Motorsport News Issue 225 - February 20-March 5, 2002

V8 5UPERCAR TEAMS UIXIVEIL BODB CARS

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Australia $5.95 NZ $7.50 inci GST

EVERY SECaiMD WEDIMESDAY

No. 225

February 20- March 5 2002

SPECIM^Fl GRAND PRIX PREVIEW ISSUE

N

Is this the ^^~^chumachep family's nigiitmape? or should you always bet on

9 ■

I (ton first out on lew V8 rubber V8s BACK: title round at Surfers CART race

MotorSport Awards: some surprises!

Webber’s World

Your personal copy of Mark Webber's Supporter’s Club Newsletter

NEW SERIES III FALCON XR8.

A HELL OF A DRIVE.

With a V8 punching out 220 kW, Series III XR8’s performance is seriously wicked. And, thanks to a body-kit inspired by V8 Supercars, it has a look that’s just as mean. So go on, be a devil. See your authorised Ford Dealer or call 1800 503 673. (~SEf-tiEs-m 1 1^1 www.ford.com.au

FEEL THE POWER OF 3

We have Ignition

motorsport news

Issue 225

20 February - 5 March 2002

news and opinions r 4

V8s at Surfers Max Wilson

is getting in the wrong car!

6

Glenn can’t come to the phone right now Seton names a co-driver and tests

out the new Dunlops 8

Parlez-vous Pollock? ExBAR boss rumoured to be looking Prost-wards.

14 F Ford hurdle Have the planned revisions to the category hit problems?

25 Motor Mouth Campese!

Campese! CAMPESE! Box Seat Hello Joe Saward.

The name’s Brock. Peter Brock

I

Talk Converter Go on. Tell us all your secrets

6F

I ■*. f

4

28 5 minutes with Howard Marsden Why 2002 is a critical year for Ford 30 5 minutes with Owen Kelly That Kelly score again; Holden 2, Ford 1

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32 Albert Park Preview All the scoop on the opening battle in the war to dethrone Michael and Ferrari. Plus Webber and the ‘other’ debutants

mm V

46 2001 MotorSport Awards Skalfe, Bayliss and all the winners 50 Still smiling, Kid? Seems Craig Lowndes just wants to be ... Craig Lowndes 54 CART’S new head honcho Chris Pook gets positive on the challenge ahead 58 All Maxxed out Dumesny on a great season with the Boys of Summer

race coverage I Is this the

64 Big Daytona Out Amid crashes and controversy, Ward Burton wins the 500

Schumacher lamily’s nightmare?

n|I Sutton-lmages.

Photos: Cover: Contents: Sutton-tmages, Dirk 1 Klynsmilh. Martin D

g;aijiB3a Clark

regulars

irioiorcyciGS

3 0 Kaiiying

oo apeeciway

64 NASCAR

68 Drag Racing

70 Histories

72 National Scene

75 Marketpiace

ao

3

V8s return to Sui Two 100km championship races to share biiiing with

by PHIL BRANAGAN V8 Supercars will return to the streets of the Gold Coast this year after all - for a full championship race.

Just four months after, seemingly, being excluded from the support program for the Honda Indy 300, Queensland Premier Peter Beattie was due to announce at midday today (Wednesday)that the 11th round of the series would be conducted at the street circuit, co-headlining with the Champ Car race on October 25-27, two weeks after Bathurst.

Qualifying is likely to be held on Friday, with two 100km races (with mandatory pitstops), one on Saturday and one on Sunday, and the deal will be for 2002 and 2003.

Both V8 races will have live television throughout Australia and New Zealand.

It will be the first time that a round of the FedEx Championship Series has shared billing with another racing category.

Mr Beattie was due to announce the naming rights sponsor for the event today, but MN believes that the race will be called the Gillette

Back, and for points: The V8 Championship Series wiil hit the Surfers streets for the first time. (Photo by Sutton-lmages) 200. The personal grooming company has sponsored the Toung Guns’race for Honda Integras at the track for the last two seasons

and is expected to continue in that role.

Both races are expected to be held over 22 laps, 10 more that the three

races held at the track last year.

Touring Cars or V8 Supercars have been on the race program since 1994 and, apart from

Ferrari leaves new G SCUDERIA Ferrari held an elaborate launch for its new F2002 at Maranello recently, sent Michael Schumacher out to the Fiorano test track to set a series of new lap records in the car - and then took the decision not to bother taking any of the new machines to Australia.

According to team boss Jean Trjt.lt, the team is r;onfidem tfiat tfie F2001 will be good finougti to do tfie |Ob and is not willing to take the risk, that tfie F2002 will fail and leave tfie team witfiout any World Championshi() points " Ihe new F2002 car has proved to be very quick light from tfie stait, but we do not have sufficient time at out disposal to be entirely sure about its rrJiability lor the first round of the season,' said lodi " I hniefore, we have decided to go to Melbourne with the 12001. whicli even in tins winter’s tests, has (trovod to be very competitive and reliable We think It will be able bring tiome valuable points for till; cliampionship " The announcement is not a big surprise, given tfie

late arrival of tfie new car, which left almost no time for testing.

Having said that, a team of Ferraris size and professionalism should be able to build a competitive and reliable car For many years, McLaren produced cars at the last minute and was able to win races from tfie start tjf tfie season.

The opportunity to run an older car Itas been brought about because of the relatively minor number of technical rule changes between seasons Tfiey are limited to rnodificatioris to a car s electronics and bans on items such as

The far;l that the F2002 is being left at home is, tfierefore, a rather curious decision and has led to

The appearance of the F2001 will prrjvide an interesting insight into the ongoing development of Grand Prix cars. While nominally similar to tfie ars run last season, tfie current F2001 features a

suggestirjns tfiat Ferrari may be playing it safe for rjther reasons Perhaps that tfiey rJo not want to face any technical challenges from McLaren, wfiich fias already expressed the belief Ifial "rival teams" are running questionable systems But while it appears tfiat reliability concerns may have prompted Trjdt's decision, it also fias a psycftological aspect Sfiould Ferrari be out-paced III Melbourne, it fias a newer and, potentially, faster cat to tall back on, so little ernbarassment would ensue But if eitfier Ferrari driver was to beat tfie opposition in a year-old car, il would be a rnaior boost lor the rnen from Marariello - and a birjw to everyone else.

electronically-assisted power steering and launch control, wftich affect few teams

number of updates and it will be interesting to see firjw much faster the car will be a year after its racing debut down under In the meantime Scfiurnacfier is expecterl to continue testing both cars side by-side this week at Irnola prior to tfie team's arrival in Melbourne early next week / wanna he (liiainnecled: Si lwnitii her. Htm ii lirllo and I crrari wdl he leaiiii.i; the I

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moiorsport news

■feps Champ Cars

missing out on the 1996 event, have been an integral part of the race weekend at Surfers’ Paradise. But when the contract between event organisers IMG and AVESCO expired last October, it appeared that there was no way back for the V8s, at least in non championship form.

IMG Motorsports Manager Geoff Jones opened the door following the 2001 event, stating that his preference would be for a championship race to be held at the circuit. That was seen as a way of circumventing what some saw as at least one team not putting a championship-level effort into last year’s races, with the Pukekohe Shell round requiring preferably undamaged cars shipped immediately following the Queensland race.

The support of the Queensland government is also seen as a way of securing the long-term future of the event, despite the current status of the FedEx Championship Series. The contract to continue with the Champ Car event expires after the 2003 race, while race sponsor Honda’s deal to continue as naming-rights sponsor concludes after this year’s event.

NEWS

Skaife joins the PreQ queue

THE latest driver to join the PreQualifying ruck at Mallala next month is Mark Skaife.

The two-time and defending Australian Touring Car Champion has been nominated by Holden Racing Team to go into the shoot-out, taking the place of Rick Kelly, whose Holden Young Lions car will now go straight into the main event.

The team and Skaife made the decision because of the

Adelaide street layout is a benefiti" The move has come about because of the fact that TWR Australia is now the entrant of the two HRT cars of Skaife and Jason Bright, the Holden Young Lions Commodore of Kelly and the Kmart entries of Todd Kelly and Greg Murphy.

Because many of the teams are limiting their pre-season testing to save their tyres - or

Sure, there are risks,but there are risks at any race n meeting -Mark Skaife

«1

potential to run a 30-minute practice session and 20-minute qualifier on the new Dunlop control tyre - an advantage other drivers, including Craig Lowndes, Greg Murphy and Todd Kelly, will have by having to run the session.

"Sure, there are risks," said Skaife. "But there are risks at any race meeting and in this case, I agree there's much to be gained. Mallala is a circuit that as a category - we haven't been to for a while so to have some track time there with the new Control Tyre on a circuit that has some resemblance to the

bypassing it altogether - Skaife feels that track time will be at a premium: "It's interesting . .. that while there has been some negative 'chat' about the pre-qualifying, many of the teams and drivers that have to do so are seeing it in the same light as HRT, in that there are quite a few benefits to be gained," he said.

"Maybe that suggests there's a big loophole in the process that will have to be looked at, as the teams that do pre-qualify pick up some gains with tyres and pre race testing, over the teams that don't."

P cars at home o iafone

20 February 2002

HRT confirms...

Richo!

As MN closed for press, HRT was on the verge of unveiling its cars for 2002. The team was to confirm the driver line-ups revealed exclusively

by MN last issue at a Wednesday afternoon launch - timed to allow the presence of Bob Lutz, Chairman of GM North America, who is in Melbourne on GM business.

Jim Richards, Tomas Mezera and Nathan Pretty will join regulars Mark Skaife, Jason Bright and Rick Kelly (Young Lions) for the long distance races.

While the two HRT cars' livery is reportedly a modest evolution of the 2001 look, we are told to expect something a bit more radical from the Young Lions machine.

■ Want to see an FI pit stop up close? You can next Wednesday, when the Minardi team will be doing just that at Melbourne's City Square - using one of the team's twoseaters. From noon onwards.

■ Don't expect much goo remover this year in V8 Supercars. Our sources tell us that Sirromet Wines will be on the Paul Morris Commodore this year rather than Big Kev, just as the team's car was toward the end of last season.

■ Also, don't go expecting to see PROCAR categories on the grid at Canberra for the '400' V8 street race.

We understand that Nations Cup and Global Touring Cars won't be along to support V8s and Formula Fords.

■ The Castrol/Perkins team was due to have its first taste of Dunlop control tyres on a Commodore at Winton as we went to press on Tuesday, while Cameron McLean's VIP Pet Foods Ford has postponed a scheduled test day at Queensland Raceway due to a number of new components not arriving in time.

"Some bits we needed have been delayed, so rather than push to get to the track tomorrow we've decided to stay in the workshop and focus on thorough preparation for the Grand Prix," said McLean.

■ AVESCO CEO Wayne Cattach is recovering from a recent health scare. Cattach has undergone a triple heart bypass following an attack the previous weekend. He is expected to be back in action around the racetracks in about eight weeks.

■ Will Davison was undertaking his first Formula Renault test in Spain since leaving for overseas a fortnight ago. As we went to press, the Motaworld team driver was testing at the Guadix circuit.

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'Photo by Suiion-lmaBes'i

Seton signs

1

On new rubber: Glenn Seton tested the new Dunlop control tyre on his newly-rellvered Ford Credit Racing Falcon on Monday.

Wfebber ready Aussie reckons hell have a "pretty reasonable car" for Melbourne

MARK Webber is hopeful of a good showing by the all-new PS-02 Minardi-Asiatech at next week's Australian F1 Grand Prix.

After seven concentrated days of testing, at Valencia and Barcelona, Australia’s FI debutant has told MN that the new car is a good step forward over the 2001 machine: “We'll have a pretty reasonable car for Melbourne," he said, shortly before heading to Misano to shake down the team's T-car on Tuesday.

From there, Webber heads to Australia - via Kuala Lumpur - where the KL Minardi team is due_to stage its official launch on “riday.

While the modestly-funded Minardi team is most likely to start from or near the back of the grid, Webber is optimistic that the car is stiong enough to benefit from other's misfortune on race day: 'Tin totally open-minded about how we’ll go in 8

qualifying, but we do have a few good things going for us in race trim - particularly if it's hot," he said.

With testing times an unreliable guide to real form (remember, the Frost team was setting hot testing times this time last year!), Webber along with the world's FI fans - will have to wait until next Friday to see just who is really who in the 2002 pecking order.

Regardless, Webber is pumped and ready for his debut in the big time: "I know there'll be a lot of support out there among the crowd and first time out will be an emotional moment for quite a few people - especially those who have been part of what I've been trying to achieve for a long time. Part of it is dealing with such a big occasion. You have to enjoy it - then get on with doing the job."

See 'Back in Black' on page 40 for a preview of Webber's FI debut

by AARON NOONAN OWEN Kelly will join Glenn Seton in the Ford Credit Racing Falcon for this year’s endurance races as well as becoming the newly re-named team’s test driver.

The 24-year-old, who finished fourth in last year’s Konica Series, will also drive one of the team’s cars in selected Konica rounds.

“It’s fantastic to be involved with one of the best teams in the country and one of the best drivers in the country,” said Kelly.

“We’ll be in a position to win both the big races and I fully intend to capitalise on this opportunity given to me.

“I haven’t actually driven the car yet. But I’m looking forward to getting in it and most likely after Adelaide is when that will be.”

The team unveiled its new colours at Ford Credit headquarters last Friday, confirming the name change as we reported last issue.

The team was testing at Winton on Monday for the first time on Dunlops.

The team structure remains largely the same, though with a change in ‘Ford branding’on the car. The business has also reverted to the ‘Glenn Seton Racing’ moniker.

For a “Five Minutes’interview with Owen Kelly,turn to page 30.

and tests Dunlops

FORD Credit Racing became the first team to test the production batch Dunlop control tyre, when Glenn Seton ran at Winton on Monday.

“They’re certainly not going to wear out!” the Ford star reported on Monday evening.

“We ran 65 laps, which took just 0.2mm off the tread depth. The mould mark was still visible after 40 laps!”

Seton reported minimal newtyre gain and a drop off ofjust 0.6 seconds per lap over the day. His data suggests that the Dunlop will

be around a second a lap slower than the Bridgestone - no bad thing in a control tyre category if durability and consistency are up.

‘We’re not allowed to back-toback with the previous Bridgestones, but it’s pretty clear that these tyres are a bit harder,” he said.

“The day went from around 30 degrees to a high of 40, so it’s obvious that the tyre will have durability.

“All we don’t know is how they’ll go in cold temperatures - we’ll have to wait and see...”

moiarspart Hews

NEWS

Kelly

b-n*

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,%'OlTcon-

fleal with atiltubo*

Larko's new look

IT'S almost back to the Mitre 10 days, but these are the colours that Mark Larkham will carry into the 2002 V8 Supercar Championship Series.

The Falcon driver will have backing from steel company Orrcon as well as continued support from Ford, Karcher, DecoRug and Toku Air Tools.

"2001 certainly provided some unexpected challenges but we are now focused on 2002 and are on the way up," said Larkham.

What we do have at LMS are some very dedicated and tenacious people and I think you will see the results of that tenacity throughout the season. One of the great things about Orrcon's support is that we now have the opportunity to spend on development instead of survival - I think it is fair to say that this year we will operate under the motto 'We're Back in the Game'."

The team was due to hit the testing trail at Queensland Raceway on Tuesday along with a number of other Queenslandbased teams.

- AARON NOONAN

n No pressure, but we hear that Network Ten motormouth Greg Rust is set for a big career back behind the wheel of a kart! Rusty, who was a karter before a TV head, teamed up with the likes of Eastern Creek Karts owner Garry Holt, Troy Hunt and Top Kart racing team director Tim Craig, to take out a 12-Hour race at the Sydney circuit last weekend, which featured some big hitters.

Mick Doohan and Darryl Beattie, as well as Kevin Magee,joined in a team with V8 Supercar's Paul Morris and Owen Kelly. The all-Kiwi combo of Greg Murphy, Craig Baird and others apparently cracked the sads and pulled out mid-way through due to being uncompetitve. Bunch of girls ...

Rust will have another chance for motoring immortality, by teaming up with Beattie in a BMW Z3 in the Trading Post Grand Prix Rally. Now we really won't be able to shut him up ... n Touring car veteran Bob Pearson is preparing a major assault on this year's PROCAR series with a line-up of three of the latest Mazda RX-7s for his Pro-Duct Racing team.

Pearson will run Series 8 models turned out to RB (Bathurst) specification, although one is actually one of only 500 2002 RS versions.

Pearson also revealed he has earmarked two pre-production versions of the forthcoming Mazda RX-8 four-door coupe for next year's series. n Fabien Coulthard, the son of a second cousin of FI star David, will be among the Formula Ford field at the Australian Grand Prix. Driving the ex-Andy Jones Stealth in which he won the New Zealand Grand Prix late last year, Coulthard will make his Australian racing debut.

THIS is the look that OzEmail Racing will carry into the 2002 season.

Brad Jones will partner John Bowe through the season in the 'reverse' paint scheme, which features a black 'do' and increased signage for Qrix Car Centres.

Wh ile Jones and Bowe will team up for the Queensland 500 and at Bathurst, it appears certain that Jones's 2001 codriver, John Cleland, right, will rejoin the team for the enduros this year - and next.

The veteran Scot, who had received a number of offers after the team's second place at 20 February 2002

Bathurst, is believed to have agreed to a two-year deal with the BJR team, and is thought to be in line for some testing before the enduros start in earnest.

The fourth driver is yet to be determined, but Andy Jones, son of team manager Kim, is in contention for the seat.

The major concern coming out of the QzEmail camp is the delay in receiving the Beehag body shell for Brad Jones's new car. Some custom-ordered changes to the new shell have added a further three weeks to the delivery and the team are doubtful it will run the new car at the AGP.

n CART team owner Bobby Rahal is looking at a sports-prototype racing program in the American Le Mans Series and the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Rahal, who once raced IMSA Porsches on a regular basis, told 'Autosport' magazine: "If I could find a sponsor. I'd be in Sportscar racing in a heartbeat, but we are really ^ looking at 2003. I went to Le Mans three times as a driver and I'd love to 5- go back as a team owner. I'm a road I racer who only got into doing ovals I when I started in CART. I have no I interest in the Indy Racing League or ^ NASCAR."

iyvw;V8SUi>eRCAinooq,c^

n The front-running FIA Formula 3000 team, Arden International, has replaced both its drivers for 2002.

Having signed Czech Tomas Enge to replace Darren Manning, the team has now recruited Swedish youngster Bjorn Wirdheim to replace its Russian driver, Viktor Maslov.

Wirdheim won two rounds of the German Formula 3 series (and pole at the Macau Grand Prix) last season.

7

am(U [S®[b G©©G Craig’s comeback?

Aussies shine in first F3000 outings RYAN Briscoe had his second run with internationai F3000 i Champion team Nordic Racing ; at Estoril last week. n Briscoe, below, ended the day seventh fastest, a mere 0.1s behind the highly-rated Brazilian Antonio Pizzonia.

Also on the scene was another Australian, Rob Nguyen. The 21year-old, who spent last year : racing in the German Formula i Volkswagen Championship, has ! been signed to run alongside j Mark Webber’s former team! mate Mario Haberfeld for Team I Astromega. After running as high I as fourth, Nguyen ended his first ; test day 12th fastest, and

CRAIG Pollock, the former boss of British American Racing, was not happy when improved to 11 th a couple of | he was ousted from his job by days later before being sidelined 1 British American Tobacco and with a gearbox failure. the Scotsman has been quietly “When you consider the , looking at ways of getting back experience he has and the into the business to finish off people he’s up against, that's the job he started with BAR. amazing,” Astromega team boss ; Having learned from his early Sam Boyle said. mistakes. Pollock is convinced that he has what is necessary to do the WHILE Ryan keeps busy job and is understood to have been familiarising himself with the i looking at ways in which he can F3000, we expect Toyota to j revive Prost Grand Prix. confirm at its formal pre It is highly unlikely that there season press conference in | will be a 12th team in Formula 1 Tokyo on Friday that Briscoe I this year but it should not be will occupy the test/reserve i excluded as a possibility, as Alain driver role for the F1 team this i Prost paid tbe entry fee and will year.

-MARKGLENDENNING

remain in operation until he declares the team forfeit- or a French court does. Until that happens,the possibility exists that a buyer could take over tbe team, pay the fines which are levied by organisers irom teams which miss the races, and get back into action.

The cost of missing the first three races would be in the region of half a million dollars but, in FI circles these days, that is not a lot of money.

There have been many stories linking Pollock to various manufacturers but,for the moment, there is no word yet that there is a serious attempt to keep Prost GP going.

- JOE SAWARD

“You know JV, blue would really suit you” Pollock is said to be looking (Photo by Sirtton Images) at acquiring the remains of Prost GP.

Prost hits out ANNOYED by France's response to the closure of his team, Alain Prost has gone on record with a series of bitter criticisms of those who he feels helped to cause the downfall of his team.

In an interview with the French weekly magazine AutoHebdo, Prost was outspoken about the way in which he was treated by the French government. Prost said that in four years his team underwent three tax investigations and a fourth investigation from the social security authorities.

Fle said that he got no help from the government and had to struggle with France's unusual labour laws, which mean that workers must only be, allowed to work 35 hours a week and that companies must pay enormous social security charges for each employee.

Prost said that the 8

government, which is a 30 percent shareholder in Renault, did not worry about the laws of France when it came to Renault setting up its own FI team: Renault simply did it in England!

Prost said that he is "disgusted by the way in which things happened" in France and said that he feels that he has a better understanding of "the Anglo-Saxons and even the Italians!"

While admitting that he was naive and made mistakes, Prost also levelled criticism at his partners and some of his employees.

"I was to be too nice to Peugeot," Prost said.

"In 1994 Ron Dennis recognised immediately what was going to happen and broke the contract with them. My mistake was not to have the force of character to do the same."

Alain demolished Pedro Diniz as being "not very serious, immature and Daddy decided everything."

Prost said that he offered the team to Diniz and a meeting was set up with the lawyers of both sides but Diniz did not even bother to turn up because he was busy on his boat and in the nightclubs of St Tropez.

Prost was also less than kind to former Prost technical

director Alan Jenkins, whom he described as "an enormous error of casting". Prost sad that Jenkins was "totally antiFrench" and that his recruitment was "a catastrophe that I ended as quickly as I possibly could."

Prost also berated a number of companies which did deals with him but never followed through with the money.

- JOE SAWARD moiorsport naws

NEWS

Jos vs Tom

THE announcement by Orange Arrows that HeinzHarald Frentzen will join Enrique Bernoldi in the team this season was a disastrous

blow for Jos Verstappen - but the Dutchman says he is not intending to take the ‘release’ from his contract sitting down.

Al lows has no obvious right to loloasc Verstappen from his deal.

The Dutchman's management had a contract with the team without any get-out clauses and, before the split was announced actually, went to the FIA Contract Kecognition Hoard ju.st to make sure that the contract was valid.

happy that the team agreed to extend his contract in June 2001 and so he did not have any negotiations with othei' teams.

"When you get tossed out only weeks before the season starts," ho said,"you cannot negotiate anymore."

It is more than ironic that the

FIA Contract recognition Hoard was established hack in the early 1990s becau.se of the decision by Henetton to ditch Roberto Moreno to make way for Michael Schumacher. Moreno sought an injunction and was successful and had to be paid US$,')00.000 by the team before Schumacher could

drive. The prime mover in ousting Moreno was Tom Walkinshaw, who is now the boss of Arrows.

While the alTair does not reflect well on Walkinshaw, he does not

seem to care,justifying the hiring of Frentzen by saying that this is an important moment for the team and it was felt that Frentzen

signed Verstappen in June last year.

Walkinshaw thinks him.self beyond ci iticism hut the courts do not often agree ...

- JOE SAWARD

Verstappen's management could force the issue and take out an injunction against the team to stop Frentzen racing in Australia.

This is entirely possible and it will he worth watching activity in the courts in Melbourne prior to the Australian (IF on March ,'i. in all prohahility. Arrows would agree to a settlement befoie it came to that, although the team does have a habit of delaying payments by embarking on lengthy legal actions.

Verstappen says that he is not

it.

n F1 is GO!!!!!

Motorsport News brings you all the action from Albert Park- including a special account of Mark Webber’s F1 debut from the man himself.

n V8 Supercars With the 2002 season just around the corner, MN’s special preview will tell you all you need to know.

Kirch on the ropes

20 Fsbruani 2002

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was a better bet than Verstappen.

That is all well and good, but in that case he should not have

This organisation apparently conlirmed that Verstappen had a binding contract with Arrows.

This would seem to suggest that Arrows will end up in breach of contract, although ofeourse the team will argue otherwise, hegal action could take months unless

THE Kirch Media company, which owns the commercial rights to Formula 1 racing, is in trouble with huge debts leading to fears that the firm cannot meet its financial commitments.

The recent days have seen rumours in Germany that Kirch is going to sell its Formula One involvement to help keep the rest of the empire going. The problem is that no-one seems to want to buy the business, as the Formula 1 teams and car manufacturers have made it clear that they do not feel the need to deal with Kirch after the end of the current Concorde Agreement in 2007.

I

Without the teams, Kirch's investment is basically worthless.

It has been rumoured therefore that the most likely buyer is former owner Bernie Ecclestone and there has been suggestions that Ecclestone will offer US$700m for the shares that are owned by the Kirch Group. This would represent a massive loss for Kirch on the investment and a spokesman for the company said that the firm would not even consider such a bid.

Flaving said that, the word is out in financial circles that Kirch could be coming apart.

The big question is therefore

whether or not Ecclestone has the desire to pick up the pieces, rebuild the business and then try to sell it again. This would appeal to him, but the possibility of doing a deal with the car manufacturers is smaller than was once the case.

Getting the manufacturers to agree to a new deal would be an achievement.

Some stories have suggested that Bernie's idea now is to work with the car manufacturers to do a deal so that the Ecclestone Family would retain a share of the business even after the manufacturers took full control.

- JOE SAWARD

n AGP supports V8 Supercars, Nations Cup, and a whole lot more ... n IRL at Homestead Can Slammin’ Sam Hornish outrun the Penske Posse?

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6 MARCH Contents correct at time of going to press

9

Full

home of

motorsport] V8 Supercar Championship* Mar 3 ....Albert Park .. .(rwn Championship) .Rdl Mar 17 .. .Adelaide Apr 14 ... .Phillip Island .

,Rd2

Apr 28

Eastern Creek

.Rd3

May 19 ...Hidden Valley Jun 9 ....Canberra ...

.Rd4 .Rd5

Jun 30 ...Barbagallo ..

Jul28 ... .Oran Park ...

.Rd7

Aug 18 ...Winton

.Rd8

Sep 15 ...Old Raceway Oct 13 .■. . .Bathurst

.Rd 10

.Rd6

.Rd9

Konka V8 Series* . . .Wakefield Park

,Rd 1

May 5 . . . .Phillip Island . .

Jun 16 . . . .Oran Park . . . .

.Rd3

Jul7

.Winton .

.Rd4

Aug 4 . . . .Mallala .

Oct 12 Bathurst

.(non Championship)

Mar 31

.Rd2

.Rd5

FIA Formula One World Championship Mar 3 . . . .Albert Park

. Rd 1

Mar 17 . . .Sepang

. Rd2

Mar 31

. Rd3

. . .Interiagos

Apr 14 . . . .Imola

. Rd4

Apr 28 . . . .Barcelona

. Rd5

May 12 . . .Al-Ring

Rd6

May 26 . . .Monaco .Montreal Jun 9

,Rd7 ,Rd8 .Rd9

Jun 23 . . . .Nurburgring .Silverstone Jul7

.R d 10

CART FedEx Championship* Rd 1

Mar 10 . . .Monterrey .

Apr 14 . . . .Long Beach

,Rd2

Apr 27 . . . .Motegi . . .

Jun 2 .Milwaukee

.Rd4

.Rd3

MotoGP Motorcycle Championship* Apr 7

. .Japan

.Rd 1

South Africa

Rd2

May 5 . . . .Spain . . . .

.Rd3

May 19 . . .France . . .

Jun 2 .Italy

.Rd5

Apr 21

by AARON NOONAN

Aussies involved in new Asian Formula 3000 series

AN Australian company is currently working on creating a new F3000-styie series to be run in Asia in 2003.

Still in its early planning stages, the series, tentatively titled The Pacific Grand Prix Championship’, will be based on the new Lola B2/50 F3000 chassis, above. The cars will use 3-litre V8 engines tweaked to produce around 650hp, and will be sourced from either Mugen (a la Formula Nippon) or Zytec, which supplies powerplants in F3000. There will be a control tyre, most likely to be provided by either Avon or Bridgestone.

According to Jamie Scott from Pacific Grand Prix Holdings, the series will be “similar to Formula Nippon, but with more power."

“We’re just in the planning stages at the moment,” Scott said.

“Asia is a big market and ifs getting bigger all the time. It was less affected by the events of September 11, and It’s becoming more open to sponsors. I think that Asia is stan/ed of motorsport.

“They have Formula Nippon in Japan, so we won’t race there, but there’s not as much elsewhere. I'd be expecting that the grid will feature only 10-12 cars In the first year. It will be small-time, just to give people an Idea what we do and what we're about, and then hopefully we can attract more entrants for the second year.”

It has not yet been decided whether or not the series will be FIAsanctioned.

According to a provisional 12-date calendar, the Pacific Grand Prix Championship is expected to be run over 12 rounds in China, Malaysia, Thailand, Korea, and Indonesia.

-MARKGLENDENNING

.Rd4

SBK World Super Bike Championship* .Rd 1 Mar 10 . . .Spain . . .Rd2 Mar 24 . . .Australia Apr 7

.South Africa

.Rd3 .Rd4

Apr 21 . . . .Japan

Nations Cup Mar 3 . . . .Albert Park . . .(f>on Championship) Mar 17 . . .Adelaide

.Rd 1

Apr 7

■Rd2

●Symmons Plains

● Rd3

May 12 . . .Oran Park

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THERE will be no VWs on the grid in this year's newly-renamed Global Touring Cars championship, run by PROCAR. Delays in the completion of the new Golf R32 model have caused Volkswagen Group Australia to suspend its 2002 campaign, which had been faced with missing the first two rounds of the title while the team waited for the first road-going Golf to be produced in Germany. Instead, the team is expected to take delivery of vehicles later this season and prepare for a full-scale attack in 2003.

The announcement leaves Tim Leahey and Stewart McColl without much seat time for the year, with the company hoping to keep the services of both former open-wheeler drivers for 2003.

"You get that in the big jobs I" said Leahey, jokingly.

"It's not as if we're totally without a drive. It's disappointing.

We'll still be testing and the like but obviously. I'm still trying to look for something for the V8 endurance races. We just have to battle on."

- AARON NOONAN

A BIG field of 31 Nations Cup cars is entered for the first hitout for the category for the Australian GP support races.

