Motorsport News Issue 283 - May 12-25, 2004

BIG CHANGES FOR V8 CALENDAR HE

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Australia $5.95 NZ $7.50 inci GST NO. 283 May 12-25 2004

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motorsport

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Issue 283

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12 — 25 May 2004

news and opinion 4

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Craig Bounds? If FPR don’t shape up, is it ship out?

7 Nomex Kilt Dept Cleland heading back for enduros 8 SirroKiwi Morris and Baird could seek revenge for '97 'll FI numbers 3.0, 2.4 and $700 million 13 Jos in yellow The Boss heads for the Jordan 25 Motor Mouth Tassie, watch out, Marcos is coming home 26 Box Seat Not so much the FI army as Dad’s Army 82 Talk Converter What? No NASCAR? You cads!

featnres 28 Five Minutes With Rob Nguyen Fle’s home and he’s gained 1000 30 Rve Minutes With Andy Jones Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to Bathurst we go 32 Triple the fun Betta’s Roland Dane is making room for some trophies 36 Engineering the future Claude Rouelle explains it is not all smoke and mirrors 40 Safety Thirst Documenting FI’s amazing advances in safety 46 Indy Brit Dan Wheldon looks forward to the greatest spectacle in motorsport 48 500 Greatest Hits Just some of the amazing stories from the Indy 500 52 Quiz time No, you may not phone a friend. Yes, you may use the internet

race couerage

54 Australia. Malaysia. Bahrain. San Marino. Spain If this keeps, we will need two hands to count Schumacher’s trophies

SRTA

8t0 CKANOeS FOR V8 CALINOAR

62 Asia comes to Canberra Dean Herridge does it all 5S-.? over again in the Asia-Pacific Championship opener

MMS

regulars

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Photos: Cover: Dirk Klynsmithi. ; Ford Racing Media ( j Contents; AF1-Images. Dirk k' Klynsmilh, sutton-images.com, ijl Ford Racing Media and Joel A' Strickland

Triples

I rrormula

Shuey mahi

64 Rallying

66 Speedway

68 Drag Racing

70 National Scene

75

Marketplace 3

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FPR form slum

Calendar Shakeup Big changes coming in 2005- and a 14th round?

by PHIL BRANAGAN V8 SUPERCAR racing is to undergo a significant change to its calendar in 2005, with new events and, potentially in the future, a 14-race schedule.

That is one of the major items up for discussion at this week's AVESCO board meeting. The changes are being made, in part, to accommodate AVESCO's deal to conduct rounds at Symmons Plains for the next five years (see separate story).

As part of the proposed plan, Eastern Creek would host only one round of the championship.

The Sydney track hosted both its ARDC-promoted round and the V8 Grand Finale last year and is due to do so again this December, though its agreement to host the final round with AVESCO Events, which promotes the final event, expires after this year's final

round on December 3-5.

AVESCO Chairman Tony Cochrane would not elaborate on the proposed changes other than to say; "We do want to have a more balanced calendar," he said.

"We do not want to have so many rounds in one state."

That reference is obviously directed at New South Wales, which has four events this' season; two at Eastern Creek and one each at Bathurst and Oran Park.

MNews sources suggest that the planned changes will allow two races each in NSW, Queensland and Victoria plus one each in Western Australia, Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory, There will also be international events in New Zealand and, from next year, China. The AVESCO board is also considering adding a second NZ event in alternate years from 2007 - though we

understand that the board's support for this initiative is by no means unanimous.

So, even without any other new events, that indicates that a 14th round will be mandatory in some years and that another venue could 'dovetail' the extra round with NZ. While the Tasmania round this year will be in November, we believe that the round will move to an earlier date in the calendar next season and that November will see another round have its date moved. That will avoid the potentially difficult situation that would see the season finish with three AVESCO Events rounds - Bathurst (which AE will take over from IMG Motorsports next season), Symmons and the Grand Finale.

Tasmania 'inherited' its 2004 date from the Shanghai event, which was postponed until 2005 following problems with the circuit.

CRAIG Lowndes could be headed for his fourth different Ford team in five years if the fortunes of Ford Performance Racing don't lift in the near future.

MNews sources are suggesting that patience is starting to wear a little thin at blue oval headquarters and that FPR will need a clear turn around,and soon,if Lowndes is to remain part of the squad.

And there are some startling options among the possible destinations if a change is engineered.

A simple lack of performance in

Crennan dismisses HSV/PWR link

HSV boss John Crennan is countering the strong rumours, which did the rounds in NZ,that the perfonnance car company will take a shareholding in PWR Racing, Kees Weel's V8 Supercar team, which took its first round win at Pukekohe with Jason Bright.

"There's someone out there boxing at shadows, trying to destabilise PWR and the long-standing relationship between us and HRT," he told MNews this week.

"1 think 1 know who it is and 1 wish they'd find something better to do ...

"Our DNA is inextricably linked with HRT. Things may not be going as well as the\' might be on the race track for HRT at the moment, but we can work on that. We will be working to make sure the original model, the successful race team, returns.

"We decided late last year that we would structure a deal so that all the Holden Motor Sport teams carried some FISV identity and they do. That's all tlu'ic is to it."

All six HR'F, PWR Racing and Kmart Racing Commodores currently carry u-ont air dam FISV signage.

4

Nevertheless, MNews understands that HSV owner Tom Walkinshaw has expressed a desire to own a race team in Australia again.

Unconfirmed reports suggest he may have made an offer (turned down) to Mark Skaife to re-acquire HRT and that PWR may have represented a Plan B option ...

AT the same time, Crennan has suggested that former HRT star Craig Lowndes would be welcome back on the red side of the fence as and when and if his relationship with Ford ceases (see other story).

"We're not in the business of inducing people to breach their contracts, but if Craig was in a position to choose. I'm sure the door would be wide open," he told MNews.

"1 no longer run a race team, so you would have to talk to those that do but, in my view, it is a great shame that the sport lost a hero and that he has been subjected to this ridiculous battle to get into a competitive situation.

"Contracts are contracts, but if something's just not working - as was the case four years ago - you work something out, you have to be realistic ..." motorsport news

NEWS

Craig jump?

p could prompt Ford to move star driver

What’s brewing at Bathurst...

IT'S big and it's brewing. Okay, it's Bathurst. Expect a pretty significant announcement tomorrow (Thursday) about the future of The Great Race.

We are sworn to secrecy but the main players in the V8 Supercar business will be at the Mountain, so keep your eyes open and watch for smoke signals. n And there's a bit brewing on the enduro co-driver hunt. The big question over the last few weeks has been just where will Alex Davison end up? Our spies tell us that Castrol Perkins is leading in the race to score his signature but other Holden teams haven't given up hope on the Carrera Cup speedster. n Inoroutof sequence? Our flies on the wall at TEGA tell us that a control gearbox is on the agenda for possible introduction in 2005.

Furthermore, we hear that the idea of using the opportunity to introduce a sequential change mechanism is very much favoured. As one team owner confided to MNews, "as it is, every time you test co-drivers, new drivers, someone misses a gearand that can be costly ..."

both engine and chassis has hampered the performance of the FPR Falcons during 2004, except in wet conditions, and there are signs of tension within the team itself.

Lowndes represented a substantial investement by Ford back in early 2001 and, through circumstances often outside of Ford and Lowndes's control (ie the breakdown of the Gibson/Forbes aUiance), the company simply hasn't reaped the on-track results that level of investment demanded.

Indeed, Ford's success over the past two or tliree seasons has come almost entirely from one of its 'armslength' teams. Stone Brothers Racing.

Ford only has one more year before Craig's five-year contract expires. If it plans to retain Lowndes, some success is necessary.

Lowndes's primary contract is with Ford, which sub-contracts him to the team for which he drives. That contract is, we are told, watertightalthough MNews understands that the degree of water-tightness may have been examined recently.

However,the likelihood of an early end to that contract (ie a move back to Holden)is considered very, very small - not to mention the dilemma of where he could comfortably fit in to the current Holden line-up.

So, Lowndes will stay at Ford - but where? Witliin the corridors at 12 Ma» 2004

n There'll be a new face in Stone Brothers Racing warpaint at the next round of the V8 Supercar Series in Darwin. Former PROCAR Category Manager Brian Lawrence has joined SBR in a role to partly fill that of the departed Mark Roworth. Expat Kiwi Lawrence will be in charge of servicing commercial partners of the squad.

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■ Nations Cup Monaro man Nathan Pretty will be back with the Valvoline/GRM squad for Sandown and Bathurst. The former Bathurst 24 Hour champion will drive the team's #33 VY Commodore while regulars Garth Tander and Cameron McConville pair up in #34. A fourth driver for the squad is yet to be named or indeed finalised, though Pretty’s NC rival, Allan Simonsen, seems likely.

i Broadmeadows, MNews understands the philosophy is evolving into quite a simple one - why waste an expensive, talented driver in anytliing other than a top team with a proven, top car?

On current form, that philosophy suggests just two clear options Stone Brothers or Triple 8, the latter talcing great strides since its change of ownership last year.

As is usual in these circumstances, nobody wiD talk on tlie record about the situation. Lowndes, as liis personality dictates, continues to smile through the disappointments.

But beltind closed doors MNews imderstands the possibility of change is being discussed.

Ford owns the contracts of Lowndes, Marcos Ambrose, and Russell Ingall. It can engineer just about any permutation and placement it feels is best.

Our bet? Early days, but how about a three-way swap: Lowndes to SBR; IngaU to Triple 8; Paul Radisich (rumoured to be considering relocating to Melbourne at the end of tlie year) to FPR? It's only May, but, as they say, watch this space...

■ Study at Monash University?

Thought you saw a Team Dynamik Commodore Supercar in the wind tunnel there lately? Well your eyes aren't playing tricks, it is indeed one of the Adelaide squad's machines doing a week's worth of research.

But we here that there are strong pushes to get Formula Ford Champ Neil McFadyen behind the wheel of a V8 in the main game prior to the endures.

If a deal came off, it wouldn't be at the expense of Dale Brede, rather an additional car. And of course, there are a couple of Level 2 franchises out there that need a car run at Queensland Raceway and a few other rounds to satisfy the rules ...

5

Brabs bai Spoptscap ace to join Kel

Same track, different line-up: Perkins paired up with Steven Richards at Bathurst last year but lacked the outright pace. It's not a lock that Jim will join his son in 2004 ...

Hold those V8 Castrol horses

by PHIL BRANAGAN THE driving lineups for the Castrol Perkins Holden team are not settled for the endurance races - and that includes whether Larry Perkins will drive himself.

While many have assumed that Steven and Jim Richards would be sharing the lead #11 Commodore at Sandown and Bathurst, Perkins will not say whether the father and son combo will share a car or suit up with other drivers in the team.

"1 have not identified where he(Jim) will drive yet," said LP this week.

"You never know -and I don't need to have my mind made up until much later."

Perkins also says that he is yet to settle on whetlier he will drive and,if so,in what car and mth whicli co-driver.

"There are a lot of things on my mind that I have to deal with before that," he said.

One factor that comes into the equation is what the Rod Nash Racing and Toll Racing entries will do for the races.

"I influence(Anthony) Tratt only as a friend," Perkins said.

"He is aware that he would be best to pick a driver who would not only do a good job but someone who would fit in to the Toll team."

One thing that will be different by the time the endurance races occur is that the teams will all have the same hardware.

Perkins Engineering is pressing ahead with the construction of its fourth Commodore VY, which Tony Longhurst will race in the second half of the season after driving the ex-DumbreU VX in the early part of the year.

Tomas tees off IF you ever meet Tomas Mezera oir the first tee at a golf course, hide your money.

The former Bathurst winner played in the Queensland Amateur Golf championship last month and, despite missing the cut, handled himself pretty well. With the cut set at 3-over par, Mezera's rounds of 77 at Redcliffe and 78 at Royal Queensland were not enough for him to get a spot for the weekend.

"It was a tough event," said Mezera."The fairways were wet and they set the courses long,so that made it tough. But I hacl no double bogeys, and only one three-put."

Mezera, who plays off a handicap of four, ended the second day 180th out of a field of 293 players. He was also the oldest player in the event, which attracted players from every state in Australia and New Zealand.

The Castrol Perkins endurance driver 6

Msrsball Cass

EXPECT David Brabham to return to Shell Helix Racing for the V8 Supercar endurance races at Sandown and Bathurst.

The expat Aussie, who has been something of a Sportscar free agent over the past 18 months, looks odds-on to return to DJR after driving alongside Max Wilson in the enduros last year.

He would join team regulars Steven Johnson and Warren Luff in addition to the outfit's Konica Minolta Series pace setter Owen Kelly.

Just what the final driving combinations are remains to be seen.

Kelly, who drives the team's Fujitsu-backed AU Falcon in the feeder series, has shown plenty of pace but hasn't been able to translate it into direct results.

He currently sits seventh in the championship.

Brabham has plenty of V8 Supercar and Bathurst experience apart from his run with DJR last year.

He made his debut in The Great Race in 1993 alongside Anders Olofsson in a Winfield/Gibson Commodore, finishing fourth and Rookie of the Year.

He has since competed alongside Wayne Gardner and won the 1997 AMP Bathurst

VSsretfim

Five year deal; AVESCO Events to promot

AFTER a five-year absence, V8 Supercar racing is returning to Tasmania.

The penultimate round of the 2004 series will take place at Symmons Plains on November 12-14, the date originally allocated to the postponed Shanghai round. The series will continue to cross the Tasman to the track until 2008.

The deal was announced by

AVESCO Chairman Tony Cochrane and Tasmanian Premier Paul Lennon in Hobart last Thursday. The meeting will be conducted by AVESCO Events, which will also promote the final round of the series at Eastern Creek.

“We are once again a truly national series that visits every state in Australia,” said Cochrane. “Tasmania has been a lost link since we were last here in 1999 but not any more.”

More than $2 million has been

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will be eligible for the Senior Tour in late-2008.

For the record, local player Paul Donahoo won the event, which was sponsored by Konica Minolta.

No word yet on Donahoo's prospects of a Bathurst drive ...

-PHIL BRANAGAN

I

7999 seems a while agw Symmons Plains last hosted the V8s five years ago. The big bangers will be back there this November. moiorspon news

NEWS

ikfop y and team regulars

The Enforcer’s heart of gold

Dirk Kljmsmit}

&

1000 Super Touring event in a BMW alongside brother Geoff.

After leaving the works Panoz squad, Brabham has driven a variety of machines.

He raced for Bentley at Le Mans last year, finishing second, and also for the Prodrive Ferrari squad in the American Le Mans Series.

This year he will drive the works Zytek prototype alongside Andy Wallace in the Le Mans 24 Hour and has sampled a Saleen S7-R in the Sebring 12 Hour.

Last year he and Wilson finished 12th at Bathurst and a delayed 19th at the Sandown 500, - AARON NOONAN

iF you ever thought that Russell Ingall was a big-headed smartypants, here is your chance to prove it - and raise some money for a good cause. Rusty is auctioning his racing helmet and proceeds will go to the Starlight Children's Foundation, which assists 200,000 sick kiddies and their families. On the block are the actual Aral hat and priceless signage from Ford, Caltex, Pioneer, Dunlop, VB, Arnette, Duracell and Cadbury Ice Cream. Bids have already started at $2000 so send your number to auction@stonebrothersracing.com.au

by Sunday, May 16 and do something good.

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n In a bid to help its young guns James Cressey and Klark Quinn get back on track after a difficult Eastern Creek, the VIP Petfoods team enlisted the help of Team Kiwi V8 punter Craig Baird in a test at Queensland Raceway late last week.

Baird, of course, drove in the TransTasman GTS Cup in New Zealand over summer and got quite a handle on the cars by the end of the series.

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e November meeting

allocated to upgrade the fadlities at the 2.411 km track, which will be the shortest on the calendar, both in terms of lap distance and time.

The V8 lap record is 54.59s, set by Craig Lowndes.

Linder the terms of the agreement, upwards of $2 million will be spent on upgrading facilities at Symmons Plains. It has been five years since the V8 Supercar Championship has raced at the track.

- PHIL BRANAGAN

Four of the same Cleland and Jones Jr return to OzEmail for enduros

iKIU'-ttW'*'"

Oirk Kivmmith

brad Jones Racing will run the endurance races with the same driver pairings as in 2003.

Jones and John Bowe will share the lead entry for the OzEmail-backed team, while the second Ford Falcon will be driven by Andy Jones and John Cleland, right.

The Scottish veteran will test for the team prior to the Sandown 500 on September 12 and will stay in Australia until the Bathurst 1000 on October 10.

"I thiirk both entries are capable of a top-five finish," team manager Kim Jones said last week.

"Brad and JB are as competitive at Bathurst as any combination in the race and Andy and Cleland went

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very well last year. Andy is a year better than he was and Cleland is a good fit in the team, so with the testing, I don't see any problems."

Tile team has a new, near-complete Falcon in its Albury workshop but will continue with its plan to run its current BAs in the V8 Supercar Championship Series.

- PHIL BRANAGAN

n Former American Le Mans Series team owner Rohan Skea is in, er, trouble. The Perth businessman, who ran a Porsche team in overseas Sportscar racing, has been charged with 14 counts of fraud, involving $6 million from one of his financiers, the Commonweath Bank. All up it's allegedly a total of $23 million that he defrauded, having been controlling a private company with fictitious directors that netted around $17 million from finance companies. Fie is due to appear in the Perth Magistrate's Court today(Wednesday). n Ever dreamed of going for a ride in a V8 Supercar reaching speeds in excess of 200,000kmh?

Well, it won't be that fast, but two lucky people will get to climb aboard the Orrcon Racing Falcon with one of the team's drivers. To be eligible for the competition you simply have to purchase a minimum of $500 of Orrcon products from any Orrcon direct branch or preferred stockist.

Order your product before July 31 and go for a couple of hot ones with Bargs or Frosty!

■ The works Volkswagen Golf squad will return to Sandown this weekend after their litany of accidents at the last PROCAR Champ Series round at Oran Park.

Tim Leahey and Paul Stokell will again handle driving duties.

Leahey, who raced for Greg Murphy Racing in last year's Carrera Cup and drove with the Lansvale team in the enduros, reports that he's a free agent for Sandown and Bathurst this season.

7

Speed it up!

New VY for Morris at Hidden Vaiiey

‘Tasman croi

THE Sirromet Wines team of Paul Morris has been forced to speed up the build of a new VY Commodore to make it in time for round four of the V8 Supercar Series at Hidden Valley in Darwin.

After the Queenslander suffered a major accident on the final corner of Race 3 in Pukekohe and slammed the wall, the Gold Coast team has had to work long hours to make sure they have a race-ready machine for Darwin.

"Tve got a lot of bruising - it was a big shimt!" reported Morris.

"Before the crash I'd been running in about 15th place and then I had to make a pit-stop because a wheel started to come loose. We put a new wheel on the car and I went back out.

I was coming onto the main straight and the tyre went 'pop'. Once that happened 1 was a passenger and the

S

by AARON NOONAN

car fired off across the track and into the wall on the outside."

Most of the undamaged parts from the car were freighted back to Australia to be fitted to a new VY bodyshell the team had under construction at its base.

■MW,

TASMAN Motorsport is aiming at debuting a new VY Commodore in round six of the V8 Supercar Championship Series at Queensland Raceway.

The Sydney-based squad, who scored a top 10 result with Jason Richards at Pukekohe, had hoped to have the new car in time for New Zealand though have elected to focus on not mshing it through.

"Queensland is what we're aiming at," said Tasman General Manager Jon Matthews.

The Dude and Bairdo?

Could Morris and Baird team up to avenge ’97?

● COULD Paul Morris and Craig f Baird team up for Bathurst this ^ year in a bid to put to rest the demons of their 1997 victory that was taken away?

There's a possibility that Baird, who sits a strong sixth in the championship for Team Kiwi after three rounds, may join 'The Dude' in the Sirromet Wines Commodore

Castro/

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"Getting enough staff could hold things up,but we're about to advertise and Tm now prepared to look at relocation packages for the right people.

"At the moment there's seven people here and we and need another three in a hurry.

"We're not a big budget but our results have been alright. It was a pleasing result in New Zealand, probably above our expectations but not any longer.

"We've finished four races and only had one outside the top 10 and we want more of that now:"

I for the enduros.

I "I'd like to," said Baird late last week.

"It's maybe do-able. We've looked at the option and are still looking at it. Obviously we have to keep ail of our sponsors happy and then there's what we're allowed to do in the franchise system.

"It's an idea that's been tossed around. It'd be a good option for

both of us because we've both been in the saddie all year. We're working through a few little processes and if everyone's happy, then why not do it. We'll wait and see."

Morris and Baird, of course, 'won' the 1997 AMP Bathurst 1000 Super Touring event in a DietCoke BMW 3201, left, though were disqualified as Baird had run over the maximum ailowed driving time for one driver in his final stint.

That handed victory to their team-mates, brothers Geoff and David Brabham and elevated Brad Jones and Frank Biela’s Audi A4 to second spot.

"That place does owe us one though . . ." surmised Baird.

- AAROfM SMOOWAW motorsport news

NEWS

Yoong in KMV8 Malaysian to drive last three rounds in QLD Falcon Oirk

ssings

Impressively, driving the team's elderly VX Commodore equipped with a newer Holden Motor Sport V8 powerplant, Richards sits 23rd in the championship chase with top 10 results at Adelaide and New Zealand.

On the endurance co-driver front, Matthews refused to be drawn on Tasman's plans, but 'sister' squad Greg Murphy Racing, tlirough its Carrera Cup program,looks a likely option for sourcing drivers, with Fabian Coulthard thought of as a possibility for the seat alongside Richards.

1-

ALEX Yoong will almost certainly drive a Falcon in the final three rounds of the Konica Minolta V8 Supercar Series.

The former Formula 1 and Champ Car driver is awaiting final sponsorship sign-offs to confirm his ride in Shane' Beikoff's AU for the remainder of the season. Yoong is fully aware of the competition he will face and has realistic expectations.

“Really, it’s about getting experience in the cars, learning the gearbox and becoming familiar with the set ups,” said the Malaysian.

“We don't expect to be fighting for the lead but we’ll be able to learn some of the racecraft required.”

The #68 Falcon will feature sponsorship from Yoong’s Malaysian supporter Pan Global.

Beikoff is stoked to have

Can the

someone of Yoong’s pedigree in one of his Supercars.

“We have been searching for a driver with a budget to work with for selected Konica Minolta V8 Supercar rounds,” said Beikoff.

“When Alex expressed interest and explained his future plans, it seemed to fit into our structure.”

And it’s a strategic move to place the 27-year-old Malaysian in a Henry. Yoong’s Australian representative Ross Cadell has been in negotiations with some of Ford’s Level 1 teams about the possibility of an endurance drives this year, and a permanent seat in the Supercar series in the future ...

Beikoff’s team will test Yoong in the coming weeks before his anticipated Supercar debut at Eastern Creek on May 30.

- GRANT ROWLEY

live?

EVEN though PROCAR Australia has ceased business, Ross Palmer is pressing on in trying to find a way for the Bathurst 24 Hour to continue.

Palmer has met recently with new Batluirst Mayor Kath Knowles to discuss tlte future of the event, which will need a serious amoimt of assistance given the sheer costs n involved with staging such an event.

"Council is very keen to see the race continue and is committed to working with Ross Palmer and others to explore all options to see that tliis can happen," Cr Knowles said.

GLEN Hastings may make his Formula 3 debut at Sandown this weekend.

The former Formula Ford ace tested one of Chris Coombs' Dallara 396s at Winton last Friday and puts the chances of joining the team for the round at 50/50.

"The car's a Trophy Class car but even though it's a '96 model car 1 think we could still have a good result," said Hastings.

"We had some problems at the test day but we'll see what happens for Sandown." n Former Formula Fordster Ty Hanger has joined the Formula 4000 set. Hanger has purchased the Reynard 95D campaigned by Paul Trengove in last year's series that originally was a Birrana-run machine.

Another Formula Fordster moving up is Mark West, who is behind the wheel of a 98D. n The Sporting Car Club of SA took exception to some 'colourful' pre-race comments from F4000 frontrunner Ricky Occhipinti, barring him from half of the Thursday test day over the weekend.

The Geelong driver, who described Mallala as "a goat track...located at the end of the world" in his pre-round press release, patched relations on the Saturday, joining the Mallala circuit as a fully paid member ... n For the first time in a while, some new stock looks likely to be injected into the Formula 4000 grid.

Hocking Motorsport are currently looking to bring in two 2001 model Reynards from the Formula Nippon series.

The team hope to have the cars for the final two rounds of this year's Australian championship, in preparation for the two Chinese rounds, where the team will welcome back Japanese driver, Akihiro Asai. n Round three of the Premier Racing Series has been changed. To avoid a clash with another meeting in NSW,the Oran Park round will now be held on June 26-27.

"Discussions so far have been very positive and I am hopeful that funding can be found to see what has been a very successful event for the city taken into its third year."

Palmer too is confident that the event can continue, though pointed at assistance from government funding as being vital for its continuation.

"The Victorian Government has injected in excess of $25 million into the Grand Prix, the South Australian Government has come to the party witli in excess of $3 million in support of Adelaide's Clipsal 500 and in Queensland the Gold Coast Indy receives around $12 million in support," he said.

"The Bathurst 24-Hour is a unique event not only for Bathurst but in Australia and tliere is nothing like it run 12 Mav 2004

Hastings a chance for Sandown F3

anywhere in tire Southern Hemisphere.

"There is no doubt of the potential for tliis event to provide a significant boost to the economy of regional NSW.The interest is there from high profile Australian and international teams to continue to compete, but for PROCAR it became unfeasible to continue to carry the $2 million a year loss."

n Melinda Price is getting back behind the wheel at Sandown this weekend. Having not driven since last year's Bathurst 24 Hour, the former Cougar is stepping into one of Team Brock's Future Racers for the PROCAR Champ Series round.

She's also looking at joining the drag racing scene. See page 69 for the full story.

9

TT~T

Until we get

-A

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Bernie signals Q changes... again

THE much-maligned Formula One qualifying system is in for some changes, and sooner rather than later, FI boss Bernie Ecclestone said in Barcelona that the new system introduced last year, and modified for 2004, would be shelved by the middle of this season. He said that, for the first time, times from more than one lap would count to determined starting positions for the races.

"I'd like to go back to having one hour, 2-3pm, split into two half-hours, with a minimum of six laps for each car to run in each half-hour and aggregate the times," said Ecclestone.

"We stopped it (the system used until 2002) because nobody ran for the first half hour so people were sitting in the grandstand seeing nothing except the Minardis going round, and the same for TV, which was disgraceful."

The new system has proven to be very unpopular with

teams and, particularly, with television networks because, when it was introduced, the 'second' laps (which determined the grid) did not start at a pre-determined time, which made it tough to cater for on TV. That was changed after the Malaysian GP but the current system has proven little different.

"Do what you like over six laps, go as fast as you can and if you don't do those six laps, you take the slowest time from the next session," continued Ecclestone. "And if you don't do it in both sessions you start from the back of the grid."

The current system of pare ferme, which restricts teams' access to the cars after qualifying, is likely to remain.

’*

How we would do it: Get Michael Schumacher to qualify with one hand, holding sunnies and on foot.

Helmet breakthrough

FIA continues safety push with new lids A NEW generation of crash helmets is expected to debut in FI before the end of the season.

