Motorsport News Issue 231 - May 15-28, 2002

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No. 231

May 15-28 2002

FERRARI FIASCO Rule change demand after public outrage at Schumacher ‘gift’ win

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this i Australia’s thiidVS Supercar contender?

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ISSN 1320-9744

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COURTNEY: Win-Win, at last!

BRIGHT: Not conceding

WEBBER: FI Diary

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features

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28 5 minutes with Paui Dumbreii We talk to the Konica V8 series leader 30 Da Magna If Mitsubishi were to go V8s, how would they do it? We tell

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- SmartOgT > 22 More bloody Brazilians! Junqueira takes pole for Indy 500

44 The old 2-1 Michael's win in the history books, Rubens's moral win 52 Lifting Dumbrells Wynn's boy dominate Phillip Island 56 Oran Park PROCAR Three NO winners from three races. Who needs parity?

58 Oran Park Supports All the GTP and F3 action ^59 Formuia Ford Whincup moves further clear

motorsport 60 Heady Eddy Ordynski takes out Canberra

regulars

Is this Australia's , third V8 Photos: Cover:

20 Motorcycles

62 Rallying

64 Speedway

66 NASCAR

^ SUDSrCdt Payne. Sutton. ' ■ A images

68 Drag Racing

70 Histories

72 National Scene

76 Marketplace

contender? contents; Sutton-lmages.

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Dirk Klynsmith, Paris »«ote»T Charles. Marshall Cass.

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Mitsubishi next for

Mitsubishi chiefs and AVESCO meet to discuss entry for a third manufactu

by PHIL BRANAGAN

MITSUBISHI may be moving closer to committing to a V8 Supercar program.

Motorsport News understands that there have been as many as four meetings between executives of Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited and AVESCO regarding the appearance of the marque in the category - as early as the start of the 2004 season.

MMAL President Tom Phillips was recently quoted saying that the company has a positive attitude to racing in the class.

“I think there's room for another manufacturer to be involved,” Mitsubishi president Phillips said.

“But we have to be accepted first - we don’t just roll up and say we want to race a car. We have to be accepted into the racing series.”

A'^SCO has said that there is yet to be a formal proposal from any other Australian car maker, and it would require acceptance from the Board before proceeding.

As recently as last week,it had been rumoured that an announcement regarding a race program was imminent, but these rumours were dismissed by a company spokesman;

“There is no comment to make,” said Kevin Taylor, head of the marque’s PR department. “It is far too early.”

AVESCO’s Chief Executive Wayne Cattach said that the category manager would place a number of conditions on the entry of Mitsubishi, or any other manufacturer, to the category; “We would want to consider whether it would be desirable to have a third manufacturer(in the class),” he said.‘We have not got to that point.”

However, MN understands that AVESCO’s own research is telling it that the majority offans no longer have an aversion to the concept of a third V8 Supercar manufacturer joining the series.

Cattach also suggested that the organisation would like to see a new player link itself to existing member of the Touring Car Entrants' Group TEGA,rather than start up a completely new team or teams.

“You would like to see teams which are out there already and, perhaps, struggling through a lack of resources, get sponsors,” says Cattach.

“Also, there are already more than 32 cars out there at present, and it does not makes sense to

bring in ‘other’ cars.”

Like the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon, any new V8 Supercar would be subject to the restrictions of‘Project Blueprint’, which documents in considerable detail the technical specifications for cars

racing in the category. This would also streamline the development of a new car, as it leaves far less variables open to any team building a new car.

One area of flexibility is for a potential engine for such a V8

Pre-qual scrapped THE controversial V8 Supercar pre-qualifying system has been shelved.

The decision, which was first floated at a meeting in Melbourne earlier last week, was ratified at an Extraordinary General Meeting of V8 Supercar entrants group TEGA in Queensland last Friday.

The meeting, which represented a last-ditch effort to close a widening gap between the TEGA board and a number of disenchanted franchise owners, ended with the decision to dump pre-qualifying, effective immediately.

Grid capacity at Hidden Valley will increase from 32 to 36, with the field sizes at other races to be determined further down the

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track, depending primarily on only car to use five-stud capacity issues. wheelnuts, McDougall’s rattle CAMS has approved a 34-car guns will be incompatible with grid for Canberra and TEGA is those used by the rest of the field.

As this means that the Victorian looking at the space logistics with ' the Canberra organisers. will be unable to share a pit boom In place of pre-qualifying the with anyone, he will skip the race. the entry list for each round will Due to contractual obligations between AVESCO and Hidden reflect current championship standings, with preference given Valley promoters that require V8 to cars that are running the full Supercars to take to the track on championship over those that Friday, the void left by pre are not, such as third cars being qualifying will be filled by an extra entered by Level One teams. practice session.

At Hidden Valley this weekend, Scheduled to start at 4pm, the two and three-car teams will be one-hour session will be broken limited to a single pit boom each, into two 30 minute parts with 50 while single-car outfits will be percent of the field in each. Cars will be restricted to a maximum of required to pair up and share one boom between two cars. ten laps.

This is bad news for Dugal With many teams having McDougall. As the driver of the arranged for their transporters to

arrive at around lunchtime Friday, a few V8 Supercar teams could be in for a busy afternoon trying to get everything unpacked and prepared in time to get the cars out onto the track!

Meanwhile, the spill that threatened to bring down the entire TEGA board appears to have been averted, A steering committee comprising Terry Morris, Bruce Ellery, Steve Reed, and Bob Forbes was appointed to look at a restructure of TEGA. At the same time, proposals to reconstitute a Technical Committee, previously overlooked by the Board, will now be actioned.

- MARK GLENDENNING

motorsport news

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Bathurst Easter plans Photo by Dirk Klynsmith

Power Tour looks to Mt Panorama

A glimpse of what’s to come?

Magnas are already a feature on the Power Tour, but it may not be too long before they begin lining up against - or even in the hands of - Lowndes, Skaife et al...

(Photo by Paris Charies)

Supercar. As part of the DaimlerChrysler family, it seems likely that a V8 Magna could utilise an engine based on Dodge's T7 NASCAR engine, just as Holden's Chevrolet unit and Ford's SVO motor are based on the equivalent units already in use in the USA. Phillips said the company had already considered fitting a V8 engine to the cmxent car and believed it could be done successfully.

“There’s a fair bit of cost involved, though, and at this stage that sort of thing is not one of my priorities,” he said.

“But I think a little bit further down the track, we would get involved if we can.”

In any event, the processes involved in developing a Magna V8 Supercar are not that difficult, in the context of Mitsubishi's ongoing commitment to local manufacture.

For more details on how the company could well go about a program, see page 30-33.

15 May 2002

AN Easter racing extravaganza at Bathurst is on the drawing board for 2003.

The opening round of the Power Tour is being slated for the Easter weekend, with competitors in some categories already being advised to make their bookings for the event.

"No official deal has been done, but we are at an advanced stage," said Power Tour Chief Executive, Paul French.

"We are very confident of moving the whole event forward under the guidance of the Bathurst City Council".

While French would not comment on what categories would be involved in the meeting, the regular Power Tour classes of Super Trucks, Future Tourers, Super Tourers, Commodore Cup, HQs and V8 Stock Cars (formerly NASCARs) could be joined by motorcycles, recreating the atmosphere of the traditional Bathurst Easter weekend held during former years.

'The Power Tour is a series for a number of categories and, if we had room on the program, there could be invitations for other categories," said French.

While no television coverage has been secured for the event, the Power Tour has an existing deal with Network 10 and French confirmed that 10

would be their first preference.

The Power Tour organisers are working towards securing the event before making a definite announcement, and are confident of being able to work within the limitations of the New South Wales government's Bathurst Act which, in part, restricts the use of the public road track to two events a year.

This is despite the possibility of PROCAR's 24 Hour race, the first of which has been scheduled for November this year, being a possible inclusion on a 2003 calendar.

"We believe that no official approval has been given for the event," said French.

"It is our understanding that it would be an enormous strain on the officials needed for the (24 Hour) event to take place."

French also points out that the 2002 24 Hour date of November 23/24 clashes with the date of the Power Tour's final round at Oran Park.

"Our date was approved by CAMS in October 2001," he said.

In short. Power Tour officials obviously believe that there will be no 24 Hour event and that their Easter meeting will be the second Bathurst race (after the October V8 Supercar 1000) to be run within the current confines of the Act. - PHIL BRANAGAN

THE likelihood of a link between British performance group Prodrive and Ford's V8 Supercar programme have gelied in the past fortnight, with confirmation that negotiations have been taking place for the UK Group to buy out 00 Motorsport-the Bob Forbes-owned team that currently runs Craig Lowndes, Neil Crompton and Rodney Forbes.

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While negotiations are at an early stage, such a buy-out would clearly tit with Ford Australia's ambitions to create an HRT-styled organisation to take on Holden's hot team partially owned by Tom Walkinshaw’s TWR organisation.

That link - to an organisation with FI technology at its fingertips - has been one reason advanced as pundits speculate on the success ratio of the HRT Commodores.

Prodrive, which runs Subaru’s World Rally effort, is owned by Dave Richards, above, the successful UK motorsport entrepreneur - who also oversees the World Rally Championship and was recently installed as manager of the BAR F1 team.

Following a visit by Richards to Oran Park in mid-2001, speculation mounted that there would be some merger or relationship with Glenn Seton's existing Ford-backed team.

Instead, the 00 Motorsport buyout now looks the preferred option, with the future of Seton's team (its Ford deal ends this year) perhaps under threat.

Could Seton himself be absorbed into the fledgling Ford Racing Team? Time will tell.

In the interim, Forbes has downplayed the negotiations, suggesting that 00 Motorsport is talking with “more than one’’ potential technical partners for 2003.

Watch this space.

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by JOE SAWARD

Over the years Ross Brawn has rightly received a lot of credit for the strategic decisions that have helped Michael Schunnacher to four World Championships, and it was inevitable that on Sunday afternoon he faced the music. ADAM COOPER spoke to Brawn after the finish MN; When was the decision made?

RB: The decision was made several years ago to do the best that we can for Ferrari.

I think what people can't understand is that we controlled the race. We were fortunate to have such an advantage that we didn't let the drivers race each other. At this stage of the season, there's no point in us letting the drivers push the equipment to the limits. So we told both drivers they had to take it easy.

And when you make that decision you can't say there's a race going on. Rubens was very quick today, and drove a fantastic race, and as a team we decided that we wanted Michael to take the points, which is important to us.

MN; What will you say to Rubens?

RB: He did a fantastic job. He qualified on pole, controlled the race, so he did everything perfectly.

That's why we've given him a new contract. We've always had faith in him. This is not going to make any difference. Rubens knows the situation.

MN: Why did it have to be on the last lap - why not 20 or 30 laps from the end, and not cheat the public?

RB: I don't see how you make that distinction between the last lap and 20 laps from the end. What's the difference?

MN: Well, everyone in the world thought Rubens was winning the race. Even though it was obvious they weren't really going to race, Rubens outqualified him and outstarted him...

RB: We're not into deceiving people about the real situation. The real situation is what you saw out there, it's not for us to deceive the people into thinking that something else is going on.

MN: But couldn't you have swapped them round at any time?

RB: Well, I could have done something strange on the race strategy. I could have fiddled it to put Michael ahead. That's not want we want to do.

That for me would be a deception. We've been very clear about our policy, and that policy was enacted today.

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T took until 9:15am on Monday for the full impact of Michael Schumacher's controversy-laden Austrian GP win to hit home.

A fan rang MN's office requesting a mail address for the Ferrari FI team.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I am taking down all my Ferrari flags and sending them back to the team."

Good for you, I say. Bloody well good for you, I know that the Ferrari management can make their own decisions, and that team orders are team orders.

Obviously, Schumacher and Rubens BarricheUo can live with them. Rubens has just signed on for another two years with the team,is apparently happy with his choice end will retire to, presumably, a comfortable and satisfying life in Brazil.

But motor racing in general.

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Ed's thoughts

wltn PHil BraiiaBii

and FI in particular, is about more than teams, drivers, orders, points and money. As Joe Saward points out in this week's Box Seat(page 25), it is about passion, the passion of the fans for the sport. Grand Prix racing is, largely, built upon passion for Ferrari, and that has been largely eroded by what

happened at the Al-Ring.

Yes, Ferrari can do what they like. It is their team.

But this is our sport.

BarricheUo said before the race that he still feels that he can be the World Champion. Bully for you, Rubens. But there is more to being a champion than Just scoring 10 points; in any sport, true champions stand up for themselves when the time comes.

After out-qualifying and outracing Michael in Austria, it was your time to stand up, but you folded up like a deck chair. How can we reasonably expect you now to do anything but hold Michael's handbag for the next two years?

And Michael; what would Ferrari management have done if you had refused to pass your team-mate - suspended you?

Your career stats are already pockmarked with asterisks, over

FORMULA 1 seems to be a little accident-prone at the moment, with Ferrari’s 1-2 victory in Austria resulting not in celebration as would usually be the case, but rather in disgust that Ferrari team management decided that Rubens BarricheUo should lift off and let Michael Schumacher win the race, his fifth victory in six races this year.

The move resulted in outrage from the grandstands, with the Austrian crowd whistling in disapproval throughout the podium ceremony.

In the Media Centre, Schumacher and BarricheUo were greeted with boos and cries of “scandal” when they arrived for the post-race interviews and reaction from around the world suggests that Ferrari’s decision was a major marketing disaster.

British race fan Martin Lascelles said it illustrated “pathetic brand-destroying tactics” and “even as a devoted Ferrari supporter, I felt physically sick.”

Even Brazil’s President Fernando Henrique Cardoso joined in the debate saying that, as far as Brazil was concerned, the race had been won by BarricheUo while your sportsmanship, your tactics, your ethics. This is just another blight on what should be a dazzling career, but is not.

Ferrari fans are like the rest of us; they want to see wins, certainly, but they want to see deserved wins. If Schumacher cannot deal with being out performed by his team-mate on occasion, his sympathetic words at the post-race media conference were just that; words. Talk is cheap, but actions speak volumes.

This was a dark day for our sport. The FIA needs - needs- to regulate to ensure that any repeat of this farcical situation is punished in the future.

Let us hope that there will soon be another occasion on which BarricheUo can beat Schumacher on merit. And let us hope, next time, he gets his win, and his kudos.

He deserves that. We all do. motorsport news

NEWS Crambrook tests fbrVaivoline/GRIVI EVEN though most of the top-line rides for the V8 Superear endurance races have been snapped up, there are still a few on offer.

Garry Rogers Motorsport tested Layton Crambrook at Winton last weekend, so throw his name in the mix along with that of Sprintcar star Max Dumesny and Konica Series leader Paul Dumbrell as possibilities for the #35 Commodore. n With Ford Credit Racing unable to help him with selected rounds of the Konica Series following Glenn Seton's Adelaide car-crunching accident, endurance driver Owen Kelly has had to look elsewhere for some race miles.

The former Young Lion will be behind the wheel of Rod Salmon's One World Sport Falcon at Winton, while Salmon is away on business.

Our spies tell us that Kevin Magee tested the car a fortnight ago at Oran Park as well and was quite quick for an inexperienced touring car driver.

former World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi said: “It was embarrassing.”

In the FI paddock there were similarly strong views.

“I have to say that was the most cynical event that I’ve experienced in 27 years in Formula 1,” said rival team owner Patrick Head of

Williams.

“A team like Ferrari has an obligation to Formula 1 and to the spectators and that is to provide a motor race. When we produced a car that was ahead of the others, we provided some motor racing.

What we saw here was a disgusting, cynical act.”

BMW’s Gerhard Berger called it “a terrible decision.”

Ferrari’s Jean Todt however defended the decision, saying that “Michael has more chance in the Drivers’ Championship so if we have to decide in favour of one we decide in favour of Michael”.

Ferrari technical director and strategist Ross Brawn said that “there were three years: 1997, 1998 and 1999,in which we lost the championship in the last race and we cannot take the chance. It would have been simple to orchestrate it. It would have been easier to change the pit stops around and to have done other things to make it less obvious. But to have done it in a clandestine way would have taken credit away from Rubens. We could have tried

to hide it but we did not.”

The issue of team orders is a problem for the sport, because such things can be disguised and changing the current rules would upset traditionalists who argue that team orders have always been part of the sport and so should remain.

On the other hand, it is clear from the reactions that the last minute switch in Austria was seen by almost everyone as ‘a fix’ which was not in the best interests of the sport. Ferrari cannot be accused of breaking any rules but the reaction suggests that it was possibly not the wisest course of action for Ferrari - or for the sport as a whole.

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n Lansvale Racing Team is yet to name a co-driver for Cameron McConville for the endurance races, although tested Tim Leahey and Warren Luff were tested at Oran Park last week.

At least it will be somebody with a road licence, after Cam lost his for six months in a Melbourne court recently for speeding around Albert Park on his Ducati last December.

Cam was man enough to cop it on the chin, but it made a splash - the story made page two of the Melbourne Flerald-SunI n With all of the chat over the media ride sessions at V8 Supercar meetings, Konica Series racer Kevin Mundy found a novel way to test spinning out with a passenger on board, that is. Officials slapped him with a $2500 fine for his efforts.

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15 May 2002

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Lawyers start your engines

JUST prior to his controversial second place in the Austrian Grand Prix, Ruhens Barrichello announced he was staying at Ferrari for another two seasons.

Ironically, the announcement came exactly one year after Barrichello publicly showed his disgust at team orders, reluctantly letting Michael Schumacher past into second place in the 2001 Austrian GP. Schumacher said, "Rubens has been doing a fantastic job for us and is a good team-mate. We make a good partnership and the team is happy with him, hence the two-year contract rather than just one. Maybe he gets along better with this new car, because now we tend both to be at the front. It means that if one has a problem, the other can win."

Barrichello, 29, achieved his only Formula 1 win to date in the 2000 German Grand Prix, at Hockenheim, his 11th start for Ferrari.

PHOENIX Finance Ltd goes to the High Court in London this week for an answer in its case against the FIA and FOM, claiming that the two organisations stopped the company from competing this year, using assets acquired from the defunct Prost Grand

Prix.

The court case is being held under British law but the outcome may not be known for some while, as whoever wins is likely to have to face an appeal the decision.

Last week there was High Court action when Jos Verstappen’s legal team won substantial damages from the Arrows team. The decision is not yet final and depends on a counter suit against Verstappen for $8 million. Arrows is claiming that some remarks the Dutchman made about Enrique Bemoldi prevented the team from seeming a sponsorship deal.

-JOE SAWARD

Bappichello signs till 2004 Nakajima's Ambrose and Weel? spirit goes WHILE many of the V8 Supercar teams have their endurance driving line-ups settled, it appears that the hottest seat in the class, alongside Marcos Ambrose, may be going to Paul Weel.

Ford insiders have told Motorsport News that the 22-year-old Queenslander will step out of his DuPont/K&J Thermal Products Falcon, be/ow. to share the Pirtek car with Ambrose in the Queensland 500 and the Bob Jane T-Marts 1000 at Bathurst.

Weel, who started V8 Supercar racing in 1998, will

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- QUENTIN SPURRING

Staying in the shadows?

Rubens Barrichello and Ferrari’s Jean Todt will be together for another two years.

(Pholo by Mareh/Bolhwell) |

join David Besnard and Wayne Gardner in the Stone Brothers Racing team which has had problems filling the seat alongside Ambrose. Last season, Greg Crick drove with his fellow Tasmanian, but parted ways with SBR after the Queensland 500,for which Ambrose qualified on pole position. Wayne Wakefield drove the blue car at Bathurst, where Ambrose also poled on debut, but the car had problems in the race.

While Weel will not race his regular mount at the races, MN believes that the car may still be run by the team, with two drivers stepping up from the Konica V8 Supercar Series to drive in the eiiduros.

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THE memory of Honda Formula 1 favourite Satoru Nakajima will return to Monaco when Jordan Formula 1 driver, Takuma Sato races a Cosworth DFV powered Lotus 49B, of the type with which Graham HiU achieved back-toback victories in 1968-69,in the Historic Grand Prix at Monaco next weekend.

The Japanese,right, will thus gain useful knowledge of the difficult harbour circuit which Formula 1 visits next, on 26 May. Sato said:“It’s very exciting for me and obviously I’m happy to get the opportunity to drive the circuit, as it will be my first time and good practice before the Grand Prix.

Nakqjima, now 49, drove in 74 GPs, mostly with Honda power,for Lotus and Tyrrell between 1987 and 1991. His best results were two fourth places, one in Adelaide in 1989.

- QUENTIN SPURRING motorsport oows

NEWS n Keep it off the kerbs: The Supercar set will have to be on their best behaviour at Darwin during practice and qualifying or we may have another repeat of the Indy support races last year, where all sorts of Infringements were thrown at drivers for kerb-hopping.

The first reported breach will get you a black flag and drive through penalty as well as loss of fastest time to that point, while the second will see the same as well as the loss of the driver's second fastest time.

Do it a third time and you get held in pitiane for the balance of the session and lose all times in that session. Nasty...

Garth cops penalty Tander classified sixth after CAMS acts on Adelaide 500

by PHIL BRANAGAN GARTH Tander has been put back to sixth place in the first race of the Clipsal 500 after intervention from CAMS. A CAMS Investigatory Tribunal held last week corrected the awarding of a lap to Tander, who was trapped in the 'wrong' position behind a Safety Car during the race.

Initially, Tander was awarded second place in the race behind winner Mark Skaife, which raised the ire of a number of rival team owners.

Valvoline Cummins team owner Garry Rogers was still deciding on his next course of action as Motorsport News closed for press.

CAMS's statement said; "A CAMS Investigatory Tribunal has found that the

extra lap awarded to car 34 for having been incorrectly held behind the safety car at this year's Clipsal 500 in Adelaide was, in all the circumstances, an over compensation.

"Delivering its findings last night, the Tribunal reduced the allowance to half a lap, amending the Race Results accordingly to show that car 34 finished in 6th position.

"Under the provisions of CAMS National Competition Rule 171, an inquiry was held on 15 April 2002 to investigate the Stewards determination made during Leg 1 of the 2002 Clipsal 500 to credit car 34 with a lap following the deployment of the safety car."

Tander was not sure of the team's response; "There was a mistake made," he said. "It was rectified on the day but now

they probably think that they over-rectified it.

"We were better than sixth in that race. If I had completed the lap to get back behind the Safety Car and raced on from there, who knows? But I was never given the opportunity to find out.

"I won't know what is happening until Garry makes up his mind" Because of the revised results from the race, the pointscore for the V8 Supercar Championship Series have also been revised. Mark Skaife's championship lead over Greg Murphy is reduced slightly, 820 points versus 442. Then follows Marcos Ambrose (398), Craig Lowndes (371), Todd Kelly (341), Garth Tander (329), Steven Richards (295), Steven Johnson (233), Tony Longhurst (222) and Jason Bright (219).

Jordan to get'Honda' Cosworths?

COULD Eddie Jordan be getting engines from Cosworth next season -for ‘free’?

Sources in Austria suggest that Honda may consolidate its position in Formula One next season by exclusively supplying engines to the BAR team, which is now being run by Prodrive boss, David Richards.

It is believed that Eddie Jordan is well aware of this and is negotiating to settle his contract with Honda by having the Japanese manufacturer buy out its commitment to the team for the same amount a Cosworth customer deal would cost the Irishman.

Honda has shown itself to be fairly ruthless in the past when dealing with teams and their engine supply. After a successful partnership with Williams, the manufacturer dropped the team at the end of the 1987 season for a deal with McLaren, which went on to win 15 of 16 races the following year. At the same time, Williams used customer Judd engines and struggled to be competitive before starting a liaison with Renault the following year.

There were also suggestions that Takuma Sato, left, a favourite son of the manufacturer, could move to BAR should Honda drop Jordan.

IS May 2002

n Stats time: Michael Schumacher's 'victory' in the Austrian Grand Prix means that the German has won every Grand Prix currently on the 17-race calendar.

Meanwhile, the Austrian race marked the 25th anniversary of Alan Jones's first Grand Prix win. The 1980 world champ won the 1977 GP at the old Osterreichring in a Shadow-Ford on August 14 that year. Turn to page 25 for AJ in our regular 'Motor Mouth' column. n The Ford KartStars series will kick off in a fortnight's time in the nation's capital, Canberra, on May 25/26. A full field of 32 drivers have entered in the prestigious five-round series (which is supported by Motorsport News)and, with a track density of 30 karts, two drivers are going to have to wait until round two.

For a full preview of the KartStars series, turn to page 75, n Indy Lights team owner Bob Dorricott has passed away at the age of 65 after a battle against cancer.

Dorricott, whose team ran Jason Bright in indy Lights in 2000 and was instrumental in helping Bright race at the Flonda Indy 300, debuted his team in 1994, Drivers including Robbie Buhl, Oriol Servia, Casey Mears and Townsend Bell all learnt their trade in Dorricott cars, with the team racing this season in the Toyota Atlantics. n The MG EX257 LMP675 sportscar continues to spread, with Rand Racing in the US announcing that they will run two cars in next year's American Le Mans Series. The team currently campaigns a pair of Lola/Nissans in the Grand-Am's Rolex Sports Car Series, though intend to again run the Grand-Am-sanctioned Daytona 24 Hour. n A 73-year-old cyclist was killed at Faenza in a collision with a car driven by MotoGP racer Loris Capirossi last week The Italian bike ace tried to give the man first aid and rang emergency services, though it was to no avail and the rider died after his head had hit the street.

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motorsport] V8 Supercar Championship* .Rd 4 May 19 ...Hidden Valley ..

Jun9 Canberra .Rd 5 .Rd 6 Jun 30 ...Barbagallo Jul 28 Oran Park ●Rd 7 .Rd 8 Aug 18 . . .Winton ,Rd 9 Sep 15 . . .Old Raceway . , Oct 13 Bathurst ,Rd1 0 Oct 27 Surlers Paradise .Rdll Nov 10 . . .New Zealand . . .Rd12 Dec 1 Sandown ,Rd13 Konica V8 Series* Jun16

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Da Matta, whose NewmanHaas Lola Champ Car is powered by Toyota, will get a run in southern France later

Always on the lookout for a Japanese driver since Honda signed up Takuma Sato, Toyota might also test Tora Takagi, who has Formula 1 experience

(Photo hy S1ar\h Bothw^Uf

with Arrows and drives for Derrick Walker’s team in Champ Cars.

Meanwhile, team test driver Ryan Briscoe completed the equivalent of one and a half Grand Prix race distances in an extensive test of the Toyota TF102 at the Estoril circuit in Portugal this week.

- QUENTIN SPURRING

Ford to stay

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during 2002, using its test base at Paul Ricard.

this month. Castroneves, currently racing a Chevroletpowered IRL car for Penske (which will switch to Toyota in 2003), will have to wait until later in the season.

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Jun 16 . . . .Portland

Sep 8

Move over Mika: da Malta and Castroneves will get a test of the Toyota FI car.

PANASONIC Toyota Racing has confirmed that it will test US-based Brazilians Helio Castroneves and Cristiano da Matta in Formula 1 cars

All (Litos m this CAlondAt \wo corroci at Iho liinoovcni ol printing.

Plo.iso consiill any individual hacks and Ol associ a’ tiuns toi date dianges Sorios or events telecast on Network Ton ore marked with an asterisk. Check your local guides tur screening dotaiia.

Jag stays: The Ford Motor Company has re-affirmod its commitment to Formula 1.

by JOE SAWARD THE Ford Motor Company is staying in Formula 1 “way beyond 2004”, according to the man who is now in charge of the Jaguar Racing project, the company’s Chief Technical Officer, Richard Parry-Jones.

Parry-Jones told The Financial Times that the company will be setting aside up to $300m a year for the next few years. The company hopes that sponsorship and TV revenues will offset its costs.

The remarks are a major boost to Formula 1 confidence at a time when the sport has been ‘talked down’ by some of the team owners.

Marketing directors are furious that Eddie Jordan, Tom Walkinshaw and Flavio Briatore went public saying that Formula 1

is facing serious problems as, they say, this is making their task more difficult than ever.

The fact is that all the team bosses know that the recession is not going to hurt the racing because they are contracted to keep the grids at a certain level.

According to Annex 10, Article 5.3.2 of the Concorde Agreement, teams agree to supply third cars if there are only seven teams. Thus, rather than sinking to 14 cars the grid would, in fact, feature 21 cars.

What is strange is that the team bosses who have been making such a fuss about the financial situation at the moment must have known this before they made their remarks.

One can only assume that their move was an attempt to panic

(Photo by MaishBothwoH)

people and get them to talk about how to move forward. The team bosses met on Friday in Austria and discussed various issues of the moment and most came away saying that progress is now fi nally being made although the team bosses are still fundamentally opposed to one another on issues of cost-cutting.

In the course of the last week, both Volkswagen and Peugeot have gone on record to say that they have no plan to enter Formula 1.

Frans-Josef Paefgen, the head of Volkswagen’s sporting activities, said that “for AAV there will definitely be no FI program”, while Peugeot Sport’s Corrado Provera said that the idea of the company returning to Formula 1 is “a silly rumour.” Provera said that FI is “not in Peugeot’s culture.” moiorsport news

I

NEWS

Longer Konica series?

LEADING drivers in the Konica V8 Supercar Series have continued their calls for a longer championship in future, one that could also include support races with the V8 Supercar Championship Series.

Championship leader Paul Dumbrell said that he would be in support of a calendar with seven or eight rounds that takes in ‘country’ circuits that no longer host a round of the main series, as well as showcase events, as a means of further pleasing sponsors.

“It would be an advantage in

I

some situations,” said Dumbrell.

“Realistically it needs to be an eight round championship.

Formula Ford, Formula Holden and PROCAR all run there-orabouts eight rounds.

“If you run a few country tracks like Mallala, Wakefield Park, Symmons Plains, with four stand alone races and four with the main series, that would be good. Having a run at events like Adelaide and Canberra - the showcase events gives our sponsors good value for money.”

Ford rival Dale Brede says that

I

there’s “merit for and against a longer championship,” though isn’t so sure of the benefits of running as a support to the main series.

“If we start running with the V8 Supercar Series, then unfortunately we’re not going to get the use of the pit garages and the apron and we’ll end up down in paddock 57 in the dirt and dust.

It’s hard to sell that sort of thing to a sponsor.”

Both drivers intend to step up into the main series next year.

-AARON NOONAN

Debate over top eight Pul it on ice; The reimiins of Damien While s BRiile ajier Oran Park. ll’lliiliihx Dili khllMllllhl

>i M ■> I DRIVING standards in V8 BRutes came under the microscope after a heavy accident involving Damien White and James Brock at Oran Park two weeks ago.

"We want the stewards to address the driving standards, because we can't do it by ourselves," said senior Ford BRute driver Ian McAlister.

"It's inhibiting good racing. I don't want to get into the thick of it now because I don't want to get my car smashed up. It's getting too expensive.

"Some of the driving was pretty bad at Oran Park. We had been planning to address the issue anyway, but the incident involving White clinched it," he continued.

A six-man committee representing both Ford and Holden drivers was formed to liase with PROCAR following the events at Oran Park, with the category's signature 'chook lotto' grid system also under re-evaluation.

"It was voted that the lotto be abolished, but PROCAR wouldn't agree to that. For some of the slower guys, it's their only chance for any glory. That's fine, and the lotto can stay provided that the driving standards are policed and adhered to.

Everything is intertwined."

- MARK GLENDENNING IS May 2002

AFTER two races, the jury is still out on the new Top Eight Eliminator qualifying format used at Nations Cup rounds.

The system sees the eight fastest qualifiers battle each other in a series of sudden-death two car showdowns, with the ‘last car standing” earning the right to start the first race from pole.

“I think, in terms of entertainment, it’s good,” said Geoff Morgan, who has won both Eliminators to date.

“They(PROCAR)do need to make allowances for tyres,” he suggested. “By the end of the Eliminator at Oran Park I had basically done a full race distance, and that caught up with me later in the weekend.”

Richards, meanwhile,is less enthusiastic.

“I don’t believe it’s a good thing, basically because it doesn’t matter whether something like the Viper qualifies fourth or eighth; if you meet up with it in the Eliminator you’ll lose because it’s going to beat you down to the first corner.”

- MARK GLENDENNING

n Cosworth Racing says that it is happy to supply three teams with its FI engines next season - if the money is right. The Ford-owned company is currently providing engines for Jaguar Racing and Arrows, but says it will expand that supply if a deal makes sense.

The engines, which cost around $45m this year (but will probably go up for 2003), are pretty competitive although Jaguar does not really have the chassis to do the job properly.

Minardi is one possible client for next year but recent speculation has centred on Jordan, which is thought likely to be looking for an engine deal if the current arrangement with Flonda does not continue. n There is major rebuilding work going on at Magny-Cours at the moment in preparation for the French GP. The aim of the work is to provide a better opportunity for overtaking at the final corner - known as Lycee - and at the time to increase the number of people who can watch the racing. The track is to be reprofiled between Chateau d'Eau and Lycee with a tighter section of track to increase the possibility of passing moves. The second aim is to create an area which will provide a 'stadium"feeling for racing and for other events.

As part of the plan there will be a huge new grandstand constructed which will have the capacity of around 30,000 people, which will bring the track capacity up to 150,000, which, if the seats can be filled, will give the organisers much higher income. n Williams has announced that it will replace its Compaq sponsorship with Flewlett Packard branding at the British GP in July. Compaq was recently taken over by FIR It is not clear how this will affect a sponsorship deal that currently exists between FIP and Jordan.

■ Gianni Agnelli, the honorary chairman of Fiat and the man who is ultimately in control of Ferrari, is expected to remain in hospital in the United States for several week's being treated for a prostate problem.

Rumours that Agnelli had died hit Fiat stock this week as the market speculated that General Motors would take over the troubled Fiat Auto Floldings in 2004. Agnelli is against the deal.

■ A group of local residents at Paul Ricard are up in arms about the amount of testing going on at the track, particularly after an all-night test a fortnight ago in preparation of the Le Mans 24 Flours. The residents say that they want a deal on the number of days when testing is allowed. They say they are also worried about the expansion of the aerodrome as this will attract more and larger aircraft.

