Motorsport News Issue 306 - April 6-19, 2005

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No. 306 April 6-19 2005 Australia $5.95 NZ $7.50 inci GST

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6-19 April 2005

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Red Rattled Has it gone pear-shaped at Maranello?

Serving Time Juan Montoya loses drive - to Pat Rafter!!

Cheap Thrills SCAR signs its enduro drivers and tech man Briscoe Robbed!! Maybe not - but he is no Kanaan Faan Which Bank, Bernie? God, we hope this saga is over Motor Mouth Glendenning blurried-eyed at Big Picture Box Seat Joe reckons, let ’em play tennis on Harleys!

Talk Converter Yes, we know kids have email now

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features 28 Five Minutes With Pedro de la Rosa McLaren’s Super Sub swears a lot...

30 Five Minutes With Toni Gardemeister Ford’s World Rally #1,#2 or #3?

32 My other car is a Champ Car No Wonder Marcus Marshall is smiling 36 Larko Speaks!!! Not about the sale though, which was not much of a shock 40 Minardi turns 20 Everyone’s second favourite FI team reaches a milestone 44 Gold! Gold? Gold! Well, Green and Gold. A look at A1 GP’s Team Australia 48 Worlds Apart We peek into the cars of the WTCC, the BTCC and the DTM

race coverage

50 Also present were Jordan ... and Ferrari Fernando hides away (again) while Michael and Rubens wonder what might have happened in the oider cars ...

Suzuki Island It is Coronas all round for SBK’s 58 Corser and Kagayama. All the Phillip Isiand news

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S Contents: sutton-images.com.

P red2oneimages.com and Ford Racing Media

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regulars 64 Speedway

68 Drag Racing

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Marketplace 3

Marshall’s a Champ

AS reported in MNews last issue, Marcus Marshall will contest the 2005 Champ Car season with a new Australian team part-owned by Craig Gore.

Gore and fellow Gold Coast businessman John Fish have bought a controlling share in Walker Racing, which has been rebranded as Team Australia. Team

hit me square in the face when I am lining up on the grid at Long Beach.

"Last year I won the Formula 3 race on the streets of Surfers Paradise and then sat down and watched Bezzy(David Besnard) come seventh. Now,I get the opportunity to drive, and it feels incredible. This is all I have wanted to do, but we have a big task ahead of us."

Canadian veteran Alex Tagliani will join Marshall in the two-car squad, which will carry signage from Aussie Vineyards,a new company established by Gore and Fish to export Australian wine into the US. As part of the deal, Aussie

principal Derek Walker retains a stakeholding in the team, and will remain on in a Sporting Directortype role from his base in the US, leaving Gore and Fish to look after : the team's financial management.

"We've been testing the car for a while and it feels awesome," i enth.used Marshall.

IBP-Vin^rds will also be the official I'm just so pumped.It-hasniLjiTrsuppWferto the Champ Gar^ sunk in yet, but I'm betting it will World Series.-- -

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"The partnership with Craig in last year's Indy event on the Gold Coast produced a seventh-place finish for a driver who had never raced a Champ Car/'said Walker.

"That result, and the dealings that we had with Craig and his team,gave us all the enthusiasm to maintain a relationship and explore ways we could continue to work together."

Marshall gets his first chance to drive a Champ Car in anger at Long Beach on April 10.

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For more on Australia's new Champ Car driver, please turn to our int^iew starting on page 32.

Po you want a 3, Pete?

Sauber recaisiders Friday option, seeking driver with $$$ PETER Sauber is considering running a third car on Fridays this year, once the FI caravan returns to Europe.

The Swiss team has struggled to be competitive in the three races this year and has concluded it is at a disadvantage by not running a third car on Fridays.

A third car has more mileage available than the race cars because the drivers do not have

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to worry about engines and tyres and that means that more set-up can be achieved. It is also useful in the decisions over tyres. The problem is that Sauber does not have the money to pay for a deal and so is looking for a pay-driver.

One name in the frame was ex-Jordan driver Timo Clock, but he has just announced a Champ Car deal for 2005.

Montoya ^

JUAN Pablo Montoya may miss additional races after his recent accident'playing tennis'.

JPM had to withdraw from the Bahrain Grand Prix with an injury which, the McLaren team says, was caused playing tennis.

The paddock rumours at Sakhir, however,suggested that Montoya's injury had been caused not on a tennis court but rather when he fell off a motocross bike in Madrid and that he could be out for several weeks. The team denied the stories

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but this did not make them go away, because the severity of the injury is such that it is difficult to imagine how it could have been caused by simply slipping on a tennis ball!

Even if the tennis story is true, it is perhaps significant that almost noone in the paddock believed it. Taking part in motocross is something which most people seem to think was what

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SBKs moutn Pope FOLLOWING Pope John Paul ll's death in the early hours of Sunday morning, Australian time, Italianbased organisers of the World Superbike Championship, held more subdued podium ceremonies for both the World Superbike and Supersport classes, void of champagne spraying and theatrics.

■ Dick Johnson Racing has extended its sponsorship arrangement with the Accor Group a further three years. DJR will continue to run the Accor Premiere Vacation Club brand on the windscreens of Steven Johnson and Glenn Seton's Falcons, as well as the addition on the logos to the car's front spoilers.

"Thanks to APVC the team enjoys the comfort of its hotels at V8 events all over Australia," said DJR General Manager Steve Chalker.

It'S lime for Tonio RED Bull Racing is expected to try out Tonio Liuzzi at the San Marino Grand Prix, despite the fact that Christian Klien has done a good job in the first three races this year as David Coulthard's team mate.

MNews believes that the management of RBR will decide next week to put Liuzzi in for three races to see how he goes. Klien may then return later in the season although the Austrian cannot perform the role of 'Friday' test driver because he has done too many races in the last two seasons.

This means that there is considerable logic in trying to move him to another team if Liuzzi proves to be so quick th^t it makes no sense to put him back on the bench.

This has led to speculation, nudged along

by Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz, that he might agree to loan one of his drivers (ie Klien) to Sauber. This would have the important effect of freeing up the Red Bull

Racing testing role so that America's Scott Speed could take over the car at the United States Grand Prix, a move which would be a big boost for FI in America (and for Red Bull promotions).

Speed's speed in recent testing underlines the fact that he can live up to his name and Red Bull would love to take advantage of that.

The major problem at the moment is that Peter Sauber is still currently standing by Jacques Villeneuve although that position becomes increasingly tenuous as Villeneuve's lack of performance continues.

In Bahrain he chose softer Michelins but was unable to match Felipe Massa's pace on hard tyres and then made a qualifying mistake which put him in the worst possible position for the race - being on soft tyres at the back of the main pack.

- JOE SAWARD

■ The sponsorship go-around continues to spin, with the news that the Wright Patton Shakespeare Carrera Cup has added another two sponsors to its books for 2005. ■■ SMS Commander will be the Official SMS Technology Supplier, and National Flire Allight will be the Official Lighting and Power Supplier to the Wright Patton Shakespeare Carrera Cup. These two new sponsors add to Puma, which became the Official Uniform Supplier earlier this season.

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Montoya was likely to be doing.

The important point in all of this is that some driver contracts have specific clauses about what drivers can and cannot do and there may be problems with any insurance claims that might be made. Last year, for example, Ralf Schumacher had to undergo considerable investigation by doctors from an insurance company before the firm was willing 6 April 2005

Cunning 5-step Plan: 1. Bribe fellow Spaniard Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, ;« left, to deliver exploding 1 tennis racquet to Juan S Montoya. g 2. Put fingers in ears.

I 3. Ka-boooom! ? 4. Remove fingers from I ears.

I 5. Win Drivers'title! to pay out the US$6m which Ralf lost because he was unable to drive after his crash at Indianapolis.

It is not clear whether Montoya's contract has a clause precluding dangerous sports such as motocross.

Montoya's injuries are significant and,although the team is talking optimistically about a return before Imola,it seems unlikely given that a fracture to the left shoulder blade is

not only very painful but also very difficult to heal because of the nature of the bone involved.

Such injuries usually occur in rougher sports such as rugby,skiing and motocross and almost always involve the body being in a heavy impact with the ground or a solid object. The major problem will be the pain involved through use of seat belts which are done up very tightly.

Putting a vertical pressure on such an injury and the bumps that must be absorbed would make it very hard for a driver with such an injury. There are thus some who believe that Montoya will be out of action for at least two months.

Montoya was replaced in Bahrain by the team's test driver Pedro de la Rosa while Alexander Wurz took over the third car on Friday.

For more, see Box Seat, page 26 -JOE SAWARD

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Brede at BJR Sign on t Dale inks with Team BOC for enduros and HPDC V8s DALE Brede has been confirmed as a Brad Jones Racing driver for 2005.

Mooted by MNews two weeks ago, Brede will drive in the team's second entry at Sandown and Bathurst, which will come after he contests at least two of the HPDC V8 Supercar races at Wakefield Park and Mallala.

Brede will use Andrew Jones's 2004 championship winning AU Falcon in the next round of the series at Wakefield Park, and might step into a newer BA model for Mallala.

The AU will run in BOC Gases colours, which has come at the request of BOC, who want to keep a presence in the Development series after their championship winning year in 2004. His deal is only for the remainder of 2005 at this stage.

After a season of discontent at Team Dynamik, Brede is rapt to have scored a deal with a leading team with a real chance at running towards the front.

"I've been talking to Brad about doing f sofnething for a number of years, way back in the Gulf Western days," , Brede said.

"To have something concrete for this year is just fantastic, and to be associated with M Team BOC is ^^

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the icing on the cake.

"Brad has helped me out over the years with advice, and John Bowe has always been great with stuff on and off the track. And to work again with my good friend and former engineer Matt Boniface is an ideal situation."

Team BOC has not confirmed its fourth endurance driver, although popular Scot John Cleland has to be considered the man most likely.

Brede was also quick to settle the score with Team Dynamik, and described the relationship with the South Australian squad as "an unbearable situation".

"They had done a deal with Will Davison back in August, but strung me along until the last round at Eastern Creek where they said I was still in the frame from a drive, which was obviously bullshit.

"I copped a lot of flack over crashing too much last year. If you look at the stats though, I had 13 DNFs, but only three of them were crashes. All the others were k mechanical B problems.

H "I made gains in myself and was i closer to Simon I (Wills), but in the J end, it was an ■mij/ unbearable situation that I didn't want to be in."

- GRANT ROWLEY - J'j

by GRANT ROWLEY

THE race to fill the vacant V8 Supercar endurance seats has begun, with many teams well past the negotiation stage with potential drivers At the top of the tree. Stone Brothers Racing has its drivers signed, but have not officially locked down its driver pairings. Warren Luff and Luke Youlden are still unsure who will go with who - be it Marcos Ambrose or RusseU IngaU. If SBR's thought process is the same as the team at MNews, then Luff will partner Ambrose, considering Luff's current HPDC V8 Supercar drive (see pic...)

On the other hand, the Holden Racing Team and Super Cheap Auto Racing are the first teams to completely settle the look of their line-up (see separate SCAR story).

The best seat yet to be filled is the fourth ride at Ford Performance Racing alongside V8 endurance specialist Cameron McLean. Two candidates spring to mind at FPR, being Will Davison and Prodrive employee David Brabham.

One team that has nailed down its driving-line up, but could not confirm the men who will fill the roles, is the HSV Dealer Team.

Regular pilots Rick Kelly and Garth Tander will team up in car #15, while Williams FI tester Andy Priaulx and Tim Leahey have been linked to the second drive. An announcement is

expected at the fourth round of the series at Eastern Creek.

Triple 8 Engineering has its drivers sorted, but the make-up of its line-up is not set in concrete. Adam Macrow, who was signed to T8 on Craig Lowndes's strongest recommendations, may still be a chance to partner the three-time champ, at the expense of regular team driver Steven Ellery. Current British Touring Car Champ Yvan Muller is the fourth steerer.

Dick Johnson Racing has more drivers than seats in 2005. HPDC star Dean Canto will lead the way in car 18, but his partner could be last year's DJR enduro driver Brabham, recent tester Kenny Brack, or even Grant Denyer, but the latter is prqljably unlikely due to testing restrictions.

In Tasman Motorsport-land, regular Dodo's Jason Richards and Jamie Whincup will be Sandown and Bathurst's 'dark-horses'. Team boss Kevin Murphy confirmed Carrera Cup series leader Fabian Coulthard will make his second V8 start in car 23 but a co-driver has yet to be named. Expect a young driver be inked shortly.

WPS Racing has David Besnard, Craig Baird and new Champ Car sigiung Marcus Marshall locked away and are talking to three drivers about the final seat.

Paul Morris Motorsport has a number of options. Alan Gurr is a contracted PMM driver - but will he

Ward, Pretty and Ke

HOLDEN V8 Supercar team Super Cheap Auto Racing has secured the services of some key players - both for on and off the track.

Former Ford Performance Racing team manager Dave Ward has confirmed his new role as technical director at SCAR. "I have built up a good relationship with Kees and Paul Weel over the last couple of months and we all felt that my input and experience would be of greater use to Super Cheap Auto Racing than it was to FPR," Ward said, who started work with the team late last month.

On the driver front, the Melbourne-based team has snatched the services of Nathan Pretty and Owen Kelly for this year's endurance races. The pair have both signed two-year deals with the team.

Pretty has contested the endurance races with a number of

teams, including Holden Young Lions, Kmart Racing and Garry Rogers Motorsport.

"I can't be anything but extremely happy," Pretty said. "The team's results show the cars are already competitive. I cannot help but feel confident in my decision to accept their offer of a two year contract."

Kelly is somewhat of an endurance team journeyman. This will be the sixth team for which he has driven at Sandowm and Bathurst.

He finished fifth in the V8 Development series with Dick Johnson Racing last year.

Pretty and Kelly will get their first taste of SCAR power at the team's next testing outing at Phillip Island

on May 19.

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The V8 Supercar endurance driver grab is on!

I I Dirk Khnsmith '

Provisional Y8 Endurance Driver Line-up drive with Morris, or TKR's Paul Radisich, or could Radisich drive with Morris?

New V8 team Britek Motorsport still need one seat filled. Steve Owen, Matthew White,Jose Fernandez and the ever-reliable TBA are confirmed starters.

Team Perkins Racing, Garry Rogers Motorsport and Orrcon Racing are all looking for more than one racer.

And then there are the drivers who have much V8 experience, yet haven't been linked or inked. John McIntyre, who drove for WPS last year is available, as is Tomas Mezera, Paul StokeU, Tony D'Alberto, Mark' Porter, Wayne Wakefield, Allan Simonsen and Mark Noske.

Noske, though,is rumoured to have signed a drive with a leading Holden squad ... Watch this space, please.

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Signed, sealed and super: David Ward, foreground, with enduro drivers Nathan Pretty and Owen Kelly.

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Marcos Ambrose Warren Luff Mark Skaife Todd Kelly Jason Richards Jamie Whincup Cameron McLean TBA Jason Bright Greg Ritter TBA Alex Davison David Besnard Craig Baird Luke Youlden Russell Ingall Mark Winterbottom Jason Bargwanna Paul Dumbrell Steven Richards Brad Jones John Bowe Garth Tander Rick Kelly TBA TBA Steven Johnson Glenn Seton TBA Dean Canto TBA TBA John Cleland Dale Brede TBA Paul Radisich Jim Richards James Courtney TBA Fabian Coulthard TBA TBA Steve Owen Matthew White TBA TBA Cameron McConville Andy Jones TBA Simon Wills Max Wilson Tony Longhurst TBA Marcus Marshall Nathan Pretty Owen Kelly Paul Weel Greg Murphy TBA Jose Fernandez Alan Gurr Paul Morris TBA Anthony Tratt Yvan Muller Adam Macrow Steven Ellery Craig Lowndes

Pirtek Racing Holden Racing Team Team Dodo Ford Performance Racing Ford Performance Racing Autobahn Racing WPS Racing Caltex Havoline Racing Orrcon Racing Castrol Team Perkins Racing Team BOC HSV Dealer Team HSV Dealer Team Westpoint Racing Westpoint Racing Orrcon Racing Team BOC Team Kiwi Racing Holden Racing Team Team Dodo Castrol Team Perkins Racing Britek Motorsport Garry Rogers Motorsport Garry Rogers Motorsport Team Dynamik Tony Longhurst Racing WPS Racing Super Cheap Auto Racing Super Cheap Auto Racing Britek Motorsport Paul Morris Motorsport Toll Racing Team Betta Electrical Team Betta Electrical

CL drives to the net CRAIG Lowndes fans can now keep up with their hero's latest news via the net,following the launch of www.craiglowndes.com last week.

Craig's new site features a smorgasbord of information in an easy-to-use format for simple navigation, allowing V8 Supercar fans to feast on all things Lowndes at one site.

"I'm really excited about the launch of my new website... this is just a small way of thanking the fans for all their support," Craig said this week.

"It's been a big project and going live with the site is very rewarding as I have been very hands-on the development of the site, with extensive input into the design and the content." ' The site offers the latest news and media releases on Craig,including the current season race reports and results.

a detailed driver bio and a selection of little-known facts about Lowndes.

In addition, fans can test their knowledge with an extensive compilation of career statistics. It also provides details of where fans can meet the V8 star at future public appearances.

Not too far away as well is the launch of the official Craig Lowndes Fan Club. Keep an eye on the site for details.

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No more bling THE FIA World Council has banned the wearing of jewellery by race and rally competitors on the proposal of the Medical Commission.

The move means that all body piercing and "heavy" chains must be removed before an event. The move is being made on the grounds of safety as metal can still cause burns in a fire, even if it is beneath flameproof clothing. n Pascal Vasselon, formerly head of Michelin's FI programme, has decided to leave the ClermontFerrand company and will take up a new role as a research and development engineer at Panasonic Toyota Racing rather than going off to head Michelin's 4x4 tyre development division in the United States.

Vasselon is more an FI engineer than he is a tyre man. A graduate of the Ecole Nationale Superieure de I'Aeronautique et de I'Espace in Toulouse, the famous "Sup-Aero" school which populates the European space programme, he joined Renault in FI in 1985 as a suspension ; designer. He only moved to Michelin when Renault withdrew from FI. n Portuguese-born engineer John Tojeiro has died at the age of 81.

Tojeiro first made his mark in the early 1950s when he built a sports car called the Tojeiro Special, which was based on a Ferrari design but featured four-wheel independent suspension via transverse leaf springs.

Realising the potential of the device, William and Charles Hurlock, who at the time owned AC, did a deal with Tojeiro for the car to become the basis of the AC Ace. This design formed the basis of the AC-Bristol which in time became the AC Cobra. n John DeLorean has died at the age of 80. Although not involved directly in motor racing, his influence was profound, not least because he helped to destroy the legend of Team Lotus in his dealings with team boss Colin Chapman.

Chapman died of a heart attack at the end of 1982 at the early age of 54, just as the scandal surrounding DeLorean was beginning to explode.

A judge in Belfast later declared that if Chapman had been alive, he would have been sent to jail for 10 years for an "outrageous and massive fraud". Another Team Lotus figure Fred Bushell was jailed for three years as a result of the scandal.

-JOE SAWARD

Attention V8 Supercar fans! j

Craig Lowndes fans should not miss the next issue of MNews which launches an exclusive ‘Spend a Day with Craig at the Races’ competition - including hot laps with CL at a team drive day.

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It's A1 for Australia

AUSTRALIA has become the sixth nation to launch its A1 Grand Prix team.

The national entry for the new Nations' series was launched in a glitzy event in Sydney last Wednesday, prior to the LolaZytek running in national colours at Eastern Creek Raceway the following day. Christian Jones and Will Davison both drove the car, while Will Power and Karl Reindler are also expected to be in contention for the seat in the series, which starts at Brands Hatch in England in September.

Present at the launch vvere A1 Team Australia principal Alan Jones, former world champion Jack Brabham, Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson and A1 GP founders His Highness Sheik Maktoum, Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum, a member of Dubai's ruling family, and his business partner. South African entrepreneur Tony Teixera.

Sheik Maktoum was a particular proud man, with the Australian launch coming a year after the concept was launched.

"You know, when I stood up in Dubai exactly one year ago, and Tony and I were the only madmen who actually believed in this concept, most people said, 'this guy, he's coming out with a camel and two oil barrels on the back ... what the hell does he know about motorsport?' I showed them..."

China's entry in the new series is due to be launched this week and the organisers expect a full grid of 25 entries to fill the grid at Brands. No venue has been named for the Australian round, which will take place in November, though with Sydney's logos featured so prominently on the car at the launch. Eastern Creek is a strong favourite, probably on November 18-20.

Up a Creek: Christian Jones gets to know the Lola-Zytek in Sydney last week. Will Davison also drove the car - in Jones's suit and helmet...

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NEW Zealand will have an entry in the Al Grand Prix series.

Auckland businessman Colin Giltrap has purchased the New Zealand team franchise for the new series, while the former manager of IMG in New Zealand, Dean Calvert, is also understood to be involved.

Former Gold Star winner Jonny Reid, left, who is competing in the Japanese Formula 3 championship this season, is believed to be the favoured driver for the Kiwi entry. Also mentioned among possible drivers have been Brendon Hartley and Giltrap said recently that former IRL champion Scott Dixon "hasn't been ruled out".

London-based Giltrap, a long-time supporter of the sport in NZ, spoke to Sheik Mohammed bin Hasher Maktoum alMaktoum for the first time three months ago and is currently seeking sponsors for the program.

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Briscoe gives it

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A dream ride atthe Island with Dick Johnson or John Harvey-in a GTO Falcon or XU-1 Torana respectively.

The nostalgic ride of a lifetimel

Aussie rookie biasts iRL Champ after battie for fead

RYAIM Briscoe is not happy with 2004 Indy Car Champion Tony Kanaan after the two clashed while fighting for the lead in the latest race at St Petersberg, Florida.

The Ganassi driver politely called his clash with Kanaan a racing incident after the two collided in the first-ever Indy Series road race. Briscoe had started the race from 10th on % the grid but smart strategy andv driving saw him in the lead for a race-high 43 laps of the opening 91 laps.

At Turn 10, Kanaan went for the lead and an unsighted Briscoe found himself bundled off the track.

"We struggled all weekend « long and ended up 10th on the I was the leader, and we grid, but from there, the Target were fighting for the Toyota was perfect," said the Aussie after the race. win,and I was up for it "We had the perfect strategy, the challenge the Target crew had perfect pit -Briscoe, above, sounds polite stops, we led laps and were up about Kanaan front fighting for the win and that was awesome. For it to end held my line, so I guess we'll call this way is very disappointing. this a racing incident."

"In the drivers' meeting, we To make matters worse for were told by Brian Barnhart that the Toyota faithful, Kanaan took if you make a move to pass, you off after new leader Dan have to do it before the apex.

Wheldon, the team-mates Coming off Turn 9 and going into heading a dramatic Andretti the kink, I honestly made sure to Green Racing and Honda 1-4 brake late, but I took a look and sweep of the results. Dario Kanaan wasn't there. I was very Franchitti and Bryan Herta surprised by the move because finished third and fourth that was a risky passing zone, respectively. and he simply threw his car into VVheldon took the IndyCar the turn, and you can see the Series point lead with the win result. and leads Kanaan by 24 heading "I was the leader, and we into the Indy Japan 300 on April were fighting for the win, and I 30 at Twin Ring Motegi. was up for the challenge, and I 6 April 2005

Two lucky MNews readers and/or Historic Touring Car spectators - one Holden fan, one Ford fan - will win this superb prize courtesy of series sponsors Biante and MNews.

We'll fly you from interstate to the Grand Finale at Phillip Island, provide overnight accommodation and track access, and sit you down for the riue of your life - with a legend of Australian motorsport, in a legendary car, at one of the legendary circuits. Wow! Simply fill out the official entry form below (or an entry form available in the AHTCA paddock area at race meetings) and mail it to us prior to any of the round-by-round entry deadlines. Enter as many times as you like, but only on official entry forms(no photocopies). One entry will be drawn at each entry deadline to win an AHTCA merchandise pack. All entries received throughout the season will go into the barrel for the final draw for the two major prizes.

The ride of your life!

Venue Barbagallo(WA) Eastern Creek(NSW) Mallala (SA) Bathurst(NSW) Eastern Creek(NSW) Phillip Island

Date Mays July 10 Aug 21 Oct 9 Oct 30 Nov 27

Interim prize closing date June 30 Major Prize July 29 entry Sep 22 Oct 20 closing date Nov 10 November 10

'Ford & Holden pictured above lor illustration purposes only

Mail this form,including the BIANTE Model Cars logo, to Motorsport News BIANTE AHTCA Competition, PO Box 7072, Brighton, VIC 3186 by the interim prize closing date (above) Name Address Email Phone I am a FORD / HOLDEN fan (circle your favourite brandl) IFull competition entry terms and conditions on the Motorsport News website, www.mnews.com.au. Winners will be notified by phone/mail/email).

For more information on Historic Touring Car Racing, check out the website iMwiw.historictouringcars.com.au

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BIANTE model CARS

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.'. THE FIA World Motor Sport Council has - -Seemingly frozen the FI tech regulations from T‘SpOB through to the end of 2007 - unless the I teerns unanimously agree and ask for a

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ff.,Atshe same time,the council confirmed that fe'will hot seek to change the number of tyre pose a control.tyje) l^nufacturers in FT(i< &13I 2008. 'jjiyen the FIA's keenness to slow cars down this year "in the interests of safety", the

2008 Formula 1 technical regulations in a meeting on April 15, but it is unlikely that there will be any agreement between the parties involved as the teams are currently in the process of designing their own rules for a new championship which they say will go ahead if certain demands are not met by the FIA and the Formula One group.

- JOE SAWARD

FORMULA 1 teams are continuing preparations to launch their own World Championship in 2008, with more detailed activity going on in the last few weeks as a variety of committees define the fundamental structures which need to be in place for the future.

The teams are keen to point out that this does not necessarily exclude the

Ernie's Bank Withdrawal

,■! dec^ons are seen as strange - with no

BERI^IE Ecclestone has settled all of his outstanding legal actions with the banks that hold 75 percent of the shares in the Formula One group.

There has been no word about the details of the deal, but reports in Germany suggest that the settlement was a defeat for Ecclestone, or at least a strategic withdrawal. The Bayerische Landesbank's Gerhard Gribkowsky, the chairman of SLEC, has been quoted in several German publications saying that the control now exercised is equivalent to the shareholding, throughout the entire Formula One empire.

The settlements means that there are no longer any tlveats to Ecclestone from legal actions claiming damages, although Ecclestone Family's Bambino Trust is now relegated to being a minor shareholder (25 percent) in the empire.

The important point is that obviously Ecclestone is going to remain in control of the day-to-day running of the business.

What is not clear is whether this deal depends on his performance in that role or whether there is a period of time durmg which he will be left to do his own thing.

Logically, if there is a term of office.

12

changes on the horizon, FI cars will be substantially quicker in 2007.

The teams have been invited to discuss the

it will take him beyond tire end of 2007 so that he can operate on behalf of the banks and try to win over the Formula 1 teams and manufacturers, who are moving gradually towards doing their own series.

This will not reduce Ecclestone's power and will enable him to continue the play the game, which appears to be his primary motivation these days.

The out-of-court settlement came

which was due to be heard in May. The compromise is logical for all concerned as the car manufacturers are threatening to launch a rival series starting in 2008 if they do not get a greater share of Formula One's commercial income.

out of the blue, as FI was looking towards the planned court case

"At the end of the day," one of the team principals told The Guardian

"... and it's all mine. Oh wait, no it isn't": The banks have apparently won a major shareholding in the Formula One group - but Bernie's not going anywhere. At least, not yet... newspaper in London, "he (Bernie) only has a guaranteed income stream for the next two years.

"He has no new Concorde Agreement, nine of the teams are against him and he only has an outline heads of agreement with Ferrari, not a firm contract."

-JOE SAWARD

motorsportneiMS

Zytek to build MGs DTM machine

ew World Order involvement of the Formula One group nor the FIA, even if fundamental changes will be necessary if the two parties are to come together.

The primary issue remains the fact that Ferrari's special deal with the Formula One group is supposed to include a clause by which the Italians would have a veto on any rule changes, and a special financial deal.

While most of the teams are willing to accept that Ferrari does deserve some recognition for its importance to the sport, it is not acceptable that quite so much money would go to Ferrari.

