Motorsport News Issue 294 - October 13-26, 2004

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news

Issue 294

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13 — 26 October 2004

news and opinion 4

3 Brands Full Toyota? Magna?

In V8 Supercars? Or is it...

6

Plato-pussed Brad drags out old faithful for Surfers

8

Webber ready for Willy But are they ready for him?

13 Everywhere you look, Lolas!

In A1 GP, F3, Manilow songs ...

14 Euros kiss trophies Good 'cos they can’t win a thing here 25 Motor Mouth We go the full Brazilian with Bruno Junqueira 26 Box Seat One iittle typhoon and Saward goes all giddy 98 Talk Converter What was said on television and re Brock

features 30 Five Minutes With Cody Crocker He's happy after a successful defence

race couerage

54 Spiderman 2, Rick 2, Murf 4 They had to sweat a little but the Dynamic Duo came up trumps again. All the news from The 2004 Great Race 62 One Day Wonder Breakfast, pole, then lunch and 10 points for Michael.

70 Mountain Supports Howard and Latham might want to catch up on this stuff 78 Done! Crocker makes it a successful ARC defence 76 Sar-dined Better belts them (again) in the WRC

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V8 FUTURE SHOCK

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Photos; Cover OirV Klynsmith and Bob PottsfPottshots Contents. James Smith. Chris Carter. Marshall Cass and fedroneimaoeB.com

80 Rallying

82 Speedway

84 Drag Racing

86 National Scene

91

Marketplace I

Is the Door

AVESCO floats idea for third make in V8 Su^

by PHIL BRANAGAN

Murf stunned "IT was just phenomenal, I still can't really believe it," an exhausted Greg Murphy summed up 24 hours after Kmart Racing's spectacular Bathurst win.

"We were off cycle with just about everyone else for most of the race," he told MNews, "so when they were light we were heavy, and vice versa.

"I knew our car was pretty good once the fuel load got down and once we came out of that last fuel stop, I knew we had a pretty good chance.

"I really pushed on for a while, to see if JB or Craig could respond and I was able to ease out a little bit each lap.

"They were slowing each other down just a little, but even when Craig got past Bowe, it was too late. "(Over) the last five laps, I wound it back a little - and found it quite hard to concentrate ...."

Murph does concede, however, that the lap 118 Safety Car, brought on by hub failure in Paul Radisich's Falcon, helped set them up for the win.

At that point, the Kmart car needed two fuel stops to get home, while the opposition only needed one. Surprisingly, Murph himself wasn't too concerned at the time, preparing for his late stint with a quick snooze in the garage!

"I guess we need to thank Triple 8," he quipped cheekily, Rick Kelly was third into pit lane when the final Safety Car was called, but the car needed less fuel than its rivals and, with Murph jumping aboard, was back on track, in the lead, and gone ...

"The car was in great shape.

Not a problem in the world. I just had to really, really concentrate and not make a mistake," Murph continued.

Since 4.30pm on Sunday, everything has been a blur, for both drivers.

"I tried to turn the phone off last night," Murph reported, "but it's been permanently attached to my ear all day today, I still can't believe it ..."

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AVESCO has opened the door to allow another manufacturer into V8 Supercar racing.

Announcing a number of changes for the category at Bathurst last week.

Chairman Tony Cochrane clearly sent a message that Holden and Ford may not have the category to themselves for much longer.

"NASCAR has embraced additional manufacturers," said Cochrane."We have arrived at a point in time where we are big enough [to do the same]."

"How many marques to we have in Australia? Twenty-eight? I tell you, there are 26 other car companies in Australia looking at the 18 hours of live television Holden and Ford are getting this weekend with some envy."

AVESCO CEO Wayne Cattach backed up Cochrane and said that Holden and Ford enjoyed their exposure in the category.

"1 think that the two manufacturers we have have been in a privileged position," said Cattach.

Neither Holden nor Ford would support such a move. Holden Director of Performance Products and Racing Ray Borrett said that a new maker possibly Toyota or Mitsubishi - would not be welcome.

"1 don't support it on the basis that we've made a significant investment in the sport over the past decade or more and Ford and Holden have contributed an awful lot to the game to get it where it is now," Borrett told The Australian.

"Tony Cochrane has driven it and he's done a great job there, but why should someone just be allowed to have a free lunch off what we've built?

"The Ford-Holden rivalry is what makes the game. Is seeing a bunch of Camrys running around going to enhance the sport? Probably not."

Ford spokesperson Louise Teesdale agreed: "Ford's position is that the category is working well and we see no need for changes."

Among the team owners,opinions vary.

"We have two manufacturers here and they both support the category," said OzEmail Racing team manger Kim Jones."If TC wants to give them a tuneup,that is up to him."

Said Triple 8 principal Roland Dane: "Cochrane's comments are news to me. I have not heard of any [manufacturer] being interested.

"But we need to understand that manufacturers can come and go from motorsport- like sporusors. Our job is to give them as good a show as possible so that they stay."

Castrol Perkins boss Larry Perkins is keen to see that the teams, not SEL (which owns the 25 percent of AVESCO that TEGA does not) determine whether the issue is pursued.

"It will be interesting if the TEGA 75 percent of the whole show is willing to stand up in the interests of the sport," said LP."Or will they let the tail wag the dog? I have no quarrel

Engineered to excite ... Tony: We ran artwork of a Mitsubishi Magna V8 Supercar in May 2002.

Could it happen? with a change in the manufacturers,as long as they [the teams] have a say in it.

Sirromet principal Terry Morris suggests that such a move might present the teams with the chance to grow.

"Our country is built on free enterprise," he said."I think that it would be a good thing but it would be no cakewalk to be competitive. From a business view,such a tiling must present owners with the opportunity

Safety First?

WPS’s new Audi AG

THIS mean puppy is the new WPS Safety Car. WPS boss Craig Gore and AVESCO launched the new model A6 at Bathurst on the weekend,as part of the financial services company's sponsorship, which will run for the next four years.

The Safety Car is part of WPS's program that runs at schools throughout Australia.

Of course, by placing this story here, we are not suggesting that Audi could be the third manufacturer in the category - despite its established and ongoing links with AVESCO. Nor are we suggesting that WPS

could be one of the teams in prime position to embrace a new V8 Supercar manufacturer, despite the fact that the team has no backing from Ford and that Gore has been publicly critical of the company.

The placement has nothing to do with the fact that Tony Cochrane made some seemingly odd (and complimentary) remarks about Skoda at Bathurst (Skoda and Audi share parent company Volkswagen).

We just had to fill a space. Truly.

- PHIL BRANAGAN moiorsDon news

NEWS

Open?

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Bright Future WHILE the PR machine was working overtime last weekend to promote the line that Jason Bright's preference is to drive for his own team next season, MNews sources suggest that the Ford deal first reported here last issue is all but done and simply needs to be signed off.

Bright himself has said that he will not be making any announcements regarding his plans for 2005 until the end of the season.

Watch this space...

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■ Bob Jane T-Marts has confirmed that it will not be returning as the title sponsor for the Bathurst 1000 in 2005.

As well as saying good-bye to Bob Jane, last weekend's race was also the last to be promoted by IMG, with AVESCO Events set to take the reins next year.

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for some manufacturer support."

AVESCO has a policy of allowing only Australian-manufactured fourdoor sedans into the category and, providing that rule remains in place, that would mean only Toyota and Mitsubishi would be eligible to compete against Ford and Holden.

Both Japanese-owned makers have new model large sedans scheduled for release in 2005, so the 2006 season would seem a likely starting point for a new marque.

But while Cochrane made some interesting comments about any possible change, his most telling response was a "no comment" as to whether there had been discussions between AVESCO and either manufacturer about entering the class.

While it is possible that he has, in fact, discussed his ideas with either Toyota or Mitsubishi or both, Cochrane is also media-savvy enough to know that a 'no comment' to the question would prompt speculation - and hence media coverage - that could encourage, at the least, dialogue with the manufacturers.

Toyota's head of Public Relations, Mike Breen, told MNews on Monday that Toyota was definitely not looking at V8 Supercar racing.

"We did look at it back in 2000, and that was the last time we did so," he said.

13 Ociober 2004

"NASCAR has embraced additional manufacturers.

We have arrived at a point in time where we are big enough [to do the same] rr

- Tony Cochrane

"We're committed to our rally program in Australia and that more than takes care of our available budget.

"I did take our Divisional Marketing Manager, Scott Grant, out to Eastern Creek on the Thursday of last year's race there, just so that he could see what we were talking about if we ever discussed the matter again.

He'd been in the States for four years.

But that's it.

"We're not looking at it..."

MNews was unable to illicit a response from Mitsubishi on Monday.

However, one prominent source said that the Adelaide manufacturer was "definitely not interested" m entering the category.

With those things in mind, the door would appear to be closed to AVESCO to encourage another marque into the game. However, the rule barring

marques manufactured off-shore could be changed by AVESCO, depending on the wishes of the majority stakeholders - and as Perkins points out, that is the teams ...

The problem this would potentially cause is that not many international brands have 5-litre, pushrod engines at the ready. 'Through their respective NASCAR programs in Nextel Cup and Craftsman Truck, Dodge (which is linked to Mitsubishi by parent company DaimlerChrysler) and Toyota both have pushrod engines available. These, or the existing Holden Motorsport or Ford engines, could potentially be made available to teams running for a 'third' marque.

But with the response of Holden and Ford on the subject, it would be an optimistic team owner who defects from one manufacturer to another and then seeks to source hardware from the first...

Wliile tire potential to allow another make into the series caught the media's attention, Cochrane and Cattach also detailed some other changes to the category. They include a potential 14-race season, a new look for the series identification and further expansion into the international market, Cochrane suggesting that the future makeup of the series could include 10 rounds in Australia and four overseas.

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■ There's not much that a V8 Supercar team prizes more than its bank of green rubber at any racetrack, and that applies ten-fold at Bathurst.

There was understandable consternation early in the weekend, then, when someone in the red cave parked a trolley loaded with fresh batch of Dunlop's finest directly under one of the ceiling lamps.

Those lights are apparently capable of generating a lot of heat... as the team learnt when it discovered a hole burnt into one of the tyres.

Requests to have the tyre replaced in their allocation were declined.

■ One of the many special guests at Bathurst was probable future Prime Minister Steve Waugh, who was roped into an impromptu cricket match against an assortment of V8 drivers in pitlane on Saturday morning.

Greg Murphy offered a highlight by proving that Kiwis do hold grudges and firing the first ball down the pitch underarm.

He was upstaged, however, by Castrol Perkins driver Paul Dumbrell, who did what so many West Indians have only dreamed of and sent Captain Courageous packing, cleanbowled.

Rumours that PD is being shipped over to India for the second match in the test series are thought to be unfounded.

■ Missing from Mt Panorama last weekend was Holden PR stalwart Tim 'Plastic' Pemberton, who was confined to the couch by a medical ailment.

Amazingly, Plastic's DNS marked the first time he had failed to lob at the Mountain since 1976.

Yep, he's that old.

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Brad's backup plan BRAD Jones will revert to BJR's original BA Falcon at Indy in two weeks due to the severity of the damage sustained by his regular car at Bathurst last weekend.

The #21 OzEmail car ended the weekend with its wheels pointing skyward after John Cleland belted the unsighted 05 HRT Commodore of Jason Plato at the Chase, flipped, and skated down the road upside-down.

"The guys had a look at it and said that it's really badly damaged, so I doubt that we'll fix it for Indy," said Jones. "We'll just dig the old one out and I'll have a run in that."

Jones said that the scale of the accident took some of the sheen off an otherwise successful weekend that saw he and John Bowe finish in third place.

"It doesn't balance out at all," he declared. "We've got one car that we're pushing home in a wheelbarrow, and we've got another one that's pretty straight. Unfortunately, it's my car that's going home in the wheelbarrow."

- MARK GLENDENNING

...to lose his Virginity WHILE talking about his weekend, Jones and his brother Kim have silenced suggestions that the Albury team was about to do a deal with international company Virgin.

Kim Jones described the story as "an absolute fabrication with no basis in fact." According to Jones, the team has had no contact with any UK-based company and,in particular, no intention to pursue Virgin or any of its brands.

After he finished third in the race.

Brad was just as critical; "I was very excited to read in

Auto Action that Virgin was going to be our sponsor, because those of you that know us at BJR know that there are not a lot of virgins around down there," he laughed.

"So we were pretty excited at the thought of having a bunch of virgins hanging around with us. But as it turns out, that's not true. I haven’t spoken to anybody from Virgin in my life. "(But)it's always important to get a good result when you're looking for a sponsor. It makes a difference."

- MARK GLENDENNING

Supei^Annuated?

AN air of mystery surrounds the future of Super Cheap Autos Racing.

At Bathurst last weekend, there were suggestions that, far from moving to its planned two-car format in 2005, the Steve Ellery Racing team was in danger of losing its main backer of five years' standing.

Team principal Bruce Ellery would make no comment on the matter and suggested that the team's direction could be settled in

Sources say that the team was pressing ahead for its two-car plan until very recently, with orders for new hardware (including updated motors from Craig Hasted) and was recruiting staff for the expansion.

SER announced last month that it would run a program in the second-tier V8 Supercar series for the next three years, with backing from Kanga Loaders,for Gary MacDonald.

the next month. Similarly, Super Cheap Autos CEO Bob Thorn declined to make a

We also believe that Ellery Sr has secured a second L2 licence to allow the team to move forward. MNews understands that

comment when contacted by MNews on Monday.

SER announced a new deal with the automotive retail giant last year, coming after podium finishes at Sandown and Bathurst by g Ellery and Luke Youlden. At the time, it was reported to be for three years, though Thorn ^ said on Monday that it was a one-year deal » that will run until the end of the 2004 season.

there is a deal for the PWR Racing L2 on a two-year lease deal.

Steve Ellery and Luke Youlden showed speed at Bathurst last weekend but a number of incidents, including late-race brake problems, dropped them to 16th place at the finish.

-PHILBRANAGAN motorspon news

NEWS

Harrop's Inner Circle Holden engineering ace buys into Tasman Motorsport

RESPECTED engineer Ron Harrop will stay on the red side of the Holden/Ford divide after taking a shareholding in Kevin Murphy's fledgling Tasman Motorsport.

The team announced Harrop's arrival after the conclusion of Sunday's Bathurst 1000, confirming that the Melbourne-based engineer, whose company manufactures race components for a number of teams, would become part of the team.

Tasman,to date based in Sydney, will relocate to all-new workshops within a few metres of Harrop's engineering base, in northern Melbourne.

Harrop had been considering three different offers to become re-involved in V8 Supercar racing over recent weeks (including a rumoured Ford team involvement), but having a stake in a team was one of his priorities: "It's no secret I've been looking for the right opportunity for a while," Harrop told MNews on Monday.

"There were a couple of other options, but this really fitted well with what I want to

achieve. It's a young team, with a strong foundation, and I hope we can play a part in taking it to the next level.

"One of the options on the table involved me in 100 percent ownership. This, of course, involves me in part ownership and I think it's the best option."

Team boss Kevin Murphy told us that he hopes most of the Sydney staff will take up the offer to come to Melbourne with the team: "We'd like them all to come, if they want to.

We've got the basis of a great team already and we'll need some additional people, as we move up to two cars.

"While Jon Matthews (team manager) and Wally Storey (chief engineer) knew a day earlier, most of the team were told of the development just last night.

"There's no doubt Wally, and Steve (Reed) and Trevor (Ashby) are a little sad that the team, which has been in Sydney for so many years, is moving, but it's necessary to enable us to make that next step."

- CHRIS LAMBDEN

Larry Sells LARRY Perkins has done a deal with WPS boss Craig Gore to sell his two Level 1 licences at the end of the current season.

"It was a straight business deal, and that's about all I am going to say about it," said Perkins last week.

The Castrol-backed team plans to run in 2005 as planned, with Steven Richards and Alex Davison. Perkins says he expects Paul Dumbrell to stay (though PD rei^rts that he has multiple options for next year) while the future of the Toll Racing entry of Anthony Tratt lies with the driver and sponsor Paul Little. n FPR's men were not just successful at Bathurst last weekend, they were shiny, too. The team has just agreed a deal (sorry, 'strategic marketing alliance') with KimberlyClark Professional that will see the FPR Falcons carry signage for the company's VWPALL Performance Cleaning brand. The logos will be visible on the cars' front spoilers from now through 2005. n The V8 Supercar Court of Appeal has adjourned to consider evidence following the Team Dynamik/TEGA appeals hearing two weeks ago.

The Court will hand down its findings at a date still to be advised. n Former V8 Supercar Category Technical Director Paul Taylor has been appointed by the FIA to undertake a review of the WRC technical regulations.

Taylor, who was employed by TEGA, jetted off to Europe two weeks ago to take up his consultancy role.

The Rat Considers PAUL Radisich is still working on his options for racing in 2005- but they could take him away from Australia.

The Rat spent some time waving to the crowd on top of the mountain when his Betta Falcon broke a suspension part last Sunday but that does not mean - necessarily - that he will end his V8 Supercar career at Eastern Creek.

I don't know just yet," he said on Monday.

I There are a few things happening in the UK,The off-season options need to I be clo.sed off before I make a decision.

I That has not happened yet."

13 Ociobtr 2004

Radisich is out of contract with Triple 8 at the end of the season and will be replaced by Craig Lowndes.

I was hoping to stay with the team but that is not to be. We knew this season would be a hard one, in terms of results, but there are options -1 have one good one(V8 Supercar option) left.

But there are already options to do some international Sportscar racing next season,so I am sure that I will have something. It is a big thing to move your family to another country. so I want to be sure that everything is set before we make that decision."

-PHILBRANAGAN

n CAMS is high-fiving itself over the success of the inaugural year of its Driver Development Program. Four young drivers participated in the program, which gave them access to financial support, a mentor, and support from the Australian Institute of Sport.

"This year has really opened my eyes to the world of motorsport," said DPP lead driver Brett Hobson, who was mentored by Jason Bright.

"It's amazing to think how much I have learned in only one season." n The V8 Supercar Championship Series is to be shown live on Shanghai and Chinese television, starting with the Bob Jane T-Marts 1000 at Bathurst last weekend.

Shanghai free to air television reaches audiences of 130 million across the country and will broadcast the entire V8 Supercar Championship ahead of the series debut in the Chinese city next year. n Archerfleld-based Konica Minolta team Shane Beikoff Racing recently tested young New South Wales HQ racer Jarred Danaher at Queensland Raceway 7

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Silverstone Showdown THE fight for the survival of the British Grand Prix has become more and more absurd in the course of the recent days, with the latest bizarre rumour suggesting that the teams are prepared to run their own non championship race at Silverstone -just to make a point to Bernie Ecclestone!

Ecclestone has been heavily criticised for his refusal to accept an offer from the British Racing Drivers’ Club of something in the region of US$16m ($21.7m) to run the race. The club says that it is not going to raise its offer because it cannot afford to do so.

In an effort to throw the blame back at the BRDC, Ecclestone proposed splitting the difference between what he wants and what the BRDC wants to pay, with the British government. Ecclestone says that there is a US$5.3m gap between the two figures. It seems that this was declined ...

The BRDC has been on the attack, with president Sir Jackie Stewart writing to one of Prime Minister Tony Blair's policy advisors at 10 Downing Street saying that “what seems to have been missed is that there has been simply no money coming back into the sport from Mr Ecclestone’s large rights fees and

commercial rights contracts".

Stewart argued that without government support it is “virtually impossible for a race to survive financially”. Stewart also pointed out that race promoters get no income from anything other than ticket sales, as all the other ways of making money have to be signed over before a track gets an FI race contract.

The next development was a leak indicating that former World Champion Nigel Mansell was going to be involved with a consortium willing to pay for the raoe at Silverstone for the next seven years.

The company involved was a new firm called Brand Synergy Ltd, which involved Mansell, former British Touring Car Champion Robb Gravett, David Phipps, an FI photographer from the 1980s and a little known “motor racing enterpreneur” called Kim Cockburn.

Although the impression given was that there was serious money behind the bid, we understand that when the BRDC met with Cockburn, there was no confirmed financial backing and no business plan.

With the Mansell bid failing fast, Ecclestone then made a new offer to the BRDC, suggesting

that the Formula One group would run the race if the BRDC handed over the circuit rent free and agreed to pay for upgrading work. The BRDC is not expected to even consider that idea, and at the moment the British GP remains in limbo.

Flowever, we have heard quiet rumours that the Formula 1 teams, all of which seem to want a British GP, might consider doing a deal with the BRDC for a non championship race and take on the promotion of the event themselves.

While obviously there would be fees involved, the 10 teams would do the race for minimal money as it is one of the cheapest events for them. Such a thing was once rendered impossible by the Concorde Agreement, but in order to get that document ratified by the European Union, such anti competitive measures had to be removed. It is likely that there are also not such restrictions in the TV contracts and it would give the teams the opportunity to have a race run by someone else, perhaps even the GPWC. This is obviously a precedent that Ecclestone would like to avoid.

Watch this space ...

- JOE SAWARD

l3Mor MARK Webber will start work for Williams within a fortnight.

Jaguar Racing has formally agreed to release Webber;^ ^ immediately after the Brazilian Grand Prix next week, seeing no reasonable point in keeping him to a formal December.31 contract release.

Outlining the rare goodwill l which remains between the team and its departing driver, Jaguar Racing made a brief statement last Friday: "Jaguar Racing is pleased to announce that, in order to n continue to support Maric'“-^“' Webber in his career, he'will released from his testing duties with Jaguar post the final race in Brazil in order to start his 2004 winter testing programme with his 2005 team, BMW.WilliamsFI. "Mark will test in plain

Start Your Diaries A DRAFT FI calendar for 2005 is expected from the FIA's General Assembly this week.

It is expected to feature 19 races and it is believed that at as many as three of the events will eventually be dropped, depending on the negotiations now ongoing.

The teams need only to agree to race at 17 events and unanimous agreement would be needed for an 18th race. This is unlikely to happen because there are still disputes going on about this year's 18th race.

We believe that the following is the calendar which will be announced by the FIA, with San Marino, Britain and France being listed provisionally: March 6, Australia (Melbourne); March 20, Malaysia (Sepang); April 3, Bahrain: April 17, San Marino (Imola); April 24, Europe (Nuburgring): May 8, Spain (Barcelona): May 22, Monaco: June 5, Canada (Montreal): June 12, United States (Indianapolis); June 26, France (MagnyCours); July 3, Britain (Silverstone); July 17, Germany (Hockenheim); July 31, Turkey (Istanbul); August 21, Hungary (Budapest): September 4, Belgium (Spa); September 11, Italy (Monza); September 25, China (Shanghai): October 10, Japan (Suzuka): October 23, Brazil (Sao Paulo).

-JOE SAWARD

WE’RE GOING TO SHANGHA moiorsport news

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overalls and will under contract v\ Racing until the i December, carrying out any PR/marketing obligations with >. the team."

- '-TJne,man on whom Frank wyiiarfis is pinning his hopes for '. .a fufl-o'n return, to the'frontjfee of-GP racing \Aijll be put tayySf l afmQstjrn/Ti^iatelY-'vyit'h sbn ●12 oftesting sphe'ddligd jT ,:i:ii:,y'-.the:neap.f.uturei. .

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■"■ij JiirWfTye:;tfie 2005 F:T‘regylatipns. ' Vem^h unresolved, fhe teahri vvftf press on with its current car, until the FW2/!'can be finalised, in designjerms.:^ „ "B'efoTe^hat,- We^S^Twi 11 realise a long-held_atribition. En route back to “Europe from Brazil, he will call in to Texas in order to go for a training bike ride with his sporting idol - six-time Tour de France winner Lance . „ Arrnstrong.

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56 Balancing BAR

TAKUMA Sato has been confirmed at BAR for next year.

Sato has had a promising year with the team despite being overshadowed somewhat by the more experienced Jenson Button.

However, his performances have become steadier in the course of the year and he is now a regular point scorer.

If Button wins the case currently at the Contract Recognition Board, Sato could emerge as the BAR team leader next year although there is no real indication who would get the drive if Button did depart. Some sources say that BAR might go for test driver Anthony Davidson, while others think the team would take a risk and go for Vitantonio Liuzzi after his impressive Sauber test recently.

-JOE SAWARD

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Midland Joins the Club New FI team for 2006 — but will they buy Jag to do it?

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FORMULA 1 has received a much-needed boost with last week's announcement of a proposed new team, to be known as Midland Racing.

The announcement, made by Midland chairman.

Russian-born Canadian Alex Shnaider, would seem to confirm that the company is planning to fund the construction of chassis by Dallara.

This does not make massive sense, as starting a new team means that there would be no TV income before the end of the Concorde Agreement in 2007, which would mean foregoing payments of around US$30m, Buying another team might be that expensive but at the moment several of the 'franchises' in FI would sell for less than that. It is thought that Midland has been talking about buying Jaguar Racing, above.

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Engines remain a problem for any new team unless Midland is willing to buy Cosworth Racing, which may be a possibility.

Names which have been linked to the team are Formula 3 team owners Colin Kolles and Trevor Carlin and marketing man Christian Geistdorfer, a former rally co-driver who won the World Championship in the 1980s with Walter Rohrl.

Kolles runs works F3 teams for Toyota and Mercedes-Benz in the Formula 3 Euro Cup series, while Carlin is successful in both British Formula 3 and the Nissan World Series.

"We understand that basic survival in Formula 1 requires a budget of around $100m ($136m) per annum," said Shnaider. "We are prepared for that."

-JOE SAWARD

Join MNews on the trip of a lifetime when V8 Supercars hit China, in June next year - tours start from just $2899 per head.

For details: Ticket2Rlde (03) 5977 2608 or www.ticket2ride-ls.us 13 October 2004

Onward Christian soliders CHRISTIAN Jones has slipped to second in the Asian F3 Championship standings after a tough outing at SentuI in Indonesia last weekend.

Jones qualified on the front row, but his efforts came to nought when he was caught up in an incident involving a backmarker, triggering his first DNF of the season.

Better things awaited in race two however, where Jones hammered through the field from the rear of the grid to salvage third place.

The series continues at the Batangas Circuit in the Philippines on December 4-5.

■ Mark 'Man of Many Racesuits' Noske has cleaned out his cupboards and is putting a couple of his Bathurstworn overalls onto Ebay this week.

Noske was still deciding which suits to put under the hammer as we went to press, but having raced at the Mountain for seven different teams, he has plenty to choose from.

■ Voting is open for the the 2004 ' CAMS Motor Sport Personality of the Year award, and it's time for you to have your say. This year's nominees are; Alex Davison (Carrera Cup), Chris Atkinson (Australian Rally Championship), Neil McFadyen (Formula 4000), Marcos Ambrose (V8 Supercars), Simon Evans (Australian Rally Championship), Shannon Rentsch (Australian Off Road Championship), Leanne Ferrier (Australian Production Car Championship), Karl Reindler (Formula 3), Mark Burrows (Australian Off Road Championship), Garth Tander (V8 Supercars).

The award recognises competitors who, through actions both on and off the track, are good ambassadors for Australian motor sport.

You can vote for by logging on to twww.cams.com.au. Voting is open until 17:00 AEDT Friday, 19 November.

■ Alan Coleman, father of Carrera Cup driver Matthew, passed away last week after a year-long battle with illness, at age 60.

Last weekend's round of the Australian Carrera Cup Championship at Bathurst was dedicated to the memory of Alan, who was instrumental in Matthew's racing in that series.

Coleman was also a Director of Bob Jane T-Marts, helping it grow into its current form. MNews offer out sincerest condolences to his wife Bev and two sons Andy and Matthew.

■ The mayoral vote in Auckland has spooked supporters of the proposed V8 street race. New mayor Dick Hubbard is a vocal opponent of the race.

9

32 ain't

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enough V5 Supercar round change?

LOOK for changes to the rules regarding V8 Supercar Championship Series rounds next season.

At the moment, there are a number of events - including Pukekohe, Barbagallo and Hidden Valley - at which no more than 32 cars can compete. For the majority of the races, grids of up to 35 cars are permitted.

But the 2005 calendar may force some changes to that format or, at least, prompt some leeway to be allowed into the system. The early scheduling of the NZ round of the series next year may prompt the AVESCO board to build some discretion into the system to permit a driver or drivers to race as a 'promoter's choice'.

For instance, suppose that Greg Murphy had a bad weekend at the opening round next year, the Clipsal 500 - so bad that he scores zero points.

Potentially, that could leave him without a start at the second round of the series in Auckland, which would leave IMG NZ, the promoters of the event, without its biggest drawcard for their race.

Apart from that loss, not competing at Pukekohe could leave Murf, in this hypothetical case, with no points after two rounds. That might mean that such a driver could miss the Darwin and Perth races next season. The implications for the series, and possibly teams' sponsors, are enormous.

Under the 2004 regulations, neither AVESCO nor promoters have the discretion to allow drivers to be invited to participate in the 32-car events.

Clearly, there needs to be a degree of flexibility built into the system, "I believe that the board wants to examine the situation," said TEGA Chairman Kelvin O’Reilly at Bathurst.

"To date, the late date for the NZ race has seen the situation take care of itself."

- PHIL BRANAGAN 10

Kiwi's plan change

The move north is go - but there may be more to it...

TEAM Kiwi Racing is preparing for some big changes next season.

Team Owner David John confirmed the all-black outfit will move north from its current Melbourne base to Queensland. The location of the team's new residence is unconfirmed, although a likely outcome will see TKR join Paul Morris Motorsport at their Gold Coast workshop. Team Kiwi will use Morris's current VY Commodore next year and has also purchased two new Holden Motorsport engines for the start of the 2005 V8 Supercar Championship.

If TKR joins Morris, the two teams' licenses will be grouped but they will continue to run in their respective team colours.

This news comes after Craig Baird announced his departure from TKR

last week. Alan Gurr, who drove with Morris at Bathurst last weekend, has been strongly linked to TKR and the deal would likely see Konica Minolta join the team as a sponsor. However, this outcome may be in jeopardy after Paul Morris' harsh criticism of Gurr on national television when the 22-year-old crashed the Sirromet Wines Commodore while in a strong position.

Gurr is an Australian citizen, but John said that the Kiwi team have no preference for New Zealand, Australian or International drivers.

"Whoever's the best driver for the car and team is who we'll hire," he

said.

The team said that its plans will be confirmed before the next round at Surfers Paradise.

- GRANT ROWLEY

a

EDDIE Jordan has launched a vehement attack on the powers-that-be in the sport and on the Ford Motor Company.

"I believe that FI is in danger from having an ageing population in key positions," Jordan said.

"People believe in themselves too much. There is no form of succession.

There is no obvious succession for Bernie Ecclestone, for Frank Williams or for Ron Dennis.

When I came into FI I was in my late 30s and now I'm in my 50s.

"It's also just too expensive to come into this business."

Jordan is angry because he had negotiated a deal with Toyota for a supply of customer engines next year but the arrangement was blocked by the FIA because Toyota wanted a commitment to two-race engines next year.

He is also angry about Bernie Ecclestone's remarks in China that the sport does not need Jordan and Minardi.

FPR^ Bright Future HOT on the heels of its best result of the season.

Ford Performance Racing is moving ahead with plans to move forward on the grid next season.

Craig Lowndes and Glenn Seton were 'the best of the rest' behind the fleeing Kmart Commodore at Bathurst, despite the fact that the team's Fords visibly lacked the horsepower of the opposition cars.

The team had four engines that had been rebuilt by new motor man Rob Benson, and the effects were immediately better, the drivers commenting on the improved drivability.

Team manager Dave Ward, in his second outing with the team, was impressed by his first look at the famous mountain.

"What a fantastic event," he said. "The track and the crowds were everything that I expected, from what the talk had been in the BTCC in the UK. From a

Dirk klvnimith

A

Bezzy re spectacle point of view, Bathurst is well up to spec."