- JOE SAWARD 11

Sato OK afti Photo by Dirk Ktynsrmh

McColl wants more

EASTERN Creek Formula Holden round winner Stewart McColl will push on and line up in this weekend’s third round at Hidden Valley in Darwin.

The former Formula Ford front-runner has been out of the cockpit since NRC Racing pulled out of Formula Holden last year, and was left on the sidelines this year when Volkswagen pulled out of the GT-Performance series.

“I’m really looking forward to getting back behind the wheel,” said McColl, who will again drive a Reynard 94D for Graham Watson’s Ralt Australia outfit.

“Seeing as I’m third in the championship after just running the one round, it was worth chasing up a deal to continue. We’ll see what happens for the rest of the season.

“It’s always fun in Darwin. There’s no real high speed corners but the straight’s long. It’ll be close between me and Will(Power)so we’ll see how we go.”

- AARON NOONAN

Wuhan wades in THE Chinese city of Wuhan is pianning to buiid a Formuia 1 circuit and intends to rivai Shanghai to host a Chinese GP in 2004.

The city authorities in Wuhan are being advised by representatives of the Australian GP Corporation in Melbourne, with representatives from the AGPC reportedly in China last week.

The Australians helped out with the plans for the Zhuhai circuit, which had F1 ambitions a few years ago. The track was actually designed by John Hamden, who is now the chief executive of the AGPC in Melbourne. Hamden is believed to be one of the party in China.

Wuhan is the capital of the Hubei Province and a city of seven million people. It is located on the plains of the River Yangtze and is a major inland port. It has become in recent years a major industrial centre, with no fewer than 3300 joint-ventures with western companies, many of them well-known names.

- JOE SAWARD 12

is

F3 fuel cell fight coi

by MARK GLENDENNING

THE Australian Formula 3 field was seriously depleted at Oran Park two weeks ago when nine cars were prevented from running after CAMS ruled that they carried illegal fuel cells.

According to the FIA Safety and Technical regulations, the FT3-spec bladders, which are mandatory for Group 1 Australian F3 cars, right, must be inspected by the manufacturer and then re certified for a further two years if the cell is declared safe. Group 2 cars, which don't run to FIA regulations, are not subject to the rule, even though they run with older fuel ceils.

The cells are made by British company Premier, which means that, following the rule to the letter, they would have needed to be shipped to England for testing and re-certification.

Due to the logistical and financial difficulties associated with sending the bladders to England, the Formula 3 Association instead had the tests run by Queensland-based company Australian Fuel Cells, a defence department-

accredited organisation that tests to a far higher standard than Premier. The company is currently in the process of obtaining FIA accreditation.

According to CAMS, however, this was unacceptable.

Earlier in the year, CAMS had reportedly advised Formula 3 representatives in writing that if teams could supply proof that tanks had been inspected by a properly accredited organisation (including, it was assumed, Australian Fuel Cells), the cars would be permitted to run until June 30.

At Symmons Plains, however, competitors were forced to sign an undertaking acknowledging that their participation at the round was dependant upon their fuel cells being either re-certified or replaced prior to Oran Park.

"If they ((SAMS) had allowed the June 30 deadline to stand, we would have had this issue resolved," said Australian F3 representative Bill Maddocks.

According to CAMS Technical Director Peter Lawrence, however, this was not the case.

"There was an internal communication (concerning the

30 June deadline) that was taken out of context," he said.

"The tanks must be tested according to the FIA regulations. The Formula 3 Australia asked us about this in February, we said no, and that's been our position ever since," The F3 Association is convinced that more can be done.

"CAMS have already changed the rules to suit local conditions, so why can't they do it here?" moiarsDort news

iP hoppop smash «

Lucky-san: Takuma Sato emerged with merely bruises after Nick Heidfeld’s Sauber cannoned into the Jordan-Honda at turn two. The Sauber punctured a hole in the monocoque of the Jordan, left, though the medical crews took Sato to hospital for observation, above. The work at the site of the incident looked worse than the Japanese driver’s injuries.

(Photos by Sutton-lmages)

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TAKUMA Sato spent Sunday night in the University Hospital in Graz under observation after being the victim of a huge accident during the Austrian Grand

Prix.

tinues

The Japanese driver was turning in the second corner at the A1 Ring, having gone wide to allow Juan Pablo Montoya to lap him when Nick Heidfeld's Sauber, which had spun out of control on its approach to the comer, hit the Jordan amidships at very high speed.

The rear end of the Sauber punched a hole in the Jordan monocoque belov/ Sato’s knoc and the damage meant that the

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said Maddocks. "What we have is a selective application of authority. Other single-seater categories use FT3-spec cells, and none of them have ever been required to get tested.

"There must be some compromise to the point where we can comply without imposing undue financial burden on those that can't afford it. All we're asking is that the people within CAMS be accountable."

IS May 2002

Japanese driver was unable to get out of the car.

Fortunately however, Sato suffered nothing more than bruises although the medical teams took precautions to make sure that Sato did not have any other injuries.

This gave the impression that the crash was rather worse than was actually the case although it was clear from replays of the crash that Sato was not hit by the car nor any of the flying wreckage.

In recent years the FIA has introduced increasingly stringent side impact tests and it seems that this is largely responsible for having saved Sato from serious injury.

- JOE SAWARD

tiilwtoters

THE top drivers in this year's APS CIK Australian Karting Championship now have an added incentive for running at the front - a full-on test session in John Fauikner's Dynapack Commodore, above.

Fatilkner, a former top-line karter himself, wants to look at fresh blood in the category, rather than 'recycled' V8 drivers.

"Realistically, I have only got a few years left in me to be competitive as a driver, I’d then like to move into a team management role," said Faulkner.

"We have to start looking to the future and at the moment, karting is where the talent is. We cannot keep recycling those who have had previous V8 Supercar experience, we need to bring new blood into the sport. If we can recruit a couple of these guys as test drivers, who knows what may happen down the track."

- AARON NOONAN

NEWS n Work on the new infield loop at the Nurburgring circuit, in Germany, is nearing completion. Instead of the S-bend at the end of the start/finish straight, there is now a fierce hairpin (similar to that at Magny-Cours), followed by a long left-hander, which rejoins the old circuit shortly after the original 'S’.

The changes have been made in a bid to prevent the first-corner mayhem which has been prevalent at its Formula 1 races. The circuit will host round nine of the Formula 1 World Championship, the Grand Prix of Europe, on June 23. n The event promoters at EuroSpeedway Lausitzring held a test for four Formula 3 single-seaters this week. Opel BSR Team and Swiss Racing Team spent two days on the 2-mile oval under the supervision of CART advisers, including former Champ Car race winner Roberto Moreno.

With fast road circuit gearing, the cars reached 154mph, lapping at around 48 seconds.

"The initial tests on the speedway were very promising," said German Formula 3 Championship administrator Manfred Hahn. "Based on our initial impressions, we would certainly like to conduct races on the oval as early as 2003." n After three years out of racing, due to a recurrent shoulder injury, Vincenzo Sospiri will stage a comeback in the FIA Sportscar Championship at Brno in the Czech Republic next weekend.

The 1995 FIA Formula 3000 champion, who went on to win the FIA SportsRacing World Cup in both 1998 and 1999, Sospiri has replaced Alex Caffi in the new, 4-litre Judd

powered sports-prototype built and entered by the Bologna, Italy based R&M team. The 35-year-old will co drive his former JMB Competition Ferrari 333SP team mate, Mauro Baldi. n Ian Ashley, who raced Token, Brabham, BRM and Hesketh Formula 1 cars in the early 1970s, was on trial at Uxbridge Magistrates Court in England this week.

Ashley (54) had been detained at London Heathrow airport in January after attempting to board a flight to the USA with a penknife in his sock and various tools in his briefcase. The charges were dropped after Ashley apologised for what had been ’’an embarrassing mistake." n Honda’s ETCC Super 2000specification Honda Civic made its debut at Silverstone in early May run by the CiBiEmme team. The stubby little car was driven by Salvatore Tavano but ran with a Super Production engine hindering its pace.

- DAVID ADDISON 13

Moscow off?

Russian GP could be delayed indefinitely THE announcement from Moscow that the planned Russian Grand Prix has been delayed again - this time indefinitely - seems to mark the end of the latest chapter in a long-running saga of Formula 1 and Russia, which dates back to the first attempts to host an event in the early 1980s when the Soviet Union was still in operation.

Russia is still a huge and potentially useful market for Formula 1's major sponsors but the country’s financial problems and the problems of corruption mean that it is not a very attractive proposition for FI unless the money is in the bank.

This is apparently not the case, with the Russian news agency Inter fax reporting that the Moscow city authorities no longer want to put any money into the Nagatino Island development project - which is to cost around $2.8bn - and want private investors to supply the cash.

They are also baulking at the costs of a seven-year contract with FI which is reported to be costing $470m. This figure seems to be very high as at the moment organisers are paying a maximum of $28 a year and it does not take a financial genius to figure out that seven times that figure is considerably less than $470m.

Even allowing for recurring construction costs, the figure is still extraordinary and one can only assume that either the published figure is wrong or that there is a lot more to the problem than meets the eye.

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Comarade Ecclestone: Beniie was optimistic at the March launch ofthe Moscow race, but will it happen now?

(Plu)io by Sultm-lmages)

Ultimately, it does not matter why there is a problem. The problem is enough to ensure that in all probability Formula 1 will now turn its attention to the Middle East where there are several projects underway for a race. The strongest of these appears to be from the Kingdom of Bahrain which is already building a racing circuit near the capital city of Manama.

The plan is for the circuit to be ready for 2004 and the Bahrain government hopes to attract FI teams to the facility for winter testing as well as for an annual Grand PrIx in order to draw attention to the country's new and enlightened attitudes under Sheikh Flamad Bin Isa AlKhalifa (who is now known as King Flamad).

The King plans to turn Bahrain into the dynamic financial centre of the Middle East and wants to use FI to promote the idea.

- JOE SAWARD

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by PHIL MORRIS

PENSKE’S Gil de Ferran and Helio Castroneves will not be going road racing for some time, after the announcement that the two Brazilians have re-signed to race for the powerhouse team.

The drivers, who transferred from the CART FedEx Championship Series to the Indy Racing League with the team this season, have signed with Roger Penske’s team for an undisclosed period. “(The contract) has been extended for the foreseeable future,” said de Ferran, right, who won the FedEx series in 2000 and ‘01 with the team.

“It’s good,” de Ferran said of his commitment to Penske in the IRL, “but don’t you think you could get (IRL President) Tony (George) to get us some road races? That

WILLI Dungl, the Austrian sports and fitness expert, has died at the age of 64.

Dungl made his name in the 1960s and 1970s working with the Austrian ski-jumping team but found international fame in 1976 when he helped S Niki Lauda recover from his injuries after the S Ferrari driver's fiery accident at the Nurburgring.

J After that Dungl accompanied Lauda to races I and his fitness and dietary ideas - and the belief j that mental fitness is as important as physical ’I fitness - gradually spread throughout the entire FI circus.

"There is no-one to touch him," Lauda said of Dungl. "He is simply a genius. His knowledge, his sensitivity, his touch, his methods - I simply cannot imagine that there is another like him

would make things great.”

Castroneves, the 2001 Indy 500 winner, said that they made their decision based on the consistency of the team.

“In motorsports, if you don’t have a good car one or two races, you might be a hero, but you’re not going to be consistent,” he said.

“That was my first decision.”

anywhere in the world."

But while Dungl is best known for helping injured racing drivers to recover - notably Gerhard Berger, Johnny Herbert, Martin Donnelly and Karl Wendlinger - he was also an important figure in teaching racing drivers how best to prepare for the sport.

When Michael Schumacher was an unknown racer, Mercedes-Benz took him to Dungl's clinic and it was there that he learned the discipline to follow Dungl's theories. Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna were also trained by Dungl.

One of DunI's last patients was Aussie Garry McCoy, who was treated this year after breaking his leg in a pre-season fall.

-JOE SAWARD moiorsport naws

NEWS

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TOMAS Enge finally did what he has threatened to do aU season in the Austrian round of the International Fonnula 3000 championship.

The Czech, who finished third in the championship last year, put his Arden Racing Lola on pole position and dominated the race, to win from team-mate Bjorn Wirdheim and Astromega’s Mario Haherfeld.

The Aussie drivers had mixed weekends,Rob Nguyen out-qualifying Ryan Briscoe and racing to ninth in the race after Briscoe was delayed by a startlipe incident on the

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ALEX Davison's shocking start to the season continues in European Porsche racing, the Weissach-based Aussie taking ninth in the second round of the Carrera Cup series at Zolder and crashing out of the Supercup round at the Al-Ring on Sunday.

"It's not that I need good luck, I just need to get rid of all this bad luck!" he said.

Terrible weather conditions hampered his progress at Zolder, the task made more difficult by the fact that the anti-fogging fluid placed on the inside of his windscreen didn't work,severely limiting his vision.

Having started from sixth, Davison eventually ended the race ninth.

"I can't seem to take a trick at the moment, but I'm not at all worried about our ability to do the job. I have the pace,the car is good enough and the team is good enough. Ninth is not our // natural position.

At the Al-Ring, the 22-year-old crashed out while trying to pass Frenchman Christophe Bouchut, both retiring from the race.

- AARON NOONAN

Enge was running away with the race on his way to a Arden 1-2, below, Wirdheim taking advantage of an opening-lap mistake fi-om Giorgio Pantano, who ran wide and allowed the Swede thi-ough to second,3.7s back from the winner. The Brazilian recovered to fourth at the finish.

“I’m quite happy with my first top-10 finish,” said Nguyen after the race.

“I was thinking about trying to pass Antonio Pizzonia (Petrobras Jnr) going into Ibrn 'Two, but another car flew up my inside and 1 had to jink out of the way to avoid a ,

to follow the Petrobras cars of Pizzonia and Ricardo Sperafico quite comfortably, but above all I wanted to consolidate my position.

“This marks another important step forward in my learning year - but I’m not kidding myself that things are going to get any easier. I don’t know any of the remaining tracks we race on, but if I can keep making progress I’ll be happy.”

Briscoe was the final finisher, after pitting and losing a lap to the leaders.

Points: and I^aiitanu 17, Kodrlf^o I'qAuo i6,tii>ui*dais M, 4 Mhdllipim 8. Mauileio ' 11

n PROCAR’s Brian Lawrence was in the UK recently as part of his global tour to drum up entries for the Bathurst 24 Hour in November.

Lawrence was at Silverstone in early May talking to teams from the FIA and British GT Championship as well as the Lamborghini GTR Supertrophy.

From Silverstone, Lawrence headed to America and a trip to the Nurburgring 24 Hours is planned as well.

Sources understand that his trip has already secured UK television coverage for the race, with satellite broadcaster Sky Sports believed to be taking Nations Cup footage in return for the 24 Hours later in the year.

Talks with Eurosport and USA station Speedvision are also under way. n Jason Plato has claimed that he doesn't care if he never sits in a BTCC car again after his ASCAR debut at Rockingham. Plato said: "In all honesty given the amount of fun I have had today I don't care if I never sit in a BTCC car again." n DTM bosses are facing a row over winglets, as teams have exploited a loophole in the regulations. Opel and now Mercedes have appeared with small winglets on either side of the rear wings of the cars but Opel was the first manufacturer to use the winglets at Hockenheim in round one. Mercedes added the winglets for round two, but Opel claims this is against the rules.

Regulations say that no changes are allowed to a car's aero package after round one, and hence Mercedes contravenes the regulations.

The series moves to Donington in mid-May and it is hoped that the DTM organiser ITR can sort out harmony once more. n Former Grand Prix driver Jan Magnussen is to tackle this year's Danish Touring Car Championship at the wheel of a Peugeot 307. The Dane has been a Sportscar regular for Panoz in recent seasons. n Team Avanti has pulled its.plans to run a Ralt chassis in the British F3 Championship. The car, raced by Matthew Gilmore to 10th place at Donington, was deemed to be uncompetitive and hence a Dallara has been pressed into service, Gilmore taking it 17th and 14th respectively. However, Ralt is convinced the car can be a winner and plans are afoot for Andy Priaulx to pedal the car in the British GP support race which is not a part of the championship. n The new Mercedes F3 engine could hit the UK in 2003 according to sources. The engine, pioneered in Germany, has shown well in early races and is expected to take on the Mugen Honda and Spiess Opel engines in Britain.

- DAVID ADDISON

15 May 2Bfl2

15

Formula 3/Formula Renault

Courtney finally gets JAMES COURTNEY has re taken the lead in the British Formula 3 Championship after a pair of easy wins at Knockhill in Scotland on the weekend.

The Carlin Motorsport driver, who had been winless up until last weekend, took pole for both races, setting the first 100 mph lap around the tight Scottish circuit to set pole position by over a second from Ronnie Bremer.

The qualifying effort gave Courtney a seven-out-of-eight record for pole positions this season. He got the jump in the first race over Bremer and Heikki Kovalainen but any advantage was soon nullified.

A Safety Car period after an incident involving American Richard Antmucci’s Dallara slowed things down,though the Aussie charged away from the pack to win after the re-start by a margin of3.8s.

Race two was all about Courtney again, but this time he was made to work a little harder.

A great start by his Carlin Motorsport team-mate Michael Keohane put the Irishman into

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second from fourth on the grid, with the duo puling away, the former home safely by 3.8s.

A week earlier at Silverstone, Courtney had struggled with tardy starts and a flat tyre to lose his title lead, only to regain it in Scotland.

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On the lip: Davison and the Motaworld team are hitting their straps in Formula Renault.

(Photo by Jakob Ebny) 16

AUSSIE young gun Will Davison has hit his straps in the British Formula Renault Championship, taking his first front-row start and first podium position in round three at Thruxton.

The Motaworld driver ran third for the majority of the race behind team-mate Robert Bell and Danny Watts, though copped a heavy hit from Mark McLoughlin after a Safety Car period which launched him into the air and damaged the rear suspension.

Davison dropped back to fifth, though Bell and Watts were disqualified, promoting him to third, but left Davison pondering what might have been.

"It's only round three," said Davison. "Inititally I was a little peeved. When I got out I wasn't throwing my helmet or anything. It's good to be up front early in the season. Third place is realistically where I should have been. I was five seconds up on McLoughlin before the Safety Car!" Bell's car was missing a wheel bearing seal, the seal which keeps grease within the

bearing, and must be removed and replaced to maintain the bearings or these seals become worn and can break up.

Both Bell and Watts have appealed the decisions so the race results remain provisional "What can you say? It was an overexuberent move (by McLoughlin) but you've got to expect that over here, that's how they drive. It was a pretty dirty move. I left him plenty of room but he pushed me straight off the track.

Points; McLoughlin 87, Watts, 66, Hamilton 61, Davison 59, Sharp 52, Bell 44.

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NEWS

I ]Win

NOW,that's far more like it!

After having five pole positions from six races and never getting a good start, it was getting a bit ridiculous, so after the last round at Silverstone a fortnight or so ago we went to an airfield for a day to do practice starts.

We played around with different clutch settings etc, and I tried some different techniques. We then set off for the next race meeting feeling a lot more confident of getting it off the line properly. .

So up to Knockhill in 'sunny Scotland' for the next two races... such an international jet-setter, huh? Well, it's actually a five hour drive from home, but don't let me destroy the myth.

I got both pole positions again (making it seven from eight) and in the first race got off the line beautifully and controlled the race from the front.

Finallyl Race win number one this year and what a relief it was to get that bloody monkey off my back! It was a very easy and trouble-free win, in reality, and I also took fastest lap again (making it seven from seven), and regained the championship lead.

Race two on the day and

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race-win number two. Again I led from the start and set the fastest lap. I had the race well under control until a safety-car was sent out to clear up some carnage. On the restart I kept my lead and finished two seconds ahead of second. Not much more to say really. Both races were trouble-free.

What a great weekend. I am firmly ahead in the championship, have scored seven pole positions from eight starts, set eight fastest laps, four lap records and two wins so far.

A weekend earlier at Silverstone I sat in fourth after the first lap and saw an opportunity to take both cars in front of me. Unfortunately, the guy in front got out of shape and, being right on his gearbox, slowed me up a little.

However my team-mate was right behind, didn't slow in time and punctured my left rear wheel with his front spoiler.

Damn! Into the pits for a new tyre and my race destroyed.

With a point on offer for fastest lap we stuck a new tyre on and I went out for three laps to record the fastest lap, then came back in and put it away.

In the second race I was third

Mmes with JAMES COURTNEY

on the first lap. Then the guy in front of me had a huge moment and I had to take to the grass to avoid t-boning him. Rejoined in eighth, I fought my way back up to fifth and that's where I finished.

My Dad came over to see me race. Probably not the greatest value-for-money airfare he has ever bought...

But next week is the famous Pau F3 street-race. I've never been there but apparently it's a pretty difficult circuit and I'm really looking forward to it.

Better make sure I keep taking those 'talent pills'! I

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Australia’s flattest karting talent battles it out ■for a motorsport career!

NOK

VECM

News Minassian takes ASCAR opener THE Anglo-German ASCAR series kicked off at Rockingham a fortnight ago, with Champ Car reject Nicolas Minassian taking the second race of the Goodyear 100 from race one winner Colin White.

"It was great," said Minassian.

"We scored good points in the first race and then we changed the car quite a bit which made it quicker.

The pitstops were great as well.

White was closer to me at the last restart than I thought and my car was understeering quite a bit but I'm happy to win on the first weekend of the ASCAR season."

2001 BTCC Champ Jason Plato's machine made a stop to the pits to check for a possible oil leak, putting him out of the running, while Kelvin Burt (Minassian's Ray Mallock Limited team-mate), ran fourth.

All cars in the series are powered by 450-horsepower GM 5.7-litre V8s, with an 18-race series scheduled, including three races at the Eurospeedway in Germany. ASCARs will support the two European Champ Car rounds.

Triple 8 eats them up f

Saving on the BF Goodrichs; Yvan Muller lifts two wheels at Thruxton.

The Vauxhalls aren’t dominating quite as much in the BTCC but they’re (Photo by Sutton-lmages) still collecting the majority of the silvero/are.

Audi do that?

n BAR test driver Darren Manning, who has quit the FIA Formula 3000 Championship, has instead signed up for the ASCAR series. Manning teams up with Jason Plato in the new Bintcliffe Sport team. n Prodrive has decided to scratch its second Ferrari 550 Maranello from Le Mans, where it is listed as first reserve. The team has completed only three cars thus far, and two are being run in the FIA GT Championship by BMS Scuderia Italia. Tomas Enge, Alain Menu and Rickard Rydell will race Prodrive's solo entry in France. n The Malaysian round of the 2002 American Le Mans Series, scheduled for November 3, has been cancelled, apparently through a curious lack of interest on the part of the Sepang circuit promoters. Series organiser Scott Atherton reported, "We made numerous enquiries concerning the promotion and staging of the race, but these went substantially unanswered, so the difficult decision was made to cancel."

■ The relatively unknown Tom Ferrier has come under the factory umbrella of Alfa Romeo's European Touring Car squad, effectively becoming a team-mate of the reigning champion Fabrizio Giovanardi plus Nicola Larini and Miss Romans Bernardoni.

The 20-year-old Ferrier, from Surrey, England has the UK-division of Alfa Romeo putting its weight behind him and the Milan-based Dart Racing IP team.

- QUENTIN SPURRING IB

Excusez-moi? Aiello forces his way up the inside of the Merc of Peter Dumbreck.

(Photo by Sutton-images)

AMAZINGLY,three Vauxhalls are tied for the lead in the British Touring Car Championship after the latest round at Thruxton.

James Thompson(who won the sprint race), Yvan Muller(who won the feature race) and Matt Neal are all tied for the lead of the series in their Vauxhall Astras.

The Frenchman gave Thompson a real race in the sprint race, though lost the lead by running wide at Goodwood Corner having picked up dirt on his tyres while passing backmarkers.

Broken front suspension eventually put Muller in the wall, leaving Neal to hold out the MG ZS ofAnthony Reid, ahead of the Honda Civic ofAndy Priaulx and the Peugeot 406 pair of Tim Harvey and Dan Eaves.

Muller led all the way to win from Thompson (carrying 66kg more thanks to his sprint race win and Muller’s earlier retirement), Neal, Harvey and Priaulx.

“I felt a vibration in my front left t3me and so had to reduce my pace a bit and then the temperature shot up because of a water leak,” said Muller, who was lucky to even finish.

BTC rules to 2006

LAURENT Aiello has continued his winning ways in the DTM series, winning at an unhelievably wet Zolder.

The Audi TT-R driver added to his round one success at Hockenheim in terrible conditions at the Belgian layout, the race ending under red flags when Christijan Albers beached his Mercedes. A Safety Car screw-up robbed Opel driver Michael Bartels of a strong showing, leaving Aiello’s team-mate Christian Abt in second ahead of Bemd Schneider’s Mercedes.

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Did someone say, ‘Ju\t like old times The !^chnit::ee BMW duo of Dirk " (Photo by Suilon-lmage.1) Midler and Jorg Muller head Larini's Alfa 156.

WHILE their British counterparts were busy at Thruxton, the European Touring Car Championship roiled into Silverstone, showing just why it is quickly becoming one of the categories to watch with its mix of tight racing and top-line drivers.

Nicola Larini took advantage of team-mate Fabrizio Giovanardi getting thumped out of the lead by Dirk Muller (BMW) to win ahead of Giovanardi, Jorg Muller (BMW) and Rickard Rydell (Volvo S60). Giovanardi hit back to take the reverse-grid race two from Larini and Rydell.

THE British Motorsport Promoters have announced a further three year extension to the British Touring Car technical regulations, due now to run until the end of 2006.

"This announcement confirms the long term stability of the championship and shows that the technical regulations were spot-on from day one,” said Ian Harrison of Triple Eight Race Engineering. ‘‘The knock-on effect will see the championship continue to grow with confidence and stability.”

Vauxhall, MG, above. Proton and Honda are all committed with factory-backed cars to the series, with ‘satellite’ works cars from MG and Vauxhall. motorsport nows

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World Superbikes

'

Kato splits the 4-strokes in Spain

Where is that bloody Australian? Colin Edwards leads Neil Hodgson in their pusuit of Troy Bayliss’s Diicati at Monza.

Life at Monza is just Bonzer AFTER he had a weekend 'off at Sugo,Troy Bayliss resumed his winning ways in the fifth round of the World Superbike Championship at Monza,taking two more wins.

He won the first race despite running into a slip road while battling Neil Hodgson and Colin Edwards, but he closed the gap within three laps.

"I would have to say that that was one of my best ever races," the Aussie said afterwards.

"Having made the mistake I just put my head down and tried as hard as I could to catch up. I put together a number of great laps in the middle of the race and then to come away with the race win was excellent."

In the second race, Bayliss again battled with the Brit and American but, when Noriyuki Haga (Aprilia) joined the fight, Bayliss eased away and that was that.

The wins stretches his lead in the championship over his nearest rival, Edwards, to 38 points, having won eight of the 10 races held so far.

"The track conditions were such that the lap times were a bit slower, but all I did was put my head down and work on building a gap," Bayliss said after race two.

The championship heads to Silverstone in England for round six on May 25/26.

Points: Bayliss 224, Edwards 186, Hodgson 131, Haga 103, Ben Bostrom (Ducati) 102, Ruben Xaus (Ducati) 96, etc.

CHRIS Vermuelen has gone within 0.124s of becoming the youngest-ever winner of a World Super Sport race.

The 19-year-oid Aussie, left, qualified his Honda on pole position was was outsped to the flag by Fabien Foret's similar bike.

The two had been involved in an eight-man battle for the lead in a race which saw numerous riders hit the deck on the ultra-fact Italian track.

Andrew Pitt was fourth on his Kawasaki, and has fallen to third in the championship behind Stephane Chambon and Foret.

20

YOU can race him,hit him or follow him,hut it’s still almost impossihle to heat Valentino Rossi in the MotoGP World Championship.

‘The Doctor’ won his second race of the 2002 season at Jerez in Spain, despite making contract with Kenny Roberts’s Suzuki on lap 2. Rossi dropped back to sixth before recovering, but picked off Daijiro Kato (Honda), Max Biaggi (Yamaha), Roberts and Alex Barros (Honda)to move into second by the end oflap 5. Then Rossi stalked team-mate Torhu Ukawa before taking the lead and another win.

“It felt like I got hit by a car!” said Rossi of the incident with Roberts,for which the American blamed a sliding rear tyre. Roberts eventually finished eighth.

But there was a great race for second. On a track which seemed to suit his two-stroke Honda NSR500, Kato chased the similar bikes of Barros and Loris Capirossi, taking the runner-up spot for good on lap 22. Capirossi terrorised Ukawa to the flag, only going down to the four-stroke V5 in the final laps.

The race was another disaster for Yamaha. Carlos Checa had his four-stroker stop on him on the final lap after having a battle with the two-stroke of NorickAbe, who secured sixth from the surprising Proton of Nobuatsu Aoki, whose Bridgestone tyres seemed wellsuited to the Jerez track. In the end, the three-cylinder bike held off the Suzuki of Roberts to bring him team boss, Kenny Roberts Sr, as encouraging result.

“I am very satisfied with the result,” said Aoki.“We are now making improvement.”

Meanwhile, Checa’s team-mate Biaggi was in the wars again, being black-flagged after failing to see a call for a stop/go penalty for a jumped start. Also getting a similar penalty (for the second time this season) was Olivier Jacque, who served his time and recovered to 11th by the end.

Afterwards, Biaggi’s team manager Jeff Crust was highly

critical of the decision to black-flag his rider; “This system just doesn’t work,” he said. “Riders don’t look at their own board for the first few laps and they were holding up such a tiny number at the start-finish line that it was impossible to see it.”

Be prepared to see radios fitted to GP bikes in the near future ...

Garry McCoy finished 13th after struggling with his Yamaha and still-hurting knee. He was penalised five seconds for allegedly passing Regis Laconi under a yellow flag, and reclassified 15th.

Points: Rossi 70, Ukawa 41, Kato 39, Capirossi 36,Abe 30, Checa 27, Barros 21,Akira Ryo(Suzuki)20.

FONSI Nieto was the toast of 127,000 local fans at Jerez after scoring his maiden 250cc GP win on home soil.

The 23-year-old emulated his famous imcle, 13-time world champion Angel Nieto, when he led home Roberto Rolfo(Honda)and Emilio Alzamora (Aprilia)in the race.

But the story of the race for Aussies was the performance of Casey Stoner, the 16-year-old finishing sixth after qualifying seventh fastest on the twisting track to score his first points of the season on his Aprilia. Stoner had run a low as eighth on hard tyres before fighting his way forward mid-race.

Points: Nieto 44, Rolfo 41, Franco Battaini (Aprilia)39,Alzamora 38, Sebastian Porto(Yamaha)28.

VETERAN Lucio Cecchinello emerged from a five-man fight to win the 125cc race from Amaud Vincent and Steve Jenkner.

Manuel Poggiali was Alex de Angelis tangled with two laps to go while battling for second, while Daniel Pedrosa was the best of the non-Aprilia riders, taking fourth on his Honda despite a hand injiu^.

Points: Vincent 65, Poggiali 47, Pedrosa 37, Cecchinello 32, Jenkner 30.

motorsport news

BIKES

Juan to watch AN interested spectator at Jerez was Juan Montoya, who provided some fascinating comparisons between racing on two and four wheels.

The Williams ace discussed the relative performance of MotoGP and FI machines with Suzuki riders Sete Gibernau and Kenny Roberts Jr and Honda's Mick Doohan, below.

"How fast can you get to lOOkmh?" asked Montoya.

"2.3 - 2.4 seconds," replied Roberts. "A bit quicker if we really tried."

"That's good: we are around 2.5 seconds," said Montoya. "What are ●your lap times at Sepang in Malaysia, it must be a long circuit for you?"

"It is 2m04s," replied Roberts. " 1 m35s for us I think," said .-'■.jftirryeiaQj;.'-.

: >51,Sz

Montoya, "very fast, I like it."

"But yOu have great brakes," countered Roberts. "You hit the brakes and you stop."

"At Barcelona, when do you start braking for the second turn?"

"The 180 board," says Gibernau.

"We touch the brakes at 60," replied the Colombian.

"These guys are great - very professional," Montoya continued.

"They are just like us (FI drivers), but we have a chassis surrounding us and they don't. I'm looking forward to watching the race."

One of the interesting sidelights was the comparison between Suzuki's 990cc V4 and BMW's 3-litre VI0 engines. The 220hp Suzuki weighs around 47kg, while the Beemer is 85kg, and produces almost 900hp in qualifying trim ...

_

.

Can I buy a consonant? Daijiro Kato had his best MotoGP result so far, splitting Honda’s four-strokes and beating everyone else on his NSR500.

r

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l

Indy 500 Pole Day It’s all change at Team Menard

Junqueipa takei

by PHIL MORRIS

WITH regular driver Jaques Lazier injured with a fractured vertebra, Team Menard drafted in former CART pilot PJ Jones to take over the #2 Menards Dallara/Chevroiet.

However, the son of the 1963 race winner Parnelli Jones crashed on day three of practice and suffered a back injury himself. A fracture in his sixth cervical vertebrae that will sideline him for six weeks, leaving the seat open yet again.

"It's very discouraging," said Jones, who previously drove for Patrick Racing and All American Racers in CART. "I mean, to come here and run so quickly and not be able to race. We had the car easily to be in the race.

It's not better than that, and we were hoping to qualify right up front."

After talking to Memo Gidley, team owner John Menard selected veteran Raul Boesel. The Brazilian is expected to run the majority of the remaining IRL races while Lazier recovers.