The big news on the entry list is the addition of a second entry for a GTR Lamborghini alongside that of Paul Stokell.

Mark Noske will join Stokell in a yellow GTR, specially brought into the country for the event.

In what is thought to be an Australian record for the most cars entered by the same entrant, Prancing Horse Racing will run a grand total of nine (!) cars in the event, with Ryan Briscoe debuting the new Ferrari 360 Micheloto after testing recently at Fiorano.

Six Ferrari 360 Modena Challenges will be run for Steve Beards, Hector Lester, Sam Newman, Scott Shearman, John Teulan and Rod Wilson, while Ray Ayton and Anthony Robson will be behind the wheel of the team’s Ford Mustang RAs. Meanwhile, the new GT3 Supercup Porsche will make its debut in the hands of reigning NC Champ Jim Richards, Peter Fitzgerald, Maher Algadri and Tony Quinn.

An international Porsche team from New Zealand, headed by former BMW Motorsport Australia boss Lyall Williamson, will run GT3 Porsches, to be driven by Rick Armstrong and Ross Allan.

The AGP event will also give category organisers PROCAR a chance to evaluate the results of the recent first meeting of the new Nations Cup technical committee.

Representatives of Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari and Chrysler met and the result has seen the Viper and GTR Lambo have then rev limits Ufted. The Lambo now won’t be air restricted, though it, the Viper and the Micheloto machine have had 70 kilograms added to their weight.

It’s expected that, ultimately, a representative from Holden and Ford (Monaro and Mustang) will join the committee when those respective cars hit the track and join the lead group.

A meeting is scheduled to be held the day after the AGP to discuss if any changes are required before the Clipsal 500 meeting, which will host the opening round of the championship. moiorspon news

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It’s a Prancing Horse 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9! PHR will run nine cars in the AGP support races at Albert Park, including the new 360 Micheloto to be driven by Ryan Briscoe.

(Photo by Marshall Cass)

24 Hour coming along PROCAR Australia is pushing ahead with plans to stage a 24-Hour race at Mount

"For instance, the pits and other facilities at Mount Panorama would need upgrading

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understandable disappointment by Honda touring car veteran Gabriele Tarquini, who is left seeking a drive, and by Alessandro Mariani, who has operated the JAS Honda team long term. n Young British prospect James Hanson has been signed to partner Rickard Rydeli in a pair of Prodriveprepared Volvo S60s in the 2002 European Touring Car Championship.

Evidently Hanson deeply impressed Volvo team manager Dave Benbow when he raced the Edenbridge team's privateer BMW 320 in last year's Super Production division.

the chance to try. However, we have also been in discussions with other tracks in case we can't achieve what we need at Bathurst."

Motorsport News sources suggest that the idea has been met favourably by GT teams in the UK. - AARON NOONAN

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n British television commentator Murray Walker retired from Formula 1 at the end of last season but he is still going to be talking to the fans this year thanks to an Orange telephone service. Walker will record a review 90 minutes after each race and this will be available to Orange users at a cost of 60c per minute. As Walker is not travelling to all the races, this could be quite interesting, given Murray's talent for muddling things up...

By Allan Schoflelil

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n Honda has pulled out of the 2002 European Touring Car Championship, a decision that has probably gifted the title to the reigning champion manufacturer, Alfa Romeo. The news was met with

Tickford Open Day at 33 Glenbarry Road in Campbellfield this Sunday (February 24). Five of Ford's top V8 Supercar teams will be in attendance to meet and greet the fans.

MANME FOLD: THE ULTIMATE TRACKSIDE FAN-BOV y

n The 1995 FIA Formula 3000 Internatidhai champion, Vincenzo Sospiri, has joined forces with the Super Nova team to form a new operation, which will contest the 2002 European F3000 series. Super Nova will assist Sospiri's Euronova Racing to operate its Loia B99/50 chassis, the former FIA 'spec' racecar which has now been replaced by the new B2/50.

n Ford fans better head to the

Panorama in November,that may attract the top GT racers from Europe, right.

Sinnilar to the Nurburgring 24 Hours, PROCAR wants to open the event to international sports and touring cars in addition to its top class Nations Cup and Global Touring Car category.

"Our own logistical planning is well advanced, but it’s fair to say there are some outside issues still to be settled," said PROCAR Chairman Ross Palmer.

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NEWS

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Alesi to test McLaren

JEAN Alesi has had a seat fitting with McLaren and will test for the team in Barcelona between March 4 and 6.

Currently, the test in early March is the only one scheduled for the FI veteran.

“Obviously, I’m looking forward to sitting behind the wheel of an FI car again and I’m sure that driving a West McLaren Mercedes is going to be an experience,” Alesi said.

“I have no plans to return to FI competition and I am 100 percent committed to my DTM championship challenge with Mercedes-Benz.”

-JOESAWARD

JORDAN Grand Frix will launch its new 2002 challenger at Brussels Airport on February 22, today, as we go to press.

The venue ha.= been chosen because Deut.sche Bank want it to be there so that they can invite their VIP gue.st.s. This \irtuaily confil-ms that Deut.sche Post is the new title sponsor of the team and it is probably likely therefore that DP protege Marcel Lasee will be named as the team's test driver.

Benson & Hedges will remain as a secondaiy sponsor.

- JOE SAWARD

New Arrows out

Frentzen and Bernoldi test new car in Spain

by JOE SAWARD

This is the new Arrows-Cosworth A23 that Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Enrique Bernoldi will drive in this year’s World Championship. Shaken down for the first time by Bernoldi at Valencia on February 6, the new car has been late hitting the tracks, and won’t be officially launched until next Wednesday here in Australia, two days before practice begins for the Formula 1 championship kick-off event. The car features a new Cosworth powerplant.

12

FERRARI last week launched its very neat-looking F2002 chassis but the team admitted that it may be a few races before the new car is actually raced.

“We have everything to lose and nothing to gain,” said Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo.

“If we win people will say it was inevitable. So we have to take risks.

“We have tried to be innovative but it was not easy to improve on a car that was already perfect.

The team actually delayed the launch of the F2002 because the development programs at one point was not producing the hoped-for results.

“We have taken a longer time to develop the car to be sure moiorsport news

NEWS

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n BTCC driver James Thompson has signed for Peugeot's British Rally Championship team. Thompson, whose father David 'Piggy' Thompson was a rally star in the 1970s, has long voiced a desire to go rallying and will get his wish this season. He will do all rounds bar one, which clashes with his Croft BTCC duties and is looking to win the British Rally and Touring Car crown in one year. n The British ASCAR series is set to boom this year with more star names signing up for the oval-base class. Exiled BTCC champion Jason Plato is the latest recruit along with fellow ex-BTCC racer Kelvin Burt and former McLaren test driver Darren Turner. In addition, former MG touring car racer Warren Hughes has joined the championship and BTCC Production class racer Rob Collard is expected to do likewise. n Former Australian Super Touring racer Jamie Wall is set to tackle the AHRA series in the USA this year with a view to landing a NASCAR Busch Series ride in 2003.

Wall was due to test at Hickory earlier this month. n An extra pair of MG ZS racers look to be on the BTCC cards this year. In addition to the WSR cars of Warren Hughes and Anthony Reid, two privateer cars are expected, one to be driven by Gareth Howell. n Proton, the latest manufacturer to commit to the BTCC, has admitted that it could run a third car at some races this year. David Leslie and Phil Bennett have been confirmed as the team's leading drivers but no names have yet been mentioned for the third car.

It’s new, it’s improved, but it’s not coming to Austraiia! This is the new Ferrari F2002 produced from Maranello, though we won’t get to see it in Australia.

(Photos by Sutton-lmages) that the performance would he improved,” said the team’s technical director Ross Brawn.

“That means we will have less time to test the car. The car is a design evolution of the 2001 car but there are some things in the engine and transmission which may need smoothing out.

Like most of the teams, Ferrari has worked hard on its front-end aerodynamics and has already embraced some of the ideas seen on the Sauber in 2001 but the new car has refined these, A great deal of work has also gone into the rear suspension, with the new gearbox allowing a repackaging which means that the rear of the sidepods is lower than on the old car.

The suspension design has 20 Februsry 2002

been conceived to work with the latest generation of Bridgestone tyres and with McLaren having switched to Michelin, Bridgestone can now concentrate fully on Ferrari.

The team, which is aiming for a fourth consecutive Constructors’ title, has had a number of changes in its commercial partners, largely as a result of the arrival of the big new sponsorship from Vodafone.

This has meant that Tic-Tac and Federal Express are off the cars, as is Telecom Italia's mobile service TIM.Also missing this year are General Electric and Magneti-Marelli.

The team has, however, landed a deal with the semiconductor manufacturer

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. The company is one of the leading producers of micro circuitry devices for the computer and mobile telephone businesses.

The deal with Ferrari is in part a straight sponsorship but will also Involve an element of technical involvement helping the team with microprocessor units to keep down the weight of onboard electronic systems.

With McLaren struggling at the beginning of its development curve with the new Mercedes-Benz engine, and Williams seemingly not having as good a chassis as had been hoped,Ferrari is now the strong favourite for the World Championship.

n BMW is set to return to the BTCC. Edenbridge Racing, run by Peter Briggs, is set to switch from the ETCC to the Production class of the British championship for 2002.

Briggs is understood to have chosen his drivers already but is keen to ensure that funding is in place before he announces them. n The proposed digital coverage of Formula 1 in the UK by Sky Sports has prompted suggestions that Murray Walker could make a return to commentating. The veteran talking head has refused to comment fuelling speculation that a return is on the cards. n Robert Dahlgren, the winner of last year's UK Formula Ford championship, has signed for Duma Racing for the British F3 Championship. Dahlgren will graduate to the class this year and the team is ditching Mugen Honda engines in favour of the new Swindon-Ford unit.

- DAVID ADDISON 13

Cressy joins PSC

HIGHLY-RATED Kiwi teenager James Cressey has signed with Piccola Scuderia Corse (PSC) for the 2002 Australian Formula 3 series.

The 17-year-old from Auckland, who won the 2001 Bruce McLaren Scholarship, is a two-time winner of the New Zealand Formula Ford championship, Cressey will drive the new Dallara 01 car, which was due to arrive at the team's Sydney headquarters as this issue of MN hit the shelves.

"We're extremely excited to have James on board," said PSC's Michael Masi.

"Our boys are looking forward to working with him, we understand that he's looking forward to working with us, and we're all looking forward to trying to retain the championship together."

"At just 17, and with his connections at McLaren, you'd have to say that the boy's got a very bright future ahead of him,"

Joining Cressey at PSC will be Californian driver Jeffrey Brewer, who will drive the Dallara F398 that helped Peter Hackett win the Championship in 2001.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed rumours suggest that PSC may expand to a four-car operation at some stage in the future, with two cars being run as a satellite team.

M Speed Racing have also finalised their line up for the season-opening race at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, with team principal Mike Beeley and new signing Matt Fitzgerald from New Zealand each taking to the track in '98 TOMS Toyotas.

Fitzgerald has competed in NZ Formula Ford, and also spent a year racing in the Barber Dodge series in the US. The team's ex Max-Papis 1990 Reynard, meanwhile, has been sold to Adelaide driver Andrew Webber.

- MARK GLENDENNING There’s plenty of Wills, is there a way? lUJ V n

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THE proposed new ‘one-make’ Formula Ford series will be delayed until 2004- at least.

The Ford Australia-backed initiative, which had been originally scheduled for a 2002 kick-off and which was delayed until 2003, will have another year of development because of the requirement to give competitors two clear years’ notice of any

Win, win, win!

IT'S been a big fortnight for a number of MN readers, with three separate reader competitions coming to their conclusion.

Fanatical Brock fan Garry Coppin of Clayton South in Melbourne is the winner of our huge 'Join Brock

'We are religious men; we make one pilgrimage a year to the GP; motor sport is our religion; Peter Brock is our God!" 14

Behind the Scenes at the GP' competition.

Coppin, and buddy Dave Fcorpecci, will watch the four days' events from grandstand seats and join Brock in a guided FI Paddock tour, while Garry himself will hop

into Brock's Trading Post Rally Monaro, for a tour around the circuit, "Unreal. Fantastic. You're joking!" were some of the printable responses when MN editor Branagan rang to break the news.

As you can see from the picture (left), Messrs Coppin and Fcorpecci are Brock fans, with a capital B. AT the same time, Queenslander Dane Child came to Richo's rescue, penning the winning design - chosen by the man himself-for the Castrol team's new signing.

Master helmet painter Shane Abbott is already at work transferring Dane's basic design onto Richo's new Bell - which should debut at the Clipsal 500.

Dane will receive $300-worth of

Dt’sign by Dane Child

Castrol racewear, tickets to a Queensland V8 round, and a tour of the Castrol pits with Richo.

AND finally, reader Michael Russell of Milperra, NSW wins one of the exquisite Limited Edition 1/18 scale model Moffat Mustangs after winning our December/January subscription competition.

You've got to admit, it pays to be an MN reader... molorsport news

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Super Touring needs drivers PSSST! Wanna drive a racing car, kid?

There are quite a number of seats waiting for drivers in Super Toiu-ing for 2002. The competitors in the 2-litre category, which will again follow the Power Tour trail this season, have formed an association called ASTEM to administer the category and there are a number of seats still available.

“There are cars there

waiting, ready to go racing,” said Team Mondeo driver Peter

Hills.

“We need drivers, and we are not talking about drivers who need to have huge budgets.”

First round of the series is at Sydney’s Oran Park Raceway in March. Packages available across a wide range of competitive cars.

Call now 0425 231 029 or 0409 260 817 and be part of the 2002 Super Touring Season.

The slicks and wings FFs may be delayed anothewr year. (Photo by Dim Kiynsmith)

Fs delayed? substantial technical changes.

To have the series in place for the 2004 season, it is believed that a proposal will have to be tabled with the CAMS Motor Racing Executive by the start of the season - next month.

Ford Racing’s Manager Howard Marsden was unable to shed much light on the matter this week; “We have a final plan but we’re not quite ready to annoimce it at the

moment,” he said.

“We know what we’re doing, we know how it works within the

^and scheme of Ford’s involvement and investment in motor racing. The announcement shouldn’t be too far away ...”

Meanwhile, competitors now readying their older Kent-engined cars for the 2002 season can do so in the knowledge that they have 2003 as well.

Is it The Hills are Alive or The Hills is alive? There are plenty of seats available in Super Touring, starting next month in Sydney. (Pholo by Phil Williams)

Rallyntino

VALENTINO Rossi could be in for a busy 2002 season and not just on two wheels.

The World 500cc Champion has been in stunning form in testing at Sepang in Malaysia, running his Honda RC211V a full three seconds inside the lap record he set on a two-stroke Honda NSR500 only four months ago.

Such was the dominance of Rossi - who was almost 2s clear of team-mate Torhu Ukawa in the test - that 1999 world champion Kenny Roberts bas Maybe you can win on 4 wheels: Rossi looks irrestible in MotoGP pre-season testing - but how will he go with 4WD and ice and snow in the UK? (Photo by John Morris/Mpix)

20 February 2002

almost conceded defeat for this season, saying that Suzuki’s XREO V-four four-stroke is “not fast enough”.

But that is not all Rossi, who recently signed a two year, $27 million deal with Honda, has scheduled for this season. The 22year-old Italian is also planning on making his World Rally Championship debut in the Rally of Great Britain on November.

Rossi, who put in a starring performance in the Michelin Race of Champions event in the Canary Islands last year, will drive a fullhouse Peugeot 206 WRC in the event.

The Italian is thought to have plans of taking to the stages full time when he retires from motorcycle racing and this seems like a pretty good way to start...

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Who fancies a weekend at Bernie’s?

BERNIE Ecclestone has bought what is believed to be England’s most expensive house - for around $155m.

The 55,000 sq ft London mansion, which used to house the Russian and Egyptian embassies, is located close to Kensington Palace and was visited by Ecclestone before Christmas, soon after the lease was transferred to a company in Lichtenstein.

The house had previously been owned by an Iranian who spent six years restoring the building which had fallen into disrepair after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The building is so big that it has underground car parking for 20 cars(which would be nowhere near big enough for Ecclestone’s automobile collection) and has a ballroom, an oak-panelled picture gallery, a Turkish bath, hairdressing salon and a swimming pool.

Bernie currently lives in a rather more modest $12m house in Chelsea Square.

-JOESAWARD

New engine rules for F1?

FIA President Max Mosley stirred up some headlines last week by suggesting to FI journalists that he is pushing for a new rules which will see teams allowed to use only one engine per race weekend.

If this power unit were to fail, another could be fitted but the penalty would be that the driver in question would have to cope with a penalty such as starting at the back of the grid.

This was odd. The idea of restricting the number of engines has been tried before and rejected.

Mosley justified the idea by saying that this would save money. He said that while manufacturers would not have to produce so many engines, they could maximise their coverage (and help the sport) by being made to supply more than one team.

The FIA President also talked about changing the engine formula to 2.4-litre V8 engines (four-fifths of the existing 3-litre VIOs).

The argument put forward for all

.iiiliife:

of these ideas that of saving money because of the fears that FI teams will suffer in the recession but it is not thought very likely that the one engine rule will be agreed by the Formula 1 Commission. Nowadays this body consists of 26 members including Mosley, Bernie Ecclestone (as a representative of the commercial rights holder Kirch), 12 team representatives (or 11 given that Alain Prost is no longer eligible to vote), eight race promoters, plus representatives from two sponsors, one tyre company and one engine manufacturer.

In order for new rules to be agreed, there needs to be 70 percent agreement, which means

18 votes. The only way this can be achieved is that four teams have to agree to vote against the others. This is not likely to happen as most of the teams are, to a lesser or greater extent, beholden to the car manufacturers and, if they decide it is a bad idea, then the rule changes will not happen.

It is a similar story with the manufacturers being forced to supply two teams each.

The idea of changing the engine formula is going to be even harder to push through as engine stability is guaranteed until the end of 2006 and the only way this can be changed is with unanimous agreement or on the grounds of safety.

While there is a nice argument that money could be saved, in reality money is never saved in FI because rules changes simply encourage new research and development programs. The best way to keep costs down is to not change the rules at all and eventually the law of diminishing returns means that enginebuilders run out of ideas.

- JOE SAWARD

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Each Limited Edition Print: o Is individually signed by Alan Jones MBE o Includes a replica medallion of the 2002 Foster's Australian Grand Prix Winner's Trophy o Features four exclusive action photos capturing all the excitement of the first turn, the race start, the podium presentation and the race winning car and driver o Includes a Certificate of Authenticity o Is individually numbered, prepared on a high Approximate size 90cm high x 110cm wide

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This strictly limited release has been manufactured by Knox City Creative Framing Pty I-td (,\CN 060 423 663) under licence from the AustruUnn Grand Pri\ Corporation.

16

Molorsport news

NEWS

Nichols gets the chop Jaguar designer ousted over R3 testing performance

by JOE SAWARD IT was not a big surprise that Jaguar Racing announced that it was parting company with its technical director Steve Nichols after just a year.

Jaguar said that the team and Nichols had “jointly agreed that there is a need for the design and development activities ofthe company to receive fresh impetus and direction” and that as a result Nichols has resigned and would be replaced “for an interim period” by Gunther Steiner.

The big problem facing the team now is who it can hire to replace Nichols. There are one or two potential technical directors floating around but there is little incentive for any good ones to join the team as there is no sign that the instability that has existed since Ford took control of the team is going to stop, and the danger is that the new bosses in Detroit will simply decide to give up the project.

It should be remembered that the FI program was the brainchild of ousted Ford president Jac Nasser and that the men now running Ford have recently announced massive job cuts. The company is understood to have invested $100m in addition to the costs of developing its FI engines and it will take many years for

Jaguar to be selling enough cars in its own right to be able to fund an FI program without assistance from Detroit.

The internal politics of Ford have meant that, since Ford bought the team in 2000 it has been run by Paul Stewart, Neil Kessler, Bobby Rahal, Niki Lauda and now Steiner. This has impacted on the technical staff and since the Ford takeover Jaguar has two technical directors; Gary Anderson(who lasted a season) and Nichols who has lasted a similar length of time.

In that period it should be pointed out the team has tried to hire Adrian Newey and the Williams design team of Gavin Fisher and Geoff Willis but both attempts failed.

There may be engineers willing to join Jaguar if the price is right but that is hardly the best form of motivation. Having said that, there is pressure on Lauda to keep down costs at the moment so the budget is not going to be endless. The best course of action would probably be to try to hire Arrows technical director Mike Goughian, who is out of contract shortly, as he has already designed a car armmd the Cosworth VIO engine.

The other possibility is that Jaguar might approach John Barnard(who is now free following the collapse of Prost)to ask him to help them out.

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And if Niki wants to fire you, do this: Steve Nichols, right, is the latest to have an amicable split with Jaguar chief Niki Lauda. (Photo by Sutton-lmages)

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MotoGP Ney\fs

Criville out, lAtest in?

Will mystery illness signal the end of Alex's career? physical problems," said Criville.

"Since 1999, 1 have had a condition whereby I temporarily lose consciousness from time to time. It Is not serious, but after consulting the best specialists in the field I was advised to stop riding for a while, to take the time to relax and undergo the necessary tests."

Prior to attending the Valencia tests, Criville travelled to Canada to seek medical treatment for the unidentified condition.

"We have until now been unable to ascertain the cause of these fainting incidents, and treatment has not been

ANTHONY West may be in line to replace Alex Criville in the D'Antin/Yamaha WlotoGP team.

Criville shocked the motorcycle world last weekend by announcing a "break" from his career due to an illness which has affected him since he won the World 500cc title in 1999.

The 31-year-old Spaniard, who switched to Yamaha from Honda just weeks ago, spoke to the media at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, where IRTA tests were held last week.

"I have been forced to take a break from my sporting career due to

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testing at Sepang in Malaysia.

Running a big-bore version of Kawasaki's ZX-7R Superbike engine, Akira Yanagawa tested alongside Suzuki's new MotoGP

effective," said Dr Angel Villamor, the D’Antin team's doctor. "We need to carry out tests that are more specific than before in order to determine the problem, and this cannot be done under the current circumstances."

Criville made it clear that he was not intending to retire permanently from the sport; "At the moment we cannot say how long this break will be for," he said. "Hopefully in half a year I will be fine, but we must take things step by step, and this is the first. My health is my main priority at the moment."

But while he is being positive, and

Is this the end: Can the 1999 SOOcc world champion recover his health and come hack and even if he can. will anyone let him race afactory hike?

the team says it backs its rider"100 percent", it does seem questionable whether the team, let alone the FIM, would support or even allow a rider suffering such symptoms to race a 200hp motorcycle.

Repsol, which transferred its backing to the D'Antin Yamaha team with Criville, is likely to press for a Spanish rider to join Norick Abe but all the possible candidates are already signed for either the MotoGP or World Superbike Championship.

Of the other contenders. West is about the best-qualified, having finished 18th in the 500cc championship last season on the Dee Cee Jeans Honda V-twin. Despite a lack of experience on V4s, West, who is unsigned, does look a good bet for the team - which, ironically, let Spaniard Jose Luis Cordoso go at the end of the season. Cordoso has inked a deal with MuZ,

Amid tight security, the former SBK star completed a long session on the hybrid, which witnesses reported sounded "just like a Superbike".

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Chicago offtarget for 2002 CHICAGO Motor Speedway has suspended all events on its 2002 calendar, including the Target Grand Prix Champ Car race.

Attendance numbers for the CART race and a Craftsman Truck Series race have dropped since the circuit's first races in 1999, leaving circuit managment in a position where it's simply not financially viable to run events this year.

The announcement, made

by CMS President Chip Ganassi, leaves a hole for June 30 on the Champ Car calendar.

Herbert still has eyes for Sigma THE on-going saga of Johnny Herbert becoming a Champ Car driver continues, with reports this week indicating that funding has nearly been found for him to line up alongside Max Papis in the Sigma team this season.

The 37-year-old has a season of Sportscar racing lined up with Audi, and a few offers for the Indy 500. One of them is apparently in a third Red Bull/Cheever team car.

Aussie gets TV gig on Eurosport OUR very own Leigh Diffey will join Jeremy Shaw in CART'S international calling team for Eurosport this year.

The Speed Channel/FO>C CBS crew will comprise of Bob Varsha, Tommy Kendall, Derek Daly, Calvin Fish and Scott Pruett.

Changes a go-go I ,1

DESSO

If you want your packages delivered in a methanol-powered, 800 horsepower chariot, these are your guys: (Photo by Sulton-lmages) A lot of positive things came out of CART’s 'Sneak Preview’ event at Laguna Seca.

by PHIL MORRIS THE recent CART‘Sneak Preview’at Laguna Seca left everybody that went away with the feeling that things are on the up not just for CART, hut for open-wheeler peace in general.

The Franchise Board voted to lock in cart’s new technical package for 2003-2006, with 3.5litre engines just like the IRL, though with a higher (12,000 rpm) rev limit. Traction control is also permitted.

The new engines will be coupled with tubs that are identical to those being used in the IRL, though the new CART chassis will continue to feature the unique aero packages that are required on its diversified circuits and ovals.

Lola and Reynard are expected to build cars for both series in 2003, while Toyota has said that it will supply engines in CART now

that the rules have fallen into a normally-aspirated line.

The target for a new chassis and engine package is roughly US$5-6 million per car, half of the current price of a top-line outfit.

This all, of course, makes it far more easier and cost-effective for CAET teams to race in the IRL and the Indy 500.

Among other changes for Champ Car racing in 2002 include; n The return of Friday qualifying at road and street courses in addition to Saturday.

The fastest driver from each day receives a championship point, though the provisional pole-sitter is guaranteed a front row spot, regardless of the final outcome of qualifying. n A Formula 1-like establishment of a maximum of 15 timed laps per session, with no more split sessions.

Drivers who cause red flags will now have their fastest lap in that

2Q

FOR a chat with new CART CEO Chris Pooh, and his plans and views on CART as it heads into a new era, turn to page 54.

Contact your state's karting office for details

You're invited to be part of Australia's fastest growing motor sport

Why not see what it's all about for yourself? Attend a race meeting at your local club and talk to the drivers and crew. There are classes to suit almost everyone from 7 years to 77 +.

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

session scrubbed rather than being benched for eight minutes. n Oval qualifying order will also revert to the inverse of that weekend’s total practice speeds, with the fastest drivers of the weekend to that point qualifying last.

The series will also follow FIA standard by using local’ yellow caution flags where possible, as opposed to pulling the Safety Car onto the track at every chance.

CART Race Operations will also come up with a fuel formula for each track, meaning drivers will race for the win, rather than tippytoeing on fuel consumption. A prescribed number of compulsory pit stops per race and a pit window for these stops will also be introduced.

'Rie Australian Karting Association Inc For informalion about karting & how to gel started call

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CHAMP CAR NEWS

top

VICTORIOUS in the iBnal two rounds of last year’s FedEx Championship Series, Cristiano da Matta has carried his strong form into 2002,topping the time sheets at CART’S‘Sneak Preview’at Laguna Seca.

The Newman-Haas driver lapped in lm09.500s, saying that “it was one of those days when you don’t have to work on the car a whole lot. But we’re in the very early stages so we’re changing a lot of things.

The Players’/Forsythe combo of Alex Tagliani and Patrick Carpentier were second and third in their Reynard/Fords, ahead of Bnmo Junqueira, Scott Dixon and Michael Andretti, who was the first of the Honda runners in his Team Motorola machine.

‘Toward the end, we had what turned out to be an electrical problem but we got it fixed and went back out and had a quick lap,” said Carpentier.

Christian Fittipaldi, Kenny Brack, Townsend Bell and Tony Kanaan (now in Pioneer colours), rounded out the top 10 times.

Da Matta is Da Man: A winner on the streets of Surfer’s Paradise and on the superspeedway at Fontana, Cristiano da Matta, above, was back at the top at Laguna Seca.

A Canadian and an Aussie: Alex Tagliani, right with Aussie girlfriend Bronte Kok, wasn’t far behind da Matta, with the feeling that Player’s/Forsythe will be stronger than 2001.

(Photos by Sutton-lmages)

2002 Foster^s Australian Grand Prix Mark Webber Supporters Exclusive Packa e February 28 to March 3 will see the Grand Prix world converge on Albert Park for the 2002 Foster’s Australian Grand Prix. And with our own MARK WEBBER finally realising his FI ambition, he needs YOUR SUPPORT! Witness all the fireworks and excitement as Mark battles it out with the best Formula One drivers in the world, around the picturesque surroundings of Albert Park.

Here is your chance to be a part of the action in the comfortable and exclusive environment of the ‘Mark Webber Supporters Marquee.’ In a private marquee overlooking the track, you will be wined and dined in luxury, all with an uninterrupted view of all the action.

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overlooking the track A chance for you and your guests to meet Mark Webber throughout the weekend (subject to his schedule) Experienced event host in attendance to ensure the smooth running of your day.

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Horn P

BARRY Green s three Champ Car drivers - Paul Tracy, Dario Franchitti and Michael Andretti - will all run the Indy 500 this year for the Australian-owned team.

As opposed to Andretti's campaign on the race last year, where Panther Racing assisted with equipment and technical nouse, the team's 2002 campaign will be completely done in-house with the Dallara/Chevrolet package.

"Competing with all the IRL regulars at Indianapolis is certainly a challenge," Green said.

"But as the saying goes, 'There's strength in numbers.'

Dario, Paul and their crews have been working together since 1998 and have developed a very productive relationship in that time. I have every hope and expectation they'll be potential winners at

Fisher looks for backer

Vii

MOTOROLA IIIKIMI*

A three-pronged attack: Andretti will again ran in Motorola colours, as he iPholn hy Sutlon-lmagt:sl did at Indy last May. rule for tobacco companies in the United States. Motorola w ill again be on Andretti's car.

Franchitti will be a rookie at Indy, while Tracy has yet to finish in ail of his five starts. Of course, Andretti is yet to win the race, running third behind the Penske cars last year.

"It'll be great to get back to the Indy 500," Tracy said.

"I've never had much luck there, but I plan on doing everything I can to change that this time. It's the greatest race in the world, and 1 want to win it."

Indianapolis this year."

It will be the first time Team Green has run at the historic race since Jacques Villeneuve won the '500 in 1995, the lasr time CART teams regularly ran at the Brickyard.

The Brown and Williamson tobacco company, which owns the KOOL brand, will back the effort along with Klein Tools, though it's expected that the cars will run the generic 'Team Green' decals as they did in Germany and England last year in deference to the 'one series'

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Chip dose to IRL

THERE’S no certainty that Derrick Walker and driver Sarah Fisher will be in the field for the opening round of the IRL at Homestead on March 2.

Owner Walker is still trying to tie together a backer, having lost Kroger from 2001, and missed the recent Test in the West at California and Phoenix.

His CART program with Tora Takagi and Pioneer sponsorship is unaffected, though the IRL team is continuing to prepare cars in the hope of landing backing for the start of the season at Homestead.