That said. Ward was one of the few people to have less than a totally enthusiastic view on the new $24 million pit complex.

"I am almost disappointed that the old pits are gone. Don't get me wrong, the facilities are fine now, but I understand that the old bunkers gave the place great atmosphere."

While he was saying that, the team's garages were almost empty, 90 minutes after the chequered flag. Couldn't do that in the old days ...

Change of teams: David Besnard was set to drive with PKV, above, hut will steer for Walker Racing.

motorsport nows

NEWS

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o

But his main criticism was reserved for Ford.

"To say I am disappointed with Ford is an understatement," Jordan told The Guardian newspaper. "I have been trying to keep my total dismay under control. I am angered that, after a long relationship, I should get seven minutes' notice that they were pulling out.

"It's now almost too late to build a sophisticated car around a new engine. We already had an agreement and we'd agreed to design and build a car for next year.

"Ford said they would find a way of making an offer. And do you know what they suggested? They doubled the price, for engines which were_ not going to be subject to any development. You cannot believe their behaviour and, believe me, I am only scratching the surface.

Ford have behaved

r appallingly, I kid you not. I can't get an appointment to talk to anybody to talk about it. This is a very sad state of affairs."

Jordan admitted that he is now being forced into a situation where he has to consider selling the team.

"It's better than going bust,' he said.

There are rumours that Jordan is planning to take legal action against some of those who he believes have broken contracts and failed to deliver on promises, which is apparently a rather large number of people.

AT the same time, Paul Stoddart is also furious that his request to be given an exemption to run his 2004 cars in 2005 is being

Lambo no more

Q rejected by some of the other team bosses.

Stoddart says that the fact that Ford is pulling Cosworth out of FI must be considered force majeure.

"It's too late for people to start thinking about engine supplies and that is why I'm saying it is a case of force majeure," he said.

"We are going to be forced down a route we don't want to go, not because people aren't willing to supply but, in October, we haven't got any technical regs and we haven't got any engines."

Stoddart says that if necessary, he will be back next year with his 2001 cars, which are still legal, and will be so slow that it does not matter which drivers he has, he will simply take the highest bidder.

- JOE SAWARD

ady for Champ Car debut A SECOND test, a change of teams, and David Besnard is ready to make his Champ Car debut at Indy next weekend.

Following his initial test with PKV at Firebird Raceway in Arizona earlier last month, Bezzy had a second and final run, this time with Walker Racing at Sebring,just prior to last week's Bathurst 1000.

"The test at Firebird went really well," said Besnard.

"I went there not having driven an open-wheel car for four-and-a-half years,so I was a bit nervous. But once 1 got going, it was just another race car. The hardest part was the couple of weeks beforehand, to be 18 October 2004

honest, just wondering what it would be like."

After initially being pencilled in to drive a third PKV Lola, Besnard will now drive alongside Mario Flaberfeld in a second car for Walker Racing, the only team to run Reynard chassis. The generally unfancieci Reynards finished 1-2-3 in monsoonal conditions at last year's race, however Besnard says that he is setting his targets a little lower.

"I'm not going out there thinking that I'll lap the field," he admitted.

"We'll do the best we can, but you've got to be realistic and see where you end up. I'd be happy to qualify just outside the top 10, run

around,stay out of trouble and hopefully finish inside the top 10 somewhere."

Besnard's Champ Car will carry virtually identical livery to his WPS Racing Falcon.

Meanwhile, 24-year-old Canadian Michael Valiante will slip into Bezzy's Walker Racing seat when the series moves to Mexico City following the Gold Coast round. Valiante, who finished third in last year's Toyota Atlantics series, was scheduled to drive for the team at Fontana last year, but missed out when the round was cancelled.

- MARK GLENDENNING

KROHN-Barbour Racing, the team running Lamborghini Murcielago RGT's in the American Le Mans Series, has decided not to continue the program, with immediate effect, the team not contesting the final round at Laguna Seca this weekend.

The team, which has run Peter Kox and Australian David Brabham in its lead car thus far, has cited a lack of promised factory support for its decision. n The Williams team has concluded a $15m ($20.4m) sponsorship with the Royal Bank of Scotland which will see the bank taking over the engine cover of the Williams cars next year.

Allianz will continue to sponsor the team but the German insurance giant will have slightly less branding. n At very best, most of us can look forward to an office party and an engraved wok when we decide to retire and embark upon a life of leisure.

Olivier Ranis did rather better for himself. Following his 158th and final Grand Prix at Suzuka last weekend, Toyota presented Ranis with the TF104 that he drove on the weekend as a token of their appreciation for his work over the past few seasons.

Hope they gave him all the bits he needs to start it up as well ... n Honda used the Japanese GP as an opportunity to celebrate its 40 years in FI with a series of special events.

This included a demonstration of several key cars from the company's history, ranging from a 1986 Williams FW11, to a Camel Lotus 10OT from 1988, to a 1991 Marlboro McLaren MP4/6.

Fan favourite Satoru Nakajima was also on hand to mark the occasion.

Coincidentally, it was also a significant weekend for Honda's FI partner British American Racing, which celebrated its 100th Grand Prix start. n The British racing scene is mourning the loss of a true character in Tony Lanfranchi, who has died after a long battle with cancer.

Lanfranchi drove a wide variety of different machinery, including Formula 1 cars, although he never took part in a World Championship event. The stories about Lanfranchi are legendary, including one occasion when he won enough money in a casino to fund the purchase of a new Elva sports car.

He continued to race until the 1980s after which he produced an entertaining volume of memoirs called 'Down the Hatch'.

- JOE SAWARD/STAFF 11

Works for Turks COLIN Turkington is to replace 2004 British Touring Car Champion James Thompson in the factory Vauxhall team next season, when Thompson looks set to drive in the World Touring Car Championship for Alfa Romeo.

Turkington will suit up for the Triple Eight-operated VX Racing alongside Yvan Muller, who is staying with the team.

The 22-year-old has to this point driven for MG,first with Atomic Kitten Racing, and this year for West Surrey Racing where he finished sixth in the points standings.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for me," said Turkington."I am going to a team that has a proven record of success in the BTCC,and the backing of Vauxhall.

"I cair't wait to get in the car.

Hopefully I can continue the level of

I I I I success VX Racing is experiencing. It will be great to drive alongside Yvan."

The team have not confirmed the driver of their third car, driven this year by Luke Hines.

Menu signs for WTC

ALAIIM Menu has been confirmed as the first of three drivers to spearhead Chevrolet's attack on the 2005 World Touring Car Championship.

Menu will drive a Chevrolet Nubira prepared by Ray Mallock Limited (RML) in England and has made his intentions clear.

"We want to be on the

Ten's Bathurst Bonanza

Friday to Sunday's all-digital broadcast rates its head off

IF you weren't lucky enough to be at Mt Panorama for The Great Race, Network Ten pulled out all stops to offer a pretty good alternative.

Last weekend marked Ten's largest-ever commitment to the 1000, with a total of 18 hours of coverage, including the first Friday broadcast.

(And if that wasn't enough motorsport, there was the Japanese Grand Prix waiting for you after the champagne finished spraying at Bathurst, too!)

Those who soaked up the view from the couch would also have noted some nifty technical enhancements in the coverage, spearheaded by the very cool Flycam, below, which chased the cars along pitlane and through the first corner.

The American-developed Flycam has been previously used in NASCAR, CART, IRL and the 2004 US Grand Prb<, but last weekend marked the first time it had been unleashed in Australian motorsport.

The camera ran along 400m of cable threaded above the pitwaU, and was capable of buzzing along at 120kmh.

By the time the first images were broadcast from the circuit on Friday, it had already been pinged for breaking the pitlane speed limit six times ...

Also new-for-2004 was the 3D computer-generated grid, which illustrated vividly how the cars were set to line up for the race, and the speed comparison, which pitted Mark Skaife's #2 HRT car against Peter Brock in the 1979 Bathurst-wirming HDT A9X Torana and Cameron McConviUe in a road-going 2004 SS Commodore.

"It's the biggest broadcast we've ever done," said Executive Producer Murray Lomax.

"We had 280 people working on the telecast since Tuesday last week, and there was months of preparation before that.

"We decided to start the broadcast on Friday for the first time because last year we found that qualifying was one of the most exciting parts of tile whole weekend. II is o great promotion for the sport, and also offers greaf entertainment."

Incidently, last weekend al.so marked Ten's first fully digital broadcast from the Mountain - and

podium in the first year, and by 2006 we must be able to win. I want to become world champion with Chevrolet," said Menu, twice British Touring Car champion, in 1997 with Renault and 2000 with Ford.

The signing of the Swiss driver is significant in that next year will mark 100 years since company founder Louis Chevrolet, also a Swiss, won his first motor race, the Three Mile race in New York.

Menu will have his first race ■for the Chevrolet brand in Argentina later this month, helping GM Argentina and its driver Christian Ledesma keep their lead in the Argentinean TC 2000 Championship.

Chevrolet also seems set to sign another former BTCC champ, in Laurent Aiello. Aiello has links with General Motors, having been driving for GM's Opel brand in the DTM series this year. Aiello is also a former RML driver, winning the 1999 BTCC crown with them driving a Nissan Primera.

Lola Cr

the most expensive, with the fiiral bill coming in at annmd !)n fim.

Was it w(.)rth it? It must have been — bathursl fated Its socks oti. Figures relea.sed on Monddy eunfiraied an o average audience nationally (over I seven hours) of 1.23 million, peaking f at 1.5 million.

-MARKGLENDENNING 3motorsDon news

NEWS

Vale Cactus Jack

A1 gets dates, tyres

THE first six 'national seat holders' to have committed to the new-for-2005 At Grand Prix series are Britain, China, Lebanon, Pakistan, Portugal and South Africa.

Series founder Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum also revealed the finalspecification Lola-Zytek V8 single-seater for the series, which will start in the European autumn of 2005.

He commented: "This is a significant step forward for Al Grand Prix. We set ourselves demanding targets and, six months down the line [since the series was announced in Dubai], we're exceeding our own expectations.

"We're delighted to welcome all six national seat

IN the United States, 'Cactus Jack’ Tyrnef he§ died ih his bed at the ago of 84, an amazing achievement given the accidents that he survived in consecutive years at the Indianapolis 500.

Jack Turner was a AAA Midget National Champion and made his debut at Indianapolis in 1956 and the following year, finished 11th.

In 1961 he was unhurt, despite going end-over-end down the main straight. The following year, he ran over the back of another car at the exit of Turn Four and again flipped down the straight, escaping with a broken pelvis and a broken toe.

The third crash came in qualifying for the race in 1963 and resulted in his car flipping a dozen times.

Turner suffered crushed vertebrae and serious burns which meant he had to spent nearly four months in hospital.

After he was fit again, he retired and spent the rest of his long life restoring antique cars in his home city of Seattle.

holders to the series, and the fact wo haw many more countries waiting to announce their participation means that our concept has been wholeheartedly embraced by both the business and niotorsport fraternities."

Al Grand Prix intends to announce more national seat holders in a few weeks time at the official South African launch event in Johannesburg.

Avon Tyres has secured a three-year contract to provide control tyres for the series. Avon's factory in Melksham, UK, has successfully proved its products in track tests of the prototype 520bhp Lola-Zytek V8 chassis in both cold and hot ambient conditions.

-QUENTIN SPURRING

I

ishes Dallara’s Party BRITISH racecar maker Lola Cars International has confirmed that its two-year technical and commercial contract with Japanese counterpart Dome Co will cease as scheduled at the end of 2004.

The Lola-Dome F106 joint venture, which has won 11 races this season, has inspired independent projects by both companies in a market long dominated by Italian company Dallara Automobili.

Lola has started production of its own new B05/30 chassis for 2005 and claims that it will he the most technically advanced F3 car ever built.

Lola MD Rupert Manwaring said: "The partnership was very satisfying in that we started out together with an enormous challenge to win in what is, apart from Formula 1, the

most competitive multi-chassis single-seater series in the world. We did that. Now there's a real confidence around the factory about the new car and we believe that it

will enjoy a clear advantage throughout the next three years."

The new B05/30 has completed its design process featuring Lola's on site 50 percent scale wind tunnel, left, and its CFD capability. Lola says that it will have improved handling and downforce in low-speed corners, revised front suspension geometry and a repackaged transmission.

It will offer three configurations of suspension layout(monoshock, twin-shock and a third-spring option), all developed on the company's seven-post dynamic test ng-QUENTIN SPURRING

n US broadcaster NBC TV has announced that it will in future air ail NASCAR broadcasts with a fivesecond delay following Dale Earnhardt Jr's use of a four-letter word in victory lane at Talladega (see page 21).

The following day MRN radio, owned by International Speedway Corp - a NASCAR company announced that it would now air with a seven-second delay time.

PRN, a Speedway Motorsports company, had already been caught out by a driver's language earlier in the year and implemented a five second delay in their radio broadcasts.

The FCC has said they are look into the Earnhardt incident and that NBC could be fined. n NASCAR has suspended a team member from Greg Biffle's Roush Racing team for making an adjustment to the all important rear spoiler angle during post pre-race inspection at Talladega.

The team was also docked 25 points and crew chief Doug Richert was fined US$25,000.

Another Roush crew chief, Pat Tryson from Mark Martin's team, was fined US$15,000 for illegal windscreen mounts and an unapproved air directional device.

Kasey Kahne's ciew chief Tommy Baldwin was also fined US$25,000 and the team docked 25 points for spoiler adjustments made prior to qualifying and after scrutineering had taken place.

- SAWARD/CLARK 13

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Champ Car star wants a start at the Mountain NEWMAN/HAAS Champ Car driver Bruno Junqueira has indicated his desire to compete in the Bathurst 1000.

‘Bathurst is an unbelievable track,” he said.

‘I watched the race a few times on TV. I think it would be a very good race to do and I hope in the future I have the opportunity to do

McRae for Comeback?

FORMER Subaru and Ford rally driver Colin McRae is working hard behind the scenes to stitch up a full-time drive in the World Rally Championship for 2005.

The Scotsman, above, will drive in the Dakar Rally Raid for Nissan again in January and believes his WRC career is far from over, despite not had a drive this year.

“I’m talking to people about different situations,” McRae said.

“I would be interested in a full time deal if the right offer came up.

“The ideal would be with one of the front teams but they’re fairly well sorted, if that's not possible then some sort of connection with Skoda or Mitsubishi would be interesting.”

- JON THOMSON

New RPM Suits Debuted

HOLDEN Racing Team pilots Mark Skaife and Todd Kelly debuted Revolution Racegear's 2005 FIAhomolgated RPM racesuits at Bathurst last weekend.

The new model suits (dubbed the RPM Protech), features improved liners and arm gussets, as well as a 20 percent reduction in overall weight. The suits have undergone a much more rigorous testing regime compared to the older FIA spec.

2005-spec suits will be compulsory in all FIA sanctioned race meetings from 1 January 2005, while CAMS will soon announce when the new spec will be phased in to national, state and club-based racing.

The RPM logo has also changed to coincide with the up-spec of their suits. The symbol now features lowercase letters, right.

- GRANT ROWLEY 14

it.”

Junqueira, currently 27 points behind team-mate Sebastien Bourdais, said he has spoken to countryman and friend Max Wilson about the possibility of driving one of Australia's V8 Supercars, but it would require clearance from Paul Newman and Carl Hass.

"I don’t think my bosses will let me do it while I’m fighting for the championship!'

- GRANT ROWLEY For more on Bruno Junqueira, turn

Aussie Ri

by JON THOMSON THEY don't mess around,the folk at ARCom. Cody Crocker has barely washed the smell of champagne out of his racesuit after taking the 2004 title at the Rally of Melbourne,and yet the calendar for next year has already been finalised.

The calendar features few changes, with the most notable aspect being the late start - those who skip the APRC round in Canberra will have to wait until May before they drive a rally car in anger again.(Unless they are Chris Atkinson, who seems to drive one every week).

"In putting together the calendar, ARCom was faced with a number of factors that affected where and when

2005 ARC Calendar 1. Subaru Rally of Canberra* April 22-24 (subject to FIA approval) 2. Respect Yourself Forest Rally, WA May 13-15 3. Falken Tyres Rally Queensland June 3-5 4. Subaru Safari Tasmania July 15-17 5. Coopers Pale Ale Rally SA August 5-7 6. NGK Rally of Melbourne September 2-4 7. Telstra Rally Australia* November 11-13 ●Manufacturer round only

Dare to believe

SIMON Evans was surprised to receive a phone call from his aunt early on Saturday morning before the first competitive stage of the Rally of Melbourne.

Simon's aunt is a clairvoyant, and she was most insistent that she was receiving bad vibes about the left front corner of his TTR Corolla.

Simon told team engineer Darrell Bush about the "vibes" and implored him to take the wheel off and have a

look. Bush was, not surprisingly, reticent to do it insisting that the wheel had been checked.

Eventually, he relented and after removing the wheel, the team was amazed to find a wheel bearing that was clearly damaged and ready to collapse. The team changed the bearing and Simon was able to start the day without incident... Spooky!

-JON THOMSON

me ^ Funny Business: This banana trick on the Toyota is nothing compared to the story above though! moiorsport news

NEWS

lly Calendar Announced

Over the Ege I

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certain events could run/' said ARCom Chairman Garry Connelly.

"The final calendar was designed to work in conjunction with the V8 Supercar calendar, which was released in the last two weeks, the WRC calendar released just three

weeks ago and the Asia Pacific Rally Championship calendar, which is still being finalised. It is also important we avoid clashes with other major sporting events.

"Similarly when locking in dates, ARCom also considered the

problems that Event Organisers may face such as adverse weather at certain time of year, dust and fire conditions, lack of access to forests in wet seasons and availability of accommodation and headquarters facilities."

Bourne case driver pleads guilty

MICHAEL Barltrop, the other driver involved in the accident which fataily injured raliy star Possum Bourne, has pieaded guilty to a charge of aggravated careless driving causing death.

Barltrop had been denying the charge of dangerous driving causing death from the April 18 incident during recce for last year's Race to the Sky hillclimb in New Zealand, but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge on the first day of trial proceedings in the Invercargill District Court on Monday.

Prosecutors had been expected to call up to 30 witnesses for the trial, including crash analysts, police and mechanical engineers, but the case will now proceed straight to

sentencing, set for November 12.

Barltrop has been remanded on bail.

Speaking to the A/Z Herald, Peggy Bourne, widow of Possum, said “while there is some relief in the guilty plea and acceptance of responsibility, the simple truth is this nothing will bring Possum back.”

Prosecutor Alistair Garland told the court that “... as Barltrop approached a blind brow he told his co-driver that on race day he wanted to position his vehicle on the right-hand side of the road so he could negotiate the next lefthand bend.

WRC S2000 decision A MEETING scheduled for today (October 13) could determined whether the proposed Super 2000R category could take over from World Rally Cars in the WRC. At the recent British round of the WRC,manufacturers were asked by the FIA to state whether they supported early changes to the WRC technical rules, in order to prevent makes from curtailing their involvement in the series.

A number of manufacturers support the S2000 concept, which is effectively a rally version of the S2000 touring car regulations, which form the basis of the new-for-2005 13 Ociober 2004

i “With this, Barltrop drove his Jeep Cherokee on the right-hand to the extent the passenger side of the vehicle was positioned on or slightly to the right of the centre of the road.”

The ensuing head-on impact left Bourne with massive head injuries, from which he died 12 days later.

World Touring Car Championship. The S2000R rules share a number of traits, the most obvious exception being that the rally cars will be allowed to run all-wheel-drive, using a number of common 'spec' components.

We hear that the maker most interested in the new class is Ford and that the company could build and test a prototype of its car in Australia. For some time. Ford Australia has been keeping an eye on the ARC and MNews sources suggest that the FIA meeting could prompt Ford to fund the development and build of a car here, prior to running it in the ARC. Should that happen, it would be a major boost to the series.

In any event, we shall report the outcome of the meeting next issue.

UNDER pressure from Dodge Motorsports, Petty Enterprises has dropped engine supplier Mike Ege and will run Arrington power for the remainder of the season before switching to Evernham-supplied engines for 2005.

Kyle Petty and Jeff Green have both suffered major engines failures and lack of horsepower during the season. The change comes as no surprise following Petty's public slamming of Ege earlier this year. n John Andretti and PPG Racing have announced that they will field a car in five of the remaining seven Cup events this season ahead of a full schedule in 2005 with sponsors Victory Brand (a cigarette manufacturer) and Aplus, a chain of convenience stores at Sunoco gas stations.

As reported in MN#293, the team will run Fords initially supplied by Robert Yates before switching to its own chassis with the nowformidable Roush-Yates power plant.

PPG Racing is owned by Greg Polex, which currently fields entries in the Busch and Truck Series.

Although the team will be a single n car operation, Ford is apparently offering full engineering support for the operation to be led by veteran crew chief/engineer Dave Charpentier.

The team posted the unofficial fastest time during testing at Charlotte recently using an ex-Elliott Sadler Taurus bearing the number 14 used by Andretti's godfather, AJ Foyt. n US racing legend Foyt is recovering after surgery to repair an injured shoulder after the 69-year-old fell off some of his farm machinery at the family ranch in Texas and dislocated his shoulder.

The four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, who also won the Le Mans 24 Flours, is trying to find backing to continue running his Indy Racing League team in 2005. n Troy Corser has split from Team Foggy Petronas, deciding to pursue other opportunities in the World Superbike Championship, in which he finished ninth this year with the Carl Fogarty-led team. n Australian Mat Mladin has claimed his fifth AMA Superbike crown over the weekend at Virginia International Speedway.

Mladin, on a Yoshimura Suzuki, recorded a sixth in the first race to secure the title and after being adjudged to have jumped the start in Race 2, came from 24th after a stopgo penalty to finish a fine fourth, 2004 has been another stellar year for Mladin, who has accrued seven race wins, including the prestigious Daytona 200.

CLARK/ SAWARD/STAFF 15

EURO NEWS

Numero Uno

Lapierre rocks Hockenheim NICOLAS Lapierre has claimed the final round of the F3 Euroseries held at Hockenheim. He edged out series champion Britain's Jamie Green for the win, giving him third overall in the championship behind fellow Frenchman Alexandre Premat.

Toyota Driver Academy driver Franck Perera toped the Rookie standings, ahead of former World Karting Champion Giedo Van Der Garde.

i

n Team BRM have run 16 year old Indonesian karting driver Zahir Ali at the latest round of the Asian Formula 3 Championship at the SentuI Circuit in Indonesia. In what was All’s F3 debut, he finished ninth in both races. Team BRM have now acquired their own shipping container to ease the logistics involved in their Asian campaign, which looks set to continue into the future, Christian Jones recored a DNF in the first race after colliding with a lapped car and third in the second race. n Matteo Bobbi and Gabriele Gardel have won the penultimate round of the FIA GT Championship held in Dubai, Their BMS Scuderia Ferrari defeated the Maserati duo of Johnny Herbert and Fabrizio de Simone to close the gap to BMS team-mates Luca Cappellari and Fabrizio Gollin to 16.5 points heading into the final round in Zhuhai, China. n Giorgio Mondini has won the Formula Renault V6 Eurocup title by virute of fifth at the Dubai Autodrome over the weekend.

State Manager - NSW n Major National Sporting Organisation n Salary Package $50K - $60K range This position, based in Sydney, is responsible for the day to day management and operation of the New South Wales State Office. Reporting to the CEO, the State Manager’s role is to regulate motor sport in New South Wales in a manner that is safe, fair and socially responsible to the community. This position is accountable for State Council and State Panel activities, permit oriented projects and events. Judicial proceedings, finance coordination, customer service provision to CAMS members and general operation of the New South Wales State Office.

Applicants for the above position should possess proven management experience, sound communication skills, ability to manage multiple projects and adapt to change, while developing and enhancing working relationships.

Experience in motor sport or the motor sport industry is preferred.

BMW Great Britain's Andy Priaulx has won the European Touring Car Championship by finishing second in both races of a controversial final round of the series held at the Dubai Autodrome.

Priaulx, left and below, began the first race from pole, but was beaten to the flag by Alfa Romeo's Gabriele Tarquini.

His main rival for the title, BMW Deutschland driver Dirk Muller, was as high as fifth in the first race,but failed to score any points after being collected

by Alfa privateer Luca Rangoni.

Race 2 got off to a frantic beginning when Alex Zanardi contacted Jorg Muller, the resulting spin putting

Priaulx, Antonio Garcia, Rickard Rydell and Jan Magnussen all out of action, with the latter on his roof.

Luckily for Priaulx, the race was red flagged and the restart saw the Brit take the lead. Tarquini again took the honours, but Priaulx was ecstatic at his championship win, remaining second with help from Alfa's James Thompson, who chose not to overtake his countryman to give him the title.

"I'm going to treasure this for the rest of my life," said Priaulx.

The disgruntled Dirk Muller finished the race fifth, equal on points with Priaulx, but lost out with less race wins for the season.

"Losing the championship by being shunted out by a private car has infuriated me," exclaimed Muller.

"I have to congratulate Andy who has been strong all season, but I am well pissed off. At the moment I am empty and I don't know what to think."

Final Points: Priaulx 111, D.Muller 111, Tarquini 106,J.Muller 93, Giovanardi 63,Farfus 54.

Piquet wins British F3

NELSON Piquet Jr has claimed the coveted British Formula 3 title, collecting a second and a win at the series final at Brands Hatch.

Piquet started from pole in Race 1, but a poor start gave the lead and victory to James Rossiter. Piquet tailed Rossiter for the duration of the race, content with second, which secured him the title.

Piquet made amends in Race 2, taking the victory and capping the remarkable achievement of being the youngest-ever winner of the British F3 title, at age 19, Despite a lacklustre weekend, Adam Carroll secured second in the series, ahead of Rossiter.

Australian Will Power again had a fraught weekend, failing to finish the first race after an off with Rob Austin and Danilo Dirani damaged his front suspension. He went on to finish ninth in Race 2. Power ended the year ninth in the points standings, with Will Davison 11th and Marcus Marshall 17th.

Schneider takes DTM final BERND Schneider has taken victory at Hockenheim in the final round of the 2004 DTM series.

The defending series champion has had an unhappy season, but took his first win for the year in convincing fashion, from polesitter Audi's Martin Tomczyk, seen below with Schneider.

Brit Gary Paffett consolidated second in the championship by ending the race third.

Opel finished a dreadful

season with only two finishers at Hockenheim, with Timo Schneider ninth and HeinzHarold Frentzen 12th.

Audi on the other hand, capped of a stellar year by adding the Teams (Audi Sport Team Abt) and Manufacturers titles to the Drivers crown, clinched by Mattias Ekstrom at the penultimate round.

Final Points: Ekstrom 74, Paflett 57, Albers 50. Kristensen 43, Tomczyk 39, Schneider 36.

For further details or a copy of a position description please contact Kathy Macnamara, on (03) 9593 7777 or email kathm@cams.com.au Applications, including resumes, should be directed to Kathy Macnamara, via email kathm@cams.com.au or send to PO Box 147, Caulfield East Vic 3145.

vi.\ i

Applications close 21 October 2004 16

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CART / IRL

Kanaan crowned

Carpentier to IRL PATRICK Carpentier has announced his intention to join the IRL next year.

The Canadian told Autosport that after six years driving for Forsythe Racing, his options in Champ Car have run out.

"I've enjoyed my time in Champ Car, but I've got to go where I'm wanted," he said, "I just didn't have any interest from that side unless I brought money."

Carpentier would not confirm his team for next season, but described his ride next year as a really good deal financially and it's a good team."

Speculation has linked Carpentier with Red Bull Cheever Racing.

4

n David Besnard had his second taste of Champ Car action last Monday at Sebring, Florida. Unlike his last test, Bezzy this time drove a Reynard, the car he will be running in for Derrick Walker's team at the Lexmark Indy 300 on the Gold Coast. The test went smoothly, with various seat fittings, helmet adjustments and pit stop practices all being executed in preparation for the race on October 24. n The Infiniti Pro Series, development series to the IRL, will follow the main series in racing on street and road courses in 2005. The series will contest 14 races, including appearances at all three non-oval IRL rounds, as well as supporting the US FI Grand Prix, becoming the first category since 1916 to race at the famed Brickyard twice in one season, albeit in different directions.

TONY Kanaan has clinched the 2004 Indy Racing League Championship by virtue of finishing second to in-form Mexican Adrian Fernandez by 0.0183s at the penultimate round at California Speedway.

"Tm so excited for tlie team," said Kanaan."I need to thank my team owners. They put so much into this thing that when I see the effort that they put in, it makes me fight every day harder and harder."

Kanaan needed to finish no worse than fourth to claim the title in California, and did tilings the hard way by starting from the rear of the field as a result of engine problems in qualifying. The Brazilian made light work of the early running, passing six cars on the opening lap, before reaching the all-important fourth spot by lap eight.

Kanaan led going into the final stages before a caution period as a result of contact between Tomas's Enge and Scheckter late race bunched the field. At the restart, Fernandez was able to get the draft and pull out exiting turn four, pipping Kanaan by the seventh closest margin in IRL history.

"I knew I had the stronger car," reflected Fernandez."Tony really respected my line. I take my hat off to him. I've known him since I started in Indy Lights and he's a really good driver.

"By far, this is my best season ever. I don't remember ever a season that I've had that has had five races so strong," said Fernandez of his first IRL season,in which he defected from Champ Car so late that he missed the opening IRL round.

Kanaan's Andretti Green Racing team-mate Dan Wheldon led early, but a black flag for blocking impeded his progress, but he recovered well to finish third. Fellow Brit Darren Manning missed the race after a heavy qualifying shunt, but is set to return to his Target Ganassi car for the series final in Texas.

-PHIL MORRIS Points; Kanaan 578, Wheldon 498, Buddy Rice 473,Fernandez 415, Helio Caslroneves 408, Dario Franchitli 394.

n Brazil's Thiago Medeiros has taken out the 2004 Infiniti Pro Series title, like his countryman Tony Kanaan, with one round to spare. The 22-year old left California with an unassailable points lead, as well as a sore head: Fie failed to finish after rolling his car mid-race.

James Chesson went on to take his first victory in the category.

-PHIL MORRIS

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IT was a battle of the underdogs last Sunday at the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway, where pole-sitter Joe Nemechek held off a hardcharging Ricky Rudd to give MB2 Motorsports its first win since the team's inception in 1996, and Nemechek's first victory in 54 events.

Nemechek took the lead on lap 246 of 267 and conserved fuel to the end.

"I was doing my best to save gas and I thought I had a real big lead, so I started backing up," said Nemechek, who also won the previous day's Busch race.

"Next thing I know, there's a white and red car in my mirror.

Ricky came up and gave me a hell of a challenge there at the

end. It's just an incredible day."

Series leader Kurt Busch finished sixth but spun unaided on lap 152, with Jimmie Johnson swept into the melee and looping onto the grass.

Johnson would not be so lucky later though, when he lost traction on lap 214 and gave the wall a hefty slap, ending his day a dismal 32nd. He lies ninth in the standings.

Ryan Newman also gave the wall a knock after Ken Schrader laid down some oil. Newman finished 33rd and has the distinction of being 10th in the Chase for the Championship, and out of contention, with just six races remaining.

Evernham Dodge partners Jeremy Mayfield and Kasey Kahne both led early but faded

late. Kahne was another of the spinners, but rallied to 13th.

Jeff Gordon remains third in the points but was never a factor, qualifying 30th and finishing 13th after a wrench was left in the rear window on an early pit stop.

Of the other Chase contenders, Tony Stewart finished 14th, Matt Kenseth 17th and Mark Martin 20th.