Photo by SuUon-Images

n The new 'SAFER' walls (Steel And Foam Energy Reduction) installed at the Speedway, above, which have been placed inside the regular concrete walls in a bid to improve safety, had their first test pilot in Robby McGehee on the first day of practice. The 1999 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year hit the wall at turn three, destroying his Cahill team's only Dallara/Chevroiet. He suffered fractures in his left leg and back, though praised the new wall. n Frustrated at sitting on the sidelines for the first four IRL races, Sarah Fisher found herself back in an Indycar at the 500 after putting together a deal to run as team-mate to Robbie Buhl. Backing comes from Allegra, a US pharmaceutical company. n Following a practice accident that left Mark Dismore in hospital with a concussion, Richie Hearn took over the #20 Grill2Go/Schmidt machine and promptly put it in the field on Pole Day! With the second day of qualification rained out, Dismore is hoping to qualify a back-up car, considering the extra recovery time.

22

IT took a four-lap average of 231.342 mph and an arduous seven hour wait, but Bruno Junqueira has seized pole for the 86th running of the Indianapolis 500.

The Target/Ganassi driver was the first car to qualify on Pole Day on Saturday and had to sit and wait all day as the rest of those who attempted qualifying runs came close but not close enough.

“These were the longest seven hours of my life,” Junqueira said.

“First thing, I have to thank Team Target to give(me)a great car. I had a lot of confidence to be the first to go out. I didn’t know exactly how the track was. The car was so good that I just kept flat out all the four laps, and I got a very good average speed.”

Robbie Buhl and Raul Boesel will also start from the front row.

Buhl’s second-fastest effort the best starting position by a Nissan Infiniti engine at Indy.

Team-mates Felipe Giaffone and Tony Kanaan made it four Brazilians in the top five, while Sarah Fisher became the fastestever woman qualifier at Indy, setting ninth quickest time.

The Penske duo of defending winner Helio Castroneves and Gil de Ferran struggled in 13th and 14th.

But there are a number of names on struggle street. The second day of qualifications was washed out, meaning that Bump Day this Sunday is all-critical for those who weren’t among the 24 qualified drivers.

Among those yet to qualify are Team Green duo Dario Franchitti and Paul Tracy. Franchitti had an engine failure, while Tracy hit the wall in practice and has to wait while the team fixes his machine as neither have back-up cars to make extra qualifying attempts with.

Two-time Indy winner Arie Luyendyk didn’t qualify after two attempts, while Johnny Herbert faces a dilemna. He has a clashing race at Sears Point this weekend and was hoping to qualify for Indy on the first weekend. Both AJ Foyt cars(driven

by Greg Ray and Airton Dai’e)are also not in the field after waving off their qualification attempts.

Each car is allowed three qualification attempts, so there’ll be a mad flurry of back-up and primary cars in the queue waiting for the start of Bump Day.

86th Indianapolis 500 Pole Day Qualifiers

POS NO 1 33 2 24 3 2 4 21 5 17 6 51 7 4 8 8 9 23 10 52 11 31 7 12 3 13 14 6 15 9 16 34 17 55 18 53 19 19 20 91 21 22 22 20 23 39 24 98

DRIVER Bruno Junqueira Robbie Buhl Raul Boesel Felipe Giaffone Tony Kanaan Eddie Cheever Sam Hornish Jr Scott Sharp Sarah Fisher Tomas Scheckter Robby Gordon Al Unser Jr Helio Castroneves Gil de Ferran Jeff Ward Laurent Redon Rick Treadway Max Papis Jimmy Vasser Buddy Lazier Kenny Brack Richie Hearn Michael Andretti Billy Boat

CAR Target G Force/Chevrolet Purex G Force/Nissan Menards Dallara/Chevroiet Hollywood G Force/Chevrolet Hollywood G Force/Chevrolet Red Bull Dallara/Nissan Pennzoil Dallara/Chevroiet Delphi Dallara/Chevroiet Allegra G Force/Nissan Red Bull Dallara/Nissan Cingular Dallara/Chevroiet Corteco Dallara/Chevroiet Marlboro Dallara/Chevroiet Marlboro Dallara/Chevroiet Target G Force/Chevrolet Mi-Jack Dallara/Nissan Airlink G Force/Chevrolet Red Bull Dallara/Nissan Miller Dallara/Chevroiet Coors Dallara/Chevroiet Target G Force/Chevrolet Grill2Go Dallara/Chevroiet Motorola Dallara/Chevroiet CURB Dallara/Chevroiet

SPEED (MPH) 231.342 231.033 230.613 230.326 230.253 229.786 229,585 229.486 229.439 229.210 229.127 229.058 229.052 228.671 228.557 228.106 228,039 227.941 227,743 227.495 227.240 227.233 226.780 226,589 moiorspon news

INDY RACING LEAGUE

spole

Servia signs for Walker Racing

ZIL.

ORIOL Servia added to the CART contingent at the Speedway by signing a one-off deal to drive for Derrick Walker’s IRL operation, which has been sitting idle since it lost its main sponsors.

The rookie Spaniard, who races for PWR Championship Racing in the Champ Car series, becomes the 10th CART driver in the field for the 500, though he didn’t qualify on Pole Day.

.I i Not in, both in, might not be in: Dario Franchitti, top, will have to qualify this weekend, while Felipe Giaffone and Tony Kanaan, above, are safely in the field. Johnny Herbert, below, has a Sportscar clash this (Photos by Sutlon-lmages and Boyd/Bothwell Photographic) weekend. What would you do?

-●fL^

n Helio Castroneves set everybody back on their heels on day three of practice on May 10, ripping off a 232.087 mph lap, the fastest of the month. It's the first time cars have topped the 230 mph barrier at the Speedway since the last year of turbocharged cars in 1996.

i

Targeting another Indy 500 crown: Bruno Junqueira, above, was the quiet achiever of last year’s race, running fifth on debut.

This year the Brazilian will start the Indy 500 from pole as the Target team looks to add to Juan Montoya’s 2000 win.

Kenny Brack, inset left, qualified lowly, but the 1999 winner is in the field and that’s what counts.

■ Tomas Scheckter was forced to sit out the first three days of practice as a penalty for the crash at Nazareth which has left Jaques Lazier sidelined for six months. The South African remains on probation until December 31.

(Photos by Sutton-lmages)

Performance

n So who has to qualify? Those unqualified drivers sitting in the queue to attempt qualification runs this Sunday will be Arie Luyendyk, Anthony Lazzaro, Oriol Servia, Johnny Herbert, Mark Dismore, Dario Franchitti, John de Vries, Jon Herb, Alex Barron (who suffered a nasty shunt in practice), Greg Ray, Airton Dare, Billy Roe, Shigeaki Hattori, George Mack, Robby McGehee, Paul Tracy and Davy Jones.

Naturally, plenty of lowly qualified drivers have their back-up cars in the queue as well just in case the team can put together a deal to run another driver in the car.

TOYO TYRES NCE

Quality Va^^

—

Performance Value

881 Control Tyre As used by 2001 Mitsubishi .^irage Series^

[ 15

f / Freecall Sydney 1800 897 379 Melbourne 1800 897 363 Brisbane 1800 897 327 ^ Newcastle 1800 897 362 Townsville 1800 897 388 Adelaide 1800 897 323 Perth 1800 897 373

www.toyo.com.au

23

Sportscar Nevsrs Three Panoz for Sears Point THREE factory Panoz prototypes will be on the grid for the this weekend's American Le Mans Series encounter at Sears Point.

The team will run a 2000-spec IMP Roadster S alongside its two latest cars, now known as the LMP01 Evo. The move will give test and endurance driver Gunnar Jeanette more time in the car ahead of the Le Mans 24 Hours and allow the team to place Bill Auberlen with Bryan Herta in place of David Donohue.

The official reason for the extra car is the lack of track time gained by Jeanette at Le Mans after the second LMP-01 Evo lost much of the eight-hour Le Mans test with a propshaft failure. The subplot is a desire to move Auberlen, who was originally only signed for Sebring and Le Mans, into the full-time seat alongside Herta. n Bob Akin, who has died aged 66, was an integral part of the IMSA sportscar scene in the US from the mid-1970s and through to the late1980s. Akin, who died late last month after sustaining serious injuries while testing an historic Nissan GTP car at Road Atlanta, was a wealthy amateur.

He twice won the Sebring 12 Hours for Porsche, driving a 935 (with Dick Barbour Racing) in 1979 and then a 962 in 1986. He also finished runner up in the Daytona 24 Hours in 1981 and fourth at Le Mans in 1984. n Karl Wendlinger and Didier Andre top the ORECA team's shopping list for the final seat in its Le Mans squad, Wendlinger drove for the team in 1998-2001, while Andre made a lone appearance for ORECA at Le Mans in 2000. Pedro Lamy is no longer a candidate. n Five-time Le Mans winner Derek Bell has been named as an honoured citizen of the city that has given the great race its name. The honour was bestowed on the 60year-old, only the fourth driver to receive the award, a fortnight ago. n Bentley has revealed that a wheel problem was the cause of Eric van de Poele’s aerial accident at Paul Ricard last month. Bentley engineering boss Brian Gush confirmed that the car lost a wheel in the 320km/h shunt, but said that the investigation into the reasons for that was still ongoing. n ActorChad McQueen, son of iTiovie legend Steve, has postponed his plans to compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours after breaking a leg. He was to have driven the Freisinger Porsche.

- GARY WATKINS 24

The United Nations driving line-up: Aussie Brabham, Dane Magnussen and American Herta will lead the Panoz assault on the Le Mans 24 Hour. Their practice times aren’t totally representative of what the new-look (Photo by Sutton-Images) car (note rear end) can due to running an all-new gearbox.

No surprises at Le Mans Aucf/ tops pmctice day for 24 Hour classic Le Mans 24 Hour Practice Times

by GARY WATKINS AUDI knocked more than two seconds off the 2001 pole mark with its latest Le Mans 24 Hours contender during the official pre-race test at the beginning of the month despite an increase in the length of the famous track.

Italian Rinaldo Capello set a best time of 3m30.296s around the revised 13.88-kilometre track in his 2002-spec R8, which compares to last year’s pole time of 3m32.429s. The next best car, Stephane Sarrazin’s ORECA Dallara-Judd LMP, was just under one second behind.

Capello, who shares one of three works Audis with Johnny Herbert and Christian Pescatori, explained that a number of refinements to the R8 concept and a clear lap on his one set of qualifying tyres made the lap possible.

“I had a very good lap, not 100 percent clear, but I came across only one slow car,” he said.

Dane Tom Kristensen, last year’s pole winner, ended up only

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 12

Rinaldo Capello/Johnny Herbert/Christian Pescatori Franck Montangy/Stephane Sarrazin/Stefan Johansson Frank BielaA’om Kristonsen/Emanuele Pirro Michael Krumm/Phillip Peter/Marco Werner Mark Blundell/Julian Bailey Andy Wallace/Butch Leitzinger/Eric van de Poele Jan LammersA/an Hillebrand/Tom Coronel Kevin McGarrity/Jonny Kane Olivier Beretta/Stefan Johansson/Stephane Sarrazin Didier Cottaz/Boris Oerichebourg David Brabham/Jan Magnussen/Bryan Herta

third on the timesheets after encountering traffic on his run on the Michelin’s most suitable qualifier. His best time was set on a super-soft Michelin qualifier that neither Audi drivers thought suitable for the long Le Mans lap.

Michael Krumm claimed fourth in the time sheets in the third factory Audi R8 without resorting to qualifying rubber.

MG came out in the battle of the British marques after Mark Blundell set a 3m33.414s on qualifiers late in the day aboard the Chamberlain Motor Sport-rim MG-Lola EX257s. Eric van de Poele was just over a second behind in the solo Bentley.

“I’m sure we’ve made a few people up and down the pit lane sit

Infineon Audi R8 ORECA Dallara/Judd Infineon Audi R8 Infineon Audi R8 HotWheelsMG/LoiaEX257 Bentley EXP Speed 8 Racing for Holland Dome/Judd Hot Wheels MG/Lola EX 257 ORECA Oallara/Judd Courage/Judd Panoz LM-01 Evo

3:30.2% 3:32.168 3:32.578 3:33.180 3:33.414 3:34.556 3:34.690 3:35,348 3:35.826 3:35.899 3:36.103

up and take notice,” said Blundell.

“If they are not impressed, they are probably depressed.”

The Panoz team endured a difficult day with its two LMP-01 Evos, which were running in definitive 2002-spec for the first time. Jan Magnussen set the US squad’s fastest time of the day, which was good enough for 12th place, while team-mate David Brabham locked up on his set of qualifying tyres.

Cadillac endured a nightmare day with their new Northstar LMP-02. Their two cars ended up 16th and 17th in the timesheets nine seconds off the pace - and failed to lap as quickly as their old Riley & Scott-built car managed in qualifying last year.

Problems in June?

THE biggest change to the Circuit de la Sarthe at Le Mans since the two chicanes were built on the Mulsanne Straight in 1990 was met with a tentative thumbs up from the drivers.

The new left-right sequence, which has replaced the famous downhill straight between the Dunlop Bridge and the Esses, was widely described as challenging. Opinions were split on the new section of track, but most drivers reckoned it could cause problems in June's race.

Many suggested that the flowing nature of the

section would make it hard to overtake slower cars.

"It's interesting for the drivers and the spectators, but it is going to make life harder for use because we are going to get held up in traffic there," said Tom Kristensen.

"It is challenging to drive, but it is not good for long-distance racing," said Christophe Bouchut. "The first left hander is blind, so there could be problems if someone spins over the brow. There is also a big bump where the new track joins the old part."

-GARY WATKINS moiorsport news

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OPINION 4

In the Shadow(s) IT'S hard to believe that it's 25 years since I won my first Grand Prix in Austria.

I got the drive with Shadow through one of those everycloud-has-a-silver-lining things.

Tom Pryce had been driving for the team, but he was killed in South Africa when he struck a marshall who ran across the track to attend to another car that had come to a stop right opposite the pits. Poor old Tom came over the brow of the hill and hit the marshall, whose extinguisher decapitated him.

That was it.

Shadow boss Jackie Oliver rang me up and said he needed someone to replace Tom. I told him I already had a contract with don't John Surtees, but I said, really want to drive for him and don't know what to do". Jackie said, "If I can get you out of it, are you interested?"

So he rang me back two days later and said, "Right, you are out of your contract, what do you Phoiit hv Sunon-hmiiH A

want to do?" I jumped on a plane, went to London and met with the Shadow people and my solicitor at the airport hotel. We struck up a deal, went up to Northampton and had a fitting.

Two or three days later, I was on a plane to Long Beach ...

We went to a little raceterack just east of Los Angeles. Bill Simpson, of Simpson racewear fame, flew me in and we were about to land on the main straight just as somebody drove up iti We had a very successful test there. My first race was at Long Beach, and we started to pick up the odd sixth and seventh place, even though we were only qualifying 15th or so. It was a pretty lazy old car, the Shadow; it was pretty 'soft', until Tony Southgate came into the team to revamp it. He built some new bodywork for it, stiffened it up and we started to go pretty well.

So we were starting to go in the right direction, before we got to Austria.

think that I qualified somewhere about 15th for the race. It was a very fast circuit and you needed a stiff car, not one that was leaning all over the place through the long, fast corners.

But then raceday dawned and it was wet. The stiffer cars came back to us a bit and the old car, which was still a bit soft, came into its own a bit.

So we started the race, passed some cars and I came up behind James Hunt, who was leading the ■race in his McLaren. He broke down, I took over the lead and I was ahead of Niki Lauda's Ferrari.

Niki was pretty pissed off; it was his home Grand Prix and here he was, well back in second place.

To say that-my win was a bit unexpected was a pretty big understatement. The promoters didn't even have the Australian national anthem on hand, so a drunk played 'Happy Birthday' on a trumpet! That was probably the only tune he could play anyway.

But, I must say, it was better than

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When you are coming up through the ranks, you aspire to be a Formula One driver, and when you get into FI, you think, "If only I could win a Grand Prix, how good would that be?" I remember thinking, "Well, I have won a Grand Prix now, so I don't care whaf happens".

So I finished the season with Shadow and then Frank Williams got on the phone. My best result that following year was a second, I think, at Long Beach, but we , shoul(l_have really won one. We were snapping at their heels on a ,4^Couple of ibccasipns.

Then Th 1979, Patrick Head came up with the Williams FW07 and that was the weapon I

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Now it seems the selfish ■ nature. And about time too. ome of the Formula 1 Times are hard in the world issues and paranoias have been team bosses will tell you that these are hard times and now is not the moment ^or put aside and the talk has turned the sport to be giving out the to the long-term and what the ' ’ - if you.let them gabble on.

Their words however are message that there is discord sport is about arid what its image should be. The sport does not and disunity. It is time fpi; . ,. doing the sport no good at all want to be seen to be fighting everyone to stop fightihg and because everyone with a copy of pull together. We are in the run the Concorde Agreement knows over sponsors.^running in and up to Monaco. It is the time of that grids will not fall to 14 cars put of the High Court or being because the teams are , year when everyone is hoping'to ' projected as the meeting place contracted to supply third cars sign up a big Sponsor for next of international trash, from the rinoment that there are year and the sport needs to think ut thisTs the wrong way to only seven teams left. of its^image - which is not look at the problem. What is Contracted, No argument. So, the ● s'ofnething it does very often, important now is not what the grids may_|liR back to 16 bars It is time for everyone to pull sport does NOT want^jut rather b ut theri'suddenly they will, if together, take off the blinkers what it wants.-Where is the necessary grow to 21 again. It is and think about how the sport the sport's safety valve,,,,, 'f)fesents itself to the world out sport going and how is it going.. to get there?

Thos^e. who have teen there. It is a time when those with the passion, those who ■ whiri^efrig about falling numbers Th ere are many different roles to be played and each group really care,'will stay and those on the grids have been doing it who do not will go. It is a time involved must try to respect the with other agenc^s in their " minds. It does ri ot make much when the sport should be others and .understand what they are trying to do. It is not easy but presenting the right image. For a sense but, perhaps, the whole as long as there is a shared long time now, the sport has*rio-t thing was a plan to make passion there is an really worried about its image. It everyone work together rather than slash arorie another. There understanding. has been a gravy train and those on it grew to be so rich that they 3®^ is nothing like a bit of fear to did not care what the world concentrate the mind. thought The teatg, managers' meeting in Austriawas, apparently (for even the flies on the walls are killed to try to keep the, meetings secre^one of a ve'ry positive

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Most importantly, however. the image that is, portrayed must be an honest brie: a sport dressed up to be something it is not is a sport which will fail. The sport has to figure out what it stands for and what are its brand values - and for that it must be honest about its strengths and Weaknesses and listen to ail the voices.

A foolish man builds his house upon the sand. A wise man builds his house upon the rock.

Arid when the rains come, the winds blow and the floods rise it is only the house on the rock that survives.

What is the bedrock of Formula 1 ? Is it the money orthe glamour? No, not at all. It is the'passion.

The majority of people compete in sports not for money nor for the glory but because of

somi that m^^s'friction money. The rest are like and oonfiict but when the around a hone^ppt. Whgh^tne honey is gone”tliey buzz off passion is there is always an "elsewhere because they have no understanding,^e,mGogniti6n passion for the sport. Asport p,f a passion'sff^a n ’^§ut, the scale of the money in which^|s,run by those without some sports, has led to pas^oiTis^Sbomed.

Fortunately this is not the case everythingMcpniing very confuSed.*Tnere is so much in Formula 1 - alt|i^gh thereWe The reality of every sport js not, ■ cm oney and there are so many power nor aMjfiy*hut rp^^on t!fjjgg.when the^m^e that is itriV. ai egos involved and so cP.uGh ■'given but is wrong. A few j^hat trai?§laresinto hard ork. In motor racing, it is hard important people saying tf\a . . . . mi^jjj^that the important work that involves such things^ve sometimes been wrong thir^^an change the that money, could nei/er’be*^ forgotten. Nothing is more way in which the sport is viewed. important than tte sport itself. enoughTOCompense. The vast majority of those in the sport are: Hopefully, what happened in . ^j~^e money’^l'fffere and Austria will change that. there because thevJoye.it: be.: i●●●'peo^e may think it the most im portant thing but when,all j§. th^ drivers, tearn'ros^s, ,;■■■ v§ngiheers, mechanics, media or ED: Interestingly, Seward's said and d^ri^he people'wHo words were filei really mafterWe those who whatever. They love what the^ would be there if there was no do and they do it a^well as they ja_n » whatever me job may be. ' It is a competitive world and the sport. Anyone who has ever tried to cycle over a mouritain or. ahirarieicie been flatbed by ^ in rugb^wbeen hit by a cricket ball knows that sport is about passion. If you don't like.it you don't have to do it-.-

Nfitii Joe Seward

Five Minutes With l ll

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TiK teaitep of ne KonUa V8 Supercan Saves after tm roumb, tlw Vl^s Camnwifav temer aabe te AAfUHIf NfWf\fAN boutfaw he's m ahout W(fng tfte tftfe faZfM^ atto'opiihiB so vav cfose fn^1 MOTORSPORT NEWS:You were devastatingly dominant at round two of the Konica Series at Phillip Island. Are we going to see that for the rest of the year?

PAUL DUMBRELL:I’d hope so!

Obviously we had pole at Wakefield Park and in the races, realistically, we could have dominated all three races, but I made a mistake and ended up second overall.

It’s just all points. The championship is so short. Last year, Willsy(Simon Wills) and I DNFed one race each, so this year there’s one round and three races less and it’s a lot harder in that respect.

MN:From the outside, at PhiUip Island you looked in a class of your own.Is that really the case or was it a case of everything going right as others struggled?

PD: Different tracks are going to suit different people. Phillip Island is one of our better tracks and Winton and Mallala are two tracks where I went very well last year.

The only unknown is Oran Park because that was my worst result last year.

MN:Is Dale Brede the only challenger for you this year?

PD: Dale’s been veiy, very quick.

At Wakefield Park he was quick and also at Phillip Island, but we had that get that let us get away and there was no real pressure on me and no real pressure on him.

I think Greg Crick will be quick, especially at Mallala considering it’s his team’s test track. Matt White’s quick, but hasn’t had very many strong race finishes.

MN:With the results from last year and now this year, do you feel the ‘young bloke, out of control’tag has been shaken loose?

PD: I believe so. In all my racing before last year I wasn’t up the front and battling for a championship.

Last year was the first time I was in that sort of position and I learnt a tremendous amount, especially from David Truckie’Parsons who coached me through the year, Alan Heaphy, Fred Gibson, and Oscar Fiorinotto.

28

SmanosT 'fcsci.s™ 'K'vtSpK'*'' Wynners and grinners: Dumbrell’s ex-Ingall Commodore has been the pace-setter in the Konica Series as the (Photo by Slipstream Photographic) 19-year-old aims for the title. ex-Gibson Motorsport team They all helped me learn a lot of manager from 2000,is preparing things very quickly because there wasn’t much time to do it. my car, which is sponsored by Wynn’s Australia.

This year I’ve come along with all Oscar comes that knowledge on board. 1 did along to the race '1 want to dominate the make a mistake meetings as a in round one friend of mine to championslip this year to with a spin, but help work with me show that I can do the job" and it’s good to I was pushing twice as hard as -Paul Dumbrell work with one of I was last year the best engineers to get a result. in the country.

I want to dominate the On the other side, working with championship this year to show that Oscar might help 00 as well. Even I can do the job and put my name though we’re using different cars, and the forefront of the series. the fact that we’ve run on these new Dunlops at tracks that we MN:And that all leads on to visit before the V8 Supercar Series does could be of benefit to them. next year and graduating to the main game?

MN:Is there a slot to fill, PD:Yeah. At the end ofthis year I’ll have had two seasons of experience perhaps in a Level 1 team, or with racing, qualifying, setting-up will you stay with your own the car, dealing with the media and progi’am?

PD: OO’s a very professional team so on. That’s the overall package.

If you’re lacking in one of those so I’d love one day to drive in a seat areas, the overall package isn’t as there, but my main focus now is to strong. To beat the Skaifes and win this championship and that Lowndes of the world, you have to will open doors. be on the money in every single You can’t kid yourself and get too department, far in front of yourself because we’re still only at round two offive.

MN:What’s the link that I do have a 55-point lead but one remains between you and 00 mechanical problem in one race will Motorsport,(formerly Gibson put you back behind by nearly 30.

Motorsport),the team formerly owned by your father Garry?

MN:If you look at the past PD:Independent Race Cars, which successful graduates of the is run by Marty Brant, who is an Konica Series in Besnard,

Canto, Kelly, Wills etc, they have all picked up different deals with Level 1 outfits. While there’s no guarantee,the fact that they’ve all got something must give you confidence.

PD: I’m lucky in the respect that we’ve got two options. We can push on with Marty and IRC and see what we can do and also, if a very good opportimity elsewhere comes along, I can look at that as well.

For touring car teams, having the Konica Series is very valuable.

Potential co-drivers are running around all year running similar cars on the same tyres.

MN:Your thoughts on a longer Konica Series and running as a support to the main series at some rounds?

PD: There’s pros and cons. If you have a long championship, people are going to say that costs will be too high. Basically, if the championship’s longer, people are still going to find a way to get there.

It would benefit all the drivers to go to six or seven rounds with maybe support three of the premier events, like Adelaide, Canberra and Indy for example.

It’s good to go to tracks like Wakefield Park, Mallala and Symmons Plains, where the V8s don’t run so people can come and see the racing and not have to drive three hours somewhere else to get to a track. motorsport news

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Nia^na V8 Supercar

ver since the first V8 Supercar Falcons and Commodores hit the track in 1992, there have been whispers, rumours and sometimes downright lies about a third manufacturer entering the world’s most competitive touring car series.

Seemingly, every few months, stories that Toyota and/or Mitsubishi, the other two manufacturers that build family sized four-door sedans down under, were about to launch an offensive on the tracks of Australia to take on Holden and Ford head-on, with the obvious bonus of putting one over their showroom rivals by beating them on the racetracks.

The Mitsubishi version of the atory re-emerged last month when 30

the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Tom Phillips(himself a former Toyota man)made a comment to the South Australian Premier John Olsen about the possibility of the three-diamonds heading into the V8 Supercar Championship Series.

Are they serious? Who knows.

Will they do it? Maybe. Have they discussed it? Almost certainly.

The ‘problem’is the fact that all, or any, discussions regarding such a project are conducted, naturally enough, in the utmost secrecy(the ‘problem’ being for us in the media, not for the manufacturers!) Were we to have proof that either Mitsubishi or Toyota were undertaking such a program,it would be (short of Peter Brock deciding to have a crack at a 10th

Bathurst win)the story of the decade.

So, what do we know?

Well,AVESCO already has a policy that any new player in the sport will have to be an Aussie manufacturer, so it will only be Toyota or Mitsubishi who get an invitation. It appears that there is a much greater chance of Mitsubishi having a serious go at the sport than Toyota.

While there was a bit of chat some time ago about an Avalon taking to the black stuff, there are much more credible reasons why it will be the Adelaide manufacturer who will take the leap first. Toyota has just started its significant involvement in Formula One racing and that is the priority for the company at the moment. It is

not pulling out of other racing witness its involvement in CART, IRL and even domestic events, like Targa Tasmania - but FI needs, and is getting, the greater focus of the company’s substantial resources on the track.

Of course, that is not to say that there is no chance that a V8 Avalon could be heading our way sometime in the future but, in the short-term, it would appear less likely than a V8 Magna.

Mitsubishi is already involved in motorsport in Australia, through its rally progi-am, but that is unlikely to have any effect on the company’s decision-making process regarding V8 Supercars: “Rallying would continue (if the company went into V8s),” explains the company’s Public Relations iDoiorspon news

INSIGHT

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Whether Mitsubishi Motors Austraiia commits to a V8 Supercar program is yet to be determined. But how the manufacturer may take on Hoiden and Ford is a fascinating scenario.

PHIL BRANAGAN reports Manager, Kevin Taylor. “We primarily have three cars we market; Lancer, Magna and Pajero. If we were to commit to circuit racing - and that is a big ‘if - V8 Supercar racing is where we would want to be.

“But there is no comment to make. It is far too early.”

It is not like there has been a total absence of Magnas from the tracks. For some time, the FWD V6 sedans have been seen in the PROCAR series, with drivers like Rob Chadwick (himself a Mitsubishi engineer) at the wheel, and Peter Muir’s Magna Future Tourer has been a regular sight now for a couple of seasons, piloted most recently by the experienced Terry Bosnjak.

The Muir car is the most 15 Miy 2002

interesting, though; like a V8 Supercar, FTs are front-engined V8s, with rear-wheel drive. The fact that the car has been raced at all proves that there is no engineering hindrance to making a V8 Magna, even if its mechanicals are much, much different to a V8 Supercar.

So the next question is; what would Mitsubishi have to do to gain entry to the category?

AVESCO Chief Executive Wayne Cattach would not be drawn on how serious he thought enquiries from either Mitsubishi or Toyota would be.

“We would want to consider whether it would be desirable to have a third manufacturer (in the class),” he said. “We have not got to that point.

“The two manufacturers we have got have earned their right to be there.”

Which would appear to be a nice way of saying, Holden and Ford have spent millions on this and the price of admission for a new make would reflect this. Expect an entry price somewhere in the single figure millions.

So, how would Mitsubishi go about it?

It would be a certainty that, before being admitted to the class, AVESCO would require two commitments from any new manufacturer; one of time, with a likely minimum commitment; and one of the number of cars; Should a company like Mitsubishi show up with a big-budget, two-car team, hire the best drivers on the market

and out-spend its rivals, win a championship and then disappear, there would likely be a significant backlash from the existing teams, which communally own 75 percent ofAVESCO. So, while Cattach would not be drawn on actual numbers,it would appear that AVESCO guidelines would require a solid deal for at least five years, and four or more entries from a new player. It would also make sense if, rather than create a large works team from scratch, a new manufacturer forged an alliance with teams already in the sport.

That follows on from the example of Dodge which, in 2000, continued on page 32 31

Magna V8 Supercar continued from page 31 re-entered NASCAR racing with a ‘factory" team fielded by Ray Evemham, and then built partnerships with existing Winston Cup team owners and drivers, such as Bill Elliott.

“Tou would like to see teams which are out there already and, perhaps, struggling through a lack of resources, get sponsors,” says Cattach. “Also, there are already more than 32 cars out there at present and it does not make sense to bring in additional numbers of cars.”

There is also the matter of representation on the Board of TEGA(the Touring Car Entrants’ Group). At present, Holden and Ford are each entitled to have two representatives on the board. A new manufacturer would, presumably, be entitled to two seats on an expanded six-person board.

So, what would be required to get a 600-plus horsepower Magna mobile?

Well, the start-up costs would be substantial - but not prohibitive.

Much,if not all, of what you can and cannot do with a V8 Supercar is governed by Project Blueprint, which lays down the guidelines of the basic architecture of the cars.

So, in a nutshell, a Magna would follow the same set-up as a Falcon or a Commodore; a double wishbone front end with conventional springs and shocks (all of which will be mandatory for all new cars trom 2003), a nineinch Ford diff connected to the car via a five-link rear end, engine position set by regulation, Holinger gearbox, off-the-shelf wheels, hubs, brakes and fittings and control tyj-es.

Simple? In motor racing, nothing is simple.‘Straightforward’is a better word. And,in motor racing terms, not expensive; by world standards, given the exposure of V8 Supercar racing, the investment level is pretty low.

Mitsubishi is under the umbrella of DaimlerChrysler, which is involved in FI and the DTM (through Mercedes-Benz), NASCAR (Dodge), WRC and Dakar(Mitsubishi) and NHRA (Mopar), as well as a number of smaller, regional programs. For a company with that existing level of commitment, and with Mitsubishi Motors Australia about to commit almost $lbn to local production, a, say, $10m start-up budget is not a huge ask.

That leaves the question of an engine. There has been chat that a new V8 Supercar would just use an existing unit, probably a Chevrolet, and should Toyota ever go in to the category, that seems 32

likely. But,just as Chevrolet’s‘Bow Tie’ engine and Ford’s SVO unit are based on NASCAE componentry, it seems more likely that Mitsubishi would look inside the ‘DaimlerChrysler family’ and use Dodge’s NASCAR engine as a starting point(see breakout).

So, what is likely? We are already in May,so it appears that the likelihood of any Magna hitting the tracks in 2003 already appears far-fetched. It is not so much a matter of being able to build four cars in time for next season as much as timing the appearance of the cars to fit in with the next model, facelifted Magna, which is due in mid-2003 before a completely new model in 2005.

We asked a team manager(who preferred anonymity)how long it would take to build four new V8 Supercars,from the ground up; “Properly staffed and budgeted, you could do it in six months,” he said. “It would normally take longer than that, but you are talking about purely a build program, whereas we build and race cars at the same time.

“Without running a tape measure over the car, there’s probably not a huge difference between doing a Magna and a Commodore or a Falcon. You would have some ‘start-up’ stuff, like making jigs and moulds, but that is nothing that you can’t get on top of quickly.” ’^en you build cars, they need to be tested. With V8 Supercar teams limited to 10 test days a year at one nominated track, a new player like Mitsubishi would have to fall in line and play catch'^P '"hthin the time frame nominated by the rule makers of sport, But, during the lead-up season. a new manufacturer would likely Be allowed certain liberties to ensure that it had at least some chance of being competitive with the long-established opposition teams.

“There should be some concessions to dial it in,” agrees Cattach. “But after the season starts, it would have to be the same for everyone.”

One of the challenges will be to ensure that the Magna is as close to equal in performance to its rivals as is practical. The front splitter and rear wing of the race car will have to be as close as possible to that on the Falcon and Commodore, with a similar profile of both items.

Then you need to take into account that, while the other car cars are dimensionally very close, the current Magna is around 80 mm shorter,65mm shorter in the wheelbase and has a narrower track of about 20mm (front) and

1

Magna-ificent 7: Peter Muir’s Magna has been a regular fixture in the Future Touring class. Holden engine, below, is installed neatly in RWD configuration. Any Mitsubishi V8 Supercar would use off-the-shelf items, like Brembo brakes fitted to DJR/Helix Falcon AUs, right.

(Photos by Mick Fishbum, John Morhs/Mpix and Marshall Cass)

between 10 and 50mm (rear)in road car trim. And,for 2005, Mitsubishi is said to be planning a longer-wheelbase version of the car, so the process will have to start all over again after two seasons.