22

CHIP Ganassi Racing is in the process ot starting a full-time Indy Racing League team in addition to its teams in the CART FedEx Championship Scries and NASCAR Winston Cup. I oifTwjr motocrorisr.T ;ind mfisi rcjconlly ol A.J F'oyl'b loam and Iho df;:id 1 lr)ril;i(jf: Molomporl outlil, Joll Ward, Is Iho leading cariflidalo Inr IIk! ride, havii\() loslr.'d wilh Kenny Rraek and Bruno Junr|ueira in llio loam':. IHI r:ar:i al Galilornia Speedway.

Die leaiii has ar.ked lo bo eonsidered lor a po:silion in llio IRL’s I t.'ador (iiielr; Program, an incenlive prrxpam lhal ir, roseived lor Iho

“Wo ve boon working on u lull linif! Mil progrnm, bill wo do nol li.'ivo il dono yol," :,;iid Miko Mull, MunngiiK) Diroolor ol l;iigol/f l;in;i;.si M;icing ".loll Is ;i very l.ilonUrd gny ;ind lio rlosorvos .III oppoilnnily lo drive in lliul sorios Wr; ;iro ;i Irrnin Ibnl wfinlr; lo win niitl III; liui. proven ho cun do lliul Iliul';. why Ins nuirio is up lhc;ro " Iho lUI l(;.im buckoi won'l bo 'fuKjol il Ibo pro()ium bi.ippons und Iho loiim will bo u loyolu losi loum lulor Ihi.s season in privulo lo.sling.

by PHIL MORRIS DEFENDING Indy Racing League Champ Sam Homish Jr has topped the timesheets in the League’s two-day Test in the West’at Phoenix’s one-mile oval.

The Pennzoil Dallara/Chevrolet lapped at an average of 179.803 mph, outpointing the Marlboro Penske pair of Helio Castroneves and CART Champion Gil de Ferran.

“It feels pretty good. It’s just practice, but we like coming to Phoenix,” said Hornish Jr. “It’s always good to be the fastest. We are not happy unless we are fastest in practice, qualifying and the race. I’m pretty happy with the test. It’s a long way before the race. It’s not a real big deal to us, but we like to be on top.

We can always improve.”

Mo Nunn’s team, with driver Felipe Giaffone, was fourth quickest, ahead of a very impressive Tomas Scheckter, who’ll drive the second Eddie Cheever/Red Bull car this year. The South African ran 177.717mph.

Scott Sharp, Buddy Lazier, Cheever, Robbie Buhl and Laurent Redon rounded out the top 10 on the second day of testing.

Teams had also spent a day at California Speedway, where Jaques Lazier was quickest for Team Menard at 221.852 mph, which compares to last year’s 228.797 mph pole time by Alex Tagliani at the CART race last year. moiorsport news

INDY RACING NEWS

ish heads test

Equipment frozen through 2006 DURING the Phoenix Test in the West',IRL officials announced changes to the chassis package for 2003,that will be frozen for three seasons as will the engine rules that become IRL law at the same time.

In what is good news for open

wheeler racing, CART hae also frozen

its - largely common - technical package for the same timeframe, both with chassis and engines.

Current constructors Dallara and G Force have already sent the IRL letters of intent and the League is also in discussions with other manufacturers in Reynard and Lola, which intend to produce cars for 2003.

n Hemelgarn Racing has unveiled its new Coor's Light 'Silver Bullet', above, that Buddy Lazier will drive this season. The 1996 Indy 500 and 2000 IRL Champ will use a Dallara chassis and Chevrolet engine.

In a flash: Sam Hornish Jr says he’s ready to take on Penske, above, and he drew first blood in the League’s Test in the West at California and Phoenix. Tomas Scheckter, below left, was impressive for Eddie Cheever’s Red Bull team, while Hello Castroneves and Penske President Tim Cindric, below right, continue to work on getting a package that will be at the front when the season starts in March.

(Photos by Sutton-lmages)

n Having signed Tomas Scheckter, Eddie Cheever says he’s "80 percent sure" of running a third car at the Indy 500. Rumours link Max Papis or Johnny Herbert to the one-off ride. n AJ Foyt’s team skipped the Test in the West to test privately at Phoenix a few days before. His 17year-old grandson, AJ Foyt IV, joined Donnie Beechler and Eliseo Salazar to have his first Indy car laps, running 29 laps with a fastest average speed of just under 160 mph.

»

n The IRL's inaugural race winner and co-champ of 1996, Buzz Calkins, 30, has announced his retirement from the cockpit. The now-former Bradley Motorsports driver is looking at moving into business and team management Just who takes his place in the team is unknown.

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20 Fobruary 2002

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Sportscar Nevi^s Sportscar Briefs THE ORECA team could head into June's Le Mans 24 Hours with an all-French driver line-up.

The team is in talks with the French motorsport federation, the FFSA, to back a two-car team of Dallara-Judd LMPs. The deal would result in the team heading to Le Mans with a sixstrong squad of French drivers. Olivier Beretta, a French passport-holding Monegasque, Stephane Sarrazin, and Franck Montagny appear as good as signed. n Briton Guy Smith's deal to race the factory Riley & Scott MklllC has been extended to include next month's Sebring 12 Hours. Smith, 27, finished second at Daytona this month and has now been picked to share with car owner Jim Matthews in the opening round of the American Le Mans Series. n Financial problems with the Elan Pharmaceuticals group, the foundation of Don Panoz's wealth, will not affect his racing activities.

That's the promise of Scott Atherton, who runs the ALMS. "Don's business interests are very well diversified," he said. "This certainly won't affect the ALMS or his other motorsport activities." Panoz has not held a board position at Elan for five years.

- GARY WATKINS

Audi goes for Enge in a the hat trick Ferrari!

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~ADDnooRS~(;eTtain to enter a third factory R8 prototype in June's Le Mans 24 Hours in a bid to ensure that it notches up a hat-trick of victories in the French endurance classic.

The third R8 has yet to be confirmed, but plans for an extra car to bolster the factory Joest squad's existing two-car squad are at an advanced stage. The car would be funded by regular Audi sponsor Infineon and an undisclosed publishing house.

The extra car would have an all-German crew, but there will be no tinkering with the line-ups already announced. Frank Biela will remain with Emanuele Pirro and Tom Kristensen, while the second car will be driven by Rinaldo Capello, Christian Pescatori and Johnny Herbert.

There could be as many as five Audis at Le Mans this year. In addition to the works cars, Kazumichi Goh will run a 2001-spec customer car. He has already confirmed proteges Hiroki Katoh and Seiji Ara in the car and will shortly confirm a third Japanese driver.

Stefan Johansson, meanwhile, is still trying to put a deal together to run the run the race with a Gulf-sponsored Audi for the second year in succession.

Champion Racing, which is contesting the full American Le Mans Series this year, will not take its 2001 car to the French enduro.

- GARY WATKINS

FORMULA 3000 frontrunner Tomas Enge will drive a Prodrive Ferrari at Sebring and Le Mans.

Czech Enge, who started three Grands Prix for Frost last year, will race the British team’s lead Maranello 550. He will share the GTS class car with Rickard Rydell and Alain Menu.

Enge’s first outing in the Ferrari comes at the scene of his sportscar debut in 1999. The race was one of two he did in the Rafanelli team’s modified Riley & Scott-Judd Mklll that year.

Last year, he contested two FIA GT Championship rmmds in a Porsche 911 GT3-RS and had a one-off drive in a Panoz prototype.

In other ‘Ferrari 550’ news, touring car great Johnny Cecotto will make his Sebring debut with the Rafanelli Ferrari team. The Venezuelan will drive alongside Mimmo Schiattarella and Emanuele Naspetti, who will contest the full season in the Olive Garden-backed GTS car.

SCOUTS SAUSAGE SKZZM.E - MEET THE DRIVERS & CREW SEE A TOR VS SURERCAR TEAM IN ACTION MEET BARGS A TANDER CHALLENGE THE DRIVERS IN WHEEL CHANGING COMRETITIONS

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OPINION 111

n a wing and I prayer

LL have a fairly busy week coming up at the Foster's Australian Formula One \ Grand Prix.

I'll be driving in the Mini Celebrity Challenge and, luckily, I know a Formula One driver to ask advice from! I have actually been driven around by Mark Webber, at Brands Flatch, years ago and I have been on BMW drive days before, so I think I know a little about racing lines and things like that.

But on the track, it is much different. You have cars around you, you need to know when to fight and when to give way. First in, best dressed? That will be the interesting part.

The competitive juices will be flowing in the car, but they will be for everybody. That will be interesting; being there against

off the track to try and get some support for Mark.

We tried to do whatever we could; we helped with the Foster's deal. But if you do not have the interest from the corporates, it makes it difficult to get anywhere. In that situation, it will be interesting to see what the companies do now that Mark is in Grand Prix racing. When you are a nobody, no-one wants to know you.

Once you are somebody, they love you. It's the Tall Poppy Syndrome.

The important thing is that Mark is there now, and the first thing to do is to try and finish the race - and no, I am not going to tell him how to drive!

Fie is up against some tough opposition and the expectations which come from debuting at

Step I,Step 2...

It’s the 1995 World Cup in South Africa and Wallaby David Campese is headingfor the line again, this lime against Canada at Port Elizabeth. He will have nvo highlights at Albert Park next week; racing in the Mini Celebrity Challenge: and watching long-time buddy Mark Webber make his Grand Prix debut on home soil.

(Photo by Mike Hewilt/Allsport)

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"When you are a nobody, no-one wants to know you.

Once you are somebody,they love you. It's the Tall Poppy Syndrome ff

other sportsmen. Winning is very important to a lot of people but, to me, safety is number one. I do not want to look like an idiot and go out on the first lap.

Look, you can get hurt on the rugby field, but you can do a lot worse in a car. On the road, you can be an idiot and cause an accident, but you have to take responsibility for other people's lives as well. I want to try and be sensible and not take risks, but I want to have a good time out there - and I want to do well too! think it will be a great moment to see Mark start in his first Grand Prix in Melbourne.

There has been a lot that has been said about what the David Campese Management Group has done for him but now it is time for him to go out there and enjoy it. Fie has the talent, and motor racing is like anything else in life; when you get a lucky break, you have to take it.

Mark has done it the hard way. A lot of corporates were not interested in him - they thought it was too difficult; he didn't have a name. But you need to have a gamble in life and our company did that. Daryl MacGraw has done a great job 20 February 2002

home will be unbelievable. The good thing from our point of view is that we can all go there and cheer for an Australian even if you are a fan of Michael Schumacher, or whoever.

That will go beyond Albert Park; it will be the best thing about watching Formula One all throughout the year.

Queanbeyan, where Mark and I both come from, may only be a small town, but there have been some great people come out of there.

I played football against Mark's father and Mark was a ball boy for the Canberra Raiders. And he wore number 11 - the same number I wore, so I think it shows that it's a tough town which has made a sporting impact as well.

It may be known as my home town but it may soon be 'Mark Webber's home town'! That would be great. Flopefully, this race will be the beginning of a great career.

Fie is as good off the track as he is on, working with the Minardi technicians and engineers. Fie works as hard as anyone and I feel sure that we will see great things from Mark this year and in the future.

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eaders of this column will know that I am a fan of Australia and that I like coming to Melbourne.

I shall be coming to town early. as I often do, not just to get into the swing of Formula 1 in 2002, but also because I like to potter around the city. In the old days, I used to go to Melbourne on the way to Adelaide, simply to be able to go down the Great Ocean Road. One year I dropped in to interview a former French Resistance secret agent who had retired to the Melbourne suburbs and delighted in telling me of his success with little old ladies but could not remember anything at all about the war.

It struck me that I could not remember which visit was which and so I dug up all my old diaries and started dredging through them. This sort of thing is a fatal mistake because you end up reading every entry and looking at your life from a distance of 20 years and not being able to remember it all; who were David and Debbie and why did I have dinner with them? Whatever happened to the girl from Rerewhakaaitu? Why did I go to the launch of the Isuzu Piazza?

And what happened on the

evening where the entry reads 'Dinner with Gerhard - almost!!'

Finally I found my first visit to Melbourne which was (it says here)for the World Touring Car Championship race at Bob Jane's Thunderdome at Calder. I was a rare animal indeed at that event. as foreign reporters did not follow the series that much. I think I had FIA pass number four.

The following year I became even more exotic by reporting on the World Sportscar Championship race at Sandown Park. I think I was the only international reporter on that occasion...

That year I was writing a book about racing circuits and, during the visit, I went to Albert Park to look at the place because of the races which took place there in 1953 and 1956. 1 had been told it had been one of the best tracks in the country and I wanted to take a look. I was impressed by the racetrack, if not the surroundings.

The place just seemed run down and grungy.

I

am happy to report that over the years - largely thanks to the work of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation - the park has changed for the better.

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"Peter Brock's greatest talent is his innate ability to make normal people feel special. I wish you could put it in a bottle and sell It to some of the Formula 1 drivers today"

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FORMULA ONE /SORT OFl o

Melbourne is now a great place and I will happily go around the world telling anyone who asks that Melbourne is my favourite race. Montreal is good too {and it is at a better time of year) but, despite being the first race, Melbourne is still fun.

I think the most enjoyable aspect of the weekend (apart, of course,from having lunch with the editor of this rag [ED: You crawler, SawardID is that I know at some point or other I will bump into my old pals from the touring car days. I can guarantee to be stuck with Allan Moffat and Mark Skaife (who was a kid running around the back of the garages when I first went out to Bathurst) for

hours, as we always work together on 3AW's radio coverage of the Grand Prix.

The other person I know I will see is Peter Brock; touring car legend, visionary, lunatic, motor racing ambassador, national treasure and pal. It is nice to be able to say something like that.

Brocky is still one of the most extraordinary racing drivers that I have ever met. Much has been written about him over the years, but I have rarely seen mention of his most amazing quality. It is not the driving talent (which was copious), nor the matinee idol looks. It's not the ready charm, nor the long list of racing achievements.

Brock's greatest talent is his innate ability to make normal people feel special. I wish you couid put it in a bottle and sell it to some of the Formula 1 drivers today.

^ If you ever see Brock sign an autograph, you will see that,for few short seconds,the whole of Brock's world “Is centred on the one person for whom he is signing that autograph.

And you can see that. for the fan, it feels like the sun is shining on them and them alone.

How he does it I do not

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A little Europe in Am imtmn Tsicheila ivsists the urge to lake in the sceneryfmm his Bcnetlon-Renaull. ^lillkA‘ts<ralia in Kumpe: Brack giiilcs the MHDT Commadnre ihivugh La Source Hairpin at Spu-Francorchantps. i/a,.

20 february 2002

lUini SinilUi

know, but the magic is there and people love him for it.

It is a quality that I have rarely seen elsewhere in the world of motor racing.

I

did not know of Brock when I was growing up but I think of him as a hero who does not disappoint when you get to meet them. Of ail my heroes from those days only one never disappointed me - Denny Hulme. Others were crashing bores, egocentric lunatics or just not what I expected. Denny was Denny.

Brock has never changed.

"G'day mate," he will say.

"How ya'goin?"

And we will be back in conversation where we left off a year ago.

It's been like that since we first met back in the mid-1980s when he, Moffat and a small army of people with bizarre nicknames like 'Dij'(MHDT crew

chief Tony Di Gennaro),'Spear' (Holden Motorsport Liasion Grant Spears) and 'Plastic' (long-time Holden PR man Hm Pemberton) came to Europe with the Mobil Holden Dealer Team with a red, white and blue Commodore.

At the risk of causing small children to faint and little old ladies to scream and pop their clogs, I will tell you about the first day we met. It was at the Autodromo IMazionale at Monza and I was walking down the pitlane, looking at the cars. I reached the MHDT pit and heard the gurglesome loveliness of the 4.9-litre Holden V8.

I stood outside the pit just listening. It was musical. I had not even noticed that there was someone sitting in the car but then a hand appeared and beckoned me over. I had no idea who it was.

I stuck my head into the car and a voice from the helmet said: "Makes you want to take it out and pull it, doesn't it?

G'day. I'm Peter Brock...

A national treasure.

Five Minutes With ...

Homril MapsHen FonI grabbeil tbe early beadimes in 2001 witb Craig Lowndes'detection to tbe blue oval, but tbe rest ot tbe year lor Ford was a case otso close, yet... Racing Manager Howard Marsden knows thatin 2002 there are no excuses. He spoke with CHRIS LAH/BDBV

Motorsport News:'This really is crunch time for Ford - in terms of winning a serious number of races...

Howard Marsden: The way that I see it is that this is going to be a watershed year.

I think that the level of understanding of the need for competitiveness on both sides is going to go two rungs up the ladder.

We’re going to find teams who can do it and teams who can’t do it.

The level will go up another notch and the breakthrough will come from the people who can adaptand that’s what motor racing^s all about.

MN:Is the greatest pressuure to succeed from within;from corporate Ford?

HM:Yes it is. We(Ford) need more obvious success, full stop. We’ve got to tie our motor racing together with our product plans and our marketing plans.

There’s a lot of internal work going on to make sure we combine the efforts of the various

departments and areas of Ford for a cohesive push into what is a necessary part of selling cars into today’s market.

Around the world, you must have a good product and you must have a good image to go with it. And in motor manufacturing, that is definitely motor racing.

MN:Have the well-publicised cut-backs in Ford USA had any impact on your motor sport budget here?

HM:The support we get for motor racing through Geoff Polites, the investment Ford Australia makes in motor sport, has been fully accepted by Ford internationally.

You might recall that we had two very senior US executives at Bathurst last year, both fully approving of Geoff Polites’ direction in the use of and investment in, motor racing.

MN:Since the end of last season and in setting up for this year, has there been significant change in the level of support from Ford to its various teams?

IHN:How many of tv HM:Our your teams should ...You must have a good be in a position to support covers product and you must say they have technical, race-winning cars managerial, have a good image to go finance in some this year? withr HM:I believe we areas, so it’s a have four or five little difficult -Howard Marsden teams capable of to split it up.

There is no set putting in winning programs during the year - be that package for any one team. over-all on the day, or in individual There have been some changes races. I think the share of success in some areas, but generally, they among our top four teams will be are all getting a support package that both parties have agreed upon. broader based than it was last year.

MN:Formula Ford: given that a clear two year ‘notice’ period is required for the major change in the formula that is planned, an announcement can’t be too far away if 2004 is still to be start-up?

HM: We have a final plan but we’re not quite ready to announce it at the moment.

We know what we’re doing, we know how it works within the grand scheme of Ford’s involvement and investment in motor Main man: Having defected to Ford, much is expected of Lowndes in his second year.

(Photo: AF1 Images)

racing. The announcement shouldn’t be too far away...

MN:To more current matters: a niunber of high-profile drivers in the V8 category - now ncluding the 2001 champion and a couple of round winners - will be prequalifying in Adelaide, one of the most important races of the year.

How could this happen?

HM:It’s certainly an unfortunate circumstance, but I know that the AVESCO Board worked quite hard to come up with what was the most equitable decision.

The level of competitiveness, the number of teams running three full-time (one team running five) cars, has caught the AVESCO Board by surprise. They’re working hard now to catch up with this growth and to ensure a better solution for 2003.

But what they’ve done is probably the most equitable solution under the circumstances.

MN:The new AV Falcon is still scheduled for introduction [into competition] at the start of next year - confirmed?

HM:Sure. AVESCO rules require the change over to be at the start of a season.

MN:When then do you expect teams to be able to start working on physically building the first cars? It’s much more than a panel swap as the VTATX Commodore was...

HM: There’s a lot of work going on in the background at the moment at Ford on this, but we’re not quite ready to make any announcements as to our plans.

The new Falcon is a crucial vehicle for Ford in all senses, and we have to ensure, equally, that the introduction of the new car into racing is handled well.

I’m not sure the switch from the EB Falcon to the AU was handled all that well... motorsport news

Ul

INTERVIEW

Phoro oy Ditk Klynsniilh

20 rebruarv 2002

29

Five Minutes With l ll

r

h wen Kelly

The Melbourae-basen Tasmanian has reached the hig time -as endurance and test driver with the Gienn Seton egeration. He spoke with AAHOiV NOONAni MOTORSPORT NEWS:It’s obviously fantastic news for you, but what will this new role of yours with Ford Credit Racing involve?

OWEN KELLY;Apart from the first test day on Monday at Winton, where we only had one and a half sets of new tyres and Glenn concentrated on that, I’ll be there at all the tests behind the wheel.

We’ll pick out a couple of the Konica races to do for some extra miles, though we’re not sure exactly which ones we’ll do. We’ll get the Grand Prix and Adelaide out of the way and work it out from there.

MN: With a Level 1 car, you’d have to expect to dominate the Konica Series races you enter ...

OK: Yeah. I’d like to go back to Winton - which is going to be our test track - and win that round again because we did well there last year. It’d be nice to do that.

MN:And how long’s the deal for with Glenn and how long has it been bubbling along?

OK: It’s really only been happening in the past three weeks or so. Once the deal was on the table, obviously I didn’t hesitate to jump m.

I’d tested with Kmart late last year but I haven’t heard anything from those guys, so I figured that they were organised and had some drivers.

This was too good to pass up and it’s in a lead car. The deal with Glenn’s for this year, with an option for next year.

The plan is to go back to two cars next year and, all things going well. I’d like to be in that second car next year.

MN:This Fl-like trend of getting young guys in for enduros and giving them the ‘test driver’role is obviously the way the category’s going.

0K: The way the category’s going, the days of guys rolling up a fortnight before the endurance races and jumping in and doing the job, are gone.

The whole thing’s been lifted up 30

The Konica kid becomes a Ford flyer: Kelly finished fourth in last year’s Konica Series and was best of the older model cars.

(Photo by Marshall Cass) someone like so much and it’s This was too good to yourself with so competitive no direct ties that you just pass up and its in a iead to a can’t do that. cap" manufacturer.

These cars you just can’t jump - Keiiy on his deai lor 2002 OK: It’s not at into without all. I didn’t have any ‘official’ having done links with Holden as such and anything all year and be as fast as the regular guys. these days - Steve Richards is a perfect example - things are so You’ve got to be getting some competitive that you can’t really sort of miles under your belt dwell on things too much. during the year.

Obviously I’d like this to be a MN:So what are the long-lasting relationship with Ford. expectations for your role and I had no hesitations with the the results you’re capable of in the endurance races? whole thing. Holden weren’t OK: We’re going to both ofthose to offering me anything, so this is it, win them.Anything less than that...

MN:Is this your big break to MN:You’ve got plenty of miles really show people what Owen Kelly can do in a top-line car? in Holdens,but you’ve never been in a Ford.You’re not In the sense of say, Greg Ritter at Bathurst last year? expecting that big a difference?

OK: Exactly, It’s like Lowndes in ’94 at Bathurst and Ritter last OK: I can’t wait to get into it and year as you said. have a proper drive. I’ll get my first test after Adelaide - I’m really I’ve got to thank guys tike John Faulkner and Paul Morris who buzzing to get in and get going. gave me seat time in V8 Supercars.

MN:You’re another driver to If it wasn’t for those guys, for make the move from Holden initially giving me the miles in the products to a Ford. It’s car which then allowed me to step obviously not an issue for up each time, I wouldn’t have been

able to get some results in an older car and get the chance to step up again.

Obviously, that springboards you into this. This sort of thing wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for them.

They’ve (Faulkner and Morris) definitely been big influences.

MN:So will we see you at the rounds working as part of the team,even when you’re not actually racing?

OK: We haven’t really got into that as yet, but I think that’d be a good idea to mix with the guys and get to know everybody.

MN:It’s going to be a big jump up into the “big time’!

OK: I’m expecting quite a big jump up in the level. It’s pretty obvious that it’s quite a step in competitiveness, but at the same time, the best part about the Konica side of the equation is that they’re identical cars to the main game.

You’re getting experience with the gearboxes, the tyres, everything. It makes it so much easier. moiorsport newt

et

2

Photo by Aaron Noonan/MNews Digital

Grand Prix Preview

Always bt Can Michael Schumacher win three titles in a row. Will his biggest challenger be his own brother- or a Colombian, or a Finn?

JOESAWARD previews the battle for the 2002 Drivers’ Championship

'this time of year, the Formula 1 team I:%principals do not make many promises. They are a hattle-hardened lot and most of them have learned from their mistakes in the past and so have become extremely reticent when people ask them what they think will happen in the season ahead.

They know what they want; they all want to win the World Championship but they have all had to make compromises. None of the technical teams has done as much as they would have wanted to do. When perfectionists are competing against one another, noone is ever satisfied...

Now is a time of waiting to see what happens when practice starts in Melbourne.

Pre-season testing in Europe does not give much away. Teams do not want to do too well, lest they alert their rivals to some new technology.

Showing your hand too early gives the opposition the chance to catch up. It is best to under perform just enough to not draw attention to yourself, but not enough to start negative rumours.

If the truth be told, all the team bosses are actually worried about how their cars will do in Melbourne. They see problems where perhaps there are none; they see their rivals strengths without knowing if they are real or imagined.

But when all is said and done, the big question is not which teams are going to win races this year; it is more a question of how many victories each of the three big teams are going to win. There can always be surprise winners and ‘freak’ races, but the pattern will not change much overall.

The World Championship will be fought out between Ferrari, Williams and McLaren.

It would be nice to be able to report that Ferrari looks like it is going to be overhauled by the opposition. That should be the case, because the Wiltiams-BMWMichelin package should be very 32

strong this season but, somehow, it seems that something is missing.

The team is not bubbling with confidence. The problem is very definitely not one of horsepower, for the BMW engine is a formidable piece of equipment, pumping out a rumoured 870 horsepower. The other engine manuJfacturers are struggling to

understand how the Munich firm has achieved what it has - but there is no doubting that this is the most powerful engine in FI. But in testing the new WilliamsBMW FW24 has not been startlingly quick and there is a feeling that the new Williams chassis is not as big an improvement on the FW23B as the

team had hoped it might be. The new car looks rather conservative.

The figures produced in the team’s windtunnel were promising enough to keep the team happy during the winter, but on the track, the car does not seem to be doing what it did in the windtunnel - and that needs

fixing.

●'■1. . . .Ki.

The Battle for second? The BMW versus Mercedes-Benz battle promises much, with Ralf Schumacher, below, facing the challenge of Juan Montoya, and both having to deal with McLaren new boy, Kimi Raikkonen, above.

But will is matter is Michael Schumacher finds speed and reliability in Ferrari’s new F2002, right?

(Photo by Marshmothwoll and Sulton-lmagas)

moiorsoort news

FORMULA ONE

M

cLaren is rumoured to have the opposite problem. The MP4-17 is an evolution ofthe 2001 car but it has undergone significant change to improve aerodynamics and to take into account the fact that the team has decided to switch to Michelin tyres. The change of tyres is a major element for McLaren’s new package.

But the engine is important too.

This is the all-new FO llOM, designed and built at Ilmor Engineering in Brixworth. The first such engine ran on the dynos at Ilmor in November and has since undergone a lot of work on the transient dynos in Stuttgart and at Brixworth. There have been rumours for some time that the new VIO has been rather disappointing and that this is why McLaren decided to launch the new car a lot earlier than is normally the case.

All the signs point to a problem

nr xiiw/

Red?

The future is red. Very red.

II

-An unnamed(and non-Ferrari) GP team owner with the new Mercedes-Benz VIO engine with its 90-degree V-angle.

The reigning Champions, on the other hand, seem to have things imder control. After three consecutive Constructors' titles, the Ferrari engineers found themselves scratching around to find more performance. The gains have been diminishing. This has meant spending more and more money on obscure development programs and taking more risks.

It is no secret that Ferrari has been looking at some radical solutions to the problems of modern FI rather than playing it safe. But even that process was not very successful and, at one point, Ferrari decided to delay the new F2002

because the results from the windtunnel were not good enough.

The advantage that the team has is that this year there are no major rule changes and so, in the worstcase scenario, the team can use the old F2001 chassis. These are still very competitive and may have gained even more performance, thanks to progress which is rumoured to have been made by Bridgestone.

The rest are to much trouble the unlikely frontrunners.

The new Sauber looks to be the best ofthe rest and the team is confident that this year could bring it closer to the big three.

Not much is currently expected

from the two Honda-engined teams, as rumours say that the new Honda VIO is even more down-on-power than the Mercedes-Benz. Renault will be good as weU but no-one is quite sure how good.

Nor should we look for much from Jaguar Racing or from the new Ibyota team, but one or two people will teU you that the ArrowsCosworth is a car to be watched.

The problem there is that the team is stiU short of cash and so may not be able to keep up the pace of development.

And that leaves Minardi which will be a lot better than last year but where the team fits into the FI pecking order is a mystery for the moment. You will have to go to Albert Park to find out.

Just one tip, however,from a team boss, speaking “off the record”.

“The future,” he said, “is red.

Very red.”

Grand Prlx^ Prev/ew

Winning the

A gr

Bridgestone has Ferra

by JOE SAWARD

Two years ago, 750 horsepower was a lot to get from 3-litres. Now you need 800-plus FORMULA 1 engines are forever getting lighter, smaller and with a lower centre or gravity, but the big question for everyone involved in designing FI engines is the mystery of how to raise revs further and thus create more power.

Never in tfie history of the sport have so many resources been concentrated on FI engine development with Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, BMW, Honda, Ford, Renault and Toyota all working overtime to squeeze every last horsepower from the engines.

Although the 3litre normallyaspirated VIO IS a relatively matuie engine now, power outputs continue to rise as research and development engineers have begun looking further afield to find new solutions.

Packaging has become more and more important which is why many of the car firms are going for wide-angled engines.

As Renault did last season with its fastdeveloping 111 -degree unit, below.

The reduction of friction has become an art form while all manner of new treatments are being tried to enhance the

properties of the steel crankshafts and camshafts.

BMW seems to have got the hang of it and is holding on to its secrets. The latest BMW engines are rumoured to be producing around 870 horsepower and none of the other engine builders are close to that. The BMWs last year were unreliable while the Ferrari VI0,

A dream come true!

while not as powerful as the BMW - but it was a lot more reliable, and Maranello was domainant.

At the moment, both Mercedes-Benz and Honda are rumoured to be in trouble with new wide-angled engines, which are not producing the power expected. Renault learned this lesson last year and is expected to be more competitive in 2002 while Cosworth is producing some very neat little engines but has not been supplying them to the right teams.

Although much is made of aerodynamics, tyres and drivers there is no doubt that one thing than can never be underestimated in FI is pure horsepower...

-JOE SAWARD

THIS year, Michelin and Bridgestone go head-to-head on equal terms for the first time in Formula 1 and the battle looks like being a wild one.

Last year, Michelin had not tested at all the tracks and so was guessing on compounds and constructions. The French company did remarkably well and Bridgestone was worried. By the end of the season the Bridgestone men were muttering about how Michelin tyres rarely had any tread left, while Michelin was talking about Bridgestone using additives on Michael Schumacher’s tyres in Suzuka...

