125 120 702 Publisher: C Lambden Printed by: PMP Print 37-49 Browns Road Clayton 3168. Distributed by: NDD Ltd

Murf man

Open eyes of open wheelers

So, Murf ends up back at HRT. What does the guy have to do to not keep on getting tossed out of drives? I hope he gives it to ‘em with his new deal for 2001.

Maybe Howard Marsden’s eyes are closed to free design open wheel categories. How about Indy Racing League, Formula 3, Formula Renault and Formula Vee? Secondly, if anyone from karts wants to learn about suspension on the cheap (i.e. less than the quoted $100,000) there are numerous entry-level categories to play with. If they like open wheelers, then last time I checked. Formula Vees ran suspension and there is always State Level Formula Ford. Maybe if the karting guys left karts one year early, they may get an understanding of circuit racing before spending the big dollars. Just a thought. Ian Lee Email:Ian.J.Lee@bigfoot.com ED:Formula Vees don’t run suspension, Lee, they run Volkswagen suspension. Last time I drove a Beetle, the laws ofphysics were broken ...

Blue warrior backer “And in the red corner it’s Skaife, in the blue corner it’s Lowndes!” First of all, I would like to welcome Craig and Steven (Richards) to the blue corner. I wish them and all the other blue

converter oval warriors all the best in 2001 against the red barons. Roll on the new season and may the best and the fairest win. PS. When’s your website coming? Matt Burge Maroochydore, QLD ED: We’ll have a website soon, Burge. It’s one of those things we are getting around to ...

Oz Open fever What? Craig Lowndes has left Holden to drive for Ford? I could have accepted his defection better had he gone to Yugoslavia to play tennis ... Damir(name supplied) Redfern, NSW ED: You cad. Everyone knows that two pieces offish costs a mozza in Redfern.

Having been tossed from HRT to make way for Craig, Murf gets tossed again out of Gibson to accomodate for The Kid. I bet the two aren’t too friendly as they were when they were team mates! That prompts another question. Why is it that you guys always seem to break these stories and never the other mob? I also noticed that you had photos of the new-look Valvoline team Commodore which your opposition described as ‘exclusive’. Maybe I’ll send them a dictionary! Anyway, keep up the good work and roll on 2001! Keith Carter

Whyalla, SA Way out in the west As a Perth dweller, I was really interested in your stoty on the new Perth track, or upgraded Barbagallo. But how come the ‘other’ magazine never ran a stoiy on it? James Lee Email: Withheld by request ED:Sorry, Lee, replying to that question would break my New Year’s resolution ...

Reader Lee reckons that State Formula Ford is a good place to learn about suspension, if

you*re fresh out ofkarting. (Photo by James ^niih)

tli A<-i' 1

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