So, any testing program to sort the cars, and the necessary parity verification of the car’s specification to ensure that it woMd not kill, or be killed, by the Commodores and Falcons on the track, would mean that 2003 is out of the question.

Now, where to put all this ... ?

The major teams and suppliers in the sport are organised around two hubs, in Melbourne and Brisbane/Gold Coast, so it is possible that a team could be based in either of those locations. But,

with communication being as instant as it is today, there is no reason why you could not put it elsewhere.

Ralliart runs its ARC effort out of Sydney, so it could be based there, but it would seem that there are more good reasons to base it in Adelaide. Mitsubishi’s plants are based at Tonsley Park (vehicle assembly)and Lonsdale (engine plant) and there are numerous advantages in having a major manufacturer close to a race team’s doorstep.

And it works the other way; having a race team close by is good for the morale of the firm’s 3000 employees, not to mention the ‘State of Origin’ attraction for crow-eating V8 Supercar fans.

There is also the recurring story moiorspori news

INSIGHT a

that the SA state government would like to see a V8 Supercar team based in its homeland and would provides incentives for such a move ...

On the other hand,it does not hurt to have a foot in each camp perhaps build the cars and components in SA and run two ‘works’cars from there, while running two other cars from a ‘satellite’ team in either Victoria or Queensland? It makes sense to hook up with an existing team and its personnel, with suitable acquisition of engineers experienced in V8 Supercar racing.

Please do not think that teams will not jump ships between manufacturers for a prominent and well-funded deal, should there be one on offer, 15 May 2002

Apart from Gibson Motorsport’s highly-publicised move from Holden to Ford last year, we have it on very good authority that, when it was rumoured that Toyota was looking hard at the category two years ago, there were a number of proposals sent to the company’s Sydney HQ by marquee Ford and Holden teams to try and secure a deal...

So, the $500,000 question; who?

While Mitsubishi management will keep a firm hand on the team/teams’efforts, it would fasttrack development of the cars to have some experienced people on hand.

First off, a team principal with prior form in The Show,someone of the ilk of Fred Gibson who knows the business, has the contacts and experience and knows how manufacturers work.

(We are not saying that Gibbo is, or is not, in contention for the job, butjust use him as a identifiable example).

Then you need drivers. In a nutshell; Project Blueprint means that it is virtually impossible to build a V8 Supercar better than, for example, those of Holden Racing Team or 00 Motorsport.

But it is entirely possible that the first example of a Magna V8 Supercar may have deficiencies to the tried-and-proven designs from both those, and other, teams.

So, to be anywhere near successful, Mitsubishi will need front-line drivers who can take on the likes of Mark Skaife and Craig Lowndes.

There are any number of‘name’ drivers who will be out of contract by the end of next season (about half the grid in fact) and it is probable that at least one or two of them would be more than happy to change brands for the appropriately-sized bag of lollies.

It is also likely that there could be another ‘second-tier’ driver (already experienced in V8 Supercar racing)lined up, with an up-and-comer perhaps coming on board with an eye on the future.

Fill in the names of your favourite candidates here ...

The decision to be, or not to be, a V8 Supercar player rests, in the first instance, with Mitsubishi and then with the AVESCO Board.

There have been few - very few leaks about what has happened so far. So yes, this is a lot of speculation.

But the road ahead to such a thing happening is not that long, and not that hard; all it takes is the will to make it happen. When you pack your bags for the 2004 Adelaide 500, the opening round of the series that year, you might need to bring a white and red three-diamond flag,just in case ...

Dodge,the bullet

How hard would it be to build a Dodge V8 Supercar engine? MARTIN D CLARK went to the heart of NASCAR racing to get the answer ONE of the biggest variables concerned with a Mitsubishi V8 Supercar is its engine.

While Chevrolet and Ford both have a long history of success in Winston Cup racing, newcomer Dodge has certainly made ground quickly with its own T7 unit, used in its Intrepid NASCARs. Since coming into the category two years ago. Dodge's 358ci (5.8-litre) motor has more than held its own against the 700hp units of the opposition, so they must be doing something right.

So, just as Chev and Ford's V8 Supercar engines are largely based around NASCAR technology, could there be a competitive Dodge in the works?

"The Dodge T7 NASCAR engine could easily be converted for use in the V8 Supercar Series," says Jon Wilson, former head engine builder for Joe Gibbs Racing and now with Gasoline Alley Engines.

"They would just need to size everything down; a shorter stroke, smaller crank and, of course, a smaller bore."

Bob Dell, who builds Dodges for Ganassi Racing's points-leading driver Sterling Marlin, agrees: "A cylinder sleeve may not be needed, because the bore comes

standard at four inches and they could probably work from that after de-stroking it. Injectors could be mounted in a similar design intake manifold, and the throttle body mounted on top. If they put their minds to it and a bit of effort, it may not be too tough a job."

Of course, there are differences that would have to be accommodated, mainly to do with the fuel injection. Mitsubishi would have to source a proprietary system, as well as integrate an electronic engine management system, both taboo in NASCAR. MoTeC could be involved, as Mitsubishi is already a client of the Melbourne firm through its Ralliart-run WRC program.

There are dimensional differences between the Chev, Ford/SVO and Dodge NASCAR engines, but these are relatively minor. In NASCAR spec, the T7 has a much longer stroke than the Chev, with a shallow oil sump and shorter cylinder heads.

There was a weight penalty as well, the original T7 around 11kg heavier than the comparable 355 cubic inch GM SB2, but Dodge went to work and the new ones weigh about the same.

Gentlemen, start your dynos ...

Delete carh, add fuel injection and simmer until hot: Dodne's T7 NASCAR motor, as used ill its liilrepid NASCAR.S. top. could have a future down under in VS Siipeix-ar raciii,t'.

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MOTORSPORT NEWS: What’s going wrong? Is it just bad luck?

JASON BRIGHT; We started off the year really well at the Grand Prix and were a lot happier with the car than we were last year.

Adelaide went all to plan until basically five laps to go and I made a mistake. I got caught out by whoever dropped the oil, but took that one on the chin.

At Phillip Island we qualified second but(I) wasn’t really happy with the pace we had there. We certainly didn’t have the pace there that we did at the Grand Prix and Adelaide, but racing-wise we had the pace to be there at the end.

In the first race we came on strong in the last couple of laps because we ran quite a different strategy to Ambrose and Skaifey.

So for a lot of the race we didn’t look that strong because we were consei-ving the tyres at the start and concentrating on being strong at the end of the race.

In the second race we got dished out a penalty for not staying within five lengths of the Safety Car. So some of it’s been bad luck, some of it’s been my mistakes, some of it’s in the hands of the stewards.

I’ve never seen anybody pinged like that Safety Car thing! I know there’s been plenty of guys who’ve 34

stretched it out more than I did.

MN:Now that you’ve spent a full season at HRT, you’ve got things sorted out with this car of yours, the one that caused you so many dramas in the middle part of last season.

What was wrong with it?

There’s not too many things wrong with HRT cars ...

JB: A lot of it was just set-up. We started off the season with the car Craig raced the year before and the set-up that Mark and Craig used to always run left me quite happy with the car at Phillip Island, really happy at Adelaide, and as far as I was concerned, we were the quickest car at Adelaide.

From then on we debuted the new car at Eastern Creek and basically struggled for six race meetings in a row. It was set-up.

We tried all the same stuff we ran on the other(ex-Lowndes)car, and none of it worked. The biggest problem was that we didn’t have any test days.

We did four race meetings in a row - Eastern Creek, Darwin, Barbagallo and Canberra - and we didn’t have a test day between any of those, so we struggled for those meetings running the set-up they’d run at those meetings previously.

We just struggled through those

[ The flight-deck: Bright is now happy with the car introduced by the team at Eastern Creek last year, above, and is very much part of the HRT furniture, right with engineer Matt Crawford.

(Pholos by Slipstream Pbotographic and Dirk Ktynsmith)

and it was really hard to get on top of a problem like that at race meetings where you haven’t got a lot of time and you’re just throwing things at it.

It wasn’t until Oran Park that we had a much better idea of what was going on with the car. We came away from that meeting and sat down and I said ‘these are some of the things I’d like to try at the next test day’and fortunately it all came off.

We went to Phillip Island and had a really good test and the next race was Bathurst. The car was on the pace there, at New Zealand, at Sandown but we just had shocking race meetings.

We got to the Grand Prix this year and I was confident all the off-season that the car was good.

We got to the Grand Prix and the thing was a rocket. What we did last year worked well on the Dunlops and the good thing is that motorsRon news

INTERVIEW

GLOBAL MACHIIMERY COMPAIMY PrESBnts 44

madet af the month fp

Jason Bright!s. ason has been 'Struggle, as he watches team-mate Mark Skaife waltz off into the distance.

AARON NOONAN sat down with Brighty to talk about it

I have been modelling since 1 was 10 years old. Both of my parents are photographers and I have worked doing product photographyfar them.

I would like to get more involved in thefashion photography side of the industry.

At the momentI am studying a Bachelor of Communications of which I have completed 1 year and have another 1 year to go. I am also workingfor Qantas and would like to apply next yearpr a graduate position and also work doing more photographic modelling.

I have worked at numerous V8 Events and would have to say VS racing is myfavourite. I worked as a Hotwheels Modelfar two years at the Melbourne Grand Prix. Myfavourite driver is Garth Tander.

To keep fit I am at the gym every morning and I am also in a Water Ski Show Team. The water-skiing definitely keeps mefit I have travelled through the Middle East and I am about to head to Thailand in June to visit my sisterfar a couple of weeks. Early next year I would like to get to Europe and have a took around.

For more pictures of Kim visit www.sppromotions.com.au Mark’s car and my car are pretty similar.

MN:So does being ninth completely alter the mindset?

Is it a case of‘back to the wall’ or is it a bit early to say that?

JB: You don’t really do anything different. As far as every race meeting goes, you just tackle every session, every shootout, every race, 15 Mav 2002

and do your best each time.

If you’re at the top of the championship you can be a little bit more conservative, but where I am at the moment, you can afford to take a few risks with strategy and the like, but you don’t do anjdhing different with your driving but

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continued on page 36 35

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drive as fast as you can.

As far as the rest of the year goes, I want to win some races. If we’re competitive and up the front and winning and placing well, then we’ll be moving up in the championship.

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continued from page 35

MN: Given the different points now, it’s just such a monumental gap to look at, even after only three rounds!

JB: Yeah, with the points system I think they’ve gone from bad to just-as-bad. It’s certainly no better.

One of the first points systems I heard they were going to go with was the Moto GP system - the championship wouldn’t be over if we were using that system.

Mark’s had a dream run to the start of the season, there’s no doubt. He’s certainly driving well and the car’s good, but I don’t think even he could have expected such a dream run. Whether that v/ill continue all year, who knows?

Any of us can have a bad run, but we’ve got to make sure our bad run’s over and we want to finish off the year the reverse of what we started.

MN: So it’s all-out attack from here on?

JB: Well yeah. As long as we’re up the front and doing our bit, hopefully we can be consistent and win some races. Whatever happens in the championship happens.

MN: You’re conceeding then.

JB: No, I’m not. There’s a lot of points up for grabs and if anyone up the front trips over at Bathurst or the Queensland 500, or both, we’re right back in it. That can happen.

It’s happened to me. I went to Ipswich in 1999 for the ’500 battling for second or third in the championship and qualified on

As far as the rest of the year goes, t want to win some races II

1«

- Bright on bouncing back pole and was quickest in every session. We were leading the race by almost a lap and the engine blew.

We go to Bathmst and had the battery tenninaJ come off and the pit boom snag on our first pit stop, so I went from battling for second in the championship with still a chance of winning the championship, to ninth in two races.

It can happen. We’ve still got Canberra, Ipswich and Bathurst to go, so it can easily turn around on anyone.

MN: That old Pirtek car of yours has been the only one to take it up to the red cars. Is it more a case of who has cottoned onto the set-up for the Dunlops the quickest that puts them at the front, somewhere where a few that have been expected to should be, but aren’t?

JB: The start of this year was always going to be difficult. We always knew that the tyre thing would make it interesting to see who had a set-up that worked on the tyre straight away and there were a few teams that struggled.

We were lucky that we hit the ground running and the set-up we had worked.

There’s no doubt that other teams were going to catch us, it was just a matter of how long it took them. There’s plenty of good teams there now that can get on moiorsport news

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top of a new tyre and they just need the testing time to do it.

It’s no surprise that the Stone Brothers car is our main rival because, when I was there, the car was quick and very well prepared.

MN: Do you feel part of the furniture at HRT now?

JB; Oh certainly. Last year was an interesting year with moving into a team that had two drivers for a number of years that had had a lot of success.

It was a tough year because we started off with a bang in a comfortable lead in the championship, to watching it dwindle away over those four or five race meetings.

With the lead we had at the start of the championship last year, we should have been able to be consistent for the rest of the year and still been right in there.

Instead, with a DNF at Bathurst, it all went out the window in the one race.

MN: Tomas (Mezera) is coming back to drive with you at Queensland and Bathurst. Can you understand him yet?

JB: Um, 1 don’t think anyone can

understand him! Tbrnas is a good guy. He’s great to have around with everyone in the team. He’s certainly part of the furniture at HRT! MN: You’ve obviously got quite a good rapport going with the guys on your car, who for so long worked with Craig and were so used to him?

JB: It’s so much better than what it was last year.

The difficult part was, last year when we were struggling with the car, everything was quite confusing. Things were difficult but everything made sense at the start of this year. The car’s responding to everything we want it to.

We’ve got through those problems and the tracks that are coming up will probably suit us a little more.

MN: Why those tracks?

JB: More than likely because of the surface at Darwin. We had a pretty tough time at Canberra, but the set-up we’ve got now, it’s all a bit more level with the others than what we had last year. Perth will be interesting. I’m looking forward to the next few rounds.

ptimizing Your Race Car

I I

15 May 2002

MN: Are the fires out on the overseas aspirations?

JB: No, no. I’ve still got aspirations to race overseas and really I’m just taking it one year at a time.

If there was ever an opportunity to go back over there, it would have to be the right one for sure. It would have to be something that would give me some security. I don’t know whether I’d go over there and take the financial risks that I have in the past.

There’s still a few races out there that I’d like to do one day.

The Indy 500 and Le Mans are a couple of races that I’d still like to do at some stage and they’re certainly achievable.

MN: Are those financial risks you speak of stiU hanging over your head?

JB: For sure, but that was all part of the risk that I took, and I wouldn’t have taken the risk if I didn’t believe it was worth it. Even if they are there, it was still an advance on my career.

I’ve got a better name over in America than before I went. It gives me an opportunity to go over there and step into a drive if I’ve

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got the funding or if a drive comes up. There’s more of a chance then that we’re in line for it, whereas I wouldn’t have been if I didn’t go and do Indy Lights.

Whether or not 2000 was a financial burden, it was still a huge year where I got to race an Indy Lights car for the season, a Champ Car on the Gold Coast, a Sportscar in Adelaide and a V8 Supercar at Bathurst. Not many people would have done all those things in one year!

The good thing about that year was I did 12 Indy Lights races, 18 test days in that car, two test days in a Champ Car, three days on the Gold Coast, two tests in a Sportscar, three days in Adelaide, three days in DJR’s car and four days at Bathurst.

Compare that to what we’ve got now, which is eight test days and 14 race meetings.

MN: So how long are you at HRT for?

JB: My contract’s up at the end of the year.

MN: Why would you go anywhere next year?

JB: Well, exactly.

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31

Ferrari 360 GT vs P

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Two new machines have Joined the battie for the Nations Cup in 2002, and whiie they may not iook too dissimiiar to their predecessors, the reai differences He under the skin.

MARK GLENDENNING took a peek under the respective bonnets.

I )

F you have managed to catch the Nations Cup cars on the track somewhere this season and you’re particularly eagle-eyed, you might have noticed something different. 'Two somethings, actually.

Last year, Jim Richards successfully defended his Championship behind the wheel of a Porsche GTS that was down on power compared with some of its rivals, but stubbornly reliable.

Prancing Horse Racing, meanwhile, were regularly notching up good results with their army of Ferrari S60 Modena Challenges, led by Mark Noske and, later, Craig Baird.

As the motor racing cliche goes though, to stand still is to move backwards. Thus,the cars that were last year’s pacesetters are now just that-last year's news.

The GTSs and Challenges are now spearheading the Group 2 battles, while new machinery has been wheeled out to take up the fight at the front of the field.

On the surface, the replacements - the Porsche GTS Cup and the Ferrari S60 GT - may not necessarily look too dissimilar to their predecessors. But the real differences lie a little deeper.

“The new car is a modified GTS done by the factory,” explained Richards.

“It’s a one-make series car. It’s not a real ‘race car’ as such; it was built especially for the Porsche CaiTera Cup.” A good deal of the modifications were directed towards trimming weight, ultimately producing a Cup car that is around 100kg leaner than the race-ready GTS that you no doubt have sitting in your garage at home.

The SeOOcc flat six engine puts

around 15 extra horsepower at Richards’s disposal compared to last year.

To help put all that extra power down onto the road, the front and rear wheels have been widened to 18 inches. Larger front brakes have been added, as has a revised aero package featuring a different kevlar rear vraig and front spoiler, while the bonnet is fabricated from steel. The end result is a Porsche boasting a top speed of aroimd 305kmh.

In real terms, that translates to around 5.5s per lap at the Albert Park Grand Prix circuit, and 2.5s per lap at Oran Park.

“The power to weight ratio is much better than last year,” Richards continued. “That’s where the speed comes from.”

When plans for the GTS Cup car’s entry into the Nations Cup series were annoimced last year, Richards had expressed his hopes that this would be the car that, in terms of outright speed, put him on equal terms with the Ferraris, Lamborghini GTR,and Chrysler Viper ACR. So why, you might be asking, is the Porsche still being left behind on the straights? According to Richards, the answer is simple: “The new car would have put us on a level playing field the way things were last year.

“PROCAR let us buy the car to bring us up to the pace of last year, we bought the car in December, and then in January they allowed the new Ferrari and took the restrictions of the Viper and Lamborghini.

“They changed the goalposts, which we’re very disappointed about. We’re $250,000 out of pocket and in the same position as continued on page 40 moiorspon news

TECH FEATURE

Ferrari 360 GT vs Porsche GT3 Cup continued from page 39

The heart of the matter; The engines that power the exotic European rivals are about as different as they come, but both are capable of producing some serious numbers.

Them’s the brakes; Modifications to both the Ferrari, above left, and the Porsche, above right, have resulted in (Photos by Dirk Klynsmith) each car taking to the track with substantially bigger brakes at their disposal.

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Click onto our website, www.autopics.com.au to see a photographic history of Australian motor racing from 1964 I through to the current day V8 Supercars.Our site has around §|i|| 1200 photos from our collection of over 250,000, taken by David Blanch and Lance J. Ruting. These rare photographs are individually printed from original negatives on professional photographic paper.

Autopics RO. Box 1215, Ballina NSW 2478 Ph/Fax (02)6686 9680 Email;info(g)autopics.com.au www.autopics.com.au 40

1 ■ I

last year!”

(For more information, see the news pages in this issue).

A few metres down the pitlane lives the new Ferrari 360 GT. Originally dubbed the Ferrari 360 Michelotto, the package was renamed the 360 GT at the insistence of Ferrari, who were apparently concerned about the legendary Italian engine tuner (and long-time Ferrari associate) receiving too much credit.

Driven this year by John Bowe after making its debut at the Grand Prix with Ryan Briscoe at the wheel, the 360 GT starts its life as a Challenge car before undergoing a conversion process similar to the Porsche.

“First, it is sent to Michelotto, who strip everything that won’t be needed out of the car,” explained Prancing Horse Racing Chief Mechanic Phil Hughes.

“All the paint is blasted away, inside and out, and the car is stripped right back to its bare weight before being reassembled to FLA GT rules.”

The engine and six-speed gearbox are treated to a race-spec rebuild. By the time it’s all over, Bowe has around 425hp on tap, 25 more than the Challenge cars, to help him stand toe-to-toe with the Lamborghini and Vipers.

Shifting is aided by Fl-style paddles located behind the steering wheel.

Massive Brembo brakes(380mm discs on the front and 332mm on the rear, as compared with 355mm/332mm on the Challenge cars) have also been added, which makes for enhanced stopping power.

The 360 GT also has a different front end, with flared wheel arches to accommodate.a front track that is 75mm wider, and more efficient air ducts.

“Basically, this is an enduro car, not a sprint car,” said Hughes.

“It’s made to keep cool and maintain itself” Unlike the Challenges, the 360

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TECH FEATURE GT aero package also allows for g^jUgtfpgfitB to be made to the

front splitter and rear wing.

There is also a special aerodynamic undertray which is good for around 180kg of downforce at 300kph.

And,like the Porsche GTS Cup car, it is significantly lighter than its predecessor.

The car in the Prancing Horse garage is fitted with the optional carbon bonnet and doors, while the loom is stripped down to military spec, resulting in a 9kg saving in that area alone.

Overall, the car that JB takes onto the track is around 100kg trimmer than those steered by the likes of John Teulan and Sam Newman.As a result, it’s around 2.5s quicker per minute.

And with a simplified, less cluttered layout, it’s also easier for the mechanics to work on.

Hughes’s conclusion?

“Essentially, everything on the 360 GT is lighter, better, faster or stronger than the Challenge car.”

PuUlrIg It all to work: Tll4

improvements featured on the

360 GT and GT3 Cup cars look impressive on paper, but it’s out on the track that everything is really put to the test, left. As things stand, the Ferrari continues to have an edge over the Porsche in terms of outright speed, and putting Bowe behind the wheel makes for a formidable package. But the German marque’s legendary handling and reliabilitycoupled with some handy driving - help keep Richards in contention.

Step into my office: The two cars differ as much in their interior as they do from the outside. Note the funky paddle shifters on the Ferrari, below (Photos by Diri< Klynsmith)

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Austrian GP

Shame-macI Sunday 13 May 2002 is a day that will live in infamy as the day when Ferrari and Michael Schumacher feit the wrath of Formula One fans around the world with a forced finish.

JOE SAWARD reports on a controversial Austrian GP

M

ICHAEL Schumacher won the Austrian Grand Prix by a few feet from his team-mate Rubens Barrichello. And he said he was ashamed of it. He was booed by the crowd. He was booed in the press room.

He was booed in bars and pubs and homes from Invercargill to Arcangel.

Michael sensed from the crowd reaction that there was the need for a little bit of damage-limitation (it was hot hard to spot) and so he put Rubens up on the top step of the podium. They all looked uncomfortable including the Austrian Chancellor Dr Wolfgang Schussel (politicians never like being booed and whistled).

Michael Schumacher said it was not his fault because he had been told to win by Ferrari management and that there had not been time to think too much about it. This was not really consistent with comments by Jean Todt that the decision had been taken on lap 63, but such details are not really relevant except to suggest that Ferrari did not really get its story straight.

If you wish to call Ferrari bosses Jean Todt and Ross Brawn villains for doing what was best for Ferrari, then you can do so, but their motives were in the best interests of the team. You can say that the fault is in the rules in that such things are allowed, but they always have been throughout the history of the sport. So it is not a crime. The rules are as they are and if they were changed teams would use subterfuge to achieve the same result.

That leads to the question of what is right and what is wrong.

Getting into that leads one into the dispute about the sport versus show business. If team orders are banned, there will be complaints from the traditionalists. If they are not banned, there will be complaints from people saying the racing is fixed and the spectators are being robbed.

44

Who would want to be in the FIA when you have to answer questions like that one?

To be cynical, one can only say that a little controversy will do the

World Championship no harm at all. It will pump up the viewing figures and make everyone talk about the sport again. None of the journalists will be writing this

week that the sport is boring ...

The good news was also that Ferrari had dominated the eventbut not by as much as the result made it appear. And Barrichello had beaten Michael Schumacher fairly and squarely. continued on page 47

motorsport news

FORMULA ONE

ler 3

A brilliant drive for nothing; Well, for six points. Rubens was The Man In Austria, having the measure of Michael Schumacher for the second straight year but, again, moved over so that the '"German could win another race, bottom.

Michael tried to limit the damage on the podium, far left, by sharing the trophy, but it was pretty clear a lot of people were cheesed off, including brother Ralf, below.

(Photos by Sutton-lmages)

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15 May 2002

40

Qualifying

j

A Rube Awakening T HE significant thing about qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix was that Michael Schumacher was not on pole position. In fact he wasn't even on the front row of the grid.

For the first time since last September, Michael was not on the front row and he never looked like being there. He had problems and ended up in the T-car.

The only indication of the problem was a vague suggestion from Ross Brawn that there had been a problem with the brakes. The Ferrari brakes this year have been a big issue (albeit rather quietly) for the cooling capacity of the configuration is at best marginal. And Austria is tough on brakes. It was a messy qualifying session, as Michael had trouble with traffic on two of his runs.

But so did Rubens Barrichello and in fact the Brazilian was twice off the road, but was still able to stay concentrated and put it all together to take pole position. This was a sign of how much more 'together' Barrichello now is and perhaps also a sign of the confidence he has having been signed on a new two-year deal by Ferrari, "At the moment, we are such a good team that if one of us is not on pole then the other one should be able to do it," he said.

This of course led to questions about whether or not Ferrari would order Rubens to help Michael on Sunday and, given what happened in Austria last year (where Rubens was told to give up his second place to Michael) it was a fair question. Sources at Ferrari, however, insist that if Rubens is leading in the race then he will be allowed to win unless it happens late in the year when the World Championship standings are crucial.

In other words, the gate is open for him to show that he can beat Michael Schumacher fair and square.(Ed's note: This was written on Saturday...)

This added to the spice of the race for the possibility of the two Ferraris actually racing is one that is interesting. Added to the plot was Ralf Schumacher in his Williams-BMW. The car generally starts better than the Ferraris but second place on the grid is on the dusty side of the road and that means that even with the traction-control systems working perfectly there is going to be a fraction less grip as Ralf comes off the line. The implication therefore was that the two Ferraris would probably get into the first corner together at the front. The idea that perhaps the Schumacher Brothers might come head-to-head was also much discussed because there are not many occasions on which Ralf has come out ahead in such situations.

But, Ralf was happy with third.

"I am a bit surprised," he said. "We were expecting to be closer to Ferrari but probably not to qualify between them. The car was very good," But while Ralf was having a good day, Juan Pablo Montoya was definitely not enjoying himself to the same extent, although the fact that he ended up fourth quickest was a good 46

the moment to be turning its attention to the 2003 package as it has become clear that catching up with the 2002 car is not going to be easy. The team has an arrangement by which the various partners do not criticism one another and so no-one is ever willing to say that the engine is the problem.

But the engine is the problem.

The Sauber men were delighted to be fifth and seventh with Nick Heidfeld quicker than Felipe Massa by a tenth of a second, which was what one would expect given the relative experience of the two men. Peter Sauber was ecstatic to be mixing it with the McLarens rather than messing about with Renaults as has been the case so far this year.

Renault was really not an issue at the A1 Ring with Jenson Button 13th and Jarno Trulli 16th. Trulli's engine blew up and dumped a lot of oil on the track which caused a red flag. He then had to go to the spare (which was set for Jenson). Jenson said it was all down to traffic but the car was not balanced.

This meant, surprisingly, that Olivier Panis was ninth in his BAR-Honda, by far his best result of the season. Panis said that the result as down to the intensive testing program that the team has been working through in recent weeks. Whatever the details, Panis was well clear of the other Honda cars, with Giancarlo Fisichella 15th in his Jordan, Jacques Villeneuve 17th in his BAR and Takuma Sato 18th in the second Jordan. This was ahead of the two Jaguars and the two Minardis.

The top 10 was completed by Mika Sale's Toyota which outpaced the two ArrowsCosworths, a sign that on a track where horsepower is important the Toyota should not be overlooked.

The performance of the Arrows showed that the car is one with potential, or at least rather more potential at the moment than the other Cosworth team ...

At Minardi, Mark Webber out-qualified Alex Yoong, as usual, but the telling factor for the Aussie was the fact that, along with Montoya and Allan McNish, he chose to run on Michelin's harder compound. And even then, he had problems, the car almost grinding to a hold on the out lap on his first run.

In the end, he was about six-tenths behind the slower of the Jaguar drivers, Eddie Irvine, who is becoming a bit of a regular playmate ...

"It's been a pretty tough weekend," said Webber."We had quite a few issues with the balance of the car on the softer compound tyres we had been planning to run in qualifying and that carried on to today. We made the late decision to go into qualifying with the harder Michelin tyre, which will hopefully be a bit better for us in the race tomorrow.

"We made the decision with the race in mind, as it should provide us with a more consistent car in the race. We might have ' sacrificed a bit in qualifying but hopefully we will have the consistency in the race and will get rewarded for it."

- JOE SAWARD

sign, particularly as he did it in the spare car.

The problem was a misfire on his first run and then the fact that the T-car was set up for Ralf (this being a Germanic race). Williams's chief operations engineer Sam Michael was impressed by it all.

"It was a fantastic effort from Juan," he said, "He worked quickly, thinking with a clear head how to go faster."

The team too deserved a lot of credit for getting all the changes done in the time available. The gap to Ralf was eighth-tenths of a second but it was not really significant. In different circumstances the roles might easily have been reversed although, when it comes down to basic statistics (as it sometimes does in FI), it is still looking better from Ralf this year than many expected would be the case.

And Montoya knows it...

Much would depend of course on tyres in the race and with the weather conditions in Austria changeable and rather uncertain it meant that the race promised more excitement than has been the case in recent weeks.

One would have expected to see the McLaren-Mercedes next in line but in fact the grey cars were mixed up with the two Saubers, which had a new-spec Ferrari engine for the first time. The McLaren team seems at

FORMULA ONE continued from page 44 The Williams-BMWs were on a one-stop strategy and Ferrari was on a two-stop strategy. At the end of the race, the two Ferraris were 18 seconds ahead of the two Williamses. It looked like a crushing defeat(again) but one must not overlook the fact that the two Safety Cars were out for around 13 laps at a time when the Williams-BMWs would have been lapper faster than the Ferraris.

But how much time did it cost?

Was it 10 seconds? Was it 15 seconds? And then what about the time Ferrari gained and lost with the Safety Car and the rapid decision to bring the cars in immediately. There are too many

V'i

continued on page 48 Red, red, blue, etc: Barrichello beat Schumacher away from the new-spec Ferrari engined Saubers. It all went bad for Olivier Panis though, his BAR running off early, below, before he retired with a blown engine.

(Photo by Si

iges)

QUALIFYING Austria/AI Ring POS DRIVER Rubens Barrichello 1 Ralf Schumacher 2 3 Michael Schumacher 4 Juan Montoya 5 Nick Heldfeld 6 Kimi Raikkonen 7 Felipe Massa David Coulthard 9 Olivier Panis 10 Mika Salo n Heinz-Harald Frentzen 12 Enrique Bernoldi 13 Jenson Button 14 Allan McNish 15 GiancarloFisichella 16 Jarno Trulli 17 Jacques Villeneuve 18 Takuma Sato 19 Pedro de la Rosa 20 Eddie Irvine 21 Mark Webber 22 Alex Yoong

HUE Br 0 0 Col 0 Fin Bra GB F Fin 0 Bra GB GB Ita Ita Can J Spa GB Aus Mai

CRR Marlboro Ferrari F2002 Compaq BMW.Williams FW24 Marlboro Ferrari F2002 Compaq BMW.Williams FW24 Red Bull Sauber/Petronas C21 West McLaren/Mercedes MP4/17 Red Bull Sauber/Petronas C21 West McLaren/Mercedes MP4/17 Lucky Strike BAR/Honda 004 Panasonic Toyota TF102 Orange Arrows/Cosworth A23 Orange Arrows/Cosworth A23 Mild Seven Renault R202 Panasonic Toyota TF102 DHL Jordan/Honda EJ12 Mild Seven Renault R202 Lucky Strike BAR/Honda 004 DHL Jordan/Honda EJ12 Jaguar/Cosworth R3 Jaguar/Cosworth R3 KL Minardi/Asiatech PS02 KL Minardi/Asiatech PS02

TYRE B M B M B M B M B M B B M M B M B B M M M M

TIME lm08.082s 1m08.364s lm08.704s lm09.118s lm09.129s 1m09.154s 1m09.228s lm09.335s lm09.561s 1m09.661s lm09.671s lm09.723s lm09.780s lm09.818s 1m09.901s 1m09.980s ImlO.OSls 1m10.058s 1ml0.533s 1ml0.741s 1mll.388s I ml 2.336s

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MOTORSPORTDEALERS ^ 15 May 2002

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Austrian GP

continued from page 47 different calculations to gauge how close the Williamses might have been but this was probably not the crushing defeat that it appears to have been.

And, while the whole Ferrari business stole the headlines, the good news for the sport was that at least Williams was much closer to the Ferraris than has been the case in recent races. Perhaps at the next race they will be on a par with them.

The most dramatic moment

,

came just after the first Safety Car, which had been caused by a blow-up for Olivier Panis. The BAK-Honda was tidied away and then the race restarted and as the field headed up towards the second corner, Nick Heidfeld’s Sauber suddenly spun out of control while running side by side with David Coulthard’s McLaren.

I saw a cloud of tyre smoke as Yoong(who was being lapped) braked really hard and early ahead of us,” said Heidfeld.

“Maybe I pressed the pedal too hard while the brakes were still too cool. The car got away from me and next thing I knew I was going backwards down the grass.”

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The Sauber missed Montoya’s Williams by a fraction (passing just in front of the startled Colombian) and went smashing into the side of Takuma Sato’s

Jordan. If ever there was evidence that the side-impact tests are needed, here it was for the impact was one of colossal force.

sand trap and there was widespread relief when Sato was seen to move. But then he stayed in the car and the medical teams

The two cars ended up in the

arrived and he was eventually

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FORMULA ONE stretchered into an ambulance and taken to the medical centre from there he was flown by helicopter to hospital in Graz for tests but it later emerged that he was fine. A little bruised and fairly shaken, but in one piece.