Over the winter, the competition has continued to be intense. McLaren decided to switch to Michelin, having been frustrated in its dealings with Bridgestone. The team always suspected that Bridgestone was favouring Ferrari with tyres specifically designed for the Ferrari. The Japanese always denied that this was the case.

Now the problem no longer exists as Michelin has to handle Williams and McLaren, and Bridgestone can concentrate all its efforts on Ferrari.

In testing so far this winter it seems that the need not to compromise has worked in Bridgestone’s favour as the new tyres are very quick. The

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FORMULA ONE

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Was Bridgestone, is Micheiin: Will an off-season change in tyre supply be the boost which will aide McLaren in its battle against Ferrari and Bridgestone?

Me and my shadow; The men behind Michelin’s F1 push; Competition manager Pierre Dupasquier and Michelin symbol Bibendum.

(Photo by Sutton-lmages)

Michelin users are also confident and so the stage is set for a season of ebb and flow as each company gains at one track and loses at another.

The stakes are high and so it is possible that there will be a few paddock punch-ups.

Hopefully, it will just be a straight fight - no-one gains when mud starts to be slung around.

Both companies know very well that the best thing that can happen for them is to have a tyre war - because otherwise, no-one pays any attention to tyres!

20 February 2002

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3S

Grand Prix Preview

Toyota travels to Albert Park with a lot of expectations - maybe more than any other FI debutant. ADAM OOOPER Inoks at some ol the famous - and infamous maiden seasons in GP racing

I

N Melbourne,Toyota will become the first all-new team since BAR arrived on the scene in 1999. The Cologne-based outfit will also be the best-financed and, perhaps, best-prepared new team the sport has ever seen.

But what will it have to do to have a successful rookie year?

In recent seasons, other newcomers to Grand Prix racing have not achieved much. Teams such as Simtek, Pacific, Forti and Lola all arrived with a serious excess of optimism over bank balance, and all tripped up on the familiar FI Catch 22; the rich get richer, and the poor usually end up facing mountains of debts.

All four barely got off the starting blocks, and did not last beyond their second seasons; Lola didn't even make it to its second race. Consider how many new teams have started in the past 20 years and yet, apart from BAR, only Jordan (born 1991), Sauber (1993), Jaguar (born 1997 as Stewart) are still going. The principle of 'LIFO'Last In, First Out - works well in FI. Through the '80s and '90s, teams continued to make the mistake of underestimating not only the costs but also the unrelenting pressures involved in keeping an FI team going.

In CART, even recently, you can buy a second-hand customer car and tackle the races you want to; in FI, you not only have to build your own chassis, you have to commit to a full season with two entries.

The best-ever debut was made by Mercedes, which arrived in 1954, won the Drivers' Championship twice, and then pulled out of motorsport.

However, some might argue that having been so active in the pre-war, pre- Championship days, the Silver Arrows did not strictly represent a new team.

There are mixed opinions on how Toyota will fare this season but history is a great teacher, so here is a list of the GP teams which have appeared since the 1990 season.

36

1990 Life-Opts Did this really happen, or did we dream it? The unwanted First Racing prototype re-emerged as the Life, complete with bizarre W12 engine. Gary Brabham departed after two farcical qualifying attempts, and then veteran Bruno Giacomelli was dragged from the wilderness after seven years out of FI. He never came close to qualifying, and the distinctly odd Italian team finally disappeared.

Oualifying attempts: 14.

Starts: 0.

1991 Jordan, 13 pts(5th)

*.»***■

Always touted as the classic example of how to do it right.

Eddie Jordan's best move was securing a supply of Ford HBs as used by Benetton. Gary Anderson designed a superb car, drivers Bertrand Gachot and Andrea de Cesaris were hungry, and the whole thing was carried along on a tidal wave of enthusiasm. By mid-season the cars were in the points.

Finishing fifth in the points was impressive, but behind the scenes, Eddie walked a financial tightrope, and only a works deal with Yamaha saved the team in 1992. The legacy of the 'green' year still haunts the team.

Highlights: Hungaroring (Fastest lap, Montreal/Mexico (4th)

1991 Lambo, 0 pts

Originally set-up by a wealthy Mexican who disappeared into thin air (believed murdered!) before the project even got underway, this one-time only works Lamborghini effort found a new owner and stumbled through a single season. Drivers Nicola Larini and Eric van de Poele weren't bad, but after a shock seventh for the Italian in the opening race, they usually failed to make the field. Closed at year's end.

Qualifying attempts: 32.

Starts: 6.

P>ww.»M'/>!" Khritmiili

t moiorsport nmit

FORMULA ONE

V_y

1992 Andrea Moda,0 pts Italian shoemaker Andrea Moda

comparison.

Qualifying attempts: 32.

Starts: 7.

took over Colon! and relaunched it under new name. Alas, this appallingly unprofessional team was in the Life category; Roberto Moreno qualified just once (at Monaco, of all places) and poor Brit Perry McCarthy was rarely even allowed out of the pits to attempt a lap. Usually, the thing broke within seconds. Collapsed before season's end.

Qualifying attempts: 20.

Starts: 1.

1995 Forti -0 pts Forti had been successful in

1993 Sauber 12 pts(=6th)

●f'.

TOYO

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N ■ .

w

Ob what a feeling: Toyota and Mika Saloface a big challenge this season. But the team is hound to do better than Pedro Diniz’s Forti (above left), JJ Lehto's Sauber (left) or Jos Verstappen’s Simtek-Ford, below.

20 Fsbruary 2002

Qvershadowed by Jordan, Sauber had an equally good first season two years later. After winning the sportscar title with Mercedes the team set its sights on FI, only for the German manufacturer to pull back. But it still subsidised Sauber, which thus started on a secure financial footing and with handy llmor V10 engines. First time out JJ Lehto qualified sixth and finished fifth the best debut since Jody Scheckter and Wolf in 1977. Karl Wendlinger helped contribute to a healthy points total.

Flighlights: Imola, Monza (4th).

1994 Simtek 0 pts S imtek boss Nick Wirth had

designed projects for other people - including Andrea Moda - before ambitiously striking out on his own. His car wasn't too bad, but the team never recovered from the tragic death of Roland Ratzenberger at Imola.

The promised big sponsor never came, and Simtek closed in mid95. Its cars and other assets were auctioned off.

Qualifying attempts: 32.

Starts: 27.

1994 Pacific 0 pts

Pacific had a winning record in the lower ranks, but the PR01 was a leftover from a stillborn Reynard project, and was out of date before the season even started. Mid-season rule changes didn't help the new boys. Gachot, a veteran of the new/struggling team scenario, could do little with the llmor-powered device, while the mediocre Paul Belmondo had no chance. Fellow newcomers Simtek looked pretty good in

Italian F3 and FIA F3000 before making the step up with its own car, thank to budget from Brazilian Pedro Diniz. Alas, it was a hopelessly uncompetitive machine and the team was out of its depth; Diniz and veteran Roberto Moreno had no chance.

Folded in mid-96.

Qualifying attempts: 34.

Starts: 34.

1997 Lola - Opts

The biggest joke of all time. The once mighty manufacturer came in to FI full of ambition and ostensibly with blue-chip Mastercard backing. But the hurriedly drawn car was useless, cashflow planning even worse.

Veteran boss Eric Broadley backed out as soon as the big bills came in; he pulled the plug while the crew was already in Brazil, preparing the cars for their second outing.

Qualifying attempts: 2.

Starts: 0.

1997: Stewart 6 pts (9th)

Jackie Stewart persuaded Ford to bankroll a team that grew from the Paul Stewart Racing F3000 operation. He signed up Rubens Barrichelio and Jan Magnussen, star of the PSR F3 team. Incredibly Rubens managed to finish second in the rain at Monaco, in what was only the team's fifth outing. Helped

by Bridgestone the Brazilian qualified third in Canada, but reliability was poor and the team rarely rose above midfield.

Magnussen failed to score a point, and without Monaco, it would have been a poor year.

1999: BAR 0 pts

C raig Pollock did an incredible job to find the money to put the BAR team together, but the first year was a total disaster. Using Supertec power, Jacques Villeneuve and Ricardo Zonta failed to score a single point although Jacques did at least qualify as high as fifth, at Imola.

Reliability was poor and the double Eau Rouge crashes in qualifying at Spa provided the lowest point of the season.

Qualifying attempts: 34.

Starts: 33.

31

Grand Prix Previews

The new bnee,

Five drivers wili have their names bolted up in pitlane for the first time at Albert Park in a couple of weeks. MARK GLENDENNING takes a look at the four that weren't hanging with Dannii Minogue in Paris on Australia Day.

L

rVING in the country that hosts the FI curtain-

raiser each year has its benefits.

We get to experience the break in the off-season drought live, in person, and out in the sun while our friends in the northern hemisphere are huddled around televisions at 5:00 am. We get the first peek at the new cars that the teams have spent the past months designing, building, and testing.

And we get the first chance to check out the newest names that have made it.

One of the guys to have made it this year is a tall bloke from Queanbeyan, NSW.You already know most of what you need to know about him (except maybe for the fact that he’s a Virgo), as he’s had his head in these pages quite a lot in the past weeks.

The other 2002 FI debutantes?

Read on ...

Jordan took a rare step when it filled the seat vacated by Jean Alesi by signing a Japanese driver on the strength of his talent rather than his wallet.

Takuma Sato turned the competitive British F3 series into a virtual one-man show last year, taking the title for Carlin Motorsport with 12 wins, along with victory in the prestigious Marlboro F3 Masters at Zandvoort and the International F3 race that supported the British Grand Prix.

A champion teenage cyclist (!), Sato made a very late start in

motorsport at age 19, winning the Honda Suzuka Racing School Scholarship, which granted him a fully-paid drive in Japanese F3. He later progressed on to Formula Vauxhall Junior and Formula Open Euroseries before making his British F3 debut in 2000. If Jordan and Honda can put together a good package(however unlikely it may seem, based on pre-season testing), Sato could well be worth watching.

If Sato seems old for a rookie at 2r>, look for the guy with the tartan ribbon on his helmet. Allan McNish’s step up to a full-time FI drive has come about 10 years later than expected.

McNish rose through the ranks to secure test roles with both Mclmen and Benetton in the early 1990s, but a race seat never eventuated.

The 31-year-old Scot returned to F3000 in 1995, securing two podiums for Paul Stewart Racing, before making a successful switch to sports-prototype racing that climaxed with a win for Porsche at Le Mans in 1998.

He switched to Audi for a successful ALMS title bid in 2000, a year that also featured the establishment of the links with

Crunch time: Reigning British F3 Champ Sato, above, and 1998 Le Mans winner McNish, below, face a new challenge with their FI debut.

(Photos by Sutton Images)

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Toyota that has culminated with his inclusion on the entry list for the 2002 Australian Grand Prix.

Does McNish feature in Toyota FI’s plans for the future, or is he merely keeping the seat warn for one of their development drivers say, Ryan Briscoe? Ask us again in about 10 months.

Last year, it was a young, inexperienced Finnish kid making a jump from Formula Renault.

This year it’s a young, relatively inexperienced Brazilian kid making a jump from European (as distinct from International) F3000.

Peter Sauber proved to be right on the money when he turned Kimi Raikkonen from a ‘who?’to a McLaren driver in just 12 months, even if the bit where Kimi jumped ship to fill Mika Hakkinen’s seat might not have quite figured in Sauber’s plans.

This time, it’s Felipe Massa, a 20year-old from Sao Paolo. Reputedly laden with natural talent and adaptability, Massa follows the Montoya-eqsue approach of spotting a gap, going for it, and letting the other guy decide whether or not he Hard act to follow: Massa will have to work hard to match the performance of predecessor Kimi Raikkonen.

(Photo by Sutton-lmages)

wants to have an accident.

If Sauber can give him a car equal to his reputation, team-mate Nick Heidfeld might be in for some sleepless nights.

Having contested the final three rounds of the 2001 season,Alex Yoong is not, strictly speaking, a debutante. The cash-laden Malaysian is making his first appearance in Australia though, lining up alongside Mark Webber in the KL Minardi Asiatech.

Yoong, 24, had a largely undistinguished rise through the junior ranks, the highlight being nmner-up in the 1995 Fomula Asia International Series in 1995.

His first three FI outings were unremarkable, although merely making the field at Monza was a minor achievement after his car stopped on his first qualifying out-lap.

At the end of the day Yoong is making up the numbers, both on the grid and in Minardi’s budget, motorsport nows

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Grand Prix: Previev/

Back in BLACK s IX years after packing his bags and heading to England, Mark Webber will line up at Albert Park as one of 2002's FI debutants.

It represents the achievement of one of his two major goals. The first was simply to get into Formula 1; to get a chance. With that now accomplished, the focus moves to item number two making the most of that opportunity.

Compared with the rapid rise of some of the recent Formula 1 errfants- Jenson Button and Kimi Raikkonen spring to mind Webber's journey thus far has been a little unconventional, but it does leave him in pretty good shape to approach the 2002 FI season with what is a relatively high experience level for a 'rookie' driver ...

It is that experience, highlighted by the time spent with the Mercedes Sportscar team, which tipped the scales in his favour with Australian team owner Paul Stoddart and which will sustain him through what could be quite a

tough year. The KL MinardiAsiatech team starts from a modest base - more often than not the back row of the grid - and so expectations have to be realistic.

"That's one of the things I have to get my head around," Webber mused as he pondered the remaining few days to his debut.

"I’ve been used to running at or near the front for the past two years in F3000, but I'm simply going to have to be aware of the limitations of what we have to race with, and be aware that the big guns will be coming up to put a lap on us.

"The team has already made quite a lot of progress - but so has the opposition. Paul (Stoddart) has a five-year plan and this is just year two, and so we have to be realistic. We're simply not going to get up into the mid-field under normal circumstances, so we just have to do the very best we can and take advantage of circumstances that present any opportunities to get a good result."

Already, though, Webber seems motivated by the underdog status of his new team.

"The guys at the team are doing an incredible amount of work at the moment. Because they are smaller in number than all the other teams, by quite a way, a lot of the guys are working up to 20 hours a day. And while they are coming up with ideas and improvements all the time.

there's a very fine line between pushing the team to make that progress and pushing too hard."

The past fortnight has seen the team undertake seven days of testing in nine days - a punishing schedule for a small organisation, but it has been essential to allow the all-new Asiatech-powered car as much track time as possible to evolve a reasonable set-up for the opening GP of the season.

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FORMULA ONE

Men in Black: Mark Webber, Alex Yoong (right) and Minardi head to Australia with realistic expectationsfor what will be their first GP as a team.

Or is Webber telling Yoong how much he will out-qualify him

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(Plwtos hy Stiuon-lrmises)

'look,there are no bad teams out there - although some of them don't do nearly enough with the resources they have

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-Mark Webber Last year's Minardi turned a wheel for the first time on Friday morning in Melbourne - the 2002 car is pleasingly well ahead of that...

Flow prepared does Webber feel after those nine, concentrated days and how will that translate into expectations for Melbourne?

"We'll have a pretty reasonable car for Melbourne," he says.

"Barcelona is a pretty demanding test circuit, demanding on everything - if you struggle there, then you're going to struggle at most places. Our car is coming along well."

20 rebruanr 2002

Between leaving Valencia on Friday and starting at Barcelona on the Monday, a number of changes were made to the basic car; "The new front wing showed a gain. Not quite as much as the windtunnel team had thought but nevertheless a gain - and we took a few steps forward with the electronics. We have two different systems - Asiatech uses TAG for the engine, while the car's systems use Magnetti Marelli. It's not really a problem - although it has thrown up a few surprises, which we've had to overcome.

"It was nine very concentrated days, more mentally taxing then physical - but in our case, it's allowed us to get through a lot of valuable work."

Despite seven days pounding around on-track with most of the other teams, Webber is still uncertain as to the odds of the Minardi getting in among some of them once racing starts; "It's really hard to say. Testing times are so unreliable as a guide.

You don't know who's running light, or even underweight, who's on what rubber ...

"We've had a fair bit of fuel on board most of the time and spent most of the time on Monza rubber from last year.

"Last week. Jaguar looked pretty bad - but then this week, they seem to have got it together.

We'd thought that Arrows might be a team we could have a go at, but they've been going quite well - but in what trim, we don't know.

"Look, there are no bad teams out there - although some of them don't do nearly enough with the resources they have - so you'd have to say that the back row is where we're likely to start from. Beter than that will be an obvious bonus.

"But as anyone will tell you, we won't really know where we stand until Friday, or most likely Saturday, in Melbourne. It's all about weight and that's when everyone will definitely be the same.

"I'm totally open-minded about how we'll go in qualifying, but we do have a few good things going for us in race trim - particularly if it's hot."

Plot? Most would presume that a wet race traditionally aids the lesser teams?

"A wet race does help in some ways, but at the moment, the driveability of the Asiatech would also make the wet a bit tricky the power comes in with a bit of a bang, which is one thing the engineers are working on.

"The Michelins will, I think, be very good if it is hot - and our cooling systems are good. Some of the 'A teams have been losing a few engines of late, so that could be a plus for us.

"Flaving said that, those teams are of course fighting to win the races and are pushing everything that much closer to the edge, whereas in our case we're clearly not in a position to win the race.

It's all about survival.

"Our number one aim is clearly to finish the race. For a small team, with all-new equipment, that is an important aim. I'd like to see the chequer.

"Where we are relative to the others at that point will be the interesting thihg. We've calculated that the new car should run the race 45-55 seconds quicker than last year. But of course, everyone else hasn't been standing still either!"

For those watching on in Melbourne, what is the team likely to concentrate on in the Friday and Saturday sessions?

"Friday is important for getting data together for the race. We have to make a tyre decision as early as possible and concentrate on setting up the car on that rubber."

(Michelin will have a notional 'hard' and 'soft' option in Melbourne, although the differences amount to much more than compound).

"We have to assess tyre degradation and also, importantly for Melbourne, brake wear.

Aerodynamics isn't as important in Melbourne as some places, but braking is. You need to be able to have maximum commitment under brakes.

"Corner exit speeds, traction control, are also quite critical for Melbourne.

"Friday will give, say, a 70 percent indication of the likely pecking order, but it's Saturday which will confirm it.

"The morning session will be spent setting up for qualifying, but it'll be the afternoon session which clearly establishes how fast the various teams are. There will be some running lighter than others during the earlier sessions and weight is absolutely critical to lap time - 50kgs of fuel is two seconds a lap."

And so to Sunday March 3. A red-letter day for Mark Webber. A Grand Prix debut is one thing having it 'at home' is another.

Does the moment give him pause to reflect on the journey so far the struggles, the triumphs, the near misses?

"To be honest. I've rarely thought much about the ups and downs along the way. It's important to concentrate on maximising the opportunity you have at the time."

But in a packed FI pit lane, with your name above one of the garages?

"That'll be big. Friday morning in particular. I know there'll be a lot of support out there among the crowd and first time out will be an emotional moment for quite a few people - especially those who have been part of what I've been trying to achieve for a long time.

"Part of it is dealing with such a big occasion. You have to enjoy it - then get on with doing the job."

-CHRIS LAMBDEN 41

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MOTORSPORT 2/02B

Grand Prix Preview

All the fun of the (FI) Albert Park for the WHENEVER you go is to Grand Prix, there never a lack of things to do and see, and the 2002 Foster’s Australian GP is certainly no different.

Whether it is action on the track or above it, there is never a shortage of things to catch the eye.

In fact, compared to some international FI events, where there is maybe one Formula 3 race, or a Porsche Supercup to watch, there are some visitors to Melbourne who believe that there is too much action at the circuit!

You just cannot please some people, can you?

To start with, there is a full support program, headlined by three 12-lap events for V8 Supercars. Usually, that would be a big drawcard in itself, but this season, the number of changes over the summer mean that there is

teams skipping pre-season testing, the gurus will be paying special attention to the perfonnance of the new rubber in race conditions.

Nations Cup racing is always entertaining. At Albert Park,it will be doubly so, with defending Champion Jim Richards out in a new Porsche GT3 Supercup to take on allcomers. But that does not mean that the races will be a walkover for the German marque; pay close attention to Prancing Horse Racing’s new Ferrari 360 Michelottos, particularly one.

Normally a 20-year-old Nations Cup rookie would not attract much attention in a field like this but, when that rookie is already a Formula One test driver with Toyota and his name is Ryan Briscoe, you have to treat him slightly ifferently.

Put it this way; this -will be Briscoe’s first car race in Australia.

plenty to see.

Bathurst winner Tony Longhurst will make his debut with the Betta/Briggs Ford team, John Bowe appears in OzEmail colours for the first time and Steven

It’s been a long off-season guys, so take it... never mind: Look for plenty of drama in the V8 Supercar events, and bring your finest Ft ciobber so you don’t look like a damned footy fan, OK?(Photos by Marshall cass)

Richards shows up in his Castrol/Perkins Commodore VX. Neil Crompton appears in his first sprint round in a year, while HRT,Kmart Racing, Castrol and Ford Credit Racing unveil their new 2002 looks.

His second will, in all likelihood, be in the FI Grand Prix itself...

What else? The Karcher Formula Ford Track Attack has become a firm favourite. Last year, young Will Davison used the races as

One other thing; these will be the first V8 Supercar races on Dunlop’s control tyre after three years with Bridgestone. With many

practice before winning the title.

And the Histories are always worth a look, whether in the on-track

Tattersall’s Demonstration, or away in their own paddock area adjacent to the main straight.

The Brock family and the Johnsons will go at it each day, Peter and Jamie Brock taking on Dick and Steven Johnson in a unique event where Dad and Son will combine in a race of the

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molorspon news

FORMULA ONE 2002 FOSTER’S AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX TIMETABLE

...

»

l

Thursday 28 February

Saturday 2nd March

0930-0950 1000-1011 1015-1035 1035-1045 1055-1115 1110-1121 1130-1155 1155 1210-1230 1230-1241 1245-1305 1305-1311 1315-1330 1335-1345 1355-1415 1430-1450 1450 1505-1535 1535-1546 1555-1615 1615 1625-1635 1635-1646 1650-1720 1740-1800

0900-0945 Formula Dne Practice Session 3(45 Mins) 0945 Exotics

Shannon's Historic Touring Cars Practice (20 Mins) Stunt Riders'Display (11 Mins) Karcher Formula Ford Track Attack Practice (20 Mins) Stunt Riders'Display (11 Mins) Cleanevent Nations Cup Practice (20 Mins) Stunt Riders'Display (11 Mins) Netspace V8 Supercar Showdown Practice (30 Mins) Exotics Shannon's Historic Touring Cars Qualifying (20 Mins) Stunt Riders'Display (11 Mins) Karcher Formula Ford Track Attack Qualifying (20 Mins) Stunt Riders' Display (6 Mins) Tattersall's Historic Demonstration (20 Mins) 2 Seater Minardis Practice (10 Mins) The Brocks V The Johnsons Practice (20 Mins) Cleanevent Nations Cup Qualifying (20 Mins) Exotics Netspace V8 Supercar Showdown Qualifying (30 Mins) Stunt Riders'Display (11 Mins) Shannon's Historic Touring Cars Race 1(8 Laps) Exotics 2 Seater Minardis Display Laps (10 Mins) Stunt Riders' Display (11 Mins) Karcher Formula Ford Track Attack Race 1 (10 Laps) Cleanevent Nations Cup Race 1 (8 Laps)

■'

● -is' 4

generations. Add to that the Stunt Riders’ regular displays, Minardi’s 2-seater (driven by team boss Paul Stoddart), flyovers and competitions where, for instance, you could take home $5000 as the best-dressed GP fan and there is an awful lot to take in.

So pace yourself Be there all four days - but remember; when the on-track action is over at 6:00pm every day, the night time action is just about to warm up ...

Friday 1st March 0930-0940 0940-0955 0955-1015 1100-1200 1208-1220 1220-1230 1300-1400 1400-1416 1425-1450 1452-1501 1510-1530 1530 1550-1605 1620-1630 1640-1645 1655-1720 1720 1740-1800

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Trading Post Grand Prix Rally Parade Part 2(2 Laps) Tattersall's Historic Demonstration (15 Mins) Stunt Riders' Display (6 Mins) Corporate Kart Challenge (2 Laps) Netspace V8 Supercars Drivers' Parade (10 Mins)

1300-1400 Formula Dne Qualifying Session (60 Mins) 1400-1415 1425-1450 1450-1456 1510-1535 1545-1555 1555-1605 1615-1645 1645-1655 1700-1720 1720 1740-1800

Stunt Riders' Display (15 Mins) Netspace V8 Supercars Showdown Race 2(12 Laps) Stunt Riders' Display (6 Mins) Karcher Formula Ford Track Attack Race 3(10 Laps) The Brocks V The Johnsons Demonstration #3(10 Mins) Stunt Riders' Display (10 Mins) Cleanevent Nations Cup Race 3(10 Laps) Stunt Riders' Display (10 Mins) Mini Celebrity Challenge Qualifying (20 Mins) Exotics Shannon's Historic Touring Cars Race 3(8 Laps)

Sunday 3rd March

0930-1000 Formula One Warm-Up (30 Mins.)

Corporate Kart Challenge Qualifying (10 Mins) Stunt Riders' Display (15 Mins) Tattersall's Historic Demonstration (15 Mins) Formula Dne Practice Session 1 (60 Min) Trading Post Grand Prix Rally Parade Part 1 (2 Laps) 2 Seater Minardis Display Laps (10 Mins) Formula Dne Practice Session 2 (60 Mins) Stunt Riders' Display (16 Mins) Cleanevent Nations Cup Race 2 (10 Laps) Stunt Riders' Display (9 Mins) Netspace V8 Supercar Showdown Race 1 (10 Laps) Exotics Mini Celebrity Challenge Practice (15 Mins) The Brocks V The Johnsons Demonstration #2(10 Mins) Stunt Riders' Display (5 Mins) Karcher Formula Ford Track Attack Race 2 (10 Laps) Exotics Shannon's Historic Touring Cars Race 2 (8 Laps)

McCAL COMMUNICATIONS

1015-1100 Formula One Practice Session 4(45 Mins) 1108-1120 1130-1145 1145-1151 1155-1205 1220-1230

1005-1015 Tattersall's Historic Demonstration - Including Prestige Marques Parade Laps 1015-1027 Stunt Riders' Display (12 Mins) 1037-1057 Netspace V8 Supercar Showdown Race 3 (10 Laps) 1057-1112 Stunt Riders' Display (15 Mins) 1110-1115

Formula One Drivers' Photo

1115-1126 Formula One Drivers' Parade 1140-1155 Mini Celebrity Challenge Race (5 Laps) 1215-1227 Cleanevent Nations Cup Race 4 (6 Laps) 1240-1250 The Brocks V The Johnsons Demonstration #4(10 Mins) 1301-1305 Mass Flag Drop 1350-1352 National Anthem 1352-1354 Qantas Jet Flyover 1400

2002 Foster's Australian Grand Prix - 59 Laps Including Warm-Up (Approx, 1 Hr 40 Mins) Podium Presentation 2002 Foster's Australian Grand Prix

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45

MotorSport Av/ards

Skaife, Bayliss take gol r

met The judging panels have and adjudicated on the MotorSport Awards,the annual recognition of achievment in motor sport,for 2001.

And while Mark Skaife’s domination of V8 Supercar racing provides little surprise in terms of the first Gold award - for National motorsport - the awarding of the International award to Superbike World Champion Troy Bayliss is a coup for the two-wheel racing fraternity.

The Superbike title win,in a tough field,saw Bayliss get the judges’ nod in a close contest with Australia’s three leading overseas four-wheel racers.

The MotorSport Awards are judged by hand-picked panels of observers and current and former racers.

In the case of the International award,for example,the panel of 12 is made up from a handful of experienced motorsport media and industry observers joined

by Mark Skaife, Steven Richards,Frank Matich,Larry Perkins and Tim Schenken all having tasted life in the overseas motorsport world and understanding just how tough it can be.

All vote independently on a preliminary list of nominees, to find the four final nominees and a winner.

A change for this year’s awards is the allocation of two ‘Gold’ MotorSport Awards rather than the single MotorSportsman of the Year awarded in previous years.

Acknowleding the increasing strength of Australia’s overseas motor sport presence. Gold awards will now be presented annually for both National and International Australian MotorSportsmen of the Year.

The Young Achiever award remains as the leading Silver award, with others for Personality of the Year and for excellence in the sports of Rallying, Drag Racing and Speedway.

Most of the individual winners will receive their specially-crafted (by Harrop Engineering) awards shortly, while Bayliss is expected to receive his when he arrives for Australia’s Superbike round, at Phillip Island 46

Australian National MotorSportsman of the Year

MARK SKAIFE

I

n a season when he took out the V8 Supercar double, it is no surprise that Mark Skaife's Gold MotorSport Award was a clear cut decision by the voting panel.

While the level of competition was the highest ever, with 10 separate round winners in the Shell Series, it was Skaife who racked up the consistent points, winning the opening round at Phillip Island, Eastern Creek and the big one - Bathurst.

Interestingly, all three remaining nominees were V8 Supercar round winners, but in the end couldn't manage the grinding consistency of the Shell Series Champion.

Honourable mentions - just missing out on the final four went to young Formula Holden Champion (and V8 debutant) Rick Kelly and evergreen Nations Cup Champion Jim Richards - who also shared a second FTR Falcon in the V8 long-distance races.

Marcos Ambrose

Russell Ingall

NOMINEES: Marcos Ambrose Russell Ingall Greg Murphy Mark Skaife Greg Murphy

J Aw-*"'

Riotortport news

SPECIAL FEATURE

d in MotorSport Awards

Australian MotorSport Young Achiever of the Year 1.'

Australian iternational >rSportsman of the Year WILL DAVISON

TROY BAYLISS NOMINEES: Troy Bayliiss Ryan Briscoe James Courtney Mark Webber Ryan Briscoe

Stepping the shoes ride - ofinto a champion is - or never an enviable task but Troy Bayliss made it look straightforward in 2001.

Bayliss steppd out of the Ducati-red shadow of Carl Fogarty and asserted himself as the man on the Italian V-twin, taking the world Superbike title from 2000 champ, Flonda's Colin Edwards, and fellow Ducati 996 pilot Ben Bostrom.

What decided the title was the fact that the Australian veteran rode every lap of every race as if his life depended on it.

Consistency ruled the day - and Bayliss also had plenty of speed.

The pattern of voting for the internationals was close, Bayliss, Mark Webber and Ryan Briscoe split by the narrowest of margins. In the end, two wheels beat four and Bayliss is a worthy winner.

James Courtney

Mark Webber

A MEMBER of the latest wave of teenage wonderkids in Aussie motorsport, the 19-year-old did everything right in 2001.

A dominant win in the Australian Grand Prix support races, followed by victory in the Australian Formula Ford title, capped off an extraordinary season for the Melbourne-based driver.