- MARTIN D CLARK Final result: Nemechek (Chev), Rudd (Ford), Biffle (Ford), Sadler (Ford), Mayfield (Dodge), Busch (Ford), McMurray (Dodge), Jarrett (Ford), Earnhardt Jr.(Chev), Gaughn (Dodge).

Point standings: Busch 5685, Earnhardt Jr. 5656, J Gordon 5606, Sadler 5542, Martin 5535,Stewart 5512, Kenseth 5505, Mayfield 5453, Johnson 5438, Newman 5428.

DALE Earnhardt Jr's top side charge from 11th to take the lead in two circuits over a final five lap shoot out in Talladega two weeks ago was somewhat reminiscent of his late father's last win.

A last minute decision by Jr's crew to take right side tyres under the final caution paid dividends as other teams gambled with just fuel, beating 'Little E'off pit road but not to the chequers. However, his remarks in victory lane cost him dearly (see separate story).

Jr. started 10th and made a bet with the flag man that he would be leading by lap four, and sure enough he showed the way for the first of nine times on that lap.

"This is what we needed," said Jr. "We need to do this every week.I went to the top and took every run I had imtil there was nobody left to pass."

Elliott Sadler was one of three unlucky Chase contenders who suffered problems. On top of a bad alternator, he also suffered another setback at the finish line when he was clipped by Ward Burton. Jeremy

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STATESIDE

Gone Rshing

Expensive expletive A LITTLE ‘s’ was all it took for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to take a dump in the standings and iose his points lead.

Following a post-race slip on national TV when he stated, “It don’t mean shit right now”, referring to his four wins at the track (second only to his late father's 10), a 25'point penalty and $10,000 fineiwas handed down by NASCAR. The move to dock points was a controversial one, but finally the governing body is showing consistency in its decisions as Busch Series drivers Johnny Sauter and Ron Hornaday were both issued with identical reprimands earlier in the year.

The problem with NASCAR’s points deoision is how much further can they go to sterilise the sport until we end up with post-race driver interviews that are rehearsed more than they are currently - or maybe read from a teleprompter.

Dale Earnhardt Inc. is to appeal the penalty, but it will likely fall on deaf ears. Little E’s argument is he said the word in jubilation while the other two offenders blurted it in anger.

- MARTIN D CLARK

ot tip Mayfield was swept into a wreck not of his own doing that wOl ultimately take him out of contention for the title, while Jimmie Johnson suffered engine cooling issues brought about by a coUision on pit road with Casey Kahne.

Only three Chase contenders finished in the top 10, with Matt Kenseth back in 14th and his Roush stable-mate Mark Martin 15th.

- MARTIN D CLARK

Final result: Earnhardt Jr.(Chevy), Harvick (Chevy),Jarrett (Ford), Gaughn (Dodge), Busch (Ford), Stewart(Chevy), Nemechek (Chevy), Mears(Dodge),R Gordon (Chevy), W Burton (Chevy).

SARAH Fisher entered a NASCAR West Series race at Phoenix on October 3, finishing 21 st after a 14th place qualifying effort.

It was the 24-year-old's first attempt at a stock car event and it came under the watchful eye of multiCup team owner Richard Childress.

Fisher apparently has a backer to take into the NASCAR leagues with GM when the time is right. n Inside sources are saying that the new third 2005 Joe Gibbs Racing FedEx-sponsored Chevy seat will be filled by Busch and former open wheeler racer Jason Leffler.

Leffer will leave his current Haas CNC ride and return to Gibbs, where he started his Busch career before jumping into a Ganassi Cup ride too early and falling flat on his face.

An official announcement will be made in Charlotte today (Wednesday). n As rumoured in MN#292, the 2005 Dodge entry in Nextel Cup will be named the Charger, replacing the Intrepid name used by Daimler Chrysler since its return to the sport in 2001. The name Charger was last used in competition between 1966 and 1977, during which Richard Petty scored 37 of 124 wins for the Charger badge.

- MARTIN D CLARK

They took my points? Aw, shit.

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On the Case!

Fightback Package

ANDREA Doviztoso won the 125cc title in Malaysia but Aussie Casey Stoner was the story at Sepang,taking his second 125cc GP win.

"I would have been quite difficult to beat today. I had a good set-up all race. I was happy with the bike," Stoner said.

"I backed off a bit for a few

AFTER looking mortal for a month, Valentino Rossi returned to

"I don't want to start looking for excuses - we've had a bad weekend

his best in Malaysia last weekend, taking his seventh win of the season.

in general, both myself and the team," Gibernau said.

Sete Gibernau, the only man who can stop Rossi taking another title at Phillip Island, was a disappointing seventh on his Honda at Sepang,losing two places - to Japan's Makoto Tamada on a . Honda and Italian

"Things haven't gone well for us.

We were unable to solve the problems we had in qualifying and the situation got worse in the race.

Despite everything, we have to keep working and never lose hope."

Four Hondas followed Rossi across the line in Malaysia, ridden

Hayden and Tamada, with Capirossi and Gibernau close behind.

Australian Troy Bayliss finished 10th on his Ducati.

Points: Rossi 254, Gibernau 224, Biaggi 188, Barros 144, Edwards 136,Tamada 131.

DANI Pedrosa is the 2004 250cc World Champion.

Pedrosa rode a perfect race to take his sixth win of the season by

laps to give him (Dovizioso) a false sense, but the last two laps I just picked up the pace. I knew exactly where he'd be

rner

trying to come past and I 'closed all the doors'. I knew where he could and couldn't get me.

I should have done it so many times this season but lucked out. It shows you - just keep going, put your head down."

Alvaro Bautista and Roberto Locatelli followed him on their

Aprilias.

Points: Dovizioso 248, Locatelli 169, Barbera 167, Lorenzo 159, Stoner 129, Nieto 124.

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BIKE NEWS

It’s Mac Time

rose by a Nose JUST when it looked like 2004 would be the season Ducati was toppled from the top of the World Superbike tree, James Toseland has come through to take yet another V-twin triumph.

The Englishman celebrated his 24th birthday a day early at Magny Cours, winning Race 1 and following Noriyuki Haga for second in Race 2.

Toseland became the third Englishman to win the title, following Carl Fogarty and 2003 champ Neil Hodgson.

While it was good news for the Italian camp, Chris Vermeulen's hopes of a title in his debut SBK season went wanting, the Aussie's Ten Kate Honda forced out of both races with electrical problems.

Tosolond's team-mate Regis Laconi struggled in both I races, taking third after missing the pace of the leading pair with bad tyre choice, while French wildcard Sobastien Gimbert took a pair

of fourth places on his Yamaha.

Points: Toseland 336, Laconi 327, Haga 299, Vermeulen 282, Chili 243, McCoy 199, Martin 181, Haslam 169, Corset 146, Borciani 130. ^

KARL Muggeridge topped off his Supersport Championship season with a record seventh

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Perennial chaser Sebastien Charpentier took third place and fourth in the series behind Ju^^gen van der Goorbergh.

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McCoy, who raced in the World Superbike Championship this year, is substituting for injured British rider Shane Byrne, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season because of a broken scaphoid from a fall at Brno. McCoy will also race the bike at the season's final race in Valencia, Spain.

McCoy won his first premier class GP at the Welkom circuit in South Africa in 2000 and went onto claim two more victories in Estoril and Valencia in the same season. He eventually finished fifth in the overall World 500cc Championship standings in 2000. At Sepang, McCoy finished 16th, 6s in arrears of Aprilia regular Jeremy McWilliams.

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HE Champ Cars on the Gold Coast, as far as I'm concerned, is the best race of the year.

For the driver, it's a very nice, long street course, probably the most challenging street course of the year. The track is exciting for the fans as well because of the long straightaways. It's hard on the ear, the brakes, the engines and very hard on the teams.

It's actually difficult to get a good car set-up for the track.

You have to have a lot of compromise.

I hope I can get the win there. The last two years I have had the lead but the weather and the yellow flag conditions cost me victory.

You need to get everything right.

You approach this race the same as any other track, but you need have a really good brake package and a car that can ride the kerbs and chicanes. The fast way around the track is to jump the kerbs.

I'm pretty sure my Newman/Haas car is going to go really well around Surfers Paradise.

This will be the first time I fly out to Australia a few days early to get used to the jet lag. Surfers Paradise is a great place and it should be a

Running at the front; The Newman/Haas team cars of Bruno /unqueira and Sebastien Bourdais, above, have been the dominant duo in this year's Champ Car World Series. great weekend.

I know every driver and every mechanic really loves coming down under. The weather can get bad sometimes but the party atmosphere is something that we all look forward to. I hope the sun is shining this year.

With the Championship in mind though, I will have to try and win the race.

There's only two races to go and I need my team-mate Sebastien Bourdais to have a bad weekend for me to have a chance at the Champ Car title.

I will take the same approach that everyone takes to every weekend. To do my best and win the race ...

A

s far as I know, Newman/Haas will be staying in Champ Car next year.

I think the team is already in a position to stay where they are and not switch to the Indy Racing League, despite the rumours.

I raced in the Indianapolis 500 last year but I'm not certain if we will do it again.

For sure, it's a neat race and I've come close to winning it a couple of times.

My heart is with the Champ Cars though, and I want to stay here for a while.

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here have also been rumours about my good friend, Cristiano da Matta coming back to Champ Car next year.

Newman/Haas are a very solid team and they always want to do things extremely well. I'm sure if they have a chance to run three cars next

rear, da Matta might get a r there. n stiano did a very good job lem a couple of years ago but they need good sponsorship if they want to run a third car because they'd only do it if the deal was right. And it's difficult to run three cars competitively. I'd be happy for Cristiano to come and race with and against us. I'm sure if they have the opportunity, Newman/Haas would do it but anything can happen in motor racing...

And I likeIt's your V8 Supercar racing. a very nice series,.the cars are really fast and loud, there's lots of them and it's got good TV coverage.

My friend Max Wilson, who used to be my team-mate in Formula 3000, drives in the V8s and I spoke with him last year and he said that if I wanted to do it, I should call him.

Bathurst is an unbelievable track. I watched the race a few times on TV. I think it would be a very good race to do and I hope in the future I have an opportunity to do it.

Hie glamorous life ofa T

HE Japanese magazine for which I work called me up and asked if I would go to Tokyo for a meeting on the Wednesday before the Japanese Grand Prix.

This was not good because I had booked a flight to Osaka, Japan's second city, which is a few hundred miles from Tokyo. Changing flights would mean taking out a new mortgage but, as I had no desire to ignore the hand that feeds me, I concluded that I had the time to get on a Bullet Train and whiz across Japan for the meeting.

Japanese interest in FI is rising a bit, they said, but we need Takuma or Toyota to win before we can pay you more. I have some hope that Takuma might deliver me a pay-rise but I am not holding out any hopes for Toyota ...

But what can you do? The only solution was to go out to dinner, forget FI and let them pay the bill.

Then it was back to the hotel for a some sleep before another Bullet Train in the morning. I was lying on my bed, pondering sleep, when

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"I wanted to see a typhoon and I wanted to see team bosses wading around their garages with their trousers roiied up, reaiising that there are things that are bigger than Grand Prix racing ft

the earthquake hit.

This was my first big one, a 5.8 on the Richter Scale. I understand the Richter Scale about as much as I understand the decisions that Toyota takes about FI drivers, but what I do know is that things in the hotel room were definitely jumping around and I was observing and wondering whether there was something bigger coming.

It was something to talk about at dinner parties.

A few hours later the Bullet

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Train had shot me back to Suzuka where, after a quick lunch of unidentified frying objects, I nipped up to the circuit to pick up on the gossip.

FIphase is going through a bad at the moment.

It has lost its grip on reality and people are doing amazing things. There are even some who are trying to destroy the value of the sport in order to get things back

under their control.

This I find appalling because thousands of good people could end up the victims of these egotistical rich fools, who can retire to the beach when they have broken their toys.

The knowledge that there are people who will do such things has created a need in some quarters for escapism and, down at Jaguar Racing, they have created a website which features the adventures of a blow-up rubber donkey from the Shrek movie, who has been travelling with the team since the Belgian Grand Prix (www.donkeydoesf1.co.uk). It is wonderfully silly but it helps the team keep up morale at what is a miserable time.

Over at Jordan, the misery is the same and the team's press officer confessed to me the other day that she takes a Barbie doll to each race and sends home photographs of Barbie's adventures. She figures, quite rightly, that if she can find a publisher for "Barbie does the World", her income stream may not come to a

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rand Pnx reporter screeching halt if Jordan goes to the wall.

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ut none of this was sillier than the developments over the future of the British Grand Prix, which forced me to miss the Honda Party on Friday night.

And then, in the middle of the night, it began to rain.

All day Friday it rained and suddenly the thought that a super typhoon was coming straight at us sank into even the most blinkered FI brain.

Saturday activities were cancelled. At this point it struck me that if this really was the biggest typhoon for 10 years and there really was going to be 20 inches of rain, it might be a good idea to take pre-emptive action to avoid being stuck in Japan in the ensuing chaos, which would more than likely lead to the race being called off.

The fact that the first corner had been four feet underwater 10 days earlier when there had been a quarter of the expected

rainfall led me to believe that I should catch a train to Osaka to keep my options open. If there was a Grand Prix I could return to Suzuka on Sunday; if not I would be near to the airport on Monday morning and not be affected by the floods, fallen trees, washed-away roads and mudslides that come with 85mph winds and 20 inches of rain.

Alas, one thing that Suzuka does much better these days than Silverstone is to create traffic jams and as a result I missed the last train to Osaka. Secretly, I was actually quite glad to have done it because I wanted to see a typhoon and I wanted to see team bosses wading around their garages with their trousers rolled up, realising (if such a thing is possible) that there are things that are bigger than Grand Prix racing.

As the train had gone, the only real option was to put on my plastic mac and wade the 300 metres down the road to eat dinner. I was not an

expert at pre-typhoon rain when I left the hotel, but by the time I got to the restaurant I knew a lot more.

Even the money in my wallet was damp. But I didn't care.

This was an adventure and I knew that on Saturday I would get a lie-in AND see a proper typhoon and write stories about it.

Nothing much was moving apart from water on Saturday morning as I watched the excitement unfold. Watching TV in Japan is frustrating but with a little help from the Internet and by looking out of the window and remembering geography lessons from school days, I became a typhoon expert.

And I watched the big story of the Japanese Grand Prix weekend veer off-track and go right by without flattening anything (apart from Tokyo later in the day). When the sun came out I could not escape the feeling that I had been cheated.

And I hoped that the race on Sunday would make up for the disappointment...

The wltl BoxJobSeat Sawtnl

iutton-imaees.com

MOPED

Row, row, row your Now-up boat: This was the most effective form of transport at the Japanese Grand Pri\.

13 tel«Mr 3H4

27

Five minutes with

ni^o and Muvh

It you'lljust won Bathurst again, you'd be happy Wo. Here are some hi0ights oi what Rich Keiiy and Greg Murphy had to say at the post-race press conlerence QUESTION: Murph,one of the main issues going into this race was fuel consumption rates. You and Rick made five stops with a very early stop was this always part of the strategy?

GREG MURPHY: No. We had two plans, and obviously that one came into effect. Around lap 19 we had a Safety Car, and the guys decided that we would run the five instead of trying to go for the four-stop strategy.

The last stop was probably earlier than what we'd planned but it fitted in with the Safety Car and fitted in our window, so we were able to fill it and go to the finish.

I actually argued with (race engineer) Erik Pender on the radio about it, because Russell (Ingall) was ahead of us. We were coming in together and I didn't want to get stuck behind him, I wanted to stay out and do a couple more laps. But it didn't matter in the end.

Q: There were a number of times where you and Rick had a good lead, oniy to lose it to Safety Cars. That must have been very frustrating?

GM: Not really. I mean, I was really hoping it was going to go green for the last period, because everyone was on full tanks and I think that meant that we were pretty even out there.

Certainly in that last stint our car got better as the fuel wore off, and that's what it was doing all day.

It was sluggish on full tanks, but as the fuel came out of it we were able to get it into the 2m9s and stay there. But you just accept the Safety Cars sometimes it works for you and sometimes it doesn't. It's a bit of a roundabout.

Q: Rick, you didn't seem to do a lot of laps in the lead-up to the race. Were you under a lot 28

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GM; The Safety Car made us come in and pit where we did, but because we were probably I only half empty our stop was really short, because we only had to half-fill it to get full to go to the finish.

Whereas Russell had to fill the tank right up, as some of the other guys probably had to do as well. So we were able to have a short fill and get out really quick, and at the end of the day that changed the race for us, right at that one point.

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of pressure because of that?

RICK KELLY: To be honest with you, I think I'm probably the luckiest co-driver out there as far as getting the laps goes.

Greg has been very generous in the lead-up to the race, and I've had a lot of laps in all sessions. So I was very happy with that.

Q: What was going through your mind in those closing laps when there were six Fords lined up behind the one Commodore?

RK: I actually grabbed my helmet and stuff and started putting them away, trying to get away from the whole thing I It's the worst feeling in the world, having to watch Greg do the last 30 laps with that many cars chasing him, especially when the cars have got a lot of speed. It's very tough - 1 reckon it's taken five years off my life.

Q: Murph, you were crying on

the podium today. Why was that?

GM: It's disbelief. To go back-toback here is an incredible feeling.

And, I suppose, because of some expectation from last year all week.

There's been a bit of pressure to perform, and I think early on I was wondering how we were going to get ourselves to the front. But the guys did a great job, the strategy was fantastic.

Q: Murph, were you aware of what happened to Jim Richards, and did you see any wildlife out there?

GM: I saw the wildlife alright. It was sitting on the track for the last 60 laps reminding us that it had happened. I couldn't believe it.

Rick was in the car and I was sitting in the pit and . . . 1 just couldn't believe it.

Q: Murph, the team gave you a corker of a final stop. How

Q: Murph, you have four Bathurst wins now, but would you trade one for a Championship?

GM: Hopefully I've got a few more years left to try and fulfill the other goal and I won't have to worry about it.

If I do end up retiring without winning a Championship I will definitely be disappointed, that's for sure. But I don't know if I'd want to go trading one of these.

These feel pretty good too.

Q: Rick, there are some rumours that Murph might not be with the team next year. If that were the case, are you ready to step up and take the team leader role at Bathurst next year?

RK: I don't know what the plan is. Whatever happens, I want to win Bathurst next year.

If I stayed at Kmart and Murph left then that's definitely the case. I don't think I need to step aside for anyone. I think 1 deserve to be in a leading role here if Murph does go, and that's what I'll be asking for.

If that doesn't come to fulfillment, then I'll have to have a serious look at it, because we're not around forever and I while I'm going half-okay I'd like to be in the lead spot and give it a fair old crack. moiorsRon news

T-MARTS

Five minutes with...

Cody Crocker

After the most tense ARC Otie fightin years, the Suharu factory timer came up trumps wiUi a commamiing performance in Mmhourne. MARK GiMBinigK spoke to the 2004 ARC Chanwion MOTORSPORT NEWS; When you won the title last year, it was very much entwined with what had happened to Possum Bourne earlier in the season.

Does this second Championship feel a bit more like 'yours'7 CODY CROCKER: Yeah, more or less. This is more of a genuine elation, a happy victory.

Last year obviously had a lot of emotion mixed with it, and whilst it was a fantastic result and we were happy with what we did, it also reminded us of what we'd lost.

But this year is more just a fantastic victory. It's because of the circumstances too, because we were up against it but managed to come through when it mattered.

MN: You've done it in an environment that is unbelievably competitive, even compared with last year, it seems as if the whole game has stepped up about three notches.

CC: Yes, everybody has picked up their game, and I guess that's just due to desperation.

Everyone wants to win, but there can only be one winner and we were probably just the most desperate. We went out there and got everything right on the day.

I think that's a tribute to the team, they come through when it matters most. I think a few other teams had a bit of trouble at the Rally of Melbourne and stumbled when it mattered.

MN: Was having won the title last year an advantage for both yourself and the team when the heat started to turn up over the last couple of rounds? Do you think it made you better prepared?

CC: Yes, to a point. You can only do what you can and, fortunately for us, we probably just had a bit more familiarity in knowing what we had to do.

I guess a few others saw that 30

I don't see it as beneficial at all, but obviously from a competition point of view, and for the spectators and the other stakeholders in the sport, they love it.

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and stumbled at the final post, if you like. Chris (Atkinson) made a lot of comments about us getting conservative in our old age and all that sort of thing, but he doesn't realise that that adds fuel to our fire. We needed to go out there and kick his butt (laughs)\ 1 think he doesn't quite realise who he's dealing with.

MN: That leads on to what I was going to ask you next.

With the Atkinsons and everybody breathing down your neck this year, were you tempted to play the percentages and drive with the Championship in mind, rather than take risks and go ballsout for wins?

CC: You don't back off at all. You take a measured approach sometimes you don't take risks, sometimes you have to.

Obviously the whole weekend in Melbourne, we took a few risks . . . well, maybe slightly fewer on Sunday, but we were still going flat out and trying as hard as we could. And we have done all year.

Everybody says, 'oh, this is the final round, there's plenty of pressure, are you going to put in any more'? Well, if you put in more in the last rounds, it means

you're not putting in enough in the other rounds. So you put 100 percent into everything. It probably just comes down to how many risks you take.

MN: Did you have it any easier in the last couple of rounds, given that you had the points lead and it was down to the others to do something about it?

CC: To a point. It's hard to know.

It wouldn't matter if I was 10 points behind or 10 points in front, I'd still take the same approach.

I guess the pressure was on them, though. We had the advantage, and if we did have something go wrong we didn't lose ground, we just lost a bit of our lead. And I guess that's what happened during the year.

MN: Given the points lead that you took into the final round, is it fair to say that you'd have preferred not to see the bonus points being offered?

CC: Yeah, that's right. As a driver, and I think most of us agree, you put as much effort into the final round as you do every other round, and if something goes wrong in the last round, it's more costly than if it happens in the first round.

MN: We spoke before about the increased level of competition, and one driver who had a good season was your team-mate.

Dean Herridge.

CC: Yeah. He had a pretty good start to the season. The only ■" reason Dean's performance is down at any time during the season is because his car's not right, or because he's been given the second option on something.

Since he's joined the team, we've had an even approach.

Whatever I get, he gets, until we're at a point in the season where one has more of a chance at winning the Championship than the other. And while Dean was still in there with a chance, he wasn't quite as close to it as we were.

So then, and particularly in this last round, he sort of assumed the role of support person in trying to help us. And he did an absolutely perfect job in that he was second to us in the first heat, which gave us a points buffer. You couldn't ask anything more of your team-mate. It is the sign of a team that is working perfectly. He did an awesome job.

He would have beaten us if he could, that's for sure! And that's the spirit of competition. You're racing against everybody, including your team-mate.

I think we make a good team, that's the great thing. If the roles are turned around and he had a chance of winning the Championship, I'll do everything that I possibly can to help him.

MN: You'd better be careful, he might hold you to that one day.

CC: That's alright. I'm not going to take it back! motoripon newt

INTERUIEW

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The possible loss of the British GP from the 2005 calendar has sent shockwaves through the sport Is Formula One out of control? Has he Italian Grand Prix at Bernie Ecclestone gone too far Monza traditionally marks the end of the northern this time? By MNews hemisphere summer months I*'and thetonset of autumn.

FI correspondent But this year the chill in the at the Autodromo Nazionale JOESAWARD air II was exacerbated by the fact

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that the major players in l Formula 1 politics were sliding deeper and deeper into a state of discontent. Attitudes were hardening.

Things were getting serious.

The Ford Motor Company was about to pull the plug on its FI activities. Grand Prix racing was heading out into the badlands.

It has been coming for years, this showdown between Bernie Ecclestone and the car manufacturers.

Is it a fight between the sport and commerce, as some would have us believe, or is it simply a fight over money? The levels of discontent within the sport have been highlighted in recent days by the opulence seen at the Shanghai International Circuit and the shoddy fight that has been going on over Silverstone.

Threats to the British Grand

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Prix are nothing new but the British Racing Drivers' Club has now decided to make a stand and call Ecclestone's bluff.

Bernie says that he cannot give Silverstone a special deal because that would not be fair to the other circuits around the world, an explanation that shows that there is no room for emotion or tradition in his dealings. And yet it seems that Silverstone is a subject which gets Ecclestone more animated than other races.

He did not shy away from knocking Spa out of the World Championship for a year; and he took the Italian Grand Prix to the brink a few years ago.

The French Grand Prix, the world's oldest surviving motor race, is on the chopping block, unsure as to whether it can afford the 10% mark-up in fees for an FI race at a time when there are no French drivers left in the sport.

But with Silverstone it seems it is a bit more personal.

The story goes back to 1993 when Ecclestone supported a bid by FI team owner Tom Walkinshaw to lease Silverstone from the BRDC.

... the only one (championship) that will matter is the one where Ferrari, Williams and McLaren go racing...

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FI COMMENT

Meof Bntain The idea was rejected by 315 votes to 10. Ecclestone was sent packing with a flea in his ear and, apparently, a grudge in his heart.

Ever since then, he has not missed an opportunity to criticize the venue.

"We're not dealing with businessmen," he told Independent Television News a few days ago.

"We're dealing with a gentlemen's club which is a bit short of gentlemen actually.

They should be running tennis.

It's quite embarrassing. I am pushing the world to raise the standards everywhere and our country has one of the worst."

The fact that the BRDC is refusing to be bamboozled by Ecclestone is actually an indication that they are better businessmen then he gives them credit for. They will not risk their business because Ecclestone is demanding more money. They are going to stand their ground and they have plenty of support behind them.

The Guardian newspaper in London has accused Ecclestone of "holding the British Grand Prix to ransom" and has urged the British government not to give in.

continued on page 34

Sub-sl.mtI.ndf H.irdly. Silvvrslonc’s Ivniious ch.vnpionship position is About bif^ger picture politics ...

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What price heritage: Silverstone '77, above. Renault was making its FI debut; James Hunt and John Watson shared the front row; Hunt won. Mosley and Ecclestone, left, owned March and Brabham respectively. Then, it was sport... continued from page 33

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The fact that other countries are paying higher prices often with government support - cannot justify Mr Ecclestone's policy of treating the British race like a piece on his global Monopoly board," the newspaper wrote in one of its leading articles.

"There is absolutely no case for central government to cut another sleazy deal with Mr Ecclestone following his notorious Elm donation to Labour in 1997 - which had to be returned amid suspicion that it was a million 'quid pro quo' in return for the exemption of FI from the tobacco advertising ban."

The paper said that the fact that Ecclestone is now able to play governments off against one another is "an example of one of the worst aspects of globalisation. It is outrageous that Mr Ecclestone is prepared to turn his back on Silverstone for the sake of 1.5m pounds.

"He may argue that this is a small sum for a government, but it is also a small sum for a man with billions in the bank.

The government must not bend to Bernie".

The BRDC makes the very valid point that under the terms of the settlement of the contract between Ecclestone and the Interpublic Group over their contract for the

British GP, he was paid US$93m in compensation. He sees this money as being pure profit.

The BRDC also received a pay-off from Interpublic for the termination of their lease.

Ecclestone argues that the club should use that money to upgrade the track although, of course, it is not his business what they do with the money, any more than it is their business what he does with his US$93m.

Ecclestone is a businessman who wants to make as many bucks as possible. And he appears not to care how he does it. And that is the thing. Once upon a time he did care. He cared passionately.

Once,the sport was more important than market forces.

Now it looks as though he is taking and giving nothing back to the sport.

And, in part, that is why Ecclestone finds himself ranged against the FI team bosses, some of whom see themselves as the guardians of the sport, in the belief that Ecclestone no longer cares what happens. They argue that Formula 1 is prostituting itself wherever the most money is on offer.

Who is right?

In the end, the sad truth is that it does not matter. The very fact that there is an argument paints the sport in a bad light. The whole episode depicts FI as a world dominated by greedy people who would rather do business with totalitarian dictatorships than preserving the traditions of a great sport; and a world where the only things that matter are money and power.

To a large extent this is not a true picture.

Self-interest has prevented the teams from being able to dictate what they want, but the power that was won for the them in the 1980s by Ecclestone and Mosley now protects them via a document called the Concorde Agreement. The manufacturers are behind them and, as long as that alliance remains, the future of the sport rests in their hands.

There is the slightest possibility that there may be multiple World Championship series in 2008, but the only one that will matter is the one where Ferrari, Williams and McLaren go racing ...

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Meet the world's premier sporting talents.

T(b us. WorldisChampions Australia blessed with aresome of thankfully a reasonably regular thing. But every now and then,a personality comes along and conquers the world in an extraordinary way,and we sit up and take notice. Last week we did just that for Jason Crump,the 2004 FIM World Speedway Champion.

Not since Jack Young's back-to-back World Titles in 1951-52 has Australia had a World number one in one of the toughest domains of racing in the world. But last Saturday night, the 52-year wait was over.

When you've bcHin trying for the majority of your adult life to try and achieve something and you finally realise that ambition and you know that you are the world champion, there is a lot of emotion that goes through you," reflected Crump.

Probably the biggest emotion that 1 had Four Generations: The Crump speedway dynasty is a grand one, with father Phil, left, grandfather Neil Street and son Seth all supporting Jason.

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SPEEDWAY

Oiy* New Champion Our latest hero, Jason Crump is on top of the world. He spoke to CHRIS JORDAN A rider has no-where to hide. The bikes are similaTand simple in their configuration (they haven't got brakes ...) and the racing is close, hard and fast. It's you versus the rest, and you have to work hard to have everything just right. Family is something dear to Crump,and he sees their support as a major ingredient to his success.

"It's not like those people have all of a sudden joined me this year, or the last two years, because they haven't.

They've been there since I was a 13 or 14 year old boy riding speedway in Mildura. Tm very forhmate that I have got a good family around me to give me support. In the last few years I have needed that, and this year leading up to the last Grand Prix I needed it as well."

at that time was a bit of relief really, especially after being second for the last three years. Being as close as I've been a couple of times, when you can feel it but you can't have it, to finally grab it was a very emotional time for me."

Crump indeed triumphed that night in Norway at the Viking Ship Stadium, the venue where last year he was disqualified from the final race, effectively handing the championship to his rival, five-time world champ Tony Rickardsson. But the bridesmaid's tag is his no morethat now belongs to Rickardsson and the coveted number one plate is finally his to keep.

"People say that I lost it (last year) in Norway,in the final race when I got disqualified. But I personally feel that I lost it over the whole course of

way there. So after the first half of the season - the first five Grand Prix before the summer break -1 was about 15 points in front. I got in and hit hard in the first five Grand Prix and I didn't want to go into a cruise mode,but I wanted to be able to consolidate that lead in the last four Grand Prix.

-Jason Crump on clinching the title world at one point. He now tunes Jason's engines. Uncle Drew Street is also on board as Jason's mechanic, and if you're lucky, grandfather Neil Street, also a former speedway-riding star, could be lurking around as well.

So it has all come together for the England-based Aussie; the world title is now his, a solid year's commitment now worth it.

"The thing with this year was that 1 got off to a good start, and I knew if I could get off to a good start Td be half

MOTORSPORT

13 OGiober 2004

No you don't: Crump, in red cap, beat five-time World Champion Tony RicLirdsson to this year's title to finally break his run ofsecond places.

"Being as close as I've been a couple el times, when you can feel it but you can't have It, to finally grab it was a rr very emotional time for me.

Tilings working well is something vitally important if you want to be the best in any field, but especially in World Speedway: A nine round series in seven countries against the best dirt track riders in the world. Unlike MotoGP, where technology and team politics are as much a tool to defeat the opposition as riding ability, tlie dirt track equivalent maintains the hardnoscH.! racing traditions of days gone bi'.

DZ02G

: ● Vt

I-

The Crump family is certainly one with speedway riding in their blood.

Jason is a third-generation rider; his dad Phil rode speedway way back when,ranked as high as third in the

the season, because I didn't get the points when 1 should have in earlier Grand Prix.