A third proviso is believed to be a complete revamping of how the rules are made, with no involvement from the FIA, which would simply administer the series and enforce the rules.

Prialilx

StepsV,, ANDY Priaulx is stepping up as a potential Williams F1 test driver.

The team has already announced that the 2004 European Touring Car Champion will be back at the wheel of a Formula 1 Williams-BMW as part in the BMW Power Festival at the Rockingham oval in England on May 21-22.

Flowever, MNews sources say that the Williams test tea, was so impressed with the 30-year-old from Guernsey in his first test that he will run in a 'proper' two-day test with the team at Vallelunga in Italy following the Rockingham test.

Priaulx won his first test with the team in January at Valencia as a reward from BMW for his achievements in touring cars. On that occasion, he drove an updated Williams FW26 but we believe that he will have his first taste of a 2005 car in Italy.

In the meantime, Priaulx will race for the first time this season at Monza's WTCC opener next week and will^dfil/one of BMW's two M3 GTRs in the Nurburgririg^-fiour race in May. - BRANAGAN/SAWARD 6 April 2005

It is no secret that the old GPWC is going to disappear following the new alliance between the original survivors and the Japanese manufacturers.

There are reports that this might bear a name such as 'Grand Prix Racing', but as far as we understand the situation at the moment is that there is no decision yet.

- JOE SAWARD

ZYTEK Engineering is in the process of building the DTM challengers for MG. The all-new ZT260 racer is not expected to be ready for the start of the season and is thought likely to appear for the first time at Spa in May. Zytek has been working on the project since last September although the decision to go ahead was not made until the start of December. Zytek is also building the chassis for the planned Grand Prix Masters series.

The car has been designed by former FI designer Tim Holloway and is believed to be based on the Reynard Formula Nippon chassis from 2001. We hear that former FI drivers are being offered a prize fund at each race of US$750,000. n Giancarlo Fisichella will be seen driving a Renault FI car on the *' streets of his home city of Rome on April 10.

The demonstration runs will take place on a 1200m course around the outside of one of the city's most recognisable and historic sites, the Circus Maximus, where the ancient Romans used to race chariots.

Fisichella will be joined by test driver Franck Montagny. n Ooops. McLaren wins the prize for the most amusing press release of the year in FI, quoting Norbert Haug, post-race in Bahrain, as saying: "Congratulations to Kimi for third and Pedro for fifth place. The potential for top results is there, which can be seen from Kimi's podium finish and Pedro's fastest lap. With better grid positions more will be possible soon. We will continue to work hard to further improve our package and look forward to the start of the European season in Imola in three weeks time.

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, (Ed - goes on for four more lines), blah, blah, etc..."

We think there may be a memo down McLaren way about proof reading fairly soon... n Former FI World Champions Emerson Fittipaldi, Jody Scheckter, Nigel Mansell, Keke Rosberg and Alan Jones were among the stars present at the official launch of the Grand Prix Masters Series at the Durban Motor Show in South Africa.

The championship is scheduled to make its first appearance at the Kyalami circuit next November, then hold its first full, six-race season in 2006. As part of the promotion, Rene Arnoux was due to drive a car through the streets of central Durban.

-JOE SAWARD 13

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5

IN its sixth and fhe final outing in the world's premier endurance race, Audi's R8 prototype heads the entries for the 2005 Le Mans 24 Hour.

Two of the famed German prototypes, which had won 52 of its 62 starts to the start of the 2005 season, will run in the colours of Champion Racing, while Team jQRECA from France will run a third. ^LXhe Champion squad will be made up

of Allan McNish, Frank Biela, Tom Kristensen, JJ Lehto, Emanuele Pirro and Marco Werner. Those six drivers have 14 Le Mans wins between them, six to Kristensen alone.

The ORECA team, supported by Audi France, will have the experienced and allFrench trio of Franck Montagny, JeanMarc Gounon and Stephane Ortelli.

None of the drivers are taking the

T6K4R4

\

event for granted; "The challenge of Le Mans is unique and I desperately wanted to return especially after what happened last year," McNish said. "I crashed off on oil after just two hours and ended up in hospital which proves that even if you have the right car and team, you still have to beat Le Mans before beating anyone else."

2005 Le Mans

^4 tfour Entries

.●.-A’

PI PROTOTYPES

AudiA8 2 Champion Racing (USA| AudiA8 3 Champion Racing (USA| Audi A8 4 Audi Playstation Team ORECA (F| 5 Jim Gainer International |J| Dome-Mugen DBA-Judd 7 Creation Autosportif (GB| Dallara-Nissan 8 Rollcentre Racing (GBl 9 Team Jota Zytek Engineering (GB) Zytek Dome-Judd 10 Racing For Holland (NL| 12 Courage Competition |F) Courage-Judd 13 Courage Competition (F) Courage-Judd Nasamax-Judd 14TeamNasamax|GB) Pescarolo-Judd 16 Pescarolo Sport (F) Pescarolo-Judd 17 Pescarolo Sport (F) Dallara-Judd 18 Rollcentre Racing (GB)

P2,PROTOTYPES

Pi lbeam-JPX 20';Pierre Bruneau(F) 23 Gerard Welter (FI WR-Peugeot 24‘ Rachel Welter (F| WR-Peugeot 25 RML(GB) Lola-MG 30 Kruse (ylotorsport(GB) Courage-Judd 31 Noel del Bello (F| Courage-CG Lola-AER 32* Intersport Racing (USA) 33* Intersport Racing (IJSA) Courage-Judd 34* Miracle Motorsports (USA) Courage-AER 35 G-Force Racing (B) Courage-Judd 36 Paul Belmondo Racing (Flxl Courage-Ford 37 Paul Belmondo Racing (F) Courage-Ford Lola-AER 39 Chamberlain Synergy ((3B) Lucchinl-Judd 45 Lucchini Engineering (I)

GT1

False Start: Look for Formula 4000 to hit the racetracks

next month after delays sorting the

Formula 4000 delayed

Ferrari 550 50* Larbre Competition (F) 51* BMS Scuderia Italia (I) Ferrari 550 Ferrari 550 52 BMS Scuderia Italia (1) 55* Acemco Motorsports (USA) Saleen S7R Aston Martin 58 Aston Martin Racing (GB) Aston Martin 59 Aston Martin Racing (GB) Ferrari 550 61 Cirtek Motorsport (RUS) Corvette C6-R 63* Corvette Racing (USA) 64* Corvette Racing (USA) Corvette C6-R 69 JMB Racing (MCI Ferrari 575 GTC

Engine supply problems force postponement of Mallala opener

THE Formula 4000 Championship has rescheduled its

GT2

71 Alex Job Racing (USA) Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 72LucAlphand (F) Porsche 911 GT3RS 77 Panoz Motor Sports (USA) Panoz Elan 78 Panoz Motor Sports (USA) Panoz Elan 80* Flying Lizard (USA) Porsche 911 GTS RSR 83 Seikel Motorsport (D| Porsche 911 GTS RSR 85 Spyker Squadron (NL) Spyker C8 Spyder 89* Sebah Automotive (GB) Porsche 911 GTS 90* White Lightning Racing (USA) Porsche GTS 92 Cirtek Motorsport (RUS) Ferrari 360 Modena 93 Scuderia Ecosse (GB) Ferrari 360 Modena 95 Racesport Peninsula (GB) TVR Tuscan 400R

14 i

first round, originally intended to be running with the Australian Motor Racing Series at Mallala on April 1517 .

The series opener will be run at Phillip Island on May 20-22, also an AMRS round, after teething problems with the new Holden Motorsport engines, related to the V6's engine management systems, resulted in serious delays.

"Holden had wanted to run the standard Bosch ECUs with the engines, but have now realised that a MoTec racing ECU is required," said Ralt Australia boss Graham Watson.

u

Chris Hocking and I have engines which will soon be ready, but Holden do not want to give out the other engines to the competitors until they are all sorted."

It is currently expected that 11 new engined cars will be present at the first round at Phillip Island, with the six old engines running in the second-tier class.

Drivers are beginning to be confirmed for the series with defending Champion Neil McFadyen returning to go for a second title, again driving with the Ralt team, to be partnered by young New Zealander Brendon Hartley, who has seriously impressed running in the New Zealand Formula Toyota Series.

-CHRIS JORDAN

motorsport news

NEWS

Toni misses Perth

Gardemeister laments coming Rally Oz relocation

FORD WRC driver Toni Gardemeister says that he has mixed feelings about the

impending departure of Rally Australia from WA. "I like the roads over there (in WA)," said the Finn. "They are very nice roads. Also, the town, Perth, is OK. "But for me, it will be a pity if they were to cancel Rally Australia. If they cancel it there

(in Perth), then I hope that it still stays in Australia, because I like Australia. I have always liked Rally Australia, it is one of the best rallies, for me, on the whole calendar. If it is not the best then it is very close, second or third. I hope that it stays in Australia, for sure.

"Whether it stays where it is or not, for me, is no problem.

This town (Melbourne) feels very similar. OK, I don't know much because I have only been to Perth and here. But it feels quite similar."

Gardemeister made a flying visit to Melbourne late last week while en route to New Zealand for next weekend's WRC round.

While in country, he squeezed in a visit to his Ford compatriots at FPR, where Greg Ritter and Jason Bright allowed him to get acquainted with their machinery.

Toni for Bathurst? Well, if they put in an extra seat for navigator Jakke Flonkanen, then you never know ...

- MARK GLENDENNING

irs all a Matter ofImagery CHIEF MNews photographer Dirk Klynsmith has published a beautiful coffee-table book of

images of his 12 years in motorsport photography.

Over 340 images from all nooks and craimies of Australian motorsport over that time fill the 152 pages of Through My Eyes,from a fiery Super Tourer crash at Amaroo Park through to an evocative dawn shot across the lake at Albert Park.

reminder of the development of motorsport in this country over the past decade or so.

Forewords have been contributed

www.graphicdakphotos.com with phone enquiries to 07 3287 9480.

6Aorll2005

AFTER showing bursts of speed in his first two WRC rounds,Subaru factory driver Chris Atkinson is aiming for an outright finish at next weekend's Propecia Rally New Zealand.

"The target for this weekend is pretty similar to what we aimed for in Mexico,set some good stage times and be within a certain time from the leaders," said the 25-year-old Queenslander.

"Overall,I'm pretty happy with our progress so far, but it would be nice to get an overall finish. So far 1 think we have surprised a few people, but in this game you have to make a name for yourself otherwise you can fall pretty quickly.

"It was disappointing not to get the result in Mexico, but we all shared the disappointment as a team, and this team is a team in the reai sense, we share the glory and share the disappointment together.

"Although Championship points would be good, our main focus is to get more experience and have to do all the stages before coming back next year to push for a good outright result."

Atkinson's WRC career may be just two rounds old, but his premature displays of speed has already caught the attention of series regulars.

"He is very quick," said Ford factory driver Toni Gardemeister.

"He hasn't driven very many events in a World Rally Car yet, and o he has been very quick in all of the I events so far. 1 think that he will be I very quick in the future.

I "Hehas very surprising speed. = OK,the consistency has not been so I good yet, but he has not done many i rallies. This year he could get some 3 good results. But I think in the future, he will be quite a big name.

"1 was surprised that he got the drive from Subaru at the start. But

Many as-yet unpublished images, including many V8 Supercar shots, are used and the book is a colourful

by Peter Brock and legendary Australian lensman Nigel Snowdon.

Through My Eyes is available in coffee table format at $75,case-bound ($95), and there is an already wellsubscribed 200 copy limited-edition with ... a carbon-fibre cover ($350).

One for the real enthusiasts.

Details are available via

Familiar Territory

I

This is his best angle. Trust Us: Klynsmith hard at work in Adelaide making plans for Volume II...

now 1 am not surprised anymore. He is quick."

-MARK GLENDENNING

Bahrain to host Formula BMW World Final BMW has announced that it has chosen the Bahrain International Circuit to be the venue for the firstever World Final of Formula BMW, which will take place between December 13-16 this year when the best drivers from the four regional BMW series get together for the first time.

The current championship are being run in Germany, Britain, Asia and the US. The winner will receive a prize worth US$60,000 and a test in a Williams-BMW FI car.

Australia has three drivers in Formula BMW, with Nathan Antunes in Britain, James Davison in the US and Michael Patrizi in the Asian series. n Mark Webber has received ... urn, unusual accolade, having i been named by Who magazine Here as one of the 'Most Beautiful People'. 'Our' Mark was ranked 13th out of 25 on the list, which includes the likes of big screen icons 'Our' Cate Blanchett, Jude Law and Kate Winslett... n While Franck Montagny and Heikki Kovalainen were busy testing for Renault FI at Paul Ricard, some observers were rather surprised to see Jose-Maria Lopez running up and down Hangar Straight at Silverstone in another Renault. The current testing agreement between the teams means that they restrict themselves to testing at one track at a time and do not have simultaneous tests.

However, the car being run up and down by Lopez was an old R24, which will be used this year for Renault's FI demonstration runs that will take place at most of the World Series by Renault events around Europe, and at a number of street events, similar to the runs that have been done in Madrid and Lyons. n Former Jordan FI driver Ralph Firman Jr is going back to Japan, where he made his name and earned himself the chance in FI in 2003.

Firman will join Team Honda Racing in the Super GT Championship and will be seen at the wheel of an Autobacs Honda NSX he will share with co-driver Daisuke Ito. Firman has been out of racing since a Nissan World Series programme fell apart at the start of 2004. n We hear that the first official test of an A1 Grand Prix car is currently slated for June, with the probable venue Silverstone.

Noises are also suggesting that our very own Karl Reindler, reigning Australian F3 Champ, is one of the series' official test drivers.

- JOE SAWARD/STAFF

15

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Aussie FBMW-fest!

Patr/zi, Antunes and Davison in Formula BMW action right across globe MICHAEL Patrizi has shown great speed in his debut in the Asian Formuia BMW Championship, placing third and seventh in the two races heid at the opening round of the series at the Bahrain F1 Grand Prix iast weekend.

Patrizi, on podium above right, who earned a BMW Motorsport Scholarship to race in the category last month, qualified second for the opening race, won the start and built a clear lead over the first six laps. But after making a small mistake at one of the circuit’s tight hairpins, the West Australian dropped to third.

In the second race, starting from-seventh, Patrizi fought his way up to third, on the tail of the lead pack, before being shunted off the circuit, to finish seventh and lies fifth in the series points.

Meanwhile Australia’s other two Formula BMW drivers have been testing in preparation for their respective seasons.

Nathan Antunes was snapped testing at Silverstone for the Motoworld team for which team he will drive in the British series.

And in the Untied States James Davison has emerged from the first official Formula BMW USA test at Road Atlanta as equal fastest.

Although the two-day hit out was hampered by cold conditions, including rain on the second day, Davison adjusted quickly to the car having not driven them since late last year. Kevin LaCroix and Richard Phillippe (brother of Champ Car driver Nelson) were the other pace-setters at the test.

Davison, 17, will drive for Austrian team HBR Motorsport, which won the series last year.

5^1 ~:ji

M ii Another test is scheduled at Carolina Motorsports Park this weekend before the first round of the series at Laguna Seca between April 29 and May 1.

-CHRIS JORDAN

/ wanna be like Webber: FBMW UK driver Nathan Antunes, above.

JUST when we all assumed that international Formula 3 racing is a one-make (ie, Dallara) category, it turns out that it is not.

Lola's all new B05/30 shook the establishment when Danilo Dirani dominated the opening round of the British Championship at Donington last weekend.

The Brazilian, driving the Neil Brown prepared Mugen-Honda powered chassis, led every lap of the double header at Donington to score maximum points on the car's competitive debut. Straight out of the box and with a minimal amount

2nd; Courtney JAMES Courtney has finished second at the opening round of the Super GT (formerly Japan GT)Championship,in a huge 38car field at the Okayama (formerly Aida)International Circuit two weeks ago.

Courtney was handed the Dynacity TOM's Toyota Supra by co-driver Takeshi Tsuchiya while in fifth place. The Australian and HRT endurance driver was able to get the car up to second,but could not catch the Eclipse ADVAN Supra of eventual winners Manabu Orido and Dominik Schwager.

Former FI driver Erik Comas and Toshihiro Kaneishi were third, driving a Nissan Z.

Reindler still to confirm ... but very close

KARL Reindler is close to signing on for the Formula Renault series in the UK. Reindler, the reigning Australian Formula 3 Champion, tested with Mark Burdett Motorsport in England two weeks ago before returning home for the launch of Australia's A1 Grand Prix team.

"I haven't signed anything yet, but 1 expect that we'll work something out in the next few days," Reindler told MNews, "I will miss the opening round at 16

Donington this weekend, but I'll be over there in time for round two at Thruxton in three weeks."

Reindler said that he was looking forward to getting stuck into the season, but admitted that the nature of the car took

some getting used to.

"It's much easier to go from Formula Renault to Formula 3 than it is to go the other way, and to be completely honest I struggled with it to begin with," he said.

"They are so on edge all the time - the aero is a lot less efficient, they are a lot lighter, and much stiffen I just have to get my confidence up in them and adjust my driving style, and I'll be OK." - MARK GLENDENNING

moiorsDortnews

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Hakkinen sends letter to Adelaide TO commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Adelaide Street Circuit, two-time FI world champion Mika Hakkinen has sent a letter to Clipsai 500 CEO Andrew Daniels congratulating the SA Motorsport Board and all its officials on the circuit's success, Hakkinen made special mention of the Dr Paul Temme, who was a key member of the medical team that saved Hakkinen's life after his qualifying accident at the 1995 Australian Grand Prix. Temme recently passed away and the Adelaide circuit's medical centre was this year renamed in his honour.

"Dr. Temme was an integral part of that outstanding medical team and I am pleased that his contribution to safety and motorsport medical , services is to be recognised. Pleaise pass on my best wishes to his family and all the South Australian Confederation of Australian Motor Sport officials," said Hakkinen in his letter.

of testing, Dirani stunned the paddock with his pace, winrung comfortably from a pack of chasing Dallaras.

When I came to the Lola factory I could see their determination to succeed in F3," said the 24-year-old from Sao Paulo."I think that now we can build on this and develop the car more, as I feel that we have just started finding the potential. We must keep our feet on the ground and focus on the series because it is a very long season."

Back in the real (ie, Dallara) world, Mike Conway had the best non-Lola

weekend with second and third in the two races, while Daniel Clark finished third over with third and fourth.

Aussie Bart Mawer,above, was the standout performer in the Trophy Class, taking second in the first race and winning the second.

o u MARCO Andretti, the son of Michael and grandson of Mario, became the youngest race winner in the history of the Infiniti Pro Series when won at St Petersburg last Sunday at the age of 18 years and 21 days.

The third-generation racer was modest after his maiden victory; “Every race I go into, I don’t expect to win,” he said, “but I know I have a chance, so going into the race and, after I made the mistake, I knew I wasn’t done. I just felt I was going to come back. No more mistakes. That was the mistake for the race, and now put your head down, and we got iucky with lapped traffic.

Father and former Champ Car champion Michael Andretti was one proud Dad; “I think next year (Marco) is going to be in

(a Pro Series) car for a course of races, probably the way he is going. We’ll have to see how it all works out, but that’s what I’d like to see.

‘The way he did his qualifying lap blew me away.

He didn,t put a wheel wrong, and he did his quickest lap of the weekend with one lap and cold tyres. 1 was impressed.”

Marco is tipped to be on his way to a career in the Indy Racing League although there is a school of thought that suggests that he may one day follow his father and grandfather and try his hand at F1.

Former karting world champ Wade Cunningham finished second at St Petersburg, and you can read more about the 20 l year-old Kiwi in the National , Scene (page 74). \ - MORRIS/SAWARD

n The Silverstone Race to the Sky King of the Mountain title has been won by Japan's Monster Nobuhiro Tajima for the sixth time, when he almost equalled his own 8m10s record, set in 2003.

Swedish rally ace Kenneth Eriksson, who had served notice since the first practice rgund on Saturday, that he wouldhe taking Tajima head-on in the former Possum Bourne WRC Subaru, finished second in 8.22.53.

Third place went to Andrew Hawkeswood in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 who put in a powerful performance to finish in 8.31.55.

Apart from earning him the Possum Bourne Memorial Trophy for the fastest New Zealand competitor, Hawkeswood's time also broke the Open 4WD class record of 8.37 held

by Bourne. n They are shifty, shifty folk, those racing drivers. Just ask the immigration officers at London's Heathrow airport. Or better yet, ask Karl Reindler, who was accosted when he arrived in the UK for his recent Formula Renault test.

"I was locked up in immigration for six hours," he told MNews. "They took my phone, my money, and locked me up with all the terrorists and pirates while they checked me out. It was great - a 20 hour flight, and then another six hours sitting in a room at the airport..."

Reindler was finally cleared and allowed to continue on with his test - which means that he got off rather more lightly than another Australian open-wheel hopeful, who was deported last yearl 17

Scott Great SCOTT Pruett and Luis Diaz have won the California Speedway round of the US GrandAm series.

Their Chip Ganassi Racing Lexus Riley started the race from pole position on the 4.2km road/oval circuit and held off the entr}' of Max Angelelli to win by the closest margin in Rolex series history -0.096-seconds.

"It was so close, it was unbelievable," said Pruett.

Angelelli added,"I tried but... with a little bit of luck ..."

The two had to split a GT on the final lap as they came onto the oval front-straight. Pruett went low and Angelelli went high on the banking.

Mike Borkowski won the "fistfight" that he was having with Andy Wallace to give the privateer team their first podium finish in the MSR Pontiac Riley.

In the GT category. Bill Auberlen finally clinched his first victory at the California track. Auberlen and Joey Hand teamed together in the Prototype Teclinology Group BMW M3 to score the team's first win in GT this season.

Just add a pinch of Salt

NO,that is not Chuck Yeager standing next to the Smiths Trucks Commodore, bottom.

But it is Charles Woolley. The 60 Minutes reporter, present at last month's Dry Lake Racer's go-around at Lake Gairdner in South Australia, took the Commodore for a gallop and managed to get somewhere over 200kmh before he started to wonder about safer endeavours, like reporting from the Middle East or asking Jamie Packer for a pay rise.

Woolley ran a report on the activities last Sunday (not bad for a show sponsored by Toyota) and, among the usual platitudes about this sunburned land, had a yack with John Lynch.

The Castlemaine, Victoria lad ran his bellytank up to 301.729mph (that's 486kmh to you and me), a record for the AA/BFL class. Lynch is the proprietor of Jet Hot Coatings, so we can assume he is the man to see if you want to install a Keith Black Hemi in an ex-WWII aircraft part and go for a blast.

When 20 rally tyres is enough

A CHANGE is on the cards for the Globalstar Australian Rally Championship, with a proposal on the table to restrict the number of tyres available to teams during events.

Under the proposed new rules, cars will be restricted to 20 tyres for each weekend, meaning that compound selection and tyre management will be critical.

According to ARC Series Sporting Director Peter Macneall, the move is designed as both a cost cutting and environmental exercise.

"There seems to be a world-wide attempt to reduce the rate at which we are consuming things," he told MNews.

Penalties for breaching the tyre limit are still imder discussion, but the current likelihood is a two

minute penalt}' per additional tyre.

The new rules are still yet to be ratified, but a final decision is expected within the next h\'o weeks.

The ARC kicks off with a manufacturers' round at the APRC Subaru Rally of Canberra on 22-24 April, while drivers' championship gets underway at the Respect Yourself Forest Rally on 13-15 May. - MARK GLENDENNING

www.pacemaker.com.au

b Australian Made

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F3 at Oz A1GP L' .m

Be nice to Les Old Blokes OKAY, it may be a big hard to tell from this particular picture but that is Alain Frost at the wheel of the Chrysler Viper GTS-R. The three-time World champion leapt into the Exagon Racing VI0 at Nogaro last month, sharing the ride with hils

old chum and former Grand Prix star Jean-Pierre Jabouille. The two veterans, right, finishing fourth in the second race in the French GT Championship round.

Prost will drive the car again before he teams up with his son Nicolas at the Le Mans 24 Flour race in June.

WE may not have official confirmation of the time or place for Australia's A1 Grand Prix round, but we do know who will be on the support bill.

The Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship will join the A1 bill when the series arrives in Australia in November. Additionally, the winner of the 2005 Australian F3 Championship will earn a test in the Team Australia A1 GP car as part of their prize. Just one more incentive for the leading contenders when they convene for the next round of the series at Mallala on April 16-17. n Cameron McLean will add to his long, long list of events contested when he drives a Ford Falcon in the final round of the New Zealand Touring Car Championship at : Pukekohe in two weeks. The N? Tourers support the V8 Supercars between April 15-17.

H Troy Corser dedicated his domination of Round 2 of the World Superbike Championship at Phillip Island last weekend to his late friend Kirk McCarthy. McCarthy was killed in a racing accident at Queensland Raceway last year and was a long time rival and close friend of Corser's, having raced together both in Australia and overseas.

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CARL Edwards has literally sprung onto the NASCAR scene, taking his first Nextel Cup win after passing Jimmie Johnson at the finish line in Atlanta recently.

After an early career on the mid-western dirt tracks, Edwards ran a handful of USAC Silver Crown races and then made the switch to the NASCAR Truck Series. Despite running with an under-funded Truck team in 2002, he managed to attract the attention of Roush Racing, which placed him in a seat intended for Kyle Busch, as good as it gets and it's beyond my wildest younger brother of Roush's reigning Nextel dreams."

Cup Champ Kurt.

Edwards came close to winning the previous Roush had been waiting for Kyle to turn 18 week's Busch race in Las Vegas after claiming so that he could race a Truck for pole. them, but at the last minute Busch While leading team-mate Mark signed a contract with Hendrick Martin, he suffered a flat right rear Motorsports for the 2C03 season, tyre with 15 laps remaining and paving the way for Edv.'ards. gave the win to the veteran. The That season, the Missouri native following week in Atlanta, he made became Rookie of the Year after no such mistake, holding off Tony winning three races and placing Stewart again from the pole after a eighth in the title chase. He was four-wide move for the lead for his slated to replace Mark Martin in the SB first Busch Series win.

Viagra Taurus for the 2006 season,-': Team owner Jack Roush was as but when Jeff Burton vacated the V a it stunned as Edwards following the unsponsored #99 Roush Cup car Atlanta Cup win. midway through last year, Edwards "I am so excited I can hardly talk," had already won three 2004 Truck said Roush. "I have never been events and was guided into the car I love t o drive more excited than I was today. He to run the remaining 13 rounds.

He also continued to run the had no tyres left, he did this strictly race cars. I go Truck, where he finished third in on guts and determination. Carl is to sleep every points. the entire package, and there are night and think, The unassuming 25-year-old not many entire packages out there." performs a signature back flip off 'Man, this is the the door ledge of whatever Entering Bristol, Edwards was greatest thing machinery he wins in. He stops on third in Nextel Cup points and led til in the world. the front stretch to perform his the Busch Series standings as he stunt in front of the fans, above attempts to pull double-duty for right, before proceeding on to Victory Lane. both series this year with a crazy schedule that "Just look at what we do," remarked will see him flying between tracks to compete on the same weekend.

Edwards after his Atlanta victory. "It's the neatest thing in the world, we get to go out Edwards, however, couldn't be happier. there and drive as hard as we can and think as "I love to drive race cars. I go to sleep every hard as we can about how to make the cars night and think, / // 'Man this is the greatest thing in the world. faster. We get to risk it all and race for glory.

- MARTIN D CLARK "It's the most fun thing in the world. This is 20 -f—tnfC*

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-

.Marlin D Clark

Jury Duty

HENDRICK Motorsports crew chiefs Chad Knaus and Alan Gustafson have had their

suspensions dropped.

The points and financial penalties, levied after their cars failed technical inspections in Las Vegas last month, were upheld.

The news was not so good at Richard Childress Racing however, as the three penalties of 25 points, a US$25,000 fine for Kevin Harvick's crew chief Todd Berrier and four race suspension still stands.

Berrier was charged after being found to have inserted a plug in the end of the fuel overflow tube before qualifying to make it look like the car had a full load of fuel, when in fact it had less than half of the 22 gallon capacity.

"What Todd Berrier did was wrong and we deserve to be penalised," said Childress in a statement.

"But I think suspending him for four weeks, in light of everything else that has happened in the past several weeks, is wrong.