Armed with the latest Van Diemen RF01, solid backing from a supportive consortium of investors and top engineer Michael Ritter, Davison went out and did the job. A highlight was the race win at Calder. Flaving slipped off the road and fallen back, he clawed his way back to the front and still took the win.

There was only one race when he didn't finish in the top two all year, after a season-long battle with Will Power, 2002 is full of new challenges, with Formula Renault in the UK being the next step.

NOMINEES:

I BOItOPi 20 February 2002

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Will Davison Rick Kelly Troy Little Mark Winterbottom 47

NioforSporf Awards

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Australian MotorSport Personality of the Year GREG MURPHY

Nominees: Marcos Ambrose - vs’s Rookie of the Year

Russell Ingall - the

Enforcer is still one of the fans’ favourites

Craig Lowndes despite the switch from to Ford, the fans love him Greg Murphy - the King of Pukekohe; says it like it IS ...

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Australian MotorSport Rally Driver of the Year ED ORDYNSKI While Possum Bourne won the ARC again, the competition amounted to just one, slightly older Toyota.

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THE Murph’remains a favourite among race fans and resurrected his career after Gibson Motorsport headed for Ford with a smart move in the direction of Kmart Racing for 2001.

Murph played his part in putting together TWR’s offshoot team in a real hurry early in the season and soon showed some form.

Best moment came in November when the V8 Show hit New Zealand and Murph carded a perfect score, grabbing pole and all three races in front of an excited home crowd.

Nominees: Possum Bourne -arc Champion for the sixth time

Cody Crocker - Oz

Group N Champion also ran hot in Rally NZ Ed Ordynski - won ARC round in Gp N car; won Rally Oz Group N, again!

Mark Thompson offered a management deal in the UK after running a self-built Evo V in Oz Ordynski’s feat in again winning the Group N section of Rally Australia against all-comers, clearly impressed the judges...

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SPECIAL FEATURE

Australian MotorSport Speedway Racer of the Year MAX DUMESNY

Nominees: Jason Crump (runner up, Speedway Grand Prix) Max Dumesny (winner, 2001/2002 World Series Sprintcars and Australian Title) Skip Jackson (2001 Aussie Champ) Brooke Tatnell (winner, 2000/2001 World Series Sprintcars) GETTING better as the years tick by, Max Dumesny is a welldeserved winner of the Speedway Award.

While it’s awarded for the 2001

Australian MotorSport Drag Racer of the Year STEVE MARKER

season in NHRA Top Fuel Steve Marker - limited NHRA scedule produces win Jim Read - Top Fuel vet eran claimed three gold Christmas Trees in 24 hours at the 2001 Nationals

BRISBANE’S Steve Barker only ran a limited schedule in the US,but he put it to good use.

The Federal Mogul Funny Car

pilot wrote himself into the record books by winning the NHRA Pacific Division Finals at Las Vegas, defeating Steve Gasparrelli.

Nominees: Andrew Cowin - limited NHRA schedule produced good results.

Dave Grubnic - solid

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INTERVIEW

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CL: From what I see and understand, it’s well on track.

We have brought on a new car and, as we speak, it's being painted and readied for assembly. That's a new car for Neil (Crompton); from where I sit, everything looks fine.

MN: Twelve months ago, you went from being a 'Holden driver' to a 'Ford driver'- a big change. What about the actual difference in changing from a Holden Racing Team car to the Stone-built car for Gibson's?

CL: There were a lot of differences in understanding the 2D Fsbruirv 20B2

We took on a lot last year; a completely (Mferent mamifactuper, a (Hffepont car ami,for me,a different team" - Craig Lowndes team. We really had to take a big leap in understanding the Gibson personnel and, if you asked them, they would say the same about me. We need to understand the way that we operate, the way that we communicate, So that we can get the job done.

Driving the car? It was a good car to drive; probably not as easy

as the HRT car, mainly because we did not have a good grasp on the set-ups. Now, this year, we have 12 months behind us and we have our set-ups from last year.

So by itself, that means that this year should be a lot better.

The consistency should start to come; last year, we were not consistent, we made a few errors but we still had some speed. This year is mainly about correcting all the problems that we identified last year.

MN: I guess one of the things people may not have expected last year was that you were pretty good out of the box.

You were on the podium at Albert Park and you won in Adelaide.

CL: We were working pretty hard! Every team was ...

We put our heads together and understood the task at hand.

We knew it was going to be a tough season and we were hoping to get a top three result in the championship. But we did not make any extra pressure; we didn’t go out there saying,'We are going to win the championship'. Knowing where we had come from, it was going to be a long-shot.

We took on a lot last year; a completely different manufacturer, a different car and, for me, a different team. It was going to be a tall order but I think that we had some great performances last year. But we were not as efficient as we wanted to be ...

continued on page 50 51

Craig Lov\^ncles continued from page 49 MN: What about the second. change of car -from the SBRbuilt Falcon to the Gibsonbuilt one?

CL: It was a big thing in the sense that there are a lot of different set-ups for cars.

Look at last year; the three cars we campaigned - which were Rodney Forbes’s car, the Stone Brothers car and then the new car - were completely different, from their engine installations, their chassis were different; one was stiff, one was a little weaker and the other was different again.

That made it even more difficult last year; you could not carry something over from car to car.

This year, we can do that. We have three cars which are identical.

So it was another big jump to go to the newer car. It was a fantastic car; we really only got in two days’ testing towards the end of the year in the car, so I feel that the car is very much under-developed.

We are really looking forward to making more progress with it this year.

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MN; Will that potentially hurt you this year, Craig? Look at Adelaide, as an example; you raced the 'Stone' car there last year and now it will be the 'Gibson' car. Can you translate the set-up?

CL: Well, we have a lot better understanding in the differences between the Stone car and the new car. We will be able to adjust to that.

But the other thing you have to throw into the ring now is the new tyre. The Dunlop will change all that anyway so it will just be a matter of how quickly we get on top of things on the ty're front.

MIM: Before you get to the first championship race of the season, you will have to prequalify at Mallala - now against Mark Skaife. How do you feel about that?

CL: Well ... not, not against Skaife.

MN: Yep. TWRA has nominated Skaife.

CL: Okayl Well, that doesn’t worry me.

There will be 15 to 20 cars there trying to prequalify.

Flopefully, 1 will be one of the cars which gets through ...

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INTERVIEW Last year was the learning year; this year is hopefully the year that we go back up.

But there are some very good teams out there that will be trying to step in our way"

k

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Presents **madel of the month 9W

Lauren

Although I have done some modellingfrom time to time since I was young, during the last 12 months I have been

- Craig Lowndes

modellingfull time. I enjoy the hostessing side of work in the

Has it really only been a year?

Lowndes is starting to look asfamiliar in silver and black Ford lutes as he once did in HRT blue/white and red.

(Photos by AFI-Imagts}

The problem you have is when something malfunctions, like an oil line or whatever. People laugh that, whenever we go to Bathurst, we talk about a $2 part putting us out of a race. If that happens during prequalifying then it puts us out of the Adelaide race altogether. That is a bit of a concern.

But you have to look on the positive side. It will give us another practice session to be able to understand the Dunlop tyre. That is why Mark would have been put in there ...

MN; You weie a spectator before you were a driver. How would you feel if you went to Albert Park and Michael Schumacher had to prequalify?

CL: (laughs! In one sense, it would make it pretty interesting to see how he would go. You could almost guarantee that he would get in there.

The unfortunate thing is that the Adelaide promoters can't say for sure who will be in their race.

If, for instance,,we have a problem with our car at Mallala, I might not be on the grid for the races. That is a dilemma for them; our dilemma will be to get into the races.

MN: What are your expectations for this season, Craig?

CL: Looking back at last year, we 20 February 2002

had some great results. We finished the year on a high and I think that we were starting to get a handle on the new car. I worked well with the guys in the team and they understand me a lot better.

So we are expecting to be able to have a crack at the championship. That is what the team is all about and that is why we are set up the way that we are. Last year was the learning year; this year is hopefully the year that we go back up. But there are some very good teams out there that will be trying to step in our way.

MN: There are a lot of people out there who look at you and who would like to be Craig Lowndes for a day. So who would YOU like to be for a day?

CL: I don't know ... (Long'pause) 1 am actually pretty happy being who I am!

modelling industry, as I have direct contact with people.

Out of all motor sports, Ifind motorbike events the best racing.

I am currently in the third and final year of Media Studies at university. I am very interested in film making, which Ido a bit of at the moment and would love to one day land ajob in television journalism.

I was born in Melbourne and have lived here all my life. I have competed in three triathlons in Melbourne, and enjoyed every one of them. The only exercise I tend to do is the gym and running. I do love the beach, so swimming and water-skiing are myfavourite activities whenever I have the chance.

Ijust recently spent a month travelling through Asia and

MN: You never wanted to be Tiger Woods?

CL: It would be interesting to be Tiger Woods. Within the sport he plays and the level of stardom he has created in the short period of time he has had ...

It is interesting when you go to functions and meet other athletes in other sports. At the end of the day, you tend to share a lot of similarities: you have to be very dedicated to your sport and very committed. Sometimes you have to sacrifice things to make sure that you get to where you want to be.

But who would I like to be for a day? I am pretty happy with who I am and what I am doing.

would love to do some more travel in the nearfuture.

To take time out, Ispend as much time as I can going out with myfriends to bars and seeing bands.

For more pictures of Lauren visit www.sppromotions.com.au

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Chris Pook

Consolidating CART New CART CEO Chris Pook once turned the Long Beach GP from a run-down event into one ofthe biggest on the American racing caiendar. He met the press at Laguna Seca's recent CART ‘Sneak Preview’and the Mowing is what he had to say On CART in general

Getting the house in order: Chris Pook is clear in hisfocus. (Sumn-imaga)

"THIS sport, called Championship Auto Racing Teams, is probably the finest form of motor racing there is in the world today.

"When I nnade the commitnnent to my board of directors and gave me the direction in 1983 to move from Formula 1 to CART, we came to learn very quickly that when a driver wins this FedEx Championship, that driver has accomplished a huge amount.

"1 think the biggest change we have made is in the philosophical structure in how CART operates.

Yes, we are a sanctioning body: and yes, we put on motor car races; and yes, the competition is fierce and the activity between the walls is fierce.

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They do their thing: Pook wants to co-exist peacefully with Tony George, below, (Photos by Sullon-lmages) and his newly-Pensked Indy Racing League.

"But once we go outside of those walls, we are now a service-servicing organization.

We are a marketing company.

We are a facilitator."

On Indy and the IRL "IF you want to go to oval racing you should go to the IRL. If you want to go to the true championship of road, oval and streets, you stay with us.

"If your customers want to buy Ford and Chevys and Dodges, go to the IRL. If you want to buy Toyotas, Flondas, import cars, stay with us. If you want to smoke Winston cigarettes, go to the IRL. If you want to smoke KOOL cigarettes, stay with us.

"This is all about demographics. This is all about marketing. This is all about where we fit and where they fit.

We know where we fit and we know what we are going to do.

"If you are a multinational company and you want to have a tremendous NAFTA (North American Free Trade Association) marketing platform, come to us. If you are a multinational company and you n

want a NAFTA platform plus the Orient plus Australia plus the EEC, come to us. If you just want to sell in the United States, the IRL is where you should be.

"Indianapolis is the greatest race in the world. I hope all of our teams have the opportunity to participate in it. And if any of the IRL teams want to come across and participate in one of our races, I know that we will welcome them with open arms and we’ll be delighted to have them.

'We do want to make it more

anybody who wants to have a bet on how we are going to be in 2004, I'm happy to take your bets. ft

- Pook on what he sees as a bright future for CART motorsDort news

FEATURE -I

Focusing on the strengths: CART's strength has always been its diversity. Whether it be nationalities ofdrivers, racing disciplines, or equipment, the Champ Car series has always provided entertainment. Pooh is in the role ofre-building after a tough 2001.

(Photo by Boyd/Bothwcll Photographic)

economical for our teams, in the sense we do want to have a common on engine and common chassis and that makes all of the sensibility in the world; so they have the flexibility to go where they want to go.

"We are not at war. It's just a different philosophy. He made it very clear that he espoused the philosophy he wanted to do. He wanted to bring down the cost of oval racing.

"He (Tony George) wanted to put American drivers into the series.

And he wanted to, if you will, make it more of an all-American sport, stars-and-stripes sport. And then, terrific. Yeah, why not?

"That's not our business model. Our business model is different. We are multinational.

We are a combination of street, oval and road. And we have a different philosophy about what our racing cars should do.

"I mean, we've got to get on and run our series and he's got to run his series, and hopefully one of these days we may have a commonality where we can say, gosh, let's choose three or four races, maybe, that we can get together on and co-operate together on."

On the downturn of CART "IF you feel we're dying,then you have to write that. I know I'm 60 years old, but I'm not dead yet. I suppose there were some things that took place that gave that perception, but it is what it is.

"I can't change the past. But I'm going to change the future, by being proactive. By dealing with the issues.

"Rome was not built in a day.

And we are just going to take some time to do it. I think if you look at how we are going, you are just going to put one foot forward at a time and put it down solidly and then move the next foot forward.

"It's just a question of being sensible, how you approach it and executing on a game plan.

"You know, you all write in your notebooks the doom and gloom today of the early part of 2002.

And anybody who wants to have a bet on how we are going to be in 2004, I'm happy to take your bets.

"Let's just put them in an envelope and write them down and put your name on and I'll put

my dough in another envelope and we'll see who picks up the money in a couple of years' time.

"But we don't need committees to run this thing.

We need guys making solid decisions listening to the outside and making a decision and giving leadership going forward. That's how you lead. You know, you lead by input and then someone making a decision and moving forward.

"As far as the owners are Concerned, or the members of the franchise board; if you look at it like a pack of lions; if you have a bunch of young lions, they are all trying to bite each other and claw and scramble and do something and it's out of control.

"But you get one big old lion in there that's tougher than hell and he bites the crap out of the young ones that step out of line and gives them leadership and guidance, the young lions tend to fall in line a little bit.

"That's the society we live in.

The majority have to rule. And you saw what happens - a perfect example of the minority trying to rule, unfortunately, was September 11. A very small

minority tried to do something and that small minority now are getting their butts kicked."

On new races "I THINK the most important thing we've got to do is review what we've got at present and make sure we fix that and do it well before we start to push into the next area.

"I would be less than honest with you if I did not say there's a high interest level in Miami.

There's a high interest level in Tampa/St. Petersburg, in that market area, because if you add Orlando into that market mix, you find yourself in number five in the nation, and that's important to us and our sponsors.

"It's sort of fashionable to talk about China. I'm not into fashion; I'm into fixing the company and going to the right places where the company needs to go and where the sponsors and the engine guys need to go. If FedEx comes in the door and Toyota and Honda and Ford come and say, 'China next month,' we'll probably going to China."

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MOTORSPORTDEALERS 28 fabraary 2002

SS

OZ Safari for Bathurst AFTER three lacklustre years, the Australian Safari has dumped the Northern Territory and announced it is moving to rural New South Wales.

Safari organiser Octagon has convinced the NSW Government to give support for the next three years, with the event being staged entirely in the Premier State.

However the Northern Territory Government’s Major Events company says it is very disappointed at Octagon’s decision to move the event after spending more than $750,000 in event sponsorship on the Safari over the past three years.

‘We’re very disappointed, we have copped flak from community groups and enthusiasts here in the Territory but the fact is the government did not play an active role in this decision,” said NT Major Events General Manager Paul Cattermole.

‘We know the event has been cash-strapped but we have set our contribution to the event at a level

we felt appropriate to the return the Territory receives.

“At no stage did the NT Government demand naming rights the Safari organisers were always welcome to find a naming rights sponsor to bring more money in and that was their state intention,” said Mr Cattamole.

“We wish them well in NSW,” he added.

This year’s Safari will start from Bathurst on August 24 passing through Condobolin, Griffith, Wentworth, Broken Hill, White Cliffs, Cobar, and Dubbo, before reiximing to Bathurst on September 1.

The rally’s new course was annormced by NSW tourism minister Sandra Nori, and Craig Fletcher, from Octagon Ms Nori claims that the event would “generate an estimated four to five million dollars.”

However the event will need to attract a much larger field than it has in the past few years to generate that sort of benefit.

Last year just 45 bikes and 20

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HORTHEBN TERRfTORV HOME OF THE WSTRAUM SAFARI

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Another Holden win at Bathurst on the cards? The Australian Safari will shift from the Territory to regional NSW for 2002. cars faced the starter and on those numbers each crew would have to spend close to $78,000 in NSW to deliver the expected boost.

‘We have thoroughly enjoyed our time in the Northern 'Territory however. Octagon is excited about taking the Safari to the outback of western and central NSW,” said

Fletcher.

The 5000km course will again been planned by long time clerk of course Cob Carpenter, who has begun a survey of the course and says competitors would face a challenging variety of conditions and terrain in NSW. - JON THOMSON

All quiet in Canberra

RALLY supremo-Dave Richards has told Safari Rally ; organisers that if the event hopes to retain its place on the World Rally Championship calendar then it will have to become a closed-road event.

Richards has given the Africans three years to emasculate world rallying's last great adventure.

"It is tough but at the end of the day it is being done with the safety of the drivers and spectators in mind," said Richards.

As the rally is at the moment, the drivers compete on roads that are open to the public, meaning traffic, livestock and 56

wildlife come into play."

Helicopters have to fly above the cars on the road, warning them of anything ahead that could be dangerous.

For this year only a third of the rally will take place on closed roads, but the rally boss has said that drivers will only compete on open roads if there is complete helicopter coverage.

The big question is will the event survive financially. Already severely crippled by a lack of funds, the rally is likely to go ahead this year (its 50th anniversary) but its long-term viability is marginal.

- JON THOMSON

WITH less than three months until Australia’s round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship is scheduled, little has been revealed about how this year’s Rally of Canberra will be run.

The running of the rally was put out to tender by the ACT Major Events organisation following last year’s event, and it apparently has been assigned to sports management company IMG, the same company that runs the Canberra 400 street race for V8 Supercars.

The rally has made no announcement about who will act as Clerk of Course for the rally, and no details are available on the event’s website.

The rally has scrapped the spectacular Super Special at Canberra Exhibition Park, apparently due to cost cutting measures to try and make the rally pay for itself.

The event was saved in 2001 when Subaru came in at the 11th hour as sponsor after the ACT Government had decided to scrap the rally in favour of the V8 Supercar race.

- JON THOMSON

Jo"JlWns?'

moiorsport Rews

RALLY NEWS

Lowndes: It’s a lock IT has been the worst-kept secret in Australian Rallying, but Victorian Spencer Lowndes will again be a part of the Ralliart team in 2002.

Lowndes, right, will drive Ed Ordynski’s 2001 Lancer Evo VI, while Ordynski steps up to a new Lancer Evo VII in a two-pronged attack on the Australian Championship.

The difference this year is that the young Victorian has a confirmed drive for the year, as opposed to last year when he was vying with other young guns for the prize seat.

Lowndes drove for Ralliart at Rally Queensland, in South Australia and at Rally Australia in 2001.

“It’s been a long wait, but when Bob Riley called me I was over the moon,” Lowndes said.

“I’m confident that my speed and consistency will improve throughout the season.”

Ralliart has also announced that the Pedders team will field a third ‘factory backed’ car under its own banner for Scott Redder.

Pedder will drive the car that Lowndes and Mark Thompson drove last year, running under Pedders colours with technical and parts support from Ralliart.

Twice Victorian champion, Pedder will be a cost effective way for Mitsubishi to field a third car to match the three car team announced by Subaru earlier this month.

- JON THOMSON

Performance Quality Va4«r,

=»holo by Jon Thomson

VALE: Tony Pond

ONE of Britain's most successful rally drivers of the 70s and 80s, Tony Pond, has died after a battle with cancer. Pond passed away on February 7 at the age of 56.

The likeable Brit was best known for his long association with BMC and Leyland. most notably at the wheel of the Triumph TR8 and MG Metro 6R4, Pond also drove with distinction for Chevrolet. Chrysler. Nissan, Opel and Vauxhall.

He was the first driver to win the Manx International Rally four times, defeating drivers of the calibre of Hannu Mikkola. Walter Rohrl and Ah Vatanen in the process.

Pond was perhaps at his best on tarmac, winning the legendary Belgian 24 Hours of Ypres rally twice in TR8s and taking a remarkable third place on the 1981 Tour of Corsica in a Nissan Stanza.

Perhaps his most memorable performance came on the 1985 RAC Rally - the last of the unrestricted, through-the-night events - when he took the Metro 6R4 to third on its first World Championship appearance, dogging Lancia's Finns Henri Toivonen and Markku Alen from start to finish.

The 6R4 failed to live up to expectations as a World Championship contender and Pond's international career all but ceased a year later.

Charismatic and quotable. Pond was an intensely private man. who devoted himself largely to charity after he retired from driving. He leaves a wife and son.

- JON THOMSON

Irish WRC plans IRELAND is bidding for a future place in the World Rally Championship - and has targeted 2007 as the year to host its first event.

Meetings have already taken place at ministerial level to begin plans to attract the WRC to the Emerald Isle.

Motorsport Ireland spokesman Ronan Morgan admitted that the project is in its infancy.

"This is not something that is going to happen overnight," he said.

"But it would be fantastic for Ireland, not just for rallying, but for the whole country."

A government body responsible for attracting sports-related tourism is the driving force behind the scheme. The International Sports Tourism Initiative has an annual budget of $15 million, some of which will be pledged to the WRC bid. n The FIA has had to rethink the rules governing World Rally Championship shakedowns following Markko Martin's accident in Sweden.

The crash cost Ford driver Martin the opportunity to compete in the even because his car was so badly damaged during Thursday morning's shakedown.

Team bosses had expressed their doubts at the beginning of the season about the shakedown being moved some from Wednesday afternoon to Thursday morning.

In past years, if a driver damaged his car during the shakedown there was time to repair it, but this year that is no longer possible.

The FIA has decided to allow a driver a dispensation of not having to take part in the starting ceremony if his car is damaged during the shakedown, but only if the stewards agree.

- JON THOMSON

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Max Dumesny

A Super Su Clearly the hottest local In Australian Sprintcar racing, Max Dumesny Is In the middle of a banner year. BRETT SWANSON spoke to him recontly about his successful season so far and other issues

MOTORSPORT NEWS;This would have to be one of your best seasons,if not the best ever?

MAX DUMESNY: It's been very good. I don't know if it's better than last year. Last year's win rate was better, but this year we've been more consistent.

MN: How good was it to win a record-equalling fourth World Series Championship?

MD: Very good - we're very happy. It was good winning it against the competition that was there. They were very good competitors with good teams.

MN: What about your third Australian Championship?

MD; They're all good to win.

None of them match the thrill of winning your first one, but they're all great to win.

It was nice to win at a nice racetrack, but the atmosphere afterwards wasn't that good, which was disappointing. It rained during the night, the atmosphere was not as big, (and) the rain put a bit of a dampener on it.

MN: Donny Schatz and yourself have had a great battle across the country, with you gaining ascendancy in WSS, but he seemed able to win most of the big money shows like the $50,000, The Classic, the $10,000 WSS at Avalon and the $10,000 WSS final. How frustrating, if at all, was this?

MD: Fairly frustrating. He didn't win them all - we won one of the $10,000 WSS rounds - I can't remember which one, but I know we got one of them.

In all of those races he wasn't that far away and, at Newcastle, 1 led for most of it and, with the overall championship in mind, it wasn't worth risking a (possibly risky) pass just to win the race.

MN: Despite Schatz beating you 58

in the $50,000 and The Classic, You must have been confident going into the Australian Title at your home track?

MD: Yeah. But you can't be too confident. Racing's racing and anything can happen. There's a percentage of luck involved.

The Title's a different deal with a different format and you can have bad luck like we did in the heats of The Classic, which didn't quite go our way.

MN; You've been winning races all across the country, but have struggled a bit at home at PCR. Just how tough is it to win there at the moment?

MD: I don't think it's that tough.

Parramatta is a bit of a gamble.

All the fast guys start at the back and whoever gets through the traffic first usually wins.

Robbie (Farr), Kerry (Madsen) and Brooke (Tatnell) are all tough competitors and there's no disgrace in running second to them at Parramatta.

MN; Phil Johnson said recently that he would love to go back to the USA with you and one of your own cars like you did once before. What's the chances of that happening?

MD: I'd like to do it - cost is a huge factor though. We'll just play that one by ear.

MN: Any plans for the USA or at least Knoxville this year?

MD: I wouldn't mind. The Australian/American challenge race would be nice. There's nothing in place at the moment but we're working on it.

I've got no point to prove - I know I'll never be the World of Outlaws Champion. We'll have to see how I'm feeling at the time, because it'll be winter here and I enjoy having a break from it all.

MN: How much longer do you see yourself doing this, and

will we then see Mitchell in the Dumesny family racer?

MD: I think I can carry on until I'm in my late 40s or early 50s, or at least another eight years or so.

As for Mitchell, he'll definitely not race my car. I've got Mitchell, Matthew and Marcus (his three sons) and I'm not rich.

Noel Bradford taught me that.

How can you do it for one and not the others?

MN: What are the plans for the rest of the season?

MD: We'll do the NSW and South Australian Ttles and Easter or part thereof. Adelaide is running on Good Friday so we may go there, but we're not sure what the deal will be at Adelaide yet.

MN; There's still a lot of debate about 410s,372s and 360s. Can Australia afford to go 410 and can we afford, or should we encourage, a 360 class?

MD: We could afford to do 360s but that would kill the open division. If the class was strictly controlled, I can see a lot of guys with V8 Dirt modifieds who can't afford to race Sprintcars now coming in, and that would decimate the open division.

As for 41 Os, there's no need to go to 41 Os. We have to buy our own gear anyway and if you buy a 410 you're just buying someone else's junk if you don't pay good money.

It would make it easier for the Americans, but do we really need them? It takes it away from a lot of the locals, like myself, who used to rely on winning some big money from the Classic and so on.

Now you have to think about it because it's not worth it unless you win. The Classic doesn't need so many Americans. It used to do well before with just a couple of Americans. Johnno (Phil Johnson) would bring more people through the gate at

Warrnambool than most of the Americans.

MN: How hard is it at the moment to race Sprintcars at the top level like you do?

MD: It's hard. It depends on your budget. If you have a major sponsor, it's not too bad.

You can't make a living from it.

We managed to covei our costs and will be able to upgrade some of our gear but that's about all.

MN: What can be done to help competitors?

MD: Television - on real TV. I know if we had Sprintcars on Channel 10, my sponsor (Valvoline) would definitely give me more money.

The tracks can't afford it. Most of them are going out backwards, so we have to find other ways to get more money and I think that's through getting on the commercial networks.

MN: From purely a driver's point of view, which has been the most enjoyable race you've had this season.

MD: That's tough. I've enjoyed a moiortport naws

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Keeping mean in the Valvoline machine: Lillie did he know lhal when he ploughed inlo a cow on a motorbike, the foundations of Max Dume.snv’s succes.sfid Sprinicar career were laid.

bunch, Kwinana I didn't win but it was like the US - a big wide track where you could slide guys, and pass people.

The Oz Title was good on Saturday night after dropping back and the same in the $50,000. I was back to about eighth before coming back to second. I fought to get there and I enjoyed it.

If we'd won the Classic - I enjoyed chasing and catching Donny and I thought I'd get him until that yellow. I didn't need the yellow.

MN: How many Australian championships is it that you've won now? Three Sprintcar, one NASCAR ...?

MD: Three Sprintcars, one NASCAR and two or three in Formula 500s. Lets see Brooklyn and Bibra Lake. So two Formula 500 titles.

MN; How hard is it to keep your love of the sport and your motivation going for all 20 february 200?

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these years especially through the lean times like five or so years ago?

MD: It can be tough. A few years back I thought about why I was doing this. I did question it. You have to enjoy it. It's easier when you're doing well but I still enjoy it.

MIM: Any regrets or things in your career you would do differently given a second chance?

MD: We spoke about that just two days ago. I don't think I'd change anything.

Not even hitting the cow on my motorbike and getting a compensation payout, because that enabled me to buy a Sprjntcar. I'd wanted to race a Sprintcar but couldn't afford one and then I hit a cow on my way home from work.

Sure, I lost a wrist and a lot of movement in my arm and get a lot of pain in my leg, but I've had a lot of enjoyment out of the payout I got. It wasn't a lot, but it got me started.

59

WSS for Darwin?

COULD Darwin be a new market to tap into for World Series Sprintcars?

That's the question being bandied around at present as the Northline Speedway considers hosting a round of the 2002/2003 Championship.

Northline representatives have spoken with WSS officials about the possibility of a round in the Territory, but have not taken it much further.

I think, in the light of making this a truly National competition. we'd consider going up there. said WSS Managing Director David Lander, left.

But it would have to be a

financially viable situation for competitors, ourselves and the promoters.

There'd have to be some attractive travel assistance to make it worthwhile but who knows? If the Government can arrange that for the V8 Supercars then, maybe, they can do something for Sprintcar racing.

Lander believes the time it takes to travel up there may also be cause for concern.

It's not a day trip there and back by any means, we'd have to consider the possibility of a race at Alice Springs or something on the way up or

back down. I think it's too far to go for one race.

The only other factor to consider is the weather around the November/December time frame.

It's not idyllic conditions for Sprintcar racing from what I hear," says Lander. "The wet season is a concern and so too are the temperatures.

I think the idea has merit. but it has to be financially viable for all concerned. If we can make it a worthwhile concept then I wouldn't rule it out. The ball is definitely in their court, but they'll have to hurry.

. Mm,

Racing in the Top tnilr The ITorUI Scries makes a long haul lo Perth ami Bnnhiiiy. .^f) why not Darwin am!.‘Uice Springs?

Outlaws THE Pennzoil World of Outlaws begins its 25th season at Kings Speedway in California this weekend,and there’s a range of drivers keen to take the crown off Champ Danny Lasoski.

Another recent visitor to Australia, Steve Kinser, will again return, despite rumours of retirement, to tackle the 106 dates at 44 tracks over 26 states.

Naturally, his cousin Mark will be tough to beat, so too will Craig Dollansky, who has hired former Dale Blaney crew chief D.J. Lindsey.

Recent Warmambool Classic winner Donny Schatz wants to add to the 60

six WoO wins he scored last season, while there’s moves aplenty in other rides in the series.

Joey Saldana is out of the #83 Beef Packers ride and returns to his family’s #17 machine, while Tim Shaffer takes over the #83.

Stevie Smith left his #19 Ingersoll-Rand car for the #11 machine that Shaffer vacated, while Johnny Herrera left the #6 Casey’s Stores ride that formerly belonged to Brooke Tatnell,in favor of part-time status with Billy Wilburn’s(now Rusty Wallace’s crew chiefin NASCAR)former ride.