"This year I went into the last Grand Prix with a very healthy lead and if you like, I did all the hard work in the earlier Grand Prix and went to Norway to make the semi final. Once I got to the semi-final I knew I was World Champion. It was a completely different pressure on me this year just to make the semis, and fortunately for me this year it all worked out well."

OZ86R

I

M.

"If you look at it on paper, Rickardsson actually out-scored me by quite a lot in the second half of the season, but you've got to make every Grand Prix count for something and this year I did that.

"The level of competition in speedway at the moment is very high, and there are a lot of guys capable of winning a Grand Prix.

There are still probably only three, four ... maybe five guys capable of winning the world championship.

►

but its(the competitiveness) been proven this year with Bjame Pedersen and Hans Andersen. They won a Grand Prix each and at the start of the year you would have got long odds on that happening. So tlie depth of competition in Grand Prix is very high at the moment."

So, once the celebrations have died down, we look to next year. Crump will be the man to beat, the focus of so much attention. In Europe, as World Champion, he is now a big deal, especially in the speedway-mad regions of north-eastern Europe.

"Poland is where the majority of my sponsors come from,so I'm quite happy going to Poland and doing a bit of PR work for my sponsors during the off-season and with any luck I might get a couple of new sponsors if 1 work hard over the winter, because it's a business in Europe.

"It's difficult for people in Aussie to understand that in Europe, speedway bike racing is a big-time business, and we have to treat it that way now."

Perhaps now we will.

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As ths 2004 Bob Jane T-D/larts Bathupst 1000 hoAilo^^ towards^crunch time,there appeared te be half a dozenrcars in serious contention. BM when push really came to shove, Greg Murphy and the Kmart Commodore had the pace to deny a string of Fords and cement a tremendous second win in a row for he and team-mate Rick Kelly. The race had just about everything. PHIL BRANAGAN and MARK GLEI\IBB\INING were there to make sense of four fantastic days

Thursday

Let the fun begin

//T^ doesn't matter if you win I or lose the year before,"

JLsaid Greg Murphy on Thursday afternoon."With the build-up, probably right from when you leave the year before, it's great to get back out onto this circuit."

Murphy's sentiments were echoed along the full stretch of pitlane. It's spring, the sun was shining (sort of), and 35 V8 Supercars had just made

their first reconnaissance of Mt Panorama for 2004.

The warm inner glow that marks the arrival at Bathurst each year was polished even brighter when the teams got a first look at their new bunkers.

Gone was the claustrophobic paddock and garage area of years gone by; replaced by $24 millionworth of clean, open space that

seemed comparatively palatial. And it was so new that if you kept your eyes open you could see workmen adding some final finishing touches literally as the cars took to the track for the first time. Even the toilets were clean.

Out on the track, the priority for most teams was to work

methodically through their initial program, get a good baseline set-up.

and above all, don't break the car. At this early point in the weekend, there was little point taking risks while hunting lap times. AU that could wait for later.

By and large, that's exactly what everybody did. In fact, only one person really started the weekend on the wrong foot- and if you'd been asked at the start of the day to place a bet on someone to wall their car on the out-lap of the first session, you'd have got longer-than-long odds on it being the normally sure-footed Marcos Ambrose.

The accident sidelined the Pirtek car for the remainder of the session, and then an equally rare engine problem during the afternoon conspired to restrict the reigning series Champion to an unproductive day {see breakout).

Meanwhile, things seemed to be going swimmingly for last year's winning pair of Murph and Rick Kelly, who had ended the second session with the #15 car on top of the sheets after having made the only You can set your watch by it. Come Bathurst, come )B. The OzEmail Falcon, left, was near the top of the time sheets all day.

motorspori news

1

incursion into sub-2m9s territory (with a 2m08.7906s) to put them well clear of second-placed Russell Ingall's 2m09.4275s.

For the Kmart crew it seemed ominously reminiscent of the way the weekend began last year(when the pair also posted the only time in the 2m8s range on Thursday afternoon).

But according to Murph,things were not necessarily as cushy as they looked.

"The car was not too bad," he said.

"I actually didn't think the circuit was as good as it was last year - it didn't seem to have quite as much grip. But the times were there.

"We've still got a bit of work to do to the car, we're probably not quite as happy with it as we'd like to be. It doesn't feel quite as good as it did this time last year, but Rick and I have some good ideas from those sessions, so we know what we can work on for tomorrow.

"We went back to an older set of tyres and tried a few set-up things," said Kelly.

"We're not where we need to be, that's for sure, but we've got a good direction for what we need to do."

With the Ambrose/Ritter car in the doldrums it was left to Ingall and Cameron McLean to carry the opening day fight for the Stone

A

i Some things change, above, while others don't.

Murph, right, powers up the hill, fastest on the opening day...

continued on page 42

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It's only Thursday, yet Brock, above, is already hard at work wearing out the first in a series ofsigning pens ...

continued fronn page 41

OH Hlvnvnilh

Top helmet has a quiet day There arejust some things that you never expect to see happen ...

Like Larry Perkins filling his garage with corporatefriendly water features and fake palm trees; or Marcos Ambrose walling a car, unaided, on an out-lap, or the Stones suffering an engine problem.

Yet amazingly,two of those things happened at Bathurst on Thursday. And Larry still does not have any palm trees ...

Ambrose's accident on Thursday morning was the kind of thing that he could probably have done at just about any other circuit in the country and just bounced harmlessly across the grass.

But this is Bathurst, and when you get it wrong at the exit of the Cutting there is nowhere to go but into the concrete.

It was a reasonably big hit and it left the Barra with some damage to the front 42

upright and diff housing. As the car was towed back to its cave, it occurred to several onlookers that no-one could remember the last time that Marcos had spun a car of his own accord.

"It was a while ago," agreed Ross Stone.

"He came together with Mark Skaife on the first lap at Oran Park a few years ago and there was one other time that we can remember - but that was also a few years ago The team busied itself, got the Pirtek machine back into shape for the afternoon session - only for it to suffer a valve train problem after just a few laps.

"It hasn't been a perfect start to the weekend," Stone conceded. "But it will be fine."

Which is exactly what every other team along pitlane was afraid of...

- MARK GLENDENNING

Brothers, and this they did with aplomb.

"The thing was pretty hot straight out of the truck," said IngaU. "We had a schedule to get through, which we did. We had a few set-ups to pick from, and we were happy with one of them.

"We're just really trying to get the car comfortable to drive. We're not hanging on the door-handles to get those times - if you've got to fight a car to do those sorts of times, you're not going to have a very fim day on Sunday ..."

Third fastest for the day was the lead HRT car of Mark Skaife and Todd Kelly, which did its fastest time during the morrung's opening session. According to Team Red,it was simply a case of steady as she goes.

"There are definitely a couple of little gains going up the hill that we're trying to tune the car for," said

Todd.

"Really, we're just trying not to do anything silly at this stage."

Outside, the paddock was full of quiet optimism. The Larkham camp was highly satisfied after Jason Bargwanna and Mark Winterbottom fired up the #10 car and found it sufficiently to their liking to go thirdfastest in the afternoon.

"It's funny," said Winterbottom.

"You come here and pull the car out of the truck, and you've either got a piece of junk or you've got something that's pretty good.

"It looks like we've got sometlring that's prett)' good,so we're really happy with how today has worked out."

Jason Bright hauled some good times out of the #50 PWR car and declared himself reasonably happy with the car, although co-driver Paul Weel was finding the handling

characteristics a little less comfortable. The team's second car, meanwhile, had its track time restricted when its oil drive pump broke at the top of the mountain just near the end of the first part of the afternoon session.

The failure happened just as Matthew White was about to hand the car over to Marcus Marshall, denying the Queenslander any running time on the opening day (a handicap he would share with Greg Ritter and Grant Elliott).

The Castrol Perkins team had a more productive day, with Steve and Jim Richards lapping happily amongst the top order while Paul Dumbrell and Tony Longhurst(car #8)and Jamie Whincup and Alex Davison (in the Perkins-prepared car #7) drove around with an eye on sorting the car rather than setting times.

"The car feels really good," said Whincup."We're just taking it nice and easy at the moment and getting it balanced. We're under strict instructions not to bend it - Larry told us that he's got his helmet here, and he's not afraid to use it..."

Also wearing satisfied grins were Steve Johnson and Warren Luff, who's Sandown podium-wining car seemed to have lost none of its speed.

"When comparing day one at Sandown with day one here, were are definitely stronger here," said Luff.

Ambrose's misfortunes aside, the main concern for the folks on the hill was the anonymity of the bloke in car #05. Jason Plato wrenched some reasonable times out of the second HRT machine, but an assortment of handling and mechanical problems meant that the potent combination of Brock, Holden and Mt Panorama would have to wait another day to make an impression.

- MARK GLENDENNING motorsport news

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Friday

More Murph F

RIDAY: Moving day.

Qualifying day. The sky was clear and conditions seemed

just about perfect for some fast times.

A late Thursday night storm washed some of the grip off the track but the general feeling among the drivers was that it came back fairly quickly.

So everything should have been tickety-boo for some fast times. That is what some of the co-drivers thought in the morning, Paul Stokell enjoying his time in the Dodo VY and Cameron McLean doing likewise in the Caltex Ford. Until the two met at the Chase ...

"Locked it, bumped it, lost it," explained McLean succinctly.

s. ♦T"

I

\

perhaps recalling his similar moment in the Kmart car last year.

"There was no car around for 500 metres except for StokelTs but I managed to hit it."

About the time he was explaining just that, his wife arrived at the Stones' garage. After more than a decade of watching her husband race - not to mention three children - few things faze Gina McLean but Cam's explanation of what happened was laid-back. It could have been, perhaps, "I dinged the Pajero in the carpark at Woollies. The bumper is scratched but I will get it fixed tomorrow. No worries."

Except this explanation was about spearing down the road at 270kmh and hitting another car - backwards.

■5.

f

I

Gina smiled and went about her daily business. Racing drivers are not like you and me and their wives and partners are not Uke ours' either.

The car? It looked worse than it was but the crew had some work to do, replacing two rear rails, all the panels and the rear bumper, repairing the fuel tank and fitting a new wing.

Even with a crease in the roof, Russell Ingall would be quick in qualifying before the SBRs attacked the car

properly in the evening, stripping it completely and rebuilding it to 'perfect'.

The slower group went the outsession in qualifying and, when finished, the interest was as to whether the fast guys from that group would 'survive' into the Shootout.

It did not take long for the faster guys to infiltrate the 10, with times

Dark horse: Morris, left, jumped into the top 10 - again ...

Things weren't so hot for former Minardi FI man Alex Yoong, below.

Inlin Morris

Mp

moiorsporl news

sAtsUhST

2004

Ominous? Murph, left, looking a bit like '03 despite not being totally happy with the car. Bright too, was right on it, above. the wind was up a little and an 8dead would have to do. . Mir»fuUL^s»

tumbling after two laps.

By the end of the session, it was Murphy who led. That much seemed pretty predictable; the car had not been completely to his liking but was

fast enough, Murph detailing that a baulk in practice had probably cost him a 7.6. He was looking for a high7 in qualifying but,even with the track a perfect 25 degrees,felt that

Jason Bright was second, admitting he was struggling a little for speed across the top in a car that had had only a minor spring change since it came out of the pantech.

Steve Richards was third and happy with that, as the #11 car in

particular had been used a lot by its co-driver, Jim dialling himself into the car which he felt was a little sluggish in feel compared to his recent Bathurst HRT rides.

Steve's only problem was a trip up the escape road at Hell Corner, admitting that he tried too hard to make too much time too quickly. No damage done.

Fourth for Craig Lowndes was really something after the season FPR

continued on page 46

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45

BIG

D

TM

Red’ English

P

RESS releases are, theoretically, designed to assist the media.

But increasingly, even our good ol' V8 boys are being afflicted by a complexityincreasing language, originally credited to FI team boss Ron Dennis, known as 'Ronspeak'.

A classic came after Mark Skaife pitted his HRT VY midqualifying session with smoke pouring from the leftrear wheel.

The media release was of some help; "We had rear suspension geometry issues today that hadn't happened before," it proclaimed. Rear suspension geometry issues?

Fortunately, by the time MS penned his column for the News Ltd papers, the explanation had become a more pragmatic "the suspension broke". That's more like iti The 'issues'? On his second set of tyres, Skaifey saw smoke from the back of the car at The Dipper and initially told the team that he thought it was burning oil. But then

.

he started to feel a rub and was forced to pit the next time around.

What had not happened before was a broken Watts linkage. The Reds patched up the damage and Skaife returned to the battle but there was no time to accurately check settings and the car was not in any shape for him to mount an assault on the top 10.

At the time the smoke started, he had been 10th. By the time the smoke cleared, he was 18th.

For the first time since 1990, Skaife had missed a Bathurst shoot-out- and, with Peter Brock driving the whole session in the 05 car, HRT missed Hey Hey it's Saturday for the first time since 1989.

Skaife later reported that his starting position was a glass half-full/half-empty situation. With a fresh engine, gearbox and other bits for the race, he was confident that the car would be 'issue-free' for the race ...

- PHIL BRAIMAGAN

IHOLDEN

i

i

JusHike'03

I

T is not that unusual to see a Kmart Racing Commodore with a 51 on the side tearing up Mount Panorama. After all, it happened for most of 2003.

But this time, it was different. Yes, Murphy had a drive of the car between laps in 'Rick's' #15 car. But, while Tm Leahey concentrated on race pace miles for himself, Steve Owen stepped up.

Last year, Owen was secondfastest in the 'slower' session in the Smiths Trucks Commodore and impressed most who watched.

continued from page 45 has had. The team had two engines for each car that had been updated by new engine man Rob Benson, rather than built from scratch.

Lowndes and Glenn Seton both wore smiles about the newer units, describing mid and high-end horsepower as far better than they were used to this season.

"We are still losing a little frontend grip," said Seton,"especially at Turn 1 (Hell) and Forrest's Elbow.

That hurts a little on the straights but, otherwise, we are travelling well."

Morris was sixth, with no real complaints from the Sirromet team (which had made ntinimal changes), while Jason Bargwanna was, predictably, pretty positive about seventh.

"The car is going really strongly," he enthused."The good thing about it is that the car is consistent on the [differing] fuel loads and it runs strong on the first flying lap in qualifying. That is what you want for the Shoot-out."

John Bowe was eighth, playing catch-up after losing a fair slice of the morning session when a starting motor fell off. Under the circumstances, cracking the 10 was a firm effort, and Jones Jr missed out on joining him there by about a quarter-second.

The fight for the Shoot-out was over, but there were stories of woe

I

With a better weapon this time around, Owen was on fire, with a time that was good enough for 12th.

"In a way, it was an opposite to last year," said Owen.

"In 2003 we had a pretty good car but zero expectations, this year was the opposite to last year, so there was a bit of pressure.

"If you had said to me a few weeks ago that I'd be 0.5s off Murph in qualif/ing. I’d have been happy with that."

"The biggest disappointment was that we didn't make the top 50

elsewhere(given that a second from pole was 21st position).

Both Shell cars missed out, balance problems to blame, while Max Wilson did not get the chance to mount a challenge when a front stub axle broke. Triple 8 had a problem with an upright mounting pin earlier this season and was concerned enough with this setback that technical director Ludovic Lacroix was on the road to Sydney at 0430 on Saturday to try and identify why it had failed.

Garth Tander was not at all unhappy to be 11th, thinking that the Saturday 'free' time would be better spent on race set-up than on making the TV show, while the other notable absentee would be the second PWR Commodore.

After nailing down 20th on the grid, Matty White walled the car exiting Skyline. The crew had a look at the damage and the car was determined to be out for the weekend. Better luck awaited White in the KMV8 race the following day.

And Adam Macrow would start from the back of the grid. In company with others (including Plato) Macrow missed the weighbridge, which meant that the car's best lap of the session was erased. Wlien he missed it twice, he and a sickly Alain Menu were dismissed to the back.

- PHIL BRANAGAN

motorspori news

sAfSUKtST

2Ulh4

r ^CJUALIFYINB^ percent in qualifying and been on the same playing field as everyone else. But you never know, there's also the chance that the track might have been better when I was out there."

And it was almost better, Owen reporting that he had been held up a little on his fast lap.

"I had to pass a car between the!Dipper and Forrest's Elbow, and there was about 0.35s in it. But apart from that, I reckon that’s all there was in it!

"An 8.3 would have been absolutely tapped out, and we did an 8.7s so, apart from the traffic, the lap was pretty much everything there was in the car."

"Brilliant," grinned KRTteam manager Rob Crawford. "He was terrific today. I am really happy, especially for Steve."

"Absolutely fantastic," agreed Murphy. "The cars were pretty similar. I thought I would have been a second faster but he did a great job.

An 8.3 from a once-a-year-driver?

And one without a deal for 2005 (and who says that he would "just about work for a mechanic's wage")? Sounds like an opportunity for someone.

-PHILBRANAGAN

vases Round !□ I

VERS

Bob Jane T-Marts Bathurst

1 □□□

POS/NO

DR

I

THU2

FR

1

15

Greg Murphy/Rick Kelly

Kmart Racing Team Commodore VY

2m09.5520s

2m08.7906s

2m0B.0757s

2:08.0940s

2

SO

Jason Brlght/Paul Wee!

PWR Racing Commodore VY

2m10.5650s

2m09.6783s

2m08.6363s

2:08.1283s

3

11

Steven Richards/Jim Richards

Team Castrol Perkins Commodore VY

2m11.4869s

2m09.8290s

2m08.3823s

2:08.1363s

4 5

6 9

Craig Lowndes/Glenn Seton

CAT FPR Falcon BA

2m11.4331s

2m10.0861s

2m09.7573s

2:08.3637s

Russell Ingall/Cameron McLean

SBR Caltex Havoline Falcon BA

2m11.1552s

2m09.427Ss

2m12.7461s

2:08.4064s

6

29

Paul Morris/Alan Gurr

Sirromet Commodore VY

2m11.5540s

2m 10.4825s

2m08.8841s

2:08.4906s

7

10

Jason Bargwanna/Mark Winterbottom

Larkham Orreon Racing Falcon BA

2m11.3583s

2m09.6166s

2m08.7203s

2:08.4963s

8 9

12 8

John Bowe/Brad Jones

2m 10.5468s

2m09.6323s

2m10.6360s

2:08.5197s

Paul Dumbrell/Tony Longhurst

BJR OzEmall Racing Falcon BA Team Castrol Perkins Commodore VY

2m11.5436s

2m10.6825s

2m09.0463s

2:08.5285s

10

1

Marcos Ambrose/Greg Ritter

SBR Pirtek Falcon BA

No Time

2m10.3779s

2m09.1699s

2:08.5736s

11

34

Garth Tander/Cameron McConvMIe

GRM Repco Valvollne Cummins VY

2m 10.4098s

2m08.8803s

2:08.6075s

12

51

Steven Owen/Tim Leahey

Kmart Racing Team Commodore VY

2m11.8208s 2m12.2905s

2m 10.9464s

2m09.7769s

2:08.6405s

13

17

Steven Johnson/Warren Luff

DJR Shell Helix Racing Falcon BA

2m 10.2864s

2m09.9378s

2m09.1447s

2:08.6747s

14

31

Steven Ellery/Luke Youlden

Super Cheap Auto Racing Falcon BA

2m11.3950s

2m09.7605s

2m08.9887s

2:08.6786s

15

21

Andy Jones/John Cleland

BJR OzEmatl Racing Falcon BA

2m11.6705s

2m10.2399s

2m10.4282s

2:08.7553s

16

3

Jason Richards/Fabian Coulthard

Tasman Motorsport Commodore VY

2m 12.0486s

2m12.0439s

2m09.5965s

2:08.7926s

17

888

Dean Canto/Yvan Muller

Betta Electrical Triple 8 Falcon BA

2m13.3901s

2m11.1848s

2m09.3381s

2:08.7949s

18

2

Mark Skaife/Todd Kelly

Holden Racing Team Commodore VY

2m09.5318s

2m 10.0128s

2m08.6106s

2:08.8824$

19

44

Simon Wills/Paul Stokell

Team Dynamik Dodo Roadships VY

2m11.6836s

2m12.5903s

2m12.8843s

2:08.9469s

20

16

Matthew Whlte/Marcus Marshall

2m13.2655s

2m10.9464s

2m11.4840s

2:08.9482s

21 22

23 88

David Besnard/John McIntyre Max Wilson Paul Radisich

PWR Racing Commodore VY WPS Falcon BA

2m11.7662s

2m10.3480s

2m09.3518s

2:09.2191s

2m11.7784s

2m10.0432s

2m09.7948s

2:09.3980s

23

021

Craig Baird/Mark Porter

Betta Electrical Triple 8 Falcon BA Team Kiwi Commodore VY

2m11.6258s

2m10.8733s

2m10.2265s

2:09.6889s

24

18

Owen Kelly/David Brabham

DJR Shell Helix Falcon BA

2m11.5518s

2m 13.5764s

2m10.4191s

2:10.3965s

25

45

Dale Brede/WNI Davison

Team Dynamik Dodo Roadships VY

2m 14.0973s

2m11.6719s

2m11.1459s

2:10.4257s

26

05

Peter Brock/Jason Plato

Holden Racing Team Commodore VY

2m 13.4499s

2m11.0169s

2:10.5998s

27

75

Anthony Tratt/Tomas Mezera

Toll Racing Commodore VY

2m 13.5703s 2m13.7612s

2m14.1668s

2m10.4388s

2:10.7036s

28 29

20 7

Mark Larkham/Matt Halliday

Larkham Orreon Racing Falcon BA

2m12.6054s

2m12.5226s

2m11.8455s

2:10.9504s

Jamie Whlncup./Alex Davison

Team Castrol Perkins Commodore VY

2m 15.4349s

2m 13.0637s

2m11.6892s

2:11.0541s

30

33

Nathan Pretty/Allan SImonsen

2m14.0495s

2m13.t00ts

2m11.4709s

2:11.1023s 2:11.2652s

Car/team

THU

I

I

gUAL

31

14

Mark Noske/Lee Holdsworth

GRM Repco Valvoline Cummins VY IMS Commodore VY

2m13.2299s

2m13.2359s

2ml2.7753s

32

48

Alex Yoong/Neil McFadyen

WPS Falcon BA

2m15.4988s

2m13.3600s

2m10.7965s

2:12.2968s

33

24

Garth Walden/Grant Elliott

2m16.4288s

2m17.1019s

2m14.0288s

2:13.2514s

34 35

43 5

Christian D’Agostin/Kurt Wimmer

Romano Racing Falcon AU HYL Commodore VX

2m 16.2584s

2m14.3593s

2m14.1972s

2:13.8471s

Adam Macrow/Alaln Menu

Ford Credit FPR Falcon BA

2m12.6045s

2m11.1074s

2m10.7062s

DISQ

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13 October 2004

47

\

Oirk khTtsmith

Saturday

Richo, by a thou o

N another perfect day, Saturday promised much.

Both Holden Racing Team cars might have been in the wrong half of the grid but Mark Skaife showed that The Reds would still be a threat as teams made the most of the morning session.

With most running their race set ups, Skaife hammered down into the low-8s straight away and ended up with an 8.1. That was impressive until Steve Richards,in what looked like a dress rehearsal for the Shoot-out, put in the first seven of the weekend with

a 7.9s. The gauntlet had been thrown down; Richo had qualifying speed and it was going to be up to the rest of the field to challenge him for pole.

With almost a third of the field in dress rehearsal for the single-lap runs, there were varied opinions about the speed of the cars this year. Skaife, seconded into Network lO's television squad,felt that the engine regulation changes had taken an edge off horsepower,costing time on the first and third sectors. Others,like the OzEmail and Perkins drivers, thought that the track itself was a little slower

and that the engines were no worse or, even,better.

Shoot-out So,the top 10 rolled around. It was unusual to see Marcos Ambrose as the first car out and his ambitions were modest,still feeling that the team was half a session in arrears of the rest of the field. In the circumstances, he was happy with fifth.

Then came Paul Dumbrell. The kid was confident, but not foolishly so, possibly as a consequence of his mid season coaching session with noted

Oils sure is oils. Dumbrell, above, put in a brilliant lap, forcing Castro! Perkins team leader Richo Jnr, above left, to dig very deep to grab pole ... driver guru Rob Wilson in England.

Whatever, it showed. The car was nailed down and PD was on it all the way for an 8-dead. But even that was not the full tale; "Up over the top it was a little bit hairy but 1 pansied it down from there.

1 didn't want to face Larry if 1 scratched the car!"

Bowe looked like he was going to be close but the OzEmail car was a little conservahve across the hill, leaving him sixth. Then came Jason Bargwanna who,he admitted later, had more of an eye on the race than he did on the single lap effort.

The Sirromet VY was steady but lost a little time on the straights,leaving Paul Morris seventh, while Russell Ingall found that the refettled Caltex car was a little tally compared to what it had been the day before. Eighth would have to do.

Ford comparo: Ambrose, left, and Lowndes up on two at tbe Dipper. Lowndes got even higher at the Chase and compromised a great lap ...

I?

48

moiorsRort news

sAtHUhSJ

2004

With a renewed engine in the CAT car Lowndes looked like the Craig of old over the first two-thirds of the lap. The Falcon looked like an upset waiting to happen until Lowndes hooked it over the inside kerb too hard at The Chase and two-wheeled aU the way out.

"I tried to carry too much speed in," Lowndes confessed later. "It understeered in and fired up on me.It has happened before but, with fresh tyres, it gripped and went up. I am a bit pissed off with myself-1 lost a low 8."

So it was now going to be a Holden pole. Richo was blinding over the opening sector and rocketed across the top, the car looking swift but ugly. He kept his sock on it and registered a 7.9611s, right on the pace of his warmup time.

Brighty was next. He was almost two-tenths up at the first sector and was looking for more over the rest of the lap; but liis second sector was almost two-tenths down on Richo and it was just about a tie over the line. He missed by 12 ten-thousandths of a second ...

"We knew aU weekend that there was a 7.7 or even a 7.6 in the car," he said later. Brighty had seen a 7.6 on his predictive lap twice in practice but lost time on the last part of the lap.

So,it came down to Murphy. He was in the car early, again, but the air around the Kmart team was not quite what it was last year.

Even so,he gave it a go. He was four-himdredths up on Bright at the first spUt and a tenth down on Richards at the second. In the end,it came down to 0.15s and Bargs - in the Top 10, but a conservative lap.

there were two Holdens between him and Richards.

"Tick another box for the weekend," smiled Richards,"I made the time on the third sector. The first pole at Bathurst,I hope it is not the last."

Murphy admitted to being "a bit surprised. It felt good but it was not fast enough.I did a double-take when I looked at the dash but it was not the time that I was looking for."

Bright was as happy as someone who missed pole by so small a margin could be, while Dumbrell was understandably thrilled to be a career-best third.

"There was a time when I was scratching my head and I put my foot down," he said of his'educational' trip. "If I had the chance,I would definitely do it again."

LP looked proud. Richards looked prouder. So did his dad. But the line of the day had to go to Tony Longhurst,sitting beliind Dumbrell at the media conference; "I said to Jim, we were sitting here in third with HRT last year. We certainly jumped ship at the right time!"

And then,just to add to the fun ... when the top 10 cars were impounded,some of them picked up stones on their tyres. Such was tire concern that the teams were offered a fresh set of Dunlops,conditional on all the tyres being roaded for three laps in the Sunday warmup. Understandably, aU the teams accepted the offer and,equally understandably, were less than entliusiashc when asked to pay for them ...

-PHIL BRANAGAN

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TOP TEN S H □ DTa UT Pos Driver 1 Richards

Split 1 Split 2 Time 52,0718s 1:26.5005s 2:07.9611s

2 3

Bright Dumbrell

51.9201s 1:26.6907s 2:07.9623s 52.0363s 1:26.2773s 2:08.0360s

4 5

Murphy Ambrose

51,8^s 52.1284s

1:26.6051s 2:08.1177s 1:26,8999s 2:08.4490s

6

Bowe

52.1760s

1:26,9410s

2:08.5537s

7

Morris

52.3632s 1:26.9875s

2:08.6920s

8

Ingall

52,1700s

1:27.3975s

2:08.9525s

9 10

Lowndes 52,2251s_h26.7373s Bargwanna 52.4442s 1:27.5583s

2:09.4096s 2:09.4531s

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Our Lensi

busy at I

Daddy, turn down the volume: Great Race Grand Marshall Steve Waugh and his son enjoy the Mount Panorama festivities. l-IVIA

ITS'Tra

Popular oldies: The 1974, above, and 1979, below, Bathurst-winning machines were back at the track.

SPRUNG BREAKING RULES m—PLUa TH£ WIRE BACK

They said it, not us: A new meaning for SBR, above, But the boys below couldn't give a rats ...

50

moll

●OS

nen were Sathurst

2

It's a bird, it's a plane, no, it's both! The Grid Birds and Aeroplans entertained the record crowd.

The Adventures of Spiderman and Friends We’re uncertain of his mental state, but IMNews lensman John Morris took the webbed superhero to Bathurst for company

Talkm with the wigs: Spiderman Wiints Osbourne and Cattach to allowed for better figurine seating, below.

13 Octobsr 2004

Hungry and thirsty: After a tounge kiss from Rory, Spiderman enjoyed some post^race drinks with Murph.

SI

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i

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Sunday

The Fords beat all the Holdens at Bathurst- except for the Kmart Racing Team VY of Greg Murphy and Rick Kelly PHIL BRANAGAN and MARK GLENDENNING report on a dramatic 2004 Bob Jane T-Marts 1000 52

moiorspon news

sAissUhSf

2004

o

N the final laps of the 2004 Bathurst 1000, the race looked, pretty much,a bit like it did in 2003.

Greg Murphy was out in front, Rick Kelly was looking at a monitor and trying to relax and Glenn Seton was watching Craig Lowndes doing amazing things with a less-thanamazing Falcon. How they actually got there, though, was much different.

This was no Commodore benefit.

Murph and Rick were the cork in a Ford bottle, a line of Barras looking to run down the Spidermen and steal the glory from The General. But the VY had too much steam; Murphy had a clear road, put the foot to the floor and held true to take his and Kelly's second-straight win at the Mountain.

"This was a tough day," said a relieved Murph after his fourth win.

"It wasn't easy last year, but this time around it didn't start great. We actually struggled a bit early on. But as we got going,it became good and we were able to run pretty strongly. It was basically down to who was on what strategy. We obviously had some luck today, as did some others, with the stops and the Safety Cars, but in the end it just panned out really well, and the guys just called a strategy."

"It's a very difficult race to win, and this was really not expected," bubbled Rick.

Especially with the lead-up to the race. It was very difficult, in aU the sessions, to be right up the front. It was very competitive, and the first three stints of the race were very difficult for Greg and myself, in the first stint, Greg dropped back quite a bit at the start and he had a lot of

Dili: Klynsmilh

work to do, but he did that quite well and handed the car back to me in a good position.

The Fords were lacking, mostly in speed but also in terms of userfriendliness, which meant that the drivers had to watch their tyres, their fuel or both.

lust like last year, exept its this year: The Rickster and Murph are the Mountain Kings in 2004.

13 October 2004

The first lap bump and grind: Barwanna runs slightly wide, but that was nothing compared to the Richards/Bright/Dumbrell fiasco.

As usual, FPR stepped up from its malaise to give a near-fairytale result to Lowndes and Seton.

"For us, it was an up and down day, really," Lowndes shrugged."We had a slight problem with oil pressure throughout the race, and we had to come m and top the oil tank up. At the same time, we had enough Safety Cars, in the sense of not going down a lap. So that was important."

Seton, meanwhile, could be forgiven for feeling a mite frustrated at once again finishing just shy of the top step of the podium, but Seto declared that he was more than happy.