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After years of utilising Snell Foundation testing and safety standards, the FIA has introduced its own specifications and standards, taking crash helmet design and construction to a new level - and expense.

In essence, the new standard greatly increases the strength requirements for race helmets and incorporates the knowledge and technology seen in recent safety initiatives like the HANS device into the exterior and interior design.

Manufacturing now involves autoclave carbon-fibre technology which,among other things, results in a saving of over 20 percent in weight-and thus moving mass -in an accident.

The standard - FIA 8860-2004was approved earlier this year and helmet manufacturers Bell (top left) and Schuberth (left) already have prototypes registered with the FIA. Aral is apparently close to finalising

12

its prototype as well.

MNews understands that the standard will become compulsory in FI before the year is out and, like all other safety initiatives, will filter down to other levels of motorsport as demand increases and costs settle.

Initial estimates put the retail cost of a new generation helmet at over $10,000, compared to the current $2000.

Revolution Racegear director Dale Rodgers is on the FIA Safety Committee which sUidied and approved the new standard.

"They, the FIA, thought it was time the FIA - which has standards for most other racewear - had some input into helmet safety. They took the existing Snell standard as a starting point and said 'where can we improve on this'.

"There won't be huge numbers of new-generation helmets around for some time, but eventually, like all new innovations, they will be available for all levels of motor sport.'

- CHRIS LAMBDEN

LUCKY Strike BAR Honda gave the world a small preview of what its cars may look like in the post tobacco era last weekend when Anthony Davidson ran in alternative livery in Spain.

The Brittooktothetrack with a motorsport news

!

NEWS

John Blanden passes away

EXPOSED!

Venstappen sits on tyres!

LONG-time motor racing competitor, organiser and patron John Blanden has passed away.

Blanden succumbed to illness in Adelaide last Thursday. His Blanden Group of Companies started and promoted many of the country's premier road events, including the Dutton Grand Prix Rally, which John founded in 1988 and ran until 2000.

Oh yes, he’s testing for Jordan too

f/ ■r .' '

JOS Verstappen will test for Jordan-Ford next month as part of an exercise to rebuild his Formula 1 career.

The team recently signed a deal with Verstappen's sponsorTrust, starting rumours that Jos might be on the verge of a comeback with Jordan, replacing Nick Heidfeld.The Jordan team was even rumoured to be talking about a deal to sell Heidfeld to Williams, although this seems like a most unlikely arrangement.

Verstappen's management says that no hasty conclusions should be drawn from the test but there is no doubt that the ultimate aim would be to get Jos back into FI. Giorgio Pantano seems to have a very solid deal with Jordan while Heidfeld's arrangements do not seem to involve any obvious sponsorship. Heidfeld however has shown a lot of pace this year, despite one or two good performances of late from Pantano.

Verstappen, 32, has started in 107 GPs and scored points seven times. His last FI start came in Japan last year, when he raced for Minardi.

- JOE SAWARD

Bernie confirms Spanish GP deai FI MAY end up deserting some GPs in Europe but Spain will be staying on the calendar until at least 2011.

At the Circuit de Catalunya last week, FI chief Bemie Ecclestone announced that the event would stay at the track for another seven years, but with conditions. Ecclestone said that the race would only remain if it gained an exemption from a ban on tobacco advertising that is due to come into force in July 2005.

"The contract for Barcelona is a standard one we have for European events and it has a condition which

much different look to team-mates Jenson Button and Takuma Sato during the Friday morning test session.

FI rules allow each team's 'third car' to be run in different colours but, until now, no team has taken advantage of the rule. BAR tested its 12 May 2004

cars during the off-season in black and silver livery so, clearly, the art designers at Prodrive have had the thinking caps and crayons out.

And no, that's not Button, Sato and Davidson in 'alternative livery' in the pic . ..

concerns tobacco advertising legislation," Ecclestone said.

"Although the Spanish government is very happy to support this new contract we have to bear in mind that it is subject to what will I happen on the tobacco issue." i "We hope we can sort this all out I so we don't have to keep moving I away from Europe."

n Could Alain Prost be making a return to competitive racing? The French ace recently tested the new Maserati MCI2 GT machine, which is due to debut in the FIA GT Championship later this year and, after all, its driver line-up is yet to be announced ...

Current Ferrari FI shoes Schumacher and Barrichello tested the car briefly before the San Marino GP.

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■ Look for a Nissan 350Z to run in the Spa 24 Hour later this year.

RJN Motorsport is aiming at having one of the cars on the grid for the FIA GT Championship round.

It will use a 3.5-litre V6 as used by Colin McRae and the Nissan Pathfinders in the Paris-Dakar Rally.

■ Former Volvo BTCC ace Kelvin Burt made a return to the series on the weekend. In a one-off, the former British F3 champ replaced Paul Wallace in one of Gary Ayles's Team Sureteam Vauxhall Astras.

Both parties are keen to extend the agreement even though the team currently is a one-off.

Burt was a factory Volvo BTCC driver alongside Rickard Rydell in 1996/1997 though his career wained after a serious accident in '96 and he has been something of a journeyman every since.

■ Sebastien Bourdais has emerged un-injured from a Champ Car testing crash during a two-day test at the Milwaukee Mile. The Newman/Haas pilot had to revert to his back-up Loia/Ford-Cosworth for the rest of the test.

"I was probably going 150mph (240kmh) when the back end of the car swapped ends between the first and second turns," said Bourdais.

"There was no warning. It was a hard hit but fortunately I was okay."

■ Team Penske has tested a G Force chassis in testing at Indianapolis to see if their original choice of a Dallara chassis will stick.

Sam Hornish Jr turned some laps in the G Force chassis simply to gauge which of the machines the team will use this year as they challenge for their fourth-straight Indy 500 crown.

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CCup: Wfe're OK

| . a-

Pugliese toJoin GMR for Hidden Valley round

RALT Australia boss GIrahatfi Watapn is set to align his Formuila: J 4000 team with Itaiiah-based Suropeah Formula|OOQ teamj Draco Racing.

The deal would see the Rail team as a nursery for Draco’s;jutnior I drivers, before they contest the ultfa-competitive Superfund-backed | European series.

‘They have seen who has come out of this series and think it would be good to develop their junior drivers,” said Watson. ; ‘They are attracted by the value they look at the price and are; ' pleasantly surprised." ‘ The partnership would also assist Watson in pushing Australian talent into Europe, with his most recent proteges being Will Power ! and New Zealand's Jonny Reid.

Ralt may aiso run Czech youngster Tomas'Kostka. The 19-year! old raced round one of the iuro E30OO series at irno as team-mate l to Reid in the John Village Automotive squad, placing 11th, tO Reid’s seventh. Kostka’s sponsorship did not extend past the first round, i held in his home country, so Reid susgssted his F4O0O team in ' Australia as a viable option. j Watson expects both deals to be concluded in the coming weeks.

Both of the Ralt drivers at the opening round, Neil McFadyen and I Paul Trengove, placed 1-2 in both races, but are on raoe-by-^race deals.

1 Both are trying to muster sponsorship to keep their drives for I round two of the series, to be held at Winton on June §'6. ^GHRIS JORDAN

I

by AARON NOONAN DESPITE smaller fields than its inaugural season in 2003, Carrera Cup organisers aren't pressing the panic button.

With 22 cars entered for the next round of the series at Hidden Valley in Darwin and entry numbers having been below 20 in the first two rounds at Adelaide and Eastern Creek, Cup Car Australia CEO Jamey Blaikie says there's no cause for major concern.

"It's been something that's been commented on a few times this year but we have been spoilt in terms of the number of cars we had last year, which was a great surprise," he said.

"Everybody has been raving about Champ Car making it to the magic number of 18 cars and we've got 22, so it can't be that bad!

"I'd be concerned if we hadn't

attracted some new drivers and teams to the class for this year but there's seven new participants,so that's a good sign of the strength of the class.

"We're still on very much a comparative level with the other Carrera Cups around the world in terms of the field sizes so we'll continue to press on and build the category."

The Porsche fields nearly topped 30 cars at times last year with the smallest car count of 22 at Hidden Valley last year. Ironically, its largest field of 2004 will come at Hidden Valley with the same amount of cars.

Tony Pugliese will debut in the series as we reported a few issues back, replacing Peter Hill, above, in the #66 Greg Murphy Racing Team Braun machine alongside Fabian Coulthard and Roger Oakeshott.

BRM eyes F3 in Japan Theckf ADELAIDE-based Australian F3

team BRM is considering expanding its operations to include a satellite team in the All Japan F3 Championship.

According to team owner Bronte Rundle, the team would enter a Spiess-powered car to contest next year's championship, "Spiess are keen, because it's the only championship that they don't currently compete in," said Rundle.

"Plus, it would give us the option to run an 05-model Dallara in Japan, and then bring the car down here once it becomes eligible."

Rundle said that the team is hoping to run an Australian driver if possible.

In the meantime, BRM is looking to make an earlier incursion into Asia after being invited to enter a car in the next round of the Asian F3 Championship at the Subic Bay in the Philippines at the end of this month.

The team will take the Spiess14

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powered Dallara F301 that took James Manderson to the Australian F3 title in 2002, and was more recently seen at the hands of Marcus Marshall in Adelaide this year.

It is expected that the car will remain in Asia after the race. The driver has not been finalised, however Rundle told Motorsport News on Monday that he is looking

at both Australian and Asian drivers.

Lining up alongside BRM at Subic Bay w'ill be Australian Christian Jones, who won the opening roimd of the Championship at Batangas three weeks ago in his self-entered, Hondapowered Dallara, and reigning Formula Ireland Champion John O'Hara.

- MARK GLENDENNING motorspon news

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NEWS

Champ Cars in ... Manchester?

THERE'S more plans for Champ Car racing to return to England.

After two years on the Rockingham oval in 2001/02 and last year at Brands Hatch, the Manchester City Council has opened talks with Open Wheel Racing Series about a new street circuit on private land in the city. The aim is to run a race from next year onwards in a five-year deal.

Davo backs F3 pit stops Aussie ace keen on proposals to spice up BriCsh series WILL Davison has backed proposed moves to introduce compulsory pit stops and tyre changes in selected rounds of this year's British Formula 3 Championship.

Currently the race formats for the single seater series see two races run each weekend with no pit stops.

There has been reports in the media about moves afoot to introduce pit stops later in the year at circuits which have pit lanes that can safely accommodate a full field of F3 cars.

"It's been mentioned but at the moment I'm not sure where it's all situated/' said Davison, who sits fourth in the championship which moves to Scotland this weekend.

"I'd like to see them retain one race as a pure sprint race with no stops and do something a bit different for the second. You could have a compulsory tyre change or perhaps

make the race longer,like it is in the Marlboro Masters at Zandvoort.

"F3 is supposed to be a training ground for the FI stars of tomorrow.

It would be a good idea to gain experience with pit stops, which are critical elements of FI racing."

Davison, meanwhile,says that not aU circuits in the UK would be able to safely accommodate pit stop races, but that a change for the second race's format would make things more interesting for spectators.

"It would make the racing more appealing and add some variables which currently F3 doesn't have."

MEANWHILE,the postponed Silverstone race will be held at Snetterton at the end of the month, making a triple-header for F3. The race had been a wash-out a few weeks ago.

i joins Carrera Cup

motor racing 12 May 2004

HAVING sold his Level 2 V8 Supercar licence to Craig Gore's WPS Racing, David Thexton has turned his attention to the Carrera Cup. The Queensland-based Kiwi has purchased the 2003-spec car of Jack Crocker, who hasn't raced it since the Eastern Creek season closer last season.

He will make his Porsche racing debut in round three of the series at Hidden Valley in Darwin from May 21 to 23.

"The Carrera Cup is a fantastic class, and is only second in status to the V8 Supercars in Australia," said Thexton.

"I have been doing a lot of talking with my team manager about our options post-V8 Supercars.

"I believe I am a good driver. I believe, in time, I can win races and do well in a championship. And everything we spoke about kept coming back to Porsche.

"I’m really excited about our prospects in the Porsche. Unlike V8 Supercars, there is no limit to testing and no qualifying threshold, so we can race and learn at the same time."

The 46-year-old's machine will be prepared from the same Thexton Motor Racing workshop in Yatala on the Gold Coast and in future, would like to expand the operation to maintain and transport three cars in the series with the facilities and technology he has acquired.

n The Borg-Warner Trophy, presented to the Indy 500 winner each year, has had a new base added to it. With each of the winner’s of the race having their likeness added tot each year, the trophy simply was running out of room to add new faces to it!

Every driver to have won the 500miler since the first was won by Ray Harroun in 1911 has their head on the shiny piece of silver, which first appeared in Victory Lane in 1936. n The new Panoz Esperante GTLM car has had its first shakedown in the hands of David Saelens at Road Atlanta ahead of its GT racing debut in the ALMS round at Mid-Ohio in June 27. The Belgian, who tested the car alongside Gunnar Jeannette, is racing in the Porsche Supercup this year though found the new Panoz has a lot of potential. n Look for a potential entry in the IRL IndyCar Series later in the year from Microsoft's computer game console, Xbox. The games giant currently sponsors American Scott Pollard in the IRL Infiniti Pro Series and the 38-year-old plans to join the IndyCar Series for the final three rounds at Chicagoland, California and Texas. Whether he links with an existing team or starts from scratch remains to be seen. n The Magny-Cours circuit in France has re-signed for until the end of 2006 with the LG Super Racing Weekend series that runs the European Touring Car Championship, FIA GT Championship and Formula Renault V6 Eurocup. The SRW Events organisation that is behind the series, is aiming at world championship status for the ETCC in 2005 and FIA GTs in 2006. n Peugeot Sport in Velizy, near Paris, has embarked on a feasibility study into an FIA Super 2000 project aimed at the new-for 2005 FIA World Touring Car Championship. The project, based on the latest 407 passenger car, is intended tor importer-backed race teams. The French manufacturer is providing support for the Peugeot Sport Engineering team’s 307 racecar in the ETCC this season.

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Jarno’s special race Trulli dedicates podium to ill Renault chief aero man

THERE was some satisfaction at Renault after Jarno Trulli and Fernando Alonso finished third and fourth in Barcelona, putting Renault into a solid second place in the Constructors' Championship ahead of BAR-Honda and BMW Williams.

After the race, Trulli dedicated the result to "a friend of mine, Dino, who I am sure is watching me on TV." Dino, he said, has to fight "a very good battle, a very strong battle. We will battle together and I will bring him my trophy."

Afterwards Jarno and the Renault team were reluctant to expand on the remarks but gradually word spread in the paddock that Trulli had been talking about the

A circuit for za Swiss?

THERE are people who would like to see a Formula 1 circuit in Switzerland, but they accept that it is not going to be easy, given the country’s complex bureaucracy and its strong environmental lobby.

Plans have been drawn up to build a circuit near the town of Moudon, in the hills behind Lausanne. The promoters of the project are led by Claude Haldi, the president of the Vaud automobile club and a wellknown name in racing circles, having competed more than 20 times in the Le Mans 24 Hours.

The promoters of the circuit reckon that the earliest that the circuit is likely to be built - if all goes to plan - would be five years and it is possible that all the bureaucracy Involved could drag on for 10 years.

- JOE SAWARD

team's chief aerodynamicist Dino Toso who, in recent days, has been diagnosed with inoperable cancer.

Toso is one of the rising stars of FI aerodynamics. He joined Renault at the end of 2000 and became head of aerodynamics after John Iley joined Ferrari late last year.

The 35-year-old Dutchman has been in racing since 1995 when he joined the BMW team in sports car racing before making the move to open wheelers.

He moved to FI with Jordan in 1997, where he became Damon Hill's race engineer in 1998 before working with Trulli in 2000.

- JOE SAWARD

FI booms in Spain MOTOR racing continues to boom in

Spain, particularly given the record crowd at Catalunya on the weekend and renewel of the Grands Prix contract until after the 2011 event.

Organisers reported that there were 277,300 visitors in the course of the four-day event, a record number and much higher than any previous Spanish Grand Prix.

While the contract has just been renewed, officially until after the race in 2011, the promoters admit that the race might be cancelled after the 2005 race if there is a restriction on tobacco advertising.

"We have to wait and see," said Bernie Ecclestone.

"It is a pity that each country cannot make its own decision. Spain has three important motorcycle events and the Grand Prix and I think it would be good if there was a 15day a year exemption.

"It seems a bit silly to have all the races leave Europe. It is the last thing we want."

The new interest in the sport has come about solely thanks to the success of Fernando Alonso, above, and is an indication of just how powerful a successful driver can be.

On die western side of Spain, where Alonso grew up, there is much excitement about his success and it now looks to be certain that there will

be a street race in the city of Bilboa next year on a street circuit close to the new Guggenlieim Museum.

The track will be used for Formula Nissan races but in the longer-term, there could be the potential for a bid for a Formula 1 Grand Prix as Spanish interest in the sport grows.

- JOE SAWARD ■1

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moiorsport news

NEWS

Gordon guest stars NASCAR ace takes in Spanish GP ...

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So you reckon they'd let me take your drive when you're gone? Jeff Cordon, left, and Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR team-mate Jimmie Johnson, right, took time to chat with Juan Montoya in Spain.

I I

DESPITE an appearance in the paddock at Barcelona, there is little likelihood that NASCAR star Jeff Gordon will seek, never mind be offered, a seat in FI. "I have had more opportunities to go to FI in the last three years than I had when it was more realistic," said the American.

"Anybody who is a competitive driver feels he could do the job. That confidence is what makes us wirmers.

"If I got an offer from Ferrari or Williams 1 would have to think really hard. It would take a great deal of

dedication. It would involve moving from the US and a life change witlr totally different work-out and training and testing.

"It would involve learning the tracks, the competitors, the cars and so on.

"Maybe a 21-year-old guy would be willing to do it but I am not so sure for a guy more towards the end of his career.

"Driving the WiUiams-BMW at Indianapolis was the thrill of a lifetime and I must admit that I was a bit frustrated after that because the cars are incredible. They do all the

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All electronic or written applications, together with CV and references should be forwarded to: Jeanette Ralston, MoTeC Research Centre, 121 Merrindale Drive Croydon South Vic 3136 Applications close 5pm, 19 May 2004 or email: jeanette.ralston@motec.com.au 12 May 2004

things I want my car to do in NASCAR!" There is no likelihood of a serious offer from Ferrari but signing the American would be,at least, some form of marketing coup for BMW WiUiams and could open tire way to new sponsors across the United States.

At the sarne time however it would be a major risk because Gordon might not be competitive in an FI car - at least not until the second season.

Having said that if Williams had a winner in the second car, it would be possible to have some insurance ...

-JOE SAWARD

Audi will be back to out-do the R8 AUDI Sport director Wolfgang Ullrich has committed to building a successor to its R8 sports-prototype in readiness for a return to the Le Mans 24 Hours and has not ruled out operating the new car with a diesel race engine.

"We decided more than a year ago to design this car, and we will build it," he told Autosport.

Dr Ullrich noted that there would be no pressure to return with a new car and a factory program as long as the R8 remains competitive in the hands of customer teams like Veloqx and Champion Racing.

An Audi R9 monocoque, complying with the new-for-2004 AGO regulations, was produced in the middle of last year before Audi Sport concentrated its resources on its latest A4 racecar for the DTM, n The SRO series promoter, which operates the FIA GT and European Touring Car championships, intends to establish an annual FIA World Cup for Prototypes.

SRO's Stephane Ratel, the London based co-founder of the new Le Mans Endurance Series, plans to bring together the best prototypes from Europe and America to race on a different continent each year, probably in a 1000km enduro. n ORECA, the long-established French sportscar race team, has entered discussions with Maserati with a view to operating its newly developed, all-carbon MCI 2 as a quasi-works team in the 2005 FIA GT Championship.

- QUENTIN SPURRING

POSITIONS VACANT WORKSHOP MANAGER / CREW CHIEF We require a person to lead and co-ordinate our stdff on the workshop floor and take the overall responsibility for racecar preparation at the Track. Working in conjunction with the Chief Engineer you will lead and develop a young team of committed people determined to achieve success. Experience in the V8 Supercar category is essential. This will be a “hands on" role with some parts ordering and repair co-ordinating.

If you currently hold a similar position and want a change or you are "on the floor"' and ready for the next step, we would welcome your application.

A suitable relocation package including short-term rental assistance will be offered to a successful candidate from interstate.

Interested applicants should forward a resume to: General Manager Tasman Motorsport 10 Wetherill Street South, UDCOMBE NSW 2141 THSmHn mOTORSPORT Or fax 02 9748 7997 11

PROCAR Sandown Spectacular PROCAR teams have rallied in the wake of the series'recent turmoil to produce a bumper entry list for this weekend's round at Sandown.

After a dismal showing in Sydney last month, Nations Cup has regrouped with 20 entries, at least seven of which will be outright contenders.

Allan Simonsen will be back at the wheel of the Coopers Ferrari 550GT after missing Oran Park, and the category will also see its first appearance by a female driver when Carol Jackson swaps her Production Civic for a Group Two Maserati Trofeo.

Ian Palmer's NSX Brabham is another car that will make a return to the series after a long absence, and will line up against regular contenders such

as the two Brock Monaros, the GRM Monaro and the Lamborghini of reigning Champion Paul Stokell.

A vast flock of GT Performance cars are also set to take to the outerMelbourne circuit, with 30 entries for the class, along with 22 Production Cars and 29 V8 BRutes.

Completing the bill for the weekend wiU be the Australian Formula 3 Championship, the Australian Porsche Drivers Challenge and the Futureracers, Throw the meagre ticket prices on top ($25 for a family,$12 single entry on Sunday,$10 single entry Saturday, an open gate on Friday and kids under-15 free all weekend) and it all adds up to you needing a very good excuse not to be backside this weekend.

Battle of the 4WDs: The GT Performance series will be one of the highlights of the PROCAR Sandown round this weekend.

1980 on DVD! Nguyen to test for HYL formula

one 19SO

DUKE Video is releasing 11 documentary-style DVDs and Videos, tracking the FI seasons from 1970 to 1980.

The 1980 FI season is the first release, which of course was Alan Jones's World Championship year.

Although it's not a complete, race-by-race review of the season, it's one vv'ell worth the investment.

Other season samples will become available throughout the year.

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FORMER Formula 3000 driver Rob Nguyen is to test for the Holden Young Lions Konica Minolta V8 Supercar team.

The test, pencilled in for early June at Winton, will serve as a V8 Supercar introduction to 'W Nguyen, who is keen to use an endure drive to raise his Australian profile before potentially returning to Europe in 2005 in the new Renaultbacked GP2 category.

“We’ll see how it is, how r/jjf/cs

comfortable I am in the car and hopefully that will open up some doors for the end of the year,’’ said Nguyen, who raced a F4000 at Mallala over the weekend.

His intentions however, seem aimed more towards getting an endurance seat with a Level One main series team.

“The established drivers might be a bit cautious of a new driver, but that’s what I want to do.”

-CHRIS JORDAN motorsport news

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Hie'500field shrinks

1996 Indy-winning team pulls entry;PDM shuts doors

TWO of the longest serving teams in Indy Racing League history won’t be on the grid for this year’s Indianapolis 500and one of them just might jump to the Champ Car World Series.

Hemelgarn Racing, which won the 1996 Indy 500 with Buddy Lazier and has been struggling without major sponsorship for the past 18 months, and PDM Racing,(the team that gave Sam Hornish Jr his first IndyCar race in 2000), have both pulled their entries from this year’s ’500.

Ron Hemelgarn is working on a potential deal that would see his Indianapolis-based squad run a Reynard for Toyota Atlantic star Michael Valiante in Champ Cars, while PDM has simply shut down and placed its equipment for sale.

The increase in engine lease deals (which are reportedly hitting the A$500,000 mark for Indianapolis alone), and the influx of well-funded teams from the Champ Car scene are the main factors attributed to the

Dixon

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teams looking elsewhere.

“If you can’t do Indy, it’s really difficult to fill in (a program)just for the other IRL races,” Hemelgarn general manager Lee Kunzman told the Indianapolis Star newspaper.

“We’re in the racing business, so if I want to keep my (crew).

I’ve got to find a place for them to race. What I’m looking for is survival.”

PDM, who have always been a small budget team that has given

young drivers a chance to prove themselves, had been working on a deal with Brit Ben Collins, though sponsorship negotiations broke down and they have been left high and dry.

Former Hemelgarn driver Lazier, above, was released by the team at the end of last season and is on the look-out for a drive in this year’s 88th running of the Greatest Spectacle in Auto Racing.

-PHIL MORRIS

DEFENDING IRL IndyCar Champion Scott Dixon has topped the timesheets on the opening day of practice for the 88th running of the Indianapolis 500.

The Target driver, above, punched out a 219.760mph lap in his G Force/ Toyota,topping Penske ace Helio Castroneves and Adrian Fernandez's Honda-powered G Force.

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The MXL PRO has the same characteristics of MXL, but with 2 Deutsch connectors, 4 speed inputs and a CAN protocol for external expansion modules Both loggers are equipped with a huge non-volatile 8 Mbytes of memory which guarantees very ample recording time. Sampled data may be easily downloaded to the PC using a USB cable and the RACE STUDIO 2 software Moreover, the MXL / MXL PRO may be equipped with an optional Internal GPS board for 3D track mapping

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INDYCAR

tops Indy opening day a.

"Today we were just getting both cars up to speed," Dixon said.

"It was pretty windy, but I think we were quite surprised at how much grip the car had, considering the last time we were here."

Castroneves clocked 219.752mph, while Fernandez ran 218.342mph.

"My fastest lap was without a tow so that was pretty good," said

Fernandez.

"Obviously, this is practice and it doesn't count, but it puts us m a position where we know we can improve from here."

Tomas Scheckter,above middle, was fourth fastest for Pennzoil Panther (218.308mph), clear of Motegi IRL winner Dan Wheldon (218.007mph).

A1 Unser Jr returned to IndyCar

competition for Patrick Racing, above, and was happy to be back at the Brickyard,even if his speeds weren't at the top of the sheets.

"The rule changes have definitely made the cars slower. But, everybody is in the same boat," he said.

"We certainly would have liked to run the first three races of the season, but I don't think we are at a

Strap yourself into one of

disadvantage coming here to Indy because of aU the rule changes."

Sarah Fisher had her first competitive hit-out of the year as well. She will drive a second Kelley Racing Dallara/Toyota alongside Scott Sharp, with backing from Bryant Cooling & Heating in a oneoff IndyCar appearance.

CROCE /?Ogjg/<

Audi's Monza

M*u*r)H nwfr->.i oni

First chicane and that's as close as they got: The Audi Sport UK cars were off and running at the start and carried it to the finish, above, while David Brabham's Zytek, below, showed speed but not reliability. s

I

1

Crushing run in LMES opener

A LATE-race rain storm wasn't

down on the winners.

enough to stop Johnny Herbert and Jamie Davies from taking the inaugural roxmd of the Le Mans Endurance Series at Monza on the weekend.

Four laps down on the winner in fourth spot was the Pescarolo/Judd of Emmanuel CoUard and Shoeil

The Audi pilots led home their Team Veloqx team-mates Allan McNish and Pierre Kaffer, while the

Dallara/Judd to fifth spot.

The GTS class feU to Labre

Team Goh R8 headed by Tom Kristensen and Rinaldo Capello took third spot.

"The Audi never missed a beat- it was perfect all day," said Herbert.

"Victory today was very important for our championship title hopes."