For a pre-season interview with Lasoski, turn to page 62.

The Mopar Man: Mark Kinser will be out, along with the rest of the field, chasing Champ Danny Lasoski when the World of Outlaws title (Photo by Martin 0 Clark) starts on February 22. moiorsport news

SPEEDWAY

New track for NSW?

by BRETT SWANSON THE sleepy town of Blayney in rural New South Wales could soon be awoken to the sound of methanol-burning speedway engines if plans to adapt the local showgrounds into a superfast half-mile dirt oval come to fruition.

A quartet of speedway identities, headed by John Girdham, has spent many years investigating potential sites for the construction of a new speedway and recently made the formal announcement to members of the Blayney council and business houses.

“Blayney is only two and a half hours drive from Sydney, 10 minutes from Bathurst and Orange and not too far from Dubbo and Forbes,” explained Girdham when he spoke to Motorsport News.“We looked at Appin and a couple of other venues but this one is the best.”

The proposed speedway has been titled the ‘Heritage Coimtry Speedway’in deference to the historic nature of New South Wales’s inland heritage.

The formal unveiling of the plans and model was conducted before over 100 guests on January 20, including members of the Blayney council, the State Member for Bathurst, Mr. Gerard Martin, and members of the speedway industry.

The proposal, put forward by the quartet of Girdham and locals

Proposal put forward to upgrade existing Blayney Showgrounds

This is what it’ii look iike: The Blayney proposal has been met with favourable response from the powersthat-be in the area.

John and Steven Lynch and Taree’s Shane Taylor, is not for a totally new complex, but rather an upgrade the existing Blayney Showgrounds to accommodate speedway racing.

John Lynch has nurtured the idea for the past eight years and would love to fulfil a dream which he believes would put Blayney on the map as well as bring an economic benefit to the small rural community. The proposed facility would host local, national and international competiton.

“The community would be the big winner from the upgrade of the Blayney Showground to a multipm-pose venue,” said Girdham.

“It would increase tourism, boost

the economy of the district, and create an avenue for youth involvement. I’m already pushing Blayney in Sydney and it’s receiving a very good response.”

The facility would not be purely for speedway, as it would still be suitable for trotting and showjumping events, rodeos and the annual show.

For speedway purposes, the planned track will be half a mile around the pole line and nearly 900 metres around the top, with a width of 31 metres through the turns and 21 metres down the straights.

The estimated cost of the upgi’ade is around the $lmillion mark, but the consortium plans to

make the improvements in stages, commencing with improved fencing and eventually lights.

President of the Blayney Agricultural and Pastural Association, Mr Phil Nankivel, spoke in favour of the upgrade; “Congi-atulations to John Lynch and John Girdham for the work they have put into this. Originally we were against the idea but after a number of consultations with them, we are now in favour of the proposal.

“The Councillors in attendance today know the costs in the upkeep of the showground. It is crying out to be used or it will become just a stock paddock. We wish them all the best with this.”

Little pinches a PRC round

WHILE the Victorian-based PRC Super Sprint Series ventured north of the border to Wagga International Raceway, it didn’t mean that the local New South Welshmen would take it easy on their Victorian counterparts in round seven of the series.

Troy Little ended up stealing away the win in the Barry Smith Isuzu Maxim, getting home ahead of Ian Lewis and Simpson driver John Vogels.

“We’re very happy.” said Little.

“The last time I ran with the Victorians we crashed, so this is a bit better than that. I won at Parramatta three weeks ago, and my Mum was in hospital and couldn't see it, so this makes up for that!”

Lewis, meanwhile, holds down second place in the series, and 20 FBbruary 2002

VOGELS MOTORS ON

The \fan from Simpson: John I bgeis picked up a sfmng third nr h'ai^ga. n > Hnn\. despite a smoking engine towards the end.

said that he “went high and low. but the track was a little one lane. In clear air he was faster than us, so we waited for traffic and some good luck but it didn’t come!”

The return of big-time Sprintcar racing to Wagga saw 28 cars on-hand, with series pointsleader Mike Van Bremen leaving NSW with a fourth-place result. NSW pair Darren Saillard and Adrian Maher were next home, followed by Rod Matthews, Grant Tunks, Troy Shiells and Steve Knight.

Lewis has closed the gap on Van Bremen to 112 points, with the double-header Southern Shootout series grand final all that remains at Avalon on March 9 and 10, Points: Van Bremen 1952. Lewis 1040, Mntthewr. 1500. Vognlc 1410, Thomson 1282,

61

Time out with 'The Dude’ The World of Outlaws title kicks offJust after we hit the news-stands, so GEOFF ROUNDS caught up with defending Champ Danny Lasoski. ‘The Dude’ speaks about his hopes for 2002 and what to expect from the Outlaws pack.

MOTORSPORT NEWS: How much are you looking forward to this Outlaws season?

DANNY LASOSKI: Oh, very much so. We started our own team last year and had like a season that we couldn't of even dreamed of, winning the Knoxville Nationals and the championship in the same year.

We are now just looking forward and going and trying to achieve that goal again. We know it was a dream season and we've not put our guard down and have worked hard if not harder all winter than ever before, and even do the same for next year in 2003.

MN: Will it be harder for you this year with the tag of defending Outlaws Champion on your shoulders?

DL; I don't know if it'll be harder, it'll be just as hard and it's not something we don't put a lot of emphasis on early.

You're only Champion for a very short time and our season has very short off-time. We know everybody will be gunning for us and we'll just do our best.

MN: Can you just explain the continuing deal with Tony Stewart?

DL: He's one of my best friends.

He decided that he wanted to be involved with the World of Outlaws, so Hec Welsh just put a team together and said 'that's the deal'.

Then we put the team together with JD Byrider, Hamm America, American Compressed Steel, Massey Motorsports who got together as sponsors and all these guys helped put our team together. We then hired Jimmy Carr as our crew chief and, as you well know, you're only as good as the people around you and I think he's the best crew chief out there.

MN:So it's a good deal and cemented from season to season at this stage?

DL: Three years for sure and then we have a two-year option It's a very good deal for us all at the moment.

62

,\(>t i/iiiti’ the kind ofpower lluit he's used to: Poiwy Lasoskifound a slii;hlly slower way to lap Premier S/teeilway (101111}; the Classic, hot he's ready to defend his Onilaws title. w

n

He'S one of my best friends

-Lasoski on car owner, and Winston Cup star, Tony Stewart MN: Can you secure another championship?

DL: Um, I don't want to go in with over-confidence but I got a lot of confidence going in.

MN: Who are the hardest drivers for you to beat this season?

DL: The World of Outlaws this year, the past year, it's tougher than I've ever seen it. There's more winners, more great teams and there's at least 10 to beat for the championship.

You know the Kinsers, Mark and Steve, are going to be tough. You got younger guys like Craig Dollansky, Donny Schatz, Andy Hillenburg, then we just go down the list. These guys are

there every night and tough every night, so you just have to be on you game and do the best job you can.

MN: Who are the younger guys that we could watch closely who could contend for championship wins this season?

DL: There's definitely Donny Schatz and Brad Furr.

Those guys are tough and are doing a good job, but outside of them guys that are young, so to speak, I don't see any guys other than them that you need to worry about in the next year or two, but maybe after that there could be.

MN: Your health is good now

after a cancer scare of late?

DL: It's good to go, real good to go for sure.

MN: Life's pretty good at the moment then?

DL: Very good. Very good. I couldn't ask for much better. We won the championship and then we got invited to run the Race of Champions so that's a very neat deal.

MN: How many years have you got left racing with the Outlaws?

DL: I don't want to run there (Outlaws) until I’m totally burned-out because I got a little boy that's four and I want to be involved in whatever he wants do. I guess I'd like to run the Outlaws five more years, wideopen, then maybe looking to slow down after that.

More Max Factor Dumesny takes South Australian Title at Speedway City

Australia number one: Dumesny, with newly-won #1, was too good in SA. (Photo by Paris Charles)

by DAVID McNABB MAN-of-the-moment Max Dumesny has succeeded again, this time at Speedway City, where the in-form World Series Champ snatched a thrilling South Australian Sprintcar Title on February 16.

Wheeling his Valvoline Maxim for the first time this season with Australia #1 on its tail, the newlycrowned national titleholder improved on his runner-up placing at last year’s SA title event, and has now won the most SA Sprintcar crowns, with six notches on his belt.

Dumesny was always impressive, time-trialling second quickest of the 20-car entry list and finishing the heats as high points man, but he was forced to eat dust for the first half of the 30lap title race when Brooke Tatnell looked likely to skip away with the honoims.

Tatnell, driving for Shane Krikke in the Maxim recently

vacated by Skip Jackson, nearly stole the show after finishing just behind Dumesny in time trials and eventually starting the A-Main from pole. In between, however, Tatnell struck drama after his car blew a diff during his second heat. He missed the final heat while switching rear-ends but still managed to sneak into the top six pole shuffle, eclipsing Daryn Maggs by one point.

Tatnell made the most of his chance, clean sheeting the shuffle and even dusting off Dumesny to claim what would be a vital pole position on a track destined to slick off early.

At the green, Tatnell opened an early break on Dumesny, Robbie Farr, Ryan Farrell and Stephen Bell and promptly created a handy buffer over the 18-car field.

The first of eight restarts came on lap five, when Ray Bartlett looped his Tognotti, becoming one of several spinouts that nearly re defined the race into a series of three lap dashes.

Max Dumesny Motorsport Australian Distributors for

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Jacobs wants a WSS berth for next season ALL Star Circuit of Champions Sprintcar Series Winner Kenny Jacobs wants to enter the 2002/2003 World Series Sprintcar Championship.

"Kenny has always been limited to racing in Western Australia by his USA commitments, but this year he's more freed up and wants to run World Series," said US-based Aussie crew chief Brett Sartori.

"We're looking for a team that wants to run seriously for the Championship. We pretty well come as a complete package."

The 46-year-old full-time racer now has four All Star Championships and leads the table for the most career wins with a staggering 901 Jacobs has raced several times with the USA vs WA Sprintcar Speedweek Series in Western Australia and has raced once at PCR for Sean Carren, n WSS fans will have to tune into SBS's 'Speedweek' to catch the action from this season's racing.

With the original Ford/Network Ten deal all but dead,'Speedweek' will show all of the rounds over the next few episodes of the show on Saturday afternoons. n In recent times, Queensland Sprintcar racer Ricky Mitchell has come away from Brisbane International Speedway a dejected man, seemingly the innocent victim of other people's crashes.

But on February 16, he left a happy man after cruising to the win in the 25 lap Feature event, repaying the faith shown in him by his father/car owner Peter and his crew of tireless workers.

Mitchell took over the front running on lap eight and went on to win, after leader Cameron Gessner and second place runner Peter Thorley were both taken out of the event in controversial circumstances while running in lapped traffic. n The 2002 Australian Championships for Litre Sprintcars will be held over the Easter weekend, March 30 and 31, at the Downs Speedway, Toowoomba, Queensland.

2001/2002 SRA SPRINTCAR SERIES RD 7 Wagga International Speedway

1. N20 Troy Little 2. VI8 Ian Lewis 3. V70 John Vogels 4. V6 Mike Van Bremen ^^ RACING TIRE 5. N9 Darren Saillard For more information on Hootler Drag ond Spc«#wayTyiTi coil: NSW:02 9679 (990 l Fax 02 9679 1187 6. N10 Adrian Maher 7, V9 Rod Matthews Via 03 9331 6477 l Fax 03 9331 7444 8. N54 Grant Tunks SA:08 8332 0800 l Fax 08 8364 0296 2B ra&ruary 2002

One of the feature’s most spectacular incidents came on lap 14, two laps after Tatnell had begun negotiating traffic.

Tatnell half lost his mount exiting tmm four, allowing Dumesny to dive underneath but the fast-following Farr contacted Tatnell’s rear.

This sent Farr into a high aerial rollover with his Eagle landing on its wheels.

“We replaced all the rear shocker pins,” Farr car owner Darren Disbury explained during the red light stoppage, but their race was effectively over. Ditto Tatnell, whose mount was handling badly on the restart and lasted just four more laps.

Out front, unfazed by all the restarts from various incidents (including a chassis destro3nng effort by Luch Monte), Dumesny continued on, eventually taking the flag ahead of Bell, Maggs and a well-performed Karl Enderl - the first of six South Aussie drivers among the 13 finishers.

SPEEDWAY

9, V36 Troy Sheills 10. V24 Steve Knight 11. USA3 Mike Lauterborn 12. V20 David Swayn 13. VI6 David Van Bremen 14. V37 David Anderson 15. V32 Ian Thomsen 16. N6 John Shore

Standings

1 VC Mike Van Bremen . .

2 V18 Ian Lewis 3 V49 Matthew Reed ....

4 V9 Rod Matthews 5 V32 Inn Thomsen ... .

6 V70 John Vogels 7 V21 Frank Ramsdale 8 W52 Jofomy Warren . . .

9 V14 Peter Knight . . . .

10V96 KonVeal

1642 1480 1269 1229 . . 1093 1086 999 . 983 . . . .972 ..962

63

Daytona 500

Burton W

by MARTIN D CLARK

Yee haawll Ward Burton raises the trophy following his victory in the season-opening Daytona 500.

(Photo by Martin 0 Clark)

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FOR only the third time in its 44-year history, the Daytona 500 had a rookie in Jimmie Johnson, above, on pole with a speed of 185.831 mph. Loy Allen (1994) and Mike Skinner (1997) are the other rookies to achieve the feat.

"You couldn’t hope for anything bigger or better," said Johnson of his accomplishment, "I've got a lot of experience to gain."

Alongside Johnson on the front row in the only other guaranteed qualifying spot was a second driver who watched the race on TV last year, Kevin Harvick. Winston Cup Champ and part-owner of Johnson's Hendrick Monte Carlo, Jeff Gordon, ran third fastest, with Robert Pressley in the ailing Mailing Dodge fourth. Seven Chevs and three Dodges completed the top 10 fastest times, but only the front two were locked in, with the remainder of the grid decided by the Twin 125-mile qualifying races.

The fastest Fords in time trials were Dale Jarrett in 13th, his Yates stablemate Ricky Rudd 15th and Brett Bodine 21st. This left the blue oval brigade lobbying NASCAR for aero help.

It worked ...

MARTIN D CLARK 64

WARD Burton headed only five laps of a possible 200 in the Daytona 500 on Sunday, but he led the most important ones in a race that featured drama from start to finish.

“Any win is important for your team,” said Burton, who started 19th,“but to win the Daytona 500, man, that’s everybody’s dream.

“This is the big race of the whole year and that’s something that nobody can ever take away from you. We’re gonna have a big night tonight!”

Rookie Jimmie Johnson soon relinquished the lead from pole to outside sitter Kevin Harvick, but defending Champ Michael Waltrip wasted no time in blasting to the front on lap four.

Tony Stewart was the first to retire from the event when his engine let rip on lap two, his radio to the crew silent as he pulled into the garage area and his chance of possible victory spoiled.

Waltrip held on through lap 23 when Dale Earnhardt Jr aired the caution as he ran over debris and cut down a right front tyre. The pre-race favourite pitted for repairs and ran strong until he later blew a right rear rubber, putting him out of contention to finish 29th.

The lead changed hands several times before Ken Schrader headed the pack for 44 laps, though eventually Sterling Marlin’s Dodge showed strength to lead through halfway.

Following a seventh yellow flag, Jeff Gordon (running third to Marlin’s Dodge and Harvick),

He’s going low!

Burton, above, runs the low-line underneath Mike Wallace and Ken Schreder, while Joe Nemechek sits behind. Dale Earnhardt Jr, below, suffered a blown tyre that slowed his charge.

(Photos by Martin D Clark)

Once a winner, again a contender: Geoffrey Bodine (#09) may only have been running a one-off deal, but he ended up a solid third.

(Photo by Sutlon-lmagos)

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Dramas for the young guns: Tony Stewart's Home Depot Pontiac only did a handful of laps until a motor failure, above, while Kevin Harvick, below, emerged OK from the beaten and bruised Goodwrench Chev.

(Photos by Martin D Clark)

tagged the latter and turned Harvick into the wall, leaving 17 cars involved and many with major damage.

Thankfully, there were no injuries to any drivers.

“The damn 97(Kurt Busch), the ‘wild man’and I’m tiying to block him, and the 29(Harvick)had a run and he came down and I hit him,” quipped Gordon on the radio to his crew.

“Gordon wanted the same spot I did,” said Harvick.“We had a chance of winning the Daytona 500.1 was just trying to hold my ground a little bit, but you have to block with these rules.”

Among those involved in the fracas included Schrader, John Andretti, Ricky Rudd, Jeremy Mayfield and Bobby Labonte.

Gordon took the lead on lap 176 and looked in great shape for the win with Marlin in his rear view mirror.

Then, Mark Martin apparently tagged Waltrip as the field stumbled on the restart and left Rusty Wallace and Jeff Green with significant damage, while in front of that melee, Gordon was tagged

by Marlin and turned around entering turn one.

Gordon took blame for the incident and, after one caution lap, the field was controversially red flagged with five laps remaining to ensure a green flag finish.

“I tried to block Sterling and I got turned,” said Gordon. “The positions are really hard to protect, but yet you have to protect them with everything you can. We’re really thankful to come home with ninth - it was a pretty wild and intense race that’s for sure.”

Gordon stopped for tyres under the caution, but before the pit road was officially open, so he was ordered to the back of the pack on the restart along with Marlin, who got out of his car under the red flag and pulled away his front fender from the t3rre. A definite nono ...

The three lap scramble to the finish left Burton up fi-ont when the chequered flag waved, Elliott Sadler and 1988 winner (leoffrey Bodine. Dale Jarrett was sent spinning down the front-stretch grass, courtesy of a tap again from Martin, and finished 14th.

Final result; W Burton (Pontiac), Sadler (Ford), G Bodine (Ford), Busch (Ford), M Waltrip (Chevy), Martin (Ford), Newman (Ford), Marlin (Dodge), J Gordon (Chevy), Benson (Pontiac).

20 rebruiiry 2002

NASCAR Daytona 500 Briefe 'Photo by Afonin /)Clark

es---

l

TEN drivers failed to make the grid for the 'Great American Race' through poor qualifying, 2001 car owner standings or 125 qualifying results.

They included the four Dodges of Jimmy Spencer, above. Hut Stricklin, Buckshot Jones and Carl Long plus Hermie Sadler, Norm Banning, Roush Racing's Greg Biffle, Bobby Gehart, Rick Mast and Kirk Shelmerdine.

"The Daytona 500 is the only race in my opinion," said Spencer. "I just don't have words to describe how I feel right now." n Dodge has put an incentive tor any Dodge team that may win the 2002 Winston Cup title - a A$2 million bonus, plus a new Dodge Viper. n Shawna Robinson, 37, became the second woman to make the grid for the 500, joining Janet Guthrie, who finished 12th and 11 th in 1970 and 1980 respectively.

"I wish I could have raced my way into it," said Robinson, "but, whatever it takes, you've got to take it when you can get it." The mother of two made the race by her 31st qualifying speed, the last of six spots available from time trials. Robinson finished 24th, 13 laps off the pace after some grass cutting antics. n Dave Marcis ended his final Daytona 500 early on lap 82 when his engine cooked after watching the temp gauge rise steadily. It was his 33rd Daytona 500. n Mike Hillman, crew chief for Brett Bodine's self-owned team, parted ways with the team an hour and a half (I) before the '500 and will work for AJ Foyt Racing and driver Stacy Compton as Bodine's team looks set to close. n A statue of Dale Earnhardt has been erected at Daytona Speedway, the site of his tragic death on February 18 one year ago.

The cast silicone monument was made over an eight month period by the same sculpture that who made the statue of Bill France Sr. and his wife Anne, which also sits at the front of the speedway.

The Earnhardt statue represents victory lane at the track where he claimed 34 wins and depicts his only Daytona 500 win in 1998. A new pedestrian bridge spanning Speedway Boulevard has also be named after the departed champ.

- MARTIN D CLARK 6S

Simpson sues ■n

Photo by ChrLi SUMfdtdlinTi-mAGES

SAFETY guru Bill Simpson has Bled a lawsuit in an Indiana court against NASCAR for $17 million for defamation of character, defamation of implication and reckless disregard for the truth over the death of Dale Earnhardt, above.

Simpson is disputing the claims made by NASCAR in its August 2001 report on the accident and the multi-million suit will allege NASCAR wrongly accused Simpson Products of playing any role in the death of Earnhardt.

The irony is that the new fire suits and safety helmets being used by NASCAR officials on pit road are both manufactured by Simpson’s old company. Sources say that Simpson is starting another company, using his full name.

- MARTIN D CLARK

by MARTIN D CLARK

i

WHILE the number three has been away from the Winston Cup since Daytona last year, it returned on the Busch Series car of Dale Earnhardt Jr last weekend in Victory Lane.

Earnhardt Jr won the 300-mile Busch race In a #3 Chevrolet in a one-off appearance. However, there are plans to run the Charlotte Busch race and maybe some more, considering the emotion that the moment bought. Added to the moment was Earnhardt Jr heading to the infield grass and doing some ‘burn outs', in the same way his father did when he broke through and won the 1998 Daytona 500.

THE annual Bud Shootout (or Busch Clash as it had been named in previous years), took place at Daytona on February 10 with a record 22 drivers entered in the field for the 70-lap special event for 2001 pole winners and past Shootout winners.

The race featured a mandatory green flag pit stop for each team, with the race also having to finish under green flag conditions, although it remained caution-free anyhow.

Ford teams get two aero adju< c^T>

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i

I reckon it’s a good idea: Former lA/inston Cup champ Dale Jarrett applauded N.ASCAR for making the change, (suuon-images) 66

IN an amazing move, NASCAR made two mid-Daytona rules changes, beginning by shaving off a quarter inch from the height of the Ford Taurus rear spoiler.

The change was announced on February 10, a day before one car of each marque from the Bud Shootout was loaded up by NASCAR for the wind tunnel.

“We’re making the change based on the results from the race track,” said NASCAR President Mike Helton.

The cars of Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Sterling Marlin and Dale Jarrett were tested in the tunnel and all four, plus Jeff Gordon’s Chev, were put through their paces on NASCAR’s mobile chassis dyno.

The Ford teams already received a quarter inch concession on the rear spoiler following January testing and a second change was unexpected even with the lobbying from the blue oval camp.

Then, following the 125-mile qualifying races, NASCAR mandated a second rear spoiler change

for the Ford camp and added Dodge to the list also.

They allowed an extra quarter inch to be removed from the Taurus rear spoiler, in addition to the quarter already shaved off leading up the 125 qualifying events and the quarter inch after January testing.

“We don’t believe that the changes are warranted,” said NASCAR Group Manager for GM, Doug Duchardt.

“At some point, you have to question whether these changes are designed to even the mechanical packages or to compensate for the strength of our teams.”

Dodge was allowed the same quarter-inch concession, leaving their rear spoiler at six and a quarter inches in height (the same as the Che vs) and Ford’s at five and three quarters. Pontiac’s rear spoiler measures in at six and a half inches.

“I hope this does the trick,” commented Jarrett. “I applaud NASCAR for taking the initiative to make a change.”

- MARTIN D CLARK molorsport news

NASCAR Fittipaldi back for another go

dOOD/ireAn

CHRISTIAN Fittipaldi announced in Daytona he will run a limited six-race schedule in the Busch Series with Innovative Motorsports and sponsor Mike's Hard Lemonade.

His first race will be at Bristol in March with the team he ran with at Homestead-Miami last November,

6ud

777! n The May 18 Winston All-Star event, held annually under the Charlotte lights, will have its purse raised substantially this year from $4 million in 2001 to $6 million this year, with the winner of the third and final segment receiving at least $1 million.

For the second straight year, Tony Stewart was the eventual winner of the $400,000 in a mundane event after starting third from the drawn grid and passing Ken Schrader for the lead on lap 47.

"Junior (Earnhardt Jr) and I got hooked up before the pit stop and we knew were just going to sit there and run," said Stewart.

"With five to go, I knew he would make a move. He may be Dale Earnhardt Jr, but he has the talent of Dale Earnhardt Senior.

"At least with these new

rules I didn't have to hold my breath at all. You have to use your mirrors and both feet and anyone who says you can't pass is wrong - you can pass."

‘Little E' remarked, "With this aero package, you can actually trail brake, use a little brake to slow your car down so it's get the car behind you right up behind and then the leader will lose all his steam without pushing him.

"You then make a run on him and make the pass. I made him (Stewart) earn it, but we still finished second, "We've got some things to

change for the 500 so we'll see what happens."

A five car pack then broke away from the remaining cluster, led by Dale Jarrett, who was the fastest Ford holding on to sixth, Earnhardt Jr. finished second after a last lap scramble with Jeff Gordon, who started last in the field. Schrader held on to fourth with Marlin the lone Dodge in fifth.

Final results; Stewart (Pontiac) 181.295 mph, Earnhardt Jr.(Chevy), J Gordon (Chevy), Schrader (Pontiac), Marlin (Dodge), Jarrett (Ford), T Labonte (Chevy), B Labonte (Pontiac), K Waliace (Cbevy), T Bodine (Ford),

rtments, GM not happy }■

T

n NASCAR named a team of safety specialists to its organisation during Daytona speed weeks. Jerry Kaproth, an ex-Minnesota State Patrol accident reconstruction specialist, will investigate accidents and report his findings and, where necessary, accident reconstruction back to the NASCAR research and development facility.

The governing body also named three full-time medical coordinators, one for each of their major racing divisions. n Tony Furr, crew chief for Jerry Nadeau at Hendrick Motorsports, was fined $50,000 by NASCAR when his car failed to meet the minimum height requirement of 51 inches by one-eighth of an inch following the Twin 125 mile qualifiers at Daytona.

The measurement is taken from the centre of the roof at the top of the windscreen to the ground.

Nadeau kept his third placing and ultimate eighth starting slot in the 500. n With a new Pontiac Grand Prix in the works for 2003 and Joe Gibbs Racing is deep into research and development with the car. Ford is apparently set to launch a new Taurus in 2004.

■ Circuit ace and sometime NASCAR road course competitor Boris Said will run three events in a second Jasper Motorsports Ford this year at Watkins Glen and Sears Point, plus the August Brickyard 400.

Said has been a regular in the American Le Mans Series where he has driven a PTG-prepared BMW M3.

Not a Ford in sight: Stewart, Gordon, Earnhardt Jr, Schrader and Marlin lead the field in the pre-Daytona 500 Bud Shootout. NASCAR immediately made changes to the Ford Taurus to get it in the picture, so to speak.

(Photo by Sutton-lmagea)

20 February 2002

■ Team owner and veteran engine builder Robert Yates was taken to hospital in Daytona on February 15, apparently complaining of chest pains. Tests proved negative for heart condition.

- MARTIN D CLARK 67

First strike to Dixon

I

ARRY Dixon became the first Top Fuel winner in ^the new A$100 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series when he stopped defending Champion Kenny Bernstein in the final round of the K&N Filters NHRA Wintemationals on Feb 7-10.

While Dixon grabbed the spotlight on Sunday,the big story in Top Fuel during qualifying was the “Wonder from Down Under’, Andrew Cowin.

The 22 year-old natural ripped off a brilliant 4.490s blast at 324.98 mph in the N.Y. Yankees dragster to qualify on the pole. The track record pass, the fourthquickest of all time, puts Cowin in an elite group of six drivers who have broken the 4.5s barrier.

During the run. Cowin also recorded the fastest half-track speed ever at 277.89 mph.

Ironically, it was 20 years ago that another Sydnesider, the legendary Jim Read with crew member, Gary Phillips, put the ‘borrowed’car of R.J. Trotter on the Tbp Fuel pole in Pomona with a 5.69 run.

“Darrell Gwynn has given me the best hot rod on the planet,” said a very excited Cowin.

“That was our first full run with me in the drivers seat. The car left normal, but when the clutch locked up,it was like being slammed in the rear by a Kenworth semi truck. We dropped two cylinders down there and still went 324.1 am one happy Aussie right now.”

Cowin’s heroics of qualifying

were unfortunately halted in the opening round on Sunday when he fell victim to tyre smoke. Cowin desperately pedalled the car, but lost to John Smith.

Dixon’s 17th career win and second Wintemationals crown kicked off the 40th anniversary season for team owner Don Prudhomme in grand style by trailering 2001 nemesis Bernstein in the final round.

The Miller Lite dragster posted a final round 4.53/324 to stop the 4.61/324 from Bernstein’s beer rival Budweiser King car.

Dixon pedalled his way to a pair of early round victories. A vulnerable 4.99/274 stopped defending event Champion Darrell Russell and kept the longest first round win streak in Top Fuel history intact at 27. In round two, Dixon took out Don Lampus with a 4.70/318 in a revenge match, as a Lampus win late last season in Las Vegas helped end Dixon’s championship hopes.

In the semis, crew chief Dick LaHaie got the team back on track with a 4.58/324 win over 2001 IHRA Champ Clay Millican.

Bernstein had advanced to the final round with convincing 4.59s round one and three victories over David Grubnic and Cory McClenathan. In round two, Bernstein got a break via a Doug Kalitta red-light start. Kalitta threw away a 4.67 while Bernstein crossed the finish line with a motor-expiring 5.01/204.

John Force scored win number

99 by defeating Del Worsham in the Funny Car final round, 6.26/219 to 6.64/243 in a smokey, pedalling contest, in typical Pomona finale fashion.

Force and the Castrol Mustang came out of the box on Thursday with a 4.76, then improved on Friday to a 4.74 to lead all qualifiers. In eliminations. Force used a pair of 4.80s at 324 and 322 to trailer Tommy Johnson Jr. and Scotty Cannon. In the semis. Force slowed to a 4.97/295, but it was enough to stop Ron Capps, who broke and slowed to a 5.20/214.

Worsham and his CheckerSchucks-Kragen Pontiac made its way to a second consecutive Pomona finale with 4.83/319, 4.89/273 and 4.84/316 wins over John Lawson, new speed record holder, Gary Densham (326.87) and CSK blue-car teammate, Johnny Gray.

George Marnell holeshot his way to his second career victory in a thrilling nine ten-thousandths of a second (.0009) win over Jim Yates in the final round. Mamell’s .417 to .485 reaction time advantage and 6.880/200 from his Pontiac Grand Am were just enough to hold off the fast-closing SplitFire/Peak Anti-Freeze Pontiac of Yates, which recorded a much quicker 6.812/202.

“I dedicate this win to my long time crewman. Bill Smith, who passed away on Thursday,” Marnell said. “He was right there with me and in my thoughts all day, helping me stay focused.”

Marnell started from the number 16 spot in the field and opened eliminations with a holeshot-aided, 6.85/201 to 6.83/202 v«n over low qualifier, Ron Krisher.

In round two, another 6.85/201 stopped the 6.86/201 of Mike Edwards and in the semis, another holeshot defeated Tom Hammonds, 6.88/201 to 6.85/201.