"I'm not frustrated," he said. "I'm very happy with the result that we've managed to come up with. I'd never knock back second if we can't have first."

Brad Jones and John Bowe did a man's job, even if JB ran out of tyres in the final stages of the race.

"I could run the same pace as Murph when we came out after that last pitstop, but I ended up having a tyre problem," explained JB.

"I eventually decided that rather than maybe fence it, we'd pulled such a gap on the guys behind us that I thought I'd nurse it home. I didn't give up, but I thought third would be better than nothing, so that's where we ended up."

"It was a tough race," confirmed Jones. "I thought we had a really good strategy, and we ended up where we did The guys beavered away, and the caution laps didn't always fall our way, but we were up and around there all day."

Oh yes, there were other Holdens in the race but they, mostly, took themselves out of the running. After having seen incidents with mineral (Dick Johnson's rock) and vegetable (Dick spearing into the trees), this time we saw an animal get involved, a kangaroo appearing from nowhere to assault Jim Richards, putting the pole car out of contention. Son Steven reappeared to salvage some points and limit the damage to his championship ambitions.

continued on page 54

Great battle: Bowe and Lowndes fought for second in the closing stages.

At the end, the positions were reversed.

S3

V. A TU

continued from page 54 That said, the fastest Holdens looked to be the PWR car of Jason Bright and Paul Weel, who were put into lap record mode by a mistake from the team, and the Garth Tander/Cam McConville VY, which was well-placed all day until GT tangled with Mark Winterbottom and pinballed into the Griffins wall.

The Holden Racing Team was simply never a factor, Mark Skaife delayed when a battery failed and Jason Plato clanging with John Cleland,leaving the OzEmail car on its roof at The Chase. Peter Brock never even got a steer which, after what happened (or didn’t) in practice and qualifying, was probably a blessing.

Race(161 laps) The key theofBathurst 1000 is,to inwinning the words Skaife, buying a ticket to the last 30 laps.

Murphy and Kelly did that, despite a lousy start from Murph and what he felt was a bad first set of tyres. Partly because of that, the team took the opportunity to pit Murph early and send Rick back into battle with a new set.

"We were using more juice," admitted team engineer Erik Pender.

"We did all the work at the start and switched to a five-stop strategy."

The team reacted to the speed of the race by making two brake pad changes, as did the Stone Brothers team.

"If you do it early, you have good brakes for the race. When you get the first Safety Car, it negates the loss," said Ross Stone.

That stop, on lap 32,came after both SBR cars pitted early,jumping to a five-stopper straight away. Greg Ritter had Struggled with a cut tyre while Russell Ingall was battling a tyre problem that stayed around all day.

For Richards, the fun started after seven seconds when Dumbrell gave Bright a tap, sending him across Richo’s bows. For a second it appeared that there was about to be a catastrophe (Bright "What the hell was going there?") but all carried on.

In the fuss, Ambrose took the lead and,for a time, Bathurst was starting to look like a lot of other tracks as the Champion pulled a lead. Brad Jones looked racey and followed through while Richards took over the role of Holden leader when he stayed with the leaders. Tine two had a tangle at The Chase,dropping Brad down a few spots before all carried on. Richo stayed in contention and took the lead when Ambrose pitted before his pater scared the team a little by wearing the tyre wall at Griffins 54

I ’.ii 1.

: f'

K Oirk Klynsmilh

fase the Ace: Bargwanna and Winterbottom held their own and came away with a solid fifth place.

when a throttle problem caught him out. Cool as ever, Jim backed it out, pitted and carried on. The next Safety Car caught him out somewhat,as he was three laps short of the minimum number of co-driver’s laps, so in the car he stayed.

Then, on lap 122, all hell broke loose. On the Shelf leading to The Cutting, one of the nation’s finest marsupials bounded into the action and created history, which can be immortal. The kangaroo, sadly, was not.

"There was no warning," Jim explained, "It was over the fence and right in front of me. I hit it before I hit the brakes, I am sure. If it had jumped another couple of feet, it would have been okay. We have seen roos here before but you never think that this will happen."

Jim hit the brakes and Ingall, right behind, hit him. No damage was done to the Ford but the Castrol car was in for heavy repairs so that Steve could soldier on for 21st position and 112 points.

FPR also in the lead battle with, asfeatured usual, Lowndes doing the starring. The other car also ran well, Adam Macrow following Canto through the traffic at warp speed until the car was sidelined with a broken steering rack, the crew deciding to park the car rather than shoot for 121 laps(75 percent) to be classified a finisher.

Seton backed up Craig as well as ever and the car genuinely looked a threat, despite being down on power.

Time and again, Lowndes would hassle Bowe until Conrod when the BJR car, with more Rob Benson in its molorsport news

■Castfol

sAfHOkST

2 tin4 t

motor than Lowndes's, pulled five lengths on the straight.

"Chasing Bowie (at the end) was no mean feat, 1 can tell you," said Lowndes. "I made a mistake, fell back, and caught him again, and made a mistake and fell back and caught him again ... thankfully for us - it was unfortunate for them - they had a problem that allowed us to go past."

In the end, despite tire fact that SBR went into the race with a five-stop plan and stuck to it and KRT went with a four-stop plan and switched, what decided the race was the final

<1

Dirk Klynsmitb fohn ■

1

I

\ I

kVlA?

-

Not Skippy's finest hour: Gentlemen Jim wasn't so gentle with the kangaroo who jumped in front of his Castro! Commodore.

The team worked on the car. above, to get Steven some valuable Championship points.

Late-race clash: Mark Winterbottom was lucky to survive his touch-up with Garth Tander at CAT Corner. Tander wasn't as fortunate and ended the race with a heavy encounter with the tyre wall.

stop. The leaders pitted together when the Tander/Winterbottom incident prompted the seventh Safety Car period and the leaders knew what was coming.

Ambrose had been conscious of not overdoing his tyres. In his penultimate stint, he was struggling for grip on lap 128 and asking for his own permission to pit; he was really battling. When the he and Johnson came in together, he made it out in front of Steve and took the spot.

And IngalTs were little better, he came in on 129 and had to wait, losing two spots in the process. In the last 10 laps Rusty almost begged the team for permission to stop for fresh skins before he battled on, eventually ceding to Bargwarma who, once he cleared Steve Johnson, zoomed up to the back of the leaders and started to

Sandman: Jason Bright, left, trips his car through the Skyline sand trap due to brake problems. His Championship bid remains intact though.

13 Ociobir 2004

VBSCS

Round

J □

Bathurst, NSW Race Pos

j

LARS

DRIVER

I

Race Time |

Fastest

]

IMurphy/R.Kelty/ 2Lowndes/Seton

6:29:36.2055 6:29:45.7793

2:09.3744 2:08.9075

117 30

3 B.]ones/Bowe

6:29:56.4254

2:09.4021

78

4Ambrose/Ritter

6:30:06.8950

2:09.4132

8

5Bargwanna/Winjefbottom6:30:08.40952:09.8001 6lngall/McLean 6:30:25.0477 2:09.900 7S.Johnson/Luff 6:30:32.6532 2:10.3665

132 74 30

80wen/Leahey

39 114 73 61 94* 60

lOPretty/Simonsen

J60 laps 160 laps 160 laps

llLarkham/Halliday

160 laps

2:09.9004 2:11.4416 2:11.4553 2:11.8772

I2_Bright/Weel 13Wills/Stokell

159 laps 159 laps

2:08.8972 2:10.6620

MSkaife/T.Kelly

159 laps

2:09.2879

56

15McFadyen/Yoong 16Ellery/Youlden

159 laps 158 laps

2:11.6442 2:09.7520

129 29

170.Kelly/Bfabham 18Tratt/Mezera

157 laps

2:10.6843

129

157 laps

19D'Agoslin/Wimmer

157 laps

2:11.3884 2:14.1550

125 8

9Whincup/A.Davison

move in on some points. He got past The Enforcer for fifth on the

20Ja.Richards/CQultliafd 152 laps

2:10.1004

142

21S.Richards/Ji.Richards 148 laps 22Baird/Porter 129 laps

2:09.0851

76

2:11.9236

5

penultimate lap.

Lowndes's cause was aided by a stunning stop from the FPR crew. He gained tw'o spots there and then.

Pitwork was going to decide the race but Pender knew that Murph, having done only a dozen laps since he got in, Q faced a shorter fill than tlie Fords. ?●

DNF

Mullef/Canto

138 laps

2:09.5551

42

DNF

McConvi[le/Tander133 laps

2:09.8852

18

DNF

Dumbrell/LonghursM29 laps

2:09.1084

125

"All we had to do was get it done," ^ he said.

Erik called short his celebrations

Bathurst bid goes begging ... again: The Ambrose/Ritter effort, above, held an early race lead.

Dirk KIjmmilh

because he had to get home to Melbourne to celebrate his son's ninth birthday. Tliem Penders are real racers; his son is named Emerson ...

(Happy birthday Emerson).

For once, the SBR Fords were outrun by their cousins. Ambrose was not able to mount a challenge; that was left to Lowndes. And the challenge was for second, because Murphy was gone and commanding the race.

So, to Surfers. As some drivers star at the Mountain, others strive on a street fight. Queensland's own Ingall is one of them; but Murphy and Kelly will be riding waves of confidence in the sunny north.

HRT cannot, surely, have two such bad weekends in a row, and Bright has shown all that he has speed, if not luck. Points on the line, surf and babes and, oh yes. Champ Cars to fill in the gaps. Now, where is that airport again ...

DNF

Radisich/Wilson

116 laps

2:10.0499

45

DNF DNF

Besnard/Mcimp 99 laps Noske/Holdsworth 59 laps

2:10.9771 2:11.3786

15 ~ 'l7

DNF DNF DNF

Morris/Gurr 50 laps Brede/W.Davison 49 laps Menu/Macrow 43 laps

2:10.0944 2:11.4249 2:10.2890

8 13 11

DNF

A.Jones/Cleland

29 laps

2:10.2052

19

DNF

Plato/Brock

27 laps

2:11.1185

11

DNF

Walden/Elliott

18 laps

2:117581

4

BIG

D

www.bigpond.com.au VBSCS

POIMTS

Points; Ambrose 1667, Bright 1612, R. Keiiy 1565, Ingall 1519, S. Richards 1509, Murphy 1476, T. Kelly 1303, Bowe 1188, Tander 1155, Bargwanna 1138, Weel 1029, Skaife 1003, iohnson 1000, B. Jones 973, Seton 971, Winterbottom 940, Baird 922, Luff 904, Ja. Richards 904, Morris 861, McConville 860, Tratt 844, Dumbrell 844, Longhursl 826, Lowndes 825, Radisich 763, Ellery 722, Wills 643, Besnard 560, Wilson 504, Ritter 372, McLean 360, Coulthard 330, Porter 310, Noske 304, Brede 292, Mezera 272, Yoong 248, Ji. Richards 248, Youlden 240, D'Agostin 236, Wimmer 236, McFadyen 226, Walden 181, Leahey 164,0w»

\

164, A. Davison 160, Whincup 160, Pretty 156, Simonsen 156, Halliday 152, Larkham 152, Marshall 152, White 152, Stokell 144, Brock 140, Plato 140, O'Brien 132, Brabham 128,0. Kelly 128, Gurr 128, Macrow 120, Menu 120, McIntyre 112, Elliott 100.

5S

BIG

D™

An Englishman,a Scot and 3 Aus

THERE is a case to be made that international drivers cannot cut it at Mount Panorama.

John Cleland manages to fly south most years and come away with his head held high, while the Super Touring races at the mountain have featured class Euros starring in their element. But, Cleland apart, take a star and put him in a dinosaur and it all turns to ... you know what.

The 2004 Great Race featured a tangle between former BTCC champs Cleland and Jason Plato. The 05 car was struggling when Plato fired it into the dirt at Murrays,leaving it would a wounded (and soon blown) tyre.

The team asked Plato whether the off had been caused by locking brakes and flat-spotting the tyres, and his reply was. "absolutely not". With almost a full lap to complete before he could pit for a new tyre, he trundled on around the track.

That was bad news for Cleland. Poms and Scots are not the best of kin at the best of times but this would do little to

assist things. Cleland emerged from the Chase on the outside of Steve Owen and found the 05 machine plumb on the line.

The Ford rode over the Commodore and JC went spuming down the road on his

lid.

If he'd been where he should have been on the track, none of it would have happened," growled the Scot later.

It's not like he's covered himself in glory this weekend. He's got enough experience in racing to get out of the road. He's supposed to know the difference between the middle of the road and the side of the road. I had no idea he was there until I hit him - there were no white flags being waved.

The car was great, Andy (Jones) and I were reaUy looking forward to a good race. I'm gutted for Andy and gutted for the team, because they need the car again in two weeks. It's just one of those things, I suppose."

Cleland will be back. Plato? Don't hold your breath.

- PHIL BRANAGAN

l n

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ielblerra PLATINUM The Chase for... never mind: Plato enters the Chase in the 05 Commodore, opposite top, where he is hit by an unsighted Cleland, above. The OzEmail Ford skates down the road on its roof, far left, before coming to rest, left, leaving the two former BTCC Champs to discuss the federal election results, below.

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57

BIG

D

The Hairless and the Terteises A LOOK at the pedigree Triple 8's drivers carried into the race would impress any observer.

Paul Radisich carries two World Touring Car Cups on his CV. Yvan Muller has a BTCC title and God-knows-how-many Andros ice racing titles on his. Max Wilson is experienced in both Formula One and Champ Car. So it says something that the little bloke with the furmy accent (ie, none) with 'only' a Konica crown to his name gave all the foreigners in his own outfit a belting.

Dean Canto may have no hair but he certainly has form around the mountain. From the back of the pack, necessary because he had an engine let go on Sunday morning,Deano zoomed through the

field (with FPR's Adam Macrow not far behind) to be 24th after a lap and 15th when he pitted for fuel on lap 15. From there, Muller made a bit of a meal of things with a spin, and the day ended badly when Canto scraped a wall and broke the suspension but the numbers were impressive; anyone who can run nines around Bathurst can drive.

All the more remarkable for a once-a-year driver.

"I was pushing," he admitted later. "I was an inch too wide at The Dipper. I found out pretty quick that it runs out of grip there.

"At the end of the opening stint, we had a bit of a foul-up. The crew called me in, I committed to enter pitlane, they yelled 'abort!' on the radio, I

went right, then they called me in again and I ran over two floppies when I went left. That gave me a penalty; if you take that away, Yvan would have been second or third when he got up to speed.

"But I am pretty happy."

So was Roland Dane. With two new Barras and a Craig Lowndes to welcome into the team in the near future, Dane is not often miserable. This afternoon, he was delighted.

"Dean did a grand job," he enthused.

We agree. In this company. Canto looked the best of the four Betta drivers. In fact, he looked deserving of a full-time ride with someone. Even if he lacks things like hair, and an accent.

- PHIL BRANAGAN

I.

!«esult. Jusi FOR much of the weekend,there

k

58

P|F^ was a crowd of people, of varying size (the crowd, not the people) around one Mister Brock.

With Peter Perfect returning to the Mountain after a 24-month absence from The Great Race, that much was a safe bet. The talk before the race centred, largely, on The Great Man. Could he win his 10th? Could he?

It was a game. A PR battle. We know; we played along. Brock gets public attention and has done for more than three decades. He is the racing driver in the minds of the punters and, certainly, at Holden, the management of which refer to him simply as 'The Icon'.

But the stark reality of Brock's moiorsport nswt

sAtHUkSt

2004

What happened?

Steve Ellery and Luke Youlden had a wheel come loose early in the race, prompting an unneeded pit stop.

Later, Ellery was battling for brakes and nosed the car into the wall at Forrests Elbow. They made it home 16th, three laps down.

n Alex Yoong was not especially swift in his first Bathurst 1000 but he proved his fitness. Neil McFadyen was not on the pace in the WPS Falcon so the Malaysian drove the final stints and the pair were 15th.

Yoong had been battling an illness earlier in the weekend, and then added to the discomfort by taking the ventilation out of the car. "That was a mistake," he told MNews. Look for a better-ventilated Yoong at Indy. The other WPS car had an even less happy day, and was parked on lap 99 after sustaining damage following an excursion through the gravel. n Anthony Tratt was caught speeding in pit lane early in the race, meaning that co-driver Tomas Mezera had to serve a drive-through penalty.

That cost the pair a lap, while another Safety Car appeared at just the wrong time, meaning that the Toll car was 18th.

Some you win, some you lose Last year, the fastest car in the race was the winner. This year, it missed...

the Wrong Battle 2004 Bathurst campaign is thus; as a PR coup, it was a great success. As anything else, it was a bust. At the end of the day, the Holden Racing Team was down to one car as soon as the decision was made to install Brock alongside Jason Plato who proved, once again, that while he may be a good racing driver in other cars on other tracks, he cannot race worth a cracker at Bathurst.

It was almost painful to watch. Brock has been a great racing driver; at his best, there have been none better in our sport. We can say the same about former test cricket captain Greg Chappell; the difference is that the ACB is 13 OctollBr 2004

not about to put him back in the test team.

Surely, it is time for V8 Supercars to stand up by itself, time for Holden and Brock to put his career in perspective into history. Greg Murphy, Rick Kelly, Marcos Ambrose and co can lead our sport in the 21st century. A team's effort and a fine car were wasted at Bathurst. Other drivers could have - would have- done a better job.

Peter, we have enjoyed the ride. From the stands, the media room or the pits, we have cheered as much as anyone. But, please, no more.

Others have earned their time in the spotlight.

It is time to go.

BATHURST proved that a VY with an 18-degree Chev tucked under the bonnet was the gear to have.

But the car in question was not painted up in Kmart colours, but the orange and white of their next-doorneighbours at PWR.Jason Bright and Paul Weel had a scarily fast car at their disposal on Sunday; unfortunately, that was just about where the good news ended.

A goof in the garage when the car was being prepared led to the brake problems that initially sent #50's fortunes plummeting somewhere south, and things never really got better. The pair went down a lap while the brake problems were being sorted out, but a string of searing laps from Bright - including the fastest lap of the race -showed that they were more than capable of running themselves back into contention before Bright overcooked it, first surfing over the sandtrap at Skyline and, later, firing the car the gravel.

The car was retrieved, and continued to lap faster than the leaders, but with no favours from Safety Cars, it never looked a threat from there on.

"We had a good car - a really good car," rued Bright."This was certainly not our ambition for the day. We lost a lap to the brake problem,and then we were trying to get it back when 1 overheated the front brakes and spun."

Sometimes you can go out and win a race - but.sometimes, you can go out and losQ it, too.

n Paul Morris and Alan Gurr were destined for an early shower after an accident ended the team's interest in the race on lap 50. Morris drove a strong opening stint, and Gurr had followed his example until he made a mistake at the top of the Mountain.

"I'd just got clear of a WPS car and was coming up over the top when I got a bit of understeer over the crest and got a bit wide," he winced.

"I got really close to the wall and was trying to stop it from hitting but looped it in the process. In hindsight I probably would have been better just glancing the wall." n The mighty VX roared again at the mountain, with Alex Davison and Jamie Whincup collecting a respectable ninth in the race, making them the first Castrol Perkins car home, the first of the older spec cars (the only other being the Walden/ Elliott AU) and making Alex the first Great Race rookie home, only one lap down on the leaders. n Rounding out the top ten was the second GRM car of Allan Simonsen and Nathan Pretty, salvaging a sombre afternoon for the Repco Valvoline crew. Just out of the top 10 was the second Orrcon car of Mark Larkham and Matt Flalliday, in 11th. In what looks like being Larko's final Bathurst, the team were doing very well to be threatening the top ten, a sticking brake disc in their pad change stop impeding their progress, but a solid result for the team, backing up the lead cars strong finish of fifth.

59

Ttie Four Pivotal Points Hie Great Race always throws up key factors that decide the race.In'04,they were...

1 The Front Row Blues Steven Richards and Jason Bright proved that they had the fastest cars on the track when they qualified 0.001s apart. But,from the time the two a/mosf tangled on lap 1, not a lot went right for the Holden duo.

Brakes slowed Bright and Jim Richards got a roo'd awakening.

Bright finished 12th, the Richos 21st.

2 Twice the Pads, Twice the Fun With so many other areas of the cars being so equal, brakes are being hammered like never before. A bump at the Chase now prompts the drivers to slow from 290kmh to 90 in 20 metres less than last year. The result is that teams are now planning two pad changes in the race; it worked for KRT and almost worked for Stone Bros. Steve Ellery, who planned only one change, was out of brakes at the end of the race.

3 Stoned and Rubbered The good news for SBR was that, this year, the tyres did not actually fail like they have in the past. But the tyre usage of the Barras was still harsher than the opposition; when it came time to sprint, the Stone Fords were no match for Lowndes or Bargwanna, who took places off them in the final laps.

,if''

nnn

●j

4 KRT gets out of jail

Murphy and Kelly were looking at two stops late in the race (compared to the opposition's one) until Paul Radisich's upright broke on lap 117, prompting a Safety Car. That allowed Kelly to hand over to Murf and, when he and the other leaders pitted together 12 laps later, the #15 car had a much shorter fill than the Fords. Murf got out first, on a clear track. Game Over...

60

Ill

i^e/sfra

u

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The Gambler

Roll the dice and you still get red. With virtually no pre-race running, Suzuka was a set-up game of chance. And you know who won. JOESAWARD watched the master at work

M

ICHAEL Schumacher won

again at the Japanese Grand Prix. His 13th victory and Ferrari's 15th in 17 races was a typical piece of efficiency. It was,as Jean Todt loves to remind people, a fantastic result for the team and evidence that all the partners have worked together and ... blah blah blah.

In Suzuka Michael walked it. With zero dry running on which to base a set-up, it was a case of who could put together the best race package based on experience and last year's data. In tyre terms, in particular, it was a gamble.

Ferrari, it seems,do that just as

well as everything else.

Michael won; his brother Ralf followed. It was the story of their life.

Ralf should probably have been beaten if the people at BAR had applied Ferrari logic and efficiency to their drivers.

In the early laps, Jenson Button and Takuma Sato ran together. At the time, Sato needed to be ahead because he was on a three-stop strategy. Button was on a two-stop and was not really looking at the bigger picture. Teams which do not have team orders sometimes suffer for being sporting.

But when all is said and done nobody can denigrate Michael

Schumacher's achievement. He drove a super race with a car that was brilliantly set up.

The tyres worked, and it quickly became obvious that Michael had no opposition at all.

"It wasn't clear who would be running heavy," Michael said.

"We had no indication from practice. So we had to be flat-out in the early part of the race, until the pit stops had been done and we could judge who was on what strategy."

After that it became obvious that Michael was not under threat and he did cruise. He had a lead of 20s after

6

20 laps and he kept the same for the rest of the race until backing off even more in the last couple of laps.

Anyone could see he had a little extra in hand.

Total one driver doesdomination not mean itby was a bad race.

r-n Marftffo

The Mind and Master; Michael and Ross Brawn share the spoils on the Japanese podium, above, while Ralf and the seven-time Champion look suitably chuffed at the post-race press conference.

But in order to make things interesting (and keep people informed) one needs someone who understands what is happening. The TV director at Fuji TV was really not very good...

He missed a lot of the action and when he could not think of things to do(which was too often) he switched to Takuma Sato. This was deeply frustrating, because behind Michael the racing was good. By the end of the Grand Prix more than a few pressmen were advocafing that the director be dragged from his control room and shot on the spot. If ever there was a case for getting rid of national broadcasters, Fuji TV proved it on Sunday.

Teams do not have to do things in the best interests of the sport (although some do), but it would be nice if the TV companies involved at least understood that the most important thing is not doing Honda commercials but rather putting on a good show.

There was a marvellous battle between Massa and Villeneuve. TV viewers saw almost none of it. The Barrichello-Coulthard collision was a complete mystery to anyone watching TV, Sato passing Button was never seen, Raikkonen collided with a Jordan and no-one knew about it and a whole raft of overtaking manouevres were missed.

With the benefit of 20-20 hindsight, there is the question of whether or not BAR should have beaten Ralf.

The strategy required Sato to make a good start and be ahead of Button. In theory he would have then been able to deal with Mark Webber and then go with Ralf.

Instead,Sato was slow away and Button went ahead. And then they stayed like that for seven laps.

In doing that. Button probably slowed himself a little because drivers who are thinking about things behind them do not necessarily go as quickly as they might.

The team says that both drivers knew the strategies and were given their respective lap times and were asked to judge what was best for the team. The engineers "reminded" Jenson about the strategy involved and eventually, on lap seven. Button finally pulled over and let Takuma goSato took off at great speed and left Jenson with no-one to play with, molorsport newt

When he pulled over, Jenson lost two seconds. At the last pit stops Ralf Schumacher came out just ahead of him. If the two seconds had not been wasted...

When all is said and done it is easy to be wise after the event. The fact is that Sato blew his chance at the start and Button may or may not have blown his by his actions.

Ifmore the truth be toldl BAR was really interested in trouncing Renault, and that they did. It will take a miracle for Renault to come back and be runners-up in the Constructors' Championship.

Renault has to get a 1-3 result in Brazil without BAR scoring.

And Jacques Villeneuve, the great white hope a few weeks ago, is not going to produce a miracle like that in the time available, if at all.

The team has only itself to blame.

If it had not got into a fight with Jarno Trulli back in mid-season, it would probably have been a very different story. The Trulli we saw in

13 October 2004

Monaco might well have 'attended' other races if he had not been screwed around with contracts.

Fernando Alonso did his best but as he said afterwards the only thing to do from 11th on the grid was "maximum attack". He did that but was held back in the traffic. He finished a creditable fifth.

Villeneuve's performance was less earth-shattering. He said the car was not well set-up and that it understeered a lot. The team added front downforce at both stops.

"1 could not increase my pace," said Jacques. "It is a disappointing result." A look at the faces in the Renault garage said the same thing.

Down at BAR they were enjoying Jacques's supposed revenge on them but over at Sauber one got the impression that there were some possibly pensive reflections about their commitment to JV for 2005 and 2006.

After an appalling practice and qualifying, Felipe Massa was down at the back of the grid, having gone off

in every available session, inexcusable for a man with his

dpi

experience. And yet he did drive a super race and he enjoyed himself a lot, pulling off some really good moves and setting the fourth fastest lap of the race. Imagine what he might have done if he had started up at the front. Giancarlo Fisichella had a poor start but was going well when he went off at Spoon Corner while fiddling with the radio button trying to sort out a fuel warning light problem.

It was a day when Sauber did not maximise its potential.

'The same was true with McLaren.

- - Kimi Raikkonen was struggling from his 12th place on the grid and he did not make a good start. And then, when he had clawed his way up the order, he had a collision as he was lapping Timo Clock's Jordan.

"I was on the inside and he just turned into me," Kimi said. continued on page 66

The Big Three: The race between Monty, Kimi and Rubens was tough.

63

Qualifying

One day wonder

n t

Sunday nnorning qualifying, with no practice, opened up an opportunity for some - especially Mark Webber- but his failure in China allowed Michael to grab an easy pole... JOE SAWARD dried out in time to report back

T

HE clouds which accompanied Typhoon Ma-on as it passed by Suzuka on Saturday afternoon may have cleared by Sunday morning but, with the track drying through qualifying and no indication at all about what the teams were doing set-up wise, qualifying was a true gamble.

There were just too many unanswered questions to draw any conclusions for the race, just hours later. There were wing settings, tyre choices, the track conditions and so on.

One could say that it all meant nothing, but that is not true because the grid so often has a

-5T, I

i L 64

profound effect on the race.

The interesting thing was that the two men on the front row both thanked their unlucky stars for having had bad weekends in China (the pre-qualifying running order was determined by China's finishing order). And maybe that said it all.

The point was that the results of one race would affect another. If that is considered to be a good thing then things are fine but it not what motor racing should be.

Having said that at the end of the qualifying session Suzuka was buzzing with excitement. It made a great case for trying to hold two-day meetings in the

future. But then if they did that the local hotels would not be able to charge five-night minimums and Bernie Ecclestone's fees for races would become even more outrageous ...

From a sporting point of view, however, the format was great even if the statistics probably said it all.

When pre-qualifying started at nine o'clock on Sunday morning, the track was still damp from all the rain on Friday and Saturday.

The first lap was by a Ferrari and Rubens Barrichello set a 1 m41.001 s. About 100 minutes later Michael Schumacher in the other Ferrari lapped the track in 1 m33.542s to take pole position.

The skill was not to make mistakes and keep the cars on the island.

The running which had been done on Friday in dreadful weather conditions did not confirm anything beyond the fact that Michael Schumacher was fastest in both sessions with Giancarlo Fisichella second for Sauber.

Monsson weather was, therefore, Bridgestone weather.

But none of the race drivers did more than 17 laps and Michael did only 10. Felipe Massa, a fan of sand traps, managed a grand total of zero flying laps, having gone off each time he tried to drive quickly. This meant that everyone went into Sunday with no data and had to improvise on tyres, wings and fuel loads.

It had all the makings of being an interesting race even if qualifying was completely undecipherable. The molorsport news

FORMULA 1

4-.\ Ali

/

I*

Showman: In miserable conditions. a late pre-qualifying slot aided Michael, left, and Webber, who joined the pair of Schueys at the post-qualifying press conference, above. Trulli, below left, ran well in red and white for the first time.

.

L.

qualifying session had been declared wet and the race would be dry and so there was little to be gained from risking things on dry tyres. But with the track drying all the time, the men who ran last were at a big advantage.

And the men who ran last were those who had run last in pre qualifying or, in other words, the people who had not done well in China.

Juan Pablo Montoya did well in China but was horribly slow in pre-qualifying, the team having actually decided to try running him on dry tyres. He did what he could and was a full 10 secs faster than Gianmaria Bruni's Minardi - but noweher near good enough to put him anywhere decent on the grid.

It was not long until he was beaten by Fernando Alonso but whether this was due to improving conditions or the car was a mystery.

It was a surprise to see Jacques Villeneuve a few minutes later beat Alonso's time, despite a mistake at the chicane.

Massa continued his 100% record of going off on flying laps and so would start down the back, while Kimi Raikkonen must have made some interesting choices. The team ended up with David Coulthard eighth on the grid and Raikkonen 12th ...

13 ociobar 2004

Things began to get even more exciting when Jenson Button blasted the BAR-Honda to pole position. Barrichello seemd to have Button beaten on his lap but he made a mistake at the chicane and slid off the track. He would start the race in 15th position.

Fisichella showed what Massa should have been doing as he went second quickest, although he would slip down to seventh by the end of the session. But seventh in a Sauber is pretty good.

Inevitably there was much excitement when Takuma Sato came out and he was right on the edge all the way, giving his all and sideways in the chicane.

But it did not lose him much time and he ended the lap in PI. The crowd was very excited by that but a few minutes later came disappointment as Takuma was beaten by Mark Webber, once again elevating a Jaguar well above its station.

Then, with the sun now breaking through, Ralf Schumacher blew the Jaguar away by half a second. And finally, Michael went out and did what he does best.

Pole was his by half a second.

The Toyota folk hoped that Jarno Trulli would give them a PR coup, but the car was not up

to the job and Jarno stopped the clocks 1.6secs slower than Schumacher. Toyota reckoned that Jarno could have got a couple more tenths which might have moved him up to fourth or fifth on the grid but for his first time out in red and white it was a pretty good effort.

Michael Schumacher was happy boy, as one would expect.

"I should be thankful for not having things so good in China," he said.

"Having qualifying on the same day as the race is a bit difficult. Having damp conditions does not normally help us but I managed to get a lap without too many mistakes."

Ralf confirmed that, thanks to the accident in China, he was in a good position because he ran late in the pre-qualifying session.