The 1000-ldlometre race also saw promise for the works-entered Zytek 04S of David Brabham,Andy wilace and Stefan Johansson.

It set the fastest lap of the race after being quick in qualifying, but a brake problem put paid to their challenge and they finished sixth, eight laps

Ayari, while Martin Short's Rollcentre team took their

Compehtion, who,after running Vipers for many years, tasted success in their very first run with a Ferrari 550 Maranello in the hands of Pedro Lamy and Christophe Bouchut. They finished ninth overall.

Meanwhile,in the GT class, Freisinger Motorsport were too strong, with Stephane Ortelli and Romain Dumas bringing their Porsche home victorious from the JMS Ferrari 360 Modena of Jaime Melo,Stephane Daoudi and Romain Rusinov.

Round two of the LMES will be after the Le Mans 24 Hour,a 1000km event held at Nurburgring on July 4.

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22

More Of a mix

RACE honours have been shared in the latest round of the British Touring Car Championship as Honda pilot Tom Chilton, at 19, became the youngest-ever BTCC race winner.

Vauxhall pilot James Thompson, who won Race 2, leads the championship after team-mate Yvan Muller was a race three non-starter due to an engine problem.

The first race fell to Matt Neal's Honda, above right, who forced his way past pole-man Jason Plato's SEAT and led home Muller, with Thompson fourth.

The second 'inverted 10' race

saw Thompson and Muller take a 1-2 from seventh and ninth on the grid, while Chilton, top, starred in race three.

From 10th on the grid, he'd made it to third with five laps to go behind Neal and Anthony Reid's MG. They collided and slid off, Chilton fired past and the rest is history ... motorsport news

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I PINION

Mum! I'm Home!

Ambrose looks torwaril to his Tassie 'debut'

I

THINK it's great news that the V8 Supercars heading back to my home-town, Tasmania after the demise of the China event.

What a great initiative by the Tasmanian government, not only to go back there for one year, but for five years. It's going to be very exciting.

I haven't actually driven a Supercar in a race there, in fact, it will be my first-ever race in Tasmania I I did a couple of events in my father's Targa car to get my licence so I could race Formula Ford in the National Championship, but that's all I've done so it's quite incredible really that I finally get to race at home.

I can't see why Symmons Plains won't be suitable for the Supercars. They will be spending a lot of money on upgrading the facilities. We race at a number of venues that aren't that long in distance or overall lap times, but it's going to produce some great racing and it's certainly going to be a great event.

The track has got the slowest corner in Australia and it's nearly got the fastest. It has variety, and I can t wait to

get there.

Before we push into Asia, it's a ideal to race in even/ state in Australia first. We need to justify our status as a national championship and having Tasmania on the calender secures it.

We are a very strong sport, growing by the month in popularity and stature and this will just progress the series even further. Flaving State government support is fantastic news and I think we are weeding out some of our less-dynamic events and, sooner rather than later, you'll see the calender change with more feature races on it.

We have a great series and this is part of the process by moving to have a race in each state and it's a big step forward.

My title defence has started perfectly.

We've got the championship lead so you can't ask for more than that.

There are only five cars that are close in the points now but we've got to get through

these next two or three rounds before we start to see a pattern emerge. Flowever, we are at the pointy end and that's the most important thing. We are looking alright.

We won our first race in New Zealand, but even Greg Murphy got beaten on home soil. Fie is a great driver and he puts on a strong showing when we go over there but when you look back, I think both Greg and I finished where we deserved. But I'm certainly happy with that result, 've just been in the shop with the boys, having a bit of a yarn in preparation for Darwin.

We always have a de-brief about the meeting at the workshop after the meeting, it's not totally constructive but it gives us a chance to get together, have a cup of coffee and chin wag. Flalf the reason is just to see the guys again and relive the weekend, talk about what's right and what's wrong.

Most of the crew didn't come back on the weekend

I haven't actually driven a Supercar in a race there, in fact, it wiii be my first-ever race in Tasmania!rr -Ambrose is sounding pretty motivated about racing at home...

i

Motor Mouth with Marcos Ambrose

because they were preparing the cars for Darwin. trained a FIANS device at Adelaide and we are currently waiting on components to arrive and I'll be using it full time.

It's a personal thing but I'll be using it voluntarily.

Flopefully the devise will have a trickle down effect for the support categories that aren't using it. It's definitely an enhanced safety feature for the benefit of the driver and I want to embrace that technology and I'd like to see it compulsory.

We have great racetracks in Australia with good safety records and I'd like to keep pushing all the safety issues.

A

ND they all lived happily ever after ...

Or at least that was the message that the FIA put forward after the recent meeting of Formula 1 team principals in Monaco. By the time the Formula 1 circus got together again a couple of days later in Barcelona, the griping had begun. The meeting hadn't been quite like it was portrayed by FIA President Max Mosley.

Everyone at the meeting had agreed to agree but they had not agreed on what they would be agreeing. This did not make the rosy world which Mosley had painted, but it did garner a lot of good headlines for the sport, suggesting that change was coming and things were moving in the right direction.

If nothing now comes of it all, the teams will inevitably be to blame, while the FIA will

emerge looking like the injured party.

The reality is that while Max Mosley makes the rules in 2008, anything before that needs to be agreed by all the teams. That is not going to be possible, because no rule changes will happen until there is a commercial deal which looks after the small teams.

Eddie Jordan and Paul Stoddart are not going to agree to changes which will cost them money, which would put them out of business and so would want concessions (and so on and so on ...). In other words a commercial settlement must preclude any pre-2008 deal.

Curiouser and curiouser.

T

HERE are of course any manner of theories about how such things can be agreed upon, but the fact is that in all likelihood. Formula 1 will stumble along as it usually

L4.1

'Mfi

aJ

does with everyone pretending to be brilliant businessmen when in fact it is all image and very little substance.

In Barcelona, Flavio Briatore was in one of the press conferences and lectured us stupid pressmen about business and how as far as he is concerned. Formula 1 is a business and not a sport.

This is all very well except for the fact that if you sat down and wrote a business plan for a Formula 1 team right now, no venture capitalist in the world would buy into it because it just doesn't make sense.

It does not make sense because budgets are way too high and rewards are way too low. This is because a huge amount of the money leaves the sport and goes to Bernie Ecclestone and Patrick McNally, left.

In other words, the business of Formula 1 is not a good

Q

O

business at all, unless you are Bernie or Paddy.

The thing that always irritates me is that the sport is probably generating about half the income it should be generating because the teams spend too much time and money fighting with each other and not enough time thinking how to move things along.

Formula 1 people do not like to hear it, but the best example of how to do the job properly is NASCAR, which is run by professional people for owners who have complete control. The teams make plenty of money if they are any good at what they do and the whole circus is a vast money-making machine and keeps its fans happy by giving them entertainment.

People say that Formula 1 will collapse without Bernie but it will not because there will come an age where there

will be a more corporate management and more professionals and eventually more money will be generated.

NASCAR has moved on from t-shirts and other merchandise to all manner of licensing of products from dustbins to cartoon strips.

And now I am going to tiptoe into very dangerous ground, but I think it needs to be said. The Formula 1 team bosses are a group of old men.

And there are 13 of them at the table (10 team bosses, Max Mosley, Bernie Ecclestone and Paddy McNally). In four years from now, nine of the 13 principal players in the sport will be over 60. None will be under 50.

The sport that they built was built when they were young men. Frank Williams had an FI team at the age of 29; Ron Dennis had the Marlboro FI budget when he was 33; Max

Mosley set up his FI team when he was 30 and Bernie Ecclestone was running Connaughts when he was in his late 20s. They have all made their fortunes but they have closed the doors to youngsters. The new blood is not getting to the top of the sport.

"A society grows great," so they say, "when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in."

I would like to think that the wise old men of FI are smart enough to think about it all and see that there is a need to have a new generation of leaders with bright and eager eyes. And I hope that they will find pleasure in the simple joys of these newcomers, "remembering," as it says in Alice in Wonderland, "their own child-life, and the happy summer days" Once upon a time ...

The wm Box Seat Siivari >

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in four years from now, nine of the 13 principal piayers in the sport will be over 60. None will be under 50. rr Future leaders f Can FnUm Williams and Ron Dennim above, lead Formula 1 inU prosperous future?

J

t

Five minutes with.

Rob DIguyen

The former F3000liriver is racing in his home country for the first time anS wants to win the Austraiian GoU Star crown, casts JORDAN caught up with him at Maiiaia MOTORSPORT IMEWS: How did this opportunity with Hocking Motorsport in Formula 4000 come about?

ROB NGUYEN: After Formula 3000, I didn't have much funding to run overseas again, so the logical step was to try and run in Australia. I started calling around, and Chris (Hocking) was interested in running me this year and gave me a drive.

I think that in the past a lot of drivers who have gone on to win this championship have gone on to better things, so it was the logical step for me.

MN: So F4000 was the logical 'sideways' step for you, being the most similar thing to Formula 3000 in Australia.

RN: 1 had the option to do Formula 3, but with the different cars, I think it would have been too much of a step down, even though some of the F3 championships are quite competitive in Europe. 1 didn't have the money to run in those.

The two F4000 Chinese rounds were also something that got me interested.

MN: How similar are the F4000 cars to the F3000 cars to drive?

RN:These ex-F3000 cars here are actually more fun to drive, as they are a fiat bottom chassis with a wider track and are quite nimble with a lot of downforce.

So they are good on the corners, although I haven't been on any fast tracks yet to see what the cornering speed differences are.

The only real difference is horsepower. The F3000 cars have a lot more horsepower over 100 extra horsepower.

MN: At the end of last season, what were the options in front of you? Could you have stayed in Europe?

28

tS!

nn

n

. ■!

RN: Yes, I could have stayed in Europe, to be honest.

I could have done one of the slower categories. I could have done Formula 3 in a few different championships. But I think after that I would have been back to square one in finding the sponsorship, because I am aiming at GP2 for next year, so I saw raising my profile in Australia as a smarter thing to do.

MN: So coming back to Australia this year is a springboard to return overseas to Europe?

RN: For me the new Formula 2, or GP2 is my first option next year, depending on how we go with sponsorship.

Obviously Champ Cars is my next option, and Formula Nippon my third. I would like to go to Champ Cars, because many people who have not made Formula 1 from F3000 have done very well in Champ Cars, like Junqueira and Bourdais, so I think that is also an option.

MN: Who do you see as your main rival for this year's Gold Star title?

RN: From what I've heard and seen, Neil (McFadyen) from the Ralt Australia team will be the one. We would have qualified pole, but we had mechanical problems. These cars are quite old and it's up to the teams to keep them reliable. If the car is

If the car is reliable, I think it should be quite simple and n straightforward this year

- Nyugen rates his chances in F4000

reliable, 1 think it should be quite simple and straightforward for me this year.

MN: Do you think that having a credible opposition with a profile, such as Neil, is important in making team bosses in Europe take notice?

RN: I don't think I will be using this for team bosses. For me the goal in F4000 is to get an enduro drive at the end of the year at Bathurst.

Basically anything to raise my profile in Australia, as most of the F3000 teams in Europe already know me, and already know what I'm capable of, so I don't really need to show anything to them, I just need to get a few more people to support me.

MN: Are you ever envious of someone like Ryan Briscoe, who had similar results to you in F3000, but has stayed in Europe with manufacturer support?

RN: Yeah. I think you need a lot of luck in this game. I did much better than him in Formula 3000, and for him to get to stay over there is .. . I don't know the word for it.

MN: Frustrating?

RN: Yeah, frustrating, as I did much better in Formula 3000 than he did, and they actually pulled him out of the championship because he wasn't progressing. He did well in Formula 3, and I think he deserves to be where he is now.

MN: Do you view Australian motorsport, and more specifically V8 Supercars, as a potential career goal for the immediate future?

RN: It's something I can fall back on if things don't go well in the next couple of years. I want to try and get to the highest level in Europe or America. V8 Supercars is always a goal, but further down the track.

MN: What are your goals for this year? Any overseas testing, or an eye on an endurance seat in V8 Supercars?

RN: It's unconfirmed, but I've got a V8 Supercar test at the beginning of June. We'll see how it is, how comfortable I am in the car and hopefully that will open up some doors for the end of the year. It would be great if I could do Bathurst, as I've always wanted to do that, if not this year, next year, motorsport news

12 May 2004

Five minutes with

Antinew Jones

ii the Konica Mineita Series is hesigneh to nurture taient, then the Team BOC Eases pitot's term suggests that it is working.

MARK GLBVDBVniiNB cornereg him tor a chat MOTORSPORT NEWS: Obviously you're not where you'd like to be points-wise, but otherwise your season seems to be coming together well?

ANDREW JONES: Points-wise, I'm not all that happy with where we are. Well, it's not that I'm not happy, but I don't think that the position that we are in in the championship is indicative of the speed that the car has had all year, I think that the point system needs to be looked at. There was some talk about that at Winton. Those DNFs have really hurt us. OK, one of them was a mechanical fault that we can blame ourselves for, but the other was just a racing incident.

Unfortunately In racing, these things happen and you can't do anything about them.

But I'm really happy with the speed that the car's had. We've had more speed this year than we did last year. Like, when we ran at Winton a couple of weeks ago, that was the fastest that AU has ever gone there.

I'm happy with how I'm driving it, and the team is a great team. It's working really well as a group, and the way it has gelled has been really fantastic.

WIN: In terms of personnel, is it a separate team to OzEmail Racing?

AJ: The two guys that spanner on the car are separate, and the guy that looks after the engine for my car is from the engine shop, but he basically looks after my car. If the three cars run together, then he's on my car for engines.

I share Phil Curtis with John Bowe, he's JB's engineer, and I share JB's data guy, Dan. He's just new to us this year, and he's grown also, so as a group it's all going really well.

I read somewhere that DJR said that their Konica program wasn't a hindrance to their main series one, and if I could echo their comments, it's not to us either.

MN: And have you made steps 30

as a driver this year?

AJ: Yep, definitely. I think if you look at Mark (Winterbottom), if he had done another year in Konica then he'd be going even faster this year.

You get that with experience, so I'm very happy with the way I'm driving at the moment. At Winton I was probably fast enough to have held my own in the main series race, and even at Adelaide the speed was good.

There are a few things that I need to stop doing, little mistake, but as far as getting into a groove and into a slot - like in qualifying.

I've found a focus area that I can get into and I'm getting the most out of the car now.

WIN: You mentioned that there were a few things that you wanted to improve - is getting away from the line one of those?

AJ: There's always areas you can improve on, and yeah, getting off the line is one. You can have the speed in qualifying, but unfortunately they don't stick us on the grid with the gap that you had to second place - it would be great if I could start 0.4s or 0.6s up the road, but unfortunately that doesn't happen.

But really, the things in this business are your starts and your fitness. And I think my mental strength at the moment is pretty good. I'm pretty happy with it, but as far as being in

these cars all the time - you look at Brad and JB, they are two of the oldest guys out there but they do an Adelaide race and they look a lot better after it than somebody like Rick Kelly, because you just can't buy that sort of match fitness.

That's one thing that I'm trying to work on really hard. But driving, and speed, and working within the team has been really good this year, WIN: And you're back in the car with John Cleland for the enduros?

AJ: Yeah, we spoke about it the other day. Even though they're family, I still have to ask the question. So we sat down and I said, 'so am I going to get a gig this year?' and they said, 'yeah'.

They were fairly happy with how we went last year.

WIN: Well, you did finish in the top 10 at Bathurst...

AJ: Eighth, with a sticking throttle. There are stories like this coming out everywhere, but we were running top five for most of the race until our sticking throttle gave us a problem. But races like that are fantastic.

And to run again with Cleland will be great. Also, having that continuity in our team is good, because we've kept nearly everybody on with us this year that was here last year, and to have our driver line-up and our

personnel stay the same is a pretty big plus for us.

WIN: No doubt you want to take the step into the main game at some point - how far down the track do you think it will be?

AJ; Even though my last name is Jones and I'm lucky enough to be in a family business that's involved in motorsport, unfortunately it's not just my Dad that makes the decisions on my career.

There's a group of five people that make those decisions, being Brad and Kim, and JB's having quite a big input, and Phil Curtis as well.

We all sit down and try to work out what is the best step for me. I don't want to get in there and only be there for a year.

So I'd like to be there as quickly as I can, but not to the detriment of my future.

WIN: Are V8s the only target?

AJ: I'd like to do some German DTM. Not in the next couple of years, I want to do the V8 thing here, but to go over and do DTM would be great.

I read an article about Alex Davison (ED: MN #282, to be precise) where he was saying that it would have been difficult for him to get in. He was doing really well in Carrera Cup in Germany and they weren't taking a lot of notice of him, so it's not easy. But I'd really like to do it. motorsport news

A

Triple

M

OTOR racing is a tough business. It is a little like putting together a jigsaw puzzle; to be successful, you need to have all the parts of the puzzle in the right place at the right time - and sometimes, those parts seem like they are made out of liquid.

The man in charge of parts and puzzles at Team Betta Electrical is Roland Dane. The Irishman oversees the team's two Fords, drivers Paul Radisich and Max Wilson and the team's staff, technical requirements and sponsors.

Since taking over the team from John Briggs last September last year, new staff have been hired, new cars built and an engine program undertaken. And they are just the things that Dane is willing to talk about.

"It is going in the right direction," he says. "I am not sure that it is entirely to plan but it is heading in the right direction.

"I said at the time, my plan was that we would get the 32

team into a situation in 2004 where we stood a chance of winning races on merit. That is still my aim; to get the performance of the cars and the teams to that position before the end of 2004."

That appears to be happening. At the most recent round of the V8 Supercar Championship at Pukekohe, two teams got both their cars into the Top 10 Shootout; the Holden Racing Team and Triple 8. Radisich and Wilson had problems of various shapes and sizes in the races, restricting them to ninth and 16th respectively for the weekend. In the championship, they are 14th and 19th overall.

Not great - but not bad, particularly for a team that has undergone so many changes in the last 10 months.

"The most obvious change that we have made is building two completely new cars," says Dane.

r

,● i

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"The extent to which they are new is something that most people standing outside the garage would not be aware of. They are very new and quite different, to the extent that it is much more of a change for this team than the change from the AU to the BA was.

"That is the biggest thing we did over the summer. Bringing Campbell (Little) into the team, the way that he works with us and the contribution that he has made had been very good but it is just one part of a whole collection of things, involving different people in different work practices."

Of course, T8 is not an orphan. Its cousin in the UK runs the works Vauxhall program in the British Touring Car Championship with great success. At the start of the season, much was made of the fact that the Brisbane end of the team was linked to the

It is much more of a change (or this team than the change from the AU to the BA was It

- Dane compares his 2004 cars, above, to the 2003 models

%

>

English equivalent, based in heart of the UK's motor racing 'valley' in Banbury.

So, what is the relationship between the two 'worlds'?

"Triple 8 UK helped with some of he drawing, purely from a capacity point of view.

There is a limit to what you can do with six people in the drawing office. We are in the fortunate position where Triple 8 in the UK had some capacity, so we used it. We set out from the beginning to set up a drawing office here that was compatible, and hard-linked, and that we did. That helped us over the nniddle of the summer to rneet our objective in drawing parts.

"Triple 8 helped us in the manufacture of a relatively small amount of parts on the car when we ran out of capacity here."

Part of that has been prompted by the fact that so much of the cars are different to last year's. Dane is understandably coy to mention what parts of the car were built here and which in the UK, but during a visit to the Banbury molorsport news 1

n

I V

-f,

In a short space of timeM^JC MS: Bhas become one of the teams to watch in V8 Supercar racing.Team principal X)iids^ told I* H1L B U A N At i A ^ what has happened so far and what lies ahead

HQ in January, I was fortunate enough to see some of the Falcon parts under development and they were impressively neat and simple.

They are a 'clean-sheet' car but time has meant that we have had to make a few compromises, as you always do. If you give an engineer a year, they always manage to fill that year. You always have to have a cut-off time. If we had more time, they would differ, but only very slightly.

We are working from Day One; we knew that we would have to work continuously on upgrades, which we are.

One of the key men in the T8 set-up is Ludovic Lacroix, who brings an impressive resume from the world of Super Touring and DTM to the local show. While he is not based in Brisbane, he still has played a major role in the development of the cars.

I think that Ludo has brought a sense of direction to any situation," says Dane.

He focuses on the parts of a car that make a difference and prioritises them, both in terms 12 Miy 2004

of time or money. He is entirely logical in the way that he works; like myself, he does not believe in black magic in motor racing. There is always a reason in the way that things are done and what makes a car faster or slower.

In keeping a focus on that.

Ludo is always able to do particularly well, as well as maximising any given engineering solution that I have seen him working on over the years. In touring cars.

I have not seen anyone work at that level consistently.

V8 Supercar racing is restricted in a number of areas. one of which is what might be considered, by international standards, a rather draconian limit in the testing allowed for teams. One may expect that the co-principal of an international team might complain about that. One would be wrong.

It is what it is," he says.

We knew that they were restrictive going in but we did not know that they were going continued on page 34

continued from page 33 to be six days, as opposed to eight!

"For sure, when you are starting afresh, it is tougher than if you were established.

The number of people starting afresh is always smaller than the number of people who are up and running, so if you go by what is suitable for the majority, why should it be altered for just our requirements?"

Right. So the people are working hard and the chassis are working and undergoing more development. A number of drivers from opposition teams have commented on the fact that the T8 Falcons may not be great in a straight line but their cornering is very impressive. The next wave of development will include new engines.

Interestingly, while T8 in Banbury does engine development, the Vauxhall

team's units are built and maintained by the local arm of the French-owned Sodemo company. The development of the team's V8s will be done on an international scale but...

"They will continue to be built here. I don't think that there is any doubt that other Ford teams have been seeking expertise from abroad to help them; we are no different.

"There is a guy named Raphael Caille in the UK who is in charge of the engine program, bearing in mind that Triple 8 in the UK does not built engines, but it does design them and have them built to spec. He is working

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with Kenny MacNamara and Campbell here to try and come up with optimised design in the future. Unfortunately, it does take a long time to have a range of programs come to fruition.

"We are certainly not standing still, as far as engine development is concerned.

Whether it is being done here or being done in Europe, we will always have them built inhouse."

And, when will the new engines appear?

"I will not put a date on it.

These things have a habit of being difficult to keep to. For sure, I hope in the next few

months, we will be able to run an improvement but I will not put a date on it."

"We cannot afford to give away anything in the engine department."

One new development in Dane's already-busy schedule is his appointment to the Board of TEGA. Former Ford representative Mark Roworth's recent move to PWR Racing made his exit from the Board mandatory and Dane sat in on a brief board meeting on the Friday of the NZ weekend.

"It was not something that I had in mind when 1 came here," he admits, "but it was something that I hope I can i.s s-

Power players: Ludovic Lacroix, right with Dane at Sandown last year, is an integral part pf T8's V8 Supercar program while Paul Radisich, below, had to deal with some 'home'weather at Pukekohe earlier this month.

DSWhow.

34

molorsport news

.1

make a worthwhile contribution to now.

"It would be unfair to even start to comment until I have had a chance to be a part of the board in a proper sense.

Having an hour's meeting on Friday is not what I would consider a full-up board meeting."

One arena in which Dane may bring some particular expertise to the board is that of costs. The costs of racing in the BTCC went through the roof in the 1990s but, after the demise of Super Touring, a communal effort between the teams has seen the numbers reined in, and more teams have come into the series.

"I hope some experience of being in the position of having

observe in different places can be of use here.

"It is a question of, if you do not work hard on containing your costs, it runs to risk of going out of control, and it does not matter whether you are a biscuit tin manufacturer or a racing team. You have to watch your costs all the time.

"History is littered with companies that have done very well. Then, when things are not so well, when people do not want that style of biscuit tin any more, you break up left, right and centre. What we need to do is make sure that you are always looking at that process, not just say,'Shit, we better look at it now'.

"The other thing about motor racing is that people will Old rivals: Alain Menu's Prodrive Mondeo leads Yvan Muller's Triple 8 t

Vauxball Vectra at Oulton Park in May 2000.

London Calling Who win win the battle of the two British-owned V8 Supercar teams?

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If you do not work hard on containing your costs, it runs to risk of going out of controi, and it does not matter whether you are a biscuit tin manufacturer or a racing team

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a championship that was, probably, as good as anything in the world, in terms of the amount of money and spectacle and so on, and then seeing how quickly that can disintegrate if you are not careful. And then rescuing it, as it were, from that position, so that it can come back again.

"So I think that there is experience and an understanding of what has gone on in other places. That experience, I hope, can be used to help us go in the right direction here. When you look, it is obviously a whole issue of costs and cost containment is not something that is unique to V8 Supercars. Look at what is going on in Formula One at the moment.

"If there is a perceived, and real, need in pretty much every other series in the world to be careful on this score, I don't think that it is any different here. Some of the things that I have been either involved in or 12 May 2004

always spend the money that they can get. So the key to a good rulebook, whether it is technical or sporting, is to ensure a law of diminishing returns applies, so that if a team wants to gold-plate the wheels of its truck, it can do.

"But, if it uses that budget on the track, the differences that it makes is so small that it's counter-productive, almost, and it does not impact on the championship as a whole, so that you do not have one team, or two or three, that are miles quicker, and all the rest follow well behind."

With that, it is time for Dane to get on with things. There is much to do; the chassis are under control, engines are on the way. In the short-term, things are Triple 8 look good.

And the long-term? Dane is smart enough to know what the next piece of the puzzle will be and too smart to share the information with a journalist.

We will watch with interest...

IF you driveheadquarters past Prodrive's in Banbury you could make it to Triple 8's BTCC base in about 10 minutes - if you know the roads and are not a stupid Aussie journalist.

The proximity of the two teams, and the fact that both international companies run V8 Supercar programs half a world away, make it comparisons between Team Betta Electrical and Ford Performance Racing inevitable. While T8 appears to be on fast-forward as it becomes more competitive, so far, FPR appears to be running on a different, slower, time frame.

Dane does not bite on the question; "To be honest, I do not know what FPR's time-frame (S," he says.

"It is not something that I take any notice of, and am not privy to what their plan is. I would have to say that I am not that interested in it.

"What I am concerned about is that there is a benchmark in terms of Ford teams and there is a benchmark in terms of the championship as a whole.

We focus on that and we do our best to ensure that we

are within striking range of that as quickly as possible.

So what any of the other Ford teams are doing I am not really focusing on and I am not able to comment on what they are doing."

In recent times, comparing the comments of the team principals is interesting.

When the announcement that T8 was acquiring its team came last September, Dane stated that he wanted to win races in 2004. FPR principal David Flint has been quoted as saying the same thing about 2005.

"It may not be that different," states Dane. "I want to be in the position of being able to do that (win races) in 2004. If we do not do that, I want to be capable of doing that in 2005. We set the objective of trying to have a competitive package in 2005. Maybe our objectives are not that different.

"It is easy to say that, maybe, FPR are not doing as good a job. But I would say, we are only three rounds into the championship and there is a long way to go. I know that they are working very hard, as we are, and I would not be writing them off yet."

- PHIL BRANAGAN 3S

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Claude Rouelle may be one ofthe most influentialpeople in world motorsport - and you ^ve probably never even heard ofhim.

MARK GLENDENNING sat down for a chat with the Colorado-based Belgian during his recent visit to these shores

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HEN Claude Rouelle talks, all kinds of people listen.

Formula One people from Ferrari, Jaguar and Toyota, IRL people from Penske, people from WRC teams, people from V8 Supercar teams, and people who are helping their brotherin-law run an old Formula Ford at state level.