"There is no consistency in NASCAR's penalty and appeal process. It's black and white. You're either legal or you're not."

- MARTIN D CLARK

motorsport news

STATESIDE

’s Back

KEVIN Harvick returned to the top of the podium for the first time since 2003 with a victory at Bristol last Sunday.

This is something, to be sitting here in Victory Lane with all the adversity this team has gone through the last few weeks,” said Han/ick.

“It’s been 55 races since we’ve been to Victory Lane and that’s a long time. It sure wasn’t a case of us not trying, I guarantee you that.

With crew chief Todd Berrier midway through his four-week suspension by NASCAR, Han/ick qualified 13th, but started 43rd when his crew discovered a leaking power steering pump on race morning. necessitating a change Under NASCAR’s new postqualifying rules, Harvick was forced to the rear in his Chev.

I thought that was either going to be the end of bad luck or the start of a bad day,” he admitted.

Several frontrunners were swept into wrecks, including one that claimed 11 cars. Rusty Wallace, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth were amongst the many to

be wiped out, with Busch, the winner of four of the past six Bristol races, Tboning a spinning Jeff Burton, who was apparently sent looping by Jimmie Johnson.

Gordon managed to rally back, but along with Kenseth and Greg Biffle, he suffered cut tyres in the waning laps. The three finished down the order.

Previous race winner Carl Edwards started a back-up Roush Ford after crashing in qualifying, and holed a radiator just two laps into the event.

“I went from hero to zero there pretty quickly,” he rued later.

Rookie Travis Kvapil finished a career-best seventh, while Kyle Petty scored his first top 10 result in three years with an eighth placing.

- MARTIN Q.CLARK Final result; Harvick (Chevy), Sadler (Ford), Stewart (Chevy), Earnhardt Jr. (Chevy), Jarrett (Ford), Johnson (Chevy), Kvapil (Dodge), Petty (Dodge), Biffle (Ford), Riggs (Chevy).

Point standings: Johnson 835, Biffle 741, Stewart 679, Edwards 678, Sadler 657, Harvick 654, Busch 635, Jarrett 611, R. Wallace 611, Martin 609.

No VB^ no ppc JOHN Andretti and ppc Racing have scaled back their Cup efforts to a part-time schedule.

Half of the team members were laid off last week, with a release from the team stating that it is are scaling back operations due to the new qualifying rules.

However, inside sources say that sponsor VB Cigarettes has failed to pay the team, although they are working with a possible alternative backer. The plan is for the operation to compete in at least 10 races this year, with the possibility of more should funding come through. n There were a few surprises in qualifying at Bristol with Elliott Sadler in his Yates Ford on pole. .

Qualifying second was Dave ► Blaney. While Rusty Wallace and Jeff Gordon were no shock to the top five, rookie Travis Kvapil in his Penske Dodge and Jeff Green in the similar Petty marque in sixth were.

Previous race winner Carl Edwards spun on his warm-up lap, necessitating a switch to a back-up Roush Ford. Those failing to qualify included Robby Gordon, Kevin Lepage, Johnny Sauter and Jason Jarrett.

- MARTIN D CLARK

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21

street Fighting Man «

,A CLASH with Tony Kanaan cost Ryan Briscoe his first IRL ●.win in St Petersburg last weekend. i ■ ;:'^ctory in the IRL’s first-ever road race instead went to Dan Wheldon, who capitalised o'n his 'Brazilian team-mate’s contact with Briscoe to sweep past and take the,lead \o/ith just a few laps _ remaining. Kanaan chased the ’ Brit hard but had to settle for second, with Dario Franchitti completing the podium after ; refuelling problems forced the Scot tp make a few extra pitstops, ■ . " Polesitter Bryan Herta ended ' ilp.fourth, handing Andretti Green MW.'Racing 3'1-2-3-4.

“If was difficult as it is any time you,have TK (Tony Kanaan) brdathing down your neck, so I’ve,got to pat myself on the back for that,” said Wheldon. ‘ “I was a little concerned about my brakes, but they seemed to hold up, and they need to when you have that green thing behind you. When you see 7-Eleven in

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the mirror, you know he’s going to try anything he can.”

A combination of good driving, a good car and good strategy had Briscoe leading when racing resumed on lap 83 following a five-lap caution caused by a merger between Tomas Scheckter and the St Petersburg wall.

Darren Manning, Wheldon and Kanaan were just behind the Australian, with Kanaan clearly, showing an advantage in outright \ car speed. He passed Wheldon cleanly, but did a less neat job of trying to get in front of Manning a few corners later.

He was closing on Briscoe wheri Kosiike Matsuura cleaned up ScoH D'ixon, bringing out the yellows again, and resumed the chase when the race went green.

At turn one, Kanaan had a look, forcing Briscoe into defensive mode. Kanaan was undiscouraged, and elected to repeat his Manning move, a decision that again left him with track position and Briscoe in the

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tyre wall.

Briscoe had earlier survived a scare when he got badly out of shape after straying onto the marbles. He kept the car off the wall, but lost a couple of positions in the process.

Nine of the 21 starters failed to greet the chequered flag, and almost all of the retirements were due to accidents. Amongst the more notable victims were Sam Hornish Jr, Scott Sharp and Helio Castroneves, while Danica Patrick finished way off the radar after losing five laps in the pits to a gearbox problem.

The series will now comandeer a bunch of planes and head off for Twin Rings Motegi in Japan on April 30.

- PHIL MORRIS Results: Wheldon, Kanaan, Franchitti, Herta, Meira, Dixon, Rice, Carpentier, Manning, Barron.

Points; Hornish 90, Wheldon 84, Kanaan 70, Castroneves 70, Manning 52, Meira 51, Carpentier 48, Sharp 47, Franchitti 44, Herta 42. (Briscoe 24).

Hie Music I A RECENT flurry of activity looks finally to be settling, with many announcements and driver moves for this year's Champ Car World Series confirmed over the past week.

Mexican Mario Dominguez has moved from HVM Racing to take the second seat at Forsythe Championship Racing alongside Paul Tracy. It is expected to be Dominguez's last year in Champ Car before he moves to join the Midland Formula 1 team for 2006. ^ Former FIA Formula 3000 champion and Jaguar FI Friday test driver Bjorn Wirdheim has taken Dominguez's seat at HVM. His team-mate at HVM is yet to be announced, although Rodolfo Lavin, whom Dominguez has replaced at Forsythe,is a likely candidate.

Lavin is a Mexican and has had backing from Mexican brewery Corona in the past. HVM's strong Mexican links could see the two parties come to an agreement soon.

Lavin's main rival for the seat is Jos Verstappen. The FI veteran has tested for the team and is keen to use Champ Car to revive his career. As HVM has lost its Herdez sponsorship

CIK / KARTSTARS Round 1

at Geelong Kart Club Corio Karting Complex This weekend 8-9-10 April moiorsportnews

STATESIDE

A Roof Over Tracy’s Head?

Fernandez Sorted ^

PAUL Tracy may be on the move in 2006 - to NASCAR. The 36-year-old is preparing to start the final year of his contract with Forsythe Racing, and has told the Toronto Sun that he is eyeing a switch to the Nextel Cup for next year if plans for a Canadian NASCAR race bear fruit.

"There are a lot of things happening in Canada right now with NASCAR," Tracy said.

"My eyes are wide open to the possibilities."

Tracy was offered a NASCAR test

by Richard Childress Racing after he won the Champ Car title in 2003, but declined. He also turned down ah offer for a one-off drive in the series last year, "The main reason I've stayed in Champ Car is that I've been able to race in Canada," he said.

"One of the main things that would draw me to NASCAR would be if they were to race in Canada. I'll wait to see what happens -1 have a whole year."

Tracy and the rest of the Champ Car fraternity start their season at Long Beach next week.

- PHIL MORRIS

ADRIAN Fernandez has secured a > ride in the 2005 Indianapoiis 500.

Fernandez, right, will join forcesi^B with the newly-named Mo Nunn /mm Fernandez Racing to contest th^®^ 500 in a one-off deal. Fernandez still owns his own team in the IRL IndyCar Series, but was forced to iL/ withdraw his full-time entry in the If 'll' series this year after his long-time' E Mexican-based sponsor Quaker A State withdrew its support.

1 Meanwhile, Sebastien Bourdais J

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is keen to join Newman-Haas team-^ mate Bruno Junqueira at the famous event this year. " “I am ready for it,” the Frenchman said. “If I never get to race at Indy, I never get experience. They are trying, but whether it’s going to happen or not. I’ll know in a few days.”

Elsewhere, Buddy Lazier has been confirmed as the third driver at Panther Racing for Indy, while Richie Hearn and Sam Schmidt Motorsport will make their fourth-straight start together in the classic race.

-PHIL MORRIS

as Stopped

for 2005,it will most likely come down to a funding-based decision.

Other confirmations over the past week include former Jordan FI driver Umo Clock at Rocketsports, as well as the announcement of the new Team Australia outfit, borne out of Walker Racing. Team Australia will run 26-year-old Australian Marcus' Marshall and Alex Tagliani.

- PHIL MORRIS

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HE CIA IS in the business of information (or disinformation, if the situation calls for it), so it's not all that surprising that it has got a bit of a dossier on Australia.

Apparently, there are about 20 million of us. Guys can expect to live to be around 77 years old. while the girls can look forward to seeing an extra six or so World Championships decided before their time is up.

The CIA's Factbook about Australia talks glowingly of our "enviable Western-st/le capitalist economy", part of which, it says, is fuelled by exports like coal, gold, meat, wool and so on.

They should probably add racing drivers to the list. Marcus Marshall, above, is off to the land of large steaks and crap beer as a new addition to the Champ Car family, and he's doing it with an Australianowned team. It marks the long battle to get one of our own into the series on a full-time basis quite a few others have tried and failed in the past couple of years.

But for Australian motorsport fans, it caps off what was already showing all the signs of being a brilliant 2005. While Marshall busies himself with getting to know his team and trying to find the nearest supermarket to his new base in Indianapolis, we can sit back and

bask in the glow that comes with knowing that we now have a driver in every major international series in the world.

This is a pretty remarkable achievement, given our relatively small population and a generally poor history of corporate support for the overseas careers of our up-and-comers But it's even more amazing when you look at the entry lists for Formula One, Champ Cars, the IRL, and the World Rally Championship and you realise that we are the only country that can boast of representation in every single one of them.

Great Britain and Brazil come close - three out of four ain't bad - but the flags of both are missing from the WRC.(Before you write in, co-drivers don't count).

And next year, we'll be able to add NASCAR to the list when Marcos Ambrose begins his new life in the US. Not too shabby.

M

ore remarkable still is the fact that virtually all of them are in seriously good seats.

Marshall will take some time to become accustomed to the intricacies of the Team Australia (nee Walker Racing) Champ Car, but he has enough ability to sort himself out.

Similarly, Ryan Briscoe basically sweats talent, and when he gets a handle on the Target Ganassi Toyota, it will be

worth watching. Mark Webber came agonisingly close to that first FI podium in Malaysia, and methinks it will be sooner rather than later before heicrosses that particular milestone off his list.

And then there is Chris Atkinson, who is performing so far ahead of where his relative lack of experience dictates that he should be that even his own team at Subaru are stunned at what has fallen into their lap. A podium in his first year? Sounds insane - but it's no more ludicrous than every other chapter of Atkinson's rise.

The picture looks even better when you start to take some of the peripheral series into account. When A1 GP kicks off, Australia will be there. Will Power is planning to spend the year lurking around the FI doorstep as he contends the World Series by Renault over in Europe. James Courtney will hold down Toyota's factory effort in Japanese Super GT, while the likes of Barton Mawer and Karl Reindler will be doing their thing in various overseas Formula 3 or Formula Renault championships.

Formula BMW? We've got that covered, thanks to James Davison (USA), Michael Patrizi (Asia) and Nathan Antunes (UK).

Plenty for us to write about, plenty for you guys to read about, and a hell of a lot for all of us to cheer about.

There may be a lot of

With Marteiendsnnlng extraneous crap going on in all , forms of racing at the moment, but it's what happens on the . track that really matters. And this year, Australia has that side of things well and truly sorted Network Ten is televising the exploits of Messers Webber, Atkinson and Marshall, while those lucky enough to have Foxtel (or a mate with Foxtel) can also keep track of what Briscoe is up to.

And as always, Motorsport News will be right on top of every mile that all of them drive during this season.

We might have a lot of late nights ahead this year. But seriously, would you have it any other way?

25

Boys just want to h w INNING in Formula 1 is all about having the right package. You hear the same old cliche whenever you ask such a question: the tyres are important,the chassis is important,the engines,the electronics, the drivers, the cleaning ladies. You name it.

You have to have everything right.

What is interesting this year is that, so far, only Renault seems to have its act together. Williams has more work to do on the car; Ferrari has a tyre problem; Toyota has only one driver in the hunt and poor old BAR-Honda has some unreliable engines.

The team with the fewest excuses, however, is McLaren.

Rewind a few weeks and you will remember that everyone was saying the team had the strongest driver line-up in FI. Maybe so, but the drivers seem to be a little off the rails, if the rumours are to be believed about what was happening over Easter!

Juan Pablo Montoya was missing from the McLaren garage in Malaysia. The team had already announced that Monty had broken a bone in his shoulder while playing tennis.

Anyone who has ever been involved with a tennis racket will tell you that such an Injury is rather unlikely. Wimbledon-type injuries are usually tennis elbow, a strained groin or something nasty with an Achilles tendon.

1

Broken shoulders are usually reserved for people who fall from horses or aeroplanes or who are smashed into the ground by rugby players.

Sometimes, skiing can do it too.

But tennis? “ormula 1 coverage in 2005 is an odd world. There are hundreds of supposed experts who have never had a press pass in their lives and have no

team responded with a typically John McEnroe "you cannot be serious!" response'but no-one seems to have an answer to explain the fact that Montoya would have to have been running towards the net at about 75mph to have done the damage he did.

Someone suggested that if Monty was indeed, playing tennis, then he was doing it on the back of a motorcycle.

u

Someone suggested ttiat it Montoya was indeed piaying n tennis, then he was doing it on the hack of a motopcycie

connections in FI. They live in remote places and never travel to the races. They cobble up stories from whatever information they can cull from the Internet. The actual number of sensible working FI journalists is very small.

So, when all the top journalists in FI are hearing the same stories from their sources, one must take the stories seriously.

The word in the paddock in Bahrain was that Montoya was not playing tennis but rather messing about on a motocross bike. This took place, so I was told, on a dirt course at Jarama near Madrid and Montoya was riding a Honda trial bike when he came off while attempting a jump at SOkph. The McLaren

Curious to find out I talked to a doctor friend of mine.

"Is it possible to get such an injury playing tennis?" I asked.

"Sure," came the reply.

"Really?" I said.

"Yes, all you have to do is climb up the ladder to the umpire's chair and then dive head-first from up there!"

On top of all of this were stories from Finland that Kimi Raikkonen had a bit of a party over the Easter weekend in Helsinki and ended up getting rather drunk and falling over and banging his head.

The rumours in fact suggested that McLaren for a time thought that it might be going to Bahrain with Pedro de la Rosa and Alexander Wurz. That was denied as well, but given Raikkonen's recent record as a party animal, there was more than a little scepticism.

Does any of this matter? Only, I suppose, if it affects the competitiveness of the team.

Montoya's injury is a blow but

^ro

The Nidi BoxJoeSeat Sniniil perhaps it is a good thing to get some more human interest into a sport, which has been plagued of late by having too few characters. Actually, that is a load of rubbish - but sometimes charismatic figures are hushed up by anal-retentive teams which want to push a corporate message. Some teams have PR 'songsheets' which the major players have to learn so as to answer press questions without controversy. It can be very dull.

Surely it better to have a few nutters doing stupid things rather than a bunch of plastic Action Man dolls which only say what they are allowed to say?

Surely it is better to have David Coulthard (allegedly) explaining away Montoya's accident by saying that it is the kind of accident that happens when fat people go into training? DC is a changed man now he is at Red Bull and he's loving every moment of it...

Let's face it, FI drivers have always been adventurers and adrenalin-freaks. They like to fly,

Iq Rosa 20

stick to four wheels, Monty: Was it two-wheeled madness that caused Montoya to miss Bahrain? In any case, McLaren third driver Pedro de la Rosa ivas called in to replace the injured Colombian.

26 motorsportnews

FORMULA ONE

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they like to ski, they like to do silly things. They live for the moment. And that is great. That is what racers should be like.

And let's face it, Ron Dennis isn’t alsone in this problem. The annals of the sport are full of plenty of silly accidents which have put drivers out of action.

Dennis might have had Patrick Depailleras a driver. In Canada in 1973 he put himself out of action by falling off a motorbike.

Six years later, while a frontrunner with Ligier, he screwed his chances by hang gliding into a cliff and breaking both his legs.

Alex Caffi was forever messing up his chances. He fell off a bicycle in 1990 and missed the United States GP in Phoenix.

The following year, he broke his jaw in a car crash.

Derek Warwick drove a go-kart into a parked transit van in 1989 and bashed himself up pretty well, while Niki Lauda turned a tractor over on himself at one point in 1976.

We could go on and on and on but the point is made. FI drivers need to be colourful people. It is great that Jarno Trulli b hair. It's brilliant that the Red Bull test dri\ dress like a pirate. It that Mark Webber hr li!5a voted 'one of the me beautiful people' by 1 magazine in Australia What the sport nesm is colour and fun. Am who play tennis whili motorbikes ...

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Petino de la Rosa

Montoya's pain was the Spaniard's gain iast weekend, the McLaren test driver standing in for the iigured Coiemhian hi Bahrm and earning a few points for his efforts. Me spoke to ADAM COOPBt MOTORSPORT NEWS; When did you first realise you might have a chance to drive in Bahrain?

PEDRO DE LA ROSA: I first heard about Juan Pablo's accident last Saturday night. At that stage I thought he would recover, so I said,'don't get too overexcited'. I was not confirmed until Thursday morning, but obviously in the meantime I knew that I had a strong chance.

Obviously the team was waiting until the very last moment to hear from Juan Pablo. There was always a chance that he would recover, but I was already prepared to race. I put one plus one together, and I obviously figured it out.

MN: How did you feel when you heard the final news?

PD: Super. I don't know how to explain it. I've been working very hard as a test driver, but I was never working hard so that I could get one of the race drives, I was never thinking of racing with McLaren, to be honest, so it came as a big surprise. The first thing I thought to myself was you have to take advantage of it. I had nothing to lose. I saw it as a one-off, and I didn't have the pressure to perform. So I was-relaxed.

But I understand perfectly what Anthony Davidson faced when he came in to the last race. It's not easy to perform when you have to perform. It's easy to perform when you are relaxed, in testing. In racing you have two laps in qualifying, and both count. It's not an easy thing, you know.

MN: Did you speak to Montoya at all?

PD: Juan was obviously very pissed off, but he was very good to me. What he said was it's your opportunity now, just take advantage of that. Coming from a guy that's sitting at home and 28

s especially in qualifying being the I first guy out.

I really think in qualifying I lost ■s four or five tenths. And if you look at the grid, that was a high fine to pay.

"I was just thinking, luck, the car is so good, I need some n ciean air' - i was aiways saying I need ciean air. is very pissed off, it was a very nice comment to hear for me.

What can I say? I wish him a quick recovery.

MN: Was it a bit frustrating that the opportunity was a track you didn't know?

PD: If I had to choose, obviously I would choose another circuit.

But I realised I was so lucky to be here. It was, 'let's forget about that and learn the track as quickly as I can'.

I drove round in a road car, but at the end of the day the corners you see in a road car are very different from when you're driving. You get some reference points, and that's it. We do a lot of simulation work in the factory, which helps you learn the track. I also watched last year's Grand Prix, the on-board cameras and all that. That's all you can do.

After that, you have to drive.

MN: And what about knowing that you had to go first in qualifying?

PD: Going first was not the best, I know. I've had many days to think about it, that's the problem. I figured out I was going to be limited on Friday mileage, not knowing the track. I knew that qualifying one was going to be difficult.

But at the end of the day I just said to myself, 'don't look at these little things, look at the big

picture, you will be driving a McLaren!' It's something I was not expecting, so let's not look into the small little potential problems. I was not sure how I would react to being again surrounded by cars. I've spent two years doing thousands of kilometres, but alone.

My aim was not to challenge Kimi. My aim was not to fuck up, to make sure I learn the track quickly, I made the right set-up changes to the car.

MN: It was your first start for three years - how did it go?

PD: On the first lap I was a little bit conservative into turn one. I was very close to Kimi, so I just had to keep a little bit of space so that cost me a couple of places, and I paid a high price for that.

After that I had the pace, the car was good, the rear tyres were very strong, but I just couldn't overtake. I was in traffic for so many laps, and the other guys were not making it easy at all. It was difficult.

MN; What was it like being in a racing situation after so long?

PD: Look, I felt very good. It's probably my last opportunity, or my only opportunity with McLaren. In a way. I'm happy that I didn't fuck up. It's not easy, you have one opportunity and it's very easy to fuck it up.

MN: At any point in the race did you think perhaps I should secure some points?

PD: No, I was just thinking, 'fuck, the car is so good, I need clean air' - I was always saying I need clean air. I had to be alone, otherwise I could have been behind one car the whole race, and then I would have looked mediocre.

MN: Were Webber and Rubens a bit naughty trying to squeeze you?

PD: They didn't make it clean, but 1 would have done the same.

MN: You had a few close calls and you were almost touching a few people ...

PD: Listen, I'm just surprised that the car is in one piece! At one stage I thought this is a typical race where we end up in the gravel. My adrenaline was too high.

MN; You said before the weekend that you had nothing to lose ....

PD: Absolutely. I braked too late, went straight, said 'OK, new race, let's start again'. The car was good.

MN: Do you think you proved a point today?

PD: Well, especially I proved a point to Niki Lauda.

MN; Have you accepted that if Juan Pablo's not fit they'll give Alex Wurz a chance in Imola?

PD: Look, if the team wants to give Alex a chance, fair enough, because he deserves it. He did as well as me. I've no hard feelings for him. motorsportnews

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sutton-imitges.com

6«aM2H5

Five minutes with.

Toni Bardemeister

Toni GarUemeisWr has waited a iong time tor some good WRC machinery, and now he that has a Ford Focus at his thsposai, he is heii’bent on putting it to good use. tie spoke to MARK GLBiDBmiB TG: Yeah, why not? (laughs). For me, it's the same - I could be the second, or third, or first driver.

For me, it's all the same. I don't really care so much.

MOTORSPORT NEWS: Did you kind of surprise yourself with how well you started the year?

TONI GARDEMEISTER: In the tests, I had already found that the car is very easy to drive, very nice.

I was a bit surprised that we were leading the championship after two events, but I was sure before the season that in Monte Carlo and Sweden and these events, we could get good results. Before Monte, I was quite sure that we could be on the podium. No problem. Then, Mexico was not such a good event for us ...

MN: You say that Mexico wasn't so good, and OK, you made a couple of mistakes and you had the flu and so on. But you still scored points. If you can have a bad weekend and still come away with points, that must be encouraging?

TG: Yeah, OK. If we can get some points even at the bad events, then for sure it is very good for the end of the year.

If we have some problems or I do not have good pace or something, and we are still in a position to fight for some good points, then at the end it should bd good. But for sure, at some events we need to try to push like hell and try to get more podiums places.

And that is our goal, to get at least a few more. How many, I don't know.

MN: You said that you liked the Focus as soon as you started to test it. In what areas is it most different to the Skoda?

TG: Compared to last year, for me, the car is more ... balanced, I would say. Like, you know better how it behaves. Before, the car was a little bit unstable.

And also, the main thing is, on the rallies, our car is quite reliable at the moment. We don't have any big problems. Last year, we 30

MN: Are you able to offer much help to Roman (Kresta)?

TG: Yeah, I give help to Roman, and Roman gives help from his side. He is very good at technical things. And I give tips to him about what I think, and he does the same for me also. It's very good to work with Roman, he is very open.

"I could be the second, or third, or first driver. For me, it's all the same. I don't really care so much.

If

always had some small problems, and that was the main problem with last year's car. On some stages we were very quick, but then on the next stage you'd get some problem and you'd lose time. That was the main problem.

MN: When Ford first announced that you were joining the team, they attracted some criticism for taking you on. Did that put any extra pressure on you to prove yourself at the start of this year?

TG: (smiles). OK. I have always trusted myself that I could be quite fast and that we could win events. I wasn't so scared to start the year, for sure. I don't have any pressure for that.

MN: When you first joined up, you told the team that you wanted to work in the workshop with the mechanics.

That's unusual for a works WRC driver...

TG: It's not so usual, for sure. But it's very good to go to M-Sport and work a little bit like a mechanic.

You can learn to repair the car a little bit, and also you have the

possibilities to meet the boys, the mechanics and other people on the team. It helps to build up friendships with the boys.

And also, we had quite hard training sessions in England. We were running and biking every day, for a few hours at least. It was a good time, for sure, and I think we will continue it this year.

At some time, we will go back to England and do the same.

MN: And it helped you to learn a bit about the car before the first rally?

TG: Yeah. What we worked on there was the right way to repair the car, because there are easy things that you can do in a rally.

You don't do the difficult things by yourself on the rally, because normally you don't have any spare parts and you have limited tools. Easy things, we can do, and for sure it helps if something small breaks on the car.

You know what you should do, and what the problem was.

MN:This year sees you move into a team leadership role.

Are you enjoying the extra responsibility?

MN: In the last few years, the guy who has won the title has often had a car that is obviously better than everyone else's. This year, it's not so clear that anyone has that advantage - it seems a lot more even.

TG: Yes, this year the best teams are more close than last year.

Last year, I think the gaps were bigger. If you want to win the title, 1 think you can retire maybe once or twice, maximum. Not more. You always have to get some points.

But I think you also have to win some events. Or at least, be on the podium many, many times.

You don't have a chance to win the title if you don't do that.

MN: How important is this year for you, in terms of your career? Is this a critical year for you to continue in the WRC? TG: Oh yeah. Actually, every year has been the same. Every year has been very crucial for us.

But this year is very important, because I have a one-year contract at the moment, and next year two teams will finish.

Maybe there are some new teams coming but still, it's difficult. But I am quite confident that we can get good enough results to show people that we can stay in the business.

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31

MOTORSPORT NEWS: You've been working away on a Champ Car deal for a few months. I guess this announcement puts an end to a lot of stress ...

MARCUS MARSHALL: Yeah. It's like I've lifted planet Earth of my shoulders in these last few days.

There has been a huge amount of work, and a huge amount of effort has gone in from me, and also a lot of other people that are behind me. It's huge.

MN: How many options other than Walker did you have?

MM: There were other options.

Dale Coyne was the only realistic option for me. All the others needed a lot more money. I was talking to people just in case something came along - if they happened to get a sponsor, and they're very interested in you then you don't know what might happen.

But that didn't happen, so to get this gig is just an absolute godsend. It has turned everything around.

MN: You've had some time in the car already. Have you come to terms with what kind of year you have ahead yet?

MM: The two days I did in Sebring made me really sort of wake up to what the series is all about. And actually testing with all of the other cars out there. the other teams and people, and all the other things that were goihg on with the media and different stuff... it makes you realise how big a series it actually is.

Even though it has been going through some tough times, it is still a very highly-regarded

category. You work your bum off in the junior categories and work hard on the other areas at trying to make it happen, but you don't grasp the realities of it until you actually get there.

MN: I suppose it is an especially big step for you, because 12 months ago your whole racing programme was up in the air.

MM; Yeah. Believe me, I have always wanted to be settled in somewhere where I have a three-year programme, at least, so that I can settle in and concentrate on winning a championship. It just seems to be that the only place I could do that was in Formula Ford, where I had the budget to do that properly and go racing.

But when you get into the higher categories, it is so hard to sustain that level of support for another year, and then another year, so that you can do it properly. That's why I kept jumping from category to category, really. I was trying to make the most of my time there in that first year, and try to make enough of an impression to get me somewhere else.

Now I have got the opportunity where I can settle down and really work at this category.

MN: Having a two-year deal is like the cherry on top ...

MM: Exactly. I haven't had that security since the Australian Formula Ford championship, so that's even better for me.