But if it looked like a disastrous day for Jordan and Honda it also ended up a good day because by the end of the race Giancarlo Fisichella was in fifth place, fighting off David Coulthard’s McLaren-Mercedes and Jenson Button’s Renault. Jacques Villeneuve would have been there too but he went out on the last lap with an engine failure which dropped him from eighth to 10th, behind the two Toyotas.

So Jordan went away with two points and now only BAR has yet to score this year. The points move the team up to eighth in the Constructors’ title (ahead of Toyota) so there was something for the Honda men to smile about.

It was a very average day for Renault with 'Trulli going out with an engine problem and Button seventh. The Arrows team had a miserable day with Enrique Bernoldi running to Frentzen at the first corner and then Villeneuve knocking Heinz-Harald off at the second. Bernoldi went out with a suspension problem later on. Frentzen recovered but spent the afternoon dicing with Minardis, which must have been depressing.

Still, it was better than Jaguar which failed to get a care home again. It is turning out to be a tough season for the men in green, not that it is unexpected.

It was an enthralling race.

A triumph for Ferrari - and, at the same time a disaster.

Jordan and Sauber at war: Takuma Sato and Nick Heidfeld, above, were both lucky to escape a huge accident with only minor injuries after they wrecked their cars.

He’s back and he brought his axe: Damon Hill, opposite top, gets down and, um,funky(?) in a preGP assault on the eardrums of the fans with his band, The Conrods.

Um, I am here, also: Montoya didn’t need team orders to finish third and keep second place in the championship.

Battle Royale: Mercedes and BMW appear to be slugging it out in the Hair Wars, Kimi Raikkonen, top right, going for the David Beckham look while Ralf Schumacher, right, resembles Steven Johnson!

(Photos by Marsh Bothwoll

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RESUITS Austrian GR May 12 2002,71 laps/307.l4kms \ ^ V

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PDS Driver 1 M.Schumacher 2 Barrichello 3 Montoya 4 Schumacher 5 Fisichella 6 Coulthard 7 Button 8 Salo 9 McNish 10 Villeneuve 70 laps 11 Frentzen 69 laps 12 Webber 69 laps RETIREMENTS Trulli Yoong Irvine Heidfeld Sato Panis Massa Raikkonen Bernoldi de la Rosa

44 laps 42 laps 38 laps 27 laps 26 laps 22 laps 7 laps 5 laps 2 laps 0 laps

Race time Ih33m51.562s Ih33m51.744s 1h34m09.292s 1h34ml0.010s Ih34m41.527s 1h34m42.234s 1h34m42.791s Ih35m00.987s Ih35m01,281s Engine

Fuel pressure Engine Hydraulics Collision Collision Engine Suspension Engine Collision Throttle

FASTEST LAP: M. Schumacher, on lap 68, tm09.298s DRIVERS' POINTS: M. Schumacher 54, Montoya 27, R. Schumacher 23, Barrichello 12, Coulthard 10, Button 8, Heidfeld 5, Raikkonen 4, Irvine/Massa 3, Webber/Fisichella/Salo 2, Frentzen 1.

CONSTRUCTORS' POINTS: Ferrari 66, Williams/BMW 50, McLaren/Mercedes 14, Renault 8, Sauber/Petronas 8, Jaguar/Cosworth 3, Minardi/Asiatech, Jordan/Honda and Toyota 2, Arrows/Cosworth 1.

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Austrian GP

What they Hi^hli^hts of a

Q: Michael. According to your very strong position in the team, couldn't you have disobeyed the order?

MS: I was thinking very strongly about this and that is why I said I was hoping there wouldn't be such an order. If you can see the telemetry data on the straight when Rubens backed off, I backed off but then he backed off even further.

You sit outside and you have a lot of time to think about all of this. We sit in there and it wasn't a long preparation of discussion. They came on in the last couple of metres on the radio and said that he would back off. I didn't feel like, but then I have to be honest to say no it was probably the wrong decision to win this race. Yes I agree, but if I had the chance to turn it around I would probably do but I cannot now.

Q: Juan Pablo. As a driver and sportsman, what do you think about what happened to Michael and Rubens?

JPM: I won't really get involved in it. It is team orders. That's the way they work. It is disappointing, I would say, for Rubens. He has been working, and in the last few races you can see he has been starting to out pace Michael and he has been really strong. I really felt he deserved this. Michael, when you really think about it, doesn't really have any challenge in the championship. I am running second and we have done six races and he is already more than 20 points ahead of me. And they are maybe a second a lap clear on us, so what they are nervous about I don't know. But it is a team decision, I am sorry for Rubens, and he did deserve it.

Q: Michael. In the unilaterals, did you say you discussed a situation such as this in the morning and thought it was not necessary?

MS: No we didn’t discuss it. This morning I was asked by a journalist whether I would expect any such decision and I said no.

Q; Michael, what is this championship worth now?

MS: I didn't know I am champion yet.

so

\piritG€M post-rao

Q: If you win this championship, Michael, what is this championship worth now?

MS: I don't think that is a very nice question to ask now.

Q: Isn't this a sport? Isn't this about motor racing?

MS:(No comment) Q; Michael. Are you going to return the victory in the next race to Rubens?

MS: I don't think Rubens needs me to return this favour. The way he drives now he is going to win a race sooner or later by himself, without me. But be sure, if he doesn't, it will be returned. I was hoping we had the chance already last year, but the way the race went in Suzuka we couldn't, obviously. As I said before I think he is really strong this year and he does it out of his efforts.

thing I believe, the next race, once we get into racing, to some degree it will fall back and we concentrate on the next event.

That is what I would like to do because I don't want to go on and discuss through and through on this one, because it is not going to change unfortunately.

Q: Michael. Do you know if the FIA rule against team orders is still in use?

MS: Whether there is still an existence of a rule? The funny thing is if it was in the last race, nobody would complain. We would do exactly the same. So go to the facts.

The fact is that it is a team sport, isn't it? So whether you do it a little bit early in the year or you do it later - and it is not only us. You keep on picking on us because we are the highlight, we are in the first position.

But if you go to other teams

u

"The (act is that it is a team sport, - Michael Schtimafih^JuMtii

.X

Q: Michael. You said if you could reverse it you would.

Are you then saying that if the FiA excluded both of you for bringing the sport into disrepute, you would not appeal?

MS: Thank you.

Q: Michael. You said before in the German TV commentary that you were longing for the next race to come up soon to get back to real racing. So what was this today?

MS: It was a real race until near the end. You just keep riding on us. The situation is as it is.

We are all not happy about it, we have agreed on that, so the

they would do exactly the same.

It is a common thing. I have seen it with Sauber, I have seen it with much smaller teams, where if a faster driver or a driver for the points situation is in such a situation they will call team strategy, sometimes early in the year, sometimes later.

That is the fact. I know you don't have the understanding for this, but you have to maybe see another opinion and point of view and respect this.

Q: If you were in the same position as Rubens, what would you do?

JPM: Well, I would probably have to lift. If I was in Rubens'

position I either lift or look for a job somewhere else. Simple.

Q: Rubens. Who gave you this decision via radio, Ross or Jean, and how many laps before the race?

RB: This is internal. There is no point. Why should we talk about that? It won't go back now, okay? What is done is done, it's not important and I have a slot in half an hour - can you let us go?

Thank you.

Q: Michael. You were talking about sponsors who may be unhappy if you miss the championship at the end of the year, but do you think they are happy at this kind of situation?

MS: Maybe not as happy, but they would be far less happy if we didn't win the championship.

I would think we are done (with the questions), because it just goes on and on and on.

Q: Michael. Ferrari is such a strong team in every way. You say it would look stupid if it failed to win the world championship given this sort of result, but are there any signs that the team can learn that this kind of event makes it look more stupid than it would in that kind of situation?

MS: In the end of last year, did anyone ask me about Austria?

No. Everyone in the end altogether thought it was okay and it was a fantastic job the team had done.

Nobody discussed about Austria anymore because it is one event out of 17 and that is simply it. Let's not go on and on about it because there is no point. We have discussed why and what is the reason, we have gone through the emotions of the people sitting here, and that is it.

Q: Michael do you want to win the world championship because you are the best racer or because you have got the best contract?

MS:(No comment) Q: All three of you are talking about this as a team sport.

Why do we have an individual world championship for drivers?

All drivers:(No comment) motorsDort news

FORMULA ONE

WEBBER’S GP DIARY - Austria F

rustrating. That's the best way to describe Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix.

In the end, the KL MinardiAsiatech was getting along quite quickly, but thanks to three dramas - each building on the other - we didn't have as much to show for it as we should have.

There's no doubt we are improving our package in race trim - Jenson (Button) had a fastest race lap of 1:11.3s in the Renault.

My best was an 11.8 or 11.9. That's not too far away.

Qualifying is our weak point.

Unlike the others, we simply don't have the budget for 'qualifying' engines. We're doing it on 500km race engines. It makes a difference.

Having said that, I was happy with the progress we made during Friday and Saturday practice.

We did the usual tyre comparison on Friday, on fairly heavy fuel loads (we were always going to go for a one-stop race strategy) and at that point decided to go with the softer tyre - although the balance wasn't quite as I'd have liked it. We also decided to go ahead and run the power steering in the race for the first time. It has proved reliable and while there are still adjustments to be made, there are obvious benefits.

We continued setting up the car on the soft tyre through Saturday morning's sessions, but as Qualifying approached, I had a rethink.

With most of the other Michelin cars - especially the Jags, which are our nearest target - committed to the soft Michelin, I thought we should take a bit of a gamble by running the harder tyre. Why be in the same boat with Jag ;T the soft option went pear-shaped in the race?

So I went into qualifying with a tyre that we'd only run briefly on Friday. I knew we'd give away a little there, but hopefully gain on Sunday, I got a reasonable run in, but was unable to elbow a Jag down the grid this time ...

Sunday morning we tried a full-on 'launch' as we normally do. There were a few problems, but we decided to go with it for the race proper. We also had a clutch problem, but the engineers took a close look at it and decided it would 15 M8V 200Z

be okay, rather than make a change.

The spare car was an option, but in the end I stuck with the allocated race car.

The start was ... a shocker. The 'launch' system failed. Completely.

By the time 1 had locked the system out and made a manual start, I'd lost 50 metres to the field - which was to become a critical distance.

On their two-stop fuel load, the Ferraris were flying but, as the first Safety Car appeared and they pitted, 1 had the chance to unlap

myself. That would have made a big difference. I missed out by just 10 metres and so stayed a lap down while Eddie (Irvine) cruised the Jaguar around and joined on the back.

At the same time, unseen by the officials, Frentzen somehow passed me under the Safety Car yellow and, after my stop and the subsequent re-start, I'd find myself facing blue flags and a Jag trying to lap me ... That's frustrating.

Things got worse. There was some confusion within the team, whose job it is to let me know what's going on, as to whether Salo, behind me, was on the same lap or not. The team told me we were racing for position, which is what I did for a while - and it was a pretty good scrap, let me tell you I They were wrong. The officials pinged me with a drive-through penalty, quite correctly, and that

As a sportsman, Michael could have said to the team 'lorget the contracts, he's earned this one." For Michael to follow through with it was,in my view, pretty weak

M

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Little known Mark Webber Fact #147: The Minardi team drivers actuallyfinance their race program by vacuuming up stray cashfrom other teams’motorhomes. In Austria, at least, the scenery is nice, not that Mark wa.? looking (Photos by Suiton-lmages)

was that. There was a 'strong internal discussion' post-race with the team-and Mika, understandably, was pretty pissed off. I spoke to him in the weigh-in area after the race. Initially it was quite heated, but once he understood I'd been misinformed, he calmed down.

The later stages of the race were actually pretty good. The work we've done is paying off and, as I said, our pace at this stage of the race was much closer to the others than it's been. “veryone felt for Rubens — Barrichello. Despite his tremendous performance, he had no choice. In his position, you really have no choice. He had to comply.

The problem is Michael. They would have been discussing the situation on the radio for several laps. Michael could have said to

them, as a sportsman, that it was Rubens' race - as he did after qualifying, where Rubens also beat him.

As a sportsman, Michael could have said to the team "forget the contracts, he's earned this one."

For Michael to follow through with it was, in my view, pretty weak.

M

onaco next. Always interesting, and I'm looking forward to driving an FI around a place that's been pretty good to me in the past. Qutright power is less of an issue - but the chassis and engine systems need to talk to each other well to get a good result there.

In the meantime, my Dad's arrived for three weeks and we'll be at Donington this weekend to catch up with my old Mercedes team-mate Bernd Schneider as the DTM circus visits the UK. 51

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PhUlip Island

Dumbrell's Isis REPORT by AARON NOONAN

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Too good: Paul Dumbrell, above and below left, was simply untouchable in the Wynn’s Commodore at Phillip Island. Dale Brede, below right, pushed the Gulf Western car hard, but drove with his head to score points.

(Photos by Marshall Cass and Slipstream Photographic)

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AUL Dumbrell has moved to the lead of the Konica V8 Supercar Series after a dominating clean-sweep in round two at Phillip Island.

The 19-year-old was unstoppable all weekend, taking pole position in the Wynn’s/IRC Commodore VX, and following it up with three wins from three starts to move to a 55point lead over rival Dale Brede (Gulf Western Falcon AU).

“It’s great,” said Dumbrell.

“At round one, Dale and I were really close and here we were fairly close, but in the races I certainly had a bit of an edge.

Today our car was just good.

“There’s not one big thing that gave us an advantage. It’s such a long track with so many long straights that if you haven’t got a car that’s two or three kilometresper-hour faster out of a comer(than everyone else’s), you can build on that on the mn down the straights.

It’s just little bits everywhere.” \^ile Dumbrell drove away out front, Brede continued on with a solid weekend, qualifying half-asecond off Dumbrell’s lm34.7280s, and leading race one for a few laps before Dumbrell went by.

The round one winner was delayed in the ‘reverse 10’second race, and had to do the best he could and fight home in fifth before resuming second in the last, longer race.

“The thing about the championship is to keep on collecting points, but we’ve got a short series so we can’t afford to have too many second places, which sounds silly, but that’s the

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\ ● Bloody EL: Terry Wyhoon rounded Honda Corner and was confronted with a spun Michael Simpson. There must have been magnets in bumpers somewhere, and this was the result.

(Photo by Slipstream Photographic)

52

motorspon news

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ind Day

^Monica V8 series 19-year-old takes clean sweep and title lead in Konica V8 Supercar Series

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The Falcon Files: Mark Porter, above left, continues his V8 rookie year on unfamiliar tracks with strong results, while Greg Crick, above right, continues to work away at moving the Sri Lanka-backed car up onto the podium, (Pholos by Chris Carter and Slipstream Photographic) way it is,” said Brede.

“It’s good being part of a good team. It’s great being part of that environment. We didn’t have that last year.”

W5,

ile Dumbrell and Brede were doing all the running out front, the rest of the chasers were predominantly Falcon drivers.

Greg Crick (Halliday Motorsport) was the best of the rest, though nowhere near penetrating the window of Dumbrell invincibility, as the team stmggle to get the car set-up right.

Nevertheless, problems with locking front brakes resulted in a tyre blow out after crossing the line third in race two (after a third in race one)and another lock-up in race three let Luke Youlden (Super Cheap Falcon) past, relegating the Tasmanian to fourth, though third on the day.

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“We went away from the way DJR have been setting the car up because I’ve found it very difficult to drive,” said Crick.

“We went to what’s been a more conventional Falcon set-up and it’s certainly much easier to drive, but we’ve got a problem here with putting the power down out of the slower comers. That seems to be our major problem.

“We were never near his (Dumbrell’s) pace all weekend. We were just happy to improve the car and salvage third through consistency. We changed shocks but we’ve still got a problem with the rear bottoming out.

“It’s a new team, with people that are a little bit inexperienced, but we’ve got a lot of people like Mark McLaughlin who have experience.

We’ll get there, we’ve just got to keep beavering away. I want to win a race by the end of the year. Maybe

we could just have a benefit race for me or something. They should feel sorry for the old people ...”

M

ore Ford drivers filled the slots behind. Mark Porter continues to impress in the Hydraulink Falcon run by the PWR team,the Kiwi grabbing a second in race two to highlight his strong weekend, while Youlden made a ‘steady-as-she-goes’ sprint race debut in the Super Cheap car POS NO 1 64 2 89 3 76 4 161 5 6 93 7 30 8 25 9 78 10 13 11 47 12 56 13 110 14 87 15 16 95 17 98 18 58 19 72 20 61 21 99 22 69 23 300 24 26 25 94 26 140 27 68 28 38

campaigned by Bob Thorn at Wakefield Park.

Having qualified seventh, the 2000 Formula Ford champ slowly came to grips with the Ford on the fast layout and worked his way through to third in race three. An assisted spin by Grant Johnson at Honda Comer in race one made continued on page 54

fQualifying^

DRIVER CAR Paul Dumbrell Wynn's/IRC Commodore VX Dale Brede Gulf Western Falcon AU Matthew White VIP Pet Foods Commodore VT Sri Lanka Falcon AU Greg Crick Castrol Falcon AU Craig Harris Michael Simpson Pinnacle Falcon EL Luke Youlden Super Cheap Falco n AU Litome Falcon EL Terry Wyhoon Mark Porter Hydraulink Falcon AU Steve Owen IMS Commodore VX' Abacus Falcon EL Craig Bastian Actron Air Falcon A U Kevin Mundy Grant Johnson MoPro Falcon EL Rod Salmon One World Sport Falcon AU Michael Turner API Commodore VS Ron Searle Transtar Express Commodore VS Grant Elliott Sydney Star Commodore VS Derek Van Zelm Scallywags Commodore VX Robert Smith Smiths Trucks Commodore VT 3M Falcon AU Ross Halliday AJG Commodore VS Wesley May RobertJones Spies Hecker Commodore VS Tony Evangelou ANT Commodore VS Bob McDonald Doulman Commodore VT Mark Howard Pinnacle Falcon EL Clyde Lawrence Carlin/Gazzard Commodore VS Phil Foster Diesel Tech Commodore VS Mathew Hunt NRP Commodore VS

TIME 1:34.7280 1:35.2547 1:35.3086 1:36.0829 1:36.3166 1:36.4261 1:36.8986 1:36.9268 1:37.1391 1:37.5423 1:37.8727 1:38.2292 1:38.4457 1:38.4597 1:38.7605 1:38.8571 1:38.8608 1:39.2242 1:39.2603 1:39.3498 1:39.5780 1:39.6551 1:39.7053 1:40.2369 1:40.5523 1:42.2954 1:42.3114

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Phillip Island Konica V8s Rd 2 Phillip Island M

Rice 1 (12 ligt) rtSTEST BICriME/LJIPS 1:35.4365 19:17.8433 1 Dumbrell 1:35.7733 19:22.5018 2 Brede 1:36.5092 19:36.4052 3 Crick 1:37.5027 19:44.9260 4 Harris 1:37.9289 19:49.9292 5 Porter 1:38.4921 20:00.2857 6 Elliott 1:37.4017 20:00.5931 7 Youlden 1:38.2176 20:12.9636 8 Bastian 1:38.8381 20:13.6159 9 Turner 20:13.9260 1:37.2640 10 Owen 20:16.8955 1:39.9467 11 Searle 20:19.6302 12 Johnson 1:38.2380 20:28.3086 1:40.1024 13 Evangelou 20:29.7453 1:39.6227 14 Halliday 1:40.9815 20:34.9700 15 Salmon 1:40.6032 20:37.9312 16 Howard 20:42.3244 1:41.6789 17 Smith 1:41.6880 20:48.7846 18 Hunt 1:39.2305 20:52.8945 19 Jones 1:37.9479 22:01.5416* 20 Mundy 1:43.7205 ONE Lawrence 10 laps 1:41.2777 ONE McDonald 7 laps 1:38.2370 2 laps ONE Simpson 1:38.0197 2 laps ONE Wyhoon ONE Eoster, White Olaps DNS May, Van Zelm. *- Includes 40s penalty for incident with Jones

09 POS DRIVES

Rici 2(16 laps) 32:16.6785 1 Dumbrell 32:21.7684 2 Porter 32:23.0821 3 Crick 32:23.2757 4 Youlden 32:23.6633 5 Brede 32:27.5332 6 Dwen 32:28.8102 7 Harris 3254.2874 8 Elliott 32:35.1480 9 Johnson 32:37.8364 10 Turner 32:38.0650 11 Mundy 32:45.7118 12 Halliday 32:51.1564 13 Searle 32:53.6394 14 Evangelou 32:58.1038 15 Salmon 16 Poster 33:02.1545 33:02.3425 17 May 33:11.3801 18 Howard 19 Lawrence 33:21.3403 20 Bastian 14 laps DNP McDonald 13 laps DNE Wyhoon 6 laps DNP Hunt Olaps DNP Smith 5 laps DNP White 2 laps ONE Jones 1 lap DNS Simpson, Van Zelm.

Rice 3(22(iptl 1 Dumbrell 35:29.5724 2 Brede 35:43.1366 3 Youlden 35:59.3378 4 Crick 36:01.5333 5 Porter 36:23.2239 6 Dwen 36:23.6072 36:41.6654 7 Mundy Searle 36:56.4793 36:57.0255 9 Wyhoon 37:02.7691 10 Halliday 37:04.6752 II Evangelou 37:10.5167 12 May 13 Turner 21 laps 14 Poster 15 Howard 21 laps 16 White 21 laps 17 Lawrence 21 laps 18 Bastian 20 laps 19 Johnson 19 laps DNE Hunt 14 laps DNP Smith 12 laps DNE McDonald 9 laps DNP Harris 1 lap DNP Elliott 1 lap DNE Jones DNS Simpson, Salmon, Van Zelm.

1:35.9145 1:36.8973 1:36.9408 1:36.7883 1:36.8981 1:37.0532 1:37.1608 1:37.8991 1:38.0625 1:38.2354 1:37.8978 1:39.1790 1:38.6214 1:40.0380 1:39.5547 1:40.4572 1:40.6718 1:40.6248 1:43.7337 1:38.1655 1:40.2225 1:41.2235 1:41.9618 1:40.8603 1:56.6505 10:49.4207

1:35.8100 1:36.2104 1:36.7206 1:36.8457 1:37.8028 1:37.4839 1:38.5499 1:39.0428 1:38.7138 1:39.3314 1:39.5186 1:39.2590 1:39.5533 1:40.7688 1:41.0921 1:36.1414 1:42.8106 1:39.2651 1:38.9477 1:43.2498 1:42.7263 1:41.2964 1:47.0796 1:47.4681

Points: Dumbrell 498, Brede 443, Crick 334, Porter 246, Harris 228, White 161, Searle 156, Elliott 154, Mundy 152, Johnson 150, Youlden 148, Halliday 138, Turner 116, Simpson 109, Owen 103, Salmon 100, Wyhoon 97, Lawrence 86, Howard 74, Evangelou 72, May 69, Hunt 68, Smith 67, Beikotf 66, Bastian 62, Van Zelm 48, Poster 46, Thorn 36, McDonald 24, Jones 14, Perrier/Mork 0.

54

continued from page 53 things more difficult but it was all experience.

“I’m fine in the fast corners but I’m losing all the time in the slow ones,” reported Youlden, who hadn’t raced a V8 at the Island.

“My techniques a bit different to Steve’s (Ellery) but we found a second in the warm-up just by changing a few different lines.”

T

he same results didn’t fall to two other Commodore drivers in Steve Owen and Matthew White.

Owen, behind the wheel of the Imrie Motor Sport Commodore, looked like he’d have to start from the back of the grid after the ackerman arm bolt rod pulled out and left Owen with no steering. It was repaired enough to run some laps and salvage a lOth-grid spot.

The former Formula Fordster finished ‘strategically in the same position in race one to grab pole for race two. A pair of sixths were the result in the next two races.

White also did minimal laps in the VIP Commodore,four in fact, as he bolted out of the car during the qualifying session to scramble to a waiting helicopter and hurry back to Melbourne for a schoolmate’s wedding. A first in any racing, surely!

In hindsight, the former AUSCAR champion should have stayed at the wedding and had a few drinks,for the throttle linkage broke on the grid of race one. He had a collision with Robert Jones on the run into Honda at the start of race two and hobbled to 16th in race three. One of those weekends.

Craig Harris was his usual consistent self in the Castrol Falcon, qualifying fifth and running fourth, seventh and DNF in the races, the last after contact with Grant Elliott’s VS at Southern Loop.

It must be the yellow: Grant Elliott, above, was again the best of the older model Holdens, while Grant Johnson and Kevin Mundy, below, had different ways of fackling Honda Comer. (Photos by Sl^pslream Photographic and Neil Hammond)

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r “The car’s great,” reported the Queenslander. “The team have done a tremendous job. The driver’s a bit slow but every change that the guys have made, have made it go better.”

The other hand, his 2001 Bathurst co-driver Michael Simpson had a shocker in his EL Falcon. A driveline vibration on Saturday prompted a change of diff, gearbox, axles and tailshaft, though the bad luck ran into Sunday.

Looped out of Honda Corner in race one, the ex-Besnard mobile was a sitting duck and it was Terry Wyhoon who ploughed into him.

causing decent damage to both cars. Just to rub things in, after the car was fixed, a broken injector sprayed fuel everywhere imder the bonnet on the warm-up lap of race two, starting a barbeque that even any chef would have been proud of.

Elliott was the best ofthe older model Holdens, the Group N racer again impressive with a sixth and eighth before the incident with Harris in race three.

But just who can catch Dumbrell as the series moves to Oran Park in mid-June is the real question.

Time to place hands firmly in the air...

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A Colourful debut: Luke Youlden had a learning weekend in the Super Cheap car as he continues to build experience before he joins Steve Ellery for the Queensland 500 and Bob Jane T-Marts 1000.

(Photo by Marshall Cass)

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Oran Park

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Prancing ahead

Three drivers shared the spoils in round three of the Nations Cup at Oran Park, but at the end of the day it was consistency that helped John Bowe score back-toback round wins in the PHR Ferrari 360 GT MARK GLENDENNiNG was there

S

OME drivers had speed, some had consistency, but only John Bowe had both at round three of the Nations Cup at Oran Park a fortnight ago.

Bowe extended his lead in the championship when he piloted the PHR Ferrari 360 GT to a win and two second-places on a day that saw three different drivers share the victories.

While history will record Bowe as having the perfect start to the weekend by heading the qualifying sheets with a lmlO.4528 lap, it was obvious from the outset that the Tasmanian had his work cut out for him.

The main chsdlenge came from the Midas/Crazy Johns Lamborghini Diablo GTR of Paul Stokell, who established himself as an early favourite when he topped the practice times. He then confirmed himself as a threat by coming up trumps in the Top Eight Eliminator, defeating Bowe in the semi-final before topping the Max Factor Chrysler Viper of Geoff Morgan for pole position.

Fourteen cars lined up for race one, their numbers having been depleted before the weekend even got underway. D’Arcy Russell (Viper) and Peter Fitzgerald (Porsche GT3 Cup) were both suffering hangovers from the engine problems that sidelined them in round two, while Maher Algadri(GT3 Cup)had returned to Indonesia for family reasons.

Morgan got the jump on Stokell at the start, leaving the Diablo to

I.-.

Sharing is caring: Fears that Bowe, below, would repeat his all-conquering form from Symmons Plains were dispelled at Oran Park, where each race saw a different car cross the line in first place. One who didn’t go away empty-handed was Geoff Morgan, above, who took out race two after the Lamborghini was struck by problems.

(Photo by Dirk Klynsmilh)

give chase while trying to fend off Bowe and Jim Richards(OAMPS Porsche GT3 Cup).

While the leaders chased one another at the front, some of those further back did their bit to thin the field out even more when Brian Carr put the PHR Ford Mustang Cobra RA into the back of Dean Grant’s Beck’s/Rositas GT3. Both cars limped into the pitlane but only one came back out. Grant rejoining after his crew spent three laps repairing rear-end damage, while (jarr was garaged for the weekend.

Gradually, Morgan and Stokell began to pull away from the

Ferrari. After tailing for several laps, the GTR was able to make a move stick at the inside of turn one. From there, Stokell never looked back, cruising away to an easy win and breaking his own lap record with a lmll.281s effort in the process.

Bowe was left to take a comfortable second place 2s clear of Morgan, who was forced to draw upon every bit of the Viper’s power advantage to keep Richards from the final step of the podium.

Morgan was again quickest away when the green flag was waved for race two, while Stokell, Bowe, and Richards followed.

Stokell had plenty of pace, but despite a number offeints under braking, Morgan was clearly going to make life hard for the Diablo.

Bowe had similar ideas,forcing Stokell to keep one eye on the Viper and another on his mirrors as the Ferrari moved within range of an overtaking opportunity.

Then,in a cloud of dust, it was all over.' Stokell's car suffered a suspension failure on the entry to the final comer on lap seven, and was gone. With the team lacking a spare for the broken part- a lower wishbone - the incident marked another frustratingly early end to the weekend for the Victorian-based

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Ferrari sandwich: At times, there was some close racing at the front of the field, as demonstrated by Morgan, Bowe, and Richards. But with each car enjoying advantages at different parts of the circuit, actually passing (Photo by Dirk Kiynsmith) someone was not so simple ...

Tasmanian, who consequently dropped to sixth on the points table.

The Diablo’s exit allowed both Bowe and Richards to close up on Morgan, but in the end they simply ran out of laps, the Viper going on to take the flag half a second clear of Bowe, with Richards just a couple of tenths further down the road.

Having led the field away in the first two races, Morgan adopted the ‘why stop now’approach and repeated his effort in race three.

Bowe was left to slot into second ahead of Richards.

For the early part of the race things pretty much stayed that way. But then tyre wear, which had been an issue throughout the weekend, came into play. Morgan had asked a lot from his rubber in the first two races, and by the third outing his tyres were starting to show it. Sure enough, both Bowe and Richards had moved onto his

tail by lap six, with the VTP Petfoods GTS Cup car of Quinn also coming into contention.

After a couple of attempts, Bowe took the lead by sneaking inside the Viper at the dip and immediately began pulling out a gap. Not long after, Morgan was relegated to third after Richards ducked underneath him as the pair exited the bridge.

By the time it greeted the flag three laps later, the Porsche had consolidated its spot on the podium with a 6s gap.

In Group Two,John Teulan swept all three races to move into second on the points table.

Championship leader Sam Newman ended the weekend with two second-places and a fourth.

Points: Group 1: Bowe 463, Morgan 410, Richards 395, Quinn 316,Bell 286, Stokell 236. Group 2: Newman 416, Teulan 380, Beards 346.

Improvement of sorts: Paul Stokell desperately needed a good result after a bad weekend at Symmons Plains. With a commanding win in the first race things were looking up, but then the Lambo gremlins struck again, this time in the form of a suspension failure while leading race two.

(Photo by DIfk Kiynsmith)

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Oran Park

Super Power WILL Power’s great 2002 continued at Oran Park two weeks ago, with the Queenslander taking pole and two wins in his first Formula 3 outing.

Power’s efforts behind the wheei of the Toyota-powered 97 Daiiara were the highlight of an otherwise difficult weekend for the series, which saw the Level One field depleted by nine cars after a dispute with CAMS over fuel cells(see news pages).

The Queenslander spent the weekend largely unchallenged, taking pole in the first qualifying session with a 1m04.4283s lap that was 0.6s under Peter Hackett's lap record, and leading every lap of both races for a pair of comfortable wins.

Team BRM were the best of the rest, with James Manderson consolidating his championship lead with a pair of second places. Team-mate Darren Palmer finished with two thirds: a particularly good result considering that he was

i

forced to recover from a stop/go penalty after jumping the start in race one.

Piccola Scuderia Corse were onto their fifth and sixth cars in three races, having iost their brand-new Daiiara 01s in a fire after Adeiaide, and then using loaner cars for the second round in Tasmania.

The team had oniy taken deiivery of their new Daiiara F301s 10 days prior to the race, and according to PSC's Michaei Masi, they needed a lot of work.

The pair were eventually finished on the Friday night of the meeting, which didn’t ieave much time to get them prepared for the track.

The lack of track time and experience with the cars showed, with James Cressey struggling for pace throughout the weekend. The young Kiwi managed to haui himseif as high as third in race one, but came undone with a spin at turn one that brought out the Safety Car. - MARK GLENDENNING

'....,

Photo by Duk l^tynsn^.

Subarus vs the world

Ticking along nicely: Peters’ Championship efforts took another step in the right direction after a good weekend at Oran Park. (Photo by Dirk Klyn«mlth) 58

IT was another notch on the belt for the Subarus in the GT Performance races at Oran Park, with Brett Peters extending his lead in the championship after taking the Century Batteries WRX STi to a win and two second-places.

Bob Pearson was on the pace initially, taking pole position and an early race one lead in the Mazda RX-7, but there were enough strong challengers chasing him to suggest that this was going to be a busy day.

One contender came in the form of Geoff Full, who was running his Mitsubishi EVO VII in second position and looked to have better pace than the Mazda but no way to get past.

Peters was close behind in third, while a short distance down the road there was a great fight going on for fourth between Peter Floyd (HSX VX GTS)and Mark King (EVO VII).

At the end of the third lap the

race had a new leader, courtesy of a great move by Full up the inside of the last comer.

While Full scooted away to a cruisy 2.3s win, Pearson's car was beginning to look sick, and as the laps peeled away the Mazda sank deeper into the field. Peters was left to take second ahead of King.

Ajumped start and consequent black flag put Full out of the picture in race two, leaving Peters to lead from King, David Wood (WRX STi) and Floyd.

King found a way past to take the lead as he exited the bridge, relegating Peters to second, while a move up the inside of turn one rewarded Floyd with the final podium spot.

A broken wheel (Full) and a puncture(King) put two of the main contenders out of the picture in race three, leaving Peters to take a relatively comfortable win over Graham Alexander(EVO V) and Floyd.

- MARK GLENDENNING moiorsport news

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FORMULA FORD

Whincup double-up

Extends lead in championship as Jones and Winterbottom join the Sonic fight

by AARON NOONAN

J

'AMIE Whincup has extended his lead in the Ford Racing Australian Formula Ford Championship at Phillip Island after two wellcalculated drives.