Hell, some of the people don't even have an active involvement in motorsport, but figure that listening to Claude might help to open some doors.

Some of those people are drivers, but most of them are, like Rouelle, engineers. The popular image of the race engineer is something akin to the mad scientist of the pitlane, the guy who pores over reams and reams of complicated data, looking for something that will make his driver's car just that little bit less inclined to understeer, or 0.01s quicker through that slow left-hander or a bit more stable under braking.

And with the developments in data loggers by the likes of MoTeC over the past few years, engineering has moved well beyond the 'black art' days of intuition and is now firmly grounded in good oT reliable science. Right?

Not really. No matter what race you go to, you don't have to visit too many garages to find a team whose car is behaving in a certain way quick in the wet, slow in the dry for example - but nobody, including the engineer, can explain exactly why.

And that's why Rouelle is currently a man in demand.

Rouelle has amassed an enormous pool of experience over the past 30 or 38

so years. After building his own Formula Ford (which he later put into production under the name 'HirondeUe') as his thesis for his engineering degree, Rouelle has gone on to develop a CV that includes Formula 3 with ORECA in France, a Reynard posting in Japan, NASCAR, two years in CART, two years of Indy Lights, a season with AGS in FI, and four years in the ETCC and European Rally Championship.

He is still linking around race bays finding ways to make cars go faster courtesy of his new consultancy company OptimumG - a gig that includes work in V8 Supercars.

In fact, V8s are the one series in which he has broken his self-imposed rule of assisting just one team from any given category, however he sought permission from one before working with the other. Which teams? That would be telling ... although one of them took nine wins last year. Rouelle, however, claims that the team's success cannot be attributed directly to him.

"I think that we really did contribute only a very small percentage to that (success)", he said.

"Where we help is opening doors.

Different perspectives. Sharing experience. You see what I mean?

Mainly in simulation, that's what we do normally.

"I think they would do as well without us, but it's more about the long-term. We don't go and say, 'do that' and they go 'oh, we are on pole thanks to Claude.' It's not like tliat, it's more about the way of thinking.

"I think that in the long-term, they could say 'we are still winning because Claude made us think about

this and that'. Two years from now, they could say that."

For Rouelle, the key to success has as much to do with things like streamlining the channels of communication within a team as it is about knowing how to get the most out of those new slip angle sensors that you've just shelled out for. Much of his approach can be traced back to lessons that he learned while working rmder Hugues de Chaunac atORECA. "There are three things that drivers forget to say to their mechanics," Rouelle observes.

"Good morning, good evening, and thank you. You know, with ORECA, we never tested any of the drivers that we chose.

"I remember one November, he said 'this is a list of the drivers we can have that we have to choose from. One is coming Thursday, and one is coming Monday. I want you to spend some time with them, go and have dinner, go to the beach or go into the woods and walk for three hours, and I want to know how you feel about them.'

"And when we had a driver, first of all, they were obliged to have an apartment within 30 minutes of the shop. Number two, the first three weeks, they had to work with the mechanics.

"With the chief mechanic of their car, they had to completely strip their car and rebuild it, because firstly, it is creating a spirit of comradeship. The guys are kidding each other, they are going to have a drink in the evening and so on.

"Secondly, they understand how hard the work of the mechanics is.

"And number three, they understand the car. You see, they know that they can not say, 'please repair this in 30 minutes', because they know that with the best mechanics in the world it is going to take two hours. Or they can say, 'give me a break, it should only take five minutes.' So they are honest with each other.

There are three things that drivers forget to say to their mechanics.

Good morning, good evening and thank you If

"Every Tuesday morning, we had a two hour briefing, de Chaunac would say, 'I want to know why you won'.

And at first I would say, (assumes deep, self-important voice) 'Because I am the engineer!' But he would say, 'I want to know your strengths.' And it was the same when we lost.

"And then he was saying, 'OK, what can we do to improve?'

"1 was feeling a little bit scrutinised. But he would say, 'Claude, I'm not attacking you. I'm attacking the problem. If I didn't hke you or didn't think you could do the job, you wouldn't be here.' motorsport news

CLAUDE ROUELLE

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Man of the people: Rouelle credits ORECA boss Hugues de Chaunac, right, as an early inspiration.

Smart guy stuff: Rouelle gets busy with a white board during his seminar, far right. We have no idea what the squiggles mean either.

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"So he was boosting my selfconfidence. And he was doing that with everybody, witli the mechanics, with the drivers.

"He's not an engineer, he doesn't vaguely understand what we are doing. He's not a super-accountant, he's not a super-manager, he's a fantastic negotiator, but he's (great) person-to-person. And he's somebody who likes people.

"Out of 25 years as an employee, he has been my best boss. No doubt.

I'm sure there are otlier people like him. But he proved that it was just about confidence, and attitude, and relationships, and skill, as an engineer or as a driver."

Rouelle further illustrates Ms point with an example from CART. "You know the year when Gil de Ferran and Heho Castroneves were fighting? They were both on the same lap, and both could win, and on the radio they both asked, 'what are the 12 May 2004

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team orders?'

"And Roger Penske spoke with the two guys and said, 'Here are the team orders. Take care of each other.'

It's a good one! The magic of the words - that is worth more titan a cheque, more than 20 horsepower on a test bench. 'Take care of each other.'

"That's where I have the admiration -1 feel very small compared with those guys."

But no matter how high an engineer's confidence may be, RoueUe readily admits that they will

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still find themselves getting stuck up blind alleys while setting up a car.

According to Mm, a major reason for tMs is that the constant demands of short-term duties interfere limit opportunities to look at the bigger picMre. "As much as a guy like de Chaunac tMnks that it's more about attitude, I do tMnk that some people are more brilliant Man others," he said.

"Rory Byrne is a very brilliant guy, for example. But I do believe that you don't necessarily need to be

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absolutely brilliant. People are speaking about the emotional quotient, or the intellectual one.

"I do very much believe that if you are feeling very good witMn yourself, it's easily as important as the number of neurons that you have in your brain.

"If, on top of that, you have people who can put you in this position can put you under a little hit of

continued on page 38 37

Racecar Engineerm A

S surprising as it may seem, we at Motorsport News do not know everything. Especially when it comes to racecar engineering.

When we talk to a team at a race about a car that is misbehaving, we are not equipped to do anything about it other than nod sympathetically.

So when your intrepid journalist took the plunge and dropped in on one of Rouelle's recent three-day seminars at MoTeC in Melbourne, hopes for understanding anything much beyond why all four wheels point in the same direction most of the time were not high.

But we hadn't reckoned on Rouelle having another trick up his sleeve - an amazing knack for explaining prickly concepts in a dumb journalist-friendly way.

"You don't need to have a PhD to come to the seminar," said Rouelle.

"The youngest guy to have come to the seminar was 19 continued from page 38 pressure, but can put you in confidence, it helps you very, very much.

"So if you are in the team where you can research, where you can have the honesty of saying,'I don't know,but I want to understand', then the progress is nearly guaranteed."

Given his heavy emphasis upon communication, it should come as little surprise to learn that Rouelle is as excited by what he can teach others as he is by engineering itself except for that fact that the world of race engineering does not make a habit of sharing information out of fears of handing an advantage to a rival.

This is where Rouelle's seminars, which occupy the half of his time that isn't taken up by consultancy work, come into the picture.

"I have to tell you,I don't consider myself as a top engineer," Rouelle said.

"I think I'm a good engineer, but I'm a much better engineer since I've been teaching these seminars.

"When I did the very first seminar, I thought to myself 'I've been an engineer for 20-plus years,I know what I'm talking about'. Wrong.

Teaching is like learning for a second time.

"Things that seem to be obvious, when you make your Powerpoint slide, you say,'well the guy in front 38

years old. Fie was not at uni, and he understood 70 percent of it."

Rouelle's basic premise is fairly simple: It's nearly as bad to be on pole and not know why the car is so fast as it is to not qualify and not know why the car is so slow.

The seminars are about helping engineers to reassess the way they go about their job, and help eliminate guesswork. A wrong guess can be expensive, not only in terms of speed, but also in terms of cost (important) and time (possibly even more important).

The concept of 'we'll do it this way because this is how we've always done it' is, according to Rouelle, endemic amongst engineers - right up there with what he terms the 'Las Vegas Philosophy', where teams keep playing with the set-up until they start to lose.

Neither are especially efficient, and the means to do things better are often already at a

team's disposal. Sometimes, a shift in perspective that allows the problem to be tackled in a

different way, or the ability^to get more out of the data acquisition gear, can make a massive difference.

"There are three reasons that people often give for not wanting to come to the seminar," said Rouelle.

"Number one is that it costs too much money. OK. $1500 Australian dollars is a lot of money. I agree. But how much do you spend on a set of tyres?

"The second one is, people are afraid of what they don't know. People don't know what they don't know. What if what you don't know suddenly could make you win?

"A guy like Ross Brawn says that he thinks that the team is mastering 60 percent of what they do. At Ferrari! Whatever you need is there, the windtunnel, the full industrial and technical power of Bridgestone

there is not an idiot, but he has never seen this before. How can I structure

why the other 10 percent of the time it didn't work.

"The other thing is this. Chris Murphy,Lotus's Formula One designer,came to the seminar, I was fearing a bit that he would say 'oh, that's not how you do it, you don't know anything.'

"1 asked him, and he said 'yeah I learned a few things, but the very interesting part was seeing things that I know presented by somebody else with different experience gave me a different perspective, and I had a lot of different ideas popping into my own mind'.

"And in teaching this seminar, I have put myself into a very

is behind him, and so on.

"And the guy is saying, 'well, I think for two-thirds of what we are doing, we know what we are doing. The rest, we are still guessing'. So what is the percentage for a little Formula Ford, or a V8 Supercar? Let's be honest with ourselves.

"The worst attitude is, 'I already know all that'. That is the worst one!'We won, and we didn't need that.' Let's see how that's going two years from now.

"And the third one is, 'I would like to go, as a young engineer.

But my boss, who is not an engineer, won't let me because I have a degree and he thinks I know all that'.

"But the problem is that science never stops being revamped. If a guy like Campbell Little, for whom I have great admiration, or Chris Murphy, can come to the seminar and say, 'I learnt something', then how can the 25-year-old kid say, 'oh, 1 know all that', or 'my boss thinks

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'1 was applying a recipe that worked 90 percent of the time, and never took time to understand why the other 10 percent of the time it didn't work"

the thing so that he imderstands, step-by-step, so that it makes sense?'

"And suddenly I recognised that I was applying a recipe that was working 90 percent of the time, and never took the time to understand

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"I feel very small next to that guy": Roger Penske, above, knows that good management skills can be worth more than finding 20 bhp ... challenging position because of the questions that I get from some of the guys,and the perspectives -1 have a NASCAR guy, then I have a V8 Supercar guy, then a single-seater with flat bottom, no wing, with wing, and so on.

"And it makes you think all the time, and that's what I like. The intellectual challenge.

"After that, when you learn this way of thinking, the application is the consulting. That is why they are complimentary."

GET Rouelle talking about some of the people that have made a special impression upon him during his career, and he comes up with some respectable, if not entirely unexpected, names: Roger Penske, Rory Byrne and so on.

But in his eyes, there is someone a little closer to home who has every right to be mentioned in the same breath.

“You have tons of people who go racing for the glory, for the money," he said.

“But Jimmy Stone is a real racer. It's in his blood. And I really like to speak with him. I don't get to speak with him enough because he's such a busy guy. a really hard worker.

“It's in his blood, and you can see that. Like a painter who is painting, he is racing. He knows his job very well, he is a good listener, he is objective, and he has a lot of ethics.

“I can tell you this to give you an idea. I had a meeting with them at the beginning of the season. One of the engineers who was with FPR had switched over there, and I said. ‘Were they moiorspori news

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I know all that'?"

As Rouelle hints, his seminars have already attracted a number of leading lights from the V8 series - indeed there were two current V8 Supercar engineers amongst the dozen that joined MNews at MoTeC last month.

There is also a more intensive 12-day seminar as well as a oneday seminar geared specifically at drivers who want to learn how to interact better with their engineer.

In the three-day seminar, Rouelle covers a lot of ground enough, in fact, to take the class all the way through a 300 page folder that is handed out on the first morning.

And if you're imagining three solid days of something akin to your high school physics class (which is this particular journalist's idea of hell), then you are well wide of the mark.

Rouelle's lessons are interspersed with some sensational anecdotes, and

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further enhanced with the use of lots of examples of MoTeC data captures, as well as other audio visual material.

Any class that uses the famous footage of Ari Vatanen at

Pike's Peak to illustrate slip angles has our full support.

Rouelle's seminars are presented in Australia by MoTeC. While the latest batch of seminars has just concluded.

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you can keep yourself posted regarding Rouelle's next visit to Australia by visiting www.motec.com.au or www.optimumg.com.

- MARK GLENDENNING

UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY! Place your order

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Quite a combination; Jimmy is to. team management what Marcos is to drivingf Rouelle thinks so.

Authenticity signed by the 4 winning drivers - Garth

doing that at FPR, because I looked at their car and I saw that?’.

"And Jimmy stopped me and said, ‘Claude, that’s not the way we work here. We work on our stuff.

We don’t ask anything about anyone else’.

“1 was put back on my seat, and said,‘wow’. And he said,‘We do the best we can, we don’tcopy. We are 12 May 2004

not stupid. When HRT jack the rear of the car up and do something on the rear anti-roll bar, or the rear pickup point, or the rear shock, we think about that, but we don't call other people, we don’t try to suck information in the background. That’s not what we do’.

“I was very impressed.’’ ^ MARK GLENDENNING

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The 10 year anniversary of FI's ‘black day’ also represents a decade since a death in the sport ADAM COOPER looks at the positive steps taken towards making Formula 1 safe

T

HE recent 10th anniversary of the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger at Imola had another significance, for it meant that a decade of Grand Prix racing has passed with no driver fatalities.

To put that into perspective, the three previous decades saw respectively 10, eight and three drivers lose their lives in Grands Prix, non-championship races, or testing.

Just as significantly, serious injuries have also been rare. Mika Hakkinen's head trauma at Adelaide in 1995 was the most alarming, and later Olivier Panis(Montreal 1997) and Michael Schumacher (Silverstone

1999) suffered broken legs. All three drivers were soon back in the cockpit.

Of course, the sport is still dangerous and,inevitably, there will be serious accidents in the future. It should also not be forgotten that fireman Paolo Ghislimberti was killed at Monza in September 2000, and spectator marshal Graham Beveridge lost his life in Melbourne six months later.

Nevertheless, it is surely an occasion worth marking, if only to acknowledge the achievements of the FIA. Under Max Mosley's leadership, and with the support of team technical staff and other specialists, the oft-maligned organisation has made extraordinary progress.

Two men in particular should be singled out for their contribution; Professor Sid Watkins, the FI medical delegate and head of the FIA's safety research commission, and Charlie Whiting, who serves as race director, starter and safety delegate. Both concede that there is no room for complacency.

"Anything can still happen," Watkins admits."You can recogmse it, but do not relax. Of course we are delighted that we haven't had any really serious injuries, and there has been a lot of good progress made with a strong scientific basis. But in the end, motor racing is what it is, and something unforeseen can occur."

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\ Learning from the past: Even before Ayrton Senna's death, safety was a big issue. Professor Sid Watkins, above left with Senna, and Charlie Whiting, right, are two of the leaders in keeping the sport of FI safe.

40

"I'm pleased," says Whiting,"but we have to be careful, because there hadn't been a fatality - in racing -for 12 years until Imola 1994."

Sid and Charlie were at the eye of the storm that rocked motor racing in the spring of that year. Even before San Marino,Jean Alesi and JJ Lehto had suffered neck injuries in testing.

That dark weekend in Imola was followed by the crashes involving Karl Wendlinger at Monaco and Andrea Montermini in Spain. Then even as measures to slow the cars were being tested, Pedro Lamy's Lotus flew into an empty spectator enclosure at Silverstone.

For a while the sport was in turmoil, but cooler heads prevailed, and long-term plans put in motion.

One of the first steps was an analysis of the circuits, led by the late Harvey Postlethwaite, which pinpointed 27 'high risk' corners.

Whiting explains:"Some corners are taken at high G but are not particularly fast, while some comers are fast but not particularly high G. Wlten you got the two together, that was deemed to be a dangerous comer.

We identified quite a few of those, but over a period of time we managed to reduce it to single figures."

That resulted fi-om a combination of circuit modifications, and slowing the cars down. A reduction of engine size from 3.5 to 3.0-litres for 1995 was the most visible step,followed by narrow track suspension and molorsport news

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Like Mike: Luciano Burti, above, and Ralf Schumacher, below, reach for new heights at the start of the German and Australian Grand Prix.

\

I grooved tyres three years later.

Almost every season there have been rneasures to control speeds, usually by trimming downforce. A detailed analysis is a story in itself, but what concerns us most here is how much stronger the cars are now compared to 10 years ago,and how much better protected tire drivers are.

"The teams should take more credit than us," says Wliiting, "because they are the ones that build the cars, after all. More or less all of the safety changes have been done witli the agreement of the teclinical working group, and quite often they've been the ones to instigate these things.

"We do a lot of research, but at the end of the day we only write the rules, and they're the poor buggers that have got to build the cars! Some of the teclinical challenges are pretty daunting."

It would be wrong to assume that everything started with Imola,for a lot of good work had been done in the preceding decades. Chassis crash testing began as long ago as 1985, and even by '94 it had become stiicter and more sophisticated. But Imola created a momentum that still exists today.

The Imola weekend was a watershed in safety," says Sid. "It was such a period of turmoil. Max Mosley deserves a lot of praise for setting up the research conmiission, and giving us such tremendous 12 Way 2004

financial and moral support, with a free hand to co-opt any expert to perform any experiment that we wanted. For the first time, one could plug the medical and biophysical aspects of motor racing into the design of tlie car."

It seems obvious now,but one of the first lessons was that simply making the shoulder straps wider reduced the risk of chest injuries.

"Obviously the events of 1994 made everyone sit up and take notice," agrees Whiting. "That's when we went to MIRA to do cockpit tests, with the help of McLaren,and came up with the high cockpit sides.

Wendlinger's accident didn't look like a big shunt, and nor did Mika's in Adelaide. That spm-red us to think about the driver's head, and how vulnerable it was."

Hakkinen was hurt in the last race of tlie 1995 season,just prior to the introduction of the higher cockpit sides and enveloping headrests.

"It may seem crude, but it's been scientifically arrived at. If you had to single out one thing, that would be it.

The head protection has really proved its worth."

Watkins agrees that the head protection has been the single most significant development.

"The remarkable thing has been the reduction in the number of

continued on page 42

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Motor racing is what it is, and something unforeseen can occur 91

-Professor Sid Watkins

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Knock the top off: Pedro Diniz was extremelly lucky to survive this roll over on the opening lap of the 1999 European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring. The rollboop sustained a freak impact on the wet grass, which left the Brazilian's bead pressed against the grass.

41

continued from page 41

concussions," says the Professor.

"Prior to the head and neck foam, there were several concussions a year.

Since we had it in 1996, and despite having a lot of big accidents, the concussion rate has been very low.

There have been a vast number of incidents where it has worked to the point that it's destroyed itself."

Sid cites shunts involving Jos Verstappen, Mika Salo and Jacques Villeneuve at Spa as just three instances where the outcome could have been tragic in the past.

"We have replicated accidents so that we're now in possession of considerable bio-physical data concerning head injuries," he adds.

"There's been some fundamental progress made into realising what the threshold limits are for head injury and brain injury. Padding the inside of the cockpit has helped to reduce the leg problem."

The HANS device was another major step. Gerhard Berger tested a prototype as long ago as 1995, but it took until 2003 for it to be suitable for compulsory use. It proved its worth as early as Brazil, where several drivers had major offs.

The extractable seat, designed to minimise risk when back and neck, injuries are involved, was a welcome

Cause for concern: Just one round after the tragic 1994 San Marino CP, Karl Wendlinger crashed heavily at Monaco, above, where he suffered bruising of the brain. Since then. innovations such as the HANS (Head and Neck Support) device, right, have become mandatory.

innovation:"We practice a lot, but it's never actually been used," says Whiting."But as far as I'm aware a fire extinguisher hasn't been set off on a car for at least 20 years. That doesn't make it a good reason not to have them."

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TECHNICAL "What happened to Sato in Austria was extraordinary. No side intrusion test wouid have heiped with thar

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- Charlie Whiting on Sato’s incident, left .'A Over the years, crash test requirements have been more stringent, and the original focus on frontal impacts has carried over to the side and rear. A structure on the gearbox, added in 1997, was a major advance.

"Previously the thinking was that the suspension and so on would absorb energy," explains Charlie.

"But there was nothing that helped in a straight rear accident, and it was just the gearbox and engine."

At the Nurburgring in 1999,Pedro Diniz's rollhoop failed after taking an unlikely rear impact on the grass, and a new test was soon introduced.

"You would never think that could happen. You have to react to that sort of thing, and learn from it. We had applied the load from the front, but there was no requirement for it to be strong if hit from the back."

The shattered remains of-Roland Ratzenberger's Simtek led to increased emphasis on side impacts, but more recently attention has focussed on efforts to prevent intrusion into the cockpit. Since 1999 noses have had 'soft' tips, so that they crumple rather than puncture in

T-bone accidents.

Takuma Sato's accident in the 2002 Austrian GP proved that anything can happen. His Jordan was T-boned not by a soft nose but by the hefty rear crash structure on Nick Heidfeld's Sauber, which pimched a large square hole. It was the most devastating damage inflicted on a chassis in recent times, and another lesson was learned.

"What happened to Sato in Austria was extraordinary," says Whiting.

"No side intrusion test would have helped with that."

It hasn't all been about improving the cars. Medical sertdces are always imder review, and there has been a lot of advanced work on circuits and barriers. Much comes as a direct result of the introduction of accident data recorders in 1997, which helped prove that asphalt run-offs are often more effective than gravel traps.

Much has been achieved since 1994, but all concerned agree that there's no reason to ease off.

"We just have to keep pushing," says Watkins,"and keep being

difficult!"

MOTORSPORT VIDEOS Formula One 1980 Double First- Williams and Jones Up until now, the only Formula One reviews that were available were from 1981 onwards. Finally, for the very first time, Duke Video have released a documentarystyle review of the 1980 Formula One season - the season that saw Australian Alan Jones claim ' the World Title. n

I

' The review utilises film (including - some previously unseen footage) : from Brunswick Films, who were one of the few companies producing FI film at that time.

I Look out for the in-car lap of I Brands Hatch that gives you a n frighteningly real insight into the I 'handling'of a'80 FI car. ' The film is the first in a brand new series from Duke and Brunswick , entitled The Grand Prix Collection -11 j individual season reviews cliarting I Formula One from 1970 to 1980.

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formula one igso double first: williams and jones

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They will be released on a staggered basis in May, July and September.

Running time: 52 minutes

2 Fast 2 Real 4 Hollywood A street racing documentary This DVD Is certainly not for the faint hearted, with America's boldest street racers showing the film world how it's done properly, "2 Fast 2 Real 4 Hollywood" delivers non-stop, all-action street racing from maxed-out cars, high-powered trucks, quads and superbikes, Hollywood has tried to capture the action and atmosphere of stieel racing but nolhing beats the real thing. As soon as the police's backs are turned, Times Square is turned into an auto arena, with burn-outs, sprints and head-lo-head racing Quad biking takes to the streets of Brooklyn (on two wheels!), and truck racing takes to the open . highways. This is real life. Gambling, racing, cruising for babes and getting busted is just the norm.

All of Ihe exploits are captured from

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43

1

Keep the Ball Rolling Why the FiA will never stop the pursuit for perfect safety NEW safety measures don't suddenly pop out of the ether. They are the result of years of investigation and research by the FIA and the organisations it works closely with,such as the Transport Research Laboratory in Berkshire.

"I think people do underestinnate it," says Whiting.

"Every couple of years we have a safety symposium, and get people together from Europe and the States to present papers. We had one In Monaco a few years ago, and David Coulthard popped along. He seemed very surprised to see just how much research was being undertaken.

Michael [Schumacher] joins us in our research group when he can and we find his input is very valuable."

So what are the key issues for the future?

"The two big areas of research at the moment are high performance wheel restraint systems and car launching. Both those programmes are ongoing. We're also looking at a high-speed crash barrier, as we call it.

Research has shown that a very well put together tyre barrier hit at 80km/h is unlikely to injure a driver, but we're looking to double that."

Wheel tethers have been upgraded several times since their introduction in 1999, but the forces involved are often enormous.

"You've got to absorb the energy somewhere. When Rubens ran into the back of Ralf at Interlagos [in 2001], the Ferrari front wheel went 40m in the air. You need a great deal of energy to do that and at the moment we only have a tether to do it. We're working on an energy absorbing system which couples each wheel with the chassis, but that's probably

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The most deadly type of accident is when cars get airborne, but don't expect to see rear bumpers or anything similar.

"We're looking at things like tyre profiles. When hit, it seems that high profile tyres can store a great deal of energy, and when they get into the rebound stage there's enough energy to push a nose up.

There's a broad spectrum of things."

- ADAM COOPER

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WHENEVER we step a foot inside a motorsport faciiity, the greeting notice at the gate is all too familiar: Motor Racing is dangerous.

So it's no surprise that Australia takes pride in its safety standards and adheres to the FIA's international rules and regulations. Although we have lost friends and heroes In fatal accidents, our record is a world leader. CAMS President Colin Osbourne agrees; "I would think that the safety standards of Australia compare quite favourably to those internationally," claimed Osbourne.

"Unfortunately, the nature of activity that we are involved in is such that it's impossible to avoid all risk, but we can try to minimise it and manage it as best we can."

In terms of rallying, Osbourne claims that Australia leads the world in spectator safety.

"You simply don't see the things that happen in Europe where you've got spectators right beside the rally road. Our spectator controls are more significant and this is an area where we can say we've made an advance, probably over any other place in the world."

street circuits. Osbourne said that he "wouldri't be surprised" to see similar fences placed at permanent circuits.

But one area CAMS and drivers have expressed some concern with is the HANS device. Everyone agrees that it can be a lifesaver, however, it was originally designed for 'formula' cars, where lateral head movement isn't particularly great. Necessity to get lateral head movement while in a touring car, where the mirrors are at greater angles, is a notable problem.

"Some sedan car drivers feel comfortable using them - some not so," said Osbourne.

Marcos Ambrose, right, trialled a device at the Adelaide 500 and will use

And International rules have recently been changed to increase the height of catch fencing at

and I'd like to see it compulsory."

- GRANT ROWLEY

44

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a slightly modified version to suit his car's environment.