I have the opportunity to

knuckle down and probably not take as many risks early in the year, and just get a grasp on the whole thing and set myself up for 2006. That's when I want to start really pushing the envelope and start looking for some good results.

lot of stuff, so we are sort of behind the eight-ball a bit.

And they don't give you everything, eitherl Info-wise, motor-racing people like to keep a lot of things up their sleeves, so we are trying to pick the good from the bad, and make the most of it.

MN:So where are you going to be based? _MM: I'm hoping to set up a base in Indianapolis. I'm just going through the process of organising the visa and all that sort of stuff. So if I qualify for that. I'll move to Indy and be with the team.

I have spent a good three weeks with the team already, just gelling with everyone, and being part of the process of building the team back up to what it used to be. They were running a skeleton staff there, and they've had to employ a lot of new people.

MN: How technical are the cars? How much scope is there to make changes?

MM: It's fairly technical now, in the sense that there are a lot more things that you can do.

The diffs are very important in these cars. With the aero packages, there is not a huge amount to choose from, there are just different types that you can run that could work on either circuit. It's just the combinations - some people run one combination, some people run another, and it's just about trying to find the best combination for

MN: Are you and your engineer getting used to each other?

MM: Definitely. I've been talking a lot to my engineer, and just trying to sift through all of the stuff that we got from Rahal's. It sort of works on the car, and sort of doesn't.

There has been a lot of change in the cars, with the engines and different things, and the cars have probably gone a lot further forward than they had in 2003.

Just over one year, people find a

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CHAMP CARS a particular circuit.

That's going to be the thing for us - that's an area where we'll probably struggle a little bit.

MN: Yeah, but the guy sitting on the other side of the garage has racked up a few miles in these cars. Has Alex (Tagliani) been helping you to find your feet?

MM: Yeah, Alex was a massive help at the test. At Fontana, we were all scratching our heads a little bit - I knew where I wanted the car, but because there are many different combinations, you don't really know where to start.

It's hard in a way, you are trying lots of different things with the car, and someone says, 'this works', and I'll get in and say, 'oh ... it doesn't quite feel right'. Little things like that.

But with Alex, he comes along, and he knows what works

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on the cars. And that's what he did at Sebring. We both went out, and both of us said, 'oh, that's not all that nice to drive'.

And then on the second day, he changed the car a lot overnight towards what we wanted, closer to what he's been running in the past, and everything changed.

He's a good team-mate to have, that's for sure.

MN: Does the car fundamentally suit the way you drive? Is it a comfortable thing for you to barrel around in?

MM: Yeah, it is. I like the power, which is a big plus. There is a

huge amount of power. I think it will suit me in a race situation, with pitstops and fuel saving ... just different strategy things. I think that's really my kettle of fish. And the cars, you have to put a lot of physical effort into them, and I really enjoy that, too.

So they are really good.

MIM: Speaking of strategy, when Alex Zanardi first got into Champ Cars, he said that the hardest thing for him to get used to was the American racing mentality, and the way that they go about things like planning their fuel stops. Have

you had much exposure to that side of it yet?

MM: I haven't talked to them a huge amount about strategy just yet, but that will be something we cover next week when I go back to the States. We'll sit down and talk about the race, and stuff like that.

But I think that Walker has probably got a lot to learn too, with their fuel strategies. Just with things like fuel efficiency with the Lola, because the Reynard was obviously a lot continued on page 34

Australia has waited far too long for its own Channp Car driver, and Marcus Marshall is only too happy to fill the void.

MARK GLENDENNING spoke to the Queenslander^

continued from page 33 different. So we haven't talked about it a lot yet. They are definitely very different, though, I think the pitstops this year is going to change everything, too.

Not having mandatory stops is going to change the way that people go about their racing this year. So I'll leave that up to the gurus (laughs).

I think it's also one of those things where you've really got to think on your feet, too. There are so many things in a race that can change. You can plan a certain amount, but for me, I think I just concentrate on thinking on my feet in the car.

When things happen, you start thinking about what might be a good time to come in (for a pitstop), or what you are doing fuel-wise ... things like that.

MN:So what aspect of the next few months are you expecting to find the most challenging?

MM: A lot of people talk about the ovals and say, 'oh, they're just an accident waiting to happen, and no-one likes to drive them', and stuff like that.

But I don't know ... I'm

actually looking forward to the challenge of ovals. I like the idea of it. Not racing on them full time, but just throwing them into the mix. I think it's good.

MIM: Will the length of the races be an issue for you early on?

MM: Yeah, I think so (laughs). It blows you away ... we do something like 80 or 90 laps at Long Beach.

MIM: Have you done a race simulation in testing?

MM: No. We had problems on the second day at Sebring with the brake master cylinders, and we didn't have another set there to put into the car.

Well, we had another set, but they were big, huge things ... you needed to be the Incredible Hulk to push them. And that's not me. So it stuffed up our plan for the day, so we didn't get to do any simulations.

I will do some of that at Long Beach, that's part of the plan. But the length of the race is obviously an issue for me. Just getting some match fitness, because you don't get a lot of time in these cars. That's why, at the first race, I just want to

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CHAMP CARS concentrate on finishing and getting one under my belt, and just sussing out my weaknesses.

But I think I'll be pretty right. I held out pretty well over two days of testing.

MIM; And your times looked pretty good ...

MM: Yeah, the first day was good. The second day was a bit disappointing because of the problem with the master cylinders. We had weird weather on the first day, and then the master cylinder problem.

We ended up with three sets of tyres that we didn't even use at the end of the second day.

We were saving them for the afternoon so that I could punch out lap times and put myself further up the timesheet, but then we had the problem with the brakes.

So that was a bit disappointing. But I knew where 1 was, and I was happy within myself. It doesn't show on the timesheets, but it's OK. MN: So what sort of benchmarks are you setting for youself? Will you be measuring yourself against the other rookies?

MM: Yes, that's what I'm looking at at the moment. Andrew Ranger has been quick. And obviously Timo (Clock), he's been very quick. He's had a lot of experience I suppose, so he's probably going to be the

for me - I'd be very happy at the end of the year if I managed to do that. Anything better than that, well ... I'd take it I MN: Are you encouraged by what David Besnard was able

""Baptism of fire, that's me with motor racing. I always like n to throw myself in at the deep end!

- Marshall is unfazed by his relative lack ofseat time before Long beach toughest one. But there are going to be about three guys who are going to be my benchmark. But realistically, there are some very good drivers in the series this year, so it's going to have reasonably good depth.

To finish somewhere inside the top 10 would be quite exceptional

to do at Surfers last year, or can you not read too much into that?

MM: It was obviously a good result. It comes down to how the series works, I suppose, with different strategies and things like that.

They kept plugging away at their own strategy and it paid off

in the end, and I think that's what I have got to focus on as well.

I think there are a lot of people out there that probably concentrate on outright speed all the way through, and at the end of the day it can stuff you around a bit, because you can be really, really hard on your tyres for the first 15 laps of a 30 lap stint, and at the end of your stint, you might end up just going back to where you were because you've used your tyres up so much.

It was definitely a good result, and something to look forward to for myself.

MN: What's the plan for these last couple of weeks? Do you get any more seat time before Long Beach?

MM: No, that's it. Baptism of fire, that's me with motor racing.

I always like to throw myself in at the deep end!

I think I'll just keep working on my fitness training, and I ha\/e just got to do the best job I can.

If I can be patient, and everyone out there watching can be patient. I'll come on through the year and really get myself up to speed, and then we can start aiming for bigger things.

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35

Looking to tho Fu Mark Larkham did not want to talk about why he is seeking a whole or partequity investment in his Orrcon Racing team. PHIL BRANAGAN asked anyway, and found some other things to ask when Larko stuck to his word...

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HERE it was. That uncomfortable silence. The unfortunate feeling in your stomach that either you have crossed the line or the message was not getting through.

In normal circumstances, not an unreasonable question; where do you see yourself in five, 10 years? In almost tu'o decades of writing about this sport, 1 have asked that a hundred times before.

But thisrwas different. Mark Larkham could not answer the question. Normally, the man who has spent his whole adult life building a racing career and then a racing team, is not about to mess around and play funny buggers with a journalist.

The gap ran for 10 long seconds.

Larko stumbles through something about phone lines, or

miscommunication. For one of the few times in my experience dealing with the man,he does not answer a question.

There is a good reason. On Good Friday, his Orrcon team announced that it was seeking an equity partner, either in whole or part. At first look, it appeared that after all these years, Larkham was selling out.

No,it is not that simple. Exactly three weeks previously, he and I had stood in the Melbourne sunshine, at Albert Park, discussing the cost of Level 1 licences. Larkham was not looking at the value of his; “They might be worthless in a few years," he mused."But I will not be selling; they can thrown mine in the box w'hen I am buried."

So, what happened? It is impossible to say - and Larkham

isn't. This chat started with Larko asking,"Didn't you read the bottom line of the press release?"

Yes,I did. It said, "There ivill be no. further public comment at this stage."

But, I pointed out,I do not always believe everything that I read.

Oh well, there are plenty of other things to talk about. It has been just over 12 months since Larkham closed the door on his two-decade driving career and stepped aside in favour of Mark Winterbottom. How has he coped with that 'loss'?

"Pretty well, I think," he says."I have always knowm that there would be a second phase to my career. I got involved in this sport because of my love of race driving but it became evident,some years later, that there would be a second part to my career when the driving finished. I expected

to land in this role. I do enjoy this side of the business.

"Going to the first few race meetings and watching guys strap themselves into the car to go out was somewhat difficult. Apart from that, it was not too bad; the role I played with the team, even when I was driving, was very hands-on. There hasn't been any major change in that.

I often reflect that someone like Glenn Seton before me ... I was probably one of the last ones to come through as a race-driver-turnedteam-owner. If I look further down the road for the sport, you do not see that happen too often. I have always had a belief that any sport needs to have people who have come through that sport to end up in significant roles.

T think that it is great to see

ture people like Tony Longhurst or Jason Bright coming back into the sport as team owners. I encourage that; you need down the pit lane a mix of business guys - and there are plenty of those - and some sporting people.

That is healthy."

He has always been a deal-maker.

In 1988, with a new and shiny Van Diemen Formula Ford on its way Down Under,Larko had a sponsor disappear on him. His career might have been over before it started but

he doorknocked every business in his locality at Griffith, scraped together the money to do the season and kept going. A year later, with backing from Coffey Ford, he won the championship, beating Russell Ingall in the process.

What followed were deals with Mitre 10, then Orrcon Steel. In between was a sponsorship debacle with ICS Smartcard, which he admitted later cost around $1 million.

Does the buzz of running a team,and doing deals, compare with those he felt behind the wheel?

"For me,very few things overcome your own favourite achievements in the racecar," he admits. "I would be lying if I said anything gives me a bigger buzz than what I did on the racetrack.

"You do get a buzz out of achieving a level of success but that does not compare with the buzz you get from being in the driving seat. It has probably been publicised as being more of a graft than it probably was. I came from a fairly modest background in the country, it became apparent to me fairly quickly that to survive in this sport, one had to run a business and fund that business. It was a matter of necessary survival techniques in a hard and fast industry.

"Over the 19 years I have been in this game, you pick up plenty along the way. I succeed on sponsorship and income from running the team;I do not have anything to fall back onto. You do it for survival."

So a businessman now exists where the racing driver once stood.

Larkham is a Board member of both AVESCO and TEG A and has a clear view on how the teams in the sport must operate to survive.

"In motor racing,I think that the days of being acceptable in operating in a non-profit way, doing something that you love doing, are gone. What has changed in the sport is that the teams at this level are businesses and they have serious commercial 6 April 2005

"Going to the first few race meetings and watching guys Strap themselves into the car to go out was somewhat difficult. Apart from that, it was not too had" -Larkham on life out of the helmet

contracts and significant staffing.

That means you cannot just run the business as an adrenaline buzz; it needs to be a successful business in its own right.

There are plenty of businesses out there that might run without looking at the bottom line, because there are a lot of intangible benefits that come from sponsoring a race team that may not contribute to the bottom line. I put in that basket everything from excitement, promotion, passion - a whole lot of marketing buzzwords that might justify an expenditure above the bottom line.

"As a race team, they are the tools we have. There are some great attributes this sport has that others don't; we are national, we are the best part of the year long, the participation audience and television figures are right up there with other sports. Above that, everyone wants to

-(g)..'

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continued on page 38 37

I

continued from page 37 see their brand and promote that as part of a marketing program.

"While I think that we have all got very clever, and there are all kinds of opportunities in the pitlane, fundamentally, those things need to be set alongside a billboard activity at 200 miles an hour.

"Where race teams stick their heads up above other sports is that we offer some very clear advantages in the size of the real estate that we offer that ends up in front of the eyeballs of consumers."

All of this has to continue to be relevant in a changing landscape.

Now, V8 Supercar racing is a big, and growing,sport. New horizons are coming, with a trip to China coming in just a few months. Larkham is enthusiastic about the future.

"1 see that that is just in its infancy.

1 don't know that it will happen overnight, but 1 believe over time that this category will start to attract a level of international investment.

We are seeing our television broadcast into many, many countries and 1 rvas on an international phonecall last night and there is not much in Europe that they do not see.

"1 think that there will always be balance. It is very much a part of the core agenda AVESCO to ensure that this is, and always will be, a domestic championship. 1 assure you that that will not change. To my best knowledge, you will never see any more than four, or thereabouts, international events. There is already one in China and one in New Zealand. 1 don't see that this will be

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anything more than a domestic championship with an international flavour.

"But let's be frank; this championship is about a bunch of Australian teams competing in one of two brands of car; Ford or Holden.

That is always going to be a difficult fit in an international arena.

"I think people need to see it for what it is. Using China as an example, it is a fantastic opportunity for the sport,for the product of V8 Supercar racing. The race fan actually wins, because the telecast that will be beamed back into Australia from China, is going to be a far more extensive telecast that would otherwise be from any other event.

"As this whole V8 Supercar show grows, and becomes more and more robust and attracts a wider audience, and trips over into the mainstream, I think we will see the need to have more of these event-type race meetings and less of the round-byround championship style format.

That will not go altogether but

clearly, to move forward, we need to make as many race meetings into 'events' as possible.

"Having said that, 1 also think that we have some responsibility to ensure that we play our role in the viability of a whole host of Australian racing circuits. They are the 'cricket pitches' that we need to gO and play on and it is important that those people have viable businesses as well."

So, there is the question of balance.

And the unanswered (and unaskable) question emerges from the chat; if there are great opportunities ahead, why is now the time to dilute his involvement in the sport?

There is also the matter of cost containment. For years, Larkham has been an outspoken advocate of the need to cap the costs in the sport and to not allow the teams to keep increasing the amounts necessary to stay at the sharp end of the game.

AVESCO has made it policy and he has been at the forefront of that program.

38

the rulebook, not a lot has changed," he comments."[But] in terms of what has happened in the background, a lot of work has been done and is being done. A lot has changed. Make no mistake; cost containment is absolutely and clearly up there, right at the top of the agenda and there is plenty of work being done as we speak.

"Has it happened at the pace that Mark Larkham, personally, would have like to have seen? Perhaps not.

But is it happening in a fashion with which one would be quite pleased?

Absolutely. I think you will see, over the next 12, 24, 36 months, quite a lot of stuff roll out for the betterment of the sport.

"Cost containment is not about helping any particular team. Cost containment, in my view, is about making the sport fit fairly and squarely into the Australian sports

Tents and DATELINE: Morning, Easter Saturday. Location: a camp ground somewhere in central Victoria.

loqrinc

But, after almost two years of talking about it, what has happened?

Is it happening fast enough?

"In terms of what has rolled out in

Cold? Hell, yes. Kids having fun? Hell, yes. Parents balancing hangovers with their bacon and eggs? Hell, yes.

Among all the parkas and hats, there is this one bloke, standing out because of his dress; work boots, stubbies and shirt of choice - in this case, a well-loved Pirtek Racing polo.

Was he at the Adelaide 500 last weekend? Absolutely; after years on the main straight, he and a (nearby) mate moved to Turn 8 this year. Great racing, great result. They had a ball.

But, I asked in my best investigative tone, what about not having a warm-up?

"No good. They should bring it back," he replies.

But AVESCO scrubbed that because they want to give the fans something else, like access to the cars, autograph sessions, meet-the-driver-type events.

You know, mate (because we are mates by now), sharing the love.

"Well, that is all well and good for the corporates on the main straight. Me, I go there to see cars going around and if Marcos Ambrose goes around faster than anyone else, all the better."

Not a huge sample, to be sure. Over to you, Mr Board Member; what if everyone thinks like my new chum?

"If it comes out loud and clear, through our own research, that the customer wants a warm-up, we are not stupid," admits Larkham."We will give them a warm-up.

motorsportnews

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V8 SUPERCARS r

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Am I concerned that a few drivers are unhappy because the did not get a few extra laps? I don't give a hoot. Sorry. Am I concerned that the fans do not get fair enough access to the stars and the cars at a race meeting? Absolutely I am

continually mould our product to suit what our customer wants.

I do not believe that our customers are screaming out for titanium valves or aluminium-

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milled widgets; I think that they are screaming out for racing entertainment and access to the stars and cars. For us to deliver those things, from where I sit, does not necessarily mean increased cost."

And that leaves the

I unanswered question; why make ? this change, and why make it - Larko on the warm-up y I now? A lad from the country he may be but Larkham has clearly audience.

There is a Weet Bix marketplace. It is as simple as a large amount of Big City savvy. that. I think that we are popping promotion that you are about to He said he will not make any see. There is the Visa Card our head just above that and we public comment and stays a man need to bring our head back into activity we are seeing. Some of of his word. Blast. that. these things are pushing the Frustrating that may be - but "1 do not support any cost sport out to a wider audience. the same commitment has seen containment that is brought in to Clearly, the investment into the him not just survive, but flourish prop up the weak or sport is going to go up, and that in this sport for two decades. You undeserving; this is not socialist is great. see very few of Larkham's "At the same time, as racing and never will be. But at sponsorship deals last for a short the same time,I thirdc that it is businessmen, we need to protect period of time; he is not one to very important that the amount the integrity of the businesses cut and run. He is committed to of sponsorship income that is within the sport to ensure that the objectives of the category and required to run a competitive costs do not go up at a faster rate highly respected in the V8 than the income available to it. I team fits within the parameters paddock. At 41, he seems too of the AustraUan sports think that if we can cap and,in young not to be involved with some instances, curtail some of marketplace and with other his first love, racing. the increases associated with sports. My own research tells me So,in this instance, we do not that we are pushing the racing, I think you will see a mind that Mark Larkham did not boundaries." much healthier pitlane. answer the big question. That, So, where are we now? As a "When I say 'healthier', what we knew, was likely going in. He team owner, is the sport really it will do will provide other has plenty more things to talk now snapping at the heels of the about. assets to the sport. I would like major 'ball sports'? Larkham to see teams spending a lot more For the answer to the Big says it is. on things that are good for the Question, we will all have to "You only have to look at the racefans. There is a productwait at least one more day ... interest in the sport now. It is that is the racing - and there is a and there is no surety that we received among a much bigger will know even then. customer. We have just got to

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aeon and Eggs "I would ask, as an AVESCO Board member, that we have put a process in of pulling out the warm up to insert a pitlane walk through, to give the fans access to all the cars and the drivers, set out in pit lane, for up to 45 minutes or an hour.

"We believed that that is a great thing to do for the fans. To do that, we had to get rid of... let's be honest, it was not a warm-up. Let's be fair dinkum and call it what it was; Practice 3 on Sunday morning. That has been deleted in favour of giving the fans access to the stars and cars.

"That will not roll out until New Zealand and events after that. Let's see how it pans out. If, after that, the

6 April 2005

fans think,'this is no good', and that is the feedback coming through the door, sure, we will re-evaluate and look at what the best option might be.

"But, whether the warm up happens, or doesn't happen, has little or no bearing whatsoever on the outcome of the race. The racing is the product, let's do the best we can with the product for our customer.

"Am I concerned that a few drivers are unhappy because they did not get a few extra laps? I don't give a hoot. Sorry. Am I concerned that the fans do not get fair enough access to the stars and the cars at a race meeting? Absolutely I am.

Do I want to do something about that? Absolutely I do. I

think that the move to cull the warm-up to put something there that offers further value to race fans, it's got my vote."

So, if the fans vote, AVESCO will act.

At the very best, AVESCO has done a lousy job selling the changes to its customers.

At the other end of the scale, maybe they have got it really, really wrong.

Larko has asked for time before a judgement is made.

He, and the other Board members, deserve that, at the very least. If, at Pukekohe and Perth, the new initiative is wellreceived, that will be great.

If not, well, we all know what happens when the Tribe has Spoken ...

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The Underdog Tun A

MID the political hoopla surrounding Paul Stoddart's ongoing assault on the FIA, few seem to have noticed that his Minardi team is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its arrival in FI. Even the man himself thinks that

last year, the 20th actual season, was the occasion to have a party. In fact, this is the perfect time to sit up and take note, not least because Minardi old boys have filled the front row at the last two Grands Prix.

The actual start came in Brazil on 7 April 1985, when Pierluigi Martini crept onto the back of the grid, his hopelessly underpowered Cosworth car some 12 seconds off Keke Rosberg's turbocharged pole.

A look at the entry list for that Rio race tells its own story, for it contains names like Lotus, Brabham,Tyrrell, Arrows, Ligier, Alfa Romeo, Zakspeed, RAM and Osella. Minardi apart, the only teams that have survived with their identities intact are Ferrari, McLaren and Williams.

To that list can be added Renault, an amalgamation of the Toleman and original Renault teams of 20 years ago.

Minardi has outlived not just those listed above, but also many more teams that were born after 1985 and didn't survive their formative years, it has endured perilous tinancial 'times and several changes of ownership, and has done so with an

Italian flair that has won it fans all over the world, and up and down the paddock. It says a lot about the team's unique environment that founder Giancarlo Minardi has stayed on in a subsidiary role five years after Stoddart took control both parties can cope with an arrangement that others might see as untenable.

"I think that's a testimony to the man," says Stoddart."I'm not going to say that we haven't had our squabbles, because we have.

Giancarlo respects the fact that the ultimate decisions will always be made by me.I'm sure he doesn't agree with them all the time,same as I don't agree with his all he time, but we've managed to find a working relationship that's lasted five years.

People probably thought that it wouldn't last for five minutes!

"He's a racer through and through.

His role now is to look at young drivers, and also to look for sponsorship in certain parts of the world where he has a profile and a presence. He also deals with some of the day to day politics that come with owning the team. He has a pretty good record for talent spotting."

Minardi first made his name as an F2 constructor, but when his team went to that Brazilian Grand Prix in 1985,it consisted of just 16 people.

Four stayed at home, namely the storesman, two guys in the technical

Owner/Drivers: Team founder Giancarlo Minardi with Pierluigi Martini, below, who drove more than 100 CPs for the team. Current owner Paul Stoddart enjoys a joke with Christijan Albers, right, in Melbourne.

office, and a truckie who doubled as a chef. That left a travelling crew of just 12 in Rio, plus driver Martini.

That number wasn't quite enough to man a pit stop, even with team boss Giancarlo leaving his post on the pit wall to operate the front jack.

A volunteer was sought in the paddock to help out on the left front wheel, and one was found in the shape of former Osella FI driver Miguel Angel Guerra.

"The beautiful thing is that 20 years ago this is something which could happen," says Minardi.

"Nowadays it would.be impossible and it would be considered unprofessional. What a pity!

"Many years went by, but I think that day was the best one of my motor racing history. Unfortunately and sadly the air you can breathe in the garage now is no more the one you could breathe in those days. The atmosphere is definitely different now."

One of the guys on the crew in Rio was mechanic Luca Zama,and he's still on the race team today, at 41 a veteran of two decades of highs and lows.

"Giancarlo for me is firstly a good friend," says Zama."He's different from other team bosses. I think the problem is he can be too passionate.

His language is not so technical. I think in some decisions he trusted some engineers too much! But FI

needs more passion. Now the system is too much like a robot."

Apart from Luca,four other members of the tiny original team have remained with Minardi throughout the past 20 years, including the current heads of the logistics, composite and production departments. There's loyalty on both sides. Giancarlo himself says that the survival of the team that carries his name is all about its staff.

"Minardi is made up of an exceptional group of people, who have been able to build cars with

dignity. All the drivers have been important for the big contribution they have given to the team.

Obviously, Martini has done 103 Grand Prix with Minardi and the relationship with him can be considered a bit special."

It is no longer his job to balance the books, but for 15 years Minardi did a remarkable job to keep things ticking over.

"All the financial commitments have always been fulfilled. One thing has to be said - we have always done our job to be present to the races and not to win them, without the pressure that many teams have experienced in the past.

"But Minardi is based in Italy and it is therefore difficult to attract sponsors when there is already the best FI team,Ferrari. For many years we have found new sponsors which

continued from page 41 have taken his focus in recent months,but Stoddy has a clear idea of his team's role within the sport.

"Minardi are the eternal battlers, and the team that most people would say is their second favourite," he explains. "They're the perennial underdogs. But what have we done?

If you look, over the years we've brought more drivers through than anyone else. We have a pedigree of being a proving ground or apprenticeship for people to go through.

"In the end, it is fair to say that teams like Minardi will always have a place in FI. It is true that without teams like Minardi, how could manufacturers sustain an involvement in FI? If the day ever comes when all the independents are gone,simple mathematics says that one of them has to be last. That's not something that can be sustained in a boardroom.

"At the top end we're a breeding ground for talent, at the bottom end we protect their arse from the embarrassment of finishing last. And along the way people forget where a lot of mechanics and technical people start their careers. It's probably far easier to get a job in Minardi than any other team."

Don't believe it? Well, the man who designed the Ferrari F2005, Aldo Costa, worked at Minardi until 1996.

"We're pretty damn proud of what we've done," continues Stoddart.

"We'd love to win, but on the budgets we've got, competition in itself is winning. When people ask n why do we bother they have no I conception of what they're actually 'talking about. We bother because FI as it is today is the undisputed pinnacle of motor sport. The fact is that just competing at that level is itself a victory. We're one of 10 franchises in the world."

Minardi's kindergarten role has been clearly demonstrated this season. Fernando Alonso (2001), Giancarlo Fisichella (1996),Jamo Trulli (1997) and Mark Webber (2002) are all fighting at the sharp end of the grid, while Ferrari test drivers Luca Badoer and Marc Gene are both graduates of the Faenza operation. bar's Anthony Davidson also had a couple of starts with the team in 2002.

Apart from Badoer, all these guys made their FI debuts with the team, as did the likes of Pierluigi Martini, Alessandro Nannini,Christian Fittipaldi and Justin Wilson. Only very rarely has Minardi employed drivers coming to their end of their careers.

Stoddy insists that there is no better place than Minardi to start: "They come from F3000 and they don't even know what's hit them when they walk into this paddock.

You can either jump off the top of the

42

The not-so-dirty Dozen: At its first CP appearance in 1985, Minardi was composed of 12 people, with locals helping out for the weekend. The team has always been a great 'nursery'for drivers; left is current Renault star Fernando Alonso in a PS01 in 2001.

that has earned four points finishes out of four for Red Bull.

In Melbourne we made an old car

diving board and end up in the shark pit, or jump off from 10 foot up, have a nice soft landing, and swim.

"Minardi provides that kind of apprenticeship for drivers. You're not expected to do anything,so if you do something, you're a hero. You can name a lot of drivers who started in a big team and their careers are over as soon as they start. That's the difference."

"I have very good memories," agrees Trulli, who started just six races before being parachuted into Prost in the middle of 1997.'It was my debut team,and it was a nice family team, with not much expectation, a low profile, a little budget. But it was always respected, by everybody. Me,Fisichella, Alonso, Webber all came through Minardi, so it must not have been too bad. You really need to show your true potential somewhere.

"For Giancarlo [Minardi], the team is like a family. He treats everybody like a son,and probably that was his mistake, if we can say there was one!

He's got a lot of passion for the team, for the people, for the sport, but it's become more of a business than anything else."

Webber's 2002 season with

Minardi helped to propel him to the big time, and he remains grateful to Stoddart.

"No question about it," says the Williams man,"it was a great way to start FI in terms of getting to know the business, and getting to know what's important on race weekends.

It's a small operation and we had hardly any testing,so it was all about Friday, Saturday and Sunday,and learning how to cope with what direction you've got to go.