Yates made it to his 53rd career final round with 6.80/202, 6.83/201 and 6.83/202 wins over Mark Pawuk, defending series Champ, Warren Johnson and defending event winner, Kurt Johnson.

Steve Federlin stopped Mark Hentges in the Alcohol Dragster final round, 5.42/262 to 5.44/261, winning by only .0047 of a second.

Pat Austin defeated his uncle, Bucky Austin, in the Alcohol Funny Car final round, 5.78/253 to 5.92/190. Earlier in the day, Bucky recorded a 5.56 second pass for low e.t of the meet.

- DAVH)OSTASZEWSKI

2002 POWERade Drag Racing Series

TIMIIl Larry Dixon Kenny Bernstein Clay Millican Cory McClenathan Doug Kalitta Don Lampus Jr Wyatt Radke John Smith Andrew Cowin Tony Schumachei

117 95 74 73 54 53 51 51 38 36

liiaTtii John Force Del Worsham Ron Capps Johnny Gray Gary Densham Scotty Cannon Al Hofmann Gary Scelzi Whit Bazemore Tony Pedrogon

118 94 74 71 5C 5?

52 51 37 .15

MttTICI

History repeating: The 2001 NHRA Top Fuel title boiled down to a two-way fight between Kenny Bernstein and Larry Dixon, and the 2002 season-opener provided more of the same. This time though, it was Dixon, above, who drew first blood in the 'beer wars’.

(Photo by OsvkJ Ostaszowski) 68

George Mainell Jim Yatos Tom Haminond'.

Kuit Jot.nson Bruce Alien

11 1 97 7b /■I

54

Points after Pomona, GA rootorsport newt

DRAG RACING Drag Briefs TONY Schumacher recorded top speed at Pomona with 330.88mph aboard the U.S. ARMY dragster, ending up third at 4.53.

A loss of traction in the opening round sent the team home early in their first round match with Wyatt Radke.

K POMONA'S event had a bit of internationai fiair, as severai teams from throughout the globe qualified in their respective fields.

Along with Australians Andrew Cowin, above, and David Grubnic, Yuichi Oyama of Tokyo, Japan made the Top Fuel field.

becoming the first Japanese racer to qualify in Top Fuel at an NFiRA event. With tuning help from Robert Reehl and Rick Cassell and a crew comprised of several Reehl teammembers, Oyama qualified in the 11th position at 4.68/307 after improving on every pass.

Great Britain was also represented as David 'Grumpy' Wilson of London qualified into the Alcohol Dragster program with a 13th-best 5.62/253.

Oyama and Wilson were both eliminated in their respective opening rounds.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

NZ goes Extreme Ufcj

Toyota FC debuts GARY Sceizi made his Funny Car debut at Pomona in the much-talked about Toyota flopper of Alan Johnson.

The car made the field in the 13th spot at 4.93/303. In the 20 Ftbruary 2002

opening round, Sceizi defeated Tony Pedregon, 5.01/275 to 5.09/259, but fell in the semis to a combination of tyre smoke and Ron Capps.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

VICTOR Bray and Brett Stevens are enjoying an enthusiastic reception as they take their Extreme Masters of Horsepower tour in New Zealand.

A sell-out crowd at Masterton watched Bray take his Castrol 57 Chev to victory over Stevens's Jack Daniels Studebaker with a trackrecord ET of 6.6s to better the 6.8s posted by Stevens.

The event followed a raindelayed second round of the tour in Christchurch a couple of days earlier, in which Stevens and Bray came together for the quickest side-by-side race in NZ history, with the Jack Daniels car coming out on top with 216mph/6.44s to 217mph/6.49s.

Meanwhile, Bray clocked up the quickest ET by a sedan in NZ history in the tom-'s curtain-raiser at Nelson two weeks ago with a 6.41s pass. The previous track record of 7.25s took a battering, with three offour competitors (Bray and Stevens are joined by locals Mark Holland and Steve Keys on the tour) bettering the mark during the event.

Due to concerns as to how the venue would tolerate the highpowered sedans, the race was conducted as a series of solo passes, with the ETs determining the final outcome.

- MARK GLENDENNING

n Following a dismal outing in Pomona, tuner Mike Green was released from the Skoal Blue team on the Sunday night. Driver Tommy Johnson Jr anchored the show at 5,04 and fell in the opening frame to John Force. Team owner Don Prudhomme was not happy with the performance of the car, or its direction. Green will be replaced by veteran tuner Larry Meyer. n Defending Alcohol Dragster champion Rick Santos is reportedly out of a ride following the NHRA Winternationals, Apparently, team owner. Jack O'Bannon, with no warning, pulled the plug on the racing operation last Sunday night, Santos qualified on top at 5.34/263 and lasted until the second round, before being eliminated by a red-light start. n 2001 IFIRA Top Fuel Champion Clay Millican had a strong outing in the Werner Enterprises dragster at Pomona, making four good laps during qualifying and winding up sixth at 4.59/319.

After defeating Yuichi Oyama in the opening round and Wyatt Radke in the second, Millican lined up with eventual winner Larry Dixon in the semis. The Werner team, led by tuner Mike Kloeber, gave it a good shot at 4.70/317, but fell to Dixon's 4.58/324.

It marked the second straigh NHRA event in Pomona that Millican had reached the semis. n Cory McClenathan returned to the Top Fuel scene behind the wheel of the Henkelman-Baca dragster, his former 2000 ride.

Former crew chief on the car, Wes Cerny, did the tuning in Pomona. The car, still painted in the green and black MBNA signage, qualified solidly into the show eighth at 4.63/322.

After taking out both of the Fram team cars and drivers Rhonda Hartman and John Smith, McClenathan gave Bernstein quite a race in the semis, falling, 4.59/323 to 4.64/317. n Lucas Oil Products has been announced as the title sponsor for the NHRA Sportsman series.

The company has signed a multi year deal for the series, which will feature 45 divisional events and 23 national events for up to eight classes.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI /STAFF 69

Riley reflections Maser

BRIAN REED catches up with Victor Riley, grandson of the marque's founder, at the recent Triennial Riley Tour in NZ. MOTORSPORT NEWS:Tell us about your early life in England VICTOR RILEY: I grew up in the Cotswolds, about 36 miles from Coventry where my grandfather founded the Riley Cycle Company in 1896.

The family name was originally ‘O’Reilly’ and my ancestors came to England from the Lake Oughter region of Ireland in 1780. It was quite an amazing coincidence to come across Oughter Road in Naseby during this event and I hope to find out how the name came to be used in New Zealand.

My earliest memories of Riley cars involved going to the factory in the school holidays with my father.

MN:What about your own training and your association with the company?

VR: I didn’t go into the company but instead joined one of Britain’s biggest automotive parts manufacturers. Guest Keen Nettlefold(GKN)as an apprentice.

They were a world-wide company and made parts for just about anything that moved.

Although not directly associated with the company, I distinctly remember my father saying he’d get out if ever car manufacture lost its romance. He didn’t like the sausage machine approach.

Instead, he placed great emphasis

on the personal approach customer service was high.

I also remember the 1930s as a golden age for Riley in motorsport.

They won more races and trophies than any other marque.

MN: What was your involvement with Riley cars, and what is your role now?

VR: I wanted to go into motorsport but made a promise I wouldn’t start until after my apprenticeship.

I believe my decision was influenced by the death of Sir William Lyons’s son in a car accident. The wide gap in age between my father and mother may have also influenced my decision.

I first began by rallying a Riley 1.5 as a hobby, and after winning the Double 12 Riley Rally, I was asked to become vice president of the Riley Motor Club. When my mother died, I was invited to take over as president.

Then in 1996, the Riley centenary was celebrated in Coventi-y and I was invited to be chairman of the organising committee. Ever since, I have spent quite some time undertaking overseas trips such as this, my first visit to New Zealand.

MN:What are your memories of Australia’s famous female racing driver, Joan Richmond?

VR: I had the great honour of meeting her not long before she died. She was in her 90s but her recall system was just so brilliant.

It seems there was quite a party one night back in the early 30s, during which Joan and her friends decided to cable my father for three cars to take part in the 1932 Monte Carlo Rally.

Without hesitation, and without knowing anything about the girls, my father cabled back with a message to “take three cars out of stock”(in Melbourne).

Back in those days, the girls were required to have chaperones to supervise their behaviour in public. It was quite a job, as Joan and her friends decided on an overland trip and drove the cars to the start in Palermo!

The three girls finished 17th, 18th and 19th outright(Rileys also finished third,fourth and fifth outright) and in recognition of their achievement my father gave them a diamond-shaped gold cigarette case suitably inscribed.

Then there was her famous Brooklands victory the same year in a Riley.

She had enormous innate skills which I’m sure came from riding horses from the age of five. It gave her the feel for racing cars.

I had so many more things to ask her but sadly she died before I had the opportunity.

■i

●

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A home away from home: Victor Riley in the driver’s seat of Lois Witte’s 1934 Riley Imp, a car he later nominated as his favourite entry at the Triennial Riley Tour in New Zealand (Photo by Brian Roed)

10

AUSTRALIAN Historic race fans are in for an absolute treat, with some delectable cars coming from overseas to take part in the Shannons Phillip Island Classic on February 23-24. And once again the colour is RED! Maserati will feature heavily, and leading the charge will be the 8CTF from the UK which was built in 1938 to challenge the might of Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union.

The twin supercharged racer won the Tripoli GP that year. Success also came to the 8CTF at Indianapolis when Wilbur Shaw drove his Maser (known as the 'Boyle Special') to victory in 1939 and again in 1940.

The car coming to the Island is a sister car to the Indy 500 winner, and is valued at a cool A$10 million.

Englishman Dean Butler's 1931 26M, the ex-Whitney Straight/Tim Birkin car, will also be making its Australian debut, and Peter Giddings will be back from the USA with his1934 8CM. Both cars were part of Whitney Straight's team, and have not appeared together since 1934.

Clive Smith's 1956 150S will be in action, the first time a 150S has been seen in Australia, and on this occasion it will be driven by a former BRM mechanic from America, Rick Flail. Rick and Clive competed in last year's Mille Miglia, and plan to drive the 150S again in the event this year.

American Tom Price will compete in his 1956 250S, Shepparton's Ian Barker will trot out his 1954 4CLT, and John May is coming from the UK with his 1954 A6 GCM. But it's not just Maseratis taking centre stage. Sir Jack Brabham is in for a busy time behind the wheel of his 1966 Repco Brabham, the car in which he won the FI World Championship, and he's also listed to drive his Brabham BT12 Offenhauser which finished 20th in the 1964 Indianapolis 500, in spite of retiring with a split fuel tank.

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Breathtaking: Andfor $I0m it can be parked next to the station wagon in your garage. This Maserati 8CTF, which was built to take on the might of the pre-war Mercedes Benz and Auto Unions,will be headlining the action at Phillip Island over the February 23-24 weekend.

This unique car is now owned

by Melbourne's Nereo Dizane, and has been faithfully restored to the last detail (but with better fuel tanks!)

Another very significant car to be seen and heard at the Island will be the ex-Jo Bonnier BRM P25 which won the 1956 Dutch GP at Zandvoort - the marque's first Grand Prix victory. On February 23-24 it will be driven

by Spencer Flack from the UK. The special guest list also includes Britain's Julian Bronson in his Lister Corvette, and no field would be complete without the other great red car - Ferrari. Gil Mathews will appear in his F40 LM GTC, a classic built in 1988.

Four hundred cars have been entered for the meeting. Racing starts at 1 pm on Saturday, and 9am on Sunday. Admission is $10 Saturday, $20 on Sunday, but the smart thing to do is buy a two-day pass for $25. And entry to the pits is free.

THE following weekend, it's Grand Prix time at Albert 20 FtiKDanr 2002

Park, and the Historic cars will come out to play on all four days of the carnival.

Forty carefully selected gems from all parts of Australia will take part in the Tattersall's Historic Demonstrations, some which will have been exercised at Phillip Island, and some which have not been seen in action for many years.

This year the focus will be on smaller capacity sports cars, and there are certainly some famous ones listed.

Leading the charge will be motor racing legend Sir Stirling Moss, who will drive the Alan Jack Bobtail Cooper.

Sir Stirling has a particular affiliation with the Cooper marque - it was the early 500cc JAP-powered cars that catapulted the young ace into the limelight around 1948 and set him on the road to fame.

Lotus Xls and Elfin Streamliners, arguably the best looking fully enclosed sports cars of the late 50s and early 60s, will be well represented along with the best looking one

of all - the one-off Elfin GTS of George Spanos, only car with a roof completed by the late Garrie Cooper.

Bob Hartaorow's Tojeiro is sporting a new aluminium body for the occasion, the exGeorge Makin Ausca will be making the trip down from Queensland, and one rearengined Elfin Mallala will take to the Grand Prix track.

Clive Smith's 1.5 litre Maserati 150S will be a special attraction, and Peter Giddings will make a not-so-familiar appearance in a Lancia Lambda.

"It's a big change for Peter," said event organiser John Blanden. "He's a regular and popular visitor to Australia and is much more familiar in his thoroughbred open wheelers."

The Tattersall's Historic Demonstrations are now well establised on the AGP program and popular with the fans. And a trip to the Tattersall's Historic Garage is a must during the four-day carnival (February 28 March 3).

- BRIAN REED

Briefly Historic TOURING Car legend Norm Beechey has entered this month’s Trading Post Grand Prix Rally in a classic 1967 Chevrolet Camaro - the model which took him within sight of the 1968 Australian Touring Car Championship.

Beechey will campaign the big American muscle car in the Classic category of the Rally from February 22-27 with his wife Margaret as his navigator.

The car is certain to bring back memories to many spectators along the rally's 1200km route to the 2002 Foster's Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park.

In 1968, Beechey's new Camaro SS was the biggest threat to Ian Geoghegan winning his third successive Australian Touring Car Championship at Sydney's Warwick Farm.

Qualifying second to Geoghegan, Beechey pushed the Sydneysider's Mustang hard, setting a new lap record and drawing rapturous applause from the large crowd for his three-wheeling, before a blown water hose at the one-third race mark ended his chances.

Late the same year the Camaro was replaced in the Beechey stable by a new Holden Monaro GTS 327.

Nearly 34 years later, the Camaro will make an interesting change from the big 1962 Chevrolet Impala 409 which the Beecheys campaigned in earlier GP Rallies.

"Marg and I wanted a change from the Impala," said Beechey.

"We would have liked to get a Mustang like the one in which I won the 1965 Touring Car Championship, but there's just so many of them competing today. The Camaro is a good alternative," Their Guinea Gold right-hand drive SS model was delivered new by Melbourne's Preston Motors in 1967.

It started life as a 350CID V8, but is now even healthier with an enlarged 400CID engine, a Trans Am cross-over manifold and two fourbarrel Holley carburettors.

As with the Impala, the Beecheys are in the GP Rally to enjoy themselves and their car.

"It's always great to catch up with old friends on the Rally," Beechey continued.

"At least there will be a few more people who remember the Camaro than the Impala."

■ Correction: Our report of the 2001 Tasman Challenge erroneously credited the victory in the main event to Andrew Robson. The winner was in fact Mike Glynn. Motorsport News apologises to Mike for the mistake, which was made by the journalist covering the event.

J1

Miional

scene

etfted

ron Noonan

Corbett and Abay take Portland GP

by MARK WICKS

FORD PORTLAND KART GRAND PRIX

R

EIF Corbett and Michael-Sam Abay have taken victory in the two Grand Prix classes at the sixth running of the Ford Australia Portland Street Grand Prix.

Corbett raced to a narrow win over Mark Hester in the Formula 100 class, while Abay scored a comfortable win in Junior Clubman after the leaders crashed out with two laps to go.

Through the heats it was Matt Wall - now aboard a Tony Kart who had been setting the pace, taking wins in two of the heats, while another Tony Kart driver.

South Australia’s Mark Hester, grabbed the other.

Corbett had proven fast, carding a second but then suffered a DNF in the third heat after clipping a kerb and spinning into the tyre barriers.

There was no major damage, but he was lucky not to be T-boned by the closely pursuing Remo Luciani and Mark Winterbottom. The third heat was also disaster for Hester, spinning out of the lead with an engine failure.

After the heats it was Wall(Tony Kart/Parilla) on pole from Luciani (Tecno/Parilla), Alistair McGregor (Tony Kart/Vortex) and Hester (Tony Kart/Parilla).

Hester wasn’t going to wait around and snatched the lead into the first turn as the midfield tangled, removing Jason Hryniuk and Timm Weitzel.

Wall bided his time before taking over the front running, but what looked like was going to be a runaway win for the Victorian turned sour at half distance. Matt pulling up on the edge of the circuit with engine failure handing the lead back to Hester.

After finishing second last year and having won the Junior feature back in 1998, Hester was eager to claim another win, but Corbett had 12

Abay started the weekend well in Junior Clubman with a first up win in the opening heat over Leigh Gallace.

DP Kart’s David Sera won heat two with Gallace again second, Leigh finally getting the job done in heat three to earn enough points to start the final off pole. Cameron Farr’s consistency gave him grid two and despite one DNF each, both Sera and Abay were within striking distance.

The final was red-flagged after several karts blocked the track on the opening lap. Mason Merritt, Matthew Hall and Scott Pye all out. Gallace (Azzurro) won the restart from Sera(Arrow) with Abay slotting into third.

Gallace and Sera pulled a gap as they fought for the lead. Sera setting fastest lap of the race, but it all went wrong with just under two laps to go, the two touching as they negotiated the steep uphill section of the seaside circuit, both karts stalling with Gallace perched atop of Sera.

This handed Abay(Arrow) his first big win on a plate, leading home Farr (Azzurro) by some distance with a similar gap back to another Victorian, Matthew

South Aussie sweep: South Australians Reif Corbett, right, and Mark Hester filled the top two positions in the Formula 100 final.

(Photo by Phillip Biggs/Portland Observer)

other ideas. The aggressive South Australian movid through the field and charged after Hester in the closing laps.

A small mistake by Mark saw him lose speed and run wide, and it was all Corbett needed, scything past to lead the final lap and take

the win aboard the CRG/Vortex.

Hester held on for a frustrated second, while wily veteran Luciani filled the final podium placing.

Queensland’s Ryal Harris carded a relatively uneventful fourth in the DJR Azzurro/Fox with Luke May (CRG/CRG)fifth. ffloiorsport news

NATIONAL

'PT;-

On the way to a win: Michael-Sam Abay on his way to victory in the Junior Clubman feature event at Portland’s street kart Grand Prix.

(Photo by Phillip Biggs/Portland Obsetver)

Bmnpstead (Monaco)scoring his best result in third.

Australian Junior National Heavy Champion James Love (Arrow)recovered from a poor grid to take fourth ahead of Melbourne’s Leah Unsworth (Tony Kart).

The support classes also provided plenty of action with much of the interest centred on the new Leopard category. Similar to the Rotax MAX class (125cc, water cooled, electric start), the class attracted 17 starters and it was former Portland FlOO GP winner Luke Skinner who took the win.

Darren McDonald and Ti oy Woolston won Rotax Heavy and Light, while Taz Douglas

dominated the Formula Australia

Light final.

The other winners in a huge support program were Jason Holding(Clubman Super Heavy), James Love (Junior National Heavy), Lucas Boucher (Rookies), Joe Bugelly(Clubman Over 40), Dane Bobart(Clubman Heavy), Jace Lindstrom (Clubman Light), Dale Carpenter(Clubman Medium), Brett Arnett(Senior National Heavy), Kane Rose (Formula Australia Heavy), Trace O’Rourke (Senior National Light) and Matthew Hall (Junior National Light).

Almost 350 drivers from

1

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BRAKES

\

Feb/Mar Event

Venue Philip Island

Feb 23

Trading Post Grand Prix Rally

Shepparton

Feb 23

Speedway Gold Cup

Feb 23

Sprintcars

Feb 24

Victorian Superkarts

Feb 24

Formula Xtreme

Oran Park

Mar 1-3

Australian Grand Prix

Albert Park

Mar 2-3

Bendigo Vic Country Kart Classic

Bendigo

Mar 2-3

Ford Four Car Club

Vlfinton

.E-. .

Mar 2

NSW Sprintcar Championship

1 £

Mar 2

Thunder Down Under

IK -slllt EL. .. 't

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Philip Island Classic

practically every state competed in 17 classes at the event.

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Feb 23-24

’X'S ';jmA

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Kwinnana Complex Parramatta Winton

Parramatta Speedway City

World’s number 1 independent manufacturer of brake pads. For car, kart, sport performance, race, truck, trailer, forklift, earthmoving, tractor and train. Replacement and turbo grooved sports discs.

www.ebcbrakes.com.au For your stockist pPi 03 9462 3210 sales@ebcbrakes.com.au 20 February 2002

National Scene Karting Briefs

t Sad stuff: A pall was cast over the Wollongong Street meeting by the accident that eventually took the life ofNicole Franks. (Phoa syMn uorHu.upix) AROUND 1400 people attended a celebration of the life of Nicole Franks at the Newcastle kart circuit on Friday, February 8.

The popular 23-year old, who had been karting since she was nine, died as a result of injunes received in an accident during the ReSa Light final at the Wollongong Street meeting on February 3.

.-IV' l I

Little cars, big event: Formula Vees from everywhere will converge on WInton In December.

(Photo by Chris Carter)

Vee Nats for Winton WINTON Motor Raceway will hold the Formula Vee Nationals on the December 7/8 weekend of this year.

The event brings together two of the successful entry level categories, as the HQ Holden Four Hour Endurance Classic will join the Formula Vee Nationals on the weekend’s racing menu at the

rural Victorian circuit.

Formula Vee is one the nation’s most popular forms of motorsport, with thousands of drivers getting their start in the Volkswagenpowered open wheelers since they first appeared on race circuits in the mid 1960s.

V8 Supercar stars such as Cameron McConville and Jason

Bargwanna began their racing in the junior open wheeler category.

The meeting rounds out a big year for Winton, which will hold rounds of pretty much all of the top level racing categories from V8 Supercars, to the Power Tour, the Australian Superbike Championship and PROCAR Championship Series.

n Parilla are set for a big year in the Australian CIK classes. After their new water-cooled engines set a fast pace at the Oceania championships last year, importer Remo Luciani will shortly have new spec versions which are said to be faster again.

Water-cooled kits can also be purchased to convert current air cooled Parillas.

nrjNtDi*

wpipinKiiMlii

n Although the opening round of the 2002 CIK season at Bolivar is not until May, several teams and drivers are already inking deals in preparation for what could be the biggest season yet for the International categories in Australia.

2000 ICA Champion Brendan May, who was facing the year without a drive following the withdrawal of the Mike Wilson team, has recently been announced as the lead Formula A driver for the rejuvenated IKD/Swiss Flutless team.

Birel has confirmed it will continue to run Michael and Flayden Patrizi (moving up to Formula A and ICA respectively) and Paul Williams this year, Williams joined in ICA by former junior gun Nick Lowe, Chris Goodman and Blake Edward.

An announcements regarding their Junior line-up expected soon.

CRG are also expanding its team, Luke May (ICA) and the New Zealand Cunningham brothers, Wade (FA) and Mitch (JICA), to be joined by Jason Hryniuk (FA), who has switched from Haase.

- MARK WICKS 74

Who turned the lights out? Matrace in his Future Tourer Commodore.

Thproved Prodiiction/Sports Sedan"" (Photo M'Pam Charles)

Twilight at Mallala

TWILIGHT racing returned to Mallala in South Australia recently, with plenty of categories on-hand to race under lights on the 2.6kilometre venue.

Robert Ruggiero (Spectre) topped the Formula Vee pointscore from Rob Jezierski and Tom Drawer, while other category winners were Ian Eldridge (Improved Production/Sports Sedans), Peter Turner (Historic), Jason Armstrong (Mini Cooper S), Phillip Collier(HQ Holdens), Dean King (Sports Cars/Racing) and Bruce Heinrich (Saloon Cars).

Saloon Slip-Up: Mike Erwin spins his new Falcon on dehut, while former SA HQ Champion Peter Holmes shoots past.

(Photo hy Pans Charitt ) motortpon news

INDUSTRY NEWS .1'

Bright Future

BELLA Australia and Osram Australia have announced a strategic alliance that aligns the automotive lighting companies to manufacture and joint-market a new Bella range of Osram replacement automotive globes in the Australian aftermarket.

The Australian replacement automotive globe market is estimated at over $63 million per year and growing commensurately with the rate of Australian vehicle proliferation.

This strategic marketing alliance will unveil Bella’s range of Osram Premium and Standard quality high tech automotive

globes. These also include Bella’s popular Cool Blue, All Seasons, Plus 30 and Plus 50 replacement globes.

Bella’s range of Osram replacement automotive globes will appear in a new and highly distinctive packaging design featuring the Osram logo.

This announcement represents far more than a manufacturing and branding project. Bella and Osram will work together in a co operative arrangement to market these products in the Australian aftermarket.

Bella Australia’s National Sales and Marketing Manager, Teri7 Fitzgerald, says "Bella and

OSRAM

OSRAM OSRAM

HELLn Osram now offer consumers the highest quality automotive globes using our combined expertise in manufacturing and marketing.”

“This significant automotive aftermarket sector will now feature automotive globes without parallel in terms of quality and

price thanks to this strategic alliance."

The new Bella range of Osram automotive replacement globes will form an integral part of Bella’s new retail product portfolio which will be unveiled during 2002.

Stealth Rockers Hot Brakes A NE’W series of roller rockers has been released by Yella Terra. The Stealth Bigh Ratio Roller Rockers are available for a number of late model street applications.

Installation is simple, with no need to remove or machine the

or any of the Yella terra range, contact distributors Performance Wholesale on 07 3808 1986 or visit www.performancewholesale.com.

head.

This provides an easy and economical way of boosting power and torque for vehicles such as the Falcon, Commodore, Mustang and F series trucks.

For more information on the Stealth Bigh ratio Roller Rockers

Top Model GARRY & Warren Smith spares department,famous for its extensive range of BSV/BRT merchandise, also stocks a large range of model cars, including some hard to get superseded models.

The latest addition to the range is the Bolden Monaro 1:18 scale model from Auto Art. This

20 FRbruary 2002

model is complete in every detail including opening doors, bonnet and boot. A full range of colours is currently in stock.

For more information, contact Gany & Warren Smith service department on 03 9567 3422 or visit the showroom at 1575 Princes Bighway Oakleigh Vic 3166.

NEW from EEC Brakes is range of brake temperature paints.

In racing and performance applications it is important to know how hot your brakes are getting. This information is vital in selecting the correct brake setup for maximum braking capability and reducing brake fade.

The range of Brake Man brake temperature paints can be used to measure temperatures on the brake calliper and rotor. They can also be used on exhaust systems and many more types of metal.

Brake Man can be applied by brush, dipping or spraying on to the surface. It is quick drying and easy to apply with an accuracy of plus or minus one degi-ee.

Brake Man is available in 59 ml bottles and retails for $59.95 plus GST per bottle.

For more details or your nearest stockist contact EBC Brakes on 03 9462 3210 or email sales@ebcbrakes.com.au

Open Day

GARRY Rogers Motorsport is opening the doors to the general public. This is a great opportunity to look behind the scenes at a professional V8 Supercar team setup and meet the crew and drivers including Garth Tander and Jason Bargwanna. The full range of merchandise wiii be on sale with every purchase going in to a draw to become a Grid Person at a V8 supercar round.

Doors open at 10am until 1pm on Sunday February 24 at 350 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley Victoria.

7S

K1

mB shop

RACE SHOP gives you the opportunity to promote your products and services to the widest possible range of motorsport competitors and enthusiasts. Advertising in RACESHOP costs as little as $60 per issue! Call Brendon Sheridan on 03 9527 7744 now!

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Visit our website for your nearest distributor.

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Large inventory held in stock Sheet - cut to your requirements, sold per square foot Tubing, round, square, solid rod per linear foot Aircraft aluminium Bllat metals 2024T3, 6061T6, SCAT, Rresleeve

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l Available for early and VN Style V8 l Super flow potential compared to ported iron heads l Greater thermal efficiency and half the weight of iron www.yellaterra.com.au Ph 03 9555 5522 Fax 03 9555 4152

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State DIatrlbutore

NSW:(02)9678 9977 QLD:(07) 3808 1986 VIC:(03)9794 5177 WA:(08)9353 1155

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Ph: 08 8363 5566 M TECHNOLOaeS Fax: 08 8363 5633 ^WpTY LTD. www.cranecams.com.au

VIC 03 9386 5331 NSW 02 9676 8655 SA 08 8387 3522 WA 08 9293 3500 TAS 03 6273 7555 NT 08 8941 5388 QLD 07 3217 1188 www.stuckey.com.au

CRANKS, RODS, RACE CAMS & VALVE TRAIN COMPONENTS ijeRformance WHOLESALED

Phone (07)3808 1986

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www.sumidel.com Full range of new and rebuilt SU fuel pumps and carburettors in stock. ●Carburettor restorations. ●Throttle body robushing ●Fuel Pump repairs.

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CAMS C3 Licence Courses © Oran Park Mandatory 2 days held monthly includes CAMS Lecture and Observed Licence Test. No pre-requisities $605 Formula Ford Tests @ Oran Park monthly $654.50: 40 laps Peter Finlay's International Racing Drivers School For more info ph 02 9873 1773, fax 02 9871 1018 or email peter@finlays.com.au

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Importers Clearance Dir^to Public

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This space could be yours ■Digrspert lent

NiARKET PLACE

BIFREE Sedans/Sporis Cars

Classifieds

Forward to Motorsport News Free Classifieds, 357 Nepean Highway Brighton East 3187. Fax: 03 9596 5030. Email: mnews@mnews.coni.au. Make sure to list your category.

Mustang 67, 289 auto full resto completed 91 7800mls since $25,500 ono,

ph 02 6292 5648 or 0418 262 419. 226

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Honda S2000, GTP car as raced by Dave Wood 2001 series, now eligible for 'B' class, this car will win. $69,000 ONO, complete with spare wheels and road-going equiipment as is road registered. Ph Peter 0418 594 001.226

Ford Mustang 1965, K-code, Nc race car. 35 wins from 41 starts, 11 lap records. Beautifully restored and road registered. As raced with full historic race equipment. Stunning $48,000. Ph 02 9838 4944 226

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Saloon car #41 VN Commodore, immac, sorted, straight and ready to race. Top HP swift engine, custom exhaust. Package deal spare wheels, engine, gearbox and complete diff. Will assist new owner, POA. Ph Charles D'Aquino 0413 368 049 or 02 9681 1416 226 t -● I ,

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Celica Improved Production car, logged, very fresh 2 litre twin cam programmable

20 FflDruinf 2002

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911 Porsche Cup or very quick club car, new 964 Turbo Body Kit on original 76, 3.0 Carrera body. (Aust Complianced) Road reg in Victoria (911-551). Fresh 3.6 L (300 hp plus) nonvarioram Engine, Dyno Test available. 65 mm Restrictor fitted, with powerchip or uni-chip.