The Valvoline/Sonic Motorsport driver won both races after qualifying fourth, though he certainly didn’t have things all his own way, with team-mates Marcus Marshall and Barton Mawer, as well as Spectrum driver Mark Winterbottom, helping to make the two races the closest on the Konica V8 Supercar program.

“Our car had been set-up to go over the race distance and it wasn’t that fast in an outright lap as qualifying showed, but the speed of the car on a average of eight laps was very good,” said Whincup, who takes an nine-point lead into the next round of the series on the streets of Canberra.

“Overall it was a really good weekend for the team. We made big changes in between the races.

We struggled right at the end of race one with traction and the changes really helped, so full credit to Mick Ritter and Andy Gilbert, which was why it was so fast the end on that critical last lap.”

Andrew Jones took his 2002 model OzEmail Van Diemen to pole position on the Saturday, clocking a lm40.5282s to out-point Winterbottom, while Marshall, Whincup and local racer Glen Hastings rounded out the top five.

Race one was a closely fought affair, though it would end up in the Steward’s Room afterwards.

Whincup and Jones had made contact on the run into Siberia on lap four, with Whincup running up the inside of Jones with a switchback manoeuvre.

The two made contact, which would force Jones’s car to grind to a halt; the hit bending a pin on the distributor which earthed out and stopped the car, which had been looking the strongest it had all season.

Whincup couldn’t see what all the fuss was about, saying that “on my behalf, it wasn’t an incident. A small touch of sidepods and that was it. The contact was a rub and there was nothing in it at all.”

Obviously the Stewards thought the same way, as no action was taken, leaving the Jones clan not 15 May 2002

Controversy? Not if you ask Jamie Whincup: The former karting king has adapted strongly in his second year of national FFord racing, though a touch with Andrew Jones, below left, left the OzEmail team not very happy. Whincup’s Sonic Motorsport team-mates Barton Mawer and Marcus Marshall, below right, remain very much in championship contention.

(Photos by Marshall Cass and Slipstream Photographic)

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Attack or defend? Marshall had to fight off Winterbottom in the closing stages of both races, letting Whincup (Pholo by Mark Goossens) get enough of a gap that left him free from a slipstreaming attack from his team-mate, that impressed.

“The Stewards aren’t harsh enough with dealing out penalties,” said Jones.

“It bothers me that nothing was done because we were so fast here this weekend. We’ve got more things to develop on the car so it should be even faster next time.”

Whincup had Winterbottom to thank for keeping Marshall occupied, as the Bosch machine kept Marshall busy defending and allowed 'Whincup to inch away to win.

Marshall(struggling with a bit

of exit understeer), held out Winterbottom for second, clear of Mawer, Hastings and an impressive Neil McFadyen.

The three front-runners from race one dominated race two, though again Whincup had his run work out right, drafting past Marshall into turn one on the start of the last lap and breaking away as again the Gold Coaster had to fight off Winterbottom, which he did to the tune of 0.04s.

“I thought lots about the tactics before the race but, in hindsight, I went a bit early(to the lead),”

Marshall related later.

Mawer and Hastings had a great scrap which left fourth place in the hands of the former, while McFadyen and the recovering Jones(a flying drive from the back of the grid) were next.

The same slipstreaming tactics won’t be a part of the next round of the series, as the Formula Fords head to the start-stop Canberra street track for the first time in Jime.

Points: Whincup 73, Marshall 64, Winterhottom 60, Mawer 52, McFadyen 28, Cotter/Hastings 20.

59

Rally of Canberra .1:

Scalps were claimed by the dozen at the demanding Rally of Canberra, and when the smoke cleared Ed Ordynski was the man left holding the champagne bottle. JON THOMSON reports D Ordynski has swept aU before him to take a fine 4victory in a rugged Rally of Canberra,trumping naming rights sponsor Subaru which, in an embarrassing showing, failed to score a manufacturers point.

Ordynski, along with his Australian championship rivals, set a cracking pace which the Asia Pacific runners could not match.

Scott Pedder took a fine second as he helped Mitsubishi to maxiumum points in a rally featuring a massive attrition rate, with only a third of the 43 starters making the finish.

Day One risp sunny skies on Friday

c

morning saw Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh flag the first cars away in downtown Canberra. The crews were soon in the forest and attacking the Mineshaft stage, the quintessential Canberra rally test.

While Possum Bourne was fastest, Simon Evans was seething after attacking the stage only to be held up by Malaysian driver Saladin Mazlan, causing him to drop over 30 seconds.

Mazlan had gone off the road and was stuck while Evans, who jumped higher and further than anyone over the mineshaft drop, was clocked with an unofficially split time at five seconds faster

than Bourne at the Shaft.

Mazlan came back on in front of Evans and the dust over the final 4kms cost him dearly.

It was academic,for on the next stage Evans engine blew his brand-new Subaru.

With the rapid privateer out of the way,it was down to a straight fight for the factory drivers Bourne leading Ordynski by 5.3 seconds after the Tidbinbilla stage.

Behind Bourne and Ordynski Crocker maintained third from the start and was just behind Ordynski with GeoffArgyle in his Group A Evo VI in fourth Defending Asia-Pacific Champion Karamjit Singh broke the gearbox-input shaft on his Proton on the start line for SS5, forcing hia early retirement. But under Super Rally rules, he would be back with a new gearbox chasing points on day two.

As the day wore on, an incorrect tyre choice meant Bourne was passed by both Ordynski and Crocker. The latter had grabbed fastest on the third and fourth special stage.

Spencer Lowndes, meanwhile, was motivated in the afternoon, moving up to overtake Herridge and secure fourth.

The stages were starting to cut up badly during the second run through, with Bourne in particular suffering. But the Kiwi would have more to worry about at the final service of the day, with a massive

I .

oil leak causing furrowed brows.

Ordynski arrived at the final service of the day leading by 5.7 seconds from Crocker. Bourne was in third by just 0.2 seconds, and ready to attack on day two.

“It’s incredible that these cars stand up to the punishment when you think about how we push them,” said Ordynski.

Behind the leading trio, Lowndes and Herridge were in a tight battle with Kiwi Geoff Argyle, all three are covered by just 10 seconds with Lowndes leading the charge Brisbane youngster Chris Atkinson was impressive with a strong drive to be seventh ahead of Scott Pedder in eighth.

Day Two ourne was determined to take

B

Making a splash: Scott Pedder kept his head as others fell away around (Photo by Richard Whitford) him to take a very respeectable second place.

60

back the advantage and went after Ordynski and Crocker from the word go, taking two seconds off Ordynski in the first stage of the day and then grabbing the lead back on the second test.

The Subaru driver had a 4.8 second advantage after two stages and was looking strong but Ordynski was confident that if he could stay within 10 seconds of the Kiwi he was in with a chance on the final day.

“Today’s stages don’t suit our car as much but Sunday will suit us,”

said Ordynski Brett Middleton was the first victim of the day, rolling his Subaru in front of the spectators on the Kowen North arena before Neal Bates and TEN commentator John Smailes helped push the car back on to its wheels.

Middleton would struggle through the rest of the day only to retire at the end of the leg.

Bourne continued to push the advantage opening the gap to the Mitsubishi by another 5 seconds as Saladin took his Hyundai WRC to second fastest in what was a character building first drive in the car. He backed that up with first and only fastest on the final run over Kowen south.

Things started to sour in the Subaru camp on SSll, when both Bourne and Herridge struck problems. First, Bourne, using a new launch program that was meant to give a better start, broke a rear drive shaft on the line.

He limped through the stage, dropping 33 seconds to Ordynski, losing the lead and dropping to third behind Crocker.

Then Hei-ridge destroyed a rim and broke a lower control arm in the rugged and rocky conditions, sidelining him from the rally.

With two passes over the rough and rocky Kowen South and three over the equally tough Kowen North stages, the crews seemed motorsoort news

I

ASIA-PACIFIC RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

EVO ambush: Geoff Argyle, above, was on the pace all weekend, and finished up as the ‘3’ in a Lancer 1-2-3 result.Simon Evans, below, would no doubt have been happy to trade places with him. Shortly after winning the ‘superfly’ award for his leap over the mineshaft drop, the brand-new (Photos by Richard Whitford) Subaru blew its engine and was out of the rally.

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glad to be heading back across town to the final 18 kilometre Greenhills test where the faster and more open stage would be a welcome relief.

But worse was to come for the Subaru outfit. With Bourne limping through the test, Crocker misheard a pace note and rolled on a fast right-hander. The car was virtually destroyed but Crocker and Foletta managed to drive out of the stage and get to service.

Unfortunately, the only option was to park it.

On the very same corner Singh ran off the road in his Proton, damaging the front end and retiring, the Malaysian deciding it was better to regroup for the next APRC round in New Caledonia.

All of this left Ordynski leading by lmin32 from Bourne, who managed to make it to the end of the day despite the problems.

Behind the leading pair was Lowndes,just 20 seconds off Bourne after a fast and consistent run, with Geoff Argyle 30 seconds back in fourth.

However the real star of the day was 21 year-old Chris Atkinson.

In only his 15th event, the youngster and his brother were in fifth and just 12 seconds behind Argyle, and just ahead of Scott Pedder.

It would all come down to whether Bourne could bridge the 15 May 2002

92 second gap to Ordynski in a final dash to the finish on day three.

l

Day Three The opening stage of the dayof in Bluetts gave no indication the carnage that was about to unfold as Bourne took a second from Ordynski as he started his fightback.

However a stage later the field would be decimated as the East West stage took its toll. First Lowndes speared off the road on a fast comer and was stuck out of the rally . He was soon followed by a mishap for Saladin, who ripped a wheel off the Hyundai.

Up to fourth, the Atkinson brothers had a stmt top break, causing them to roll out of the rally as the leading contenders dropped like flies. Also going out were Sam Yamaguchi, Warren Tuckett, Paul Bray and Andrew Hawkeswood.

Two stages later. Bourne was driving to the limit, taking fastest in three of the first four stages. On the fifth test the Kiwi was in trouble, his car breaking its gearbox and becoming stuck in second. He struggled through the stage and into the next but the constant high revs meant the turbo blew, ending his run with the finish in sight.

With Bourne gone, Ordynski had

an easy run to the line with Scott Pedder racing up the leader board to take second 4mins 20 secs behind the Ralliart driver.

Argyle brought his Lancer Evo VI home in fourth ahead of Martin Lintott in his Subaru, while Nico Caldarola was the first of the Asia Pacific runners in fifth in his Evo VII. F2 was taken by a surprised Tod Reed in a Proton Satria after the demise of Tajima’s Suzuki.

Mitsubishi’s efforts put it 92 points clear of Subam in the manufacturers championship with Proton closing to within 16 points of the blue team.

The focus now switches back to the domestic series and Queensland in mid June, where Ordynski will look to strengthen his lead in the drivers title.

RESUITS

Rally of Canberra 3-5 May 2002

Pos Driver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 IG

OrdynskiyStewart Podder/Humm Argyle/SmiUi Lintott/Jackson Caldarola/Agnese Htlls/Callanhan Groen/McKay Thompsori/Klohba Masumura/Kimuro Ito/Brookhouse

Race tine 2h54in46.1s 2h59m06.3s 2h59m16.6s 3h01ml8.8s 3h03ml8.6.'i 3h06m39.1s 3hl0m20.9s 3liUm35,6s 3h13m43.9s 3h14mI2,2s

61

ti

Mannisenmaki McRae: Still in tl on the mend TOMMI Makinen’s co-driver Risto Mannisenmaki is hoping to return to competition as early as next month’s Acropolis Rally.

He completed another test last week, but no firm date has been set for him to return, and he may not compete again until the Deutschland Rally in August.

Mannisenmaki has not competed since he fractured a bone in the lower part of his back on last October’s Tour de Corse, however he has been encouraged by a lengthy, rough three-day test on dirt in Spain.

He hopes to claim back his spot from Kaj Lindstrom for the Acropolis, but as the next few rallies are the most punishing of the season, no one is keen to take chances. It may be years before the nerves in Mannisenmaki’s legs heal fully.

In the meantime, Makinen is sure that he can do better in Argentina next week and overhaul runaway World Championship leader Marcus Gronholm.

Makinen developed a knack of winning the world title from unpromising situations, and he already has a win to his credit this year.

Following Cyprus, where he finished a close third, he believes that he can get more out of the Subaru on loose surfaces, which will stand him in good stead for Argentina.

“Cyprus was first time on gravel and we did quite a lot of changes,” Makinen said.

“We have a lot of knowledge of what we need to do. We try to obtain podium - two cars on the podium,that would be nice.”

- JON THOMSON

COLIN McRae will not change his aggressive approach, despite crashing in three of the last five WRC rallies including last time up in Cyprus.

The 1995 World champ says that there's no chance that he will alter his tactics.

“We’re not there to go slowly, we were leading Cyprus and should have won. Basically we had a few problems that snowballed into a big one,” said the 33-year-old Scot.

“If we did the rally tomorrow we’d take exactly the same approach - which worked for us right up until the final day”.

Successes or failures on the next three rounds in Argentina, Greece and Kenya are likely to make or break McRae’s season. The good news Is these rallies should suit his Ford Focus “We’ve spent the first part of the year struggling to get any points, but we could score a maximum 10 on each of the next rallies,” he said; “We need those If we want to be champions again. Those events really suit the Focus and we certainly won’t be taking a laid-back approach”.

Having missed out on a win when he rolled twice in Cyprus, McRae is currently 10th in the driver’s standings with six points.

- JON THOMSON

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Rally Catalunya considers at a return to gravel

What is Finnish for ‘ouch’? Risto Mannisenmaki, who has been out of action since fracturing his back in this accident at the Tour de Corse last year, has almost recovered sufficiently to start barking orders at Tommi Makkinen.

(Photo by Photo4/BOTHWEa)

Change of Focus FORD is set to build a radical new tarmac-spec Focus WRC for 2003 to try to wipe out the disadvantage the current car seems to suffer on tarmac rounds.

"We've got some radical ideas for next year but I'm not about to reveal any details," Ford World Rally boss Malcolm Wilson said.

Ford technical director Christian Loriaux is hard at work on the new project, but the team is also working closely with tyre supplier Pirelli, to close the gap to the Peugeots on tarmac.

"It is going to be very difficult for us to win on tar this season but both Ford and Pirelli are working hard for those next two [tarmac] events - Deutschland and San Remo," admitted Wilson.

"If we can get in there and put some pressure on Peugeot, that's when mistakes start to happen. They haven't had any pressure so far."

- JON THOMSON

62

RALLY Catalunya Spain's round of the WRC could return to the bare basics as early as next year if organisers and rally supremo David Richards have their way.

The rally has been an all-tarmac affair since 1993, but there are discussions taking place about moving the rally back to gravel to enhance the spectacle and differentiate it from the plethora of tarmac rallies in Europe.

The organisers of the rally, the Royal Automobile Club of Catalunya, would like to see it revert to its old format. There is even a possibility that the event could take,place on a mixture of both gravel and tarmac stages, which would require current WRC guidelines to be changed.

Richards is in favour of the change, as he feels not only are there too many asphalt rounds in the championship, but that gravel events offer more of a spectacle to those watching.

"I've had some meetings with the RACC, and they've explained the idea," said Richards. " ^ "I think it's a good one - there are too many tarmac rallies in the i®®Can.d.they're less spectacular for television coverage."

- JON THOMSON

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moiorsport news

RALLY NEWS

le chase

Rally Briefs

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THE cars weren't the only things that were limping in the Subaru camp over the weekend in Canberra.

Dean Herridge's co-driver Glenn Macneall battled through the second day after twisting his ankle on Friday night.

Macneall's ankle was heavily bandaged by one of the event's paramedics.

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It was only a minor worry for the WA crew. A frustrating day found the Impreza well down on power when a hole between the blow off valve and the intercooler dropped boost before the ECU switched the ignition settings. Later he was out with a broken wheel and lower control arm.

- JON THOMSON

3...2...1...clunk

Photo by Photo4/BOTHWELL

Beware of the natives KANGAROOS continue to be a problem for competitors in Canberra, particularly for overseas runners.

Monster Tajima struck a kangaroo on the tough East West Stage and retired on the next with a broken driveshaft, while Englishman John Lloyd had the front of his Subaru severely rearranged thanks to a local Skippy who got in the way.

- JON THOMSON

POSSUM Bourne was using a new electronic launch control throughout the Rally of Canberra but paid dearly for the privilege.

The newly-developed launch control system essentially allows the driver to fully engage the throttle, while the computer management system maintains a constant SOOOrpm rev limit to ensure maximum speed off the line.

On the start line to the penultimate stage of day two, Bourne, below, engaged the system, but on take-off a bang from the rear signalled that he had blown a driveshaft, a problem which eventually led to his defeat.

- JON THOMSON

EARl’S PEmmMCEPi

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AUSTRALIAN Test Cricket Captain Steve Waugh was a surprise guest at the start of the Rally of Canberra.

Waugh, who is a massive personality in India, is sponsored by the Madras Rubber Factory MRF, India's biggest maker of tyres and sporting equipment.

MRF entered a two-car team for Kumar(no relation to Sanjeev at No 42) and Balu in a pair of Evo VII Lancers.

Waugh flagged the leading cars away before catching the opening stage of the rally. When quizzed on his knowledge of rallying, Waugh was quick to admit he had never witnessed an event first hand but looked forward to the spectacle, "Unfortunately I can't stay at the event for very long, but I've been told the Mineshaft is quite an awesome sight so I can't wait to see it," he said.

■ A dusty intersection in a clear felled section of Bluetts in Canberra was a surprising venue for the finish of the Rally of Canberra.

The dirty and unpleasant location was less than 10 minutes from the centre of Canberra where Lake Burley Griffin and the great public buildings would have provided a far more attractive backdrop and surely provided event promoters Canberra Tourism and Events with a better ad for the national capital.

■ TEN cameraman Andy Stancovich definitely suffered for his art on day two of the Rally of Canberra. The intrepid shooter was onboard the TEN chopper filming when the pilot clipped the top of a tree, a branch breaking a bone in Andy's foot.

In agony he rolled into the cabin of the chopper, only to have the pilot reach over and grab his foot and assure him he'd be OKI Despite the incident, he was aback on board shooting on the final day declaring the pilot one of the best he had used for capturing the action. What those blokes do for a good shot I - JON THOMSON

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83

ozm

2003 champions!

Nothing like gliding V8s on dirt; Mick Nicola at the fcont of the Super Sedan field. Engine problems meant he didn't stay there for 40Japs. {PliolQ by Pali# Chflfloft)

The Logue winner TWENTY-SEVEN of the best Super Sedan drivers from all around Australia tried to win the Victorian Super Sedan Title at Timmis Speedway in Mildura, but only one could take it away.

Australian Champion Mick Nicola was the highest points scorer to claim pole for the feature, and alongside was the surprise packet of the event. South Australian Steve Vaughan aboard his Performance Techniques

Camaro. The second row saw current West and South Australian Champion Bert Vosbergen and Wayne Aylett form up.

At the drop of the green, it was Nicola who got the jump and led the field away for the first of 40laps with Vaughan,Aylett and the rest thundering close behind.

After a complete restart, Nicola once again pounced to an early lead on the super fast layout from Vaughan and Vosbergen.

While in a comfortable position

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Bell's 360 Title STEPHEN Bell, above, has clinched the Victorian 360 Sprintcar Title at Mildura's Timmis Speedway.

Garry Chippendall did most of the leading, heading the field for the first 29 laps until the former Victorian, who now calls Queensland home,took the lead on the last corner and took the Speedflow Eagle to victory.

Chippendall’s machine later turned out to be under the weight limit so it was removed from the results, elevating Phil March to second ahead of Harold Brennen Jr, who battled to hold his position as the right front shock mount tore away from the chassis of his Tekace-sponsored Grizzly. Ccomeback kid Rob Richardson, Owen Pitt, Peter Knight, Peter McCarthy and Graham Docherty rounded out the finishers.

84

out in front, disaster stuck for the leader, forcing him infield with engine woes.

The race lead was inherited by Peter Logue, who had snuck up and worked his way through the field in the Vic 6 Iroc Z. Logue held the lead to the fall of the chequered flag and was followed home by Vaughan, Darryl Hickson, Aylett and South Aussie veteran Steve Stewart, who drove from 12th, to round out the top five.

- PARIS CHARLES

Get in the AMONG those adding their interest to the 2002/2003 World Series Sprintcar trail is last season’s rookie sensation, Brad Furr.

“I was personally satisfied with Brad finishing third in last year’s Championship but 1 know for certain he wasn’t,” conceeded his father Randy.

“We realised in a hurry last year that if you don’t get off to a quick start with World Series it’s virtually impossible to catch up.

That’s a credit to the drivers who race in the Championship.”

For 2002/2003, no expense has been spared.

“A lot offuss was made of the big budget that we supposedly had last year in Australia but in fact it’s this year that we are spending up big on some really stout equipment to give Brad a great shot at the Championship.”

Other drivers to express interest in running this year’s WSS trail include three-time national Formula 500 champion Luke Dillon, who purchased the car Furr raced last year.

Second-generation West Aussie Ken Sartori is another to put his name down, while Mount

Gambler’s Karl Enderl, above, is also now on the list.

“I was happy with the way we ran against the World Series cars last season,” he says. “I know that competing on the full schedule is the only way I can take my racing to the next level.”

Enderl will have two new COOL chassis for the upcoming racing sea.son. moiorsport naws

le to Premiep

run a week after the Grand Annual Classic Photo by Paris Charles

by GEOFF ROUNDS PREMIER Speedway will again host the 2003 Australian Sprintcar Championships.

The prestigious event will be held on January 31 and February 1 - the sixth time the national title has been held at the venue since the inaugural event in 1972.

The deal was struck after an

Sprintcar Control Coimcil of Australia(SCCA).

Western Australia deferred for two months its option to host the event,leaving the SCCA no option but to re schedule the event in Victoria.

Only two tracks in the state, Premier and Avalon, were seen as possible host venues, but after Avalon failed to lodge a bid. Premier was awarded the rights to host the two-day event.

The speedway will host the national titles one week after the 31st running of the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic, opening the way for a massive 10 days in the region.

President of the Sprintcar Control Council of Australia, Peter Mitchell, said there were still a few formalities to go through, but said he was

We’ve got to dot the Is and cross the Ts on a few things, but we’re all looking forward to returning.

While stiU in the planning stages. Premier Speedway is also hoping to increase the spectator capacity of the venue by between 1500 and 2000 people in time for the titles.

Max Dumesny Motorsport Australian Distributors for

Xoo$irr

Crump's return to action after a serious accident in Poland has left him underdone, far from fit, and not a challenge to Rickardsson at this early point in the season, though he picked up valuable points and was fourth for the round.

Rickardsson made no mistake second time out, with Sullivan second and fellow Swede Mikael Karlsson third.

Of the other Aussies, Leigh Adams was fifth and Todd Wiltshire eighth. n Brooke Tatnell has had another strong run against the World of Outlaws regulars, moving from 17th to finish seventh in the feature at Nebraska last week, behind the wheel of the Grandstaff #66 machine. n Recent Australian visitor Daryn Pittman is to continue to follow the World of Outlaws series for the rest

championship," said Pittman. "The Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series is where we need to be to attract sponsorship, and our goal is to run good and win races."

Pittman was recently approved to return to competition after suffering a compression fracture of the T-4 vertebrae in a crash at the WoO race at Flollywood Flills Speedway in March.

2002 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINTCAR SERIES Tri-City Speedwsy May 11

1. Steve Kinser 2, Joey Saldana 3. Danny Lasoski 4. Paul McMahan ^^ RACING TIRE 5. Brad Furr For more infonnation on Homier Dmg and Speedway Tyres call: 6. Tyler Walker NSW:02 9679 1990 l Fax 02 9679 1187 7. Craig Dollansky 8. Tim Shatter VIC:03 9331 6477 * Fax 03 9331 7444 9. Jac Haudenschild SA:08 8332 0800 l Fax 08 8364 0296 10. Darvn Pittman 15 May 2002

RYAN Sullivan has finished second in the opening round of the Speedway GP series behind 'Super Swede'Tony Rickardsson in the FIM LNB Grand Prix of Norway at the Viking Ship Stadium.

Defending World Champion Rickardsson, aiming to become the second Swedish rider, after Ove Fundin, to collect five crowns, admitted that it was one of his toughest victories.

"I don't always start my campaign very well, so this is great for me," he said.

Rickardsson even had to endure a re-run of the Final after Aussie Jason

of 2002..

"We have decided not to defend our 2001 Gumout Series

looking forward to returning to Warrnambool for the first time since 1999.

<(

Aussie second in Speedway Grand Prix opener

Crump, runner-up in the 2001 series, fell while chasing his great rival and was excluded.

agreement was reached between the club and the

WSS line!

SPEEDWAY

11. Donny Schatz 12. Stevie Smith 13. Blake Feese 14. Danny Wood 15. Shane Stewart 16. Jason Sides 17. Randy Flannagan 18. Wayne Johnson 19. Craig Keel 20. Jeremy Campbell

Standings to May i 1 . .2799 1.Danny Lasoski . .

2.Steve Kinser . . . . . .2779 3.Mark Kinsor . . . . ..2732 . .2673 4.Craig Dollansky . .

5.Tim Shaffer . .2640 , .2615 6.Joey Saldana . . .

7.Brad Furr . .2592 .2569 8.Donny Schatz . . .

9.Stevie Smitti . . . . .2544 lO.Jac Haudenschild ..2535 65

A long 400 miles

Starting from the back doesn't stop Stewart and Pontiac at Richmond

by MARTIN D CLARK TONY Stewart came out ahead in what can best be described as the ‘Richmond Triathlon’, which started late thanks to a rain delay on the evening of May 4, but was stopped after 66 laps again for rain and started the next day at midday.

The resumption turned into a pure wreckfest and was redflagged for track clean-up at one point, breaking the event into three segments, much like the upcoming Winston night race.

Stewart qualified third for the race, but like his Joe Gibbs team mate Bobby Labonte, both changed Pontiac engines before the race so started at the rear ofthe 43-car field.

“The team worked so hard today trying to get this car freed up,” remarked Stewart.

The race had a record number of cautions - 14- mostly for wrecks seemingly caused by sealer that’s applied to the track surface every winter to protect it. Apparently the sealer turned the track into a one groove facility, unlike the normal two and three-abreast Richmond racing.

Ward Burton won the pole in a new car and was looking to turn his season around following his Daytona win. He led 125 laps before his gearbox broke.

Then it was Ricky Rudd’s turn up front in an equally strong looking Ford, but while passing Rusty Wallace - who was riding around the track with a flat tyre waiting for a caution - Wallace moved up the track enough to clip Rudd and send him into the wall with 91 laps of 400 remaining.

With two more leaders disposed of in Jimmy Spencer and Jimmie Johnson, the race lead was in the hands of another super rookie, Ryan Newman, who held off Stewart for close to 50 laps.

However, a 10-car wreck occured before Stewart finally got the upper hand on lap 3'73 following a late race caution for the pirouetting Mike Skinner, and never looked back.

Final result; Stewart(Pontiac), Newman (Ford), J Burton (Ford), Martin (Ford), Mayfield (Dodge), Kenseth (Ford), J Gordon (Chevy), Grissom (Dodge), Craven (Ford), Spencer (Dodge).

66

What’s wrong about this start photo? Well, race winner Tony Stewart isn’t even in it, and it's a Richmond (Photo by Sutton-lmages) race in daylight after rain had struck the previous evening’s attempt to run the race.

Rudd to retire?

ALTHOUGH Ricky Rudd,45, did not finish the Richmond 400, he started his 655th straight Cup race and is poised to take the ‘Iron Man’ name from Terry Labonte if he starts the Charlotte race on May 26.

Rudd, right, started the feat in 1981 at the now developed Riverside track in southern California, though has given indication that the streak may soon be brought to an end.

Rudd’s contract with Robert Yates Racing is up at year’s end and he’s hinted recently that he may retire then or in the very near future, stating that he will only continue to drive on a yearly contract basis.

“I don't see myself doing this when I'm 50,” stated Rudd.

“Everyone says NASCAR is a family sport and, for the people in the grandstands it is, but for us with the travel and time on the road it's not and I guess that’s the way NASCAR wants it."

It also appears Rudd is not happy with the way NASCAR is targeting its image toward the younger drivers like Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Ryan Newman and Jimmie Johnson.

“I’ve no problem with the youth movement, but I’ve seen with this TV deal, older guys are getting ignored.”

-MARTIN D CLARK

ELLIOTT Sadler has asked for a release from his contract with the Wood Brothers/ Motorcraft team at year's end and has already had confirmed conversations with DEI about possibly replacing Michael Waltrip or the stillnot-back-to-form Steve Park.

Both Waltrip and Park's contracts are up for renewal for the 2003 season. Both have said they would like to remain with the organisation through 2003, but both realise their performance has been down of late, although Waltrip has shown improvement recently. matorsnori news

NASCAR

Nadeau released

New Hampshire looks SAFER NEW Hampshire Speedway is waiting on NASCAR approval to install the SAFER barrier currently in use at Indianapolis.

During 2000, Kenny Irwin and Adam Petty both lost their lives at the circuit, which has recently been widened on the inside turns, "If NASCAR gives us the OK, we will do it," commented track owner Bob Bahre. The cost for Bahre would be in the region of $600,000, but as usual, NASCAR is taking the cautious approach and want to see what happens at Indy. They are also concerned that the barrier may not be up to the rigours of 3500-pound NASCARs, n Jimmie Johnson was the fastest among the drivers testing at Charlotte for the upcoming Coke 600 and The Winston, with a speed of 181.512 mph. Dave Blaney was second at 179.820 mph and Robby Gordon third at 179.223 mph. Both Stacy Compton and Carl Long destroyed cars against the Charlotte wall in separate incidents.

No more Nadeau: Jerry’s out of a ride and Hendrick Motorsports is looking for a new full-time driver.

JERRY Nadeau was ousted from the #25 Chev of Hendrick Motorsports on May 8, and will be replaced by Joe Nemechek on an interim basis.

This comes following the departure of crew chief Tony Furr only two weeks previously.

Nadeau will replace the injured Johnny Benson in the Winston Open and maybe the 600 if Benson is not fully healed by then after a Busch Series crash at Richmond.

Aside from The Winston, Nadeau’s only points win came in the 2000 November Atlanta race, his first year with the Hendrick organisation.

- MARTIN D CLARK

n Johnson's Fontana win was allowed to stand, NASCAR officials deeming the car was within the required weight limit post-race.

Johnson looped donuts on the front stretch to celebrate his first win, blowing both the engine and gearbox and dumping the fluids in victory lane.

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Change the tyres,fuel it up and get him out: Elliott Sadler wants out of his Wood Brothers contract. Could he end up in a PennzoU or NAPA ride?

(PhtUo by Sullon'lmagcx)

If things do not turn around, DEI head Ty Norris has hinted changes could be nnade before the season ends, possibly as early as June. That is around the time frame that Pennzoil, Park's sponsor, will make its decision on a future with the team.

Park is obviously not fully recovered from injuries sustained in a Darlington Busch accident last September, while Waltrip has some personal issues that will very likely see 15 Mav 2002

his marriage going the same way as that of Jeff Gordon.

Sadler joined the famed Wood team in 1999, his first season on the tour, and his only win came at Bristol last year when the team elected not to fit tyres and outran the field late in the going.

It's possible Sadler could be released before season's end with a few decent shoes sitting on the sidelines in the both Cup and the Busch Series.

- MARTIN D CLARK

EVEN though Joe Gibbs Racing is continuing development on the 2003 Pontiac,rumoiu-s are still rife about a possible switch to the Chevrolet‘Bow Tie’brigade next year.

Pontiac officials are supposedly courting Cal Wells’s PPI camp for a switch from Ford in 2003 to replace Gibbs if the move occurs.

Bobby Labonte,above, tested the 2003-model Pontiac Grand Prix at Atlanta last week in front of NASCAR officials as the manufacturer seeks approval for the new car. It also headed into the wind tunnel for the final part of evaluation.

“This is a whole new car,” said Ray Smith, Winston Cup program manager for Pontiac.“We think it’s a good one.”

- MARTIN D CLARK

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n Johnny Benson was one of many drivers involved in accidents at Richmond in the Busch Series race, but the only one to suffer injuries.

He broke a right rib and suffered a mild concussion.

Benson sat out the Richmond Cup race after being detained in hospital and was replaced by Joe Nemechek, who finished 12th. n The Winston Cup's longest race, the Coca-Cola 600, will have its largest purse. US$4,806,814 will be distributed among the field after the event and that does not include the additional $1.5 million for the winner of The Winston to be held on May 18. n Todd Parrott, crew chief for Dale Jarrett, has been fined $5000 after the Richmond race for improperly attached weights, found during qualifying inspection. n Richmond saw three new crew chiefs at different teams. Jimmy Elledge, who departed Andy Petree Racing last year for Robert Yates, has re-joined Petree to crew chief Bobby Hamilton's Chev, while Tony Furr, who recently quit Hendrick Motorsports, is now crew chief for Casey Atwood.

- MARTIN D CLARK 67

Fopce out-Wh tted Ill

WHIT Bazemore scored his

second consecutive Funny Car victory of the season,stopping current point leader and 11-time Champion John Force in the final round of the 22nd

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annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway a fortnight ago.

Bazemore’s Mateo Tools Pontiac recorded a final round 4.96/310 to

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shut out Force, who dropped cylinders early and slowed to a motor-wounding 5.55/195.

Others grabbing professional wins at the seventh stop on the $50 million NHRA POM^Rade tour were Larry Dixon in Top Fuel, Allen Johnson in Pro Stock and Angelle Savoie in Pro Stock Bike.

Bazemore’s win began from the third spot on the ladder after a 4.85/314 lap during qualifying.

Rain cancelled one of Friday’s sessions and Saturday’s racing was run between periods of rain and under cloudy skies.

When eliminations rolled around

On a roll: The recent form of Larry Dixon, above, is sending some ominous messages to his Top Fuel counterparts, particularly championship and beer-brand rival Kenny Bernstein. Whit Bazemore, below left, is also slowly gaining momentum as the season progresses, while Allan Johnson’s Pro Stock win, below right, came a little more out of left field.