The only thing it all proved, Ralf said, was that "the Ferrari is the stronger car," Webber's third place was a great boost for Jaguar and a nice advert for those selling the team.

"The lap in pre-qualifying was most important because it put us in a good position for qualifying itself," he said. "The second lap was a bit easier.

"It has been a good day so far! But only 10 per cent of the work is done ..."

Grand Prix of

Japan October 10 2004 dualizing Saulon 1111 M Schumacher (f)) Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro n 1:33.542 2:4 R Schumacher (Dj BMWWilliamsFI Team 1:34.032 >0.490 14 M Webber (AUS) Jaguar Racing 1:34.571 1.029 10 T Sato (J) Lucky Strike BAR Honda 1:34.897 +T355 9 J Button (GB> Lucky Strike BAR Honda 1:35.157 -M.615 16 J Trulli Panasonic Tc^ta Rating 1:35.213 -M.671 G 11 G Fisichella (I) Sauber Petronas 1:36.136 ♦2.594 5 D Coulthard West McLaren Mercedes 1:36.156 +2.614

DiKl

as i CD

ww

■DEDC

MiW Seven Renault F1 Team 1:36.274 +2.732

CDEXZ

«5i|

Panasonic Toyota Rating 1:36.420 +2.878 e F Alonso (E) MJd Seven Renault FI Team 1:36.663 +3.121

West McLaren Mercedes 1:36.620 +3.276 13 3JPMontoya(CO] BMW WilliamsFI Team 1:37.653 +4.111

iLim

fi'

SI

Jaguar Rating 1:38.256 +4,716

'f! 2 R Barrichello (BRAi

Scudena Ferrari Marlboro 1:38.637 +5.095

CTcn Jordan Ford

1:41.953 + 6.411 |7i 19 T Clock (D) ‘Jordan Ford 1:43.533 +9.991 -I 2nCBrunl (Ij Minardi Cosworlh 1:48.069 +14.527 H 12 F Misea (BR) Sauber Petronas No Time 21 Z Baumgartner (HUN| Minardi Coswodh No Time

SI tyt r.D

A# riA)

UAfArmAfi

■

65

' '

''

' n

continued from page 63 Your not seeing things, they are FI cars having a race: Above right, Villeneuve is hounded

by Montoya, Raikkonen and Barrichello.

Above, Button scored third in front of home-town favourite Sato.

Below, Mr Hot Pants, Webber wards off Coulthard.

esaaiE

"He hit me quite hard and damaged the steering a bit so I was struggling to keep the car on the road."

Clock admitted later that he had

■r.

not seen Kimi coming. He rejoined and finished 15th, but it was a lacklustre day for Jordan with Nick Heidfeld 13th. Still, it was better than Minardi, which got only Gianmaria Burni home in 16th. Zsolt

"I think I caught him by surprise," said Barrichello. "He didn't see me and closed the door and we touched.

Baumgartner spun off.

David Coulthard might have got some points for McLaren because things went well early on, but for the fourth time in four races, he was involved in a collision with another car. One cannot blame David for all of them, but at the moment he seems to be constantly in trouble ...

This time it was Rubens Barrichello, who was fighting up through the order after a mistake in qualifying and early delays. Once free, Rubens was really flying but when he came up behind DC, it all went horribly wrong.

It was a racing incident.

I don't think anyone was to blame," said David. "It is just one of those things that happen.

Both men were out. The fight for fourth place in the Constructors' between McLaren and Williams is now almost over, as Williams has a solid 13 point advantage. It would take a major result to upset the balance. A 'Friday' driver for McLaren in '05?

Having said that, Juan Pablo Montoya has not been very convincing of late. This has led to suggestions in the paddock that he

■ ♦

'*.1

has "checked out of the Williams hotel" already and is mentally on his way to McLaren.

"My starting position compromised my race today," he said. "I was stuck in traffic and the best I could do was to collect some points. I can only hope that a poor performance here will give me an advatnage in Brazil, as happened withRalf here."

Down at Williams, they areyear looking forward to next and working with the man who will drive. But at Suzuka, Mark Webber was having a bad day. His third place in qualifying was a brilliant achievement but he made

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FORMULA -I

Forward planning at Suzuka Engineers are now looking ahead to 2005, says MNews Technical Editor PAOLO FILISETTI

a poor start.

"It was very frustrating," he said.

"In the early laps I was held up by Jarno Trulli and then on about lap seven I began to notice that the cockpit was getting hot. 1 pitted on schedule and the team tried to cool me down and solve the problem but we did not know the source of the heat.

"I just carried on and hoped that it would go away but it didn't. It became unbearable. You need to be completely focussed on the race and when the temperature is so high that it is distracting you, you have to take the decision to stop."

The problem was Webber's right rear. Thanks to strange airflows inside the car, air that had flown across the exhausts was being blown forward and was going through a small hole designed for wiring. This was located just behind Mark's right hip.

It may not be Easter but Webber had a hot cross bum.

Christian Klien was really nowhere to be seen but he struggled through the race and finished 12th. It did nothing to the fight between Jaguar and Toyota for seventh place in the Constructors' title.

Toyota had looked pretty good in qualifying with Trulli sixth and Panis 10th but things went wrong from the start.

Trulli made a good start and ran fifth but the tyre performance dropped off quickly and the Toyota lost its balance. He finished 11th.

Olivier Panis said goodbye to FI with a similar performance, not at all how he wanted to bow out. He had chosen the soft tyre compound and an aggressive strategy, so his bad start meant he had no real chance.

"We did our best," he said. "We took a risk and 1 had a lot of graining.

1 simply could not push the car." He finished 14th.

It is always a little sad to see a longtime FI driver depart for the real world - although after the Japanese GP one got the impression that quite a few people in the FI paddock are looking forward to the day that Michael decides to do just that...

13 October 2004

THERE were no big changes to the cars for Suzuka as, of course, they were flown directly from China.

However, due to the late agreement on definitive regulations for next year (this week?), many of the teams are now using these last races to race test a number of items which may well appear on their 2005 cars. In may ways, there is little better test than a race test on a technical track, such as Suzuka, or Interlagos.

Suzuka facts and figures Aerodynamic figures and load Cz( downforce coeff.l 2.540 Cx (drag coeff) 0.896 Theorical. top Speed 336 Downforce in Kilos 1674 Kg EfficiencyICz / Cx]2.834

Brakes figures for this circuit (courtesy Brembo) (7 braking points)

n Total percentage of time per lap spent on braking 14% n Heaviest deceleration is from 305 to 90 kmh before the chicane n Braking distance at this point is 134 metres n Heaviest deceleration in G is 4.6 G n Heaviest load on the brake pedal is 90 kilos Maximum brake temp: 870° C

Williams THE Didcot team appeared with a revised version of its turning vanes.

Moving away from the previous long, sculpted type, featured on the car for most of the season, the new version {see drawings right) are shorter, with a saw-tooth profile.

Coupled with a pointy extension to the lower sidepod (similar to the solution adopted by Renault since Monaco), this important change relates to airflow under the car, improving its efficiency and thus increasing downforce.

However, it is important to underline that this philosophy works far better with a 'single keel' chassis (as opposed to the FW26 'double keel') , thereby confirming the rumours that the FW27 will indeed revert to the single keel format.

Jaguar IT is unique for a team to race a 'B' version of a car so late in the season especially when the team which has announced its retirement from the sport!

Nevertheless, that is what Jaguar have done, with a new, lighter R5B used by Klien in China and tested (but not raced)

by Webber in Japan, right.

The change in this chassis is not of fundamental shape, but of carbonfibre and composite moulding concept, making the wall of the chassis thinner and thus lighter without losing rigidity.

Indeed, it is suggested that the design has gained seven percent in torsional stiffness.

Internal layout of electric cables and CPU is changed to be more efficient and reliable, also reducing their susceptibility to vibration.

Ji

'●A

17

ATaT

Minardi AS with Jaguar, another team facing survival problems continues to evolve its car - in this case Minardi, which produced a slightly modified front wing, right, with wider curved winglets to increase the efficiency of diverting tyre generated turbulence and add a small amount of downforce.

61

All Japan: It wasn't quite a podium place, but Takuma Sato gave his home crowd something to cheer about after a miserable week of bad weather.

Third will have to do: Renault will need to finish first and second in Brazil to nab second place from BAR in the Constructors Championship.

3Si 40

Japanese Grand Prix

3-

Results S3 laps/307.573km Pas I DRIVER

2

m

JsqLjM

Race Time|Fastest [ Lap

M.Schumacher 1:24:26.985

1:32.796

41

R.Schumacher 1:24:41.083

1:33.467

23

3

Button

1:24:46.647

1:33.819

33

4

Sato

1:24:58.766

1:33.742

28

5

Alonso

1:25:04.752

1:34.279

29

6

Raikkonen

1:25:06.347

1:33.920

35

7 8

Montoya Fisichella

1:25:22.332

1:33.779

30

1:25:23.261

1:33.850

44

9

Massa

1:25:56.641

1:33.614

40

10

Villeneuve

52 laps

1:35.290

28

11

Truili

52 laps

1:34.626

52

11

12

Klien

52 laps

1:35.261

32

12

13

Heidfeld

52 laps

1:35.524

14

Panis

51 laps

13

15

Clock

1:34.438 1:36.667

25 II 14

14

16

Bruni

50 laps

1:39.352

27

15

DNF DNF

Baumgartner Coulthard

41 laps

1:39.434

26

38 laps

1:33.917

14

DNF

Barrichello

38 laps

1:32.730*

30

DNF

Webber

20 laps

1:34.229

13

10

16

18

Drivers’ Championship: M. Schumacher 146, Barrichello

i/L4)\

108, Button 85, Alonso 54, Montoya 48. Truili 46, Raikkonen 37, Sato 31. Coulthard 24. Fisichella 22. R. Schumacher 20, Massa 11, Webber 7. Panis and Piz2onia 6, Klien. da Matta and Heidfeld 3, Clock 2. Baumgartner 1.

Constructors' Championship: Ferrari 254. BAR-Horxla 116, Renault 100, BMW.Winiams 74. McLaren-Mercedes 61, Sauber-Petronas 33. Jaguar 10. Toyota 9, iordarvFord 5, Minardi 1.

17

n j’

20

zbDH Key

19

1

20

Accident

© Mechanical failure

H MS = M SchumacherD DC = D Coulthard RB = R Barrichello n JM = J Montoya RS = R Schumacher

KR = K Raikkonen

Q Pit stop

I Lapped

Q JB = J Button

n MW = M Webber

TS = T Sato

CK = C Klien

n JV = J Vllleneuve

n GF = G Fisichella

n OP == O Panis

FA= F Alonso

FM = F Massa

JT = J Truili

© Black Flagged n NH = N Heidfeld n TG = T Clock n GB

G Bruni

ZB = Z Baumgartnei

moiorsport news

FORMULA -I S ;

s

●. (

_'U

UZUKA was ... a bit of a bummer really, in more ways than one.

Compressing qualifying and the race into one day, with virtually no other running other than a few wet laps on Friday, was a bit of a challenge, but I thought we'd responded really well until the obscure problem which took us out of the race hit us.

It seems that some of the massive heat around the right bank of the exhaust system was penetrating through a small hole in the monocoque which the wiring loom comes through. There is normally a seal there, but it had become displaced. Whatever it was, it became unbelievably hot only a short way into the race and I was in a fair bit of off-putting pain in my right hip at our first stop - fortunately quite early, on lap 10.

Not knowing exactly what it was, the boys tipped some water down my right side, but it didn't do much, and after a few more laps, it was obvious I couldn't go on without risking some serious damage.

It's funny how, with the adrenalin running, your senses react. Of course, I couldn't see down there and at one point I thought the fire extinguisher had gone off.

It (the extinguisher) had.

f

J.\ZJ

Japanese GP

however, got pretty hot by the time I stopped - the mechanics couldn't even touch it for half an hour...

A

fter our second-best qualifying performance of the year, that was a shame.

With the track obviously drying out mid-morning, running late in qualifying was going to be the key - and thus a good result from pre qualifying was a must.

For me, it was the best bit of the weekend. It was a good lap and it set us up for qualifying proper.

By putting us among the last five, as it slowly started to dry, it gave us a chance. The lap itself was probably more straightforward than the earlier one, but grid three was a good reward.

The starts have verythese little days to do still with the driver and, let's face it, starts haven't been our strength this year, so it was no

real surprise to drop a couple of spots off the line.

After that, things settled for a bit and I was able to put a little pressure on Jarno Trulli, who, at that point, was holding me up.

But our usual graining phase came in, along with the rears starting to wear and, soon enough, DC was all over the back of me.

Even if we'd been able to carry on, it was going to be a difficult day ...

haven't worked out the regulations for next year yet, which means there'll be no new car until well after New Year, a lot of the initial work I'll be doing will be with Michelin - which is crucial - and BMW. It's an important time, to get to know the team and for them to get to know me.

I'm looking forward to it like you wouldn't believe.

w

ith the track shut at Suzuka on Saturday, the drivers got together for what turned out to be a great day of indoor sport - ten-pin bowling in the morning, soccer in the afternoon. A good opportunity for a few guys who don't know each other that well to do just that. It was a lot of fun.

T

he fact that I can start testing for Williams in not much more than a fortnight is brilliant. While they still

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69

Everything's al

He was bitter about not getting a start in the 1000km ciassic, but Matthew White saivaged a win in the 25 lap Challenge after a race of attrition and drama.

GRANT ROWLEY reports from Bathurst

I

T was a case of last man standing in the Konica Minolta 25 lap Challenge at Mount Panorama last weekend.

Matthew White, after the disappointment of missing the main race due to a heavy shunt in qualifying aboard the #16 PWR Racing Commodore,took solace in winning the V8's junior race.

But no one was guaranteed this victory, considering the large amount of retirements and incidents that

spoilt what was a great slugfest at the front of the field.

It was White's first KM V8 victory since Phillip Island last year and it couldn't have come at a better time.

"We've had a bit of a dry spell," he said.

"The race was just a matter of minimising mistakes. I made one early on and I wasn't going to make another.

White's team changed his brake pads before the race and he admitted he struggled with them early on. In the end though, there was no other front runner to take the challenge to him. Oi way-si< The I differei which(

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and at i

probab on And Jone! and Rit Hell Cc ever, Jo there o:

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10

built a gap that hovered between two and four seconds. However,a misfire developed after 10 laps which progressively got worse. Pushing hard to stay in the game,the reigning Konica Minolta Champion collided heavily with the Forrest's Elbow wall. And that was that.

"I just went into the Elbow too hard," he said honestly but disgruntled.

"The car was suffering from a misfire, so either way,I was in trouble. It's a real shame because we were just cruising in the 11s. When the boys told me to pick it up a little, I banged out a 10.4s. I could do it easy.

Ritter was another to hold the lead, but his time at the front was shortlived. He assumed the front-running when Jones retired, but a flat tyre with just two laps to go ripped apart the front fender. A reasonable lock-up earlier in the race wouldn't have helped the tyre's longevity.

No one,though, would have begrudged Ritter the win. After getting shuffled out at the start by

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more miles in the cars at the track, looked solid until the engine let go on lap 17 in the Fujitsu Ford while running third.

The problem started on lap four and it just got worse and worse until I was losing too much ground on the straight," he said.

Brabham was quick to point out that more overseas regulars will

y.g.

After the aVay, second place atleaders the endfell went to Smiths Trucks steerer Alan Gurr. > continued on

3^

KM CHALLENGE

II Whtte ti

^

AUnhill CMf

Falcon force: Greg Ritter got a slight jump at the start, but Andrew Jones, far right, led the first 19 laps. The race fell in favour of Konica Minolta stalwart Matthew White, below.

Konica Minolta's swansong: The last-ever KM supported junior V8 race was celebrated by White, Gurr and D'Alberto, left.

Main Game Quality

KM Qualifying

CURRENT Konica Minolta V8 Supercar Champion Andrew Jones scored initial bragging rights at Bathurst during qualifying for the KM 25 lap Challenge.

But his pole position wasn’t the only great achievement for the BJR team to cheer about. The BOC AU Falcon was the car John Bowe placed on the front row of the grid at Bathurst in 2002 and Andy, right, actually beat that time Bowe set two years ago. That makes Andy’s pole time the fastest-ever lap of Bathurst by the taunted AU Falcon.

Greg Ritter, driving the Decina Falcon for the second time this year, qualified in second place but suffered with a front roll bar problem. He was confident more speed could be found once the issue was rectified.

“It’s a bit of a handful," the SBR driver said.

“The guys found a problem with the front bar. On the track, it just wasn’t biting.”

Matthew White and David Brabham shared the top of the time sheets during the opening salvos of the session but the pair would eventually start from the second row.

White complained of understeer and couldn’t quite find the perfect car balance to take it to Jones and Ritter.

Brabham had one final shot at pole position and was on track

for a great time but debris on the circuit spoiled his run.

“There were cars everywhere, the track was dirty and crap was everywhere. Where that time would have put me, we’ll never know.”

Smiths Trucks driver Alan Gurr became more and more comfortable with his VX Commodore and ended the session fifth, just ahead of Gary MacDonald, who only completed six qualifying laps before a broken gearbox prematurely ended his tilt.

Jose Fernandez was seventh, while Tony D’Alberto, who smacked the wall in the esses during the first practice session of the weekend, qualified eighth ahead of Tony Evangelou and the Actron Air machines of Marcus Zukanovic and Kevin Mundy.

Ray Ayton’s V8 Supercar comeback was short lived when he crashed in practice, while Grant Elliott, who finished ninth in the KM Championship, destroyed an engine, and without a replacement, ruled himself out to concentrate on the 1000km race with Garth Walden.

- GRANT ROWLEY

r

^Q UALIFYING^

KMVB 25 LAP CHALLENGE Pds/No I

BATHURST

Dr i ver | car/team | ti me

1

19

Andrew Jones

2 3

60 28

Greg Ritter Matthew White

4 5

71 72

David Brabham Alan Gurr ‘

6 7

41 81

Gary MacDonald Jose Fernandez

8

83

Tony D’Alberto

Howard Racing Ford Falcon AU

2:12.770’5

9 300

Tony Evangelou

2:12.7901

10 56 11 65 12 66

Kevin Mundy Marcus Zukanovic

_Dewon Racing Ford Falcon AU Actron Air / PCR Ford Falcon AU

Adam Wallis

13 69

Robert Jones

14 76

Neil McFadyen

15 32

Jay Verdnik

2:08.8866R

Team BOC Ford Falcon_AU Speed FX Racing Ford Falcon AU Gulf Western Ford Falcon AU Team Fujitsu Ford Falcon AU Smiths Trucks Holden Commodore VX Kanga Loaders Ford Falcon AU Team Fujitsu Ford Falcon AU

2:10.5575_ 2:12.4067 2:12.5793

2:13.0927^

Actron Air / PCR Ford Falcon AU Rod Lynch Motorsport Ford Falcon AU Spies HeckerJJacing Holden C^modore VX _ WPS Ford Falcon AU Hi-Trans Holden Commodore VX

^09.4965 2:09.6628 2:09.6635

TIT

2:13.6596 2:15.0307 2:15.1331_ 2:l'a4295

16 33

Ben Eggleston

Komatsu Holden Commodore VX

17 80

Steve Voight Mark Howard

Peters Motorsport Ford Falcon AU

_2:15.6071 2:16.0395

Howard Group Ford Falcon AU

2:16.4107

Aaron McGill

Howard Racing Ford Falcon AU

2:16.5878

Gary Deane Shane Beikoff

Gary Deane Constructions Ford Falcon AU

2:16.6016

18_37 19 27 20 91 21 68 22 55 23 96

Mark Papendell Shane Price

24 26

Peter Doulman

Shane Beikoff Racing Ford Falcon AU

2:17.1641

Rupprecht Motorsport Holden Commodore VX

2:17.7815 2:17.8207

Holden Young Lions Holden Commodore VX Ooulman Automotive Holden Commodore VX

2:23.0882

11

KM CHALLENGE

Tears at second-last turn: Fernandez ran wide at the Chase and bounced ^

i

back onto the track while MacDonald was trying to take advantage. The Kanga car ended the race in the sand.

If only it was the 23 lap Challenge ... A flat tyre late in the race cost Creg Ritter a win in the Decina Falcon at Bathurst. continued from page 70 Although he was never a threat to the leading four fast Falcons, Gurr steadily plugged away and picked off the retirees. He didn't make mistakes, kept the Commodore straight and was rewarded with his best result on the mountain.

"I didn't have the pace of the front guys," he claimed after the race.

"They were all going for the win and I thought that one or two had to come off and they did."

Gurr suffered slight fuel pressure problems towards the end but he was well in front of third placed man, Tony D'Alberto.

After crashing the Howard Racing fohn Monis/Mpix

\

1

Falcon in practice in his one-off drive with the team, D'Alberto, 18,slowly built his confidence back up and scored the biggest result his V8 career.

"The accident at Skyline shock me a bit but the boys worked really hard to fix it," he said.

"I didn't even know I'd finished third. I didn't believe them when they told me where I was!"

The result for Gurr and D'Alberto proved that if your car had reliability, a solid steerer and a safe run, there was every chance you'd leave the track with a trophy - and they did.

Fourth place went to Brabham's Fujitsu team-mate Jose Fernandez, who steadily built up to faster times over the weekend. After a hairy slide

3

at Griffins Bend mid-race, Fernandez smacked the wall on top of the mountain on lap 20 which bent his steering. From there, his pursuer, Kanga Loaders driver Gary MacDonald started to reel him in.

Their battle was resolved on the last lap at the Chase when Fernandez ran slightly wide. MacDonald tried to go around the outside but Jose bounced over the ripple strip and back onto the track. The pair clashed and MacDonald fired into the sand and out of the race.

"He made an error, I thought I gave him enough room but he hit me," said MacDonald.

The officials deemed the battle for fourth and fifth a racing incident.

Dexion Racing's Tony Evangelou drove a sensible race and was rewarded with fifth place, his bestever KM finish. The only cause for concern came when he accidentally flicked the kill switch down Conrod Straight and momentarily stumbled.

Adam Wallis in the Yokohama-

.

From damage to podium: Tony D'Alberto smacked the wall in the Esses in practice. His race performance though was a career highlight.

Gurr baby: Alan Gurr used the Konica Minolta race to gain some valuable mileage in the Smiths Trucks VX at Bathurst. His consistent approach was rewarded with second overall.

72

sponsored Falcon flat spotted a couple of tyres in the early stages but plugged away to finish a solid sixth.

Reigning Gold Star Champion Neil McFadyen finished seventh in the WPS AU,ahead of Hi-Trans entrant Jay Verdnik who had a consistent run.

Howard Racing finished the year on a high. Not only did D'Alberto score a podium,but his team-mates, Aaron McGill and Mark Howard finished ninth and 10th,even after Howard clashed with Gary Deane at the Chase. Deane ended the race stuck in the Murray's Corner sand trap.

Rounding out the finishers were Robert Jones, Marcus Zukanovic and Komatsu-backed Ben Eggleston.

Zukanovic had an unfortunate clash with team-mate Kevin Mundy, who was making his swansong KMV8 drive.

Zukanovic took a widish entry into the Cutting on the first lap and

Mundy stuck his nose in and clipped him. Zukanovic spun and the contact between them saw Mundy suffer bent steering while Zukanovic had to stop for repairs to his passenger door.

Wayne Wakefield endured a crash in practice due to suspension failure and started from the back of the grid.

A first lap clash with Aaron McGill at the Cutting(who propped after the Actron accident)left the Greenfield Mowers Falcon with obvious front damage but he stormed into the top 10 before his engine started to go off song, possibly due to the stoved-ln bonnet.

Holden Young Lion V8 debutant Shane Price made small steps through the weekend but suffered differential problems. He also received a meatball flag when his tail light popped out.

Another debutant, Mark Papendell in the ex-Mark Porter Commodore, fell out early with clutch dramas.

kmvB challenge BATHURST Race

25 LARS

FOB I Driver| race Time | fastest Dn

1 2 3 4 5 6

White Gurr D'Alberto Fernandez Evangelou Wallis

7 McFadyen 8‘ Verdnik 9 McGill 10 Howard 11 R.Jones 12 Zukanovic 13 Eggleston ONF Ritter DNF MacDonald DNF A.Jones DNF Deane DNF Brabham DNF Wakefield DNF Mundy DNF Price DNF Beikotf DNF Papendell DNF Voight DNS Doulman

55:01.4133 55:56.6819 56:02.4538 56:06.9326 56:33.2690 56:46.6996 56:55.6977 57:09.2184 55:19.3727 55:36.6882 56:04.3116 56:38.4850 55:53.8352 24 laps 24 laps 19 laps 19 laps 18 laps 12 laps slaps 7 laps 5 laps 1 lap

2:11.2469 2:12.2511 2:13.2738 2:13.5414 2:13.7305 2:14.9833 2:14.7740 2:15.6333 2:15.9284 2:15.8032 2:16.1390 2:15.7690 2:17.1205 2:11.1092 2:13.1284 2:10.6880' 2:16.1961 2:11.2974 2:13.2042 2:14.1817 2:19.2349 2:30.4220 2:21.6485 3:30.1662

8 16 13' 17 13 24 21 2 11 19 21 10 22 12 15 14 16 12 12 10 4 2 2 1

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CCUP / FFORD

■

■■r

ALEX Davison wrapped up the 2004 Carrera Cup Championship with one round to spare after he won the latest round of the series at Mount Panorama, Bathurst last weekend.

Davison won two of the three races and staged an epic duel with Greg Murphy Racing team-mate Fabian Coulthard in Race 2, which Coulthard claimed.

Davison won the first race by a good distance over Coulthard, but the Kiwi scored a hard-fought win over Davison in Race 2.

Coulthard's good weekend

came to a san dy end when he bunkered his Braun-backed Porsche at the top of the mountain.

Davison took the win in Sunday's race, which enabled him to clinch the title before heading for a full time V8 Supercar gig with Castrol Perkins next year.

The start of Race 2 was marred by a start-line incident. Matthew Halliday endured clutch problems on the line. James Koundouris tried to avoid Halliday's motionless car, clipped another car and speared into Jim Richards, who had

■i r I

Look closely ... Koundouris is in the midst of his Race 2 start line spin.

started from the back of the grid after a DNF in Race 1.

Jonathan Webb impressed the pants off everybody at Bathurst as his competitiveness continues to rise.

The Tekno Autosport driver finished third, third and second and moved to fifth in the championship.

The VIP Petfoods team seemed content to run around as a trio all weekend. Klark Quinn, Craig Baird and Tony Quinn finished the first two races in fourth, fifth and sixth irrespectively, and with Coulthard's spin in Race 3, the threesome picked up a place each. Klark was the best of the VIP boys, while Baird struggled with handling issues in the opening race.

Halliday's meeting was made difficult after a rideheight infringement in qualifying forced him to the back of the grid. Seventh in Race 1 was a good comeback, but his damaged car from the startline incident ensured he wouldn't start the last race.

Clutch blow ups were an unpleasant trend that emerged in the opening days of Carrera Cup action. As many as seven detonated in Race 1, including Richards, which was the beginning of the end for his championship bid.

Peter Fitzgerald was a non starter after a major shunt at the Chase in the first practise session. The wily vertern injured his elbow as well as cracking a rib.

The round was dedicated to the memory of Alan Coleman (Matthew's father) who passed away recently at the age of 60 after a year long battle with illness.

The final round of the series heads to Surfers Paradise in two weeks time.

- GRANT ROWLEY Points; Davison 1242, Richards 996, Coulthard 921, Fitzgerald 615, Webb 531, K.Quinn 507, T.Quinn 417, Rodney Jane 399, Paul Pedersen 393, James Cressey 378.

Cotter and Thompson share Ford wins

JUSTIN Cotter claimed the Bathurst Formula Ford Trophy last weekend with a win and a second place at Mount Panorama.

The Spectrum driver avoided the carnage in both races to score the overall victory from Race 2 victor Andrew Thompson and the consistent Cade Southall.

Anglo Motorsport's David Sieders qualified on pole but was involved in a clash with fellow front-row starter Shannon O'Brien on the last lap of Race 1 at the Chase. Cotter took advantage to take the win in the shortened race.

In the second race, Cotter and Thompson were embroiled in a great dice The pair passed each other on 14

numerous occasions, but Thompson prevailed to score his first National FFord victory.

Southall was consistent, finishing third and fourth in the twin events.

Aiden Zonotto impressed in the Albury TAFE Van Diemen, finishing second in Race 1. His weekend was

spoiled though when he collected the wall at Skyline on the last lap in Race 2 while running third.

Michael Patrizi claimed a third place finish in Race 2 and fourth overall, while Adam Graham also made steady progress to come home fifth outright.

Jason Varley, who finished a respectable ninth in Race 1, suffered a major roll-over half way down

Conrod Straight in Race 2. Varley was okay, but the same could not be said for his Van Diemen.

- GRANT ROWLEY

Ford win Bathurst!

Thompson (62), Cotter (7) and Southall (background) were the best of the Formula Fords. motorsport news

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The rocks and the dust of Sardinia may have replaced the roads ofSan Remo but Petter Solberg adapted anyway, taking his third straight WRC win and keeping his title defence flickering

HAT looked like a Sebastien Loeb benefit in the 2004 World Rally Championship just a month ago is becoming a tightjer] race after Petter Solberg sealed his third straight win of the season in Sardinia.

The World Champion took his fifth win of the year,finishing clear of the field by over two minutes. But the good news was tempered by the fact that WRC leader Sebastien Loeb finished second, meaning that he needs only one fourth place in the remaining three rallies to seal his, and Citroen's, first title.

The Norwegian was a happy and relieved man when he completed the final stage; "It's a fantastic feeling, but it's been really hard work all the way," said Solberg. "[Navigator] Phil [Mills] was cheering as we crossed the finish line, but I was stUl too focused on the driving to take it all in!

The #1 Subaru dominated the event, taking almost 30s of lead into Day 2 and stretching that by over a minute on Day 2. From there,even the mercurial Loeb had to settle for what he could take from the Italian island.

"Just after the first stage, I said to myself that it will be difficult to beat Petter Solberg here," the Frenchman admitted.

"I went faster in some places but he always kept his lead. When Marcus Gronholm had some problems,I thought it wasn't shipid to go for the second place. And that's what we've done,just before two events which should be favourable to us. Actually, I won't hide that I would really like to win Corsica ..."

For all of the first day, it looked like Gronholm would be the nearest challenger to the flying blue car. While Solberg battled cooling problems, the Peugeot chased hard,even if the lanky Finn was not entirely happy with its set-up.

But on the long Tandalo stage, it all went wrong. The cranky 307 ate a turbo and Gronliolm dropped 20 minutes, falling to 19th. He clawed 76

back some time on Day 3 but could only make it to seventh,25 minutes behind the winner.

"It's been a tough,frustrating and disappointing rally," Gronholm admitted. "It took me a little while to find my rhythm,but eventually I was able to discover a good feeling with the car."

Team-mate Hard Rovanpera looked set to add some points to the Lion's tally when he struck problems on Day 2. Gearbox problems, again, left him out of the points.

The battle for what turned out to be third raged for most of the event, with Carlos Sainz and Markko Martin staging an epic battle. It looked like going the Estonian's way when he took the spot on SS15 but, on the very next stage, the Ford rolled to a halt with a broken turbo.

That left to steady Sainz to take his fifth podium finish of the year, not quite the result that the man who is noted for winning first-up WRC events was looking for. Like most of the runners, Sainz found the switch from the roads of San Remo to the sandy and rutted Sardinian versions to be a tough undertaking.

Behind King Carlos came one of the surprises of the event. As early as mid-way through the opening day Andrea Navarra was in the top eight in his private 2003-spec Impreza and he continued his form through the final two days of the event, vaulting up to fourth when his more fancied opponents fell by the wayside.