Full Roll Cage, adjustable Sway Bars, 915 Gearbox with LSD, Turbo 'Big Red' Front Brakes and new Pagid Pads, 930 turbo Rear Brakes with Dual Master Cylinders with Brake Bias Adjustment, Braided Brake Hoses, 2 Sparco Race Seals with Harness, 2 sets of Race wheels with Pirelli Slicks/wets, Battery Isolator and Remote, Perspex Side and Rear Windows. RS Door Trims, Log booked and ready to race. Very fast Production sports. Club Car or competitive Porsche Cup B Class car. $55,000 ono, Ph Tim Pritchard 0416 077 057.226

AUII XR8, 2001 front running GTP c ar, ready to race in 2002, perfect condition, will sell for package price with transporter see separate ad. POA. Ph Brian Carr 0409 819 650.226

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Mod Production VL Commodore, methanol 202 Koney shocks, adjustable suspension, lots of spares, ready to race. Ph 03 5962 5538 or 0428 101 420.

Mod production EL Flacon, 4L injected.

Micro Tech computer. Pro Shocks, lots of spares, ready to race. POA, ph 03 5962 5538 or 0428 101 420.226

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Cup car, rebuilt, for sale or lease for Power Tour 2002. 326 HP, lots of new parts, $24,500 ONO, ph 08 8284 8087.226

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Corolla club car, well set up, worked 1300 and 5 speed, half cage, good suspension and brakes, easy to drive, $2200, Ph 0427 406 980.226

& Super Tourer, Tom's factory car. In the right hands, this car would be very competitive. Get set for the new summer season. All spares included, 2 motors etc.

Will consider Trade or Payment Program.

All genuine offers considered. Fire sale, must go. Ph 0418 644 217.220

absolutelyfree*

●Motorsport News Classifieds are FREE for private sales. Classifieds from motor sport traders are accepted (marked with a ●) and must be prepaid at the following per issue rates: S5 per 10 words (min $10 per ad), photo $10, Further enquiries to our advertising department on 03 9596 5555.

Classifieds can be mailed, faxed or emailed. Classifieds are not accepted over the telephone.

ignition, rebuilt running gear, 4-spot brake conversion, KMAC strut tops, spares included. Low price for quick sale, call for details, ph ah 02 6299 1986.225

Datsun 240/280Z, Fast and reliable production sportscar with 2.8 litre Dynotrac prepared motor, Autronic engine management and fully adjustable Koni suspension. Multi NSW championship winner, the car could also be'road registered for tarmac rallies. This immaculate and comprehensive package is only $18,000. Ph Sam 0411 415 231.226

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XC 351 V8 Sedan, Silver in colour. New 2100kg tow bar, NO Rust, un reg only due to being able to drive one car at a time. $2000.oo Ph ah 02 6582 6082 wh 02 6583 7400.22e GTP ready '99 Integra Type R, ex Nathan Thomas/Quirk's, numerous class 'B' records, very competitive, loves street circuits, Adelaide Clipsal entry available, laps Adelaide in 1 min 41.6 seconds. Recent engine, gbox, clutch & brakes o/haul, compulsary GTP data logger, Proflex adj. coil overs, excellent rigid steel cage, welded-in.

Many spares including: gearbox, lots of wheels with Michelin slicks, wets & int. tyres, brakes, suspension, hubs, bumpers, windscreen, etc.

Set-up data available. Regretful sale, $42,000 firm. Ph Nathan or Ken Thomas, Ph/Fax: (02) 9653 1668, Mobiles: 0418 261 860 & 0414 933 802, or email: ntho@smcaus.com.au. 226 A.«.

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VX GTS HSV, ready for 2002 season, great opportunity, serious offers only. Ph Craig 0407 724 862, 226 Mazda RX7, 1986 54 Turbo, new T04 hybrid turbo, haltech F9a computer, 3" exhaust, new Daikin h/d ceramic clutch, adjustable koni's, lowered kings springs, 4.1:1 LSD, Harrop front brakes, 16x8 race wheels, Falken Azenis tyres, alloy half cage. Fibreglass bonnet, very quick, great car, ring for details, full NSW rego, RED633 $16000 Bathurst 02-6332 4072 or 0409 771 317.226 VP Commodore race shell, suit Sports Sedan, watts linkage rear end, full body kit, spare spoilers and other spares, ph 03 5626 1319.226 Datsun 1600 Impoved Production car, L20, twin Webbers, electronic ignition, 4W discs, CR gearbox, R180 diff (5.1:1 and 4.8:1), near-new tyres, spare set of wheels and tyres, CAMS logbook, spares. $5000 ono, ph Steve 02 4982 6834 ah. 226 Ex HRT VS Commodore V8 Supercar, Complete rolling chassis, currently in Big Kev racing colours. Ex Tander/HRT chassis # Dencar23 complete with spare suspenion, panels, wheels, $35,000 ph Nigel Barclay 07 5546 2922.226 Ex Diet Coke BMW 320 I Super Touring car, ex Morris multiple championship-winning car/ex Brabham Bathurst winner. Own a piece of Australian Motorsport History. Complete car including spare engine and extensive spares package, currently in Mount Cotton Wine signage. $180,000 Ph Nigel Barclay 07 5546 2922.226 Ex BTCC Honda Accord Super Touring car, ex Richards/Adderton/Robson/Cornish, Australian independant race winner. X-trac sequential box, 19 inch wheels. Fast strong car with all spares including ratios. Currently metallic blue and silver. $32,000, ph Nigel Barclay 07 5546 2922.226 Ex BTCC Nissan Primera Super Touring car, ex Steven Richards ASTC. Hewland sequential box, 19 inch wheels. Beautifully built car easily returned to Nissan Factory livery. Currently green/blue/white.

Good spares including gearbox and ratios. $28,000, ph Nigel Barclay 07 5546 2922. 225

180B Sports Sedan, fuel injerted L28, aultronic management system, wets and slicks, 260bhp, some spare parts with car, log book, colour: red. $7000 ono, ph 0425 798 020.226 1988 Subaru 4x4, L series wagon, new tyres, wheels, CVs, clutch. CD player, A/C, 189kms, immaculate throughout, UZY-882, ph 0404 038 337. 226

Falcon AU XR8 Rally Car, Full spec and new AU bodyshell, chrome moly cage with all parts to build into a second car, plus heaps of spares, wheels, tyres. Take the lot for $49,000 (will separate if needed). Call Steve 0417 445 920.225

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Pirelli Motorsport offers for sale its Championship winning Commodore V8 BRute and XR8 Ford BRute for the 2002 BRute series.

Both vehicles come with full setup advice and spares. POA. Ph Rod Wilson 03 9872 4522 or 0417 51 1 911.22S

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bodywork, wheels and tyres, many other spares and tools, on reg. trailer, complete,package ready to race, $8000 ONO, ph 07 5493 8604.226 -S2WV

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V8 Supercar, PE30 Last VS. 1997 Bathurst winning car, currently fastest VS. Broke the lap record in last race at Bathurst. Car will run in

Lotus 7 Replica, Toyota 4AGE EFI & 5-speed, alloy body panels, f-glass guards and nosecose, tonneau, Pirellis, mags, compliance, RWC, reg 'KITCAR'(not transf), professionally built, immaculate sports car. Worth a look. $26,000 ono. Ph 0419 886 544.225

top five Konica Series. $105,000, will consider lease. Ph 0417558452.225

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Cheetah Clubman, Historic race car, eligible Group Q, well known, well sorted car with all the good bits and many spares. Enclosed trailer. $25,000 Ph 02 4389 2123 or 0409 835 567.226

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Toyota Carina (Corona) Super Tourer, Built in TOMS Toyota Motor Sport in England. Raced '93 BTCC (James Kaye), 94 Australian Super ● Touring (Greg Murphy), 94 Bathurst 1000 (Murphy/Kaye), 96 Asia Super Touring Championship, 295bhp(@8500rpm) engine, XTrac 206 6-spd sequential gearbox. Viscous differential, PI 4 dash, data logger. Dynamic dampers, adjustable sway bars, fabricated uprights, super strut suspension, 6-pot AP callipers. Premier fuel system with dry brake, 18" centre lock wheels, NZ $55,000, AUD $46,000. Spares package, includes 8 wheels, 35 gear sets, first gears, spare hubs, body panels etc, NZ $10,000, AUD $8,000. Technical assistance if required. Ph Bruce Miles 0011 64 3 355 0313(ah)or0011 6421 321 554(mob). 225

Saloon Car EA Ford, 1989, Saloon Car, front runner, finished 4th, 2001 National Championship, no expense spared, ready to race. VIN JG25LL90492, $29,000, Ph 02 9636 541 1 . 225

Torana Sports Sedan, U-XUl, whole car recently had a complete rebuild, runs great, looks great, heaps of new stuff, plenty of spares, very neat and well-maintained car, $7500 ono Ph David 0428 442 411 (NSW). 225

VP Commodore race shell, suit Sports Sedan, Watts linkage rear end, body kit, spare spoilers and other spares, Ph 03 5626 1319.225 Sports Sedan, 'Steves Toyshop' VP Commodore for lease, NSW 2002 State Series. Proven race winner in 2001 series. Phone Steve 02 4630 9587 or 0407 666 149.225

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Clubman Sports 1300, 1996 JMW, new engine, tyres, paint, electrics. 1 race since rebuilt. Very fast, relaible race car with many spares. Ready to race as is. 1999, 2000 Club championship winning car. $12,000 complete or $10,000 rolling chassis. Ph Matt 0402 383 311 or 07 3829 0203.226 Formula Vee, Venon with open trailer. Just been rebuilt, one meeting old. Ph ah 07 3806 1465.226

Sports 1300, Prospect Pentium 'faaorycar'. C/R 5-speed, Suzuki, Avons, pushrod, 3rd sping 12" discs Billet cais, carbon body, data logging, lots of spares and moulds + wings, won Nationals, 99 Top 3 finisher each meet, $22,000, Ph Grant 07 3277 3114.225 KAM MG, Historic racing car log book C of D. fresh engine Needham box, reliable, easy to maintain, $25,500 ONO ph 02 6292 5648 or 0418 262 419 226

Open Wheelers

Mazda RX3 Coupe, Improved Production car #77, 2nd outright 2001 VMRC, 100% finishing record. 13B Bridgeport 5 speed 4.4 diff & new brakes. Heaps of spares. Fast reliable competitive car, ready to race. Phillip Island 1,50s, Wintonm lm36s, Calder 65s. #12,000 with spares. Ph Paul 0408 550 677 or 03 9729 1496.225

Swift 93K, OLD Racing Car Championship winning car for 2001, 2 sets of wheels and tyres, full spare set of suspension arms and panels, Ohiins shocks. Fresh engine, $20,000, Ph Ash 0409 648 633 226

Super Sedan chassis, 38 mill rollcage, Pontiac body, top chassis $1000. Four grain scales for weighing cars lOOOIbs plus per wheel $900, Ram with two hoses $100, Ph 02 4572 5949.225

Clubsport 11/95VS, 185kw, build No. 441, Peter Brock signature dash, 5-speed manual, 98,000 km, immaculate, always garaged and well maintained, YBK 20W $24900, Ph Michelle Bh 02 6254 1659.225

immaculate condition. Used once since. Top HP Cosworth BDD big vavie engine, Hewland FT200, spare set of mounted wets, spare painted nose and moulds. More details available on request.

Enclosed trailer also available. Ph 02 9909 1144 or 0412 403 582.!26

C.R.D. 852 Formula Two with Historic Group R, Log Book, full race history available, very reliable, fresh Ford engine, Hewland gearbox, large amount of spares including, mounted wets, spares ratios, suspension, engine parts. $ 18500 ONO Phone Ian on 0417 851 716 or ( 03 ) 9878 951 226 Drive available, 2002 National Formula Ford DTE series. Close to half price, very competitive RF95, suit first year to learn, to join level playing field in 2003. Ph 07 5446 7611. 226

Formula Vee, new Sabre chassis and parts. Can offer as a roller. Ph Paul 03 9580 5236.225

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Formula Ford Van Diemen RF96, 2 sets wheels, stands, quick jack, wheel alignment gear, some spares, fresh two pack paint, new nose box and battery. Ready to race, $24,000 neg. Available with enviosed trailer $28,000. Ph 02 4421 5334.226 Formula Vee rolling chassis, less engine, but with short 1 .22 gearbox and front end. NG Elfin copy, $3,900. Fully enclosed trailer will fit FV or FF $950. Photos at www.butcha.dareFX.com.au.

Ph Steven Butcher (w) 024954 3333 or (h) 02 4359 2796.225

Drag Bacing

Rear engine dragster, Chev, Powerglide, race ready, with enclosed trailer, will separate motor and box $25,000 neg. Test drive available (cond apply), Ph Fletch 03 5777 3530. j26

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ci5 Formula Vee Phoenix, Competitive car, fresh engine, new bodywork, spare race gearbox.

Chevron B29, 1975 Historic Group Q with log book and C of D. Recently subject to a complete restoration to original specification and is in

Cortina 1500 sidedraught hi Dellorto carb 5mm and manifold and Escort 1600 single sidedraught manifold $450 the lot ph Ross 0408 333 651.226 Holden Commodore VN V8 T700 gearbox, fully rebuilt only done lOOkms. Very strong

0^044# Send us your classified ads and we’ll run them tor FREE* OatBgOtV: □ Sedans □ Open Wheelers □ Speedway DDrag □ Parts □ Engines □ Trailers □ Wanted □ Photographs □ Other

Description:

news

Please keep ads tonomorethan 30 words, plus a photo if required.

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NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS Please use the form provided and print clearly. Please note we are unable to return photographs used in classified ads. Ads will appear as soon as possible after receipt. ‘FREE Classifieds are for the sale of private goods and vehicles only, not business advertising (Trade advertisers see Classifieds header for rates). Photos marked ‘proof' will not be used.

moiorsport newt

MARKET PLACE gearbox, nothing to spend, everything brand new. $1300, Ph Troy 0410 480 534 or 02 9731 0733. 226 2 X 481 DA Weber carburettors, excellent condition, 37 Venturis, 135 mains and 175 airs. $1700 firm, ph 02 9931 6032.226 Weber 58 DC03 carby. No. 81, collectors item, scarce as an honest politician. Best offer over two grand. Ph 0417 528 900 or 03 6431 2482.226 GTP data logger, inci sensors used once $1000 Mazda RX7 5JR 6 computer as used in GTP car $1200 ono (cost $2000) Ph 0413 445 738 or 08 9378 2666.226 Two intercoolers by AVO, both suit cars up to 600HP, 1. 520x320x75 2. 800x310x70 offers on both Ph Ken 0412 546 157 (Vic). 226 Oiin shocks, set of 4, duel aaion gas/multi adj sep rebound/bump, hand adjst external res, very good condition, $4000 ONO Ph Craig 0419 401 542 or 08 8359 4100.226 5ubaru 5TI GTP parts, 19 used Dunlop slicks 205 600 R16, 4 used Michelin slicks 18/62-16, 4 near-new Dunlop wets 205/50R161687V, 2.pew Dunlop wets 205/50R161687V, 2 RPM clutches, 1 new VF25 turbo charger, 1 boot lid, 1 slightly damaged aluminium bonnet, 1 data logger moniter, complete with dry brake system, full proflex suspension complete with springs, all offers considered, Ph Clyde Lawrence 0427 811 805 (Vic). 226 Webber carburettors, 4x48, excellent cond, $2900, ph 02 9905 5814.226 Live Telemetry, car to Pit/Transporter. Only for those who wish to move forward in the pack and can handle the sophistication. $2,000 Ph 0414 274 369.226 Quaife 4 speed dog box, comes with T/P clutch, flywheel, bellhousing and shifter, $2000 Ph 0410 681 562.225 Conrods, ARGO 145mm centres, 22mm dia. pin & 54„ dia. big end X4, $1000 Ph 08 8165 1134. ui 4 5peedline 5 stud wheels, suit V8 5upercar/Sports Sedan $700 each, Ph 0417558452.225

Super Sedan, VS Clubsport Commodore, Rayburn chassis, full fibreglass bodykit, aluminium interior, ready for your running gear, suit upgrade, $2500 ono, Ph 0416 048 926.226 Speedcar parts clearance, shocks, torsion bars, front end, gear sets, birdcages from $50, ph Craig 0419 692 117.226 Super Sedan chassis, AU Falcon, fibreglass body kit complete less running gear. Excellent condition, $2000.

Ph 4730 3440 or 0419 989 010.226 Litre Sprintcar, Gerhardt Chome Moly midbar frame, 1240cc Kawasaki Cut down engine Hilbom fuel injectbn, Dyna $ ignition, Halibrand splined QC Diff, Weld & Mag wheels. Comes with single axle open trailer and spares. $15 000.(07)54 754 356.. 226 Modified Production VK/VL Commodore, all good equipment, PRO shocks. Autometer guages, Mallory pump, MSO, Charlyn power steer, heaps of spares, $8000 ono, Ph 07 5598 5746 or 0417 728 229.226

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Transporters/Trallers

Enclosed trailer, 6.5 x 2.5 x 2.0, white colour-bond, 4 wheel elearic brakes with brake away system light truck tyres, 12v/240v power, bench, cupboards, beds, free standing full length annexe, excellent cond, $5,000 ph 07 4978 0078 of 0408 754 191.226

l Hewland, DGB, 5 speed transaxle, top condition, new 9:31 CWR ratio choices and spares available, $14K ratios, over 300 in stock to suit DGB, GFGB, TPT, FT200. CCI Ph 0418 925 767. l Oil coolers - heat exchangers, Earls, $etrab, $erck, 6-70 row, new/used, also used water to oil heat exchangers, over 100 in stock, CCI Ph 0418 925 767.

Chev C30, QLD rego, 350 4 sp, red, large aluminium tray with drop sides heavy duty tow bar new tyres less than 12 months sice full rebuit. $15,000 Ph 4978 0078 or 0408 754 191.226

l Air jacks, new/used, large range, most applications, quick release handies available, top quality. C.C.I.Ph 0418 925 767. l Radiators, aluminium, new/used, single/dual pass, top quality, large range, various sizes, suit all applications, fr $300. CCI Ph 0418 925 767.

SpeeilwaM Speedway Street Stock, TF Cortina, full NASCAR cage, 2nd radiator, 250 Crossflow, 5 poim harness, fibreglass seat window net reasonable cond. Pedder suspension, spare body, some spares, ready to go, $1200 ono, ph 0438 310 686.226

20 Fedruin 2002

or other small single sealer. Trailer is only one and a half years old amd includes: fold down rear door and built-in ramps, pop-up roof, racks for storing spares and tyres, chequer plate flooring, mag wheels and 6 months of rego. Cost new $5,000, will sell for $2500, Ph 0408 700 783. 225

Genuine Minardi FI team suede dress jacket, purchased at last Adelaide GR $600 ono, Ph 08 8322 5254.225 Brock Marlboro HDT hat, wish to sell a MHDT hat for a fair price. Good condition, no signatures.

Make an offer. Ph Adam 02 9824 8954 or 0401 006 014.225 Attention HRT fans, 48 photos of every car and driver HRT has produced. Also includinmg Young Lions. Drivers from Perkins, Percy, Grice, Mezera, Brock, Lowndes, Murf, Skaife, Kelly and Bright. $150 for the lot. /tlso various drivers including Brock, Skaife, Lowndes, Perkins, Mezera, Murf, Johnson, Crompton, Seton and S Richards. All taken by professionals. Contaa Steve 02 4971 2639 or 0407 476 258.225 Formula 1 races on tape, seasons 97, 98, 99, 00 and 2001. All recorded on 60 action-packed video tapes. All for just $200 ono. Ph Paul 08 8636 2527.225 l Driving suits, top brand imported race suits, boots, gloves etc. Many styles and colours at wholesale prices, Ph 02 6562 7762 or 0412 785 486.

Race transporter, 41 ft. 3 car capacity, hydraulic cable race door, 5.5 kva generator, 240v mains power with circuits board, circuit breakers and switch for generator or auxiliay power, annex, new bench grinder, drill press and vice fitted on a bench, new rubber tile flooring, heaps of storage space, pit flooring, alloy wheels, BPW axles, ph Spud 02 8304 7889 or 0407 278 330. 225 Lowline single axle trailer suit open wheeler, has jockey wheelm winch, 2 spare mag wheels and tyres. Fully enclosed with windows for vision while towing. $2250 ONO Ph 02 4576 1222. 226

Other 1986 Isuzu Pantech, currently used to GTP car, fully lined inside, tyre rack?, alum ramps, fully enclosed annexe, suit GTP. Plenty of storage, POA. Ph Brian Carr 0409 819 650.226

l Racecar parts, brake parts, chassis stands, diff oil pumps, exhaust collectors, fuel cell accessories, oil filters, quickiift 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.

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Fantastic opportunity to expand your automotive library, many on offer no longer available. Aust Competition Y/books 1975,1976, No 8 plus Aust Motor Racing Y/books Nos 10,11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, various prices, ph 0408 413 309 or email stuartbowes@bigpond.com. 226 Competition Yearbook, No. 8 $90, Motor Racing Yearbook No. 9 $150, Motor Racing Yearbook No. 10 $100, very scarce, as new.

Postage extra, /kll with dust jackets. Ph 02 9997 7832 225

Engines

l Race seats, top quality imported race seats at wholesale prices. Ph 02 6562 7762 or 0412 785 486.

l Pedals, brake/clutch, floor mount/hanging, new/sued. Also available, bias valves, bias cables, master cylinders, reservoirs etc. CCI Ph 0418 925 767. l Brake calipers, discs, pads. Mega range, new/used, exc condition - AP, Alcon, Brembo, Outlaw, Willwood. Overnight delivery. CCI Ph 0418 925 767.

Leyiand Leopard bus/car carrier, excellent condition semi-automatic 4-speed, 6 cylinder mid-mount engine 1 l.OOOcc, fully reconmditioned engine still under warranty, engine only travelled 4500kms since $10,000 rebuild, registration until June 2002. Originally race car carrie’(V8 Super Sedan).

Make perfect mobile home/car carrier in one.

Windows all tinted, air brakes, priced to sell $ 17,990 ono or will swap for people mover to same value. Contact John McGhee 0411 059 329.226

Enclosed trailer for sale, would suit Formula Vee

Dorian Data Transmitter, including charger.

Used only thre times but no longer required. $450. Ph 0408 700 783.22s

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 available. CCI Ph 0418 925 767.

My 40-year collection of magazines (incI AMS, RCN, sew sets) and race programmes (50s Albert Park, Bathurst 40s-50s and 500s/1000s, 0/Pk, W/Farm, etc) is for sale. Ph Max Stahl 02 4362 2000. 226

Transporter, 28' x 8'xlO' PAN, Retractable Ramps and winch. 240 & 12 volt, plenty of belly iocker storage, side door access, drives very well, reliable and economical,(wheel racks) and Hino's biggest 170 diesel. Best Genuine offer. Around $15,000. Ph: 0418 644 217.226 Coach transport, 37ft mid-mount 250hp turbo Volvo, 4 speed, pre-seleaed gearbox, airbrakes, tubeless tyres, excellent condition, $14000, ph 02 4730 3440 or 0419 989 010.226 Fully enclosed tandem trailer, suit any sedan, storage under floor, both sides lift up to become awnings, torque twist suspension, 4 wheel electric brakes, mag wheels, custom paint job, professionally built by Motorsport Trailers. $12,000 ph 0408 579 686 or 03 5382 5940 (Horsham). 226

Two Holden engines, rebuilt Perkins slide manifolds. 1 wet sump 1 dry sump. Both with exhausts tail pipes and mufflers. Complete ready to bolt in, fresh off the dyno. Ph 03 5626 1319.225 Porsche engines, 993 3.6e $16,800, Varioram $21,045, 993 twin turbo $44,700, 6 spd g/box $6490, 993 twin turbo body $32,000 (undamaged), suspnsions. Big Reds, GRP body panels, Ph 0417 620 980.226 Mazda 13B J port, 5 sprints since rebuilt, c/w manifold, 51mm Webber, clutch and flywheel, all in vgc, can see running, will deliver to Melbourne, must sell. $3000 ono ph 03 5777 8220.226 BMW 2.01 Super Tourer spec S14, Harrop crank, Argo rods, Ross pistons. C/F intake manifold, Motec M4 and harness, Ph Kim bh 07 3343 2733 or 0411 492 484.226

MotorSporlToursi n ui;u:94tsK;

l ONE CALL DOES IT ALL, Clipsal 500 Adelaide V8 Supercars15-17 March, fr$599 pp.Phillip island Superbikes 22-24 March, fr$379pp. Phillip Island V8 Supercars 12-14 April, fr$379pp. Hidden Valley Darwin V8 Supercars 17-19 May, fr$649pp.Bathurst V8 Supercar 1000 10-13 October, fr$319 pp.

Most packages include accom, b/fast tickets S pits, transfers, gst, booking & service fees, MST Event Pack, conditions apply, limited availability, prices & packages may be subjert to change, we accept most credit cards. Enquiries & Bookings contact the Team at Motor Sport Tours Pty Ltd Ph 07 4691 5833 Fax 07 4691 5733 Mob 0412 900 228 Postal AddressPo Box 83 Oakey Qld 4401 Email - motorsportours@ozemail.com.au Web - www.motorsportours.com.au Dynamometer chassis vane, Vp130 rated 150 hp updated electronics excellent condition suit diagnostic tuning or LPG specialist, $6500 Canberra Ph 02 6282 1880. 226 Racing Car News magazines. 1963-1987, history of Australian Motor Sport. Best offer, ph 02 9774 3883 226

Cosworth YB Twin Cams, 1 engine complete less ancilliaries and 2 cylinder heads complete. Will separate, all unraced. Email info@daracing.com or phone 0412 863 594. 225 Subaru GX Impreza 93, 1.81 EFI engine, gearbox and rear diff inci computer and wiring harness 67,000km $2500, Also brake calipers, X-members f&r radiator etc. Ph Eric 0418 41 1 038. 225

Warned Borg Warner single rail close ratio gearbox. 4 speed. Ph Scott 02 4982 6834. 226 Anything HDT, flags, hats, shirts, jackets. Private collector. Ph Wade 02 9826 7680 or email kiggins@bigpond.com.au. 22s

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OPINION

motorspon

news EDiTORiii snrr

Editor: Phil Branagan l editor@mnews.com.au Assistant Editor: Aaron Noonan l noonz@mnews.com.au Staff Journalist: Mark Glendenning l mark@mnews.com.au

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82

Give us the cigar anyway Had to agree that Lowndes’s move on Bowe in the ‘94 Tooheys 1000 was a brilliant move.

Trouble was, it occmred at Repco Bend, the right hander at the end of Mountain Straight, and not at Forrest’s Elbow, as stated. Close, but no cigar.

And call me biased, being a Queenslander, but the best race I have ever seen was the Konica round at Lakeside in 2000. Watching Wayne Wakefield and Dave Besnard duelling thru the kink at 200 km/h was sensational!

And what the hell does Wayne have to do to get a decent drive? Maybe changing his name to Pedro Wakefield or Wayne Wilson may help...

John Zyzniewski madfirey@ozemail.com.au

IVvo good things about the ‘80s Having been watching touring car racing for the last 20 years, I was surprised to find no mention of the two most memorable races for me.

The two races that I will never forget were the 1985 Calder Park ATCC round and Bathurst the n same year. It’s a shame I don’t have these on video, as they would be a great reminder of how all motor racing should be - a diverse range of cars racing with a similar lap speed, but also with different strengths and weaknesses over a race distance, so there is plenty of great dices and opportunities for passing.

Congratulations Mark Webber!

Lets just hope the Asiatech engine is reliable.

David Kenworthy drkenworthy@hotmail.com

Bartlett vs Brock I was please that you mentioned the Bartlett versus Brock battle at Sandown in 1980 in your special feature in the last issue.

It was a classic race, with Bartlett holding out Brock’s much faster car until the very last lap when they swapped places a couple of times until Bartlett somehow managed to get to the flag first for an unexpected win.

What a gi-eat drive it was!

It has to go down as one of the all time greatest races.

The sad thing is, if the race was run today under our current(only in Australia) rules, Bartlett would have been forced to let Brock past early in the race and Brock would have walked in.

Please, whoever is responsible for the ‘no blocking’ rule, let’s rejoin the rest of the world and reintroduce defensive driving.

fv

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converter Send us your thoughts; mail: 357 Nepean Highway, Brighton East, ViC 3187 fax; 03 9596 5030 email; mnews@mnews.com.au

Don’t take the racing out of motor racing !!!

Chris Pics chrispics30@hotmail.com

Remembering Amaroo Thank you for publishing one of my photos taken recently out at the old Amaroo Park Circuit.

I must say that when I first got there after being told about the state of the site by Jeff Boaden, a fellow competitor, I was shocked at just how good a job the developers had done in disguising the fact that this was once one of Australia’s favourite race circuits.

It is a shame that it is gone but, I suppose, that’s progress!

If any of your readers would like to see the rest of the photos they can browse to http://members.optushome. com.au/plynden and follow the ‘Amaroo Park Today’link at the top of the main page.

I would also be interested in hearing from anyone with memories of the circuit, either racers, officials, flaggies, or spectators.

Any info or photos can be emailed to me at the below

address. This info will be collected, sorted and placed on a website project currently under construction.

Due credit will be acknowledged to those providing info/photos. Anyone with an aerial photo would be greatly appreciated.

Peter Lynden plynden@optushome.com.au

Spin city I can’t help but feel that you missed mentioning THE best race I have ever seen.

It occurred at Calder back in the early 1970s. Both Allan Moffat and Bob Jane were passing and re-passing each other at the end of the straights, lap after lap.

That was until the last lap at the end of the back straight, when a driver of a Mini Cooper noticed the duo approaching and couldn’t decide who to favour. So he took up a middle of the road approach.

As all three approached the corner at about the 50 foot mark side by side, with the Mini in the middle, both Bob and Allan decided no braking from here on was the right course of action.

Side-by-side they entered the corner with the Mini sideways behind them, in a perfect display of spinning in unison.

Allan, who was on the outside, spun across the out field behind the pump house and back onto the track, whilst Bob spun to the infield and entered back onto the track just behind Allan. That is how they finished.

However, as I stood outside the control tower and heard the stewards reprimanding them both, I couldn’t help but feel the stewards let them both of lightly.

Something to do with Bob owning the place and it being unjust to mete it out to Allan and not to Bob, methinks.

Bill Huggett huggett@alphalink.com.au

Best race ever? The show put on by Wayne Wakefield and David Besnard at the Lakeside Konica round in 2000 was exciting enough to get reader John Zyzniewski’s vote.

(Prioto t)y Dirk Klynsmitri) motortport news

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