"I'll be using it voluntarily," said Ambrose. "Hopefully the device will have a trickle-down effect for the support categories that aren't using it. It's definitely an enhanced safety feature for the benefit of the driver

motorsport nows

TECHNICAL

Mapping the Progress

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by ADAM COOPER

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THE following table gives an indication of some of the major developments in FI safety over the past 10 years. It does not include any of the ongoing efforts to slow the cars:

1995

Presents

99

the rollhoops

■ Chassis extended from 15cms to 30cms in front of driver's feet ■ Frontal impact test stricter ■ Side impact test ■ Wider shoulder straps ■ Gravel bed 'furrows' outlawed ■ First pit wall debris shields installed

1996 ■ Fligher cockpit sides and side headrests

1997

■ Accident data recorders ■ Energy impact structure on gearbox, with rear impact test ■ Steering wheel and column energy absorption test ■ Safety car available for wet weather starts

1998

■ Front rollhoop test ■ Chassis dimensions ahead of dash increased ■ Side impact test energy 100 percent higher ■ 10 second cockpit exit test ■ Fligh performance tyre barrier test established

1999

■ Driver's head to be 7cm rather than 5cms below an imaginary line between

■ 'Softer' 15cm tip on nose to minimise intrusion risk in T-bone accidents ■ Wheel tethers ■ Extractable seat

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■ Paved run-offs recommended

2000

■ Stronger skins on chassis side ■ Top of roll hoop closer to cockpit ■ Tougher static load side test in leg area

2001

■ Side impact test speed increased ■ Side intrusion panels and intrusion test for T-bone accidents ■ Rear impact test for roll hoop ■ Confor padding above and beside driver's legs ■ Second wheel tether added

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■ New guidelines for paved run-offs

2002

■ Side intrusion test increased by 33 percent ■ 'Push-off test for rear impact structure ■ Stronger wheel tethers

2003 ■ More stringent roll structure test conditions ■ FIANS device

2004

m Stronger wheel tethers ■ Advanced helmet standard (from July)

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After leaving school, my first job was working in a Barristers Chambers. I was there for two years.

At the moment I am doing all types of modelling including television, photographic, promotional and catwalk.

1996: Ferrarrs higher headrests

2000: RoUhoop closer to cockpit lAt.UAR

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I have been dancing since the age of three. In the year 19951 went to Los Angeles with a dance tour.

I have also been cheer-leading with the Penrith Panthers for eight years now.

I am lucky I enjoy dancing, and do so much of it because I don't enjoy exercise, so dancing is keeping me fit.

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1999: Extractable seats introduced

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li^ MOTORSPORT NEWS: You've just had the biggest win of your career at Motegi, now you head to the biggest race of the year, the Indianapolis 500. The win must have boosted your confidence.

DAN WHELDON: It obviously has.

It was great - to finally get my first win was fantastic. And to tie that in with Honda's first win at Motegi is like a dream come true. I think Honda will take care of me for hfe.

At this point, it's great for Honda.

But right now, that is done, Japan is over. Now I'm focused on the Indy 500. It's going to be a tough month, especially with the new aero package and the new motor package.

MN: So the locals would have been happy over there?

DW: The Japanese? I seem to be popular in Japan ... with the females.

I think having won that increased my popularity 10 fold!

But no, it was very, very good, certainly for the bosses of Honda in Japan and for HPD (Honda Performance Development) in America.

Honda's dedication to motorsport is second to none and for them not to have won that race the prior six years was very unfortunate.

MN: Would it be fair to say, by Honda's standards, that they struggled a bit last year?

DW: 1 don't think they were struggling at all. I think what people forget is that it was Andretti Green's first year in the formula. I think the formula is very, very competitive and even before the bigger teams moved across to the series, they underestimated the strength of the 46

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competition like Panther Racing.

I think, from my standpoint, I was a bit off the pace but I have only got faster since.

To say Honda were struggling. I'd have to disagree. Tony (Kanaan) was in the championship hunt right until (the final round at) Texas.

And Honda have performed even stronger this year. I think that is the biggest thing.

MN: The IRL introduces a new engine specification for the Indy 500 and beyond (a capacity reduction from 3.5 litre to 3 litre). Have you sampled one yet?

DW: Yeah, we had an engine test a week before Japan.

Honda, Toyota and Chevy were aU there and the Honda performed well in comparison to the others. It was pretty tight between them.

But I really don't think you saw people show their true colours. That will happen once the month of May starts, certainly closer towards qualifying. We're very happy with how it went though, from a car handling standpoint and an engine standpoint.

We've now got to make sure we get the car and the motor performing how we want it.

MN: You had quite a successful year in 2003, including Rookie of the Year in the IRL and the Autosport Rookie of the Year. You're leading

the series at the moment, so is 2004 the year to stand up and be counted?

DW: To win the Rookie of the Year last year was good, but that was never my focus. The focus has got to be running up the front. I had a good month in May last year until the last few laps. I was trying to force it too quick and got involved in a few incidents.

The aim this year is to keep finishing well and see where that puts me toward the end of the season. Honestly, the championship is so competitive - in fact it's ridiculous. I honestly believe there are 10 or 12 that can win the race.

There are 13 races to go and it's going to be very difficult. They award 50 points for a win so if you have an off weekend, you can drop a lot of points.

MN: In terms of preparation, what do you do different in the lead-up to the 500?

DW: I don't think you do anything different. You've got to try and keep doing things exactly the same. We always prepare very hard for each race.

One thing with Indy is that you have to be disciplined. It's a long month. Say one day doesn't go right, you can't panic and let it get on top of you. You've reaUy got to focus and work on the big picture. If one day doesn't go good, that's fine. Go ■ home, forget about it and work towards having a good qualifying car

and race car. But discipline would be the word I'd use to describe the month of May. MN: You were running strong in the 500 last year. Do you believe you are in a better position now?

DW: Do I think I'll be any faster than what I was last year? No, because we were able to run very quick. But do I think I'll be in a better position to understand and handle different situations? I do. It's just experience.

TK (Tony Kanaan), Helio (Castroneves) and Dario (Franchitti) have been doing this in CART or IRL for the previous eight or nine years and it's hard to compete with that experience.

The thing about the Indy 500 is you don't just have to be quick to win it. You've got to put yourself in that position throughout the 500 miles, with strategy and traffic and there are so many variables. The person running up the front can really surprise you.

The main thing for me though, is to give myself the best chance I can.

You don't get many opportrmities in the 500. My aim is to focus on my deal and see where it puts me.

MN: Scott Dixon recently tested for Williams. Would you like to move beyond America and oval racing in the future?

DW: All the press are asking me this question!

Honestly, right now I'm focused on this year because we are doing very weU and if you don't stay focused, motorsport is so fickle that they'll forget you in a heartbeat.

But if you asked me if I'd like to do Formula 1, I'd say j'es.

motorsport news

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Oh yeah, mate: Wheldon-san became the first Englishman to win an IRL IndyCar Series race. He also gave Honda its first win on home ground at Twin-Ring Motegi.

The Brawn and the Brains: Wheldon considers Andretti Green Racing part-owner and Australian Kim Green as a 'father figure'.

else. He was one of the better teammates I've had.

MN:Have you seen much of our V8 Supercars?

DW:Yeah I watch the Supercars. I like the coverage. I know Dave Besnard a little a bit too.

MN:Safety was a major talking point last year in the IRL. How much did this impact on you?

DW:It didn't affect me at all. I For now though,I'm remaining focused on winning the 500 and the championship.

MN: Would you like to see the Indy Car Series spread its wings and move onto road and street courses?

DW:Yeah, definitely because I'm European and that's what I'm used to and I'm pretty sure that is going to happen. I would like to see it go that way and Tm sure it will.

With the way the championship is right now,you've got so many good teams and good drivers and good engine manufacturers - it would be, as we say in England, rude not to.

But I'm very at home on the ovals.

I reaUy do enjoy them. They are very difficult and we've got a good mix. If we don't get road courses next year though, I won't slit my wrists ...

MN:You first went to America in 1999. Was it difficult being a young lad, dealing with a new culture and being so far from home?

DW:It was different. When I first came over I had my heart set on doing British Formula 3 but I didn't have the budget to do it. I had to find something to do otherwise I would 12 May 2004

have ended up being a plumber, because that's what my old man does.

I actually drove with Marcos Ambrose in the factory Van Diemen team in England in 1998 and I got on very well with Ralph (Firman). He told me to look at US Formula Ford, which Van Diemen supply cars to. 1 did a test and got offered something I couldn't refuse.

But I said at the start that if I'm going to do this. I'm going to have to forget about coming back to Europe in the short-term. If I didn't stay focused, I would have come back. It was difficult, I kid you not. There were times in the fhst couple of months that I wanted to come home but it has turned out OK. MN: Have you spoken to Marcos since '98?

DW:Towards the end, our relationship, how should I say, it got a bit tense. We had some close races (laughs).

I didn't really speak to him once we went our separate ways but he's doing a good job for himself which is good. It's good to see him doing well, and to be honest I didn't expect much

believe the cars are 100 percent safe and I don't think you'd be able to run the series unless you knew the cars were 100 percent safe.

I think the League and the teams are constantly trying to make it safer.

I don't have any issue with it.

MN:Your Andretti Green Racing team runs four cars. Has this contributed to your early success?

DW:Running four is certainly a big benefit. I don't think you'd be able to run four though without the personalities our team has got.

Having these three drivers (Kanaan, Franchitti and Bryan Herta) around me is beneficial because they never let you get down. They are very good like tlrat. We all know each others strengths and weaknesses and we make sure each one of us helps the other to reduce a weakness and turn it into a strength.

A lot of team-mates wouldn't help, they are very genuine and I would class them all as very good friends.

MN:Not only do you have these experienced drivers around you, the owners are very experienced (Michael Andretti, Australian Kim

Green and Kevin Savoree) How have they contributed to your growth?

DW:Well, they all have very different personalities. Michael... actually I'll start with Kim. Kim gets mad because I teU him he's like a father figure to me (laughs).

Kim was the one who brought me into the team so I obviously feel close to him. He is good at running the team on a day-to-day aspect. What he does is instil discipline in a very friendly way.

Michael is very good. For example, at Indy last year (his swansong Indy race), his attitude and his demeanour really radiated around the team. If everyone in the team is feeling that, you can only go forward.

Kevin is a good supporter of all of us and is very supportive. But more so, he leads us on the sponsor-side of things and in this economy, there are not many people who are bringing big corporate entities into motor racing who haven't been here before.

You can only give him maximum credit for that.

We have three different personalities with different roles, but three that work out very well.

MN:Now we know how much the Indy 500 means to the Indy Car fraternity, but if you had the choice of winning the 500 or the championship, which would you choose?

DW:500, no doubt brother! Not a question in my mind.

The two biggest races for us are the Motegi and the Indy 500. But having said that, of course. I'd love to win the championsliip as well.

47

Back Home i The month of May means only one thing - the Indianapolis 500. As practice kicks off for the 08th running of one the greatest races on the planet, AARON NOONAN takes a look back at some of the defining moments in Brickyard IndyCar history

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O some it seetns silly - 500 miles flat out with 800 corners and a bottle of uiUk waiting for the winner.

But that's the Indianapolis 500, one of the greatest motor racing events on the planet. Just as Bathurst is something special on the Australian racing calendar, the 500 is the same in America.

Forget the CART/IRL split, the race is back to how it always should have been. There are the fastest open wheeler racers in the world all chasing the Borg-Wamer Trophy.

Honda and Toyota are taking on Chevrolet and the former has never won the great race.

The classic drink of milk and drive into Victory Lane at Indianapolis still remain one of the classic moments you'll see at a race track.

And yes, if Helio Castroneves wins, you'll see him take to the fences just to be sure!

But to win the Indy 500 is an effort in itself. It's one thing to drive a car flat out for 500 miles but it's another to have it last.

This is the same race that one of the greatest drivers in history, Mario Andretti, could only win just once.

It's the same one that his champion son, Michael, could never win before retiring last year.

The 2,5-mile circuit is also a killer.

Sorry to be stark, but it simply is.

Respect for the Brickyard is paramount - take things easy for a second and you're going to get hurt.

There's been some sad stories of loss and hurt-Tony Renna's accident in testing last year, Scott Brayton's death in 1996 having already qualified on the pole, and many more that have come before.

Tlie 2004 edition promises to be another classic. There's been a reduction in engine size this year, a ruling which is making its debut in IRL IndyCar Series competition for this race. By cutting engines from 3.548

And the Euros used to come:Jim Clark and Colin Chapman confer during practice in 1965 when Lotus came to challenge the Americans. litre back to 3-litres, organisers are trying to slow the cars and try and avoid any form of terrible accidents, as was the case late last year when Renna was killed in at the Brickyard.

After all, last year's pole speed of 231.725mph by Castroneves was less than 5mph down on the 1996 mark set by Arie Luyendyk -and that was in a turbo-powered car.

When Tony George formed the IRL in 1996,it hurt open-wheeler racing to the point that it's stiU being felt today.

For the first few years of the League, Champ Car teams and drivers stayed away as a bunch of no-namers qualified slapped-together cars in the field that belongs to the elite.

Only in 2000, when Chip Ganassi brought Juan Montoya and Jimmy Vasser to tlie Speedway in a successful one-off'raid' on the race, did people start to realise that you could say all you liked, but the Indy 500 is the one race you can't stay away from.

The single largest single day sporting crowd in the world (a figure of around 400,000 people) fill the bleachers on race day.

The Indy 500 is very different in a

lot of ways. There's a full month of activities, from practice to Pole Day, where each driver has three qualification attempts.

Each attempt is made up of four laps and,given the small field for this year's race, it's unlikely that the Bump Day(where drivers can 'biunp' the slowest driver out of the field by going faster) will feature any actual'bumping'!

So who to pick as a favourite?

Penske is looking for its fourth win in-a-row in the Indy 500 and Sam Hornish Jr is still chasing his first win at tire Brickyard.

Tony Kanaan could lead Honda to its first win at Indy and also claim a Borg Warner Trophy for owner Michael Andretti. Scott Dixon could

/

avenge his crash last year. Tomas Scheckter might not destroy another chassis and wm for Pennzoil/ Panther. Kenny Brack will sit back and watch,still not repaired enough from his massive Texas accident.

And we'll be tuned to the box to see what happens.

But him the page to take a look at some of the great moments in Indy history .,. motorspori news

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2004 Indy 500 Entry List

6 33 cars and ready to run: The 11 rows of three, above, might not happen I in 2004. And another element not there will be 2003 champ Gil de I Ferran, left, who retired at the end of last year, johnny Rutherford, below, was a two-time winner and today works with the Indy Racing League.

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1 Scott Dixon Target/Ganassi G Force/Toyota 2 Mark Taylor Menard/Panther Dallara/Chevrolet 3 Helio Castroneves Marlboro/Penske Dallara/Toyota 4 Tomas Scheckter Pennzoil/Panther Dallara/Chevrolet 5 Adrian Fernandez Quaker State G Force/Honda 6 Sam Hornish Jr Marlboro/Penske Dallara/Toyota 7 Bryan Herta XM Satellite/AGR Dallara/Honda 8 Scott Sharp Delphi/Kelley Dallara/Toyota 10 Darren Manning Target/Ganassi G Force/Toyota 11 Tony Kanaan 7-Eleven/AGR Dallara/Honda 12 Tora Takagi Pioneer/Mo Nunn Dallara/Toyota 13 Greg Ray Access Motorsports G Force/Honda 14 AJFoytIV Conseco/Foyt Dallara/Toyota 15 Buddy Rice Argent/Pioneer/Rahal G Force/Honda 16 Roger Yasukawa Rahal/Sammy G Force/Honda 17 Vitor Meira Rahal G Force/Honda 20 AlUnserJr Patrick Racing Dallara/Chevrolet 21 TBA Mo Nunn Racing Dallara/Toyota 24 Felipe Giaffone Purex Dallara/Chevrolet 25 Marty Roth Roth Racing Dallara/Toyota 26 Dan Wheldon Jim Beam/AGR Dallara/Honda 27 Dario Franchitti Arca/AGR Dallara/Honda 36 Bruno Junqueira PacifiCare N-H G Force/Honda 39 Sarah Fisher Kelley Racing Dallara/Toyota 41 Larry Foyt AJ Foyt Racing Dallara/Toyota 44 TBA Pedigo/Panther Dallara/Chevrolet 51 Alex Barron Red Bull Cheever Dallara/Chevrolet 52 Ed Carpenter Red Bull Cheever Dallara/Chevrolet 55 Kosuke Matsuura Panasonic G Force/Honda 70 Robby Gordon Meijer/Coke Dallara/Chevrolet Note: Penske, as well as other teams have a spare entry which could be used to place another driver in. Virtually all of the top teams have back-up cars. Each car to be used at Indy has to be entered, so therefore there exists two entries for many of the drivers. These cars can be qualified by other drivers and have their numbers changed for race day.

49

The Quick Quiz Ql. Of the current V8 Supercar breed of team managers, which has a Bathurst 1000 start to his name.

Granted,the car retired before he got a drive, but we're counting it nevertheless...

Q2. Who is the oldest driver to have claimed the Australian Touring Car Championship. And we mean at the time they clinched the title ...

Q3. For someone to break the'most pole positions in succession' record in the history of the Australian Touring Car Championship is going to take a fair effort. Who holds the record and with how many consecutive poles?

Q4. Who was the virtual unknown Belgian driver who scored a podium position in the 1997 AMP Bathurst 1000 alongside Cameron McConville in the Orix Audi A4?

Q5. The addition of Symmons Plains to this year's V8 schedule makes the Tasmanian venue the shortest in the championship. What was the shortest before last week's announcement?

Q6. Which driver led just one lap in the entire 1998 Formula 1 World Championship yet managed to finish fourth in the title?

Q7. For all ofhis successes, Michael Andretti only won the Champ Car World Series(CART)title once. When was it?

Q8. True or false. Honda has never won the Indianapolis 500.

Q9. Darren Manning replaced the late Tony Renna in the Target/Ganassi team this year. But who did Helio Castroneves

Another Monaco, another pole: What are Ayrton Senna's career stats? See Q19. replace in the Marlboro/Penske squad after an equally-tragic accident claimed the life ofa young star of the sport that had signed to drivefor ‘The Captain'in 2000?

Q14. Who holds the V8 Supercar lap record at Symmons Plains?

QIO. Who are the only two brothers . to have won the Australian Formula Ford Championship?

Q16: Three Australians race for the Dutch Ten Kate Honda team in World Superbikes and World Supersports. Names, please.

Qll. Mark Webber's 1999 MercedesBenz he Mans disaster has been well documented. But who -were the tiuo drivers due to share the V8-powered beast with him in the race before the car was withdrawn?

Q12. Everyone knows that Finnish drivers have won more WRC events than any nationality. But drivers from which country have won the secondhighest number?

Q13. Name the Driving Standards Observerfor the PROCAR series.

Q15. Who was the last US born and raised driver to win the Indy 500?

Q17: The team now known as Renault Sport FI wasformed in 2002. But before that, it was called something else. What?

And before THAT, what was it called?

Q18: How many full-time drivers in the V8 Supercar Championship Series were not born in Australia?

Q19: The 10th anniversary of the death of Ayrton Senna has just passed. How many GPs did he race in,for how many wins, poles andfastest laps?

Q20: Name all of Mark Webber's FI team-mates to date.

Q21:In terms of the distance completed in races, which driver has had the shortest Grand Prix career?

Q22: Who won the last Super Touring race sanctioned by TOCA in Australia?

Q23. Remember that Wayne Gardner took pole position at a wet Bathurst in 2000? But 'who ivas his co-driver in the FTR Falcon?

Q24. In 1998, Steven and Jim Richards raced each other from the start of the race in the Super Touring Bathurst 1000km. But who was it that 'brokered' the deal between the Nissan and Volvo teams to put the Richo boys in the cars?

Q25. Who is the Toyota FI team's official third driverfor Grands Prix weekends?

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molorsport news

I

50

UIZ

The QQ50 is a new event- perha/js a one-off- but the inaugural 50 will be a true test of man, brain and note pad.

Can you beat the MNews team at their own game?

Answers next issue...

Q35. In the Inst 35 xjears, hoiu many times has the Australian Touring Car title been decided at the second-last round?

Q36. Who won the 2003 Aussie Race Car title?

Q37. What is the code namefor the Holinger gearbox -which has recently been deemed illegal?

The King and his chariot: How many titles for Steve Kinser, left(Q48)?

Test your mettle: Name this FI legend, below (Q50).

Q32. Robbie Francevic won the 1986

Q42. A sponsorship agreement betn'een the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Jordan FI team sees the team's cars adorned with a different 'goodwill'symbol or message at each Grand Prix. What was on the cars in Spain last week?

Q43. Who holds the recordfor the most FI starts by an American driver?

Q46. Who is taller - Mark Skaife or

Q28. Vauxhall has won the last three British Touring Car Championships with three different drivers. Name them.

Q31. Last July, Motorsport News celebrated what anniversary?

Q41. May is Indy 500 month. Of those -who have won at the Brickyard in the past 10 years, only two have never driven an FI car. Name the?n.

Q45. Prior to stepping into the lead commentary role -vacated by Murray Walker,James Allen was ITV's man in the pits. With James now in the big chair, -who hasfilled his shoes in pitlane?

Q27. And who does that driver drivefor now?

Q30. Where and when did Mark Larkham make his Australian V8 debut?

the Jaguars at Monaco last year, and why?

Q44. Who finished second to Jacques ViUeneuve in the 1997 World Championship?

Q26. Who filled in for Alex Zanardi in the Pioneer/Mo Nunn Champ Car for the remainder of 2001 after the Italian's nasty accident in Germany?

Q29. Where did David Thexton finish in last year's Bob Jane T-Marts WOO?

is Monaco. What was different about

Todd KeUy? Q47. What year did the original HANS device go on sale?

ATCC,but who was his team-mate at selected roimds?

Q33. New Zealand will introduce a new formula of racing to their ranks next year. Which manufacturer is backing the project: Nissan, Toyota or Holden?

Q34. In what year did former FI driver Martin Brundle begin duties behind the microphone?

Q38. In his pre-team owner days,for wliich team did Eddie Jordan test a Formula One car?

Q48. How many times has Steve Kinser won the World of Outlaws title?

Q39. After whose accident did Jacques ViUeneuve controversially say that some of hisfelloio FI drivers were shedding ‘crocodile tears'?

Q49. We call them Doorslammers. Wltat do Americans call them?

Q40. The next race on the FI calendar

Q50. This driver, pic above, holds a record in FI GP racing. Who,what car, what track and what record?

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Spanieli Grand Prix

The Reign in What do 18 Formula 1 drivers and a broken exhaust have in common?

They could not stop Michael Schumacher winning five straight Grands Prix.

JOESAWARD reports on another Schumi demonstration in Barcelona

M

ICBLAEL Schumacher's fifth win in a row got the statisticians excited at

Barcelona. It was as strong a win as any of the maestro's performances this year, aided by what turned out to be a bad, bad day for the Michelin mnners- that is, the opposition.

It was almost a repeat of Imola.

Second during the opening stint(this time behind a Renaiilt), a burst of pace when Jamo Trulli pitted achieved the required result and that, as they say, was that.

But the fact is that Schumacher's fifth victory in five races was in fact a slightly a lucky one. The Ferrari had the pace to do the job, of course, but things were nearly spoiled completely by a small hole in an exhaust pipe of Michael's Ferrari VIO. The Ferrari engines this year have a tendency to sound a little flat but this one sounded rather flatulent and those with a trained ear could pick up that aU was not well.

Every so often someone would say: "Michael is in trouble"(with great excitement) but the lap times never faltered. The super-heated exhaust gases did not bake the rear suspension,as they did a few years back in Monaco when Michael ended up in a wall after the rear suspension turned into toast. It was in the lap of the gods and,as usual, they looked after Michael although he was rather tired by the end thanks to the strain of 'bringing the car home.'

But if they were biting their fingernails in the Ferrari pit, it did not come across to the rest of pit lane.

And as the race settled down to its inevitable conclusion one could sense

be in trouble, with grip levels

and in the lead before the cars even

mysteriously down compared with when they last sat in their cars on Saturday. Sauber's performance emphasised the fact that this was a Bridgestone day, with a capital B.

got to the first comer.

Schumacher had made a pretty average start and had to worry about what Takuma Sato and Montoya were up to.

a feeling of helplessness creeping over the rest of the paddock. One day soon,someone has to beat Ferrari.

To be quite honest, had spoiled a lot of thequalifying fun because Michael's nearest challenger,Jenson Button, had blown it by quafifying 14th on the grid. Overtaking at the Circuit de Catalunya is not easy so even if you have a really superior car there is no guarantee that you will make much progress. The last thing you then want is a tyre deficiency ...

Because of this, the first lap of the race is really important and while much was expected of the showdown between Michael Schumacher and

On this day too conditions again transpired to aid Michael's cause.

While the temperature was much as it had been for Friday and Saturday, most of the Michelln men looked to

Juan Pablo Montoya,it came to naught.

The lights went out and Renault's clever starting system worked so well that in a flash Trulli was off and away

But as Sato managed to turn in before Montoya (and even had brief thoughts of a look inside the Ferrari), the Colombian and Schumacher were unable to lock wheels and horns.

For a few laps Trulli held back Schumacher but,just as happened to Jenson Button in Imola, there was an inevitability about what was going to happen next.

Schumacher appeared marginally quicker and so, when Trulli went into pit lane on lap nine and Michael hit the lead, we anticipated that the timing screens would show a string of fastest sector times. And so they did.

It only took one lap!

At the end of the 10th lap, Michael continued on page 58

A Trulli amazing getaway:Jarno Trulli made the perfect start to lead the early going, while front-row man fuan Montoya contemplates another tough afternoon in the saddle after a slow start. In the end, Michael got to show off his podium form again; he is getting plenty of practice at this ...

54

motorsport news

Qualifying

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Grand Prix of

Spain May8?004

Scuderia FeriBri Martboro 1:15.022 BMW WiHiamsFI Team 1:15.639 1-0.617 Lucky Strike BAR Honda 1:15.809 -t-o.ye? !J Trulli MW Seven Renaull FI Team 1:16.144 +1.122 RBarricMIO'hNA Scudena Ferrari Marlboro 1:16.272 +1,250 14 R Schumachor SMWWilllamsFI Team 1:16.293 + 1.271 Panasonic Toyota Racing 1:16.313 +1.291 Mild Seven Renault F1 Team 1:16.422 +1 400 4 M Wobbor 'A> Jaguar Racing 1:16.514 +1.492 DCoulthard. /J Wo^ McLaren Mercedes 1:16.636 +1.614

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V

ERY few people are very keen on the current arrangements for practice and qualifying in Formula 1. It does not give you much of an idea of what is going on because, as has often been said before, one does not have to show one's hand until race day.

This adds an element of surprise (in theory) but, equally, means that Friday is really nothing more than a test day. The times do not mean much, although if nothing else they show which teams to expect to see up at the front. Yes, the BARHondas were right up there but was Ferrari just playing with the opposition as a cat plays with a captured bird, pondering the moment at which to pull off the wings of its victim?

The aim at Barcelona is always to qualify as well as possible because overtaking is quite difficult and there is a risk that the race can be lost because one is stuck behind a slower car for a long period. This is a weekend on

which strategy is always going to be important.

The perfect strategy is to have enough fuel in your car to be able to take pole position but not so little that the first pit stop is so early that when you come out of pit lane again you get stuck in traffic. It is a race where predicting where there will be gaps in the traffic is of great importance. More important, perhaps, than the ultimate potential of the car.

The other problem is that, traditionally, conditions are always changing and so the best laid plans can be thrown away by a subtle change. One of the key elements for success is weather forecasting so that one can come up with the right strategy for the race and thus decide what needs to be done in qualifying.

A complicated business.

But was it going to be tight - to give the fans something to get excited about? Was Michael Schumacher's dominant pole position the sign of a long

afternoon to come on Sunday or was it psychological warfare to try to convince the opposition that Ferrari is unbeatable?