It was an impressive performance by the Italian, who has good tarmac form to carry to Corsica.

Francois Duval was fifth, never completely happy with the speed of his Focus but steady throughout, while the form of the privateers was underlined by Gigi Galli, taking skth in his Group N Mitsubishi. The 31year-old from Milan looked at home on the tough roads and his car had few problems coping with the conditions. He was a long way behind Duval -14 minutes - but a Group N car getting into the top six of a WRC event? That's really something.

I am very happy because we did the whole rally without making a mistake",said Galli of his best-ever WRC result."We only had some little gearbox problems today and then just drove cautiously as there was no reason to push. I am very happy to score my first drivers' championship points; it gives me real hope for the future. The stages have been very difficult, but it has been a good experience for us and we have been able to correct our pace notes".

Two spots behind was the third privateer in the points this weekend.

German Antony Warmbold in his Ford Focus, who picked up the final point.

If it was a shock to see a Lancer in the points, no such luck befell Skoda.

Just days after confirming its participation in the 2005 championship,the Czech marque had a shocker, with Toni Gardemeister retired on the very first stage after crashing out while team-mate Armin Schwarz broke a steering arm on the second leg. Schwarz struggled on for a while until a steering arm,damaged in the original accident, broke and forced him out.

Loeb may be confident of sealing the title in style in Corsica but he knows that a steady drive will give him the title. Then again,Solberg is on a roll. Much to watch on the French island...

moiorspon news

1 Fetter Solberg Nor Subaru Impreza Phil Mills 6B 4h43m47.9s 2 Sebastien Loeb F Citroen Xsara WRC Daniel Elena Mon 4h45m55.8s 3 Carlos Sainz E Citroen Xsara WRC Marc Marti E 4h47m08.8s 4 Andrea Navarra I Subaru Impreza Simona Fedeli 4h53m54.0s 5 Frangois Duval B Ford Focus WRC 3 4h54m35.9s Stephane Prevot B I Mitsubishi Lancer 6 Gianluigi Galli Guido D'Amore 5h08m59.5s 7 Marcus Gronholm Fin Timo Rautianen Fin

Peugeot307 WRC 5h08m17.1ss

Antony Warmbold D Gemma Pried BB

Ford Focus WRC Shllmat.H

Drivers' Points: Loeb 100, Solberg 74, Sainz 61, Martin 59, Gronholm 49, Duval 47, Hirvonen 23, Ruvanpero 20, Tuohino 16, Loix 7.

Manufacturers' Points: Citroen 164, Ford 117, Subaru 101, Peugeot 80, Mitsubishi 17.

A % N stands for Niiiiiccccceee ...

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Gigi Gain's proddy Lancer scored three WRC points for sixth, left. * f

%

13 Ociober 2004

Nissan's WRC return?

Nope, the Navarra in Sardinia was local Andrea Navarra, right.

Globalstar Mobile everywhere.

3 FQLeTTA ARC Round 6 Rally of Melbourne H EAT 1 Time Pos I Driver|Manufacturer | Subaru 5Bm41.0s 1. C. Crocker/G. Foletta Subaru 58m53.7s 2. D. Herridge/G. Macneall 3. C. Atkinson/B. Atkinson 4 S.Evans/S. Evans

Subaru

59m04.3s

5. J. Kangas/J. Rabbett

Toyota 1h00m04.6s Mitsubishi 1h00m22.0s

6. £. Ordynski/I. Stewart

Mitusbishi th00m30.3s

k

Heat z 1. C Atkinson/B. Atkinson

Subaru

2. C. Crocker/G. Foletta

Subaru 1h05m49.0s Subaru th05m9.2s

3. D. Herridge/G. Macneall 4. N. Bates/C. Taylor 5. S.Evans/S.Evans 6. B. Barker/D. Long

1h05m21.8s

Toyota 1h06m34.4s Toyota Ih06m54.4s Toyota

Ih07m2t.7s

Overall Results: Crocker 55.5, Atkinson 51, HerrkJge 45, Evans 33, Ordynski 21. Bates 18. Kangas 15, Barker 15, Gddsbrough 9, Thompson 6 Drivers Championship (final): Crocker 187.5, Atkinson 177, Evans 144, Kangas 139, Hcrridge 135, Bates 108, Ordynski 103, S. Redder 70, Goldsbrough 38, Barker 29 Manufecturers’ Championship (one round remaining); Subaru 398, Mitsubishi 320, Toyota 268.

Globalstar Mobile everywhere.

78

Reflected glory: Crocker ends the season on a high at the final De Bortoli stage, left.

So close, yet so far: Chris and Ben Atkinson, above. won just about everything but the title itself during 2004. The pair carried the fight to Crocker throughout the weekend.

Best in class: Top of the non-Subarus was the popular Toyota pair of Simon and Sue Evans, right. moiorsDorl news

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After an intense year, Cody Crocker delivered the goods when it mattered to secure his second ARC title.

JON THOMSON reports from a dramatic season finale at the Rally of Melbourne

T

HE joy on the faces of Cody Crocker and Greg Foletta was obvious.

In 2003 they did it for Possum Bourne. But in 2004, this was their Globalstar Australian Rally Championship.

Crocker clinched his second

straight title with all the cool-headed calm that the late, great Possum had displayed, and the Subaru lead driver had his mentor strongly in his thoughts as he took overall victory on the final round in Melbourne.

This was a sweet victory for the 32-year-old, who battled all the way to the final stage with the Atkinson brothers. However, it was Crocker's clinical attack that gave him the edge on his young rivals.

The knockout punch was delivered on Saturday, with Crocker setting a lightning pace and utilising his intimate knowledge of the Yarra Ranges rally roads to edge Atkinson away from the prize. While the young Subaru driver still had a chance on Sunday, it all hinged on Crocker finishing lower than fourth.

"It's a relief to win," grinned Crocker.

Uwi Slni kLind

"It's been such a hard year, and while last year had a lot more emotion involved, this year has been hard in other ways.

"The thing is, once you've got one you don't want to lose, you don't want to come anywhere but first, so winning the second one was pretty important."

'The Atkinsons' fate was really sealed at the first round back in March, when they were disqualified for using an illegal brake booster.

Scoring no points in that opening round was the major blow and despite taking wins in three of the six rounds,the Atkinsons fell short by just 10.5 points. This after wirming more stages, more heats and more rallies than anyone else.

Proving that luck is worth a fortune in a sport like rallying, Atkinson appeared to be dirt poor in Melbourne.

Even his bid to dead-heat Crocker for the round win faltered when his Subaru suffered a puncture just three comers from the end of the last stage, relegating them to second for the weekend. If he had won that last stage the two Subaru rivals would have tied for the overall round win on stage countback, but it was not to be.

The look on Chris Atkinson's face at the finish showed little emotion, the Queenslander clearly reflecting

on what may have been.

"I am feeling very weird right now," he admitted.

"It has been a tremendous year, winning three, or should that be four, from six rounds. But we haven't won the Championship.

"While it would have been great to win the Championship,1 think we have proven we have what it takes to become number one and we will be ready to prove it next year."

It was a torrid fight on Day 1, with Atkinson's position at number one on the road costing him dearly as he fought for grip on the loose gravel that he was clearing for those behind.

Crocker took immediate advantage and raced to an early lead.

The Atkinsons were within striking distance of Crocker throughout the opening day, but slippery conditions on the longest stage saw them drop back to third behind Dean Herridge.

Herridge took third on Day 1 and again proved the perfect backstop to Crocker in the Subaru factory outfit.

With so much focus on the Blue Team,the other works teams were overshadowed, particularly given the woes they were forced to endure.

Mitsubishi's title Kangas had hiscontender hopes of aJuha lunge at the crown doused with an incorrect tyre choice and a loss of confidence, resulting in a fifth placing on Day 1, followed by a puncture in a long stage along with a loss of gears on the last test. This meant that Kangas would take seventh for the weekend, slipping to fourth in the series.

It was an equally character building weekend for Ed Ordynski, who finished fifth overall. Ordynski was a little off the pace, conscious of preserving his new EVO VII for Rally Australia in November.

Toyota's Simon Evans had a mathematical chance at the title, but it leaked away with a puncture on the opening stage of the rally.

However, Evans salvaged fourth in Heat 1 before a rollover on the last stage dropped him from third to fifth on Day 2.

Things were equally testing for team leader Neal Bates, who crashed out of Heat 1 after running as high as second. Bates was taken to hospital for observation but was fine, and after the team performed some miracles in bolting the Corolla back together, he came back to fourth in Heat 2.

Ben Barker had a solid weekend, staying out of trouble to take ninth and sNth in his works Corolla, but will be

looking towards better results in 2005.

With the Pedder's team armouncing that it would disband its effort for 2005, the Rally of Melbourne held special significance.

Apart from being the team's last event, it was a home rally, and one that was important to them.

Unfortunately, Scott Pedder ran out of spares after two punctures on Saturday and was stranded out of the rally. He came back on Sunday,only to go off the road and become bogged.

Adding insult to injury, Pedder's young cousin Will Orders crashed into the stricken Lancer, putting two of the team cars out at the same spot.

Mark Pedder topped off a shocking year with a broken transmission just three stages from home,the car trickling to a halt on the De Bortoli vineyard stage where he and co driver Toni Feaver retired with a glass of shiraz in hand.

"I don't have enough trailers to go and retrieve them all," shrugged Pedders team manager Bill Orders.

Sydneysider Brad Goldsbrough sealed the Privateers' Cup with a seventh on Day 1, taking the crown despite a holed radiator putting them out of the rally on Sunday.

Mark Thompson finally sealed a finish with eighth on Sunday and 10th for the weekend in what has been a fraught year for him.

In the Subaru Rally Challenge, rally rookie Steve Glermey claimed the win over some tough competition, beating rival Benni Tirant to victory.

Darren Windus and Michael Cains, who were leading the series before the event, crashed heavily at the end of Day 1, halting the rally and forcing the cancellation of the final stage as the pair was extracted from the car.

Windus reportedly sustained multiple fractures but is recovering well.

Ross Dunkerton claimed the Aussie Cup with a convincing win in the big Magna,taking victory in the class for the event and the Championship after his team-mate Michael Taylor went off the road on Day 2.

In F16, Lee Garrioch claimed the small car victory at the event, but Denise Collins claimed the title.

With the dust settling on the most competitive ARC drivers' title ever, attention now turns to the final round of the manufacturers' title and Australia's round of the World Championship Rally Australia in November, where the locals will be out to trump the internationals on the tricky WA roads.

79

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Isao takes over

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filings get Silly for '05 THE question on everyone's lips at the Rally of Melbourne was, just where will everyone finish up for season 2005?

With the real prospect that the Atkinson brothers will take on the WRC in some shape next year, the initial thought was that the Queensland brothers would not contest the ARC. However it is believed a deal has been done for Chris and Ben to drive a factory Subaru in an expanded three-car works outfit in 2005.

Subaru is keeping its cards close to its chest but it is believed the deal has been done and it would suggest that the Atkinsons are more likely to run a Subaru in the Production Car World Championship than a Suzuki in the JWRC next year.

Over at Mitsubishi, the word is that Juha Kangas will return to Finland and the works team will be run by Alan Heaphy rather than Les Waikden. The factory driver line-up will see Ed Ordynski, above, possibly joined by Scott Redder.

Although Redder cited business pressures as one of the key reasons for his 'retirement' last week, the rapid Victorian has said if the pressures of running a team can be removed and he only has to show up to drive he could be lured back.

It is believed that Mitsubishi will give support to rising star Jack Monkhouse by providing him with an Evo VII Lancer in 2005 in a bid to foster his talent. The young hard charger from Adelaide has humbled many privateers with his performances in the aged Galant VR-4 and, in new machinery, he could prove a front-runner.

This leaves the question of what the Waikden operation will run in season 2005. While the Tasmanian transport operator has run Mitsubishi for the past year (and has a long history with the three diamonds) it is believed the team may return to run a satellite Subaru team - but exactly who will drive the car is yet to be revealed.

The line-up at Toyota will

remain unchanged, with Neal Bates, Simon Evans and Ben Barker set to return in what Bates has said will be a serious challenge for the title.

The other added spice is the possible return of Ford to the ARC. Michael Guest will drive the Focus if it materialises and pundits believe that rumours that Ford will be running a two-wheel-drive Focus could be a furphy.

"If they run a 2WD Focus they would be mad," said one team manager.

"There is very little to be learned from a 2WD that you can use on a 4WD turbo and you would be spending a lot of money to be a mid-fielder."

The other interesting prospect is that the Magna VR-Xs campaigned by Mitsubishi this year may be run by a privateer team. One tip is that Mark Redder and Will Orders will drive the Magnas in Pedders colours, providing a cheaper alternative to the 4WD turbo Lancers that have led the team to pull out this year.

-JON THOMSON

Bathurst: The Great

THE NSW ARC round is set to head west to a base in Bathurst in 2005.

Event organiser Kirk Marks told MNews that the move was all but confirmed and that he was waiting on some signatures from the Bathurst regional council.

"It was just too hard in Sydney and we made the decision to use the great resources at Bathurst, which is, let's face it, ital of Australia," said the motorsport ●a Marks. ^

Returning Japanese

"In terms of time, Bathurst is about the same distance from western Sydney as the Central Coast is but there is less pressure and better roads."

Three special stages will be based on and around Mt Ranorama before heading to Oberon, where the major service park will be positioned in the main street of the timber town.

Overnight pare ferme will be in Bathurst ich will see the service before Da

SVEN Quandt has left his post at Mitsubishi Motorsport after many months of speculation that the German's days with the troubled Japanese maker were numbered.

Quandt's reign at Mitsubishi over the past two years has proved to be less than satisfying, overseeing a year's sabbatical from the Championship, the launch of an allnew WRC car and some woeful results, including one event where the cars failed on the way to the first special stage.

Quandt has been replaced by Isao Torii, who has worked in both North America and Europe during a 23year career with Mitsubishi.

One source close to Mitsubishi told MNews that Isao has close links with the former management of the Ralliart operation and has been appointed to return the company's motorsport to the winner's circle.

Isao has stated that the company will return for a full tilt at the 2005 WRC, using a revised Lancer featuring fully active differentials and an 'automatic' gearbox.

Frenchman Gilles Panizzi will continue to lead the 'works' driving team, and two WR cars will be run in Catalonia later this month for Panizzi and Daniel Sola. A third WRC will be run by Ralliart Italy for Sardinia star Gianluigi Galli.

Mitsubishi's troubled times in the WRC have caused more than a few heartaches for the Japanese manufacturer but, with control of its motorsport operations now back with a Japanese manager, things can only get better, according to many within the company.

-JON THOMSON

Rally

park based on Conrod straight, with stages close to the Central Western city.

If the move out of Sydney goes ahead, it appears the long-held philosophy of ARCOM that all ARC events should be based in capital cities has been sensibly abandoned. Only Tasmania is based in a capital city, with SA based in the Barossa, Victoria in the Yarra Valley, Queensland on the Sunshine Coast and WA at Busselton.

-JON THOMSON

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Crumps

I

World l^te

After finishing runner-up the last three years, the Australian now finally holds the FIM World Speedway crown. TONY MILLARD reports

JASON Crump,the 29-year-old from the Gold Coast, has become the first Australian to be crowned World Speedway Champion for 52 years.

He is the fourth Australian in history to take the title and is the first since Jack Young in 1952.

He clinched his crown having reached the semi-finals after two riders in Heat 19 were eliminated in quick succession. Norwegian Rune Holta failed to beat the twominute siren in a restart after an horrific first bend pile-up first time away.

Then fellow Aussie Ryan Sullivan clattered into the fence on the first bend next time out, only for referee Tony Steele to exclude him. It meant Crump had gained enough points from the event to ensure that Tony Rickardsson could not overtake him, even if he won the meeting.

When he knew he had at last taken the title after being runner-up for the last three years. Crump was ecstatic.

"It is unbelievable," he said. "It has worked out very well for me this year. 1 have a few things 1 hope to improve on for next year but 1 don't care right now ... it's enough to be World Champion.

"The first time 1 have felt well in the last fortnight was after Heat 19! If you want something in life you have to go for it. 1 have dreamed of winning the World Championship since 1 was a child and it's great to

finally do it.

"It was an emotional moment for

my team and family and it all got a bit much for everyone. I am really pleased it's finally happened and feel very fortunate to be in this position."

After being the bridesmaid three times,Jason has now well and truly left

the disappointment of being runner-up the last three years behind him.

"It's crazy. For the first couple of years, I was delighted to be second, but last year was one too many.

Tonight has made up for it."

Rickardsson did his bit as he went on to win his second Grand Prix of the year when he took the final ahead of American Greg Hancock,Tomasz Gollob and Mildura's Leigh Adams.

It meant Rickardsson finished just three points behind Crump at the conclusion of the nine events this year.

Adams finished fourth for the second year running, having needed to finish in front of Hancock in the final to gain third spot.

The meeting was a disappointing and controversial one for Ryan Sullivan. He had a lively exchange of words with referee Steele when he

was excluded in Heat 19. He injured his hand in the first crash despite being the innocent party and believed that when he was brought down again it was the fault of last year's world champion Nicki Pedersen.

The battle for the minor placings was important as only the top eight qualify automatically for next year's series when only 16 riders will race in each meeting to a 23-heat formula.

None of the three British riders made the top eight and nor did Sullivan, finishing the series back in 13th. He will now have to rely on a seeding from the FIM and series promoters BSI if he is to race next year.

Final Points: Crump 158, Rickardsson 155, Hancock 137, Adams 131, Pedersen 113,Tomasz Gollob 113, Andreas Jonsson 97,Jack Hampel 81.

Wells goes Knkke

AS reported in MN#292, West Australian Mark Wells is to drive the Bunbury Toyota Krikke Motorsports sprintcar this season.

“We had a lot of great drivers approach us about conning on board but in the end, I'm certain we picked the right man tor the job," commented team owner Shane Krikke.

Wells, a tour-time WA State Champion, will complete the full World Series Sprintcar trail with the team, as well as other blue-

riband events over this summer.

Wells career to this point has consisted mainly ot WA-based races, having won two WA rounds ot the World Series.

The Geraldton Jet’ has aiso twice been ranked third in the Australian Championships, the last of which came this year in Bunbury.

“I just can’t wait to get in and get going,” said Wells. “I’ve always wanted to do the entire World Series and now I'm doing it with one ot the best teams in the country.”

moiorsport nsws

SPEEDWAY

Young Aussie Injured

FIFTEEN-year-old Australian Sam Martin,riding solo speedway in England for Conference League team Oxford Silver Machine Academy,suffered a broken femur and leg lacerations in an horrific crash at the Oxford Cowley Stadium on Friday night.

The youngster, who comes from Tailem Bend near Adelaide,sustained the injury during Heat Two of the Academy's dash with Scottish team Armadale. On entering the first bend, Martin hooked up with Armadale's Sean Stoddart and after losing control of his bike, both man and machine hurtled to the fence at an alarming speed.

There is no doubt that if it hadn't been for the air-fence, Martin's injuries would have been far worse,as the cushioned construction took the full impact of Sam's small frame. MNews wishes Sam a speedy recovery.

-MIKE PATRICK

Farr wins Qld Series opener

Samm/s Coming

by GREG BOSCATO

PARRAMATTA City Raceway has confirmed that Siammin’ Sammy Swindell is definitely returning to the PCR for the Outiaws Downunder ii.

Swindell is a legend of the sport but only made his first tour to Australian in January for the Outlaws Downunder meeting but he is certainly returning to Australia.

He will again be racing the Richard Petty Driving Experience Maxim from the Graham Team.

ROBBIE Farr has won the opening round of the Comp Cams Sprintcar Series at Brisbane International Speedway last Saturday night.

Farr qualified pole for the 25lap feature, racing away from the field at the green, and again at each restart to win from Todd Wanless and Clayton Walker on a very slick, one-lane race track.

"The track was a bit slow," said Farr. "We stuck to the game plan and we were in the right position on the track and stayed out of trouble. It's a good start to the year."

Darren Jensen was third for much of the race until he clipped a slower car and Walker pounced. Jensen spun on the final corner trying to grab back third, dropping to 10th.

- MARK JONES

Brooke takes out Fall Classic SYDNEY'S Brooke Tatnell returned to the winner’s circle recently during the running of the seventh annual Frank Filskov Memorial 'Fall Classic' at Sheboygan County Fair Park, a sanctioned IRA series event.

Tatnell had little trouble getting through to the lead early in the 40-lap event and once out in front, he used lapped traffic to his advantage, going in to take victory in the #5 Wirtgensponsored, Guy Forbrook Maxim. n The Perth-based Sprintcar super-team of Geoff Kendrick has released its plans for season 2004/05.

Former World Motocross No. 2 Jeff Leisk has been retained, with the new driver inclusion being youngster Jamie Maiolo, a former State Champion and Car Craft Series winner, completing a formidable driver pairing.

Team Kendrick plan to compete in the WA-based Car Craft series, with the majority of their racing taking place at the Kwinana Motorplex.

"This is the first time in a long while that we will have two properly prepared drivers and cars to have a serious assault on the local scene," stated team owner and former V8 Supercar driver Geoff Kendrick.

"We have new cars, new engines and a massive spares inventory in place, and we will be one of the best prepared teams in the country."

Another acquisition for the team is experienced wrench Brett Sartori, who has extensive experience working with Sprintcars both here in Australia and in the US. Brett is the son of former WA Title holder Gary Sartori and the brother of current Victorian Sprintcar Champion Ken Sartori. n Current World of Outlaws series leader Steve Kinser extended his points advantage by scoring his 17th Outlaw feature race victory of 2004 last Saturday night at Tri-City Speedway after leading the entire 30 lap journey.

Kinser, who started from pole position, was never seriously challenged throughout the 30-laps and took the chequered flag ahead of Jason Meyers and Danny Lasoski.

Out of the Australian drivers on show, Brooke Tatnell was seventh and Kerry Madsen crashed out whilst running second in the B-Main.

- DANIEL POWELL

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83

Foley fools them DOUG Foley picked up the IHRA/Hooters Drag Racing Series Top Fuel victory at the rain postponed Sunoco World Nationals,at Norwalk Raceway Park last weekend.

Foley defeated defending IHRA Top Fuel Champion Clay MiUican in the final round,but MUlican did enough to clinch his fourth consecutive IHRA World Title in Top Fuel.

Foley, competing in his first season of Top Fuel, gunned down Louie Allison, and Andrew Cowin before beating Millican in a final round traction battle. Foley turned on the win light for the second straight event, clocking a winning 6.72/220.

Cowin opted to return to Norwalk, where he had already qualified and posted a winning 4.75/313 in the opening frame against Rick Cooper. In round two, the team could not get the car fired due to a pulley problem and watch in disbelief as Foley idled downhrack for a 26-second victory into the final round.

Pat Moore, right, driving Ed Steffey's nitrous breathing '57 Chevy,stopped

Quain Stott in the final round, 6.31/219 to 6.35/228. Consistently good reaction times on race day helped Moore take early round wins over Mike Lockwood,Shannon Jenkins, and newly-crowned 2004 champion, Mike Janis.

Pro Stock winner Mike BeU defeated Ron Miller in the final round, recording a winning 6.52/212 when Miller's Chevrolet Cavalier shook the

tyres just off of the starting line. It was Bell's first victory of the season.

In the Alcohol Funny Car final. Sickles took a close win over Frederick Tigges,5.88/240 to 5.92/239.

Jim Sickles defeated Rob Atchison in the semis. This ruled out a final round between the two drivers contesting for the season championship as Tigges had defeated Mark Thomas in the same round.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI David Ostaszcwski

Record Breakers

by DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

TOP Fuel driver Doug Herbert notched his first win in more than two years to conclude a record-breaking weekend at the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Chicago two weeks ago.

Funny Car winner Del Worsham and Pro Stock victor Dave Connolly were able to back up their Dallas wins with repeat performances.

Records fell to the wayside as Route 66 Raceway lived up to its reputation as the quickest and fastest quarter-mile on the planet as both John Force and Greg Anderson established new national records.

Herbert clocked a career-best run of 4.516s at 329.75 mph in the final round to earn his first victory since Sonoma in 2002.

He knocked off current points leader Tony Schumacher, who went 4.527s at 329.18 mph.

Herbert's first final apperance since Bristol last year came after a pair of 4.56/325 and 4.59/313 wins over Brady Kalivoda and John Smith in the opening two frames. A 4.62/290 pass took out Bob Vandergriff and pushed Herbert into the semis.

Schumacher's U.S. Army dragster posted a 4.47/331 in his opening round win over Dave Grubnic, who carded a 4.49s pass at a track-record top speed 84

of 333.58 mph in his losing effort.

Schumacher dodged a bullet in round two when his off-pace 4.83/322 beat Rhonda HartmanSmith's tyre-smoking 5.25. He then used a slight holeshot to edge Brandon Bernstein by a mere 0.009s.

Australian Andrew Cowin failed to make the cut in 22nd position.

Worsham beat John Force in the Funny Car final.

Both drivers left together and were side-by-side for the first 300 feet before the Castrol Mustang lost traction and Worsham drove away for a 4.80/329 to 6.85/131 win in his Monte Carlo.

Force and the Castrol GTX team were nothing short of spectacular. After posting a 4.75/325 on Saturday morning, Force came back to record Funny Car racing's first 4.6s run at 4.697s and a whopping 332.75 mph. In the opening round, Force set a double worldrecord on a run of 4.665s at 333.58 mph against Tony Bartone. He then used a 4.71/330 to stop Tony Pedregon and a 4.72/329 in the semis to defeat Cruz Pedregon.

Connolly defeated Greg Anderson in the Pro Stock final, winning when Anderson threw away a 6.70/206 after he fouled at the start. Connolly got out of shape right off the line and had to shut off, coasting to the finish line for the win.

Rockets and Records: Doug Herbert, above, beat Tony Schumacher in Top Fuel, while John Force, below, broke the Funny Car world record (4.697s/332.75mph), but was defeated by Del Worsham in the decider.

molorsport news

Schumacher Clinches The Sarge claims second Top Fuel title

TONY Schumacher clinched his second NHRA POWERade Top Fuel crown en route to winning the weather-postponed Lucas Oil Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.

Schumacher Racing stablemates Gary Sceizi, Jason Line and Schumacher/US Army rider Angelle Savoie were also victorious in their respective Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle categories.

“What an unbelievable day,” Schumacher said.

“To win the POWERade world championship and tie the record for wins in a season on the same day, it’s awesome. I was joking with some people that I should just retire after today because how will I be able to top this?”

Schumacher, right, sealed the $400,000 POWERade title when rivals Doug Kalitta and Brandon Bernstein were both eliminated in the second round. The US Army team continued winning rounds on race day, defeating Scott Weis in the opening

s;

(a

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£.1

frame, then disposing of Bernstein, and Rhonda Hartman-Smith before stopping Bob Vandergriff in the final round with a 4.47/329 to 8.20/99.

In Funny Car, Sceizi used a pass of 4.85 seconds at 308 mph to defeat a tractionless John Force in the final round. Sceizi qualified fifth with a 4.79 and used consistent passes of 4.80/305,

4.85/314, and 4.83/315 to defeat team-mate Whit Bazemore, Gary Densham and Tony Pedregon.

Line scored the Pro Stock win, defeating Greg Anderson and set a new track record in the quickest side-by-side race in Pro Stock history, 6.66/206 to 6.68.206.

Savoie recorded the quickest pass ever by a Suzuki in the final round of Pro Stock Motorcycle

when she clocked a 7.018/191 to 7.04/184 victory to down Antron Brown.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI Points: Top Fuel: Schumacher 1708, B.Kalitta 1435, Bernstein 1390, S.Kalitta 1231, Grubnic 1222.

Funny Car: Force 1575, Worsham 1338, Sceizi 1262.

Pro Stock: Anderson 2069, Connolly 1389, Line 1348.

Pro Stock Bike: Hines 1038, Brown 885, Gann 839.

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OS

■aUtiial Leopapd Leans lata 2005 scene

edtedby

Grant Rowley

New Remo Racing Series to run in each state - and the prize is a car!

THE 125cc Leopard class is set for big things next year with a car (yes, a car, not a kart) awarded to the winner of both Light and Heavy categories at the National final at

g : '

Puckapunyal in November 2005.

The inaugural Remo Racing I Leopard Series will run in each state on the same program as existing state level series. The top 10 drivers from these will gain entry to the national final where the big prizes will be on offer. However, series promoter Remo Luciani said there will also be a 'loyalty bonus' operating.

"Any competitor who races in all rounds of their local series will automatically qualify for the final," he said.

Luciani said he has been waiting for a stable platform for the class before offering such as series.

"When the AKA allowed C-

grade licence holders into the category, tlren I knew the time was right for this series. We will be supporting these new drivers as there will be separate trophies for the Cgraders at each round and the highest placed C-grade driver (in each class) at the final will win a $1000 Remo Racing voucher."

"There are no special conditions, minimum entries or registration fees," he said.

"I am guaranteeing these prizes."

The category will run as per the AKA rule book on MG Yellow tyres at 160kg (Light) and 180kg (Heavy).

The Parilla engine, right, is imported by Remo and use an alternator.

- MARK WICKS

NEWLY-crowned Rotax Light National Champion Scott Auld will suit up for Arrow at the final round of the CIK-FIA European Rotax Championships in Portugal next week.

"We had karts over there from the previous round (Matthew Wall competed at the Austrian round as a prize for winning last year's Super-8 final), so we needed a driver to run it," said DPE's Bart Price.

"We had a short-list of Arrow drivers that we wanted to support, and Scott performed really well at the Nationals, so we chose him."

Auld has raced overseas in the past, claiming second in the World Rotax Final in 2002 when he drove for Aurora. He will join championship regular Adrian Estasy in Portugal. Estasy currently holds fifth in the series, however a strong run in the final could see him claim third. ^ MARK WICKS 86

JORDIE Lindstrom kept his successful 2004 season rolling along nicely with victory in the annual Jayair Junior Sprint classic at Puckapunyal earlier this month.

Lindstrom (Arrow) beat home Jono Taylor and Leigh Nicolaou in the Junior Clubman ‘Champion of Champions’ feature. Aaron Hindis and Luke Ellery rounded out the top five.

Lindstrom was bumped back to 10th place in the early laps but clawed his way back to take the win. Taylor and NSW's Jake Williams collided mid-race, ending Williams run. Jake had earlier beaten Lindstrom with a last lap pass in the regular Junior Clubman class.

Corey McCullach defeated Tassie speedster Daimon Shelton in Junior National Light while sibling Aiden Shelton was also a runner up, taking second to Max Carter in Junior National Heavy.

Wins also went to Ben Lincoln (Rookies), Cameron Waters (Midgets), Ben Kilsby (Junior National Pro), Andrew Stasse (JN Light ‘C & P’) and James Close (JN Heavy ‘C & P’).

- MARK WICKS moiorsport neiNS

NATIONAL SCENE

1 A, /

f i^id ^ uiitM

V, -1

fBIANTEl VMODEL CARSj

Stubber Clubber West Aussie grabs Bathurst victory

PAUL Stubber again showed his class by taking out the Biante Model Cars Historic Touring Car Trophy at Mount Panorama over the Bathurst weekend.

Stubber, above, qualified his Chevrolet Camaro on pole by almost seven seconds and took all three races victories, despite encountering some problems late in Race 1.

Garry Treloar, also in a Camaro, collect fourth in Race 1, before improving to claim second in the other two races.

The HQ Monaro of Trevor Hutchins, below, grabbed the final step on the podium in Races 2 and 3, while in the first race it was Steve Mason and Greg Troefer that followed West Australian Stubber home.

Hubbart and Hutchins failed to finish Race 1 after they clashed at CAT corner.