"Minardi laid the basic foundations for me,in the perfect environment. It was an ideal school.

There are some clever guys there, but they've had absolutely no chance to develop, they've not been given wings. When you've got their respect, they'll do everything for you.

And I'd stiU do anything for them."

The 2005 line-up, Patrick Friesacher and Christijan Albers, is stronger than the first couple of races have suggested. Both have endured a tough baptism with a worn out old package that had already done three seasons before its overnight'cut and shut'job in Melbourne. They are itching to get their hands on the new car, due for Imola. Crucially, its engine will be identical to the one

into a total dog by butchering it to pieces, and we're stuck with it for another race," says Stoddart.

"The new car is not like any Minardi you've ever seen before. We know the engine is mega, we know the weight distribution is really good for us, we know that the aero package is really good for us. The issue is going to be reliability, because it's not going to have had any testing.

"Let's be clear on this. We're only racing Jordan. Our target is to beat Jordan. And I think with the new car, we will beat them. Maybe on a good day when Bridgestone are ahead of Michelin, we might get someone else."

It's appropriate that the car will make its bow on ground at Imola, just a few miles up the road from Faenza. Giancarlo Minardi hasn't been at the early races, but he wiU be present at his home track, his enthusiasm undimmed.

"It would be imfair to lie saying that Tm happy," he admits,'but this is how it is and the new boss is fully entitled to control everything 100 percent. As long as this sport continues giving me emotions and adrenaline,I will be here,even if just as a consultant. If one day I realise that I am not useful anymore,I will immediately retire. But Minardi will always be there!"

motonportnews

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Phoenix Rising

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PHOENIX may not have gone down in the annals of Grand Prix history as one of the classic Formula One venues but the 1990 US Grand Prix will be remembered for a long,long time.

If you are old enough to remember getting up in the wee small hours to watch the race live on Channel 9, you must recall the moves that upstart Jean Alesi put on Ayrton Senna. The Frenchman had made his FI debut at the 1989 French GP,staggering all by leading the race during the pit cycle and finishing fourth. But the opening race of'90 was something else.

After a lap, Alesi led by over two seconds. It took Senna 33 laps to haul in the Tyrrell before he out-braked the rookie for the lead. But Alesi got back past at the next corner - forcing the McLaren driver to make the same move, this time for keeps, at the same spot on the following lap.

Senna and Alesi finished 1-2, with Thierry Boutsen third for Williams.

Alesi had made a brilliant start, squeezing between polesitter Gerhard Berger and Pierluigi Martini.

Wliii? A Minardi on the front row of the grid? Ahead of both WilliamsRenaults, a McLaren (Senna's!) and both Ferraris?

Yep. The Minardi M189 with which the team started the season, left lending Alain Prosf's Ferrari, was a decent piece of kit. As Cooper has pointed out, current Ferrari designer Aldo Costa penned several Minar.dis during a'six-year stint'ait Fadnza and this was'tWte of them. The car v\>as» iT simple, made good use of its Cosworth DFR engine and,despite the fac6^ that Martini, Paolo Barilla and Gianni Morbidelli scored no points durihgf' V the season, the little team often punched above its weight.

The secret to the puzzle of Phoenix was unquestionably the team's Pirelli tyres. The Italian company had far more effective qualifiers than Goodyear at the time and, Berger apart, dominated qualifying. On one of the strangest grids in the history of the sport, Andrea de Cesaris was tliifd in a Dallara ahead of Alesi, Senna, Nelson Piquet(Benetton)and Prost.

Next came Olivier Grouillard in f^t’f f/;/s) an Osella!

To add to the weirdness, Roberto Moreno's Eurobrun out-qualified Nigel Mansell in the other Ferrari. Strange times ...

As for the race, we'kn'6'w what happened up front. The Goodyear-sho'd' Piquet was fourth and Stefano Modena (BralaPfe'trf) Satoru Nakajima A- n (Tyrrell) took the final points, both on Pirellis. Martini struggled horhe.-W. out of grip and just out of the points, in seventh. ' i" There was one more race at Phoenix the following year and then Fl decamped to somew'here(anywhere?)cooler. Minardi never qualified as* high again. Martini went on to race in Fl for another five seasons, with both Minardi and Dallara, before turning his hand to Sportscars. In 1999>’ he won Le Mans in the Williams-built BMW V12, raced for another season in the American Le Mans Series and then retired.

-PHIL BRANAGAN

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I

A Manep of_f s

YDNEY could soon have a Formula One Grand Prix at Eastern Creek. That was ABC radio's news headline broadcast on the eve of the launch of the Australian team that will contest the A1 Grand Prix Championship later this year.

It's easy to see how the mistake could be made, even though the launch's MC Darrell Eastlake announced right at the start of proceedings that A1 Grand Prix is 'not in conflict with FI'.

This was not your average Australian event launch. This was a launch in the lavish style of FI launches, with a string quartet playing the national anthem and a traditional aboriginal smoke ceremony being performed on the ■Australian A1 car (to ward off evil spirits) as it sat on the stage draped in the flag awaiting its official unveiling before a gathering of around 500 that included various celebrities, politicians, past motorsport heroes and the media at Sydney's plush Four Season's Hotel.

You might only need to change one letter to get 'FI Grand Prix', but as a sporting concept and marketing exercise, A1 Grand Prix couldn't be more different from FI. The brainchild of His Highness Sheik Maktoum, Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum, a member of Dubai's ruling family, Al Grand Prix in simple terms aims to be the World Cup of motorsport.

This will be an international open wheeler series contested by countries rather than merely teams and drivers.

This means the Australian entry, headed by Alan Jones, can only have an Australian driver and only carry Australian sponsorship. As for the latter, there is some flexibility in this age of globalisation. For instance.

Virgin Blue would be permissible as a backer of the Australian car because it operates in Australia as a separate entity from its British-based parent.

Sheik Maktoum and his business partner. South African entrepreneur Tony Teixera, hope A1 Grand Prix can tap into the kind of patriotic fervour from viewers and potential team sponsors alike - that grips nations during events like the World Cup and the Olympics.

"Only national products may be on a national team," Tony Teixera said at the ‘ launch. "So it will depend on the passion and national pride of that country's business leaders.

"But by bringing in the nation, the spirit of patriotism will increase our audiences tremendously. If you took as viewers only five percent of the populations of the nations that will be involved in A1 Grand Prix, you're sitting on 300 million people watching."

What they'll be watching will be 25 identical Lola chassis powered by a Zytek-made 520bhp 3.4-litre V8, running on control Cooper Avon tyres.

In a first for big time openwheeler racing, the A1 car was 'styled' first and designed later. Sheik Maktoum had certain requirements as to the finished article's external appearance, and these had to be met first before the serious internal chassis specs could be finalised. While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, there's no way you'd mistake an A1 GP car for an FI GP car.

If all that doesn't make A1 a world apart from FI, what about the fact that the teams won't actually take delivery of their cars until the week prior to each race? A1 GP teams will be kind of 'virtual' teams, with little need for even a proper factory headquarters. It could even become a case of simply assembling the crew at home and flying them straight out to the track.

There are no set restrictions on testing, but the fact that all the cars will be kept in one factory in the UK effectively prevents teams from gaining an advantage through extra track time.

Australia has its own national racing team after STEVE NORMOYLE rubbeil shouiiiers with racing royaity -_a

44

MttrStMlMWS

A1 GRAND PRIN

lational Pride "We simply can't just go testing whenever we want," Alan Jones explained. "We'll go testing when everybody goes testing."

And that, Jones believes, will be an important factor in maintaining a level playing field. Because one thing that's not controlled is the level of sponsorship that can be secured, and it would be safe to assume that, say, an American entry would be able to attract a lot more support in US dollars than the Pakistanis would be able to rustle up in rupees for their car.

"You might have one team with more money than the others," Jones said.

"But they're not going to have a more powerful engine because of it, and they're not going to be able to do more testing, and they're not going to be able to have more wind tunnel time. So it doesn't matter how much money any team's got. It means they'll just live better. Maybe they'll stay in a nicer hotel and have a better marquee, but the car won't be any better."

The race weekend format is a threeday meeting, with free practice on Friday and one-hour practice and qualifying sessions on Saturday.

Sunday starts with a sprint race to establish grid positions for the main race, which will be 40-60 minutes.

So what countries will be competing?

The Australian team was the sixth to be launched,joining the UK, Mexico, South Africa, Pakistan and Lebanon.

But there's another eight set to go, says Teixera, and A1 GP is in final negotiations with another seven.

"For the last three seats," he said, "were are in negotiations with 11 countries. So we will have 25 teams."

Sheik Maktoum's dream of creating an affordable motor racing formula in which every race and colour can participate was greeted with some derision when4he plan was first unveiled a year ago, but as the team

launches continue (China's followed a week or so after Australia's) and the September 25 Brands Hatch opening round draws nearer, the dream is increasingly looking like a sure-fire reality.

The momentum is building, and at the Australian launch the Sheik was able to announce a kind of fourwheeled Bledisloe Cup, with the news that New Zealand had just come on board.

"I can see the first race in my mind's eye," said Sheik Maktoum,"and I can see a sea of colours. Think of how many Chinese people are here in r Australia, how many Lebanese, South African ... all these nations will come together under the A1 flag, and under their own flag to support their own nation.

"The driver is driving not for a manufacturer, not for himself, not for anybody - he's driving for an entire population! That makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

"People say to me,'what is A1 Grand Prix?' It's 25 countries with 80 percent of the world's population represented.

It's more than motorsport. I actually realised a few weeks ago, maybe a bit late, that it's not only a new motorsport venture, it's actually a new sport.

"I was thinking about it and asking a friend of mine,'how many sports do you see in the world where there are 25 nations representing 80 percent of the world's population from start to finish?'

And I thought to myself, football? No, they end up with two. Tennis? Two, maybe four.

"So effectively, this is the only chance where a national team can wear their national products and show it to the world. Australia can show to the entire world: we can do it better, on this car.

And the entire population can see it.

"Outside of the Olympics,there's nothing like this." continued over page

I

he launch of A1 Grand Prix in Sydney last week. ^ ree/royalty - and takes a look at the series and the cars IMfH28aS

45

AJ's Second Chance

YOU get two chances in life, Alan Jones reckons, and this is his second opportunity to compete on the international stage in motorsport - this time as a team boss.

"I thought I was out of international motorsport," Jones said. "I never thought I'd have the opportunity to go back into it, unless you're a manager in FI or a driver, and this was just a fantastic concept which was given to me to run the Australian team."

Jones's first task is to select an Australian driver. Christian Jones gave the car its shakedown at Eastern Creek, but also in the frame are Karl Reindler, Will Davison, Marcus Marshall, Will Power, among others.

"We're determined to bring through the ranks young Aussie guys that have the talent but not the wherewithal to show it. I'm going to look at anybody, and during the course of the year there'll be several test days which will give us the opportunity to evaluate them.

"Hopefully we'll have two; the driver we choose and another who will come to most of the races as a reserve, or if there's a second car available we'll throw him in for testing.

"If we can find one or two guys that come through the ranks and ultimately win the Wprid Cup of motorsport, that will make me very proud.

That will be the reward for me.

Jones will have long-time F3 team boss, Australian Alan Docking, running the Australian A1 outfit. While

I I

Wt

there isn't a lot the team can play with in such a controlled category, Jones says the critical factor will be the teams' ability to get the best setup from what adjustments can be made at the track in the shortest possible time.

"It's about the driver and the team. I like FI, but FI is about who can stretch the elastic the most without it breaking. It's technology driven. This is competitively driven. This is about trying to overtake and race. So for that reason they've made it a fairly robust, simple racing car.

Because the average punter sitting out there wants to see cars racing wheel-to-wheel.

He doesn't care whether it's got carbon-fibre discs, or an electronic 19-speed gearbox, you can't even see those things. All he sees is the car going around.

"There's no Minardi in this and there's no Williams; they're all bloody Williamses."

As a 'seat owner'- in A1 GP it's a franchise deal where the entrant buys the car to enter the series, then seeks a profit

from sponsorship, merchandising and a share of the $1million prizemoney on offer at each of the 10 rounds - Jones finds himself in unusual company as one of few A1 team bosses (seat owners) to come from the existing motorsport ranks.

"One of the things I like about this is that most of the seat holders have never been in motorsport before; they're business people. Sheik Maktoum has been able to introduce a whole lot of people to the sport that probably otherwise would never have been involved.

"So we're not competing with FI because 90 percent of these people would never have been involved in motorsport. The Canadians are bankers, the Auchi family are one of the richest Lebanese in the world, you've got Ronaldo in Brazil, he's a footballer; I believe Emerson Fittipaldi's going to help him.

The bottom line is that these are people that have come into motorsport that otherwise wouldn't be there."

- STEVE NORMOYLE

, ^^.v.AlGP-cojr

46

IS

Just a HIS Highness Sheik Maktoum Hasher Maktoum A1 Maktoum is young,educated and articulate. He speaks with a kind of international accent not unlike that of Jacques Villeneuve or even Kylie Minogue.

He's a keen sportsperson who competes in triathlons as well as dabbling in off-road motoring events.

In fact, it was during the Land Rover G-4 Challenge that he came up with the A1 GP concept.

"It was a couple of years ago and I qualified for the Midclle East team in that adventure race," Sheik Maktoum said. "Basically, the idea of the world cup has been around,and I took different concepts from different things and was able to find a business way to make this happen.

"Everybody loves cars,and effectively I just found a business way to make it happen. To make any sport great you need to have business sense behind it and that's what Tve brought to the table. I've looked at motorsport from outside the box.

"You don't speed a helluva lot of money like this for charity. This is a business first and foremost, to make a dream happen.

"I'm a dreamer, I had a dream,and I made a plan to make it happen... I

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"Without the belief of people like Tony, Alan (Jones), there's no way, I wouldn't be able to push as hard. I have worked very hard to make this happen, and I'm a man on a mission and I won't stop until I see this through.

"We already have 15 countries signed up. This is the official announcement that the Australian team is ready for business. This is only the sixth launch. I go to China next week for their larmch. Then we have Portugal, Brazil - I'm in a continuous state of jet lag!

- STEVE NORMOYLE 6 April 2005

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TRADE ENQUIRIES WELCOME 47

The Wbrld is Not Et VER the past few weeks, there have been a lot of

questions asked in the world of touring car racing.

Most of these have centred around V8 Supercar racing - because everyone else in the world seems to be stuck in their winter caves - and what will happen in the 'other' series; who will do what, which teams will be racy and which championship will be the best in the business.

Well, praise the heavens, the questions are about to stop and we are about to get some answers. On April 10, the World Touring Car Championship kicks off at Monza; on the same day, the British series has its first outing at Donington Park; and seven days later, the German Touring Car Championship(DTM)starts at Hockenheim.

The 2005 season looks like being any touring car fan's dreams come true. Apart from our own two biggerthan-Ten-Bears V8 Supercar series, there will be plenty to watch in the other series, and MNews expects that either VHSs or DVDs will be whizzing across the oceans at warp speed (or there are about to be a lot of those satellite thingys hung on people's roofs). So, to get off on the right foot, we thought it timely to examine some of the weapons that will compete in the three series.

The WTCC,BTCC and DTM aU have their fans; they all have their pros and cons; and there are, well, quirks associated with all the series.

For instance, the British series has been rebuilt around cost containment, with the lessons learned 48

from the money-fuelled days of Super Touring and its demise still burned in the memories of the

powers-that-be. At the other end of the scale, the three German makes in the DTM (joined this year by the now Chinese-owned MG)seem intent on setting fire to as many Euros as they can get through in a calendar year.

To simplify things, the cars we will look at are those of the defending Champions- VX Racing's Vauxhall Astra in Britain, Audi Sport's A4 in the DTM and,in the absence of a defending Champ in the maiden WTC,BMW's 320i, with 2004 European Champion Andy Priaulx taking the crown and, with it, #1 into the 2005 series.

and petrol-engined cars will equally split the passenger car market in Europe by the end of the decade. So look for diesel engines to make an appearance in the class in the near future but, for this season, only fuel burning engines will be used.

All cars will have a normallyaspirated engine no bigger than 2000cc. There are different rev limits for four, five and six-cylinder engines and fours will have a rev limiter set

to 8500rpm. There are a variety of rules regarding all manner of items in the engine (which do not bear going into here) but the upshot is that the BMW platoons will use much the same 270hp engine hardware as they had last year. Engines must last for four successive races and no real time engine telemetry is permitted.

One probable change is that the car of Alex Zanardi will have a different

Like long-time touring car rival Alfaits Romeo, BMW will race updated versions of its 2004 320i E46 this season. In 2006, the newer E90, which will be in Australian

throttle set-up to last season, with the electronic hand throttle he used

showrooms in June, will take its place and face off against the new Alfa 159.

BMW has a well-proven weapon and will be the only rear-wheel-drive car in the series. AU cars in the series

previously causing slight throttle lag.

This season, the former CART and FI star will have a power-assisted mechanical hand control.

The other variant between cars is

must comply with homologation rules(based on the same guidelines as Group N Rally Cars) and have one of two types of engine. And this is the interesting part.

The series also caters for diesel-

that with gearboxes. The BMWs have used five-speed 'boxes in the past (which must have a conventional, Hpattern shift) but teams may also use a sequential six- speeder - so long as the internals fit inside the original casing. So why stick with five?

Because those cars that do so get a weight break of 30kg over the sixspeeders.

Again, there is the possibility of change. Priaulx drove in a recent four-hour race at the Nurburgring in a 320i fitted with a six-speeder, and

engined cars, which can run a turbocharged, 2-litre, four-cylinder engine. BMW grabbed headlines when it won the Nurburgring 24 Hour in 1998 with, essentially, a diesel-engined Super Touring car.

The diesel market is huge - and growing, with predictions that diesel

such a device might be beneficial to other drivers, particularly Zanardi. If it decides that the change is worth a 30kg penalty, BMW may make the switch and join the rest of the pack.

Much of the running gear in the class is controlled by either a common supplier (like the Michelin tyres) or specification (like wheel sizes). BMW will be out to rule the class again. Expect the strongest challenge to come from Alfa, with the developing Seat and Chevrolet teams getting stronger as the season goes on. And,for a 'roughie', keep an eye on the JAS Honda Euros, particularly that of former Alfa and Audi works man, Roberto Colciago.

This season, goesAstra, into the BTCC with Vauxhall a new model which replaces the car that dominated the series for the last four seasons. Underneath the new exterior, much of the mechanicals remain partially similar, but partially different, to the older car.

The new car uses a similar engine to the old, a 2-litre unit based on the 'Family 4' engine (known in Europe as the L850). Engine revs are limited to 8500rpm, the compression ratio is maxxed at 12:1 and valve lift is limited to 12mm. With a 60mm restrictor on the inlet, the result of gradual development by the British arm of Sodemo is 'over 290' horses and 260Nm of torque.

All cars in the BTCC use a control gearbox, a six-speed sequential unit developed by Xtrac. Unlike V8 Supercars, gear and final drive ratios are not set for each track but teams may only choose six of 26 set ratios

motorsportnews

TOURING CARS

yl

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ough

With Europe waking up from winter, the ‘other’ international Touring Car Championships are starting to stir. PHIL BRANAGAN looks at the best of Britain, Germany and the World

for any given event.

Apart from transmissions, there are a high number controlled components in the class to contain costs. Wheels all come from

Rimstock, tyres are supplied by series sponsor Dunlop and ECUs are common.Even the fuel cells, w'hich contain 60 litres, are supplied by one company. Premier.

Aerodynamically, the new model Astra is lower than the older version but it is wider in the body and has a wider track front and rear. After last week's TOCA Media Day at Donington, Triple 8 team principal Ian Harrison said that the team's car was good in some areas, less so in others. To be perfectly honest, we are not certain where we are. We will find out at the first race."

After four seasons with the older Astra, the team wUl be stepping into the unknown with the new, with defending Champion Yvan Muller shouldering much of the responsibility of sorting the new car with new team-mates Colin

BTCC

Model

Vauxhall Astra

Type Technical

2-door coupe VX Racing/Triple Greatworth UK 2000CC 4 290 FWD

Headquarters Engine capacity Cylinders Approx HP -Drive Gearbox Wheels Control Tyres Fuel cap Weight including driver

6seq 17x9 Dunlop 60 litres 1174kg

hile the BTCC has rebuilt itself around lowering costs, the same can be said of the DTM - but on a lower scale.

The good news is that the Bad Old Days of qualifying engines and limitless hardware from the early 1990s are well and truly gone. But compared to the other two series (and our V8s) the money is astronomical. As usual, numbers are hard to come by but one reliable source indicates that Opel will spend around 40 million Euros on its six-car

(28mm,just like those in Formula 3) the result is, by racing standards, a very understressed engine with 460 ponies. To put that in perspective, BMW's new VlO-engined M5 has a larger engine by lOOOcc and 40 more horsepower - and that is a road car (sort of).

Just as well. At the start of the season, all engines will be sealed and

W

6 April 2005

DTM

a production bodyshell, DTM cars are structured around a tubular spaceframe, which integrates a composite CFK safety cell for the driver. This allows a minimum

iim

entry this season.

The built-for-racing-only engines are gone; nowadays, you can run anything you like, so long as it is a normally-aspirated, 4-litre V8.

Furthermore, the whole thing has to be based on a production engine, the cylinder banks have to be spaced at 90 degrees and no more than 32 valves. With two air restrictors

Turkington and Gavin Smith.

WTCC

BMW 3201 4-door sedan

Audi A4 4-door sedan

BMW Motorsport Munich Germany 2000CC 4 275 RWD

Audi Sport Ingolstadt Germany 4000CC

5 H-pattern 17x9 Michelin 65 litres

6seq 18x10

460 RWD

Dunlop 70 litres

1140kg

assigned to each car in lots of three.

Those three engines will have to go through all the practice and qualifying sessions, as well as races, and must be used for testing (which is limited). Blow one up and you are down to two. If you run out of engines, it is the back of the grid for one event. And each of the three engines must be used in at least one event.

This year, all the teams have updated their packages and one of the most interesting changes is that the Mercedes-Benzes now have an exhaust that sounds like an FI car no doubt, to make DTM new boy Mika Hakkinen feel at home ...

Unlike WTCC,BTCC and V8 Supercars, which are all built around

weight(including driver) of only 1080kg, well under that of either of the four-cylinder cars. It also gives a DTM car a power-to-weight ratio similar to that of a V8 Supercar.

The rest of the package is as-youmake it. Gearboxes are six-speed sequential on all cars, with teams having a choice of Xtracs or Rowlands. Brakes are free (ie, carbon discs can be used) but teams must use no more than six complete sets throughout the season. Like the WTCC,no live telemetry is allowed, except lap time displays from pitmounted transponders.

And once the car is examined at the start of the season, that is that, folks. The aerodynamics are subject to examination by template and no changes can be made, but the kicker is that the teams have until eight days before the first race of the season to submit their final packages.

The wind tunnels will be humming for another 48 hours until the teams sign off on their ugly little winglets.

So, there is lot to watch touring cara world.

Therein isthe always going to be debate about who has the best series in the world.

Recently, UK's Autosport weekly voted the DTM as the best but V8 Supercars was a close {very close) second. Different things have always excited different people.

Whatever your saloon of choice, enjoy the ride ...

49

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Blue Heaven Red nightmare f

Thpee starts, three wins. Ns, not Ferrari 2004 but Renauit this season. JOE SAWARO reports on another Fernando Alonso mauiing in Barhain

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* K. :f--

FORMULA ONE

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HE Ferraris went racing on Sunday in Sakhir with black noses, a tribute to Pope John Paul II. By Sunday night the team had a black eye as well as Renault shrugged off the challenge of the new Ferrari F2005 with a decisive victory.

Ferrari may have ambitions to get back on top in FI this year but it is going to take a lot more than Michael Schumacher and a light fuel load to do it Pat Symonds,the wise old sage of the Renault FI team,summed up Fernando Alonso's victory in terms which left nothing to the imagination. A little message for the folk down in Maranello: "To see a driver control a race like Fernando did this afternoon is an impressive sight," he said.

"His performance is even more remarkable when you consider that he did not even use all the revs available on the engine in the opening laps. He seemed capable of increasing his pace when necessary, without putting undue stress on the car."

Cop that, Jean!

The Renault R25 is a great car and Alonso a great driver. Michael Schumacher has enjoyed a long period as the top dog in Formula 1 but all the signs are that this year Alonso may be about to walk off with 'Best in Show'. Certainly the blue cars and the 'other' red cars, the Toyotas, have coped best with the almost unbearable heat of the two latest races.

Will they still be as dominant as the circus heads to cooler climes? That is the intriguing debate.

Nevertheless, as FI heads back to Europe the team from Enstone has 36 points. Ferrari has 10.

Between the two teams were a rash of highly competitive cars. Toyota has 25 points and a car that may well soon be winning races, McLaren has 19 points and a car that cannot be far from a victory, and Williams has 13. While the FW27 may

6»fll2M5

not yet be a winner it is certaiidy edging closer.

And even Red Bull Racing is ahead, having picked up the scraps that Ferrari and others have dropped.

After the race, the Bridgestone press release gave the assembled media a laugh: "Bridgestone encouraged by Bahrain performance," it said. Yes, perhaps in comparison to what happened in Malaysia but in outright terms there is still a way to go.

Michael Schumacher did not stay around long enough to suffer tyre trouble. His F2005 went awry after just 12 laps (hydraulic failure?) and he drove into the pits and parked it. The result was that we never saw just how much (or how little) fuel he had on board. It would have been nice to know.

What we did see was that Rubens Barrichello faded away as the race went on and by the end of the fight he was a humilating lap behind and did not even score a point as David Coulthard jumped him for eighth place on the final lap of the race.

They have paved over much of the run-off area in Bahrain and painted it to look like sand. But this was sand where you cannot bury your head ...

Even though Alonso dominated and Ferrari flattered to deceive FI fans nonetheless saw a cracking race. Just what FI needs to pump up the viewing figures.

Jarno Trulli was there just behind Alonso as they went into the first pit stops. Pit lane chat said he would go longer than the Renault but the question was how much. If it had been two laps he could have ended up ahead and Fernando would have had a fight on his hands.

Fortunately for Renault the Toyota went only one lap further and after that the tyres began to lose their edge and Jamo dropped away.

Behind that we had a heU of a race which began with a jousting match on the first lap which left

observers a little breathless. At one corner one driver was ahead; at the next the car was different.

There were the usual problems with overtaking because the high-winged cars of 2005 are more sensitive than in previous years, which means that the fastest cars in race trim do not necessarily get to the front unHl it is too late. The day a McLaren starts from pole will be the day that Flavio Briatore loses his smile. Fernando Alonso is going to need those extra revs.

When the timesheets came out they showed fastest lap to Pedro de la Rosa,a man who in one weekend completely rebuilt his Formula 1 career.

Pedro was brilliant as he charged through the field in Bahrain. You could tell he had not raced since 2002 as some of his moves seemed a little optimistic, but he kept his head down, kept his cool and showed some of the others of his generation how to go racing. His best lap was two-tenths quicker that Alonso's best and Raikkonen's best; was a tenth behind that.

The highlight of the race was a tremendous battle between de la Rosa and Mark Webber for fifth place. Webber had been pushing the heataffected Williams along as fast as it would go but eventually spun and lost out to Raikkonen and Ralf Schumacher.

The subsequent 10-lap dice between Webber and de la Rosa was an object lesson in what motor racing is all about. There were no unseemly shoves sending one or the other into the outfield,just Webber on the limit and defending like a tiger.

Every time de la Rosa wanted to use a piece of tarmac, Webber was there, his positioning exquisite. Pedro kept his cool, sized up the target and then,jinking left and right,found the weak spot. It was motor racing like it used to be and the paddock was buzzing after the race.

51

Qualifying

Will Drive for Gears

FW means Fast Williams ON Saturday morning, Mark Webber was the fastest man at the Sakhir circuit with a lap of lm29.527s, which was the fastest lap of the weekend and remained so.

The time was set in cool

was around three-tenths a lap faster.

The men down at Williams are pretty proud of the team's ability to react and the changes highlight the impressive production capacity at Didcot, which enables the team to

conditions, but it gave a good indication that the Williams team has made a significant improvement to the FW27. The team was worried that temperatures would be marginal in tlie heat of Bahrain but the car was certainly quick.