On paper Michael was sixtenths ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya. That is a massive margin in modern FI. But it was not to give the whole picture because main challenger Jenson Button had gone briefly off when on his fast lap. He was 14th.

Button was out of the picture for race victory. But what would he have done if he had stayed on the road?

"It would have been close," said the men at Ferrari.

But probably not that close. The gap would have been a tenth or two but Schumacher would probably have retained pole. The problem, as we have seen all too often this year, is that while the Michelin men have explosive performance over the first lap on new tyres, the Bridgestone product is consistent. And so if, in qualifying, someone is close to Michael's performance, it is motnriiMort news

FORMULA ONE

i afterburners

Just when it looked like another Michael versus BAR party, the German was at his best when it counted.By JOE SAWARD

stnne

generally a different story after the first lap or two of the race.

Schumacher is vulnerable in qualifying and on the first lap of a race. The car is still the best car.

But that does not mean Michael is unbeatable if one of the Michelin men can get away at the start of a race. Button tried it in Imola but was gobbled up again after Michael had dealt with Montoya. Would we have the same story in Barcelona? It was something to talk about.

Button's little off was blamed on a gust of wind which tipped the car over the edge as Button teetered on the brink of grip.

"It happens," he shrugged. But he was disappointed.

"For Michael it will be important not to lose ground in the opening part of the race," said Ferrari technical director 12 May 2004

Ross Brawn. "If he manages it he can control the pace. Otherwise it will be a very hard fight."

Rubens Barrichello was again off Michael's pace but on this occasion he was on a different strategy so the 1.2s gap between the two men was not as bad as it looked.

After Imola there was of course some speculation (hope?)that Michael and Montoya would end up having a bingle down at Turn 1. This was Montoya's first visit to the front row in 2004 and, although he complained of oversteer in the qualifying run, he was confident that in race trim the car was going to be good.

"It is important for the team's motivation that we've got this result," he said. "Everyone has been working very hard."

Button's mistake opened the

door for a good performance from Takuma Sato and although there were hopes of pole position (which at 40-1 was a bet that many in the paddock chose to take) it was not to be. Takuma was third fastest but ended up a couple of tenths behind Montoya.

The question was really whether Sato would have been quicker if he had run later in the qualifying session. Williams set it up so that Montoya was the last to run. Takuma ran in the middle of the session. And the track did get faster...

Sato's achievement was a big step forward for the young Japanese driver and the best ever performance by a Japanese driver in FI qualifying.

"It wasn't a perfect lap," he said. But it was rather more perfect than that of Button.

Renault also achieved its best qualifying result of the year with Jarno Trulli in fourth place and local hero and Spanish style guru Fernando Alonso lining up eighth.

"If he makes a good start I think we will see him challenging hard on the first lap," said Pat Symonds. Well, we could hope.

"It will be a close fight tomorrow and as we have seen on a number of occasions this year, he is capable of a very strong result from eighth."

Kicking around with the fast guys as usual was Mark Webber, who lined up ninth on the grid, a few spots iower than he had hoped for. He had made a small mistake in the final sector of his qualifying lap but was confident for Sunday.

On this occasion his long runs in practice showed the Jaguar to be closer than it has been lo the other Michelin runners "There is no reason I cannot he challenging for points tomorrow," saidWebtaei.

57

continued from page 54

stronger, Williams went home with little to

scurried in for his first stop he emerged behind BarrricheUo but, crucially, ahead of TruUi. BarricheUo was not a threat because he was

lighten the load. The team was too adventurous on its brake cooling philosophy and that meant that both Juan Montoya and Rail Schumadier were in trouble. Montoya was running in sixth place after his very average start when he went out on lap 46 with cooked brakes, while Rail managed to nurse his car home in sixth, having

carrying fuel for a two-stop strategy and would soon disappear,leaving Michael to steadily increase his lead over the Renault.

Ironically, it was at this moment that the exhaust problem became apparent, but it had almost no effect, except to give the Ferrari men a lot to worry about for the next hour and a hah.

As the strategic battle gradually unwound itself, it became increasingly obvious that eventually Barrichello was going to get ahead of TrulK as well. That happened at the final pit stops when TruUi found himself with a second Ferrari ahead of him. It must have been discouraging.

And then,in the closing laps,Jamo began to see the other Renault getting bigger and bigger in his mirrors and Spaniards aU around the track getting excited about the possibility of Fernando Alonso getting on to the podium.

Fernando had driven a great race, working his way up from eighth on the grid, passing several cars on the first lap and then clawing up past Montoya and then Sato before finally closing in on TruUi. The Renaults both looked to be coping with quite alarming understeer, but were nevertheless the quickest of the Michelin brigade. The team apparently finds an understeering set-up works for them,but this was excessive ...

Adonso's best lap was just a tenth slower than Michael's best and a good four-tenths better than TrulU, but in the end that did not matter. TruUi had been in the right place at the right time.

In the overaU of who things, however, thescheme only man might have beaten (well, pushed a little) Michael in Spain was Button in his BAR-Honda. But Jenson started so far

thrown away the possibility of a better result early on when he went from skth on the grid to ninth at the end of the opening lap.

I Sauber went for an unusual strategy I and sent both drivers out on two-stop I strategies,figuring that the traffic g problems would be less if tliey were ® kept clear of the three-stoppers. It Keeping it Klien: Until his Jag R5 stopped, Christian Klien mixed it up with worked pretty well, although in the some of the slower cars, like Kimi Raikkonen's McLaren, above. final stint Giancarlo Fisichella had to Black rubber: It was a great day to be a Michelin man, unless you were an give way to Ralf Schumacher, F1 driver. This pit girl, below, mixed it with Sete Gibernau, below, while highlighting the fact that the Sauber Carlos Sainz, bottom, wonders where his co-driver Marc Marti would sit. chassis is not up there with the WUliams- despite being on what was the right rubber for the day. Giancarlo finished seventh while Felipe Massa drove a similarly strong race but had to make do with ninth place.

The fact that both McLarens made it to the flag was something but 10th and 11th, a lap behind Michael Schumacher,is possibly best glossedover! But if one was to try to dig up a positive thought it would be that the engines made it to the finish, even if the fastest laps were right up there s with the best of the Jordans...

I No Jordans nor Minardis finished

down the grid and suffered along with the other Michelin men in the first haU

DZ02G 7

1st

malfunction (again?), re-passed three on the opening lap, then struggled along without grip until the last stint, when fresh Michelins improved his car's balance. At the finish he was all over the McLarens.

of the race that he spent most of the race trying to get through the traffic. When he did he set a best lap it was almost as good as Michael's.

But eighth was the best he could do.In this respect,one must say that Sato did a better job by finishing fifth but somehow Jenson looked

MOTORSPORT

DZ86R

I and Jaguar, Toyota and Williams all I failed to bring both cars home. ^ Among them, Mark Webber was slow off the line with a clutch

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the championship being over. Of record race wins in a row. Of a dominant year for Michael.

And,of course, he never wins at Monaco...

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motorsport news

FORMULA ONE

No Secrets

BAR

7^2 .-*K

Even with all the testing done at Barcelona there were still plenty of new gizmos for PAOLO FILISETTI to document in Spain BECAUSE of its role as the hot bed of off-season FI testing, Barcelona is one of the bestknown tracks by the teams.

But despite this, the nature of the track can change quickly and teams must react and adjust - or be left behind.

There were many changes in Spain this year, with BAR making progress with its 006. The car sported a brand new wing featuring a completely new profile and flap, and also very unusual endplates. These elements feature a very sinuous profile with a double curved edge, sporting endplates with a sort of small step to reduce drag and increase the efficiency and downforce provided by the flap.

This solution works in a more efficient way in comparison to the intermediate vertical fences used since the start of the season, especially on fast tracks. The car also had the revised front wing introduced at Imola.

Williams sported some interesting changes, one to the rear wing that had the same intermediate vertical fences introduced in Bahrain. But this time the elements were lower, meaning that their height has been reduced to half its original one.

This satisfied the FIA's requirements and looked to be designed to work on high-speed corners.

The FW26 also had new turning vanes in front of the sidepods, designed to prevent any bending at high speed, which is not

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allowed by the rules. The barge boards inside the front suspension were also modified.

Ferrari also tidied up its aero package, with modified barge boards inside the front suspension to direct airflow more efficiently to the bottom of the car.

These elements in fact have

Williams

Jaguar

been slightly rounded in their lowest and foremost point so to provide a smoother impact to the airflow, and at the same time their lowest portion under the reference plane sports a narrower diversion Jaguar introduced a new rear wing, with two big intermediate fences. These elements are the biggest seen so far and at a first sight, looked to be in contravention of the FIA ruling.

Each of them is in two pieces both sporting a wing profile shape, with the upper element directly connected to the flap, so the team has designed something within the rules, as these are not 'additional' to the two elements allowed by the rules.

Contact your state's karting ofFice for details

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The Australian Karting Association Inc For information about karting and how to get stalled in your State or Territory call

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59

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No. i Driver/Entront

Gap

Laps I Time

Kph

Best

Lap

i:17'.450'

12

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66

■l:27;32.84f 1;27;46.131

13.290

208.677

1.-17.887

16

Jamo Trulli (ITA) Mild Seven Renault F1 Team

66

1:28:05.135

32.294

19.004

207.926

1:18.178

12

Femarxio Aionso (ESP) Mild Seven Renault F1 Team

66

1:28:05.793

32.952

00.650

207.900

1:17.556

27

1

viichael ^humacher(GER) Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro

2

Rubens Bamchello(BRA) Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro

7 *8

10 pkuma Sato (JPN) lLu(j<y Strike BAR Honda ~4 Ratf Scliumacher (GER) |BMWWiUiamsF1 Team 11 lancarlo Rsichella (ITA) auber Petronas

I

Uenson Button (GBR) iLucky Strike BAR Honda 12 iFelipeT^ssa (BRA) Isauber Petronas 5 6

[David Coulthard (GBR) West McLaren Mercedes

Raikkonen (FIN) . lest McLaren Mercedes 14 Mark Webber (AUS) [jaguar Racing 16 jcrisbano Da Malta (BRA) jPanasonic Toyota Racing 19 3 15

Drivers' Championship: M. Schumacher 50, Barrichello 32, Button 24, Alonso and Trulli 21, Montoya 18, R. Schumacher 12, Sato 8, Coulthard 4, Fisichella 2, Massa, Raikkonen and Webber 1.

Constructors' Championship: Ferrari 82, Renault 42, BAR-Honda 32, BMW.Williams 30, McLaren-Mercedes 5, Sauber-Petronas 3, Jaguar Racing 1.

■| 269.205’

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66

1:28:46.645

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206.306

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1:28:49.949

77.108

03.304

206.178

1:19.062

37

66

1:27.40.536

1 LAP

1 LAP

205.732

1:17.495

46

65

1:27:57.220

1 LAP

16.684

205.082

1:10.819

43

65

1:28:14.419

1 LAP

17.199

204.416

1:19.175

■3T

65

1:28:17.262

1 LAP

02.843

204.306

1:18.842

48

65

1:28:17.539

1 LAP

00.277

204.295

1:18.617

11

65

1:28:23.263

1 LAP

05.724

204.075

1:19.112

29

No Classified 1:11:17.704

Pan tano (ITA) piorgk) Llordan Ford Uuan Montoya (COL) BMWWiiliamsFI Team

51

DNF

198.485"

1:19.896

27

46

1:02:19.938

DNF

204,756

1:18.262

28

Christian Klien (^t)

43

0:58:52.203

DNF

202.651

1:19.142

18

33

0:45:18.994

DNF

201,998

1:19.199

10

33

0:45:30.426

DNF

201.153

1:18.971

Is 3

[jaguar Racing 17 [Olivier Panis (F^) [Panasonic Toyota Racing 18 Wick HeidteW (GER) Uordan Ford 20 pianmaria Bruni (ITA) Minardi Coswortri

21

solt Baumgartner (HUN) linardi Cosworth

1

iMichael Schumacher (GER) IScuderia Ferrari Marlboro

31

0:44:28.507

DNF

193.336

1:22.323

T7

0:24:31.705

"bNF"

192.102

1:23.390

Fastest Lap 1:17.450 on lap 12

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motorsport news

I

FORMULA ONE

Marie WelHiil^s I

F you'd said a few months back that I'd finish the Spanish Grand Prix right on the tail of the two McLarens I'd have jumped at it, but so quickly have fortunes changed this season that the Barcelona race was a major disappointment.

From the moment I went out for the formation lap, I knew we were in trouble. There was no grip. I couldn't get temperature into the front tyres. As it turns out it was a problem across all the Michelin runners, with everyone reporting reduced grip when compared to Saturday. It made for a long day and, up front, simply played into Ferrari's hands ... again.

My day was made even worse when the lights went out. The clutch wasn't right and we went nowhere - back to 15th at the first corner. I did regain three spots over the course of the opening lap - repassing Jenson Button and Felipe Massa at turn four and Cristiano Da Matta on the back straight, but that was as good as it got.

I had thought we might be one of just a few early stoppers (of the three-stop strategists), but virtually everyone stopped when we did, at the end of lap eight, although Jenson went on another couple of laps and was able to jump back past me as a result.

Other than that it was just a difficult slog. As advised, we ran scrubbed tyres for the second and third stints, and the car remained pretty unbalanced.

We went long on the third stint, with an extra 20kgs of fuel.

12 May 2004

GP Diary

to cover Olivier Penis (who copped a pit lane speeding penalty anyway) and it wasn't ' until the last, and shortish, stint. when we put on unscrubbed tyres, that things lit up. The balance of the car returned and we were able to make some progress.

By then it was just too late, although it did enable me to wipe out a 15-second gap to the two McLarens and finish the race right on Kimi Raikkonen's rear wing.

Not a good day by any means, though. Mind you, very few teams were able to go home entirely happy with the way their day had gone.

w

hat made it ail the more frustrating was that we had actually looked quite good on Saturday.

I didn't even run in the first 45minute session on Saturday-the track temperature didn't even get above 20 degrees - but I did a couple of good long runs in the second 45 minutes. If other teams start mentioning that your long runs looked good, you know you've made a gain and that was the case. Our car can often be hard on its rear tyres, but on this occasion it looked like we had some consistency and might hang in there with the rest of the Michelin boys.

After a spot-on first sector, I was disappointed to make an error in the third, the rear stepping out a little at Turn 12, in qualifying. It cost three-tenths and made the difference between a third row start and ninth.

Mind you, if I'd started there with the clutch drama we had, I'd probably have got run over!

^o it's back to regroup before we home face two races in two weeks - Monaco and the Nurburgring.

I love Monaco but it's all about mechanical grip around those challenging streets. To be frank. mechanical grip hasn't been our strongest suit this year. We'll do our best - and it is a track that can throw up some surprises ...

Red Bullish: Webber piles into the first corner alongside team-mate Christian Klien, top. Crip problems with the lag R5 left our square-jawed hero biting his lip ...

So matey, what is the food like at Williams? Webber and David Coulthard, below, discuss what might be on the horizon in 2005.

FI r

The Perfect Plan Dean Herridge is on a roll after adding an APRC win to his tally last weekend. JON THOMSON reports from Canberra

M

AINTAINING momentum is often the hardest goal in any sport, but once a competitor gathers a winning momentum,victories appear to come with ease.

So it was with Dean Herridge as he continued his winning run in international rallies, taking victory in the opening round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship with a gritty drive in the Rally Of Canberra last weekend.

Herridge,in his Group N Subaru Impreza,followed up his Production Car win in the recent Rally of New Zealand,leading for all but two stages on the Canberra rally to win by 10.6s despite a late charge from Mitsubishi driver Juha Kangas. Subaru team mates Toshi Arai and Cody Crocker took third and fourth.

Prior to the event,Arai had resigned his Japanese licence and took out an Australian competition licence to enable him to score manufacturers' points for Subaru in the ARC. The Japanese driver appeared on the entry hsts as Australian and drove the Prodrive-buQt Subaru of Chris Atkinson, who could not compete in the outright car due to his Asia Pacific Super 1600 commitments in the works Suzuki team.

Subaru was shaping to sweep the podium until Kangas's late lunge, which saw the Finn win three of the last five stages and leap from fourth to second, turning around what looked like being a lacklustre event

^

l

n

for Mitsubishi.

The fire-ravaged hills to the west of Canberra were choked with dust on Day 1, helping top seed Karamjit Singh of Malaysia to two early stage wins. Herridge, however,regained shortly afterwards and held it all the way to the finish ramp.

On Day 2 the rally headed into the Kowen and Tallaganda forests for a couple of new stages that favoured Kangas.

But Herridge and co-driver Glenn Macneal were not thrown from their game plan and their cautious approach over the closing stages paid off.

"We had a plan," said Herridge.

"We picked our stages, went fast on the ones that mattered, and took it easy on the ones that we thought could cause problems.

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Arai and Crocker both fell to the Kangas assault, but Crocker had again suffered more than his fair share of bad luck, hitting a kangaroo on Sunday morning's opening stage after a day of frusfration on Saturday.

"I couldn't put my finger on the problem exactly but I think it was something to do with the centre or rear diff, it was just a handful all day," he rued.

The intensity of the fight amongst the top Australian contenders took some of fhe sheen off the Asia Pacific championship fight.

Apart from his early lead on stages two and three when the Malaysian had a clear dust advantage as first car on the road,Singh was never a real match for the pace of the locals.

Singh crossed the line in fifth but

"I think people underestimate this rally. You have to show it respect, because there are lots of things that can catch you out."

The key to Kangas's stirring drive over the closing stages lay with tlie quiet balding man in the corner of the Mitsubishi Ralliart service area.

Long-time mentor and Finish rally legend Lasse Lampi had given Kangas a motivational talk early on Sunday morning, pushing him to apply maximum attack.

It was an exciting drive by the Finn, who admitted to minor overshoots at three or four junctions but was stiU 16s faster than Herridge on the Lowden stage. Starting the final day in fourth, Kangas took half a minute off Herridge over the final five stages.

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Jobs done: Atkinson prepares to rock the house in his Monster Sport Suzuki Ignis, above, while Herridge gets bis WRX doing what WRXs like doing best, left. He had a late scare though, courtesy of the Lancer of Kangas, far left.

n

.-.v-fl « . 1' due to Aral's'new nationality', the Malaysian gained top APRC points ahead of German rival Armen Kremer in the MRF tyres Lancer and Katso Taguchi in the other MRF Mitsubishi.

For Ed Ordynski, it was another frustrating rally in the Les Walkdenrun Lancer. A wrong tyre choice early on Day 1 and the thick choking dust led to a spin on stage three before a damaged intercooler pipe later in the day put the South Australian out of action completely.

The other nominated Mitsubsihi driver for ARC manufacturers points, Scott Redder, was out early on Day 1 when he tipped his Lancer Evo VII on its side and was stuck off the road.

It was a major blow for Mitsubishi's Championship hopes after such a strong start to the year in WA.

After his strong performance in the opening round of the ARC in WA in March,Atkinson was in fine form at the wheel of his Monster Sport Suzuki Ignis, winning from team mate Vesa Mikkola.

With organisers running a national rally in parallel with the international event, locally homologated cars such as Mitsubishi's new Magna AWDs were able to compete. It was a pleasing debut for the V6 family cars, with rally veteran Ross Dunkerton defeating a range of turbo Subarus and Lancers to take the win by 3.0s from the Lancer of Darren Gee. It was remarkable in that it was the five-time Australian champ's 100th rally win,coming exactly 10 years since his last win - ironically, at the

Rally of Canberra in 1994 and at the ‘wheel of a Ralliart-entered Lancer.

The impressive entry for the Canberra Rally was further bolstered by the fleet of Subaru Impreza RSs competing in the inaugural round of the new one-make series.

Eli Evans, the 22-year-old brother of Toyota works driver Simon, won the opening round of the new series after a battle with John Goasdoue.

Evans, co-driven by his sister Kylie, appears to have inl'.erited a similar level of talent to his highlyrated older brother and will be a serious contender for the $100,000 prize in the one make series.

After a dismal 2003 event, the Rally of Canberra appears to have been revitalised and looks to be in good health for the future.

1 Dean Herridge Glenn Macneall I li

2 Juba Kangas Julia Rabbett 3 ToshiArai

Subaru Impreza 2h58m40.5s Lancer EVO VII 2H58m51.1s

6 Armen Kremer Time Gottschalk 7 MarkPedder Toni Feaver

Subaru Impreza . 72K58m56’0s )| Subaru Impreza ‘ ‘ '"2li59m12;2sl| Proton Pert 3h00m05.6s Lancer EVO VIII 3h04m15.9s Lancer EVO VI 3h04m 15.9s 4

8 Brad Goldsbrough Dale Moscatt

Subaru Impreza 3h04ni3B.8s

Tony Sircombe 4 Cody Crocker GregFoletta 5 Karamjit Singh

Allen Oh

‘

APRC 1 Canberra

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63

■tr-

Focus Jn file Positive Side X '- - '

^upturn in Ford sales around the globe and a more lisitive financial outlook has almost certainly jcdrbd the immediate future of the company's WRC 1‘am. ford's commitment to the rally program this year only ame at the 11th hour as the giant manufacturer was a'emorrhaging financially and motorsport campaigns /ere put under threat.

A continued financial downturn would have meant the nd of the rally program after 2004, as Malcolm Wilson's Jam received just a 12-month contract when fe'^tiations were completed last December. ;Wiison confirmed in Britain last week that negotiations )f extending the WRC effort beyond next year were now hderway and that he was confident about the future. ^’Obviously the worldwide results that Ford has posted re very positive and encouraging," said Wilson. 'ft'This result is good news for the entire motor industry, ot just the sport. But .this is the first step on the ladder nd there's still a long way to go before everything is back t a-comfortable level." ^Ihe fact that the Ford team leads both the drivers and »ahufacturers points score on the WRC after four rounds asjbeen a major boost the to the ongoing future of the illy program. . "The team has worked very hard this year and that is ^iffistrated by our position at the moment, we couldn't done any more than we have done," Wilson said.

Wilson was, however, adamant that he was seeking a ' longer agreement for 2005 and beyond, saying that a one) year deal would not be acceptable for next year. r'"\Ne need a new car in 2006, and to reap the benefits of the investment that a new car requires, we will need a four or five-year deal. But I am encouraged that . jnegotiatipns have already started to put that deal in ■ .place."

- JON THOMSON

The teams are highly critical of the proposed Superally point score system, with many saying the system will be confusing and reward poor performance, not consistency.

The FIA World Council has ratified the system for use next year, which will see points for the top eight finishers on each leg and the ability for crews that retire on one leg to start again on the next. The system was pioneered in the Australian Championship and works well at a

fyttoh-im^es.com

Solbepg Feels The Strain A HEALTH scare and a need to be able to cope with the heat of the Middle East has led Subaru to put its two lead drivers into training camp ahead of this week’s Cyprus Raily.

Fetter Solberg and Mikko Hirvonen travelled to Cyprus five days before the recce for the training camp that included running, cycling and other exercise with the main objectives to acclimatise to the heat.

Cyprus is the first of three successive WRC rounds likely to be run in high temperatures.

Solberg had to pull out of a recent test due to a muscle strain. The 29-year-old Norwegian complained of chest pains during the test in Andorra, and the team switched to Hirvonen while Solberg rested on medical advice.

Prodrive/Subaru director David Lapworth said that the team doctor diagnosed a muscle strain and that Solberg had stopped driving on a purely precautionary basis.

"A couple of days ot physio and he was fine," said Lapworth.

- JON THOMSON 64

Supi

WRC manufacturers have joined drivers in coming out against the FIA's intention to switch to the Superally system on WRC events in 2005.

I'*!

Indo Is Back THE Rally of Indonesia, once a WRC round, is on the way back, with a new event planned to be run in October this year based in South Sulawesi.

Although the Rally has not been run since 1997, when it was a WRC and APRC roimd based in Medan, the rally has been resurrected with government assistance and is looking to regain APRC status next year.

Halted because of the Asian economic meltdown and the political climate in Indonesia, the rally was acclaimed as the best in Asia, with good organisation and excellent stage security.

The new event will be headquartered in the city of Makassar on South Sulawesi, an island in tire Indonesian archipelago close to Bali.

Clerk of Course for the new event is Jeffrey JP, who said that his team has resisted moves to make the event a round of this year's APRC to replace Thailand, deciding instead to wait a year and ensure the event is run smoothly.

- JON THOMSON motorsport news

RALLYING

The FI Route THE WRC calendar for 2005 will almost certainly be run on a regular fortnightly program mirroring F1, with WRC rounds on alternate weekends to Grands Prix.

While the calendar for 2004 is yet to be announced, the move was agreed to by the World Rallies Commission in a recent meeting in Paris, and will see the Championship move to airfreight to facilitate the necessary speed of transfer between events.

While the manufacturers were happy with the calendar issues, they voiced their disapproval at the proposal to cut mid-leg servicing on events next year.

However it seems the FIA is resolute in its intentions and will not bend to the manufacturer’s desires to continue mid-leg servicing.

The other issue tackled by the Commission was the need to reduce the speed of World Rally Cars on tarmac events to increase safety. The Commission has decided to reduce the average speed on stages from the current 130km/h to 110 km/h for next year.

- JON THOMSON

XV n -

national level.

However the manufacturers are united in their belief that top points should always go to the outright winner of the rally, a view the WRC drivers voiced loudly in New Zealand last month.

One FIA source claimed the manufacturers had done a complete backflip on the issue, and that they had agreed to the idea at the last meeting

"It is very difficult to know what they want if they keep changing their minds," said the FIA spokesperson.

Mitsubishi sporting director Andrew Cowan said he felt the new system wasn't a good idea and would be very confusing.

"We need the guy who wins the rally to take the maximum points, explaining the other system will be very complicated," said Cowan.

- JON THOMSON

Mini-Mediterranean A RECENT test session in Spain saw Ford's WRC crew resort to some unusual measures to gain some test data ahead of Cyprus, Greece and Turkey.

The team bought 10 tons of sand to create a small microcosm of the Mediterranean conditions anticipated on upcoming rallies. They spread the sand on one 25 metre long corner in southern Spain during the test, which eventually was disrupted due to heavy rain and low temperatures.

Ford heads to Cyprus full of confidence, with the Focus having a proven track record in these conditions.

Last year, the Acropolis provided Markko Martin's first WRC win. n NZ driver Emma Gilmour received a late call-up for the Rally of Canberra just a week ahead of the APRC opener.

Gilmour landed the drive after motoring writer Paul Gover became ill and was unable to drive Subaru's media car in the one-make RS series that kicked off in Canberra.

The last-minute call-up to drive was another great opportunity for the talented 24-year-old, who has impressed many with her speed and ability on both sides of the Tasman.

- JON THOMSON

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Ma)

WoO's'Mean 15 Announced Sprintcar series," said Boundless chief operating officer, Bobby Hartslief.

The'Mean 15' contracted drivers

BOUNDLESS Motorsports Racing, Inc. announced recently that it has signed contracts with 15 of the world's most outstanding Sprintcar drivers to represent the World of Outlaws Sprintcars Series for the remaining 2004 events.

These 15 selected drivers will be

are: Steve Kinser, Danny Lasoski, Craig Dollansky, Donny Schatz, Daryn Pittman, Tim Shaffer, Paul McMahan,Jason Meyers,Jason Sides, Joey Saldana, Brian Paulus, Kraig Kinser, Jonathan Allard, Brian Brown

marketed to sponsors, promoters and fans as the'Mean 15' and will appear at all future events of the 27th WoO season.

and Erin Crocker, right.