(Photos by David Ostaszewski)

on Sunday, the sun and warmer temperatures gave crew chiefs one more obstacle to overcome. Lee Beard found the tune-up he needed as Bazemore set low e.t. in three of the four rounds of racing.

A 4.85/314 dispatched Del Worsham in the opening frame and a close 4.88/316 to 4.92/244 win

I

over Cruz Pedregon put Bazemore into the semis to face Frank Pedregon. At the green, Pedregon jumped out to a .454 to .529 lead, but he hazed the tyres slightly and his 5.07/293 couldn’t hold off the 4.96/310 from the Mateo Pontiac.

Bazemore’s 2001 season had finished red-hot. He qualified number one nine times in the final 12 events and scored three wins and four runner-ups during that span.

Dixon continued his early season devastation of the Top Fuel class, stopping Doug Herbert in the final round, 4.63/318 to a tyre-hazing 5.03/231. Dixon and the Miller Lite team led by crew chief, Dick LaHaie, are off to the best start in the history of the class with an astonishing five wins in six final rounds with only seven events completed.

“T^e conditions changed and I think that helped us a lot,” Dixon said.

“We seem to do well in warmer weather and Dick LaHaie knows how to get down a hot race track”.

Dixon started from his worst qualifying effort of the season, a 68

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fifth-best 4.60/322. In eliminations, 4.68/306, 4.58/321 and 4.63/317 passes resulted in victories over Luigi Novelli, Doug Kalitta and beer brand rival Kenny Bernstein.

Herbert, after releasing crew chief Larry Frazier earlier in the week, enjoyed his best outing of the year. The Snap-On Tools team had won just one round of racing in 2002 prior to Atlanta.

Herbert stopped Andrew Cowin in the fi rst round then knocked off Cory McClenathan in the second fi-ame.

In the semis, Herbert defeated the surprise car and driver of the event, Don Sosenka, who took his Mr. Magoo dragster to shock wins over the tyre-smoking cars of Tony Schumacher and John Smith for a shot at Herbert and the final round.

Allen Johnson took a surprising Pro Stock victory, making him the record seventh winner of the year.

Johnson scored his second career win, stopping low qualifier Greg Anderson in the fi nal round with a 6.90/200 when Anderson got out of the gi'oove and had to lift in his Vegas Construction Pontiac Grand Am. Struggling for the last two seasons, Johnson had not won a round of racing since Sonoma last August and had not qualified for 13 of the last 14 events.

Johnson used a 6.86 and a pair of 6.89s, all at 200 mph to defeat team-mate Tbm Lee, Kurt Johnson and Darrell Alderman to reach the fi nal round.

Anderson, meanwhile, had posted impressive 6.83/201, 6.84/201 and 6.86/201 victories

over Bruce Allen, and former series champs Jeg Coughlin and Jim Yates.

Angelle Savoie debuted her new CVEC sponsorship in grand style, ri ding her newly painted CVEC Suzuki to a final round, 7.16/187 to 7.18/188 victory over Matt Hines.

In the fi nal, Hines had a perfect .400 reaction time, but Savoie was right behind with a .402 light and she was able to take a .0177 victory.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI Points; Top Fuel Dixon 718, Bernstein 556, McClenathan 486, Schumacher 444, Kalitta 383, Oruhnic 349, Herbert 309, Russell 304, Hartman-Smith 269, Smith 258. Funny Car Force 552, Densham 471, Bazemore 459, Worsham 424, T Pedregon 407, .Johnson Jr 382, Capps 354, Cannon 335, Scelzi 301, Gray 299. Pro Stock Johnson 519, Yates 472, Alderman 423, Krisher 414, Mnrnell 392. Pro Stock Bike Savoie 292, Trehle 283, Hine.s 210, Gann 209, Brown 166.

motorsport news

DRAG RACING

Pro Mod double IS WHEN rain cancelled the Pro Mod finale from Bristol, NHRA officials made the decision to run the Bristol final round during the Atlanta event one week later.

Thomas Patterson, pictured, the delay was well worth the wait as he powered to a 6.21/226 in his blown '63 Corvette to stop Rickie Smith's Nitrous Dodge Viper, Smith did, however, card a career-best 6.26/223 in the final.

Patterson's car is a team car to the car which Critchley drives in Pro Mod events.

Steve Vick swept the Atlanta event, after having not-qualified the previous week in Bristol. A 6.30/223 in the opening round defeated the 6.36/223 of Tommy Mauney, and in the semis a 6.28/224 to stopped Fred Hahn.

He faced Patterson in the final, whom he drove past and take the win 6.29/224 to 6.35/223. , - DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

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ANDREW Cowin looks set to return to Australia for a one-off appearance at the Winternationals at Willowbank in June.

The 22-year-old, who drives Darrell Gwynn's NY Yankees dragster in the NHRA, will fly home to drive the Cowin Family Racing dragster that he piloted in last year's NHRA series.

"It's been four years since the Cowin family has raced at home and I'm thrilled that the NHRA schedule allows me the opportunity to sneak TJ home for a week and race at the Winternationals. I s just can't wait!" Cowin said from his Florida base.

"Darrell has been kind enough to give me a I release for the week and allow me to drive and I'm § now looking forward to showing the Australian fans what the Cowin Family Racing team learnt

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racing in the US between 1999 and 2001."

Cowin's father Graeme, who confirmed that the Rocket-backed dragster will run to the NHRA 90 percent nitro rule rather than Australia's unrestricted regulations, stated that Andrew's likelihood of appearing at the Winternationals was "around 90 percent", with the deciding factor being his contractual obligation to remain in the USA should one of the next three NHRA rounds be rained out.

"While we have all of the equipment here in Sydney, actually being able to race at the Winternationals has been a very difficult thing to commit to," Graeme said.

Andrew's twin brother John will also be present to attempt the first stages of his Top Fuel licensing.

- MARK GLENDENNING

Millican still in control

CLAY Millican is well on the way to defending his IHRATop Fuel Championship, as he took their second win of the year in as many events in the 2002 Hooters IHRADrag Racing Series at Red River Raceway, Louisiana two weeks ago.

Millican recorded a final round 4.80/308 to stop three-time series champion Paul Romine, who lost traction at mid-track.

Millican low qualified at 4.76/309 and singled to a 5.00/218 in the opening round when Roger Dean was forced to shut-off as he staged the car. In round two, Millican posted the quickest time of the event at 4.75/305 to defeat Donald Reed, Romine’s CarQuest dragster scored 4.83/292 and 4.89/281 wins over Jim Head and Bruce Litton.

Ed Hoover bested Harold Martin in an all-nitrous final round for the Pro Mod event title. The pair left IS Mav 2002

together, but Martin’s AC Delco Pontiac drifted out of the groove and had to lift, allowing Hoover to power to a winning 6.29/223 in the Trussell Motorsports ’63 Corvette.

Carl Baker won his first IHRA Pro Stock title when his Summit Racing Mercury Cougar defeated John Montecalvo’s Citgo Chevy Cavalier, 6.59/212 to 6.62/210. The race was over at the start when Montecalvo drew a red-light.

Baker had earlier defeated the Mercury of Jason Collins, John Bartunek’s Pontiac, and chassis builder Rick Jones’s Dodge Neon.

64 year-old Ray Price set a new IHRA world e.t. record in the fi nal round of Nitro Harley at 6.365 seconds at 223.21 mph as he defeated Mike Romine for the event crown. On his ‘Ray Price 65th Birthday Tour’, the grandfather of Nitro Harley rattled off 6,37/207 and 6,42/205 wins over Mark Conner and Doug Vancil.

When I’m 64: ‘Grandfather of Nitro Harley’ Ray Price set a new IHRA e.t record at Shreveport. Notice The Beatles forgot to include that in their song ...

(Photo by David Ostaszewski) Jimmy Rector made it two for two in Alcohol Funny Car, stopping a red-lighting Dale Brand in the fi nal round, 5.94/237 to 5.90/236.

He had earlier stopped Tbny Bogolo and Mark Thomas before taking a single in the semi-final round.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI 69

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Ron Flockhart commemorated

Mangalore'S motorkhana

THE VHRR tried a new format for its 17th running of the Ballingall MG Spares Mangalore Sprint Meeting held on April 21 - a motorkhanatype event was included which initially was viewed with some scepticism by some competitors.

However, 36 of 58 starters tackled the motorkhana test(a slalom which had been doubled in size to accommodate the older cars), and the general feeling was that it was a worthwhile inclusion.

Derek McLaughlin’s ex-Beechey Mustang, above, with its Neptune Racing Team stickers and period wheels attracted lots of lookers, and spectators couldn’t work out why Col Porter’s diminutive Berkeley wasn’t puffing its usual clouds of blue smoke. Apparently Col has fitted a Japanese motorcycle engine that isn’t prone to polluting the air and making it difficult for aircraft to land!

- BRIAN REED Results Group J Group K

C. Davies Dodge W. Russell Ford

22.3s 16.9s

Group Lb

C. Wright

Group Sa

G. Forbes

MG Spl.

17.6s

Healey Sprite 18.7s 14.7s R. Sprague AMX

Group Sb Group M Racing R. Hands Rennmax

14.6s

Group M Sports B. Devlin Lotus Super 7 16.7s Group 0 Sports = T. Guihenneuc 17.6s Nota Clubman = K Guihenneuc Grp O Racing B. Murphy Wayne Ford Spl. 13.8s M. Floreani Elfin MRS 21.6s Group P B. Morrow Elfin 620 15.5s Group Q 17.9s G. Miller Wren Group R Group N D. McLaughlin Mustang 15.6s Marque Sports to 1600 PRB T. Boreham 15.9s Marque Sports 1600+ Richard Batchelor

Porsche 930

14.6s

David Reid

Lotus

15.9s

Road Reg. 1800cc+ Ross Jackson

Ford Falcon

16.3s

FORTY years ago, on April 12, 1962, Scottish racing driver Ron Flockhart was killed in a plane crash in the Dandenong Ranges while practising for an attempt on the world record for piston-engined aircraft from Sydney to London.

Flockhart is mostly remembered for winning back-to-back Le Mans 24-hour races for Ecurie Ecosse in 1956 and ’57 behind the wheel of D-Type Jaguars.

He had nine starts with BRM and won the 1959 Lady Wigram Trophy in New Zeaiand. He also scored a brilliant third for Connaught when he fought his way from the back of the grid to finish behind Moss in the 1956 Italian GP. Colin Chapman engaged the likeable Scot for his F1 team in 1960, and when he started in the French GP at Reims he was part of a once-only all-Scottish driver lineup at Lotus alongside Jim Clark and Innes Ireland.

In all, Flockhart had 14 Grand Prix starts. In 1962 he returned to Australia to race his Cooper Climax in the Tasman Series and was reunited with his former Ecurie Ecosse mechanic, Austraiian Ron Gaudion.

His other goal was to make another world record attempt from Sydney to London in a Mustang P51 after his attempt the previous year was ruined by bureaucratic red tape in Greece.

40 years after his fatal accident, a convoy of Jaguar and Mini club members drove to the site of the crash.

Historians Roy Williams and David Rapley were amongst the group attending.

Wiiiiams gave an account of what is believed to have happened on that fatefui day and read a letter from Flockhart’s widow, Gillian, in which she expressed her gratitude that his memory was being perpetuated.

- BRIAN REED

Road Reg. to 1800cc

16.4s Fastest Lady S. Hartnett PRB Motorkhana FTD(Man) Nota Clubman 21.65s Troy Guihenneuc Motorkhana FTD (Lady) Joanne Coad VauxhallSpl. 30.1s Best Novice Troy Guihenneuc and Daniel Sprague Spirit of Historic Motor Sport Col Porter and Bill Prowse Magic Couple Peter and Heather French.

VALE: Derek Jolly 1927 - 2002

AMONG his many endeavours in life, Derek Jolly found time to engage in motor sport.

His first experiences involved racing an Austin 7, a car that was so quick the parent company wanted to know what had been done to the engine.

He travelled to England and became associated with Colin Chapman and Lotus.

A works drive followed at Le Mans, where he partnered Graham Hill in a Lotus XV fitted with a 2.5-litre Coventry Climax (the same car that was later brought to Australia with a 2-litre 70

Cli max and was campaigned by Frank Coad).

Back in Adelaide, Jolly set about building the Decca Specials based on the successful Lotus MkXI.(‘Decca’ was his childhood nickname - as a youngster he wasn’t able to pronounce Derek).

His name was also synonomous with the famous Monza Special, a sports car later campaigned by Lou Molina, Bryan Thomson and others, and recently restored by Gavin Sala.

Born into the Penfold dynasty, he was noted in the wine industry

for his discerning palate. After being educated at Geelong Grammar, Jolly’s career path was destined for the family business, but he sought more exciting outlets.

A huge accident during the 1958 Albert Park GP from which he emerged with 17 fractures effectively ended his motor racing career and Jolly turned his attention to more gentile pastimes, including photography and art.

In the 1960s his reputation grew with the establishment of ‘Decca’s Place,’ one of Adelaide’s top eateries.

Despite falling on hard times

after the 1990 real estate crash.

Jolly continued to supported the Barossa Valley Music Festival, and also established a multimedia gallery devoted to the many sounds and images he had recorded in his life.

A serious car crash early in 2001 left him critically injured, and a recurrence of lymphoma eventually ended his colorful life.

Some 300 friends and family attended his funeral, and there was a fine Lotus lineup at the service.

Derek Jolly is survived by his sons Benjamin and Tim. - BRIAN REED moiarsporl news

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HISTORICS

A privateer and a gentleman A COUPLE of generations after his heyday, it's difficult to express in words the achievements of Rob Walker, who passed away a fortnight ago from pneumonia. He was 84 years old.

VValker was the greatest privateer team owner in Grand Prix history, and a constant cause of hand-wringing for the works teams of the day.

He had Stirling Moss on his payroll between 1958 and 1962. No written contract was ever written up - for both, a handshake was sufficient. The pair carrying an underdog reputation upon which they thrived, as the list of 'firsts’ that the duo notched up will attest.

First victory for a privateer team owner. First win in a rearengined car (with Moss driving a Cooper at Argentina in 1958).

First for the Coventry-Climax engine.

Incidentally, the pair registered world championship victories in both Coopers and Lotuses before either of the works teams had done so. And they are also responsible for the first and only win in a fourwheel-drive GP car, when Moss won the 1961 Oulton Park Gold Cup.

A unique character; Rob Walker, 1917-2002.

But Walker's success was not limited to FI; Stirling could be seen running the distinctive blue and white livery in F2, Tasman Cup, and GTs, as well as any number of other minor and non-championship events.

The Surrey-based team had their share of downs, not the least of which was the accident at Goodwood in 1962 that ended Moss's career. There was also the 1968 fire which destroyed the race shop and a priceless collection of souvenirs and records of the team's history.

But RRC Walker Racing always found a way to recover.

The team enjoyed varying levels of success with the other drivers in its employ, including Maurice Trintignant, Jo Bonnier, Jochen Rindt,Jo Siffert (who provided what his boss later considered one of the team's greatest victories, at the 1968 British GP behind the wheel of a Lotus 49), and Graham Hill.

Walker was later involved in different capacities with John Surtees, Embassy-Hill, Hesketh, Penske, CopersucarFittipaldi and Wolf, and his own team made a brief comeback in 1975 to run a still wet-behind-the-ears Alan Jones.

Eventually Walker pulled out of racing for good, and devoted his considerable energies to writing columns for the American 'Road & Track' magazine.

Born into the family that loaned its name to the famous brand of Scotch, Walker was a gentleman in every sense of the word, (in fact, that is precisely what was listed as his occupation in his passport) and his passing marks the end of one of Grand Prix racing's most successful and endearing chapters.

- MARK GLENDENNING

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Underdogs: Moss's win at Monaco in 1961 behind the wheel of the RRC Walker Racing Team Lotus 18 rva.9 one of many triumphs o er the might of the works teams.

(Photos by Surton-lmagfs) IS May 2002

Briefly Historic IF attendance at the AGM/dinner meeting is any indication, the Australian Formula Junior Association is alive and well.

Thirty attended the Saturday evening function during the Phillip Island Historic meeting including six from WA and four from New Zealand.

The Kiwi contingent included Philip Adamson, President of the Auckland based TCCOC Historic Racing Register and John Holmes, editor of their NZ magazine 'Bespoke'.

Both own Lotus 18 Formula Juniors, and Holmes gave a talk on the current FJ scene in New Zealand and his recent trip to the Goodwood Revival Meeting in the UK. Good news is that there are now four Formula Juniors in WA, and all four owners attended Phillip Island and the AGM. Victorian Murray Bryden monopolised the results during 2001 and needed son Simon to help carry home the loot.

Included was the Leo Geoghegan Perpetual Trophy as well as the Retireinvest trophies for the best performing Australian built car Bryden's MRC Lotus.

Next round of the Australian FJ Trophy Series will be at the Historic Winton meeting on May 25-26. n The winners in this year's Targa Tasmania have received their accolades, but two competitors who deserve special mention are Geoff Hall and Gerald Wilson from NSW who use the event as a fundraiser for worthy causes.

Driving their 1973 Renault R17 TL in the Classic Competition they raised $11,000 for Diabetes Australia by selling advertising space on their car, and last year they presented $5000 in aid of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

"I've worked with Diabetes Australia for 15 years and helped them, and I just think it's a worthy cause," said Hall. He and 'Woody' Wilson are real winners I n Chevron Publishing Group just managed to have the Targa Tasmania 10th anniversary book ready in time for this year's event. It's a 400-page hard cover book written and edited

by Melbourne motoring journalist Michael Browning and is a 'must have' book for anyone involved in Targa over the past decade or for motor sport enthusiasts in general.

The photography is sensational!

The book is now available from specialist motoring bookshops nationwide or can be purchased direct from the Octagon Hobart office at 136 Davey Street (phone 03 6224 1512). Price is $165 including GST. - BRIAN REED 11

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PORSCHE CUP

N only his fourth outing in the Tekno Autosport Porsche GTS, 18-year-old Jonathon Webb has placed himself as a serious contender for the Australian Porsche Cup series after a win and a second in roimd three of the series at

PhiUip Island.

As it was the category’s second visit to the Island for the season, the lack of having to learn another new circuit certainly didn’t hinder Webb, who held out series leader Matthew Coleman in the opening 10-lapper.

The Century Batteries GTS driver couldn’t find a way around Webb, and had the added drama of damage to both sides of his car after separate incidents with Paul Whitmarsh’s GT2.

Whitmarsh ended up battling with defending Champ Martin Wagg(DAF Trucks GTS)for the minor positions and held on for third, while David Guigni took his 99S RSCS to fifth.

The other of the GTS drivers, Tim Pritchard, in the ex-Tony Quinn VIP GTS, missed the jump at the start as he was concentrating too much on the clean-up of oil left by a split hose in the oil cooler system of Trevor John’s 944 Turbo. An unexplained loss of power worsened during the race.

Jack Crocker took out Class B, narrowly ahead of Team Terrier team-mate Russell Wright.

Coleman bounced back to return things to status quo in race two, taking his fifth win from six starts in the series, with Webb grabbing second.

Whitmarsh wasn’t a factor in the end result after the GT2 suffered drivetrain failure, and that left Wayne Hennig to take his 993 GT2 to third place, clear of Wagg, who pressued Hennig for the majority of the 10-lapper.

Guigni again impressed with a spirited fifth place, while Crocker made it another class win in Class B after a tremendous dice with Russell Kempnich and team-mate Wright, who finished in that order.

-AARON NOONAN Porsche Cup Points Coleman 146, Webb 118, Wagg 98, Whitmarsh 92, Pritchard 66.

72

Keeping it ciose: While the Porsche Cup may have looked like a Matthew Coleman benefit after the first few (Photo by Neil Hammond) rounds, Jonathon Webb and Paul Whitmarsh spiced things up at Phillip Island.

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Side by side; Crowe and Emery on the run into Siberia.

(Photo by Chris Carter)

The Crowe Bar

ADDING to a pretty packed support bill at the Phillip Island Konica V8 round was the first round of the Victorian Commodore Cup Series and the CSA Alloy Wheels Saloon Car Series.

With many of the top runners in the regular Commodore Cup joining their state-level counterparts, the field was strong, with Neil Crowe's TJ Andrews Transport machine beating home Geoff Emery (Economy Bolts VH) and Andrew Meinnes (Axent Global VH) in the first eightlapper.

David Gittus and Markus Zukanovic were both retirements, while Emery reversed the tables in race two, beating home Crowe, Kane Rose, Craig Domaschenz and MeInnes.

The three Saloon Car races were all close-fought things.

Peter Dane won race one from Harry Bargwanna and Phil Kirkham, before Clint Harvey and Julian Newton topped the results of race two.

Newton improved one spot further to win race three ahead of the Ford of Kris Walton.

- AARON NOONAN

The Young Mirage Gun ROUND two of the Toyo Tyres Mirage Cup produced some tight racing at Oran Park on May 5, but at the end of the day it was Gary Young, above, who left the track with a pair of winner's trophies on the back seat.

“I was very happy with the car," said Young. “The boys have done a great job this weekend getting both the Brute Lite and the Mirage working well. I found it hard to step from one car to the other, especially for race two where I really jumped straight from the Brute to the Mirage and almost missed my breaking mark in turn one."

Andrew Taplin won the battles for second in both races, finishing ahead of polesitter Kurt Bieder in Race 1 and Peter Leemhius in Race 2, -MARKGLENDENNING motorspori news

NATIONAL

V8 BRutes are rapidly developing a reputation for no-holds-barred, elbows-out racing, and anybody present at Oran Park would have seen why.

Several vehicles ended the weekend with smudges of someone else's paint smeared across their bodywork. however it was a heavy shunt between James Brock and Damien White that had most people talking.

Contact between the pair in race two ended with White’s Falcon slamming backwards into a tyrewall near the bridge underpass, resulting in serious damage to the car and some bruising to the driver.

As a consequence, there have been calls for a review of

Keeping the eye in: As he counts down the sleeps tojoining Max Wilsonfor the endurance races, Dean Canto got in another race in his BRute. (PhmabyjatfiMonis/Mpu/

riving standards in the'serles, as well as a number of other revisions to the series (see news pages).

That aside, the racing was as tight as ever, with three drivers sharing the wins.

Warren Luff (Falcon) annihilated all comers in race one to take an easy win ahead of White and Gary McDonald (Holden).

Grant 'Fastest TV reporter in pitlane’ Denyer (Falcon) took the race two win ahead of veteran steerer Allan Grice (Falcon), above, and Luff, paving the way for Grice to go one better and walk away with the victory in race three.

Denyer and McDonald followed him across the line.

- MARK GLENDENNING

The little tackers bite back!

Four-cylinder tourers overcome the heavyweights of GT Production

AIDED by an overestimated handicap, the ‘minnows’took surprise wins in the latest round of the GT Production series at Oran Park two weeks ago.

The V8 Touring and Sports Touring cars struggled to make up the 24-second head start granted to the FourCylinder Touring cars in the first race, which saw David Russell enjoy a massive lead in his Proton Satria GTVi before a wheel fell off on the penultimate lap.

Martin Doxey took the win in his Holden Astra SRi, just edging out the VX SS V8 Commodore of Scott Loadsman and John Mcllroy’s new Falcon AUIIXR8.

Everything held together for Russell in race two, who took the flag ahead of Loadsman and Nathan Pilkington (Mitsubishi FTO V6).

Excuse-me: Nathan Pilkington's Mitsubishi ciosely inspects Steve Cramp’s BMW. (Photo by John MotrisWIplx) - MARK GLENDENNING IS Mav 2002 J3

Always Holden on

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ARCLAY Holden bounced back from a pre-final DNF to win the Formula A class at the opening round of the APS CIK Championship series at Bolivar on May 5.

Holden (TruUi Kart)had been dominating the meeting, qualifying fastest and winning two of the three heats before spinning out of the pre-final and being relegated to last on the grid.

With a small field, last wasn’t too far behind and Holden thrilled the crowd with his comeback drive.

Pre-final winner Troy Hunt led the early laps before coming under challenge from Geoffrey Grant and Holden who had carved his way through the field.

Holden just beat Grant to the line after 40 gruelling laps but, despite winning the final, sits third in the series point score behind Top Kart’s Hunt and Grant.

Another Trulli Kart was delivering the goods in Intercontinental A, Glenn Powles qualifying fastest and setting a heat one pace that suggested he was the man of the moment, however an engine failure on the last lap buried him in the pack for much of the weekend.

The IGA win was still wide open with Paul Williams (Birel)leading the fined before a flat tyre ended his run. The win eventually went to the sleeper in the pack, Adam Klunyk (Arrow). A collision in the pre-final saw him start up the back, and with fresher tyres, Adam worked his way forward, stealing the win off May in the closing laps.

May leads the points ahead of Karl Riendler(Tecno) and Adam Klunyk.

Andrew Thompson (Tony Kart) continues to be the pacesetter in JICA, taking an easy win, although he didn’t have it all his own way after a heat two DNF and a poor start to the pre-final.

Trulli rulli: Barclay Holden, above with Geoffrey Grant, had to do things the hard way and take the win having started from the back of the grid.

It’s a bit smalier than a FFordI Daniel Elliott, left, has stepped back into karts after a brief run in Formula Ford last year.

(Photos by Paris Charles)

Leah Unsworth(Tony Kart), Blake Mills and fastest qualifier and pre-final winner, Benjamin Chong Sun(Top Kart), battled hard 1 for second, however a collision between Unsworth and Mills allowed series newcomer Daniel Ricciardo (Birel)to cross the line third, the position disallowed when he came in under weight.

Jason Bums(MGA)overcame earher brake problems to beat Matthew Sofi(CRG)to the ICC win.

Luke Wood(Azzurro) won the BUand final ahead oflocal driver Reif Corbett(CRG).

Round two is at Ipswich on June 22-23.

- MARK WICKS

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Across the line for a win: Andrew Thompson took another win in Junior Intercontinental A for Tony Kart.

(Photo by Peris Charles) 74

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motorsporl news

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NATIONAL

KartStars ready

to kick off 2002

The Ford KartStars series is overfiowing with drivers for the new season of the deveiopment series which starts in Canberra on May 25/26. MARK WICKS previews the fast and furious action

Karting Briefs LIGHT drizzle spiced up the action at the first round of the Top Guns Friday night under lights series at Oakleigh recently.

Luke Skinner (Leopard), Dale Verrall (Rotax), David Sera (Junior Clubman), Nick Parker (Formula Australia) and Corey Chivers (Clubman Light) all went home $250 richer after winning their finals. The next round is set for Friday, May 24. n The Bolivar CIK round not only saw Australian fuel company APS return as series sponsor, but also as an avid supporter of the newly created APS Junior Development program.

The program is designed to assist local junior drivers with coaching, tuition and advice from some of the CIK stars on the Thursday prior to each round. n William Yarwood has won the Tennant Creek Kart Prix for the second year in a row. Yarwood took the win ahead of Ben Savage, who used the meeting as shakedown for KartStars. Yarwood is set to make the local debut of Arrow's 125 AX8 chassis in the ICC class at the next round of the APS CIK series.

Coming backfor more: Taz Douglas (#92) returnsfor another season in the Ford KartStars series. So can he be the next Mark Winterbottom?

M

ARK Winterbottom’s recent signing with the Stone Brothers V8 Supercar team shows what can happen to winners of the Ford KartStars series.

The 2001 KartStars Champion sits third (and top rookie) in the Australian Formula Ford Championship, and there is no reason why the winners of this years series can’t do the same.

Two Formula Ford Championship drives, plus test sessions with the Super Cheap V8 Supercar team, will give two winning karters more than just a foot in the door of professional motorsport.

Ford KartStars is set for its most ferocious year yet, all 32 seats filled prior to the opening round at Canberra on May 2526. In fact, this is the first time in the series' three year history the field has been full, and two drivers will find themselves non qualifiers at the opening round due to the circuit’s 30 kart limit.

A significant change has been made this year where competitors will be responsible for their own engines.

Previously, the promoters took care of maintenance and performance equalisation, however drivers can now have their engines built and tuned by any of the commercial builders.

IS May 2002

providing it remains within the specs of the Rotax MAX class.

The series remains a onemake (DPE)chassis formula using the 125cc MAX engine and Bridgestone control tyres.

Five drivers have competed in previous KartStars series, and of these. Josh Arandt, Taz Douglas (both of whom were very competitive in the final round last year) and Jason Varley rate has top five contenders.

Of the newcomers, most do not have a great deal of experience in the Rotax class, however, a number do, and two of those have direct connections to engine builders.

Melbourne drivers Jace Lindstrom and Clint Cathead have proven exceptionally quick, Lindstrom charging from last to third at the Victorian Championships, and Cathead winning three from three on his recent return from injury.

World Rotax Number two, Scott Auld, will surely be a pace setter and is rated a big chance.

There are plenty of other familiar faces jumping into KadStars, including CIK regulars John Grother and Adam Graham - both big on talent and stars in their own right, but without the experience in the Rotax class.

Ben Savage returns to the sped having taken a break for a

number of years. Savage was known as the King of Clubman racing for many years, and his venture into KadStars will be watched with interest, this what he considers to be his last chance to break into car racing.

Fifteen-year-old Cameron Farr steps up to KadStars having won his drive by taking out last year’s Junior Blitz suppod series.

South Australia’s Kyron Williamson and Victorians Troy Woolston and Nick Parker are rated as more than just dark horses, Woolston having recently taken his first National Championship and Parker now fully recovered from a broken collarbone.

A couple of Kiwis will be trekking west for each round to stick it to the Aussies. Chris Vender Drift, who has won every Junior event wodh winning in New Zealand, will be joined by Tony Chambers, while former UK resident Adrian Estasy returns for another shot at the title.

2002 KartStars Calendar Rd 1 Canberra May 25-26 June 15-16 Rd 2 Geelong July 20-21 Rd 3 Raleigh Rd 4 TBA, SA August 10-11 Rd 5 Ipswich September 15-16 (in conjunction with Qld 500)

n No Australians are entered for this year's World Formula Super A Karting Championship. Ben Horstman will be a non-starter following the withdrawal of the Biesse/Fox team.

Similarly, Troy Flunt has no chance of picking up a drive as Top Kart has also failed to put a FSA team together for 2002.

Swiss Flutless have also withdrawn from the Championship which sees several factory-backed Tony Kart and CRG teams, plus newcomers Gillard, Tecno, Lenzo and Trulli. The Championship kicks off in Belgium on June 2. n It was a smaller Jhan usual South Australian Open Championships this year, just 10 classes competing at Whyalla last month.

A number of drivers who have just moved up from juniors to seniors had success. South Australian youngsters Justin Garnett and Eddie Wignall winning Clubman Light and Senior National Light respectively.

The home state also registered wins in Clubman Heavy (Dwayne Blee), Junior National Light(Mason Merritt) and Junior National Heavy (Adam Rypers). Kym Pearce came out of retirement to take another Clubman Over 40s Championship while Victorians Leigh Gallace (Junior Clubman) and Robed Munnerley (Rookies) also had wins.

Results of Midgets and Senior National Heavy were under appeal at the time of going to print.

- MARK WICKS IS

mrace shop In ®®

RACESHOP 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 9596 5555 now!

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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 Airaaft aluminium Billet metals 2024T3, 6061T6, SCAT, Rresleeve

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Fully enclosed custom built race car transporters Professional race car logistic and event specialists Security for car and equipment Contact Neil Griffiths on 0418 474 816

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Hi Flow Alloy Heads

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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

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COMPOMOTIVE UOTOnSPOHT WHEELS

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The USA's first choice In race valve springs now available In Australia l As used by top US teams including Hendricks Motorsport (NASCAR),John Force(Funny Car), Warren Johnson(Pro Stock) l Specific super duly spring design for endurance(circuit, speedway and marine)or Drag Race applications deliver consistent pressures and longer spring life.

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r \Norl&% leaders in Motorsport Safety Technology Helmets ● Suits ● Boots ● Gl es ● Harm es ● Cre Geai ● and all accessories for all motorsports Quality ● Price ● Service Simpson Safety Equipment Australia 91 Rookt lod Road Yagoona NSW 2199

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Peter Finlay's International Racing Drivers School For more info ph 02 9873 1773, fax 02 9871 1018 or email peter@finlays.com.au

WWW.finlays.com Melbourne 44 Racecourse Rd North Melbourne 03 9326 6088

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Competition disc pads ● Race brakes ● Pagid ● Hawk ● Endless ● Performance Friction Over 10 years experience of brake modifications and upgrades for road and race. Caliper conversion 1, 2. 4 & 6 piston. Custom made disc rotors.

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

Description; Please keep adsto no more than 30 words, plus a photo if required.

Name: Address:

news;

NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS Please use the form provided and print dearly. Note: we are unable to return photographs used in classified ads. Ads will appear as soon as possible after receipt. *PREE Classifieds are for the safe of private gooch and vehkies only, not business advertising (Trade aefvertisers see Classifieds header for Photos marked “proof’ will not be used.

78

Ph(

) noiorsaon MCMfs

EDFREE

MARKET PLACE

Classifieds

■OCOC"

Sedans/Spoiis Cars

VR Commodore AUSCAR converted to flat track car, 308-450hp carburetted done 300400kms, Tex T 10, W ratio, Harrop front brakes, suit Sports Sedan or Future Tourer with some minor work. $26,500 ono, ph 0413 795 294,232

Forward to Motorsport News Free Classifieds, 357 Nepean Highway Brighton East 3187. Fax: 03 9596 5030. Email: mnews@mnews.com.au. Make sure to list your category.