The new rear wing and diffuser had been rushed out since Malaysia and the team reckoned that the car

make new parts faster than everyone else.

52

The sad part is that most of that capacity has to date been used in 'catch-up' mode as the team overcame what was described as'a windtunnel calibration problem', resulting in a first-up FW27 with a significant rear downforce deficiency.

-JOESAWARD

THE unluckiest man of the weekend in Bahrain was Rubens Barrichello who was out of action after Friday morning following a major failure of his gearbox.

Because Ferrari rushed to get two F2005s out in time for the race, the team did not have a spare gearbox available, so word had to be sent back to Maranello and a new unit despatched for the Middle East.

The problem was that this could not be done in a hurry because the switch had confused the Ferrari production schedules considerably. The new gearbox arrived only in time for final qualifying on Sunday morning.

For Saturday, therefore, the team had to botch together a solution which spies in the Ferrari pit say involved a great deal of duct tape and tie-wrapsi Rubens was sent out and told that the team would radio him if the back of the car caught fire!

It was a really gung-ho lap as Rubens had virtually no prior information available to him and just had to drive as best he could. The result was not bad at all. Rubens was 15th overnight.

-JOE SAWARD moiorsportnews

I

FORMULAONE m

enault^ Queen ofthe Desert

Alonso poles again; Michael back on the front row; Toyotas and Williannses make up rows two and three. JOESAWARD watched an intriguing qualifying

F

Rubens Barrichello's car difference between Jarno's developed a gearbox problem, Saturday and Sunday times was 2.6s. Nick Heidfeld and which required a replacement - which had to come from Mark Webber ended up fourth Italy. That's the downside to and fifth on the grid, the difference between the time an early car introduction - not lost was 2.4s and 2.0s. a huge spares list...

The other big question, Whether all of this is entirely indicative of fuel loads is however, was who was running more fuel. Judging by another matter, because in the difference in lap times Bahrain, there is a specific from Saturday to Sunday,the problem with sand, which answer was that the Ferrari blows onto the track, and this tends to affect the drivers who was running lighter. Alonso's run after one of the lap on Sunday was 2.2s advertisement breaks which slower than on Saturday, while Michael's lap was 1.8s. are now built into qualifying Jarno Trulli slipped back to and especially those in the first third place on the grid in his group. There are also gusts of wind, which can throw a driver Toyota thanks to Michael's off balance. quick lap but the Toyota was expected to go longer than the Webber's Saturday lap Ferrari in the race as the (along with Fisichella and Raikkonen) was particularly meritorious in this sense as, Bahrain Grand Prix — Qualifying being out early (thanks to Car Driver Q1 Q2 Q1 + Q2 DNFing Malaysia), the track 1 Fernando Alonso Renault 1:29.848 1:32.054 3:01,902 was particularly slow.

2 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1:30.237 1:32.120 3:02.357 In short, observers can 1:29.993 1:32.667 3:02.660 3 Jarno Trulli analyse for hours on end but Toyota Williams-BMW one never really knows what 1:30.390 1:32.827 3:03.217 4 Nick Heidfeld is happening until the race Williams-BMW 1:30.592 1:32.670 3:03.262 5 Mark Webber gets into the first pitstop 1:30.952 1:32.319 3:03.271 6 Ralf Schumacher Toyota sequence.

Red Bull-Cosworth 1:30.646 1:32.723 3:03.369 7 Christian Klien The grid, however,showed McLaren-Mercedes 1:30.725 1:32.648 3:03.373 8 Pedro de la Rosa expected improvement from McLaren-Mercedes 1:30.594 1:32.930 3:03.524 9 Kimi Raikkonen both Ferrari and Williams, Renault 1:30.445 1:33.320 3:03.765 10 Giancarlo Fisichella given the new car and the new BAR-Honda 1:30.957 1:33.391 3:04.348 11 Jenson Button aero parts involved Sauber-Petronas 1:30.933 1:34.269 3:05.202 12 Felipe Massa respectively.

But Renault remains the BAR-Honda 1:31.113 1:34.450 3:05.563 13 Takuma Sato dominant force.

Red Bull-Cosworh 1:31.211 1:34.633 3:05.844 14 David Coulthard Toyota backed up its Ferrari 1:31.826 1:35.867 3:07.693 15 Rubens Barrichello Malaysian performance, with Sauber-Petronas 1:32.318 1:35.665 3:07.983 16 Jacques Villeneuve Trulli third and Ralf 1:33.424 1:36.004 3:09.428 17 Tiago Monteiro Jordan-Toyota Schumacher sixth, the 1:33.190 1:36.953 3:10.143 18 Narain Karthikeyan Jordan-Toyota German making a massive Minardi-Cosworth 1:34.005 1:36.417 3:10.422 19 Christijan Albers leap on Sunday morning from Minardi-Cosworth 1:34.848 1:36.413 3:11.261 20 Patrick Friesacher 11th on Saturday (after a bad

ERNANDO Alonso put together a pair of exquisite qualifying laps to grab and then retain pole in the heat of Bahrain. The Renault is still, it seems,the class of the field and the Spaniard used it well, again.

But just when the front row was starting to look like Malaysia 2, along came Michael Schumacher, working the all-new Ferrari into third on Saturday, then a super second sector on Sunday morning to grab the second front row spot.

The questions? Fuel load and the performance of the Bridgestones over the race distance. Michael had shouldered all the Bridgestone work through practice after

6 April 2005

lock-up). One might have concluded that Ralf was running light-ish on Sunday morning, but frankly, it seems like Sunday's lap was far more indicative of Toyota pace without Saturday's error it could have been an all-Toyota second row, at least.

Red Bull's Christian Klien outqualified David Coulthard in both sessions and lined up seventh on the grid, ahead of the two McLarens - with Pedro de la Rosa outqualifying Kimi Raikkonen, a big surprise.

Raikkonen made a mistake on Saturday afternoon and lost half a second which cost him dearly, but his lap on Sunday was a full 2.4s slower than the Saturday lap and so it was assumed that the Finn was carrying a huge load of fuel for the race.

The big disaster of Sunday morning was Giancarlo Fisichella, who had qualified fifth overnight but slipped back to 10th with a big lock-up early in his fast lap.

Of the rest, Felipe Massa dropped two places on Sunday morning while Jenson Button moved up one. Further back little changed. Sato, Coulthard, Barrichello and Villeneuve stayed unchanged.

Barrichello had a new gearbox on his car and was going quite well, but parked the Ferrari at the end of his flying lap.

Further back, Narain Karthikeyan made a mess of his Sunday lap and dropped behind Tiago Monteiro, while Christijan Albers outqualified Patrick Freisacher.

53

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Driver Hot Car Bothered A dogged drive ended withjust a handful of points as the blistering heat of Bahrain affected Williams more than most. A disappointed Mark Webber spoke with CHRIS LAMBDEN when it was all over.

IT must be like riding a bike into a hot northerly wind with one hand tied behind your back.

Difficult, pushing like hell, but not really getting anywhere. Those were the vibes coming through as Mark Webber analysed his day in what is being described as the hottest Grand Prix ever.

"Yeah, mate,it sure was. Just about everyone was compromised by the heat, but it seemed we were more than most.

"Tl\e Williams is designed around an absolute maximum of 38 degrees - it turned out to be 43 ambient on race day and we weren't quite prepared for it."

Indeed, under those circumstances, the

■H.rr

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54

approach is clear. Rev limits have to be pulled back severely,just to keep the temperatures on the clock and the driver encouraged to make up tune m other ways- ie drive absolutely flat-out.

"Fourth out of the first comer was okay, but by lap three we had to pull back the revs pretty substantially - cost about eight-tenths a lap - and push as best we could under the circumstances."

Fourth became third on the demise of Michael Schumacher,but then more concern as Nick Heidfeld's engine expired. Apart from the technical question mark, it also released Ralf Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen to close in on the remaming Williams.

While the Toyota dropped some ground with its relatively early first stop, Raikkonen went longest and was closing in on the Williams when Webber spun at the quick Turn 10 on lap 33.

"Td adjusted my style a little to help the situation, but locked it up and just slipped wide there and it was gone. With all the mn-off I tried to get off the brakes quickly, to avoid flat-spotting the tyres, but that only half worked.

"After that it was a real stmggle. They told me Pedro was closing in but I couldn't actually see him in the mirrors - they were vibrating that much I thought they'd fall off!

The car speed difference as the McLaren honed in was massive - a second and a half on one lap and the result inevitable. But Webber put up a fight.

"He kept on coming. Eventually he got there at Turn Four, It was his comer ... I had to let him go.'

The eight-lap duel was, however, one of the race

highlights.

last Temperature aside, the weekend had in looked promising, with Webber fastest late the k practice session, when many put together a qualifying try-out lap.

"The balance of the car was good. We'd made some good gains with the new rear aero and there . was a bit of potential there."

Running early in Q1 on a sandy track was a handicap faced by Fisichella and Raikkonen as well as Webber, all three putting together respectable laps for fifth, eighth and sixth respectively, Mark gaining a further spot on Sunday morning.

But while the Renaults (well, one of them).

Toyotas and, ultimately, the McLarens coped best with the afternoon heat, the Williams didn't. In cliched layman's terms, it was a long, hot day at the office.

moiorsportnews

Tough Breaks It has been a frustrating year so far for McLaren, with the team yet to scored a major result. With Juan Pablo Montoya out of action with a shoulder injury and Kimi Raikkonen making more mistakes than used to be the case, JOE SAWARD asked Ron Dennis for his view on the state of play MOTORSPORT NEWS: You must be very frustrated?

RON DENNIS: The problem now is that with the new 'high wing' regulations the cars are even more sensitive to following each other. They tend to lose more front downforce than the cars with lower front wings which means that close racing has become even more difficult and so one relies heavily on strategy.

The problem with that is that by the time the strategy has unfolded the guys ahead that you are trying to beat have gone and you cannot catch them. So your potential has gone. We do not showboat in practice and we have set fastest laps in races and that pace does not suddenly evaporate.

We have every reason to believe we have a very competitive racing car. Kimi, by his own admission, made a mistake in first qualifying here.

We know from the telemetry to within a thousandth of a second what the situation was: Kimi entered the last corner seven kph faster than he had ever done before. The car ran wide. He lost half a second. If that had not happened he would have been on the second row of the grid and possibly even on the front row. But if you are further back down the grid it is a completely different race, MN: And the MP4-20 is going to get better?

RD: Everyone is developing as quickly as they can and we are quite comfortable with the knowledge that we are going to bring significant improvements in the chassis and th engine at the forthcoming GP. But, of course, so will everyone else and we don't know where we will end up.

MN: What about the loss of Montoya. What are the effects of that?

RD: I believe he will be out only for a single race. It is inevitable in FI that there has been all sort 6 April 2005

"Oup drivers do not have any restrictions within their contracts. They run their lives and accept the consequences of what happens if they get it rr wrong - Dennis comments on ‘Tennisgate’ of speculation about how it happened.

In reality, it is immaterial how it happened. Our drivers do not have any restrictions within their contracts. They run their lives an d accept the consequences of what happens if they get it wrong.

I am a little perplexed about whether he did it on a tennis court or on a motocross bike. If he tells me that he did it on a tennis court, he did it on a tennis court. If he didn't, 1 really cannot understand why he would have said that he did it on a tennis court.

But it's immaterial. He is missing a race. But remember, it is just one of 19 races.

MN: Are you sure Juan Pablo will miss only one race?

RD: Our in-house specialist went down to Madrid after the accident and was part of the whole scanning and evaluation process.

It is a relatively minor fracture. In fact, it is not a fracture, it is a hairline crack. But there was a bit of joint separation which had led to muscle spasms around the joint and it was obviously going to be pretty damned sore.

Putting a seat belt hard down on a cracked bone is not particularly smart and everyone said it would be two to three weeks for the bone to heal. The shoulder is in an area which is heavily supplied with blood, which means you get a speedy recovery. His shoulder has been immobilised in a tight sling and he

will get all the same treatments that soccer stars and athletes receive when they crack bones.

There is a magnetic process, for example, which helps to accelerate bone growth. We are not worried about it.

MN: What about the effect on the team?

RD: Pedro de la Rosa has done a great job. There is no question that some drivers are going to get points added to their existing points scores but there are going to be a lot of people who will come out with less than eight points. There are 16 races to go after this, and that is still a long way.

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Bahrain Grand Prix Results - Race - 57 Laps Driver Fernando Alonso JarnoTrulli Kimi Raikkonen Ralf Schumacher Pedro De La Rosa Mark Webber

Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Felipe Massa David Coulthard Rubens Barrichello

9 10 11 12 13

Grown-up racing

IT was clear soon after the start of the race that the Williams-BMWs were just not quite good enough to battle with the Renaults and Toyotas.

Michael Schumacher was there in his Ferrari but there was a suspicion that the World Champion had gone for a light fuel load in an effort to qualify near the front. If Michael was in the lead he could control the pace and hope to keep his tyres together for long enough to hold off Alonso and the rest of them.

But Webber and Nick Heidfeld had no such ambitions. Heidfeld's engine was the only one in the field that had raced in Malaysia and in Bahrain and the heat was simply too much. The team wps running everything right oh the limit and Webber was soon having to drive to the maximum as well. He was third after the demise of Michael Schumacher and stayed there, but the challenge of Ralf Schumacher in the first stint lacked the steel of the challenges he would have to face from Kim Raikkonen and then Pedro de la Rosa.

"I was driving on the absolute limit," said Webber.

"I knew Kimi was going longer so I was really pushing hard.

As hard as I could. I went deep into Turn 10 and went a little wide. It was only a small mistake but it had huge implications because it was so dirty off line that it just went away from me and I had a big old spin.

"I didn't try to brake because I did not want to have flat spots on my tyres but the vibration after that was really bad. The mirrors were on the 56

verge of falling out, they were bouncing about so much."

Webber and Pedro de la Rosa, above, duelled mightily but in the end Pedro saw his chance and took it.

"I could have got him back from where I was on the track," said an animated Webber later. "When I turned in there was just no grip left at the front. That was that. He was gone."

- JOE SAWARD

Toyota McLaren-Mercedes Toyota McLaren-Mercedes Williams-BMW Sauber-Petronas Red Bull-Cosworth Ferrari

Christijan Albers

Jordan-Toyota Sauber-Petronas Minardi-Cosworth Minardi-Cosworth

Jenson Button Takuma Sato Nick Heidfeld Michael Schumacher Giancarlo Fisichella

BAR-Honda BAR-Honda Williams-BMW Ferrari Renault

Narain Karthikeyan Christian Klien

Jordan-Toyota Red Bull-Cosworth

Tiago Monteiro Jacques Villeneuve Patrick Friesacher

DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF

Race time Laps 57 1hZ9m18.531 +13.409 57 +32.063 57 +53.272 57 +1m04.988 57 +1m14.701 57 56 +1 Lap 56 +1 Lap 56 +1 Lap 55 +2 Laps 54 +3 Laps 54 +3 Laps 53 +4 Laps

Car Renault

Fastest Lap; De la Rosa

Clutch Brakes

48 28 25 12 4 2 0

Engine Hydraulics Engine Electrical Electronics

1:31.447

World Championship Points: Alonso 26, Trulli 16, Fisichella 10, Coulthard and R, Schumacher 9, Barrichello and Montoya 8, Raikkonen and Webber 7, Heidfeld 6, De La Rosa 4, Klien 3, M.Schumacher and Massa 2.

Constructors Championship Points: Renault 36, Toyota 25, McLaren-Mercedes 19, WilliamsBMW 13, Red Bull-Cosworth 12, Ferrari 10, Sauber-Petronas 2.

Grand Prix of Bahrain Positions lap By lap

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motorsportnews

FOBIVim.A ONE

We are Feeling the Heat

Common sense might surestyou do not run a brand new car at the hottest race of the season. Ferrari did - aiiowing PAOLO FIUSETTI to detaii the F2005

w

HILE the heat of Bahrain is hardly the optimum place to debut a new car, Ferrari - for all the reasons that have been debated - did just that.

The F2005 appeared with a number of changes made since the launch of the car.

One of these is related to the barge boards, which have been altered in their bottom section, where a horizontal fin(1)has been applied in a fashion very similar to the Renault R24,creating a sort of splitter for the outermost portion of the airflow. The function of this element is to divert part of the airflow outside the car, while the othrer half is directed under the floor of the car, so as to maximise the downforce generated.

It is noticeable that the sawtooth profile of the bottom of the barge boards has been kept along with this new element.

Another clearly noticeable change on the F2005 is related to the chimneys on top of the sidepods.

These have been introduced in place of the tiny verical fins on the car at the launch. Of course the main function of the chinneys is to improve the cooling capabilites of the car, due to the hot weather conditions, and they may well become smaller again in cooler climates. They also retain the aerodynamic function of diverting the airflow, acting together with the small winglets that have been applied behind them,in a similar fashion to the old car (F2004M).

Also interesting is the addition of a small wing placed on the top of the rear light support in a similar fashion 6 April 2005

to the solution introduced in Australia on the Williams FW27. It provides the car with additional downforce, very effectively over the

rear axle, to improve the traction of the car.

Other teams continued their usual development,one of the most

Tech Data - Barhain/Sakhir Average fuel consumption: 3.4 kilos/lap Aerodynamic figures and load: Downforce Coefficient(Cz) 2.579 Drag Coefficient(Cx)0.960 Aero efficiency (Cz/Cx)2.686 Braking figures Percentage of time spent on braking: 17 percent of lap at 8 braking points.

Heaviest deceleration: From 320kmh to 70kmh at Turn 1 Braking distance at this point: 140 metres Heaviest deceleration: 5G Heaviest load on the brake pedal: 100 kilos Maximum temperatures of brakes: 1000°C

obvious being Williams,sporting an evolution of its front wing (as well as new rear wing and diffuser). The small winglets placed inside the endplates have been reduced in their section, while previously they were curved upwards in their inside edge.

These small changes are hugely important for the front end balance.

This is paramount for assuring reduced tyre consumption at the front, plus a sharp cornering behaviour. Reducing the width of these elements means that the top speed is higher on this track, and therefore there is no need to increase the downforce level under braking.

57

Par for Corser Everything about Troy Corser at Phillip Island was super... except pole.

CHRIS JORDAN watched the donnination unfold

A

T the second round of the World Superbike Championships at Phillip Island last weekend, Australian Troy Corser was a happy man - and he was speaking a lot about the way things'used to be'.

By this, the unassuming Wollongong rider meant that the winning feeling was back, in his team,in his bike. Corser states that he never lost confidence in himself, but the gleaming smile and spontaneous fist pumping are things we have not seen for some time. It would have been easy to think that they may not be seen again.

In 2005, the troublesome past few seasons are forgotten and the 1996 World Superbike champ has the winning feeling back. At Corser's home round at Phillip Island, he destroyed the opposition, with Superpole the only notable session Corser did not win. On a weekend where the Island threw every condition conceivable at the riders, Corser was fastest in them all.

"The bike has definitely got improvement left in it," said Corser.

"It gets better and better every time.

I'm feeling good on the bike and we work well as a team. The GSXRIOOO (Suzuki)is the best bike on the grid."

Not that anyone needed telling, but that last comment was on the money, with Corser's Alstare Suzuki Corona team-mate Yukio Kagayama second in both races. The wild riding man from Japan had an interesting take on his spill in morning warm-

up: It was a good experience for me this morning. I told me not to crash in the race - good experience," said Kagayama.

"Bike is good,rider is good; that is

all.

He's as blunt as he is wild and hilarious, that Kagayama chap.

Third for the weekend was 21-

fo/m Morris/Mpix

year-old German rookie Max Neukirchner. Neukirchner - riding for Team Klaffi Honda - and Australia's Chris Vermeulen battled

for the best-of-the-rest tag in both races, with a third and a fourth each.

Neukirchner's lack of experience, great speed and composure beyond his years did not go unnoticed, while Vermeulen never quite had the bike speed required, but was able to carry his Ten Kate Honda nevertheless.

Race 1-22 laps Despite holding pole Kagayama could doposition, nothing but watch as Corser and Andrew Pitt shot off to lead the 28-bike field into Doohan comer.

Steve Martin had fared worst, bogging down his Foggy Petronas machine on the second grid spot to fall to 13th in the order.

As Corser, Kagayama and Pitt occupied the front three positions in a fairly spread out fashion, behind them the battle was on in earnest for the minors.

Former MotoGP riders Garry McCoy - who had made three spots at the start to get to fourth - Noriyuki Haga, Norick Abe and Regis Laconi were all locked in a frantic battle.

This allowed the next group of Ten Kate Honda team-mates Karl Muggeridge and Vermeulen and fellow youngster Neukirchner to quickly join in on the fun.

Muggeridge quickly carved through to fourth. Almost as quick as he had reached the front of the pack, he slowly dropped back through it, Laconi pulling a daring move at the Hayshed to get by 'Mugga', with Vermeulen and Abe soon following.

The pack was drastically thinned at mid-race distance, as almost in successive laps McCoy,Haga and then the second Foggy Petronas of Martin all retired with engine problems.

Pitt's Yamaha was fading in the latter stages, to the point where the Suzukis in front were pulling away, and the Hondas of Vermeulen and Neukirchner went past on Lap 11.

This left the Aussie to settle for fifth, and to try and keep up with the

moiorsportnews

SUPERBIKES

S

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l i:

Pi n lohn Morris/Mpi\

Point blunt: Championship challenger Yukio Kagayama finished second to team-mate Troy Corser in both races.

two Hondas,if only to watch the sensational battle.

Vermeulen had worked his front tyre hard early in the race to keep with the pack and was struggling for grip. He battled to keep Neukirchner behind, having to resort to some defensive riding lines on occasions. This only lead Neukirchner to make some drastic outside passing attempts - all spectacular, but none successful.

Neukirchner's one and only inside passing move saw him spear into the side of Vermeulen, pushing both wide, but no harm was done (bar the huge black rubber mark that resulted on Vermeulen's leathers, but with the podium to visit, he wasn't too concerned).

Meanwhile,out in front Corser was making it look easy. As Kagayama wrestled his bike around the windy island in a vain pursuit, Corser was ultra-smooth and ultra

The Champ is on the deck: Toseland and Muggeridge clanged at Honda in Race 2 and both fell out of the race.

CoronaI MBXJrr

fast, taking the win 8.2s clear of Kagayama - and that split time includes a very wonky, windbuffeted wheelstand all the way down the finish straight to greet the chequered flag.

ready for the warm-up lap ... just.

Corser again got the best of the start and again, Pitt's Yamaha followed him through Doohan comer.

Neukirchner was third momentarily, but both he and Pitt were soon rounded up by Laconi's Ducati.

Meanwhile, Laconi's team-mate in the Xerox factory team and defending World Champion James Toseland and Muggeridge got 6 April 2005

Suzuki Suzuki Honda

|4 Neukirchner Honda Yamaha 5 Pitt Yamaha ||6 Abe Ducati 7 Laconi

Race 2-22 laps Race 2 began flurry of action on thewith gridaaround the Foggy Petronas bikes. The FPR crew were drilling holes in the fairing of McCoy's bike to minimise the wind buffeting. The focus then turned to team-mate Martin, whose machine would not start. Both machines were

1 Corser |2 Kagayama 3 Vermeulen

together at Honda hairpin, both falling out of the race. A lone Ducati fighting with a swarm of Japanese bikes at the front of a World Superbike race - you would have got very good money for that a few years ago. At least they are still the fastest things through the speed trap.

Corser was alone out in front and Laconi fairly safe in second, but an intriguing battle was shaping for third. Neukirchner had squeezed past Pitt, but the Aussie was keeping with the German,and Vermeulen and Kagayama were charging towards them after sluggish starts.

The four-way battle never eventuated, when heavy rain hit the track. With the field all on Pirelli

slicks, the red flags were immediately flown, 12 laps completed,just as Pitt had a heavy fall at the Southern loop.

Pitt was quickly taxied back to the grid where his spare Yamaha was waiting. As he sat on the new mount awaiting the restart, visibly sore, medicos tended to his wounds, including a huge black eye.

At the restart it was clear that despite the clear skies, the wet track was about to cause havoc - Lorenzo Lanzi even went off at the Hayshed on the warm-up lap.

Kagayama got the best of the start as Corser and Pitt were swamped, dropping back through the pack.

continued on page 60

|8 Muggeridge Honda 9 Walker Kawasaki IIOBussei Kawasaki

35'15.199 35*23.478 35'27.750 35*27.96011 35'28.403 35'30.315 35'32.394 35*49.020 35'49.209 35'57.793

Race 2-22 laps 37'34.183 Suzuki 37'40.005 |2 Kagayama Suzuki 37'45.080 3 Neukirchner Honda 37*52.940 |4 Vermeulen Honda 38'27.272 Ducati 5 Nieto 38'28.310 Ducati |6 Corradi 38'32.259 Ducati 7 Laconi 38'37.511 Yamaha 8 Abe 38'38.538 9 Bussei Kawasaki 38'42.937 llOSanchini Kawasaki 1 Corser

Points after Round 2: Corser 91, Kagayama 85, Laconi 54, Vermeulen 50, Neukirchner 37, Abe 33, Pitt 31, Toseland 22, Bussei 20, Nieto 17.

WSBK 2 PHILLIP ISLAND 59

I

continued from page 59

As the field came to the Hayshed on lap 1, part 2, McCoy had a wild highside. As he sat in the gravel trying to regather his bearings, he was narrowly missed by Pitt's Yamaha,as Pitt had lost the front end and had his second high-speed crash in a few minutes.

This was when Corser realised that despite his aggregate time lead; he would have to get clear of the mid pack kerfuffle.

"McCoy crashed right in front of me ... I must have missed his head by two inches," said Corser."I saw Yukio was out in front, so I pushed to catch him."

Another who suddenly came out of the pack and chased down Kagayama was Brit Chris Walker, clearly carrying some massive wettrack speed on his Kawasaki.

As soon as he reached Kagayama he was passed him (at Siberia), but at the next comer - the Hayshed - the front end came out from under him, and his brief moment in the sun was over. At least he had plenty of guys to talk to; by this time Haga had also crashed out on the fast right-hander, flicked clear over the bars in a wild

The Boy’s got it MAX Neukirchner - by no means a household name.

But at Phillip Island, the young German rider had the sort of weekend that people take great notice of.

Early in the weekend, Neukirchner's Team Klaffi Honda team-mate, Pierfrancesco Chili had a nasty fall, breaking his collarbone. A well known name, with Chili out, no one suspected to be hearing much from the Klaffi boys this weekend.

How very wrong. Neukirchner was all over Vermeulen in Race 1, and with another lap or two would probably slipped by the Aussie for third.

Race 2, and while lots of experienced riders were throwing

their machinery down the road, Neukirchner rode a calm race to finish third and get a podium in only his second World Superbike round.

"This is my first time at Phillip Island, so I am really happy with third position."

"Many riders were crashing in front of me.I kept cool and relaxed and third is not so bad at all!"

Walking along the pit lane post face, two rival team reps were heard discussing Neukirchner. Phrases like "the German boy is good isn't he?" and "looks like he's got'it'" were heard. The looks on their faces said something more like'we both have riders who have been doing this for a while, so why did this guy from . out of nowhere hose them?'

I i o

t And what of the Klaffi boys no one expected to hear from? Every team member was summoned to take a swig from a bottle of whiskey.

And you could hear them,from a mile away.

-CHRIS JORDAN

highside.

Corser breached the gap to his team-mate,but the contrasting styles of the two made him nervous. While Corser is smooth,Kagayama is all attitude. "I am Japanese crazy boy" was how he later described himself.

The aggregate race win now assured, Corser sat back off his team-mate to w’atch his sideways antics.

"He \vas lighten''em up everywhere," said Corser. "It was prejlty impressive to watch!"

Behind the two Corona bikes, Neukirchner had a lonely race in third. Only his second race in World Superbikes, it was he who kept his head while others threw it down the road (see breakout, above right).

Behind him, Vermeulen was fourth, not able to match the German's speed in the wet, but a good result nonetheless.

Meanwhile Laconi was in all sorts.

The second stanza of Race 2 was not as kind to him as the first had been, eventualing having a huge moment going over Lukey Heights. The bike bucked him,but he refused to let go, rode the front fairing into the run-off area before falling, getting back up and restarting the bike. A long way back, he still managed seventh on the aggregate times.