So from now on,sponsors, promoters and fans alike will no longer have to speculate which drivers will appear at which track in 2004.

This agreement is in similar vein to arrangements by Boundless where they signed 12 Late Model series drivers, who were known as the

This announcement will only strengthen the relationship between the drivers and the series and is an

'Dirty Dozen' and that proved to be quite successful.

"Contracting with these drivers is a major step towards establishing stability witliin the World of Outlaws

instrumental part of the Boundless business structure.

- DANIEL POWELL

Johnson scores at Knoxville

Track Champ Awarded LAST Saturday night, Adam Clarke was crowned 2003/04 Parramatta Sprintcar track Champion at the annual Sprintcar Association of NSW Presentation night.

Clarke picked up $10,500 in his first full season in the Sprintcar division.

Second was Troy Little and his team ended the season with $17,500 after picking up $10,000 in the Track Championship Owners award, Craig Brady finished third in the season long pointscore battle.

Brady also took the Rookie of the Year award while young James Thomson scored the Most Improved trophy.

Other winners on the night were Kim Becker, Rod Maxwell and Jeff Lawler sharing the Encouragement Award while Glen Seville took home the

Battlers Award.

Grant Tunks' #54 JohnBoy scored the Best Presented Car while Little's team picked up the Best Presented Crew.

Dubbo-based Mark and Janine Blyton took out the President's Award for their dedication to Sprintcar racing for travelling down to PCR from Dubbo each week.

Wayne Baines was named the Official of the Year while Steven Hopping took out the Club Member of the Year.

Denis Farr was awarded the trophy for his Contribution to Sprintcar Racing.

Dean Neal made an interesting point on the evening saying Parramatta City Raceway had paid out over $600,000 in prizemoney during the summer!

- GREG BOSCATO

Powering Home ;.a5!Ss,iWr .

66

.1

’

TONY Moule continued his hot streak of form driving for Agars Racing Team to power home and ciaim a well-deserved victory in the Tatiara Traders 360ci Sprintcar Cup at Bordertown’s Tolmer Speedway.

Craig Vanderstelt tried hard but finished second ahead of Dennis Burford who had his hands full fending off a very determined Damien Eve. - PARIS CHARLES

w

I

>r ^

E E-

MAX Dumesny won another title in what has been a great season for the Victorian veteran, claiming the XXXX Australian Sprintcar Open after 35 laps of Brisbane International Speedway.

Dumesny was content to sit in second position for the first half of the feature behind local hero Darrell Hodges.

"I was struggling a bit to keep up with him (Hodges). I decided to move up track to get the cushion," said Dumesny.

"We got a bit more drive off the corner and eventually got up beside him and drove around the outside in turn one and two. Once I got in front, I could command the lapped traffic."

Hodges quickly moved back onto Dumesny's tail but the crowd would be denied a big finish.

► LAST season's WSS runner-up Jason Johnson won the opening meeting of the Knoxville Raceway track championship on Saturday night.

Johnson won the rain-shortened event ahead of Aussie Jaymie Moyle and Jesse Giannetto, Other Aussies competing were Skip Jackson (sixth) and Lynton Jeffrey (14th). Kerry Madsen was running fourth in the early stages of the feature until a melted piston ended his night.

Fastest in time trials was former Down Under tourist Terry McCarl who fai led to finish the feature. McCarl this year is shooting for his fourth Knoxville track championship in succession.

- DANIEL POWELL

STOP THIEF!

KEEP your eyes and ears open, Australian Speedway community.

South Australian AMCA National racer John McKay has had his workshop broken into recently and thieves made off with his SA 22 AMCA National, his trailer, a second AMCA under construction - not to mention all the spares associated with his racing project.

Any one with information regarding the theft of John’s race equipment should contact John at Professional Engineering City and Country on (08) 8557 7744,

motorsport news

r ►

Opens Up

With 14 to go, we locked up a set of gears and spat the whole drivetrain and uni and bell housing out of it," said a disappointed Hodges.

Cameron Gessner took Todd Wanless for what became second early in the race after a red light restart and ran a lonely run to the flag. The red had been for Craig Stevenson who rolled gently on his side, had rollovers.

Wanless held

on for third ahead of Darren Jensen. Farr, driving a quickly assembled spare car afte r a big rollover on night one rose from the seventh row to finish fifth. Adrian Maher, Richard Morgan and Alan Wakelinq rounded out the minors.

Hodges won the preliminary feature race on Friday night from Dumesny, Jensen and Wanless.

- MARK JONES

I M >

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event was Brooke Tatnell, who placed 12th after starting from position 23.

■ In one of the biggest WoO upsets in many years, veteran Danny Smith ended a 19-year losing streak by romping to victory at Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 6.

Smith downed Joey Saldana and third placed Donny Schatz, to take out his first WoO win since Silver dollar Speedway in 1985.

- GREG BOSCATO/ DAWIEL POWELL

mlt WORLD OF OUTLAWS CHAMPIONSHIP KENtUOKY LAKE SPEEPWAY

4, 5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Paul McMahan Danny Lasoski . Joey Saldana . . Kraig Kinser Jason Meyers Daryn Pittman . Steve Kinser Donny Schatz . . Kelly Kinser . Tim Kaeding

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

2004 STANDINGS TO 8/05/O4

1. Steve Kinser . . . Craig Doilansky . . Brooke Tatnell 2. Danny Lasoski .

3. Donny Schatz .

Randy Hannagan . . . Erin Crocker 4. Paul McMahan .

5.

Kraig Kinser . . . . . . Brian Paulus Cameron Dodson 6. Jason Meyers .. . . . . Mark Kinser 7. Tim Shaffer . . .

Brandon Wimmer 8. Daryn Pittman . . Jonathan Allard 9. Craig Dotlansky 10. Jason Sides . . . . . Brian Carlson

1953 1926 .1874 1857 .1841 1840 1835 1822 1806 1764

11. Joey Saldana .

12. Brian Paulus .

13. Jonathan Aiiard 14.8rian Brown . .

15. Erin Crocker. .

16. Tyler Walker . .

17. Shane Stewart ' 18. Toni Lutar. . . .

19.Brooko Tatnell. .

20. Dean Jacobs . .

1733 .1648 1541 1487 1477 1219 1063 1019 1005 .935

6?

FUNNY Car Champion John Force returned to his winning form last Monday in Thunder Valley, powering to his record 110th career victory.

The victory, suprisingly, was Force's first at Bristol Dragway, making him victorious at every venue at which the NHRA POWERade tour competes at.

Joining Force in the Winners' Circle at the rain-delayed Thunder Valley Nationals were Tony Schumacher in Top Fuel and Greg Anderson in Pro Stock.

The Funny Car finale was a classic match-up between Force and arch rival Whit Bazemore. The race was over at the starting line when Bazemore's Mateo Tools Dodge Stratus lost traction at the hit of the throttle. Force was long gone, recording a superb 4.781s pass at 322mph.

In the prior rounds. Force, below, powered his Castrol GTX HighMUeage Ford Mustang to 4.81/319, 4.78/325 and 4.78/324 passes to get past Tony Bartone, team-mate Gary Densham and a red-lighting Phil Burkart Jr. Force's 325.37mph top speed in round two established a new Bristol Dragway track record Bazemore scored early round wins over Bob Gilbertson and team mate Gary Scelzi and earned his money in the semi-finals with a wild tyre-fcoking victory over Eric MedRn, withSUiijffirs fighting

'mu i

for traction and the win.

wins over Scott Kalitta and semi

Schumacher's dominance of Top Fuel continued in Thunder Valley as his Alan Johnson-tuned dragster recorded the quickest pass in every round of eliminations on the way to his fourth win from the first six events.

In the final round,Schumacher drove to a tyre-smoking victory over Clay MiUican,above, who spun his tyres and banged the blower in an attempt to catch Schumacher. The final numbers had 'The Sarge' winning with a 5.80s at 283 mph.

Schumacher defeated Rhonda Hartman-Smith,Doug Herbert, and a red-lighting Brandon Bernstein to reach the final round. Bernstein

final opponent Scott Weis, but got a break in round two when David

threw away a 4.509/327 against Schumacher's 4.503/330.

The U.S. Army dragster lowered the Bristol Dragway track E.T. record no less than four times throughout the weekend,finally setting the marks at 4.477s at 331.36 mph.

MiUican's second straight finalround showing in the 104 Plus ost dragster moved him h place in the POWERade ''■'’an rin a paijof 4.5s in

Grubnic red-lighted and was disqualified, while MiUican had clutch and engine failures, hi a repeat of the Houston Pro Stock final round,and one that seems like it's going to be a common thing inthe 2004 season, Greg Anderson defeated team-mate Jason Line, posting a 6.75s at 203 mph for the win to defeat Line's 6.79s at 202 mph.

Anderson's Vegas General Construction Pontiac Grand Am remains the best car in the class, as he once again posted the quickest E.T. of every round. He began with a 6.77/202 against Kenny Koretsky, set both ends of the track-record at 6.745s at 203.25 mph to stop Darrell Alderman,and then drove away from Bruce Allen with a 6.75/202.

Line's KB Framers Pontiac took out the entire Jeg's camp with early round wins over Troy and Jeg Coughlin before defeating Kurt Johnson in the semi-finals.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI POINTS: Top Fuel: Schumacher 576, Bernstein 495, D. Kalitta 394, Grubnic 354, Diion 319. Fmmy Car: Worsham 460, Force 418, Pro DJnshan^374, Wilketson 351, Medlen 346.

Stock: Anderson 668, K. Johnson 470, Line 373.

JPro Stock ^kc: Hines 196, Stoffer 190, Scali 153.

88

THE continued rebirth of championship drag racing in the eastern states has recieved a further boost with the news that the ACT / Government has allocated $8 million for the construction of a new international-standard, quarter-mile drag strip in Canberra.

The Government's commitment to the development of the Canberra International Dragway ICID)follows fiveand-a-half years of lobbying, led by Geoff Develin,following the forced closure of Canberra'sjSn previous drag racing facility"^S in 1998.

Plans are for a strip built^ f : along similar lines to Parth’c rtl IIT Mr,*nrnltlCz3P'

Price AUSTRALIAN drag racing may soon have a new 'Queen of Speed', with former V8 Supercar driver Melinda Price considering an offer to drive a Top Fuel dragster.

Motorsport News understands that Price is currently in negotiations with multi-Australian Top Fuel champion 'Pommie' Steve Read, the plan calling for the well-credentialed circuit racer to first gain quarter-mile experience in an 8.0s Comp dragster before licensing for Top Fuel.

Price has four top-20 Bathurst finishes to her credit, with a best of 11th in 1998 while driving the Castrol Cougars Commodore with Kerryn Brewer for Larry Perkins.

Price had her first taste of drag racing at the recent Tin motorsport news

I

I

m IS RACINC

Cowin’s new wheels j

CURRENT Australian Championship leader John Cowin will debut a new, state-of-the-art Top Fuel dragster at this weekend's Nitro Champs, being held at the WSID. While attempting to secure his first title. Cowin will also be testing the car for his twin brother, Andrew, who will resume his career on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series tour later this year.

The impressive Cowin Family Racing dragster's engine incorporates all of the latest setback supercharger and digital ignition technology used in the U.S. to run 4.4s times and speeds over 330mph.

with all features neccessary to host National events and seating for an estimated 12,000 happy Canberrians.

The location has not been finalised, however an area of land in the Majura Valley, north of the airport, has been identified as most suitable.

n While on CFR, Sydney drag racing fans that also have an interest in V8 Supercars will be able to meet Holden Racing Team's Todd Kelly, who will be a guest of the Cowin's Rocket Industries team at WSID this weekend.

fohn Moms

Top Titles at Willowbank Raceway, the 33-year-old spotted being given the guided tour of the pits and startline at the recent Tin Top Titles at Willowbank Raceway by former drag racing commentator and now Holden Motorsport/Kmart Racing media manager Gerald McDornan - McDornan having introduced the pair previously "By sheer coincidence, on the same night I was going to the same function as Melinda, Steve called me an asked if I knew Melinda and whether she would be interested in driving a Top Fueller and her answer was like normal person's would be 'Absolutely!'" McDornan said.

"Melinda was impressed with what she saw and who she met at the Tin Tops, although with no fuel cars there she is yet to see a fueller launch - she might change her mind when she does!"

12 May 2004

n Tommy Johnson Jr. recorded the quickest pass in the opening round of Funny Car, only to lose on a huge holeshot by Gary Scelzi.

Johnson, usually very good on the tree, had a dismal 0.178 reaction time, compared to Scelzi's 0.096 and chased the Oakley Dodge Hemi to the finish line.

Johnson's 4.79s pass, his best of the year at a career-best speed of 323 mph, came up just a tad short against Scelzi's slower 4.87/299 at the finish line.

The reason for the late start? "I hate to make excuses, but this is one of the disadvantages of wearing glasses," Johnson said.

"My glasses fogged up and I couldn't see a thing. Rarely does that happen, but it's hot in the car and the cold weather here at Bristol wasn't a good combination." n Al Billes racked up his second win of the season in Bristol's AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge, th an all supercharged Chevrolet Corvette final, Billes, in his '53 Corvette, defeated a red-lighting Mitch Stott, and the Radiac Abrasives '63 Corvette, 6.24/226 to 6.25/225.

En route to the final round, Billes defeated Ed Hoover's '63 Corvette and Fred Hahn, the No. 1 qualifier at 6.201s, Stott, the reigning IHRA Champion, turned back Thomas Patterson in a '41 Willys and Von Smith and the Tommy Lipar Racing '04 Ford Mustang, Hahn, Patterson and Mike Castellana, the only nitrous car to make the field, all qualified for their first event of 2004. Stott, Hoover, Billes and Smith, have not missed a show thus far this season.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI/STAFF 69

naUoiMl

scene

edtedby

Grant Rowley

McFadyen's McCPUsh I-'* 'f

AnUmes J-cM/yeifs

by CHRIS JORDAN NEIL McFadyen has made a habit of winning in recent times, and if all goes to plan, he may add the coveted Australian Drivers'Championship Gold Star to his illustrious CV. The Sydney driver, despite having only turned 15 laps in a F4000 car before the weekend,comfortably won both races at Round One of the new Premier Racing Series held at the Mallala Power Surge meeting last weekend.

McFadyen was never headed, his closest opposition coming from his team-mate,last minute super sub local Paul Trengove. Having been

called at work on the Friday by Ralt Austraha boss Graham Watson to fiU the vacant seat, Trengove did exceptionally well, coming in second both races.

The two races imfolded in a similar fashion for the Ralt pair. McFadyen pulled an early gap before Trengove closed it slightly, and the two then maintained position. A misfire for McFadyen in Race 2 was his only worry.

"When the misfire came on about Lap 3 or 4,1 thought 'oh-oh', so I just drove it harder to compensate." said McFadyen."I'm pretty happy - who wouldn't be? Now I have to go on a sponsor-hrmt to get me to Round 2," The possibility of the battle royale that looked to be developing between

McFadyen and former F3000 driver Rob Nguyen failed to eventuate, with mechanical woes haimting Nguyen.

Nguyen had been blisteringly quick all weekend,fastest by up to two seconds in some sessions, but was pipped in qualifying by McFadyen after only being able to complete half the session due to a blown gearbox seal. Overnight repairs by his Hocking Motorsports team also revealed clutch troubles.

At the start of Race 1, fluid poured from the back of the Queenslander's Reynard, having thrown an alternator belt on the out lap. As McFadyen got the jump, Nguyen slotted into second, but an obvious smoke trail was forming. On the

second lap, as McFadyen forged ahead, Nguyen parked on the infield with low oil pressure, his race and weekend over.

"Maybe if I'd stopped it straight away, we could have saved it for Race 2," reflected a despondent Nguyen.

"It's frustrating, because when the car was fine, we were fastest."

Ty Hanger and Ricky Occhipinti drove lonely races to collect a third and a fourth each,the latter doing so without the proper use of second and third gears.

Ian Peters was the best of the Silver Star contingent, with sixth in Race 2.

Points: McFadyen 40,Trengove 30, Hanger and Occhipinti 22, Peters and Mark West 14.

Keep on the road - Finish with a prize proceedings.

Hossack made every post a winner, qualifying on pole, and going on to win all three races to leave the round with a commanding points lead.

Behind him, a variety of challengers emerged, but never headed the Victorian. Des Wall drove his stunning Corvette to a pair of seconds in the first two races, and was able to close on Hossack in

however, finishing the third race in the sand trap after Kiwi Bernard Gillon in the striking black Mustang Cobra made an ambitious lunge on the final lap at Turn 7, sending both out of the race.

The incident was not the only one in the final race, Dean Randle made heavy contact with the wall on the start/finish straight after a nudge at the new-for-2004 rolling start. The carnage rewarded the consistent Rodney Woods, who claimed second in his VS Commodore. Tony Ricciardello had a fraught weekend, struggling with a new gearbox, his best result a third in Race 2.

- CHRIS JORDAN

the latter stages of both. His weekend did not end as planned

Points; Hossack 62, Woods 40, Wall 34, Gillon 28, Ricciardello 27.

THE newly-branded TranZam Sports Series kicked off at Mallala over the weekend, and while a few new and impressive cars were out to impress, it was regular frontrunner Darren Hossack in his Saab Chev who dominated

?0

f.imn Sniilh

Hold out the 'Stang: Hossack kept the striking Mustang of Bernard Gillon and the rest of the pack at bay. motorspori news

NATIONAl.SCENE

Keep the good cars Racin' The Touring Car Challenge has variety, speed difference and history

WHAT do you get when you throw a bunch of former Supercars,swift Super Tourers,future-less Future Tourers and Group A dinosaurs together in one motor race?

Well, it's called the Touring Car Challenge(TCC), and it's coming to race track near you.

The TCC is the brainchild of Garry Willmington, Wakefield Park's circuit promoter. His vision was to gather race cars from the past 18 years, handicap the fast runners and see who comes out on top. The former touring car driver says he's been surprised with the initial result and response.

"It's expanded further than what I'd expected," said Willmington.

"I don't think we are going to have any less than 20 cars per race meeting. We've got variety and we've got speed difference, which is what I wanted. There's not enough speed difference in Supercars and this is the feedback that I've got. We want to run a full national series next year."

There are more than 70 or 80 oldmodel Supercars in existence, and a heap of Super and Future Tourers that if not for this category, would be summonsed to a life in Sport Sedan racing. But Willmington would like to see more Group A cars in the mix,but the only example entered for the next round is the ex-JPS BMW M3.

"There's heaps of those turbo Nissans, Sierras and Toyotas out there that could race,' said Willmington.

"I was going to run my Jaguar (XJS) but I sold it, so that stuffed that.

The guy that bought it is restoring it

but 1 don't think he's going to run it."

But as good as it would be to see the versatile mix of Group A cars in the TCC,there is no doubt that there is enough old Tourers around the country to continue without them.

One former Supercar that will be on the grid soon is the exLonghurst/Ellery/Weel Falcon that finished third at Bathurst in 1996.

Willmington hopes to complete the rebuild soon.

But not only could the TCC be a haven for former great cars to continue to compete, Willmington hopes the series will be a proving ground for young talent.

"1 want to get young people to get into this series who want to go places.

There's plenty of cars out there to buy and lease and it's a lot cheaper than running Konica. This category would be better for people to come and look for co-drivers than look at Formula Ford."

Anew initiative for the Touring Car Challenge this year will be the 'Christmas 500' where any cars from HQs,right down to Daewoos, MGs and production cars will be able to enter. Wakefield Park is hoping to get permission to run 50 cars.

The opportunities for the category seem endless. It's only in its first full year and the mix-matched series is visiting three states and is part of the newly-formed Premier Racing Series.

Raise you glasses people to not only preserving old touring cars, but racing them as well.

- GRANT ROWLEY

MARK Porter was a dominant force in the Super Trucks at the Mallala Power Surge over the weekend, adding the event to his already busy schedule in Konica Minolta and main series V8 Supercars to win all three races.

Porter's impressive Hydraulink Kenworth was simply too strong for the small field, with Adelaide's Bob Middleton in his Freightliner earning second overall for the weekend, and Daniel Bajema third.

Formula Vee saw a clean sweep of victories go to Adam Proctor, while Steve Laybourn was the pick of the FIQ Holden field, with three victories.

-CHRIS JORDAN 12 May 2004

sm.

Ox Event Photos

Super Future Supercars: The Touring Car Challenge has it all. Top, Future Tourers, above, ex-Supercars and below. Super Tourers.

THE SA branch of the successful UDrive business is embarking on a novel and ambitious competition, with the prize being a fully funded drive in the 2005 South Australian Formula Ford State Series.

The U-Drive SA team, owned by Mark Rundle and operated alongside the Team BRM F3 team owned by his father Bronte, currently run Tom Brand in the SA and Victorian Formula Ford Championships.

Auditions will be held at Adelaide International Raceway for up to 200 entrants, before the Top 10 drivers go head-to-head in time trials at Mallala Raceway for the ultimate prize.

The bitter taste of defeat will be sweetened for the runner up with $1000 worth of home entertainment equipment from Betta Electrical, and the $795 entry fee will be refunded for the tliird place getter.

-CHRIS JORDAN 71

Remaining Positive

Daniel Elliott is proving his talent in Australia's premier karting class.

CHRIS JORDAN spoke to the winner of the first two rounds MOTORSPORT NEWS:2004 has got off to a positive start for you, which is important as you missed Roimd 1 of the CIK season last year.

DANIEL ELLIOTT: Unfortunately we didn't make it to the first round last year, but we went very well at most of the rounds,so this year aU we are aiming for is to get good results and good points and win the championship.

MN:Would this year's Formula A field be the strongest you've raced against?

DE: It's not a big field this year, or in fact last year, but there is stOl a lot of good quality drivers in the field, so it still makes it tough.

MN:Since teaming up with Birel in 2003, you've enjoyed success that was missing for both you and the Birel team for a few years. Would you agree?

DE: Yeah, possibly. Since I've jumped in the Birel, the kart has been absolutely perfect and I haven't had any problems.

Basically, we are not struggling at any of the tracks to chase anyone else. We are the ones setting the pace. so it's so far, so good.

MN:After a fantastic start to your Formula Ford career in 2001,2002 saw you return to karting. Has that experience made you appreciate your current success all the more?

DE:I did fairly well in Formula Ford from my point of view.

Unfortunately, we didn't have the budget to continue,so Troy (Pieper) from Pieper Motorsport asked me to come race for him.

I thought that I should still keep in touch in racing,so that's the choice I made,and since then I think I've actually calmed down a little more.

MN:So you've mahrred as a driver?

DE: Yeah, I think that's what I've done. And as I said, we are going for points this year, and I think I'm in a position to get good points with how my driving is going at the moment.

Since I've jumped in the Birel, the kart has been ahsolutely perfecf'

II

-Elliott on his ‘04 chassis

MN:How does it feel when guys you used to race, and often beat, move on to higher categories?

DE:I've seen a lot of drivers go different places. I think sometimes you've just got to be at the right place at the right time, meet the right people, or basically just wait for your opportunity. I think you've got to keep racing in whatever you can,and just hope that something does come of racing.

MN:The next step after karting is so often hard to crack. Do you ever feel like approaching a team boss and saying'Hey,I used to whip these guys- give me a go!'

DE:It would be nice. But

DE: As far as karting goes.I'm not too sure at this stage. The main aim this year is just to win it(Formula A title), which would help not only myself as a driver, but also Pieper with his team as well. But hopefully it will take me to bigger and better things in the future.

MN: What about the rumours that you may step into an Aussie Racing Car? DE:I was talking to a few people and considering it. At this stage no, but hopefully some time soon I'll do a few tests and do a bit of development with them. But as far as racing goes,I can't quite answer that at the moment.

unfortunately these days I don't think it quite happens like that. I try to talk with as many people as possible, and hopefully one day, one of the them will even give me a test or something Uke that just so I can prove to them whether I can do the job or not.

n

MN:2004 is looking good.

Would you like to see it as a platform for bigger and better things in 2005?

5 Number 1: Team manager Troy Pieper with Daniel Elliott, above right.

ACCEOSO”' nCO KAOT

P.%rh(

KARTING

Stockman's Superkait litle

ANZACS head to Euro Champs

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,„ -

TAMWORTH'S Brian Stockman has won another Superkart title, picking up the Victorian 250 International Championship at a wet and cold Phillip Island recently.

Stockman's consistency was the key to his win as Anton Stevens was the pacesetter whenever the track was wet which was often.

Both were upstaged by former Aussie champ Sam Zavaglia (Stockman/Honda) in qualifying, but on the wet track it was Stevens (PVP/FPE) who won the opening heats before taking second to Stockman, above,(Stockman/Honda) in the only dry race. Stevens's great meeting came to a screaming halt when though. While leading

the final race, his engine failed.

Zavaglia also retired, which left Stockman out in front to take maximum points and the championship.

Jason McIntyre (Anderson) won every race and took a clean sweep of 250 National. Such was his pace, he even challenged Stockman for the outright win in the wet final.

Veteran Graeme Williams was second ahead of consistant newcomer Dennis Jones.

Anthony Zulian (Stockman) and Darren Dunn (Top Kart) were equal on points with two wins each going into the final of 125cc, but Australian Champion Zulian stayed ahead to claim the state title.

Unbeaten in the heats.

?a.«saLi-L'_ .

Michael Chiodo (Top Kart) dropped to second in the 80cc final but still had plenty of points to hold the win. Gerrit van Ree (Demon)finished second.

Along with 250 Inter, 125 MAX was the largest field at the meeting. South Australian Stewart Campbell (Arrow) was easily the fastest in the field and had enough points to claim the title despite retiring from heat four with an exhaust problem.

Steve Castles (Speed) was second ahead of Evan Fuller (All Kart).

Rod Clarke won lOOcc NonGearbox by surviving the chaotic closing laps of the final. Darren Tyler and Gerald McIntosh rounded out the top three.

- MARK WICKS

THE younger brother of reigning Formula A World Champion, New Zealand’s Wade Cunningham, above, will compete in this year's European karting championships.

Mitchell Cunningham, 17, will drive for the same factory CRG team in the series, which starts at Sarno, Italy, this weekend. May IS IS. Mitch will use the usual CRG/Maxter/Bridgestone combination in Formula A. Recently, he has been competing in the Sparco Cl K Australian Championships where he sits 10th in the FA points. n Making a return to top level competition will be expatriate Aussie Ben Horstman. Horstman has competed in Formula A and Super A on and off for several years now with Italian manufacturer Biesse. The Sarno meeting sees him step across to the Super ICC class, still with Biesse, but now using SGM engines and Bridgestone tyres.

-MARK WICKS

Talk the Torque

JUST as Targa Tasmania drew to a close, the Apple Isles' New Zealand counterpart opened it's doors.

New Zealand Dunlop Targa celebrates its 10th anniversary tliis year and for the first time, the event will feature 900 Idlometres of closed stages.

Targa NZ is unique. There are no pace or safety notes, just a comprehensive route book for aU competitors.

The event is also called a road race, not a rally, which celebrates its Targa Florio origins. The race travels for six days, touring over 1600kms betw'een Auckland and NZ's capital city, Wellington.

A new category tlris year called 'Allcomers' will cater 12 mv 2004

for modified cars. One entry of note in the class is 1986 Australian Touring Car Champion Robbie Francevic.