Jason Foley and Jervis Ward staged a fraught fight in Race 3 for fourth place, which eventually fell in favour of Foley.

motorsport news

Australia’s number 1 fortnightly motorsport magazine

~Tujo lucIcLj enthusiasts pnettLj Qolng to hau nd to th Pantastic motar'spar't season!

How's this for a prize: a high-speed ride around the Eastern Creek circuit in a 1971 racing Falcon XY GTHO, driven by Allan Moffat, or a 1972 Holden Torana XU1 with Peter Brock at the wheel at the final BIANTE Model Cars Touring Car Series round of the season (at the December 4/5 V8 Supercar finale).

Overnight accommodation is included, plus air travel for non-NSW winners.

Enter NOW, and as many times as you like, because there is a valuable interim prize after each round of the series - a full set of 2004 BIANTE Model Cars Touring Car Series apparel (value $250). All entries in hand at the interim closing dates are eligible and all entries go back into the draw for the two final, magnificent prizes.

There are two ways to enter this great competition: 1.

Mail the BIANTE Model Cars logo in this entry form (below), along with your details (name, address, phone, email) to: Motorsport News BIANTE Competition PO Box 7072 Gardenvale VIC 3186; OR

2.

Mail us one of the promotional leaflets distributed at any one of the BIANTE Models Touring Car Series rounds (listed below).

April 2-4 Eastern Creek, NSW June 11-13 Barbagallo, WA July 23-25 Winton, VIC August 13-15 Oran Park, NSW September 10-12 Sandown, VIC October 7-10 Bathurst, NSW

Thursday June 3 Thursday July 15 Thursday August 12 Thursday September 2 Thursday September 30 Thursday November 4

Closing date for main prize draw: Thursday 4 November 2004 Fifth draw winner: Graham Rowler

Name: Address:

Formula Toyota ready and waiting THE Toyota Racing Series is looking set to enliven the future of open-wheel racing in New Zealand as the manufacturer-backed series readies itseif for its first round at Timaru on January 9.

Twenty identical Formula Toyota cars built by Tatuus in Italy are nearing delivery to Toyota 13 October 2004

Racing Management's 500 sq. metre premises near Auckland.

Each car is powered by a 1.8 litre 200hp engine, driven through a six-speed sequential gearbox.

The series will be run over six rounds at most NZ tracks, with three races at each and interest from prosective drivers is already very high.

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87

What was once cutting-edge technology is now Historic Touring Car racing.

CHRIS JORDAN investigates one of

c

APACITY grids, fanatical crowds and V8 Supercar drivers knocking on your door to get a drive. Seem idealistic? Well in the realm of Historic Touring Cars, it's a reality, and the popular touring cars of yesteryear are going through a renaissance period.

In its third year, the Biante Model Cars Historic Touring Car Series is the culmination of previous state-level series. now running under a common banner of rules and promotion as one of the headline supports for the V8 Supercar Championship Series.

We act as the traffic cops, quips Series Administrator Sue Ransom.

We generally run last at race meetings because so many people will hang around to watch the Historic Touring Cars.

Indeed, as much as the other categories such as Carrera Cup can bring superlative marquees to the support paddock, it is the history of the Histories that most often gets the regular V8 Supercar

i

31

punters wandering the back blocks of the pits for a closer look.

"The promoters love us because we always have a full grid and AVESCO love us because we are the heritage of V8 Supercar," says Ransom.

"You walk through the paddock, amongst all the huge tents and here they are, working out of their trailers, you've got these gems."

The connection with the fans and the ears is obvious. In the world of V8 Supercar racing, no other category can boast to bring as many fans through the gate specifically to watch their racing as Historic Touring Cars, aside from the main game.

The cars themselves are raw, fast and loud. Downforce is the least of the driver's worries. They are most usually concerned about the brakes, which like the rest of the cars, must be from the era of the car's build.

Being a true historic category, personal sponsorship is not permitted on the cars, but dispensation has been given to allow Biante Model Cars windscreen banners. Biante's support has given the series a unique position from which to nurture the class. The 20 drivers that agree to race all six national rounds are given subsidy money via the Biante deal, and with the abundance of interest from state competitors, grids are always massive.

"This weekend at Bathurst, we had 73 pre-round entries," says Ransom.

"We will run a full 55-car grid, with five reserves."

With such large grids comes the variety so lacking with the recent influx of one-make racing and parity-adjusted rulebooks. In the Historic Touring Cars, the cars strengths and weaknesses are exposed for all to see and the drivers, just as they used to in the good oT days. The drivers have no option but to steer around any impediments.

So what of the drivers of these unwieldy beasts? As serious as the on-track action is, the main aim remains fun and exhilaration, and no one can get enough of it. Peter Brock has been making appearances this year in an XU1 Torana.

"Peter's popularity with the fans is amazing," Ransom said.

"I will put a sign out that Brock will be signing autographs at 10 o'clock, and we will have a cue forming at 8.30."

Next year, he may not be the only famous name on the grid, with a few other famous V8 Supercar names set to pop up.

Watch this space ...

But no matter who is driving, the cars and category are a much-loved group at the moment, and this shows with the present demand for their presence. In the interest of the competitors, the series will

IN the English Premier League,there was always one football team that everyone, more or less, loved. They were popular. exuberant, aggressive,spectacular and just a little bit quirky.

They were the Wimbeldon FC - officially nicknamed 'the Crazy Gang'- and everyone always loved to watch them play.

While the drivers of the Historic Touring Car category have not adopted the traditions of the Crazy Gang (such as the ritual burning of every new player's tracksuit at his first training), they are a bunch of drivers unique to V8 Supercar meetings. For a start, fun and camaraderie are present in abundance.

In a sport where the tyranny of distance from the playing field makes it difficult to get the crowd involved, the attitude and thumping noise of the cars is one of the things the fans never tire of, and love coming to see.

With low grip and high horsepower. Histories racing rarely turns monotonous. Two wheel cornering and tyre burning wheelspin are all par for the course.

The essence of London's Crazy Gang may be gone (the club moved to Milton Keynes), but in Australian motorsport, we have our own equivalent, and I mean that in the most glowing and complimentary way possible.

- CHRIS JORDAN

remain a six-round show for 2005 with blue-riband events, including the Clipsal 500, Sandown 500, Bathurst and the Phillip Island Grand Finale are all on the schedule.

Barbagallo will also remain a fixture, where the cars are hugely popular, which might leave the Supercar teams wondering just who is the support category.

89

NATIONAL SCENE

NZ Battery Back-up

NEW Zealand's version of the

B'

popular one-make Porsche GTS series has received a major backer.

Leading specialist battery chain Battery Town will support the 2004/05 Porsche GTS Cup, which starts this weekend at Pukekohe Park in Auckland.

r

Last year, only a dozen entries fronted to the inaugural series. But this season,18 local entries plus possibly 10 Australian and Asian Carrera Cup runners will contest the eight round series or the six round Trans Tasman Cup, which will be run between rounds two and seven.

> ‘'I

by MARTIN VAN REE THE New South Wales championships finished on a high note at Eastern Creek on Sunday.

Joel Spychala had the Scooteria Formula Ford title wrapped up before the trip to the Creek and posted two more wins to underscore his dominance of 2004. Michael Patrizi grabbed a pair of second places on Sunday but the battle for second in the series went down to the wire, with Greg Woodrow holding out Dane Rudolph for that honour.

All three Formula Vee races produced the same top three places with Adam Proctor, John Mostyn and Michael Kinsella filling the podium positions. Kinsella showed blistering pace to set a new lap record on the fifth lap of the final Vee race of the season.

There was plenty of tin-top action to compliment the open wheel racing and Derek Bailey, top, again made a clean sweep of the Sports Sedan races.

Jeff Church crossed the line first in the final race for Improved

Production Cars over 2-litres in his VN Commodore, above. The Mazda RX7 of Graeme Watts was the outstanding import of the weekend.

For the under 2-litre cars, it was Gavin Wilkinson who grabbed victory in his Escort after Bob Jowett (also in an Escort) came to grief on the fifth lap of the second race, Scott Anderson's WRX STI held off a large field of combined Touring Cars.

Perennial front runner Barry Sternbeck had to work hard after a DNF in Race 2.

The Porsche GTS of Anthony Skinner led home an interesting array of Production Sports Cars, lain Pretty’s Classic Revival AC Cobra recorded a rare DNF in the trophy race, leaving William Adams's 302 Robnell Cobra and Robert McMillan Porsche to fill the podium positions.

Scott Jennings won the final HQ race.

The GTS Cup will be joined by the NZ V8 Touring Cars and Formula Fords, while the Formula Toyota Series will make an appearance at Ruapuna Park in mid-January.

NZ Calendar 2004/05 Rnd 1

Oct 16-17

Rnd 2*

Nov 27-28 Ruapuna

Pukekohe

Rnd 3*

Jan 8-9

Rnd 4*

Jan 15-16 Teretonga

Rnd 5» Rnd 6*

Jan 22-23 Feb 19-20

Rnd 7*

Mar 12-13 Taupo

Rnd 8

Apr 15-17 Pukekohe**

Timaru Ruapuna Park Manfeild

* Trans Tasman GT3 Cup **Placemakers V8 Supercar meeting

National Pride

THE combined running of the HQ Holden and Formula Vee Nationals was held recently in conjunction with the third round of the Team Dynamik SA Champions Series at Mallala.

A capacity field of 40 HQ Holdens lined up for the Kuhmo Tyres championship race.

Fastest qualifier Steve Laybourn charged his way through the field on lap eight and made the most of his home-track knowledge to win, followed by Wayne King and Ken Wright.

Victorian Formula Vee star Andy Nethercote, above, proved consistent

in the 30-plus field, claiming pole position and the race win.

Frank Haire, Nicholas Jones, Noel Clark and Cameron Edwards completed the top five finishers.

Lyndon Punshon won the combined Marque Sports events in his distinctive Robnell, taking a clean-sweep in his four events.

Bernie Stack won the final two Group N and S races.

Samantha Reid claimed all four Racing and Sports Cars events, while Peter Turner took three race wins in the Historic Sports and Racing class.

- PARIS CHARLES

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Official Australian Distributor Quantum Racing Industries

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CLASSIFIEDS

Classifieds online classifieds I

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Find hundreds more race vehicles and parts for sale at www.my105.com

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your motorsport vehicle, parts, memorabilia with our aii-new combined magazine/ internet classified service. Courtesy of an agreement between Motorsport News and internet classified service my105.com, your advertising will appear in both for as iittle as $25. Yes 3 months on my105.com AND one insertion in Motorsport News for just $25!

HOW? Just log on to www.my105.com and follow the prompts!

Alternately, you can still use the classified form on these pages (surcharge applies for the service of entering the ad onto my105.com)

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1995 Nissan 200 SX 1

[¥

from just $25

05/2005 reg log book, DMS suspension, Wolf computer and display dash, R32 and R33 brakes, full steel ROP, 4 spare wheels tyres, spare dutch and 3inch exhaust, original trim available, Terratrip 303 plus, + Terraphone, Targa, Road Rally, Circuit car. $22,500.

0418 353 681.

Danny

IT’S THE SMART WAY TO SELL YOUR EQUIPMENT! 372 Maxwill Sprintcar Engine

372 Maxwill 720Hp Sprintcar Engine Run By Joey Saldana To Win The 50,000 Feature At I PCR. Donavon Block, Light Weight Rocker I Covers, New Ram Tubs, New Air Cleaners, j Waterman Fuel Pump, Kinsler Injection, New 2 I Piece Light Weight Engine Mounts, As New *1 Headers, New Oil Lines & Fittings, Shipping I Crate. $31,950 Neg. Rodney 0415393755. 295

296

www.myl05.eom/72302

www.myl05.com/51857 Sedans/Sports Cars

FORD SIERRA, Genuine reason for sale.

No track work. Excellent condition. Only third owner. Rego till MAY 05. Comes with SIERFtA numberplates. 35000.00 Not Neg. Daniel 0411 967 399 / 0407 723396. 296 www.myl05.eom/4302

2004 WA Sports Sedan State Championship Winner, Sports Sedan V8 Volvo 242GT 350 Chev - Approx. 500hp (only 3 race meetings young) Dry Sump Lubrication System Muncie 4 Speed Gearbox Harrop Differential AP Racing Calipers, Ventilated Discs Spax Coil Over Adjustable Shock Absorbers 16" Rims / Dunlop Tyres Custom Built Chassis Fibreglass Panels Very Reliable, No DNF's. $17,000 ONO. /Lshley 0402 257 610. 296 www.myl05.eom/50458

f

Series 4/5 RX7 sports sedan. Series 4/5 RX7 space framed sports sedan. Set up for 350 Chev. Still In build up stage. A very good head start for the right person. Has six new 16X10 Ford five stud rims Bathurst globe style. Will sell these separately if required. $3,500. Kevin 0416 076 187.

296 www.myl05.com/81128

13 October 2004

Gemini Series Rally Car, Competitive car 2002 resalts 2nd Gemini and 1st Novice, 1st P2 novice & clubman, 1604cc sealed engine, 2 rallies since rebuilt, deisel 5spd gearbox. Seam welded streghtend chasis.

Bond alloy cage, Bilstien suspension. Cams log booked, rego Aug 2005. 10 wheels, 6 rally tyres, 2 cibie lights, noltec bushes throughout. $3900.00 Or Best Offer. Steve 0407 23 28 41.

297 www.myl05.com/7347

Escort Mkl Improved Production, Freshened 2L Pinto Motor, Forged Pistons, P5 Emerald Cam, Group 1 Valves, Steel Flywheel, Sachs Clutch, Genuine Group 1 Twin 48mm Downdraft Webbers, Genuine Ford Motorsport LSD, Koni’s, Volvo Calipers, BMW Rotors, Twin Cam Guards & Dash, CAMS log booked ready to race / sprint / hill climb. Genuine Group 1 Exhaust Manifold also available. $6,500. Geoff 0411 448.

055 296 www.myl05.com/48066

2003 State Championship Wininig 2 Itr S/Sedan, C/W spare 440Hp Turbo Motor complete for Open S/Sedans. Spaced framed, Koni adjustables. Mid-mounted engine, FGA400Transaxle w/ratios Motec Dash Logger, All f/glass moulds, Fire-Bomb system, heaps of spares Near new dry tyres, wets GC, spare drys. As featured in Sept Fast Fours Mag $30,000 to $40,000 Negotiable package. Steve 0419 171 200.

296 www.myl05.com/74472

A

Nota Fang, Note Fang Group Sc Sportscar.

Holds class records everywhere it has raced. Outright Group S record at Noosa and Mt Cotton Hillclimb. Great fun to drive.

2 sets of wheels and tyres many spares available. Engine 1 race meeting Old. $27500 Neg. David 0421048888 / 07 3880 0511.

296 www.my105.com/46719 ULTIMATE STREET SLEEPER, ONE OWNER FOR 25YRS, NEVER CRASHED.15" SIMONDS WHEELS YOKOHAMA TYRES. 4 WHEEL DISC BRAKES.RECARO SEATS.RACING HARNESS.3" EXHAUST/TWIN DUMP PIPE. KING SPRINGS.KONI SHOCKS. SURG TANK.CARTER FUEL PUMP(LOW PRESSURE).VL COMMODORE EFI PUMP.ORIGINAL BLACK AND WHITE NUMBER PLATES. VINYL ROOF. $12000 Neg. Rob 32011992/ 0422500211.

296 www.myl05.eom/45320

Mazda R100 Coupe Sports Sedan, Midmount engine, LHD, Full floating rear, all new driveline, fully rebuilt engine, 3mm carbon apex seals, two sets 16 x 10 wheels, near new Dunlops, guages, extensive fiberglass, liftoff front, 2pac paint, big brakes, Dorian timer, SAAS seat and wheel, new belts, adjustable Konis, spare LSD and two RX5 boxes. $14,000 Neg. Peter 0410 658 463 / 02 9635 7841.

296 www.my105.com/71190 Sports Sedan - Torana Hatch, full fibreglass panels, spare rims with wets, roller only. $6,000. Denis 0407 202 820.

296 www.my105.com/72988

Porsche GT3 Cup Car, MY2003 with 2004 update package currently running in Carrera Cup. Maintained perfectly (no race mechanical failures), recent motor, gearbox and chassis refresh (no major shunts).

Available now (including entry for Bathurst and Indy) or end of season as package with Spares, Motec, Radio and other Equipment.

Trailer and/or Transporter also available.

Setup, track, dyno, shock, parts life and other data. Price is negotiable. Stephen 296 0418 ,685 575. www.myl05,com/19254

EVO 7, Race winning car, many spares.

Garry 0413 879 879 / (02) 9688 3003. www.my105.com/28980

297

95

"Tl

Open Wheeiei's

Fa

f—w

K Mazda RX7, Sports sedan built by factory Mazda in the USA. Never raced since total rebuild and is in show condition, full chrome Moly space frame, front wishbone suspension. AP 6 and 4 spot callipers, brand new 3 Rotor turbo changed engine with Microtech on board display, brand new 9inch full floating rear, brand new carbon fibre, aluminium interior, 3 sets 16 x 12 BBS rims, please phone for full spec sheet.

296 $30,000. Robert 0418 974 351. www.myl05.com/64891

XY Falcon GT HO Group NC, New roller engine, excellent horsepower, Tilton clutch, top loader gearbox, Konni adjustable shocks F/R, Kelsey Hayes front calipers, Bremlo discs, 2 1/2 new rear drums. New fully galvanised tilt elect. Winch 4 wheel trailer. No expense spared on this replica.

Heaps of spares. $69,000. Eric 02 9997 6942.

296

MYGALE SJ95 FORMULA FORD, Our Factory SJ95 Mygale is available for Immediate sale. Join the G-Force Junior

Dallara F301 Renault, Aircon Racing offers for sale it's F301 Dallara. Ex-Team-

www.myl05.eom/906S1

Slgnature/Jonny Cochet car. Has won Macau and Korean SuperPrIx. Best fo everything inci EFI-Technology ECU and data system, steering-wheel dash, Koni shocks, extensive spare parts and data.

This car has set four lap records over one and a half seasons of racing. 105000 Neg. 03-9786-6600.

296

AU Falcon V8 Supercar, As run by Cameron McLean. Very competitive car, complete spares package to suit, will also sell as roller. Assistance to purchaser. Well priced to sell. Warren 07 5571 6625 or 0414 873.

646 294 www.myl05.com/36445

- 'i/ Porsche race car, 3.6 litre twin plug race engine on Autronic, 5 speed dogbox, 993 RSR body kit on early shell, full cage thm suspension, Harrop brakes, coll overs, air jacks, 1040 kgs, previous road rego, spare dogbox (new). Enquiries (genuinel) to womble@mira.net or to Richard 03 9822 5034 or 0417 370 671. $49,900 www.myl05.com/15137

i M/kZDA RX 7, One of the quickest cars in Targa Classic Division. Would make ideal Sports GT or Improved production. Proven track record Baskerville 59,4s Microtech

RALT RT4, 1982 but has many '86 features incl. wide front track. Recent complete rebuild. Always a front running car.

Complete package with C of D, gear ratios, spares, and data for the historic events. No expense spared with preparation. $75,000.

RICHARD CARTER 0409 993606 www.myl05.com/99213

www.my105.com/52812

Lotus Elan S4 SE 1970, drop head sports.

Two owners from new. Really nice, quick car. $32,000 ONO. G. Bruce 9417 4755 / 2990.

9909 294 www.myl05.com/76535

www.myl05.com/38457

www.myl O5.com/13764

Fuel injection, LSD, Log Book, Mazda 4 piston front calipers, $22,000 Neg. Kym 0409211614.

294

Mazda RX7 Sports Sedan, mid mount fresh 20B PP Microtech injected, Supra 5 speed, Hilux rear LSD, Willwood Brakes, new 16inch slicks, ready to race. $17,000 294 Not Neg. Darrell 0413 383 102. www.myl05.com/78353

Development Program. No expense spared on the full factory rebuild of this car. Mygale factory assistance. Optional spare parts package. Full spec Ritter Race Engine - at $26,995 plus GST. Call Greg on 03 9580 7047. $26,995 plus GST. Greg 03 9580 7 0 4 7.

Formula 2 Kaditcha, Completely restored and eligible for Group R Historic (Ground effect parts included). Mounted Wets, Gear Ratios, Spare Nose Cone and Rear Wing, Comes with new purpose built tilt axle trailer. Only selling due to lack of use. $44,990 Neg. Paul Nelson 0412558386. www.myl05.eom/5039

\

USB

I,

TVR CHIMAERA, Tvr - 500hp LSI - 6sp Tremac - AP brakes - Pedal box - spool NEEDS ECU AND EXHAUST spare 350Hp LSI, heaps more Owes $130k MUST MUST MUST Sell $33k 0419 524 752. 0419 524 752.

294

Nissan Clubman 2002, RWC, 12m reg.

S/Charged SR 20 IRS all adjustable LSD polished alloy over spaceframe ultra reliable multiple hillclimb trophy winner 46 sec at Mt Cotton on road tyresi $28,000 ONO. Bill 02 6677 7230 or 0438 543 349. 290

RF94 Van Diemen Stealth, 2004 N.S.W state winner, 2001 VIC state winner.

Maintained by Mid Coast Ford Racing, car is ready to race for 2005 season, comes with Ritter engine, 4x ohiins adjustable shocks, plus logger and dash, lots of spares, set up infomation. Joel 0419 993 155.

294

www.myl OS.com/52299

www.myl05.com/80201

www.myl05.com/2828

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motorsport news

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CLASSIFIEDS Speedway

Jobs

For Sale, Formula 500, Kenser chassis, Rotax 494, excellent condition, many spares, race ready. $12,000 ONO. Gordon 296 0417207526. www.myl O5.com/19377

Engine builder of the highest calibre, l Triple Eight Race Engineering, Brisbane's leading V8 Supnrcar team is currently recruiting for an Engine builder of the highest calibre. l With an attractive salary package recognising the importance of the role, the successful candidate must have significant experience within motor sport, specifically working with and building two valve, pushrod controlled V8 engines. l Commencing immediately, the individual will enjoy challenges, can think 'outside the square' when presented with dimensional problems, always achieves timelines, works well with other team members and maintains a high level of self motivation. l In summary, this role represent an opportunity for a highly molivated engine builder to enjoy the challenges of working within a benchmark racing team, producing technically superior race componentry that will make a significant impact within Australian motorsport, l Please forward detailed resumes, by Friday 29th October 2004 to: Campbell LitUe Triple Eight Race Engineering Post: P.O. Box 233 Albion OLD, 4010 or email: info@tripleeight.com.au.

Cassandra.

296 Contact www.myl05.com/2836

Engines Ford V8 Supercar engine, 619hp Mark McLaughlin,Run only 150km. Headers, SS exhaust, carbon clutch Rattle guns and hoses etc,. Garry 0413 879 879 /(02)9688 3003. 297 www.myl05.com/58255 Cosworth RS500 Turbo ENGINE, Full GroupA Cosworth RS500 Engine, Complete rebuilt - 1 race only, new ball bearing turbo, big injectors, forge pistons,race cams, head work,hi volume oil pump, hi volume race sump, Autronics ECU, BIG Horsepower from minimal boost. AS NEW THROUGHOUT. Ideal for Off road racing, street car or circuit racing. 18000 Or Best 294 Offer. Phil 0419252898. www.myl05.com/96988 Lotus Ford Twin Cam Engine, Totally rebuilt by UK T/C experts New internals.

0,020” oversize bore. New pistons, standard size Lotus steel crank, SE cams. New clutch, unleaded valve seats, new valves and guides. New water pump. Ready to drop in and run. Only needs a distributor and exhaust manifold to suit your application. $8,500 Not Neg. 9417 4755 / 294 9909 2990. www.my105.eom/22090

Transporters/Trailers

Parts Parts clearance, Barnes d/sump pump latest 6 stage 1 race old $700 Tilton triple plate clutch 26 spline T10/ Jerico etc as new $475 1 race old plates $140 Tilton pedal box with balance bar new $175 master cyls also available Other race brakes & clutches calls only from 6am - noon thanks. Graham 0403 296 811360. www.myl05.com/56748 Tex Racing - T10 Gearbox, with Hurst shifter plus spare 3rd gear. $3,500. Denis 296 0407 202 820. www.myl05.com/16375 Monde Gearbox, Carse Spline with Hurst shifter. $900. Denis 0407 202 820.

296 www.myl05.com/29144 Holden Torana XU1 M21 gearbox, used sparingly since full rebuild, close ratios of 2.54, 1.83, 1.25 and 1.00:1. $730. Jason 294 0417 818 872. www.my105.com/74738

QUATA Duelcab Transporter, Mitsubishi 515 Turbo Diesel, 29ft Pan, Low kilometres, recent 2Pac paint on cab. One piece fibreglass sides, 4 underbody toolboxes, new 9KVA Honda Jenset, clean skin tyres allround.

Licenced to seat 7 adults. Will carry 2 cars. $60,000 ONO. Dan 0749521100 / 296 0419931901. www.myl05.com/77512

For Lease Lease Opportunities, available for the Touring Car Challenge’ and F4000 - 2005 seasons. Super Tourers, Future Tourers, V8 Supercars and Reynard F4000s. Rod 02 296 6562 7762 / 0412 785 486. www.myl05.com/48007 Drives Available for Wakefield, Park Christmas 500 Enduro - lease deals on Super Tourers, Future Tourers and V8 Supercars. Enquiries to Rod Dale 02 6562 7762. Rod 02 6562 7762.

296 www.myl O5.com/10254

Wanted Wanted, Ford MotorSport Block 302 4 bolt P/N: M-6010-A4 manufactured up to 1993.

Suitable for Historic Racing. Inlet manifold for Boss 302 suit 4 x 48mm IDA weber setup. Stuart 08 8250 0540 / 08 8390 3612.

296 www.myl05.com/20850 Dog Gearbox for Mini, Alloy doors etc, 12 inch mini lite wheels. Garry 02 6662 2996.

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E]PINION

motorsport EDITORim STAFF Editor: Phil Branagan l editor@mnews.com.au Deputy Editor: Mark Glendenning l mark@mnews.com.au National Editor: Grant Rowley l grant@mnews.com.au Staff Journalist: Chris Jordan l chrisj@mnews.com.au

PRODUCTIOH Adu & Graphics Co-ordinator: Viv Brumby l viv@mnews.com.au

Brendon Sheridan - PR Driven Tel: 03 9877 7271 Fax: 03 9877 7207 mobile: 0407 007 286 l ads@mnews.com.au

ADMINISTRATION Managing Director/Publisher: Chris Lambden l 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

CONTRIRDTORS 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, Tony Millard (UK), Greg Boscato, Daniel Powell 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, Erin McCowatt Photographers: Sutton Motorsport Images, Dirk Klynsmith, Bothwell Photographic, Marshall Cass, Nigel Snowdon & Diana Burnett, AFl Images, Nell 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 ail care will be taken, Australasian Motorsport News does not accept responsibility for damage or loss of material submitted. ●Opinions expressed in Motorsport News are not necessarily those of Australasian Motorsport News or its staff.

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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

98

1. As a motorsport commentator for 25+ years my hat goes off to Cromley. 9.9 out of 10 for a great job.

2. After stating on national TV that his co-driver's career was over, I have to ask if Paul Morris would have ever had a career if his father was not a mulb-millionaire?

Rob Oberg rob@motorsportsmarketiiig.coin.nii

The good ol’ days

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and Tom on some of their facts.

Yes, Brock did win two races after taking over the team's second car, but you carmot compare the rules of then to today's rules. Under the old rules you were permitted to cross-enter in more than one car. Brock was

Crompton hot, Morris not

I have two observations on Bathurst.

I have just watched the Japanese FI GP and once again thought of what happened to the 'good ol days' of the 80s when one could not be sure who was going to win before the race started.

Prost,Piquet,Senna, ManseU and Berger could aU win on a good day as well as it being possible for three or more different cars to win in a season.

I believe a return to fuel restrictions may be the way to go and allow other area's of car design to be open. If each car only had 'x' litres of fuel for the weekend, engine manufacturers would have to reduce power levels to finish the race.

Chassis designers would also have to reduce downforce to save fuel.

Teams would be more conservative and slicks tyres would retain mechanical grip. An ever-reducing fuel allowance for the next race (eg.

0.7 percent reduction each race) until slower speeds allow more overtaking would also work. It could be the cheapest and quickest way to make FI more unpredictable.

Laurie Ball lookandthinkl5@hotmail.com

Where’s the coverage?

In regards to Joe Saward's Box Seat column in MN#292, it would appear I would agree with his point.

It's somewhat disturbing when AFL gets 20 pages of sports news and motorsport nil. Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport and imless you are a full-on enthusiast, you wouldn't have the slightest clue what is happening to Mark Webber. The papers and the media are more worried about the Brownlow fashion parade than our home-town hero.

It is really discouraging that Australia is so narrow-minded and so focused on the personal lives of footballers that it neglects Formula 1.

Don't get me wrong, I love my footy, but there needs to be some kind of

converter Send us your thoughts: mail: PO Box 7072, Gardenvale, VIC 3186 fax: 03 9596 5030 email: mnews@mnews.com.au bother with Practice Two. It's this type of coverage that I am sick and tired of, and without Motorsport News,I think I would die.

Aaron Shaw oaksnaf@botmail.com

Bad Coverage Pt II

As a dedicated motor racing fan since the mid-60's, I am constantly amazed and angered at the pathetic treatment we receive from television, radio, newspapers and the race tracks. If it ain't football or cricket. Packer and Murdoch's propaganda machines don't want to loiow about it.

Take Channel Ten's Sports Tonight ... what a joke, try 'Football Tonight.'

Unfortunately, the only way car racing will get shown ahead of football is if someone gets killed.

Still on Ten, I have at least twice witnessed a V8 race where a challenge for the lead has been on for several laps and eventually led to a change of race leader, and unbelievably not only did the idiot in charge of the cameras miss it, we never even got a replay! Was this person asleep or watching football on another channel?

Pro Mason Penrith, NSW

Smart Cookie

In reply to 'Ford Fans vs Brock Fans' (MN#293) I would like to correct Chris

not the only driver to do this; his only crime was that he went onto win the race on both occasions.

Also, one Larry Perkins benefited this way in 1983.

Now as for the win in 1987, the Texaco Sierras were found to be illegal at scrutineering. Plaster castings of the front guards were taken, but later found discarded.

They came into the possession of Frank Gardner of the Benson & Hedges Sierra team,of which he was manager, and along with two other Sierra teams, a protest was lodged. It was only through the persistence of Frank that a hearing went ahead and if you had checked your facts, this is one of the times Brock moved into the second team car, So you should adjust your count. As you can see,some Holden fans do know their Bathurst history.

Greg Ejfield Kiama, NSW

More Brock Facts I have just read the letter from 'Chris and Tom' in MN#293 and their comments on Peter Brock's nine Bathurst wins.

It's a pity their research did not include the fact that Ford driver Allan Moffat was the first driver to retire his own car and then hop into another; the Bob Morris/Bill O'Brien XD Falcon at Bathurst in 1980. They were not even in the same team and Allan ended up with two DNFs in that race.

Before anybody bags someone's research, they should make sure their own is correct. Dick Johnson, John Bowe and several other drivers have swapped cars. At the time it was legal to do so and regulations change all the time, especially in motor racing.

The fact is Peter Brock legally has nine wins in the Bathurst 500/1000 and one 24 Hour win. No matter what Chris and Tom want to think, they cannot change the facts.

Scott Mackay Cardross, Victoria

coverage apart from the Aussie GP in Australian papers. It's for this reason that Australians are so uninformed about Webber, and we only appear to get excited at the Aussie GP. Actually, I am reading the paper's sports news now and there is about 60 words on Friday Practice One; no times, no nothing. They didn't even

Our Brocky: The King of the Mountain still tugs at the heartstrings of many. motorsport news

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