The Alstare team has now won all four races of the 2005 season, with Corser winning three and Kagayama one. Even Corser readily admits that the Suzuki is the best bike out there and that his team-mate is his main competition.

The others better start thinking.

60

FRENCHMAN Sebastien \v^' Charp^nfger has recovered from a As Curtain led out in front, Charpentier forgettable opening round to win Round 2 —Y quickly closed the gap and was in the lead by lap 3. Quite aware of the Frenchman's mistake while of the World leading the opening round, Curtain pressured the Supersport Championship at Phillip back of the Ten Kate Honda for as long as he Island. could, before his tyres were "shagged" (his Riding for the Ten Kate Honda team, words), leaving Charpentier to take the top step Charpentier was clearly the strongest rider over the course of the weekend, taking pole position on the podium.

The battle for third was fought between Round and winning the 21-lap race by 3.5s from Australia's Kevin Curtain, riding for the Yamaha 1 winner and Charpentier's team-mate Katsuaki Motor Germany team.

Fujiwara and the Team Italia Megabike Hondas of Fabien Foret and young Michel Fabrizio.

"I am very happy, for at Qatar we had a bit of a Fabrizio looked the better early on, but faded to ... mishap," said Charpentier of his mistake while the extent that he fell at Lukey Heights with 3 leading the opening round.

"This is a fantastic track and it was a good race laps remaining, leaving Foret to pip Fujiwara by with Kevin " he is always very fast a Phillip Island." 0.023s at the line.

All riders commented that the conditions were Curtain was pleased with second, falling one short of the win he achieved at his home race last season. diabolical. Although the track was dry and the sun "It was a great race," said Curtain. "After I got intermittently shining, the Island's strong and in the lead a few times 1 thought 'I may be able to inconsistent winds were doing the riders no win this'." favours. The start of the race was actually Curtain had never been happy with his set-up delayed for some time while organisers waited to the winds to calm, track signage, hay-bails and TV throughout the weekend, rolling the dice on set up to get him to the front for the race. towers all put back in place after dangerous "We really took a gamble going into the race, gusts. The inflatable air-fences were also in having never ridden with that shock before." danger of taking off!

- CHRIS JORDAN But the change was not able to eclipse the speed of Charpentier, who completely botched Points: Charpentier 45, Fujiwara 38, Curtain 33, Foret 27. Parkes 19. Chambon 17. Fabrizio 16, Fores 13, Lausiehto 13, Vd Goorbergh the start, but had speed so superior that he was 11. back to fourth by the end of the first lap. moiorsportnews

THE World Superbike Championship in 2005 has a very Australian feel. ' ' Sure, the series is run largely by Italians, and is at the moment dominated by Japanese manufacturers, and you even get to hear a few Dutch, German and Spanish accents around the paddock.

But Phillip Island is the Australian round and where the six Australians on the grid were expected to shine.

Troy Corser's excellence is already well documented on these pages, so what of the others?

Andrew Pitt, riding for the Yamaha Motor Italia team, certainly has the pace to be at the front this year. Fifth in Superpole, always near the top of the timesheets, all Pitt needs is a bit of luck. It wasn't forthcoming at Phillip Island.

Pitt was a battered man Sunday afternoon after racing had concluded. He crashed no less than three times over the course of the weekend, twice during the final race.

When the rain began to fall during Race 2, the red flag was flown, but not in time for Pitt to see it. As Pitt came through the Southern Loop, he fell heavily, skidding on his head through the gravel trap.

"I was still going hard. I didn't see the red flag until the damage was done," said Pitt.

"The worst part was that my B April 2005

visor came off as I was ploughing through the gravel. which caused all this mess under my left eye.

Pitt sat on the grid for the' restart looking like a boxer between rounds, blood and bruising being tended to by medicos. To make matters worse, he crashed out on the first lap at the Hayshed.

Another Aussie to take a fall at the Hayshed was Garry McCoy. It ended what had been a terrible Sunday for he and team-mate and fellow Australian Steve Martin, both Foggy-Petronas bikes failing to finish either race.

McCoy could not really explain the highside that brought him undone, nor could Martin his similar accident at Doohan corner.

Martin was sore, but both were OK, preferring to remember the events of a day earlier, when Martin had qualified second fastest in the Superpole session.

While Vermeulen was out the front chasing Germans in Race 2, Karl Muggeridge was on the sidelines, fuming over the incident with James Toseland that brought his weekend to a close.

'Mugga' didn't appreciate Toseland cutting across the front of him at Honda corner, which left him nowhere to go and put both out of the race.

- CHRIS JORDAN

r\

Wizards from OZ: Top, Pitt takes a fail. Above clockwise, Muggeridge, McCoy and Martin were involved in their own weekend battles...

Telstra Jcallu Australia

Il

I

2Qj)4

o Long, Perth

MOVING Rally Australia east will be the best thing for both the event and rallying in this country,says the event's former Clerk of Course and the Chairman of the Australian Rallies Commission(ARCom)Garry Connelly.

Connnelly told MNews that while he feels for the many people who have put theH hearts and souls into the event in WA for the past 17 years, the rally needs to be focused on the mgjor population centres of the East to ensure future growth.

"There is more scope for commercial growth and the economic impact will be far greater if the rally was located in one of the eastern states," said Connelly.

"The team in Perth have done a fantastic job, and if it hadn't been for Rally Australia, I am sure Chris Atkinson would not be in the position he is in today, and we would not have one of the best run and

highest standard national championships in the world.

"However,the rally lost the support of the Gallup government,and for such a huge event to work it has to have the right approach from the state government. It's as simple as that."

Brisbane-based Connelly said he could see the axing of the rally coming,but was surprised by how sudden the decision was.

"The writing has been on the wall since the Gallup government came to power," he said.

"It has a different culture to the Court government and the Labor administrations before that which were more entrepreneurial.

62

"The unilateral announcement

took me by surprise. Something must have gone terribly wrong with the economics of the event. The fact that the government is now saying that the $5.9 million outlay only resulted in a $10 million economic impact is

"I think its fair to say the WA organisation has neglected the easten states in terms of promoting Raily Australia in the iast few years. fr

-ARCom Chairman Garry Connelly

very different to what it was just a few years before. The economic impact was more than double that, so I don't know what has gone wrong."

Coimelly says while he will be doing everything he can to ensure that the event continues to be the standard-setter in the WRC no matter where its new home is, he will not be actively seeking the role of Clerk of Course again.

"While Adrian Stafford and I are

Connelly said that he believed that three state governments would most probably bid for the right to hold Rally Australia.

"I believe South Australia, Victoria and Queensland will almost certainly make bids in the timeframe proposed

by CAMS,and all three have very active and well-run event organisations that could easily stage a WRC round. Rally Australia will definitely continue, have no fears."

He doesn't believe that Canberra will be a player,citing the experience with the V8 Supercar street race and the cost of a WRC round which,he says, would need irutial investment of $5 million per year.

"Governments need to want the

event passionately, care for it and make it work as an investment," he explained.

"I think it is fair to say the WA organisation has neglected the eastern states in terms of promoting Rally Australia in the last few years, and a move east would bring more commercial support and a higher profile for the sport, particularly with Chris Atkinson now in the WRC. "But the infrastructure has to be

the only two people to have run a WRC event in this country, we are both older now and I think the best

right, the culture of the government has to be right and it has to have real enthusiasm for the event and SA, Victoria and Queensland have all demonstrated that sort of enthusiasm

strategy would be to search for a younger person to train up for the role," Connelly said.

"I will certainly be playing a role in guiding and helping if required, wherever the rally's new home is."

with the major motorsport events they already run."

CAMS has imposed a May 6 deadline for expressions of interest in running Rally Australia.

- JON THOMSON

My Calculator Beats Your Calculator IT is believed that a new way of assessing statistics may have speit the death kneil for Raily Australia in Perth.

The WA Government employed a new survey method at last year’s rally, which apparently produced figures that led to the withdrawal of support for the event.

New statistical methods saw a large drop in income from Rally Australia, with the results of the latest survey indicating a total economic benefit of just over $9 million from the rally after an investment of $5.9 million. This economic benefit was around half the level indicated in previous surveys.

It appears that the WA government used different agencies to analyse different events in the past, making it difficult to compare their impact on the economy.

It is also believed the increase in WRC organiser’s fees imposed by the FIA , which went from around $60,000 to more than $200,000, may also have contributed to the event’s demise.

- JON THOMSON

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RALLYING

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SCOTT Redder will be ntfmed tomorrow (Thursday) as the driver in a severely-trimmed one-car Mitsubishi team, It is belieVed that Redder wiU- pilot one of the new pVO VIII Larjcbrs built by Allan He^ys teajm at its Dandenong workshop late last year, and that it rrfay b^ run under the Mitsubishi Dealer Te^m banner and not as an dfficial Mitsubishi works team. ^ The car wi carry some minor Pedder's Suspension backing and will use Pirelli rubber as well as some additional sup^rt from Mitsubishi truck division Fuso^ Heaphy and his team have worked hard to pick up the . pieces following Mitsubishi's withdrawal from national arid regional championships late last year. , Redder has come close to knocking off the top drivers'li^he,-^ past few years, and was in line for the factory Mitsubishi dwe until the crisis late last year. The Melbourne-based driver arid the private team run by the family suspension company withdrew from the ARC at the end of last year in order to concentrate on business and in a bid to reduce costs.

Whether Mitsubishi returns to the ARC with jwofks team in 2006 depends on decisions by senior Ralliart management in Japan. ' - JON THOMSON

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and Kangas TUms Biije SUBARU has confirmed that Finnish import Juha Kangas will suit up for the new Les Walkdenrun satellite team this year.

While the team and its development driver Benni Tirant was announced some months ago, Kangas’ role was not confirmed as he was apparently waiting to see whether he could land a deal for the PWRC. Kangas finished fourth in last year’s ARC driving for Les Waikden’s Mitsubishi factory team, and the switch to Subaru will see the Finn and Waikden returning to familiar territory. Walden ran a satellite team for Subaru with Dean Herridge in the 2002 ARC,

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while Kangas has previously campaigned Subaru Group N cars in both Finland and the WRC. Kangas, left, will again be navigated by Julia Rabbett, who has co-driven with Kangas for the past two seasons with the pair winning the ARC Privateers Cup in 2003.

“It’s fantastic to be able to continue to support both Kangas and Rabbett. I have enjpyed working with them in previous years, and believe they make a great pairing for the 2005 season,” said Waikden.

It was also confirmed that Ben Searcy will co-drive for Ben Tirant this year.

- JON THOMSON

3

Super 2000 push THE push for Super 2000 to replace Group N in the WRC is gathering momentum.

Toyota and VW have already built S2000 cars in South Africa as a precursor to the formula's fikely trial in regional championships such as the Asia Pacific in 2006 or 2007.

Subaru already has a potential candidate for the class with the Impreza RS, as used in the Subaru Challenge here in Australia, but under the proposed rules, all cars will use the same four-wheel-drive system.

Super 2000 has been shaped so that manufacturers can convert their twowheel-drive cars to four-wheel drive in a similar way to the WRC or ARC Group N (P) rules. However, turbos will not allowed and the transmission system will be standardised.

Lada, Fiat and Proton are all believed to be working on Super 2000 packages for existing road cars.

Subaru and Mitsubishi are the ortly manufacturers with cars currently eligible for the top Group N class for turbo 4WD cars, a situation the FIA is keen to change.

Subaru's David Lapworth says the proposed category is a positive way to increase support for Group N cars, and can see a case for introducing Super 2000 machinery to the Production World Qhampionship.

"Super 2000 is as much an opportunity as it is a threat for PWRC," said Lapworth. "if it's handled properly, it can be a way of supporting our Group N projects, because clearly if we are in a situation indefinitely where there are only two manufacturers in Group N. That's not ideal.

"It would be better to have wider competition, and if Super 2000 is a route to a more interesting PWRC, that's an opportunity."

- JON THOMSON

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Finally, Max Dumesny : has ended Robbie Farr's winning streak. BRETT SWANSON reports In the overall stakes it was clearly a win to AX Dumesny lived up to his title as the most successful driver in the Dumesny with a pair of wins and a second place ahead of the consistent Reidy, Farr, history of the Easter Sprintcar Trail Van Bremen and the also consistent by winning the 2005 trail two weeks ago.

Cameron Gessner.

FIpwever, coming into this year's event, Robbie Farr was on a roll and was also the here was a huge crowd and very healthy .dbfen.ding overall champion and the Farr -in- ’juggernaut looked likely to continue when he field at Avalon for Night 1, but the indelible memory from the night was Joel ■ I wdri his sixth straight event with the Knott's horrendous crash.

■opening round at Avalon on Good Friday. Farr Knott's return to Avalon saw him tear up ^.-rjva'hd Dumesny put on a huge race, swapping lead on a few occasions before Farr his ex-Tim Kaeding Outlaws car in a 'wall of death' act, riding the wall before ' " ,f : :gained the ascendancy and'led Dumesny ■ somersaulting violently in the opening heat. ● Tl&nd Danny Reidy home.

Paul Bastow also rode out a wreck after . ' . The following night the streak was broken contact with John Vogels. ● at Borderline Speedway in Mt Gambier as Farr and Gessner shared the front row of the . ’ Dumesny won from Farr and Luke Dillon, A-Main with Reidy and Dumesny on the . - who skipped the opening round. second. Farr and Reidy both got the jump on , ● The final night ;saw the wheels well and Gessner early and Dumesny soon moved past ■ truly fall off for Farr, with the Titan car also. Farr was running well, however Dumesny starting the B-Main from 12th position soon started to move forward, taking over before earning a spot in the feature race. second place with an inside pass into turn 4 Dumesny however was not to be denied and and was closing on Farr. On lap 8, Dumesny set a neyir ^5-lap record on his way to I ran under Farr in turn 1 and took the lead. beating lanTewis and.|y(ljte Van Bremen.

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After swapping positions on several occasions, Farr held out to win fronn Dumesny, Reidy, Gessner, Van Bremen, Lewis, Jamie Maiolo, Ian Thomsen, Martin Lawes and Matthew Reed. t was then off to the quick Borderline Speedway, where to win a heat you had to start from pole or somewhere near it.

Peter Attard, Dumesny, Tony Moule, Darren Jensen and Phil March all won heats from pole. Farr, Lewis and Gessner won from position three. Van Bremen from position two and the returning Knott from position six.

Dumesny moved forward in Fleat 6, charging from 10th to second. Greg Wickham survived a wild wreck during one of his heats.

Despite their heat wins, Knott, Van Bremen, Attard and Lewis were all in the B-Main, which was won by Van Bremen from Lewis.

Of the 24 Easter features run here.

Dumesny has won a third of them so starting off pole alongside Farr he was a definite favourite and duly went on to win from Farr to even the scores at one win apiece. Dillon

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SPEEDWAY

Easter for Max

moved from fourth to third with Reidy and Gessner both solid in fourth and fifth ahead of Dylan Jenkin, Vogels, Lewis, Van Bremen, Jensen and Grant Tunks.

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ifty-one cars fronted for the traditional curtain closer on what proved to be a tacky track Leith Ahifors won the opening heat in which Maiolo detonated an engine.

Anderson won heat two while Farr cut a rear tyre and failed to finish while nemesis Dumesny finished fourth Van Bremen won Heat 3, Mollenoyux won Heat 4, Reed won Heat 5 and Maiolo only just made it out in time to win Heat 6. Van Bremen however suffered engine dramas of his own in this heat but was just able to finish before changing power plants.

Lewis won Heat 7 and then Dillon won a decimated Heat 8 in which David Cook rode out a huge wreck. Dumesny won Heat 9 from pole and Gessner and Reidy ran wheel-towheel in Heat 10 before Gessner took the win.

After a rain interruption the B-Main, with Farr starting from PI 2, took to the track.

With the aid of some dramas for some of those ahead, Farr was able to eventually make his way to the front and win the race from Stephen Lines Lewis's great night had earned him pole ahead of Dillon, Dumesny, Van Bremen (with the spare engine onboard) and Farr back in 15th.

Stoked: Northern Terntorian Danny Reidy, centre at top, showed great speed to mix it with ^ Dumesny (left) and Farr (right) over the well-attended Easter Sprintcar Trail, as seen by the line-up at Mt Gambier, above.

Ouch: Joel Knott's huge crash, captured in sequence below, has been labelled tbe 'wall of death', l It although Knott escaped uninjured.

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Barnett new Aussie Kraig No.1 in Litre Cars SYDNEY Litre car racer Sean Barnett picked up his biggest victory to date after he won the 2005 Australian Litre Car Title held on Easter Saturday night at the Parramatta City Raceway.

Barnett took over the lead from Queensland driver Dave Fanning around lap 10, with driveline problems forcing Fanning out a lap later. Barnett continued on to an unchallenged victory with outgoing champ Scott Darley second and impressive Mitchell Matchett claiming third.

"I've been confident for a couple of months because my car has been faultless," said Barnett."I knew Fanning would be fast by himself but as soon as he got to traffic I knew I was in with a chance. All I had to do was stay with him for the first part."

With over 50 Litre Cars on hand with drivers from Tasmania and WA as well as NSW and Queensland the night ended up as a battle between Fanning and Barnett.

After 16 heat races, they ended up highest in points with

Darley and Brad Hilder making up the top four. NSW Champ Trent Singleton was out early with major engine problems while impressive Andrew Johnson, who picked up a heat win, rode over Matchett's rear wheel during the A-Main and executed a series of wild rolls. Johnson emerged unhurt while his car was wrecked.

Matchett moved up two positions in the pole shuffle but it was the top two fighting it out for pole, with Fanning winning the battle over Barnett. While Fanning jumped into the lead at the green,it was in traffic that Barnett was able to take over the lead.

With driveline problems ending Fanning's good weekend Barnett was now in charge. Hilder, a former NSW champ, had to restart from the rear after stopping early in the main but charged through the field late in the race, picking up a superb fourth placing at the chequer. Rounding the top six was Graham McColm and Clayton Priest.

- GREG BOSCATO

The calm after the storm ADELAIDE'S Speedway City was tran.sformed into 'The Windy City' as Mother Nature unleashed cyclonic force winds on the Virginia venue last weekend, bringing the double-billed Sprintcar World Showdown 3 and the Grand Final round of the Revolution Racegear 360ci Sprintcar Series to a premature end.

Thankfully for the competitors and infield officials, the Super Sedan support race had just finished and the Sprintcars were just about to enter onto the track for the opening heat when the mini cyclone struck without warning.

Within seconds, the venue was filled with dust and top soil from the surrounding farmlands. As the wind howled through the stadium, sheets of iron began to peel away from the spectator fence on the front straight.

The back straight Family Stand, pictured right, bore the full brunt of the storm, tearing

the grandstand in two as the crowd ran for cover. Behind the track's viewing mounds, large trees were snapped in two and fell dangerously close to the crowded entrance of the administration building; luckily no one was seriously Injured from the flying debris.

Adding to the drama, the venue was thrown into temporary darkness as the power went out before Speedway City's emergency lights were activated.

It was like a scene from a

the power was cut and there was a state of general confusion as people ducked for cover," said Speedway City promoter Wendy Turner.

At time of writing. Turner was hoping to find a suitable date to re-run the final meeting for the season; however the chances of a re-run look unlikely being this late in the season.

Next door, Adelaide International

Raceway's drag meeting was also brought to an early halt.

One of the lighting towers was tipped over in the strong winds.

The Adelaide Dirt Kart club, on the same block also had their official's tower toppled over.

- PARIS CHARLES

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Kinser dominates KRAIG Kinser has dominated the latest two rounds of the World of Outlaws Championship.

After the gruelling series took a week off two weeks ago, the son of 19-time and defending Outlaws Champion Steve came out of the gates firing by easily winning the feature held last Friday night at Batesville Speedway in the first Outlaws run at the Arkansas venue since 1993.

John Morris/Mpi\\

Daryn Pittman, driving for the Australian-owned Titan Racing team, was second to the younger Kinser, with Steve Kinser third, followed by Craig Dollansky and Australian Brooke Tatnell.

Then the next night at the fast, 1/3 mile high banking of 1-55 Speedway, Kinser again was victorious, getting to the lead by lap 6 after starting from position 7.

"I could not imagine having a better weekend," said Kinser. "I just hope this good luck and good fortune continues."

Championship points leader Dollansky was second, folowed

by Tim Kaeding, Steve Kinser, Donny Schatz and Pittman.

"It's been a good strong start to the season," said Dollansky.

"It's a long season but it's always good to get a good start and not have to play catch-up.

We just have to stay on top of our game and do the right things."

Adams in form

Aussie Speedway riders warmingup for 2005 Grand Prix season

SPEEDWAY

Speedway to get its own Expo THE Speedway and Karting communities of Australia are to have their very own expo/trade show, with the announcement of the inaugural Australian Speedway and Karting Expo, to be staged at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney on October 1-2.

"Both Speedway and Karting have been crying out for the opportunity to come together, exchange ideas and present their sport to a wider audience in a professional forum," said event promoter David Tapp.

"The Expo idea has been used in international motorsport for many, many years, indeed the Autosport International Exhibition in the United Kingdom is possibly the largest trade show of its type anywhere in the world, similarly the PRI Show in the United States. We have seen automotive exhibitions in Australia in the past, but we have never sedn a show dedicated solely to Speedway or Karting." n With Round IStrf the WA AHG Sprintcar Series being washed out at the Kwinana Motorplex the last round looks as though it's going down to the wire at next weeks final Kwinana show.

Jamie Maiolo is;purrently sitting in the hot seat in the Kendrick 92.9 car and only leads by a handful of points from the consistent Veronica McCann. The second 92.9 entry of Jeff Leisk from the Kendrick Team sits in third and has the potential to jump to the front.

Unfortunately, WA has missed out on seeing some of our top drivers like Ryan Farrell and Ken Satori fight it out all season due to other commitments across Australia but since Ken Satori's return he has turned the Motorplex on its head with some sensational runs and track records, as seen below.

- STAFF/DARREN SUTTON

Ike-palricLco

SWINDON retained the Elite League Best Pairs title at Peterborough, UK on Sunday, once again beating Belle Vue in the Final.

Australia’s Leigh Adams(who was unbeaten throughout the meeting) and Britain’s Lee Richardson, pictured left, took the honours for 'the Robins’ ahead of ‘Aces’ duo, Aussie World Champ Jason Crump, pictured above inside of Adams, and Joe Screen, above at back.

- MIKE PATRICK

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'Cowi THE Cowin Family Racing team has pulled the pin on its US operations, effective immediately.

Cowin family patriarch and team owner Graeme Cowin and his driver son, Andrew, told the crew of their decision at the team's US base in Florida just prior to Easter.

The decision to abandon the NHRA circuit came just three races into what has already become a difficult season.

DEFENDING four-time IHRA Top Fuel World Champion Clay Millican continued his unbeaten streak at San Antonio Raceway by winning his 38th national event last weekend.

It was Millican's fourth consecutive victory in an IHRA season-opene’r and continues the points lead he has held since 2001.

Millican was joined in the winner's circle by Ed Hoover (Pro Modified), Rob Atchison (Alcohol Funny Car) and Dan Seamon (Pro Stock).

In Saturday night's final round, Millican used a quicker reaction tirhe and a 4.70s at 304mph to defeat Louie Allison's aborted tyre-shaking effort. Despite the victory, an oil-down penalty suffered in a Round 1 victory over Paul Athey leaves Millican with only a one point cushion over Allison.

After Millican scored an opening round 4.90s/242mph win over Athey, the Mike Kloeber-tuned, Werner Enterprises dragster stepped up to record a 4.61s at 319mph to stop Texan Mitch King and headed into its third-consecutive San Antonio final round.

Allison, driving the Vista Food Exchange dragster, qualified third with a 4.80s/250mph, and improved to a 4.78s/292mph in Round 1 to eliminate Rick Cooper. In the semis, Allison recorded the quickest and fastest pass of his career at 4.62s/317mph to take out lowqualifier Bruce Litton. Allison had the tuning services of Mike 68

McLaughlin, who guided Don Lampus to the 1999 championship. His dragster was also equipped with parts from drag-racing legend Connie Kalitta's three-car NHRA operation.

Hoover's team owner Paul Trussell retained the services of two-time World Champion Jimmy Rector as crew chief for 2005. That decision paid off when he scored his first win in two years.

Hoover, in his immaculately prepared '63 Corvette, defeated Shannon Jenkins in the final round, 6.19s/232mph to 6.24s/225mph, to claim his 11th career national event victory.

He low qualified at 6.19s and used a 6.28s/229mph in the opening frame to stop the blown car of Steve Engle. A pair of 6.21s/229mph and 6.16s/228mph passes in the next two rounds trailered the nitrous cars of Michael Lockwood and Jim Halsey.

"Jimmy Rector brings a lot to the table. He knows what he's doing. He's confident in himself.

He said there's no reason why we shouldn't win every race this year," Hoover said.

"There is a lot more in this car than what you've seen here in this one race. This car is a fast hot rod."

Jenkins, the ninth qualifier, scored steady 6.2s victories over Charles Carpenter, Eddie Ware and Quain Stott to reach the final round.

Seamon won his first national event since his championship winning 1998 season by taking

out Brian Gahm in the final round of Pro Stock.

Seamon drove Charlie Taylor's Ford Escort to a winning 6.45s/216mph to stop Gahm, who chattered the tyres at the start and slowed to a 7.60s/142mph.

Seamon steadily improved during eliminations with passes of 6.49s/216mph, 6.46s/ 217mph, and 6.44s/217mph to stop Richard Penland, Robert Patrick, and Pete Berner.

Gahm qualified second and defeated Doug Kirk, Jerry Haas and defending Pro Stock Champion John Nobile enroute to his runner-up finish. After a pair of sub-par 7.04s/210mph and 7.02s/159mph passes in the opening two rounds, Gahm made his best pass of the day at 6.57s/214mph to take out Nobile who got loose and clicked it off.

Nobile did manage to set a new IHRA speed record at 217.25mph, while Patrick recorded a 6.427s pass to establish a new IHRA elapsed time record.

Atchison started off his 2004 Alcohol Funny Car title defence with a final round victory over Terry McMillen, 5.74s/242mph to 5.92s/218mph. After qualifying number two at 5.84s/239mph, he laid down a 5.73s/243mph to defeat Jim Sickles, and a 5.76s/230mph to best Mark Thomas.

The next stop for the IHRA Hooters Drag Racing Series tour will be in Rockingham, North Carolina between April 22-24.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

Plagued by mechanical problems, the Cowins have been fined in excess of US$10,000 and docked vital championship points for oiling down the racetrack on at least five separate occasions.

NHRA rules allow each team just two indiscretions for an entire year before penalties apply, with further 'freebies' for every 25 clean runs.

The Cowins used up their allocation at the season-opening Wintemationals and accounted for almost half the oildowns so far this year prior to eliminations at the recent Gatornationals in Florida.

Leading drag racing web news source, Competition Plus, has reported that NHRA senior vice president Graeme Light and Ray Alley, director of Top Fuel and Funny Car,spoke with Graeme Cowin in Florida, directing the team to solve its problems quickly or face exclusion.

"I'm sure Graeme got the message

WHILE the Cowin team may be pulling out of the US, multi-Australian Top Fuel Championship team owner Santo Rapisarda is getting ready for this first foray stateside.

Rapisarda has purchased

DRAC RACING

i: Coming Home Andrew and Graeme are heading bach

that if he didn't get things straightened out by the next event that the NHRA would have to put him on probation until he could satisfactorily demonstrate that he could get his race car down the track without blowing up," Alley said.

Alley is reported to have asked Cowin if there was anything could be done to help and suggested meeting at a more appropriate time to sort through the dramas. "[But] that didn't happen.

Obviously, that team needs to regroup before they come back."

While Competition Plus suggests the Cowin departure won't cause a ripple at the NHRA,it also suggests that's not to be the case with the IHRA with which the Cowins were

n The Western Sydney International Dragway has confirmed the addition of Dean Neal to its administration team as the Promotions and Marketing Manager.

Neai lived in Sydney for over three years, but is an expat Western Australian and now joins WSID Motorsport Manager Peter Pike at the Sydney circuit.

The 35-year old father of two brings extensive motorsport experience to the team, including time at the Quit Motorplex in WA, Parramatta City Raceway in Sydney and also a wide variety of motorsport events and series arognd the country.

reported to be running the entire 11race season - the IHRA's first event was this past weekend in San Antonio, Texas.