The Kiwi will campaign his 1969 seven-litre Pontiac GTO. Anotlier new category is Super GT for modified new cars. Entries like a Toyota Altezza-powered Lexus V8 wiU be joined by several Nissan Skylines and a BMW Mini-Cooper witli a special turbo engine,above.

Already 170 entries have been lodged for the October 25-31 race.

Last year, Australian Tony Quinn took victory in his Porsche. Can a New Zealander pick up tlie local prize in 2004?

THE return of community television to the Adelaide airwaves after a brief absence has seen South Australian motorsport gain its very own weekly program.

Torque TV, hosted by Richard Craill and Louise Kosta, airs for an hour every Friday night at 8pm, covering state, national and international motorsport of all types, with a local focus.

Approaching its fourth episode. Torque TV studio guests have already included 2003 Gold Star runner-up Paul Trengove, local Formula Ford driver Samantha Reid, and Adelaide CIK karting pilots Paul Pittam and Ben Hall.

CHRIS JORDAN 13

NATIONAL SCENE

Improved Hislop Ray runs riot at Phillip Island's IPRA Nationals

RAY Hislop scored one of the biggest wins of his career at Phillip Island recently when he won the Magic May Improved Production Nationals.

Hislop, drivng his Ford Falcon EB GT, fought off experienced production car racer Leanne Ferrier in her Madza RX-7.

The weekend though will be remembered for the Island's extreme weather, which produced just about everything except snow.

Benjamin Schoots was fast through the heats and picked up a couple of hard-fought wins, but the RX-7 driver could only muster third place in the wet final. Datsun 1600 steererTony Skinner shadowed Schoots

across the line. He was followed by fellow Datsun competetitor Phil Morriss.

Cameron Vanden Dungen, Leigh Forrest, Kerry Wade, Gary McKay and Kelvin Twist rounded out the top 10.

Falcon force: Ray Hislop, below, won the Improved Production Nationals at Phillip Island. Benjamin Schoots, above, was fast, but finished third.

lr\l Pholotiranhus

Round two of the now South Wales State Championship was held at Eastern Creek recently, and the meeting featured large and strong fields.

Joel Spychala continued his domination of the Scooteria Formula Ford series, but it was not all plain sailing. He dragged his battle-scarred Van Diemen RF94 over the line in Race 2, overcoming gearbox gremlins and a sticking throttle to maintain his perfect record this season.

Ben Guest kept the pressure on the Spychala throughout Race 1, but failed to finish Race 2, allowing Greg Woodrow to slip through and grab second place.

Fred Axisa took out Sports Sedans. He topped the time sheets 74

in every session. David Krause in his Commodore and Chris Jackson's Z28 Camaro ensured an all-General Motors podium.

Michael Kinsella notched up another Formula Vee victory, seeing off challenges from Adam Proctor and John Mostyn, all in Jacers.

In Production Sports, it was the Tattersalls-sponsored Robnell Cobra of William Adams that lead home the Porsche GTS of Anthony

Skinner and lain iPretty's Classic Revival A/C Cobra, above.

Mathew Haly, Jason Tiiley and Glen Harris filled the podium positions In HQs. Leigh Lovering was robbed of any chance of showering in champagne after being handed a 60-second penalty.

Nell Kenny in his Mk31 Mailock headed home a small field in the trophy race for combined AF2 and Supersports cars.

touchy: Phillip Page gets tagged by an Improved Production rival, below.

The trophy race for Improved Production cars over 2-litres was taken out by Warren Rush in the Auto Group Auctions Mazda RX7.

Graeme Watts in his Mazda RX3 was second and Scott Bucton powered across the line third in his 5.8 litre Vi Commodore.

Meanwhile, Bob Jowett took out Improved Production for cars under 2-litres.

Doug Moss lead home a large and diverse field of Combined Touring Cars in his Nissan Skyline GTR. Scott Loadsman was second across the line in his Commodore followed by Barry Sternbeck.

The next round of the NSW championship series will be at Oran Park on June 5 and 6, n/l ARfIN VAN REE

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motorsport news J

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Sunday Drivers Winter Ciearance Sale LJ XU1 Holden Torana

Saleen Mustang S351

Group NC #74, Sister car to #90, immaculately prepared, numerous race wins, fastest laps. Race winning top HP 202, koni shocks. Ready to race $38,000.

Various spares available including, engines, gearboxes, diffs, panels, suspension components etc. . $38,000.

Kevin Heffeman 0413 733 407.

Ex nations cup/sports car, immaculate build quality, 560HP supercharged 351 V8, proflex shocks, ideal for targa/tarmac rally or to add to the collection, priced to sell at a fraction of the build cost of $240,000 - Sell $50,000, Various spares available including, engines, gearboxes, diffs, panels, suspension componenets etc.. $50,000. Kevin Heffeman 0413 733 407.

www.myl05.com/67684

m

www.my105.com/29225

HQ GTS Holden Monaro Tssir.

Group NC #28, Ex Jackson car, no expense M spared, numerous race wins, fastest laps and

^--.v A

0!l

LJ XU1 Holden Torana

j lap records. Tyre smoking Mega HP 350 chev, proflex shocks. Scare yourself for K $60,000.Various spares available including, engines, gearboxes, diffs, panels, suspension BeI components etc. $60,000. Kevin Heffeman 0413 733 407.

www.myl05.com/89543

Group NC #90, Ex Jackson/Heffernan, immaculately prepared, numerous race wins, fastest laps and lap records. Race winning top HP 202 engine, koni/proflex shocks. Ready to win $40,000. Various spares available Including, engines, gearboxes, diffs, panels, suspension components etc. . $40,000. Kevin

I

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www.myl05.com/85246 Heffeman 0413 733 407.

Sedans/Sports Cars

HQ HOLDEN, Former Aust & Old Champion, Won Last Race Bathurst 24hr support, not raced since. Complete with spares, proven race winner. $5500. Andrew 285 Simpson 0407723055. www.my105.com/441

Toyota Celica 1991 GT4 Group A Rally, Carlos Sainz limited edition, no140 4wd turbo only 88,000 kms, very good condition.

Reluctant sale. $18,990. Henry 0438 424 082 / (07) 4638 3233.

284 www.myl O5.com/1552

Toyota Corolla AE82 Improved Prod, 3rd 1600CC OLD 2003, 20 valve, Autranic, FIA cage, TRD cage, TRD GPA gearbox + diff, all VGC/fresh, easy to drive, prof built. $9,600. Justin 0417 703 773. 284 www.myl05.eom/70676

v’ Mallock Mark 31, Brand new roller (factory car), knock on hubs, mumford link, 8 x magnesium F2 wheels, aluminium body panels, Fuel oeiltfoam, steering, disc brakes with wilwood callipers, diff centre,suzuki 5 speed gearbox, Suzuki cylinder head with new valves, ported & polished, new camshaft and suzuki bottom end (unassembled). $12,000. Greg 0419 645 770. 284 www.my105.com/39778 12 May 2004

65 MUSTANG,65 MUSTANG, GROUP NC, Ex Barry Jupp, Graham Hunt, Michael Miceli, fastest 65 in Aust, current lap record Calder, total rebuild, all new panels, lightest ever been, new motor with highest HP yet, all brakes new with spares, selling due to business. $66,000 OBO Darren BH 03 9758 9077. 284 www.my105.com/36325

Mazda RX-7 Race Car/Parts, Mazda RX-7 roller with new Roll Cage, paint, flairs and rear spoiler. 13B Bridgeport Engine stripped, new Racing Beat Carbon apex seals, springs and Pulley, 2 sets of alloy wheels, new Sparco race seat. Series 3 Diff Assembly, 4 pot callipers, hubs, discs, turbo gearbox, 48mm Webber and Manifold. $6500. 0732694134 / 0754967848.

284 www.myl O5.com/12923

HOOPER SUPERSPORTS, Multiple National and State Title winner. Buy it complete as a race winner for $35,000 - or Just the rolling chassis ready for a 200BHP 1600 transplant - for just $25,000. No other car in Australia offers these lap times for less. Be quick. John (07) 5445 2694 (h).

284 www.myl05.eom/44086 EA Falcon Saloon Car, built ground up, 2003 front running car in NSW Champs.

Top HP Autotech engine, will assist new owner. $16,000. Trailer to suit available.

Greg (02) 6352 1 238.

284 www.myl05.eom/74604 Race Winning Saloon Car, 4 years development, many race wins, pole positions and lap records. New engine and gearbox, spares Including 2 sets of wheels, one of the best in the country. $22,000 Or Best Offer. Kurt 07 3368 1188 / 0419 705531.

286 www.my105.com/6282S 79

w .. rif

»

Much Loved Car, Stock engine (nothing modified), 17 inch Gold 5 spoke wheels, lowered with Peddars Sports Ryder Springs, Hi-Tech Sports exhaust. Baby Pivot Automatic Turbo Timer. Quick-Trak Monitoring Alarm system, WRX floor mats, 6 stacker CD player. Muched Loved car, hesitant to sell, going overseas. Never raced or abused. $29,000. Israel 0402872083. 283 www.my105.com/42395

i>

Porsche GT3 Carrera Cup, Motec, spare wheels, bumper, clutch. Absolutely immaculate, full 2003 spec Inc doors original clutch Can finance and trade. $190,000. Andrew Miedecke 0418 653366.

284 www.my105.com/93822

TIGA FA82 Formula Atlantic, Complete car in perfect condition. Recent full restoration.

Engine dismantled for inspection. Will consider an interesting trade. $48,000 Not Neg. David 0409 603 749. 283 www.my105.com/49988

■»

319 349. 283 www.my105.com/81552 Honda NSX, Honda NSX imported for racing - great marque sports car. ( just homologated ) Car has moderate front damge but no big deal as fibreglass panels sourced, available at $23,500 or with brakes, penske shocks, bbs wheels, pedal box , sump etc sourced for race preparation for $29,500. $23,500 Not Neg. Graham 0403 811360.

284

Engines Nacscar Cleveland, Ford nascar Cleveland short motor. Excellent original block debarred, screw in welsh plugs, 4MAB crank, TRW pistons, new billet distributor, new cam, new alloy nascar water pump, new edelbrock torker manifold this is a genuine nascar engine block all machinework done ready to assemble real bargain. $3950 Not Neg. Graham 0403 811360. 284 www.my105.com/84979

i9

VH Comodore, Comodore VH Improved production 355 Hoiden, super T10 TexMex Gearbox, Harrop rear end. fresh engine complete o/haul since last season. Excellent condition Eastern Cr 1.48.0 - Oran Pk. 1.19.1 - Wakefield Pk. 1.08.9 David 0409

Bowin P6F, $25,000 ONO. Keith 0401-704401 283 v™nw.my105.comy24538

Porsche Carrera Cup Car 2003, RACED IN CARRERA CUP SERIES 2003.

NUMBER 51 CROCKER. THE LEAST DAMAGED CAR OF THE SERIES WITH ABSOLUTELY NIL MAJOR DAMAGE. NEW CLUTCH. 8 SPARE WHEELS AND 4 NEW SLICKS AVAILABLE. $235,000 ONO AUD. 283 jack Crocker 07 32753122. www.myl05.com/28284.

Formula Ford, Chassis/engine for sale/lease. Maintained by Troy Dunstan Racing, Speedtech engine. 4x3 way Penske shocks, MoTec Dash, large inventory of spares. Package can be adjusted to meet your budget, lincludes delivery to lOOOkIms. Great opportunity to get a FF with all the 'bits' that makes a front 283 running car. 0419 777 977. www.myl05.com/79793

Lotus Twim Cam, 1650cc, totally rebuilt, all machining operations, new Cosworth pistons, new LI Cams, Vandervell bearings, LTW cam buckets, head full rebuild, big valves, balanced, rods and crank shotpeened, 45mm side draft Webers excellent and new $12,000ono. Also. Lotus t/camrolling body, $7500ono . $19,500ono.

(03) 8545 9600 (w) / (03) 9585 5270 (h).

284 www.my105.com/52984

Open Wheelers

www.myl05.com/38672 V8 Supercar roller, Longhurst falcon - Very up to date chassis with late brakes and Penske shocks and all dry sump and fuel tanks and lines/ coolers - new PWR radiator make ideal car for new touring category or sports sedan as it was the last ford lightweight shell, engine / trans options available. $23000 Not Neg. Graham 0403 284 811360.

Formula Ford Spectrum 06, Great 1st car, competitive in all state and National events, great history with many poles, fastest laps and wins, finished 4th Bathurst 02, 5th AGP 04, Penske shockers all round, dash and logger, set up equip, full set ratios, 3 sets wheels and tyres, ready to race. $29,000.

Daniel (03) 9725 5366 / 0411 029 561. 283 www.my105.eom/18142

www.myl05.com/63150

Open wheeler, Westfield Clubman, Booth prepared, ToyotaSSGE, Motec. Hollinger 5Spd with Loveday remote Quickshift, Ford Motorsport LSD + more. Spare race wheels & gearbox components. Giant killer which is ready for 2004 Sportscar Championship.

CA/V enclosed trailer. $25,000 Neg. Adrian 0417 327 988.

283

Porsche 3.4 Litre Boxster Engine Complete NEW, Built by Chellingworth Porsche Perth. Includes flowed heads.

Porsche Sport cams and Pfitzner flywheel.

2B5 $25,000 ONO. Kim 0417 917 189. www.my105.com/88381

www.my105.com/77394

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CLASSIFIEDS Chev, 5It 302 engine, 010 block, 4 bolt, steel capped mains, 23 alloy brownfield, heads, big stainless valves, isky valve springs collets and retainers, roller cam shaft, rev kit, crow push rods, crane roller rockers with stud girdle kit, 6inch carillo rods, steel crank shaft, 12.5.1 comp brc forged pistons king high performance bearings, dry sumped with pump / tank and lines, 780 holley, victor jnr manifold, flex plate wih 7 IMinch plate clutch, reduction starter, alloy water pump, Peterson belt drive system this engine has 550 plus hp.

Ideal improved production race engine can be heard going price $15,000 ono. 0407 943 062 / 0408 343 062.

2B4 www.myl05.com/6557 Chev V8 Supercar Engine, Benson built, 612 HP complete with wiring harness motor, latest flow heads, run in Konica only, low kms. VS Front Strutts, complete with Koni adjustable shocks and King springs plust assortment springs, rear shocks complete.

Supercar BBS Rims 12, $350 each, gary 08 9397 0317 / 0419 935 107.

283 www.myl05.com/36060

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World of Outlaws Sprintcars, As raced at World of Outlaws. Tim Kaeding car (7T): 2003 40/86 Standard Eagle Chassis Winters Rear End - Latest lightweight components Jason Meyers car (1M): - 2003 40/86 Standard Maxim Chassis - Sanders Front end and Winters rear end (near new)Lee Steering Box Complete rolling chassis ready to race (minus motors). Steven 02 96370411.283 www.my105.com/21118

Transporters/Trailers

Parts

Mazda 808 shell, Mazda 808 sedan shell, complete with full cage,set up for mid mount motor,suit any engine, circuit,speedway or drags must sell as is takin up space in shed, call 4 more info, $1200 ONO. Simon 284 0409875381. www.myl05.com/76145 Formula Ford parts, 1 rego short motor f/wheel etc. New FF Cam, 2 reco heads, 2 carby and manifolds, 3 s/h blocks and heads, 2 starter motors, box of parts new and s/h etc. Mantal bend extractors. $2,000 284 the lot. Barry 0418 510 684. www.myl O5.com/18398 GEAR BOXES (2), RITCHMOND SUPER T-10. Road Race ”X” ratio. Both have been fully reconditioned & haven't been run since reconditioned. $2,800 each Not Neg. Allan 284 0407 102 358, www.myl O5.com/17467 Brodex - 12 Heads, Brodex - 12heads, Gaerte (ex Brad Furr), includes valves, valves springs, rockers, cam, pistons, 2 5/8 inch injection. $7,000. Eagle Chassis kit, with panels, hoods and floor, $3,500. Luke 284 0418 943 653. www.myl 05.com/35300 Competition tyres, 205x60x15 Yoko A32R ex Targa. Call Bradley or Steve 03 9583 4493. $80 each. 0419 381 270. 284 www.myl05.eom/30425 Gearbox Transaxle, special Lola Hewland Penske new o/pinion, all gears new, fully rebuild, ready to race, with on board Jacks. $14,000. Issy (03) 9401 1155.

284 www.my105.com/29140

Transporter, Ex-Craig Lowndes Formula Ford / Formula Holden transporter. Fully refurbished fitted kitchen/office/sleeping area at front. Walk-through to full-length folding work benches; manual winch; full 240V fit out. Will carry two Formula cars or one sedan. Towed by Dodge 400 (not registered but included in purchase). Urgent sale. Great opportunity, $13,000 ONO, Derek Bode 03 9636 0330 / 0408 992691.

284 www.mylO5.com/16568

Race Car Transporter, Scanier 1986, 320, turbo diesel prime mover, bogey dual drive rear end, walk through sleeper, with shower, microwave, lounge, dining table, QS bed, TV, fridge, CD player, air con, 5 K.V.A gen set. Van is 46 feet long with hydrolic power lift tail gate. Capacity for carrying 5-6 cars depending on size, tyre racks, air compressor, fully lit, fitted out with work bench and cabinets. Belly lockers, dual wheels on both trailer axels, service history available. The . condition of the rigg is emaculate with low kms. The price is $135,000 including air fair to successful buyer. John Dennis (08) 9272 1485 or 0409 284 859 424 / (08) 9470 1077. www.myl OS.com/32020

Race ready Super Sedan, Super Sedan Pontiac Firbird complete car, race ready, engine very strong, Q-Change diff wide five all round,new coil over chassis to go with car,easy to set-up Bargin at $16,500.00 ono 283 Ph 0413 226 771. www.myl OS.com/27300 12 May 2004

Transporter, Bedford turbo 6spd isuzu diesel bus. Fast comfortable & reliable. Big enough for commodore in back, 10 RX7 reciiner bucket seats in front. Elec winch, bbq, fridge, gen/welder, 240v wiring, new steel radials, radio etc. Spent $33k Bargain 283 at $22K ph 0419847102. www.myl05.com/53879

Collectabie/Memorabilia

Trailer Fully Enclosed, brand new, alum clad, internal size, L3600 hi 900 w1950 electric brakes 240v sink, water tank, fridge, lighting, alum ramps, storage box, 1/t truck, tyres, removable winch fitting suit formular or sports car. $6,000 ONO. Brian 03 9726 283 6749 / 0417 501 814. www.myl05.com/52165

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Gokart Replica of 1st Gold Coast Indy in excellent condition in car Winner, garage since 1992 never driven. $7,500 283 ONO. Brett 0412 495 467. www.myl05.com/52231

Cigarette Dispenser - Marlboro Maclaren Honda, in mint condition still in box. $375.

Brett 0412 495 467.

283 www.myl05.eom/66074

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iransporter with Home comTorts, Van, 5 speed Splitter box. New 6 cyl engine, radiator, brakes,rebuilt electricals. Motor home fittings. Swing tailgate, lifting crane (680 kg).5 lockable bins Central locking.

Tyre and luggage racks.12v and 240V lighting. $26,000 + GST ONO. (03) 5155 3 7 5 5.

2 84 www.my105.com/78514 Transporter, 1990 duel cab .power stering.air con .fectory turbo moter 6 spd overdrive gearbox.25 ft pantec with side and rear doors fold down ramps .has bein used for sedan.has execlent highway speed and comfort very easy to drive.recent servioe.can deliver to eastern states. $35,000 Neg. Gary 0412088750.

285 www.mylO5.com/16344

F3 Drive Available, Team BRM have one of their front running Dallara 301 Spiess Opel cars available for Round 2 of the Australian F3 Championship at Oran Park 16-18 April. Bronte Rundle (08) 8254 8444 / 0412 846 997.

281 www.myl05.com/6120 Drive Available - Formula Ford, Old Championship, Bathurst and Indy Championship winning Team. Greg (07) 5446 7611 / 0411 052 944.

281 www.myl 05.com/60813

/ am very happy with the service I received. All three of the enquiries you forwarded were firm buyers and it was sold on a first come first served basis.

Again thanks.

I. Hills

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motorsport

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EDITORIAL STAFF Editor: Phil Branagan l editortglmnews.com.au Deputy Editor: Mark Glendenning » mark@mnews.com.au News Editor: Aaron Noonan l noonz@mnews.com.au National Editor: Grant Rowley l grant@mnews.com.au

PRODUCTION Adv & Graphics Co-ordinator: Viv Brumby " viv@mnews.com.au

ADVERTISINC Brendon Sheridan - PR Driven Tel: 03 9550 0870 Fax: 03 9550 0816 mobile: 0407 007 286 l ads@mnews.com.au

ADMINISTRATION Managing Director/Publisher: Chris Lambden ● publisher@mnews.com.au

CONTACTS 357 Nepean Highway, Brighton East Vic 3187 (PO Box 7072, Gardenvale, VIC 3186) Ph: 03 9596 5555 Fax; 03 9596 5030 Email: mnews@mnews.com.au

CDNTRIBUTORS FI: Joe Saward, Adam Cooper, Paolo Filisetti Europe: Quentin Spurring, Gary Watkins, David Addison US: Phil Morris, Martin D. Clark Speedway: Brett Swanson, Julie Pearce, Geoff Rounds, Wade Aunger, Tony Millard (UK), Greg Boscato Rally: Jon Thomson Histories: Brian Reed Drag Racing: Greg Ward, Jon Asher (USA), Dave Ostaszewski (USA), Nick Nicholas, Steven White, Ken Ferguson National: Mark Wicks, Sean Henshelwood, Mark Jones, Dave Conole, Chris Jordan Photographers: Sutton Motorsport Images, Dirk Klynsmith, Bothwell Photographic, Marshall Cass, Nigel Snowdon & Diana Burnett, AFl Images, Neil Hammond, Slipstream Photographic, Allsport, John Morris/Mpix, Frank Midgley, Peter Bury, Mike Patrick (UK), Chris Carter, James Smith, Paris Charles, Bob Potts Motorsport News is published by Australasian Motorsport News - ABN 55 125 120 702 Publisher: C Lambden Printed by: Offset Alpine Printing Pty Ltd, Lidcombe, NSW. Distributed by: NDD Ltd Material published by MOTORSPORT NEWS is copyright and may not be reproduced in full or in part without the written permission of the publisher. Freelance contributions are welcome, and while all care will be taken, Australasian Motorsport News does not accept responsibility for damage or loss of material submitted.

'Opinions expressed in Motorsport News are not necessarily those of Australasian Motorsport News or its staff.

SUBSORIPTIONS Australia (inci GST) Overseas (Air Mail): New Zealand, PNG, Malaysia, Indonesia, Phillippines, Hong Kong,Japan US, Canada, Europe

1 year $143

2 years $275

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$370 $480

Post your cheque/money order to the address above, fax your credit card details (Bankcard, VISA, Mastercard, or Amex) to 03 9596 5030 or email to mnews@mnews.com.au

82

Set the record straight

NASCAR fan speaks As a long-time NASCAR fan, it sickens me to see the level of NASCAR coverage in your magazine deteriorate to such a ridiculous level. My manual word count of NASCAR coverage in the magazine (for want of 10 words here or there) was a meagre 113 words.

That is not good enough, considering that NASCAR is the second biggest motorsport series on Earth. Other,less popular series such as the American Le Mans Series and CART get many times more coverage in the magazine than NASCAR does.

I cannot understand or fathom how the NASCAR coverage has deteriorated from a decent twopage spread covering the races and the main issues and rumours about NASCAR,to a 113-word snippet which does not explain satisfactorily the Talladega and California races.

What about Tony Stewart's bone headed move into Terry Labonte at the end of the Talladega race? What about the misbehaviour of the crowd at Talladega? What about the fuel mileage situation in California?

It's disgraceful to think that MNews,the finest motorsport publication in the country has allowed coverage of such a massive series to deteriorate to a standard worse than your rivals, who show no interest in NASCAR. 1 hope to see considerable improvement in your NASCAR coverage in the near future.

On a more positive note, it's good to see Glenn Seton get an interview in the magazine. I was beginning to wonder whether Glenn had become the forgotten man of the sport, with Channel 10 showing a clear Lowndes bias, and failing to point out the bleeding obvious, in that Glenn has had the measure of Lowndes so far this season. Are there any rumours suggesting Glenn's whereabouts for 2005, for as a die-hard Seton fan. I'm getting worried!

Apart from the NASCAR, your magazine stiU remains the standardsetter in the country.

Damien Harwood setonfanatic@hotmail.com ED: At the start of the year, toe examined our coverage of each series and made adjustments as we saw fit.

We reduced our NASCAR coverage based on the fact that it has no free-to-air TV here, no local equivalent here and no Aussies competing in the USA. At the same time, other series in the same situation (ie. International F3000) have been trimmed while others (like British F3) get more because of the Aussies involved.

converter Send us your thoughts: mail; PO Box 7072, Gardenvale, VIC 3186 fax: 03 9596 5030 email: mnews@mnews.com.au I wanna BRute!

My husband wants to move from gokarts to V8 BRute utes.

In the next couple of months, he wants to purchase a new race ute and race the rest of the series.

Who should he contact, where can he buy a ute and get involved in the series and find out what costs are involved?

We realise it's not going to be a cheap exercise...

TC via email ED: Your best bet would be to check out the classifieds in this magazine to see wlitit BRutes are on the market, or head to www.v8brutes.com.au and contact them from there. Good luckl

Briscoe and Co In regards to your interview with Ryan Briscoe (MNews #282).

When is this guy ever going to get the break he has always deserved?

It is really good to have a manufacturer, especially one like Toyota behind him. I just hope he doesn't get punished to a life as a full-time tester.

Tm glad to see you guys still give Briscoe the coverage that he rightfully deserves. And it's always good be informed of the exploits of all our Aussies overseas. The coverage is great.

Kerryn Barker Mentone Vic

Recently, there has been much speculation concerning the future of Formula 1 from various points of view - organisers, manufacturers, teams, drivers, spectators and fans.

I write as one who has been a spectator in Europe since the '30s and now as a fan in New Zealand.

There is one simple way to make motor racing and rallying better - ban all wings from all vehicles!

They are accessories for aeroplanes and gliders - not for motor cars.

The positives of not having wings are driver skill, chassis design, steering, suspension, reduction of overall speed, spectator interest, safety and cost, ■fhe only negatives are lap times will decrease.

Arthur Ryan r\janofinch@xtra.co.nz

Point to Prove

This seems to be the hot topic, but the annoying and contrived points system in both the V8 Supercar and Konica championship is just a joke.

Why aren't the winners awarded for what they have done. It takes skill, hard work, and a bit of luck to finish m front of a rival in the V8 league, and the only reward they get for it is a few minor points.

Yes, every point coimts, but we may see a championship awarded to someone who displayed boring consistency rather than outright raw speed. Again, you have to have a certain level of consistency and being the fastest on the day won't always net you a top result, but the points system is clearly wrong.

I think they should give less points to a smaller amount of drivers.

One of the great talkmg points in Formula 1 is when a smaller team finishes in the points. Why can't Supercars follow a similar sort of tact?

One final point, and surely you ^vould agree. Was the Spanish Grand Prix last weekend the most boring motor race ever?

Mark Stephen Bradbury NSW

Harwood hankers for NASCAR: The popular American stock cars will never totally lose their place in Motorsport News. motorsport news J

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