Simpson harness, dual axle trailer, all in excellent condition (not for road registration), $8,000 ono, ph 02 4626 1935.232

Mazda RX3 Coupe, Improved Production car, #77, 2nd outright 2001 VMRC, 100% finishing record. 13B Bridgeport 5 speed 4.4 diff and new brakes. Heaps of spares. Fast reliable competitive car, ready to race. Phillip Island lm50s, Winton lm36s, Calder 65s. $12,000 with spares, ph Paul 0408 550 677 or 03 9729 1496.232

Torana SSports Sedan, 202 5 speed, fibreglass, quick and ready to race, spares include rims, spoilers, moulds, diff, springs, bootlid. Must sell due to new project. $8500 ono, ph Michael 02 4774 0607 (bh) or 02 4731 1574 (ah). 232

Torana A9X, GMP + A shell. Group C running gear. Complete. Built by Petter Molloy. Never raced or registered, 300km. Offers, ph 08 9306 3221.232 VR Commodore, 5.7 It Holden, new motor, injected, dry sump, Motec, 5 spd, Harrop front end, 6 pot brakes, spares etc. Running as a Sports Sedan. Ph Steve 07 3397 7833 (w) or 07 3398 4692 (ah). 232

Falcon EL Grp N spec, cage, fuel cell. Bilsteins, 18 wheels, spare engine plus heaps of spares, needs front panels suit SS or rally. $ 15,000 the lot, ph 02 9829 8700.232 RX7 Club Car, In] 13B, Wolf 3D, Needham 5sp, MS Full Floater rear with Torsen diff, 4 spots, adj front and rear platforms. Bilsteins. adj ■brake bias. alloy cage and fuel tank, two piece T/shaft. Very successful top car. Plenty of spares. $22,000, on 0418 824 282.232

GTP XR6 AUll Falcon, ex Longhurst as raced at Bathurst 99/00. Upgraded to AUll spec as per Procar requirements. Perfect entry level car. List of spares available. $35,000, ph Guy on 07 3343 1566. 232

15 Mav 2002

Series 5 13b Turbo, 3in exhaust.

Saloon Car #399 Commodore, two races since rebuild, some spares, 1.26sec lap at QR, no expense spared, $25,000, must sell. Ph 07 3209 8755 or 0409 875 894. 232Saloon Car EA Falcon, super service, race engine, very quick, Sparco seat, CAMS rego for National Series, comes with spare body shell. $17,000, ph 3808 5977.232 Mazda RX7 Club Car, reco auto style motor, reco CR g/box Bilsteins sup, 4 spot alloy brakes, many spares, $15,500 ph Andrew 03 9432 3259 (ah) or 03 9376 5222 (bh). 232 Nissan Skyline Sports Sedan, (Fat Thing) needs work but most of the hard stuff is done. Has 17x11 Simmons/new slicks etc. Call for more information. $10,000, ph 0418 244 266.232 Porsche 944 turbo, 5-speed left-hand drive, can be converted for Australian compliance. $ 11750 ono, ph 07 3800 7371 or 0412 578 474.232 Honda CRX zc twincam 5-speed 1/2 cage CAMS logbook, ao32 Yokohamas, some spares. $7000, ph 07 3800 7371 or 0412 578 474. 232 Ford EA 1989, Saloon car, front runner, finished 4th 2001 National Championship, no expense spared, ready to race. $27,000, ph 02 9636 5411.232

One of Australia's fastest Saloon Cars, fastest Saloon Car ever at QLD Raceway. Immaculately prepared and maintained. Sell complete with spares. Registered for current National Series. $27,000, ph John Lawrence 0400 851 851.231

r-

Ford EA 1989, Saloon car, front runner, finished 4th 2001 National Championship, no expense

ono, ph Frank Sola 0412 328 124 or 03 5940 2478.231

r'4

1

QLD Gemini Series car, consistently top 5, fastest laps etc. Top HP Superservice Centre engine. Could convert to rally or club car. Spent over $15,000 to set up. Forced sale, $4500 ono, ph 0438 592 771.231

/ /

D .. . -.-utyil

Current model 2002 Honda Integra Type R, This is a new car, travelled only 3500kms & is currently road registered. Car is race-ready with o/b Firebomb, h/d rollcage, Recaro seat, Sabelt harness, window net, kill switches, 2.0 engine, 6 speed trans, LSD & current CAMS logbook. Suit GTP/Targa/Improved Production etc. Perfect car/class winning package for Bathurst 24 hour.

Package is complete with all original Honda road going components, making an easy conversion back to road car. POA, Ph Carl 03 9783 1309 or 0414 725 758.231

Ford Capri 2.8 injection special, 1985 V6 5 speed PAS LSD leather recaros sunroof classic English muscle car, may trade Escort similar. $ 11950, ph 03 9888 7992 or 0419 335 670.231

"'●s.

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cvrrHS TBVWSw-

VS V8 Supercar, HRT-built, Din car body shell, Benson Holden engine with crossover ignition, Motec, Hoitinger gearbox, Harrop brakes and suspension. This car is brand new, will suit Konica Series, will trade, can finance, $65,000. Ph 0412 399 987.231

Suzuki Swift Group A, close ratio box. Bilsteins, Terratrip, Marchal lights, seats and harnesses, 16 wheels and tyres, spares including gearbox, cams, all suspension components, brakes etc. Everything you need to start rallying. Won the 1999 NSW PI class. 1995 and 1996 ARC A1 class. $11,500 ono.

Car trailer also available with tool box $1900 ono.

Ph Michael 02 9419 7639 or 0402 108 915.231

m' ^

1

Mazda RX7,

spared, ready to race. $27,000, ph 02 9636 5411.232

%

Toyota Corolla Improved Production car, 4 A.G.E. 20 valve engine. Autronic engine management, close ratio GRP, 4.3 LSD Sparco seat, Sparco 6 point harness, Koni suspension.

S 14.000 ph 07 3207 8559.232

t

absolutely free*

‘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 SIO 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.

Commodore Cup car, 253 blueprint by Chris Milton done lOOOkms, solid lift cam, 30 thou

HDT VC Group C, Marranello red, injected 355 stroker, super T10, LSD, Harrop rose jointed suspension with watts linkage, drop tank, roll cage, VL turbo brakes, HDT endorsement, papers, 33,000 original kms, engineers certificate, rego and RWC, $17,000 neg, ph 03 9899 4798 or 0409 290 576.232

2 issues

Ford Cortina TF, 351 Windsor fresh engine, alloy heads, roller cam. roller rockers, dry sumped, 600+ hp, big brakes. Koni fully adj shocks. Super t 10 box, full floater 9 inch fend diff, fab front end, big rose joints all round. Simmons wheels, all moulds, new paint. Ready to race for $25,000

South Eastern QLD Touring Car, also suit dub car or Sports Sedan. Fresh 202 - Brass Button clutch. 2 sets of racing tyres, all fibreglass moulds, fast reliable car, heaps of spares. Must sell. $3000 ono ph 02 6624 7593.231

TWO litre Sport Sedan, Ford Cosworth 4 Victorian tap records, 40 race wins, 3 Victorian club championships, 1999, 2000, 2001, 1 Vic State champion 2001. $27,000, ph 0438 128

Historic Group R Sports Racing Car, Auscam 13B PP Rotary. Buiit in 1978 by Auscam Developments using Elfin 600 components and raced by Ken Peters. A fast and successful car of the era and winner of 1982 Lakeside round of the Aust. Sportscar Championship. Restored to that era with current Log Book & Certificate of Description. This is now an URGENT SALE, so if you want to go fast and economical historic racing, price is reduced to $45,000 with enclosed tandem trailer. Ph 0413 121717. ,3i ?9

Datsun 240Z Targa Car, Fully prepared.Front runner in Class and Category. L28 Eng-HaltechBrantz. Many spares. $12,000 Ph:0417640775.231

Open Wheelers

tyres etc. RH side opens out, incorporating a fold down workbench. Sports wheels with new light commercial tyres. Fully registered and wired.

Trailer has only been used 3 times and is in immaculate condition. $3200. PACKAGE PRICE $8700, ph 0418 880 891.23!

Rail RT4/81 Formula Atlantic FT200 1600 BDA, complete as raced, $35,000 Aust, Ph Ken Smith NZ 64 9 274 8646 or fax 64 9 274 8642.232 Ralt RT4/81 Formula Atlantic FT200, complete minus engine, stored for 12 years. $25,000 Aust, ph Ken Smith NZ 64 9 274 8646 or fax 64 9 274 8642.232

Historic MG TC, built by Bruderlin & Thomas in NSW, 1958, ex-Peter Candy. New Tate ISOOcc supercharged eng. new wheels, tyres, brakes, excellent condition, $29,500, ph 03 9889 5777.232

Datsun. Hilbourne inj. Vertex magneto, dry'sump, Winters 2 1/2" slider rear end, Schroedeer box.

Sanders dirert mount front end, Willwood brakes, Sanders driveline, weld and Duralite wheels. Best money can buy, heaps of spares. $20,000 ono, ph Alshley 0412 979 158.232

1

r

Dallara 398, ex-Carlin Motorsport (British F3 Championship team), 1999 Indian GP winner (Narain Karthikeian), ex-Team BRM (Darren Palmer), 2nd 2001 Australian F3 championship (2 round wins). Package includes Dallara 398 chassis, factory prepared and maintained Speiss Opel engine, Bosch ECU, PI System 3 Version 6, two sets of wheels (one mounted with wets), spares includes front and rear floor, nosebox, nose cover, front wing, rear wing, numerous suspension pieces, barge boards, tyre ramps, lots more. A good selection of gear ratios, assistance POA, ph Bronte Bundle 08 8 8332 5585 (h). 08 8 8254 8444(w). or 0412 846 997 (m). 232

Dallara 396, ex-Z Speed Racing (British F3 Championship team) 1996 British championship (Martin Byford), ex-Team BRM (Daynom 3rd 2001 Australian F3 Templeman), championship (3 round wins). Package includes Dallara 396 chassis, factory prepared and maintained Speiss Opel engine, Bosch ECU, PI System 2 Club Expert Plus, two sets of wheels (one mounted with wets), spares includes front and rear floor, nosebox, nose cover, front wing, rear wing, numerous suspension pieces, lots more. A good selection of gear ratios, assistance $72,000, ph Bronte Bundle 08 8 8332 5585 (h), 08 8 8254 8444 (w), or 0412 846 997 (m). 232

Formula 2 Historic Group Q, restored and raceworthy, fresh Ford eng'ine, excel tyres, easy and cheap to maintain, $1 6.500, ph 0403 131

304.231

1^1

4

Xh

AX6 CIK Clubman Sprint Kart, w/ YAM KlOOs blueprinted motor both EC, comes with all neccessary extras. Ready to race. Also older style 2-kart marquee and registered 2-kart metalcovered, single-axle trailer, EC. Reluctant sale. $4500 ono.Th Peter Crawford 0407 880 194 (Vic). 231

Sprintcar chassis, 1995 Gambler low bar, complete with panel kit, lightweight crash bars and wing trees, motor plate, plus more, $1800, ph 0416 194 763.232

March 77B Cosworth,. Historic and hilldimb.

Approved in principle for Group R. Currently fitted with 495 bhp Cosworth Sierra engine. Ft 200. All original parts and many spares suppl'ied. ’ Must be sold NOW. Full info sheet available.. Ph Peter Finlay 02 9873 1773 or email pfirds@optush ome.com.au. 231

Speedway

Litre Sprintcar, Challenger chassis, 85 Mazda, Hilbourne inj, crank trigger inj, Schroeder box, Halibrand rear end, weld and Duralite wheels, Sanders driveline, good 'A' Grade car, spare wings, engine and components. $12,000ono, ph Alsh1ey04l2 979 158.23!

Sprintcar chassis, 1998 Avenger 'Safety Cage'.

Complete with lightweight motor plate, stainless steel crash bars, dash, floor, fibreglass panels with scoop, lightweight wing trees, plus more, 35 races, $2500, ph0416 194 763. 232 Sprintcar Maxim, three shows old, KSE steering.

Winters diff, Sanders wheels, Willwood brakes, complere roller, fresh powdercoat, new body, $20,000, ph 03 9735 1307.232 2001 Eagle Sprintcar, KSE steering. Winters diff, Sanders wheels, complete car, e/cond, 372 engine, alloy heads, Hilbourne inj, Carrilo rods, JE pistons, dry sump, $34,000, will sep, ph 03 9735 1307. 23!

Super Sedan chassis, AU Falcon, fibreglass bodykit complete less running gear, excellent condition, $2,000ono, ph 02 4730 3440 or 0419 989 010.232 Sprintcar fuei tank, midget size, fuel safe bladder and new top plate, good condition, $600, ph 0416 194 763.232 Standard Saloon, HQ 308 Saginaw gearbox, Salsbury diff, power steering, new suspension, c/w spare car, diffs, panels etc inci belts. Current Vic 3, ready to race. $3000, ph 03 5126 1563 ah, 03 5126 2822 bh, 0409 511, 774 mob. 232

Supersedan, 307 Chevy, Powerglide, Toyota dyna diff, little work req, suit board/country tracks + unreg trailer needs work, $1300, ph David 0427 611 030 (Sydney). 231

s. i

As new Hamlin 2 Kart trailer, complete with extended front storage area with separate entry, full storage racks for spares, including wheels.

BO

Holden 6 cylinder. Bill Mann bottom end. XUl spec cylinder head. Brass button race clutch, roller rockers. High volume oil pump. Romac harmonic balancer. 35/75 cam. Just been freshened up.

Strong street/strip/track engine. $1200 ono, ph 02 6624 7593 ah. 232

Formula Ford Swift 93F, completely rebuilt front to back. Total engine rebuild, clutch new wiring loom, some spares, 4 spare wheels and tyres, some panels. $18,060 ph 0409 337 378.231

891.232

Arrow AX6 chassis, complete with Yamaha 1OOJ engine. Motor has only had 3 practice sessions (not raced) and is in 'as new' condition. Overail kart Is in excellent condition and is ready to race. $2600, ph 0418 880 891. 232

Drag Racing Carby tool tray, Moroso, $160, Carby: Gold Claw 825, Barry Grant, $1450, Collectors: (merged) 2 1/4" x 4", Smiley's, $330 pair. Con rods: 6" - large journal, Carillo and CARR bolts, $3200, Filler neck - billet, Aurospace, $270, Flex plate bolts, 7/16" (Chev/Ford), ARP, $30, Fluldampner 7 1/4" for internal balance $620, fuel regulator (billet) - 2 port, Aurospace, $200, mounts (engine) - Eurathane, TCI, $200 pair, mount (trans) - Eurathane, TCI suit T-350, $60, oil filler cap - Billet, Stef's, $50, shifter - quarter stick, Hurst suit 350 + 400, $350, shifter Solenoid (1-2 shift), Hurst (suit above), $250, shifter cover, Hurst (suit above), $120, Shifter knob - carbon fibre, Hurst (suit above), $70, Tappet covers - carbon fibre (tall), $350, Telescopic fuel log - billet, DaVinci - suit 950 carb $330, Thermo switch, Moroso, $60, Trans shield - Kevlar, CSI Turbo 350 $680, trans sump - aluminium, Stef's Turbo 350 $360, trans cooler -r 10" fan, Perma-Cool $380, trans dip stick - chrome, suit Turbo 350 $80, trans dip stick - Billet, suit Turbo 350, $160, ph 0418 228 438.232

Engines

si

K2000 Arrows chassis, (Silver Arrow) complete with Yamaha 1005 (Blueprinted) engine. This is a very competitive kart which has only been raced in three events and has been meticulously maintained. Ready to race, $3400 ph 0418 880

Litre Sprintcar NSW 95, Gerhardt Highbar, Kawasaki. Motec fuel injection. MTC head 8 plugs. Falican crank, Wiseco pistons. Kirkey seat, 16 wheels and tyres, as new and much more. All offers considered, ph 02 4973 1681.232

top wing & front wing plus all new fibreglass. $12000.00 Ph 0438.387.892 (Vic) 23.

Litre Sprintcar, Ellis Speedcar chassis, new 15

AMCA National RHD Redline chassis, competitive race car with spares and trailer, $11,000 ono, ph 08 8557 7408 or 0408 898 542.231 Sprintcar- Gambler, late model highbar 40 inch car, 30 inch torsion bars, 18 race meets, complete roller (no motor or seat), KSE power steering.

Winters 4.86 diff, Willwood brakes, midget tank.

Chev V8 Supercar engine. Current spec, Benson original build, Bowtie block, Morrison inlet manifold, 18 deg weltech hand-finished heads, C.R crank, Carillo rods, T&D rockers, Geardrive Isky Cam, WGR molly sump. Genuine 610hp/ 456ft/lp.

Complete with 4 stage oil pump, Motec injection harness, alternator, lightweight flywheel, AP clutch, fabricated engine mounts, braided lines, distributor caps and leads. Maintained by Neil Burns. Fully history, kms and dyno sheets. $34,500, ph 0418 551 170.231 Chev 302, Buick heads, titanium vlaves, Hogan sheetmetal intake, Holley 660 Centre Squirters, Roller Cam, Jessel rockers and belt drive, Bowtie block, dry sump and pump, Lunatti crank 15.8 to 1 comp, alum rods, engine brand new, never run, top hp, built by Les Heinz. $23,000, ph 0438 006 912.231 Chev 3581, Bowtie block, Lunatti crank, Carillo rods, Pontiac 867 alum heads, stainless roller rockers, forged pistons, Holley strip dom manifold, dry sump and pump, engine fresh, ready to run, never started. Built by Paul Rogers. $16,000, ph 0438 006 912.231

Pans Brake pads, EBC Greenstuff, front and rear, suit VX/VT SS Commodore, street/track use, only on car for three weeks (never used on track), $145 ono for both sets, ph 08 8266 3214.232 Hollinger gear set, 8 dog straight cut VS/VT input will separate, 5 stud speedline wheels suit Holden Supercar/Sports Sedan $2800, VS tailshaft suit 6 speed $500, JFZ adjustable rear coil over shocks POA, Endless pads MA45 new. Roller rockers T&D 450 offset Chev $1200, Isky 150' offset roller litters $300, ph 0417 558 452. 232 Chev Pro Action, 14. heads, hand ported, brand

motorsport nows

A1ARKET PLACE new with flow sheets, $7500. ph 08 9349 8959 or 0414 349 895 (Perth). 232

oil pumps, exhaust collectors, fuel cell accessories, oil filters, quicklift jacks, ratio boxes, radiator caps, springs, spoilers, wings etc. CCI Ph 0418 925 767. l Uprights, fabricated/cast, fronts/rears, various sizes, new/used, also CVs, driveshafts, wishbones, rockers, pushrods, all top quality, exc condition.

CCI Ph 0418 925 767.

dual air cond, cruise control, dual tanks and batteries, seats 4, double bed, under storage, CD mod plates RWC, $8900, ph 07 5596 6432.23,

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

Transporters/Trailers

Sequential four speed bolt on shifters, for Toploader, T/10, Muncie and other Aussie four speed. For more info http://renegate.com. Ph 03 9807 1334 or 0417 107 140.232 Car bra to suit Lantra, VGC, black, $100, ph 03 5331 4023.232 6 cylinder parts for sale, 2 cam shafts, 35/75 (Ivan tyre) and a 104 waggot. Romac bolt on harmonic balancer 1.6 chev roller rockers with guide plates and brass bobbins. 2 veriejet carbys ex-malrose, ex-Hallidays engineering, ported and flowed blue motor manifold, JP high volume water pump, steel 186 crankshaft, finer filler air filter. $450 ono, ph 02 6624 7593 ah. 232 Tilton master cylinders, 7/8" x 2 c/w Tilton balance bar and 7-pos lever prop valve. All unused, urgent sale. $700, ph 03 5766 2815.222 Bridgestone 4 225/50/16 5205 race tyres, new $600. Ph 0419 708 647 (Brisbane). 23.

6 speed gearbox, Toyota or Mazda MX5, reputedly good for 300+ hp, negligible miles. $2000, ph Terry 07 3814 3762.231 Chev SB Bowtie aluminium heads complete with 2.02/1.60 valves. Crane roller rockers, ex drag car, $4500. MSD-7A electronic system $750. Mallory Unilite distributor $130. Predator 930 cfm carburettor $350. Ph Jim 0419 552 875 (Mel). 231 6 Cylinder parts for sale, 2 cam shafts, 35/75 (Ivan tye)and a 104 waggot. Romac bolt on harmonic balancer 1.6 chev roller rockers with guide plates and brass bobbins. 2 veriejet carbys ex-malrose, exHalliays engineering. Ported and flowed blue motor manifold, JP high volume water pump, steel 186 crankshaft, finer filter air filter. $550 or nearest offer. Please phone 02 6624 7593 ah. 231 Subaru Impreza suspension - Drummond 60mm Super Strut, new, no 2066-2071, 3 front 3 rear, 4 springs $13,5000. Bilstein Prodrive Safari spec 2 front 2 rear 120km use, serviced $10,900.

Ph Tim 03 9555 2144 bh. 231 Brembo 6-spot calipers, new, $6000, ph 03 6243 6000 or 03 6249 2684 ah. 23. ● Race seats, top quality imported race seats at wholesale prices. Ph 02 6562 7762 or 0412 785 486.

i

Enclosed racecar trailer 18', absolutely first class in design and appearance, full internal fit-out including purpose-built parts cabinets, tyre and fuel, storage spare diff and front axle rack, bench, fluro lighting, 7 kva generator, 12 CFM compressor, ROH wheels with light truck tyres, aluminium cheq, plate floor and front stoneguard, electric brakes with breakaway, power points, safety switch, side door, nosecone.

One owner, used for sprintcar. $16,000, ph 0416 194 763. 232

● Air jacks, new/used, large range, most applications, quick release handles available, top quality. C.C.I. Ph 0418 925 767. ● Brake calipers, discs, pads. Mega range, new/used, exc condition - AP, Alcon, Brembo, Outlaw, Willwood. Overnight delivery, CCI Ph 0418 925 767.

UD transporter 28ft pan, rebuilt engine, new brakes, driveline, living quarters, 240/12v power. fully equipped. professionally built cupboards, aero kit, CD player, sleep 5, belly lockers. $45,000, ph 03 9735 1307.232 'VT'

3

ISMiy 2002

MoflorSporlToursi l One call does it all - Event List Darwin, Supercars, 17-19 May, fr $649pp, Canberra 400, 7-9 June, fr $499pp, Barbagallo WA, 28-30 June, fr $499pp. Hidden Valley, Darwin, 22-25 August, Legends of Motorsport, fr $649pp, QLD 500, 13-15 September, fr $249pp, V8 SUPERCAR 1000 - BATHURST, 1013 OCTOBER, fr $319pp, Phillip Island, 18-20 October, fr $319pp, MOTO GP Championship, from $379pp, Honda Indy 300, 24-27 October, fr $399pp. Stadium Australia, 26 October, World Solo Speedway Champs Final fr $399pp, NZ V* SUPERCARS AVAILABLE SOON. Most packages include accommodation b/fast, ticketing, transfers, MST event pack, gst, booking & service fees. Enquiries & Bookings call the team at Motor Sport Tours Pty Ltd Ph. 07 4691 5833 Fax 07 4691 5733 Mobile 0412 900 228, Postal Address PO BOX 83 Oakey QLD 4401.

Email - motorsportours@ozemail.com.au Web - www.motorsportours.com 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.

dU

tt6m

Enclosed trailer 27' long, stainless steel benchtops, cupboard space, electric rear door, hydraulic tongue jack, US built, good condition. $14,000, ph 0438 006 912. 232 Coach transporter, 37ft mid-mount, 250hp, turbo Volvo, 4 speed, pre-selected gearbox, air brakes, tubeless tyres, excellent condition, $14,000 ph 02 4730 3440 or 0419 989 010. 232 Trailer single axle, full ckecker plate floor 12 X 7'6 electric brakes, jockey wheel, suit Formula Ford/Vee etc. Good condition, $1,375, ph 0412 421 125 (Bris). 231

Mitsubishi 1985 FK415K, Hyd tailgate loader and ramps, bull bar, long range tanks, 6 cyl diesel, 5 speed 5.4m van roller doors, reg 1/2001, RWC, EC, $19,750, ph 0417 581 443.231

● Hewland, DG8, 5 speed transaxle, top condition, new 9:31 CWP, ratio choices and spares available, $14K ratios, over 300 in stock to suit DGB, GFGB, TPT, FT200. CCI Ph 0418 925 767. ● Oil coolers - heat exchangers, Earls, Setrab, Serck, 6-70 row, new/used, also used water to oil heat exchangers, over 100 in stock. CCI Ph 0418 925 767, ● Racecar parts, brake parts, chassis stands, diff

Isuzu NPR 400 turbo, 5 mt alloy pan, rego 5/02, good lyres, air con, 240v shelving, tyre rack, side door, tailgate lifter to suit FFord, Sports Car. $11,750 ono, ph Greg 07 5446 7611 or 0411 052 944.23.

■e- aw'sc

● 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. ● Pedals, brake/clutch, floor mount/hanging, new/sued. Also available, bias valves, bias cables, master cylinders, reservoirs etc. CCI Ph 0418 925 767.

Alloy pan, suits Isuzu SBR, cab over storage, will take two Formula Fords or Sedan, winch, alloy ramps, workbench, storage drawers, tyre racks, side door, gas ram rear door, full length annexe and sides, $6000, ph Greg 0411 052 944.23.

:li

> >

r

Ford 350 1984, Good paint, full LPG, reconditioned engine, transmission, brakes, hydraulics, radiator, new tyres, new air con and sleeper cab, new upholstery, new steering, winch, full annexe. Vehicle was reconditioned from the chassis up 18 months ago with only 8000km since. The rear lifts with electric/hydraulics for esy loading and short ramps. Rear size 5.2m x 2.4m. $25,000, ph 0411 072 965 or 02 9610 5994.231

289 or email mustang_australia@mbox.com.au. 231 Race suit/Kit for sale. Revolution Racegear, Trans Am kit. 5ize Medium Tripple Layer Nomex blue/white suit, 5ize 8 1/2 Le Mans high boots, large gloves with full underwear set. Used once for cams 2 day course, never raced in cost new $1270.00 5elling $1000.00 Call Ian on 0249664434, Mobil 0439081156.23.

CF Bedford 308, turbo 350, 9" dual diff.

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. $13,500 Ph 07 4978 0078 or 0408 754 191.231

Other Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon XE Bathurst 1984 Palmer Tube Mills Biante 1:18 scale model, mint condition and boxed. No 658 of only 5100 produced. This model is very rare and highly sought after. Personally signed by Dick himself. $500, ph 03 9720 5667. 232 Queensland Raceway Competitor Level pass, free practice, circuit entry, discounts, VIP carparking and other member benefits, $1250 plus transfer fee, ph Matt 0419 728 701. 232 John Force Collection, 14 1/64 scale, Aaion cars in packets, 2 1/43 scale Corgi cars, 1 1/4 scale helmet. $180, ph 02 9987 0330.232 Automobile Yearbooks, 14-34 (1966-1986) excellent condition. 1958, 1959, 1960 & 1963, no cover sleeves on these four. $1000 the lot, ph 02 9987 0330. 232 Motor Racing Programmes, Amaroo Park (10) 1973-78, Wanvick Farm (6) 1972-73, Oran Park (47) 1971-85, Liverpool Speedway (9) 1976-79. $150 ono the lot, ph 02 9987 0330.232 Complete set of Peter Brock plates, 17 in total, all in original boxes and with certificates of authenticity. $1500 the set or make an offer, ph 6292 1670 or 0412 055 377. 232 Automobile year, 17 and 18 $225 each, 19, 20 and 21 $180 each. Bathurst and James Hardie 1000 Yearbooks 1981-88 $40 each, many more items available. Ph 0411 404 560 ah. 232 Driving suits, FIA approved. Flamecrusher lightweight GP cool suit. Black/yellow, small size, used once. Cost $850, sell $700. 3 layer suit, blue/white/red, medium size, used once. $595.

Ph 02 9726 7331.231

Phoiooraohs -iiSlilE f

● Mallala Flistoric races, Easter Mallala photographs for sale. For details phone Peter Bachelor 08 8634 5310.231

Wanted Drivers required for 12 hr Malaysian enduro and 24 hr Bathurst enduro, must have budget. Brand new carl Call Kosi 0419 524 752.232 Kerry George Kokotis, a driver with awesome ability looking for a chancel In V8 Supercars, Konica, or GTP! I don't promise podiums, I promise top 10! I'm a driver, ph 0418 835 727, 232 Disc Rotors, AP or Brembp ventilated 13" (330 mm) x’30 mm thick without top hats, must be in useable condition. Ph 0415 621 898 or 0408 162 762 (Sydney). 232 Dymag 1 piece wheels wanted to suit Ralt RT4, any style from three to seven spoke or slotted, rear wheels must be 14" wide only. Ph John 0418 736 869 bh or Tony 07 3359 4222 ah. 232 Pit crew required by a Melbourne-based Super Touring Team on a voluntary basis. Previous experience an advantage but not neccessary. All expenses paid by the team. Ph 03 9790 5322 or 0409 023 060. 232 Sponsors wanted for 2002 Konica V8 Supercar team. All budgets catered for. Maximum exposure guaranteed. First in, best dressed. Ph Daniel 0419 257 921.231 Bolwell Mark 4, any condition, if good condition OK but very happy to completely rebuild if neccessary. Ph 0418 272 491, 231 Position Vacant, Part time/full time mechanics, req experience in tuning, dyno, engine prep, pestige, performance, race preferred. Ph Bill 03 9588 1725 or email duvall@satlink.com.au. 231

Australian Motor Racing Yearbooks, No 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 24, 25, all in perfect condition. $30 to $200 each. Ph Bob 0402 068 289 or email mustang_australia@ mbox.com.au.23i

Hillman Imp, wanted parts and information on building to Historic Nb class specifications.

Chasing parts and photos. Ph 08 9495 4170. 231 Wanted to buy, Improved production Commodore/Commcdore Cup car. Minus engine and gearbox. Ph Colin 08 8671 2775 or 0417 655 2 2 3 . 231

James Hardie - The Great Race books, 81/82, 83/84, 84/85, 85/86, 86/87, 87/88-95, 96, 97, 98, all in good condition from $30. Ph Bob 0402 068

Motor racing programs, any track, Ph Bob 0402 068 289 or email mustang_australia@ mbox.com.au. 211

81

OPINION

motorsport

news

EDITORIAL STAFF 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

In need of support Yes. That says it all Mr Cotterell(MN #230)unfortunately in the wrong context.

How about the next time the Sport Sedans are at a track near you, you take the time to come down and meet the competitors you so readily tip a bucket on?

We are easy to find. Just walk past the garages and the tar sealed area till you get to the back paddock. I will ensure you meet Tony Ricciadello who with the support of his family, brings his car from Perth to the eastern states five times a year, to hopefully complete two 12 lap races for your entertainment. I am sure he will apologise for not fronting for the second race after blowing an engine.

How about you meet Kerry Baily? He was at Phillip Island having come all the way from Queensland. I am sure he, too, will apologise for bu3dng a dud set of plugs. And Mick Monterrosso from Adelaide who at least finished, albeit with a busted gearbox.

You may find that you are moved to compliment a group of competitors who fund their own racing, build and prepare their own cars at home in their spare time. They then set lap times faster than the best-funded V8 Supercar teams.

These guys do it with a passion and love for the sport that is belittled by your comparison to a

field ofHQs.

Yes, we had an unfortunately high rate of attrition at our first round but come to the next round at Oran Park and we will do our best to entertain you, whatever the price.

Barry Jameson National Sport Sedan Association

Waving the flag

I have just finished reading Peter Jolly’s letter (MN#230), and I thought I had to get my ten cents worth in.

I couldn’t agree more with what Peter has said. We have a wealth of talent available here, and what do the big teams do? Get a driver in from Europe who’s never driven a V8 Supercar or even raced at Bathurst before. And look what happens to the likes of Matt Neal, Alain Menu, Scott Pruett, Muller/Plato etc.

I have spent two years racing in Europe, and having an Aussie flag on the side of the car did me no real favours. The sponsors wanted a local driver, the teams wanted some one who knew the circuits and the spectators have never heard your name!

converter Send us your thoughts: mail: 357 Nepean Highway, Brighton East, VIC 3187 fax: 03 9596 5030 email: mnews@mnews.com.au

(Although if I had enough of a budget they didn’t seem to care!)

Coming back to Australia was my only hope of continuing my career.

Now don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against these guys, but, surely with the amount of drivers with real experience in the category, circuits, climates, language and identifiable to the fans, who needs the added pressure of getting an international driver up to speed in all those areas?

All I’m saying is give us a crack at it; if no-one is available THEN look offshore. After all, it is an Australian championship isn’t it?

Nic Lucas Nlr01@hotmail.com

Disgusted Having just watched the Austrian GP, I find myself totally disgusted, not with Ferrari, but with Michael Schumacher.

Although I feel the points gap between Schumacher and Montoya is more than enough for team orders NOT to come into play, I

can understand them to a certain extent.

If I was in Barrichello’s shoes, I would not be upset with Ferrari’s decision, but Michael Schumacher’s actions are the ultimate insult.

Barrichello knows that M.Schumacher is the No.l driver and team orders apply at Ferrari. Mr Schumacher’s actions after the event are what I would consider h3fpocritical.

Mr Schumacher was apparently quite upset at the teams decision to deprive Rubens of a well deserved victory. Well, I don’t buy that Mr Schumacher!!! Actions speak louder than words. If he was so upset, why did he pass Rubens? Regardless of what the team decided, didn't Schumacher have the final decision? And by passing him, didn’t Schumacher take that decision?

As for giving the top step of the podium and the trophy etc to Rubens, I find it insulting, considering what I have just mentioned. If anything, it shows Rubens is one hell of a strong character to accept that sort of treatment.

I would also like to know why Mr Schumacher wasn’t asked in the post race press conference why, if he felt it was so wrong, did he pass Barrichello?

I understand and accept the decision of the team was made in their best interests, however for Michael Schumacher to take those actions, and pretend to be upset about it, is shameful.

Tarek Elgammal Ramsgate, NSW MG:The post-race press conference becaihe really interesting after the televised unilaterals ended. For more details, check the What They Said’page in this issue’s Austrian Grand Prix report.

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The joy of ‘victory’: Ferrari's ‘Championship at all costs' policy won them few friends in Austria.

(Pboto by MaraWBOTHWELL) Rioiorspoit news

www.dir.com.au

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