No statement has yet been released by the team on its future plans, but it is believed the Cowins have already liquidated its US rolling stock such as transporter and crew van.

Long road home: Graeme Cowin, right, will head back to the family business in Australia.

a heads stateside Vale:Shelly Scott Kalitta's event-winning 2004 Jesse James West Coast Choppers car - which has run as quick as 4.47s/333mph complete,turn key and, in conjunction with the Kalitta team, will campaign the car at the Summit Nationalst at Las Vegas next week.

Kalitta Motorsports marketing manager, and test driver, Ben Marshall will drive the car as the Kalitta team expands to four cars for the event.

Kalitta's team will crew the car while Rapisarda’s long_ time crew, headed by veteran racer/tuner

Nick’s Escort MELBOURNE'S rookie Pro Stock sensation Nick Xerakis is soon to upgrade from his iate-90s Ford Probe to a new generation Escort ZX3.

Xerakis, who has aiready won one round of the Pro Stock series this season, is beiieved to have purchased one of US Pro Stock team owner Huriey Biakeney's two Don Ness-buiit cars and currentiy has his record-setting Super Stock-cum-Pro Stock Probe for saie.

Ray Ward, will watch over the Americans as they prepare the proven dragster.

It is believed that as a part of a promotion for the parent company of Zantrex3, sponsor of the third Kalitta Motorsports entry driven by Australian David Grubnic, below. Rapisarda's car will carry StriVectin signage.

Plans for the car once it has been raced in the US are believed to include the possibility of the Rapisarda team going it alone at another NHRA race before shipping it down under.

In the meantime, Rapisarda has sold the oldest of his two current cars to as yet 5: 9 unnamed returning veteran of the sport.

- GERALD McDORNAN

Howard

TOP Alcohol Dragster driver Shelly Howard was killed in an accident at Tulsa Raceway Park last weekend.

Howard was testing at the track when her car became airborne at half track and went out of control. When the car came back down on the track, it reversed direction and headed back toward the starting line where it crashed into the team’s tow vehicle.

Shelly’s son, Brian, who was in the tow vehicle at the time, was also injured and later died as a result of those injuries.

Howard, a registered nurse, is survived by her husband. Dr. Paul Howard, and daughters Jennifer and Tracy.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

n Australian drag racer Brett Stevens will chop off his ponytail if he can raise $100,000 for the Kids With Cancer Foundation before the Winternationals. ; Stevens, below, has been growing his hair for over 20 years but said that the Kids with Cancer cause is a higher priority than his flowing locks.

"I hadn't planned to cut off my pony tail so when I agreed to do this it came as a bit of a shock to a lot of people", he said.

If the money can be raised, the event will take place at Willowbank Raceway, Queensland, during the Finals of the Australian Winternationals on June 12.

Sponsorship packages are available for $100 that includes a pit pass to the Winternationals and a fundraiser participant T-shirt. All money raised will go to the Kids With Cancer Foundation Australia, which is a non-profit organisation that provides funding for childhood cancer suffers as well as assisting doctors, nurses, families and support groups in their efforts in caring for these children.

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MNews backs KaptStars

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MNews and Red Bull support KartStars comeback season -opening round this weekend

by CHRIS JORDAN

MOTORSPORT News is the new naming-rights partner of the rejuvenated KartStars Series.

The Motorsport News KartStars Series commences this vyeekend (Aprii 8-10) with Round 1 of the four-round championship kicking off at : Geelorig's Beckley Park !'; International Raceway, the new partnership re- establishes KartStars as the breeding ground for yoang karting talent In Australasia, yvith drivers aiming to follow in the footstefis of previous KartStars champion Mark Winterbottom, now with Orrcon Racing in V8 Supercars. n After a sabbatical year in 2004 following Ford Australia's . . decisiori to withdraw support, :tijis nevv initiative from t.*-. n Motorsport News will re.Vestablish the series asi.tltie mpst , '' competitive in Australian ' , : karting.

Drew Price Engineering, organisers of the Motorsport News KartStars Series, which also receives backing from international energy drinks giant Red Buil, has recently confirmed that the winner of both Motorsport News KartStars and the new Junior Max class will have their Formula BMW test day prize at the Estoril circuit in Portugal.

On this day, 20 drivers from around the world will be present, with two drivers chosen to race in the German ADAC Formula BMW Championship, driving free of charge for Red Bull's own team in 2006.

Prior to this day, both drivers will receive two test days with Borland Racing, utilising the team's Spectrum Formula Ford's to gain much needed open-wheel practice.

Red Bull are also assisting with the presentation of each race circuit, moving infrasttM.ctgr,b W§.ed for the Red Buil Billy Cart GPs to each round to encourage

specator comfort.

Recently crowned Australian Formula 100 Champion Kristian Lindbom will undoubtedly be an early favourite for the KartStars crown.After winning the CIK Junior Intercontinental A class the last two years, Lindbom has made the switch to Motorsport News KartStars for 2005.

Australia's representative at the recent Rotax World Challenge Cameron Thorpe, pictured below at the Nationals, is another who will be very hard to beat, as will recentlyappointed CAMS Rising Star driver Jordie Lindstrom.

KartStars remains the ultimate test of drivng ability, with the originai ideal of control engine, chassis and tyres maintained for 2005. DPE has also confirmed that ail entrants will switch to the new Arrow Rotax chassis mid-season free of charge.

Junior Max is wide open, with Robert Munnerly and Leigh Nicholau both likeiy to be chalienging for the test

drive prize.

On the CIK side of things.

Intercontinental C looks to be the class to watch, after the hard decision was made not to run the premier class in world karting. Formula A, in Australia this year.

Perennial front-runner Matt Wall has made the switch to the 125cc ICC gearbox class, running alongside defending Champ Bart Price for JT Team Arrow. Redspeed will also figure in this class, with 2001 ICC champ Jason Burns returning from FA. Intercontinental A now becomes the premier lOOcc class in Australia and 2003 ICA champion Glenn Powles is running to try and win back the title, after running in FA last year.

Junior ICA will no doubt be its usual hard-fought affair, with recently crowned Australian Junior Clubman Champion Amrit Kandola an early favourite, with Joshua Scott and Trulii's Daniel Ricciardo also around the mark.

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Field of Dreams Wakefield warms to first HSRCA round

THE first of four events promoted by the HSRCA was held in perfect weather at Wakefield Park last weekend, attracting 275 competitors.

Cars ranged from pre-war to FI from the 80s. Formula Vees, including a car not seen regularly at Histories, made a welcomed return.

To be eligible to attend the famous Goodwood Revival 2006, competitors and officials must attend all four meetings. Two couples will receive airfares and S5000 spending money. A very fitting reward for all those hard working volunteers, who give up their valuable time for the safety of competitors.

Winners included at Wakefield included Chris Dubois(Na

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Touring and Sa sports), Les Wright, above,(Q and R), Geoff Olle (Sbe Production Sports), Lynn Brown (M and 0 + Formula Ford), Bob Cox (Nbc Prod Touring) and Max Brunninghausen (M,0, Q and R Sports).

- MARSHALL CASS

Manhjll Cits

427 given home TASMANIAN motor racing fans got an early taste of V8 racing at Symmons Plains last month.

The Octagon 400 saw Brisbane’s Rob Sherrard unleash Peter Brock’s famous Holden Monaro 427, giving Ray Hislop an ominous warning that this year’s Group A title won’t be a no-brainer.

Sherrard teamed with Peter O’Keefe in the Monaro, and along with Bruce Jones in a Porsche GT2 and Greg Garwood in a Porsche Turbo, the four entries walloped the field by a staggering six laps in the four-hour enduro event.

Michael Conacher and Tim Rushworth combined to secure their second-consecutive handicap trophy for Team Mirage. In a flawless performance, the pair completed 100 laps each.

But the story of the day was the ding-dong battle between the Bathurst-winning 7-litre beast and Ray Hislop’s Australianchampionship winning Ford EB Falcon.

For 30 laps, O’Keefe locked horns with Hislop, and it was close racing at its best.

Close V8 racing is set to continue with Sherrard permanently parking the Monaro at the apple isle for the forthcoming rounds of the Octagon series.

After its Mount Panorama triumph, the car has been unable to compete in racing because the specs don’t fit into any other category after the Nations Cup was disbanded. But Tassie race organisers jumped at the chance of having the car in its Octagon series.

- LEONARD SIRAGUSA

72

"4: MALLALA Motor Sport Park hosted the 2005 South Australian Historic Racing Association's annual Easter meeting two weeks ago.

Each classic era of Historic Motorsport was well catered for, with over 100 cars representing everything from pre-World War I I Grand Prix machines to the classio Formula 2 open-wheelers of the early 1980s.

One orowd pleaser was Queenslander Peter Marburg's newly-acquired Lola T70 Mark 3 Sportscar. An ex-Penske unit, the Chevrolet-powered weapon completed three demonstration laps, giving Harburg a glimpse of the car's potential.

"I was going faster in third gear in the Lola than I was in top driving my BT14!" Harburg explained when comparing the Sportscar to his classic Brabham.

At the opposite end of the motoring spectrum was George Hetrel's Type 35 Bugatti. The Bugatti, one of the most successful cars of the late 1920s and 1930s, is regarded for revolutionising the way people went motor racing. And it's a rather expensive collector's item as well. A price tag between $750,000 to $1 million certainly leaves the folk here at MNews out of the buyer's range.

A capacity 32-car field of Historic Touring Cars was another major drawcard after many competitors stayed over after the Clipsal 500. Rob Vanderkamp was the pace-setter in his Falcon GTHO, with local Lyndon Punshon pushing him all the way in his Mustang.

Phil Verwoert took his Porsche to three race wins in Group S, while Colin Haste (Brabham BT2) won Groups L and M. Groups J and K were full of

expensive machinery, including Kevin Shearer's Ford A and the Type 35 Bugatti. John Payne's MG Special was the class of the field though, ahead of Bruce Hartwig's Chrysler Special.

A packed field of early 1980s Formula 2/Atlantio openwheelers fronted in Groups 0, Q and R. Jamie Larner's Chevron set the pace all weekend, leading home a pack of Ralt RT4s. The majority of the field were able to lap as quick as a V8 Supercar, proving that despite being close to 25 years older, pace was not an issue.

- RICHARD CRAILL

motorsport news

NATIONAL SCENE

A Man's Itaphy AFTER it's initial delay, Oran Park's Touring Car Festival is set to run on April 23-24.

Bumper tin-top fields have been predicted to celebrate the glory days of Australian Touring Car Championship between 1960 and 1992.

One of the features of the event will be the battle for the the Harry Firth Torana Trophy, below.

Firth has lent his name to the

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Torana class and also provided an historic trophy to be awarded in perpetuity for the event. It's the 'Manufacturers Award'trophy, which was won by Firth's Holden Dealer Team Toranas in the 1970 Toby Lee Series contested at Oran Park.

"It seemed only proper to make the trophy available for the Torana race at the Touring Car Festival," the motor racing legend said.

"1970 was the first year of racing for the XUl and Toranas soon became the most popular touring car racing at the time. It is the same these days with the XUl still the most popular car in historic touring car racing.

Beauties and the beast: The Type 35 Bugatti (top), Jamie Larner's Chevron (above left), the Historic Touring Cars (above right), old formula cars (below)and the Lola T70(bottom) were some of the Mallala favourites.

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5-

6 April 2005

HOLDEN e> A special Bond with Toranas: Colin Bond, above, in his XU-1 in 1972.

Firth will be at the circuit to present the award.

Other feature events billed for the Festival include the Toby Lee Trophy for the fastest 36 Group N cars. Mustangs, Chargers, Camaros,Falcons,Jaguars, CapriS and, of course, the giant-killing Toranas will be competing.

The Group C Big Bangers will also feature on the bill with iconic Commodores,Falcons,BMWs, Nissan Bluebird and Mazda RX7.

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All drivers that competed in the ATCC between 1960 and 1992 have been invited to OP. A static display of period cars will also be at the Sydney circuit.

I

NATIONAL SCENE

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B

EING a world champion in any sport is a high honour, but with the title comes certain responsibilities.

The obligation to win, win again, and in fact, win every time you step onto your chosen arena is the real expectation that comes with life as the world's best.

Before Wade Cunningham won the Formula A class in the 2003 CIK-FIA Karting World Championships in Italy, he was content with finishing motor races in the top five, on the podium or maybe score the occasional win. But from the moment he won the title, he realised that he could no longer play second-fiddle.

And two years on, he does not take the title of world champion lightly, either.

"The tag of winning a world championship is big, no matter where it is or what you

do," he sard.j

"When you have a world championship attached to your name, and particularly being from Europe, it's quite prestigious. The title gives you instant credibility. You don't have to totally prove yourself everywhere you go. That's my

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proof, and now I can just go out there and race."

After his world crown, Cunningham ventured to America's Formula Ford 2000 Zetec Championship in an attempt to forge a career in the 'States. He finished fifth in his rookie season, which enticed him try and score a permanent ride in America.

Cunningham tested an Infiniti Pro Series car in January this year. Infinity Pro is the feeder category to the IRL Indy Car Series and is an ideal training ground for wannabe Indy 500 winners. It didn't take long for a deal to be struck with Canadian team Brian Stewart Racing, and the 20-year-old has since moved to Indianapolis where he has impressed everyone (except himself) during the first three rounds of the championship.

"I didn't go very well in my first test at Phoenix," he rued.

"I was half a second off, which I was really disappointed with."

But come his first two race meetings at Miami and Phoenix, Cunningham finished fourth and third respectively and staked an early claim as a series threat.

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The world title gives you instant credibility.

You don't have to prove yourseif everywhere you go. That's my proof, and now i can just go outttmre and race"^;j - Kiwi racer Wade Cunningham

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"I expected to be running up the front. 1 was disappointed at Phoenix as I wasn't able to run with the front two. I enjoyed the first race. I was surprised how quick the car was, which was refreshing."

The series has previously run exclusively on ovals, but the inclusion of street and road course racing played into his hands. Second on the streets of St. Petersburg last weekend has placed him second in the series.

One thing that may have given him a further edge on the field was when he contested New Zealand's inaugural Formula Toyota series. He agreed that the seat time during Australasia's summer months placed him in a better position.

"When I arrived in America, I was very race fit, I was prepared and mentally sharp, which was a bonus because everyone else was starting from scratch.

"I've only been living here a month so just in the past week I've been able to relax a bit more. We've had three races and three test days. I did my rookie test day at Phoenix, I did a half day at Nashville and a serious test at Indianapolis last week so it's been fairly serious month."

Now three rounds into the IRL feeder series and having dealt with the initial difficulties of living on foreign soil, Cunningham wants to base himself permanently in the United States and forge a career in their open-wheel leagues.

"My goal is definitely directed towards America. The top category is IRL so that's where I'd like to get to but I don't know, in a couple of years it might be Champ Car again ... or there might be something else.

"And FI is not the goal. I wouldn't want to have a career where you are struggling every year just to stay where you are. In America, at the moment, I think there's a better path to get the top."

INDUSTRY NEWS

New Cobra Misano here

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Aunger manufactures a range of quality auto accessories including headlight and bonnet protectors at their factory based in Eagle Farm, Queensland. They also supply a large range of merchandise, ranging from wiper refills and seat covers to quality car audio.

"Our products represent value for money", says Richard Frappell, Director of Supply. "We supply to well-known organizations with high standards in quality and fit. They tell us our products exceed all standards and, importantly for the consumer, this means less hassles and warranty issues."

Aunger began its quest to obtain the coveted 9001 award at a time when the company was at the

crossroads. "It was all happening at once. We were looking for a change in direction for the company's sales base, we were changing location and at the same time improving our management systems to meet the requirements of ISO." Richard says the company now has a clear direction in moving forward: "We want to be the number one supplier tq the automotive industry.

We are now eyeing the heralded car company quality standard TS16949.

The improved facilities at the upgraded factory and improved electronic pattern-making, give Aunger Carcraft a solid foundation for some exciting development in the period ahead."

For further information or the location of your nearest stockist call 07 3268 7655 or visit www.aunger.com.au

Extreme Duty has it taped This highly and heavy tapeaggressive will succeed where other tapes fail.

Its superior tensile strength, clean release, and non delaminating features make this tape a "must-have." Extreme Duty Tape comes in 2" by 90' 6 April 2005

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For more information or the location of your nearest stockist contact VPW AUSTRALIA on 1300 659 904 or visit www.vpw.com.au

"The all-new Cobra Misano has arrived at Revolution Racegear. The Misano model of reclining sports seat is the latest addition to Cobra's comprehensive and creative range of performance seating.

With a choice of either carbon or carbonA reinforced aluminium »-● composite, combined with high ^ density ^ precision moulded polyurethane foam, polished stainless steel chassis and the world's best reclining mechanism, the Cobra Misano seat defines a new > category of I lightweight reclining sports seats. Dynamic looks, rugged design, bullet-proof strength and amazing support with ultimate lateral location, the new Cobra Misano leaves nothing compromised. The same research and technology of design applied to the finest motorsport seats in the world is given over to producing the new Misano range. The strength and performance normally associated with high tech composite shells can be

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Sedans/Sports Cars

Mazda R100 Coupe Sports Sedan, Midmount engine, LHD, Full floating rear, all new driveline, fuily rebuilt engine, 3mm carbon apex seais, 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. $12,750 Neg, Peter 0410 307 658 463 / 02 9635 7841. www.my105.com/71190

MAZDA RX-7 600+hp Circuit/Drift Car, 13B extend ported turbo with 3mm apex seals, balanced and blueprinted, with GT35/40 700hp BB turbo, Tial wastegate.

Microtech ECU, V-mount cooler and radiator, Mazdaspeed twinpiate clutch. Zeal coil-overs, 'Hawk pads. Mazdaspeed MS01 17" rims. Has run 10.9@134mph 1/4mile.

Has Microtech Dash, momo comp strg wheel. Very fast carlinil. $35000 Neg. Jason 307 (08)83590500. www.myl05.com/22981

Porsche GT3 Cup Car, MY2003 with 2004 update package. Maintained perfecOy (no major shunts). Some spares. Best offer for urgent sale . Stephen 0418 685 575.

307 www.myl O5.com/19254

1973 Datsun 240 Z, Well sorted and reliable , completed 5 Targa TAS 4 rally TAS. Entered and ready for Targa 2005.

Fresh 2.8L motor, 4 new Yokohama Advans, new 4 wheel discs and much more. A complete package. Phone Terry for full details. $16,000. Terry 0419 113 397.

307 www.myl05.com/57599

Bolwell mk4, Roadster. Reliable.well maintained,ideal entry to hillclimb, supersprints,gear. Speed on tweed and more. Very quick,great handling. Trailer and many spares. 19,000 Neg. geoff 0419620266.

307 www.myl05.com/62718

Hurd/Krause Torana, Chev powered 300KW LX Torana, Freshened Engine. This car has at least 4 National Titles, Numerous State Titles.Times Phillip Island 1.47, Symmons 1.00,39, Baskerville 59.4 This car requires a serious driver. $26000, Mark 0408133510 / 0363695416.

309 www.myl05.eom/49063 TEAM

Nissan 280ZX, Full weld in cage, Bilstein adjustable suspension (built by Centreline), Willwood brakes with peddle box, 2 sets of wheels, 2 RB25 engines (1 with 6 throttle bodies & 1 turbo charged). Ran 1:50 at P.l.

Plus all spares. $11,000 ONO. Michael 307 0418139646. www.mylO5.com/13791 Under 2 Lt Corolla, 2Litre, Arias pistons, Argo rods, titanium oversize valves (shim under), Motec M4Pro with lambda & logging, Hilux disc rear. Alloy 4 spots, hydraulic clutch, A032R's, Adjustable koni's with coil overs. Log booked, a quick car as is; Great potential in the right hands. $15,000 ONO. Steve 0755606881.

308 www.my105.com/2257

S April 2005

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1999 GT3 For Sale, Fastest non Cup Car in Aust. Recent body refresh. Recond Bilstein Shock pkge, rebuilt g/box, diff, brakes.

Upgraded ECU, Motec data logging, extensive spares inci 4 sets of wheels.

Ready for Targa or the Porsche Drivers challenge or Aust GT sports cars. All original GT3 Road parts. Road Reg NSW. $150,000. Tim 0409090932 www.myl05.com/7999

SPORTS SEDAN, Chrome/Moly Torque Tube Space Frame, magnes uprights, Koni fully adj, Harrop 4 pot,20B Triple rotor Kim Ledger, Hewland Transaxle FGB 200,slick & wets wheels, spares etc. $60,000 Not Neg. Richard 0412320940. www.myl05.com/75926

HQ Holden, Probably the best presented HQ in the country, no expense spared. New motor, gearbox, diff and suspension.

Recentiy upgraded to 2005 specs. Ready to race with heaps of spares, $5,500 Neg. Diego 0402 114 593. www.myl05.eom/92940

e I Ti

Commodore V8 Impoved Production 3J, Commodore V8 Improved Production. New Engine, Gear Box and Tailshaft. 4 spot Alcon Calipers front. Aliuminium Radiator.

Brand new OMP seat and new Sabelt harness. Brand new Rebel Wheels still in box and various spares .Log book. Ready to race nothing to spend. $12000 ONO. Andrew 0412 674 446 / 9659 0884.

307 www.my105.com/79047

Team Mondeo offers for sale, 2 race ready Mondeo S/T (fresh engine/g'box/brakes etc). Heaps of spares; 18"/19" rims, panels, gear ratios - enough genuine Cosworth/ Ford M’sport bits to build a 3rd carl! Also on offer; 42’ t'porter/trir- belly lockers & Tieman tail lifter. Apr.05 Vic rego. $110,000,00 the lot Neg, Peter 0428-117070 / 02-9597-6393.

308 www.myl05.com/25838

Falcon XY, Fresh 351, new Avons, Goldtrack LSD, new harness. Hirst shifter, Lincoln calipers. Spare bodyshell also available. Racecar $25,000, Also XY roadcar. $19,000. $25,000 ONO. Tim 02 308 65835955. www.my105.com/69283

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Porsche 73 RSR (replica), Reg.M2 class Winner lightweight panels, HUGE brakes, Motec, Individual Throttle bodies 3.0 Carrera engine recent full rebuild of engine, g'box, diff no expense spared.($45K).

Extensive chrome moly cage . Too many extras to mention. Very consistent performer. 3 sets of wheels /tyres.Excellent Marque sports car. log book. $68,000 Not Neg. michael 97426928 / 0412542910. www.myl O5.com/17232

VS Commodore V8 Supercar, Car built by Perkins Engineering Chassis No;018 Log book with race history Some spares. $45,000.00 Neg. Dean 08 9258 9333 / 0418 306 927 491. www.myl05.com/59796

the best hq in australla, this is possibly the best hq for sale in austraiia this car has been totaily been rebuild from the ground up, chassis of the body restoration the quaiity of the car is amazing, done 2 races this year and totally upgraded for 2005 been in storage scince 1996 histories etc. $10,000 Or Best Offer, kerry 0418835727. www.myl05.com/88562

Porsche Carrera, 231 b.h.p modei, metailic biue with blue trim, 3 owners since new.

Australian deiivered, Porsche Melbourne service history with books. Well maintained daily driver for last 7 years no longer fits the kids In the back! Mark Bisset 0419 332 342. $45,000 Neg. David 03 98657643 / 03 306 95341426. www.myl05.com/7964

Near New GT3 Cup Car, Brand new never marked or damaged body. Just 3,000klms only competed in 6 events, lncl.2004 upgrade, fully prep, for season 2005. $195,000 inc GST. Russell 0411724176. www.my105.com/9B245

Porsche 993RS, Regular class b winner, enter in nat. Porsche series, prof, prepared to win class B, strong motor, uni chip, gonzo exh.,loads of upgrades, lightweight stripped body, big red brakes. Upgrade LSD, 8x18" wheels, spare tyres, proflex shocks, data logger, only raced 2 seasons, contact for full list. $75,000 ONO. Russell 0411724176. www.myl O5.com/1836

2

Honda Integra "Type R", As driven by Adam Beechey to victory in last round of 2004 GT Production Championship at Mallala: Built by Wayne Park in 2000 from new car. CAMS approved roll cage, proflex shocks, 3 sets of wheels, drybreak fuel system and h.saps of spares. Ready to win in 2005 series. $25,900.00 ONO. 308 www.myl05.com/69972

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racecar, LC Torana better than new inside & out, only done two hilidimbs. Ground up pro build Logged NC. Best example available bargian @ $25,000. 25,000 ONO. Garry 02 4225 7504 or 02 4225 8532.

308 www.myl05.eom/54530

Australia's Fastest 2wd, 97 Australian championship winning car. ex Dean Herridge. Brand new gear box, 4 sets of light weight race rims.heaps of sparesll Rally Winning P3/F2 EVERY NUT/BOLT ALUMINIUM this car has been built by Maximum Motorsport.Selling because we want a group N. WILL TRADE FOR WRX converted rally car. $26 000 Neg. 305 0425798083. www.my105.com/26476

Doytoo K nSLKMMt

rw' mu

Mitsubishi Mirvac Mirage, Ready to race in Under 2lt Production or Rally. Great condition. $15,000. Greg 02 9327 6561 / 306 0414 705 353. www.myl05.com/21439

Mazda RX3 Sports Sedan, This car has done minimal racing, is in immaculate cond, cams log booked & ready to race in 2005,strong engine,g/box.ciutch, needs some suspension sorting, cali for more detaiis. 12,500 Neg. Simon 0409875381. www.myl 05.comf58396

2003 Cup Car, cost new $265,000, perfect condition with, fresh gear box, clutch, brakes and much more. This car has only done 9 races in 03 and 2 in 04. The price of the car is negoOable and a flexible structure will be considered. Trade/swap on a black 996 twin turbo preferred. Genuine enquiries 306 welcome. Dean 0418 507 403. www.myl05.com/54759

Porsche GT3, (ex TNT), excellent condihon, engine, g/box and diff rebuilt 3 meets ago. Motec eng mgt, on board air jacks, dry break fuel system, too many to list, suit prod sports, porsche drivers challenge, gt, supersprints or rally or put on road (was registered etc) - $145,000. Bob 305 98997766. www.my105.com/25267 vl auscar, great club car for beginner, new suspension,roh ri ms new 465 holley .full floater with full spool 10 bolt, brakes good, must sell clearing out shed. 8000 ono ONO. 306 frank 0418577709. www.my105.com/62909

TlfFwaytosellyourgearl From just $25* lust log on

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NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS Please use the form provided and print clearly. Please note we are urrabte to return photographs supplied for use in classified ads. Ads will appear as soon as possible after receipt. MN/myl 05.com classifieds are for the sale of private goods and vehicles only, not business advertising Photos marked “prooT wilt not be used.

motorsport news

CLASSIFIEDS Open Wheelers

Transporters/Trailers t I

.ft

.1^

Kaditcha Formula Pacifle 1981, Kaditcha 81 Formula Pacific. Complete restoration.

Full receipts. Brand new BDD, all Cosworth parts. Parts includes 10 Wheels, ratios, uprights, steering rack, suspension jigs, body moulds, engine parts, ignition systems, springs etc. Competed 1981 Australian Grand Prix. $55,000 o.n.o. Ph: (02) 9731 0573 or 0438 303 837. $55,000 307 ONO. John (02) 97310573. www.myl05.com/90796

CHEAP FORMULA FORD, Tidy Van Diemen FF suitable for circuit racing or Speed Events. Ideal first Race Car. Ready to run but needs new safety belt and FF Spec, tyres. Test drive for $495.00 at Oran Park no licence required. $10,000.00 ONO. 306 Peter Finlay 0298731773. www.myl O5.com/10695

Enclosed Trailer, 4 wheel electric brakes, break-away system, aluminium floor and roof, one piece ply/Oberglass sides, MDF lined, lift up rear door, tyre rack and storage bench in front, parts rack, fold up workbench, winch, 240/12 vol lighting, 8 ply tyres. $15,000. Anthony 0408 522 124.

307 www.myl05.com/58639

Two Kart Trailer, Two kart trailer, designed by ex-racer so well thought out and designed, alu sheet over RHS, drop axle, heap of room, 2 front doors and single rear on struts, tows well with low profile, 2950.00 Or Best Offer. Anthony 02 6242 4925 / 0407 407 776. ^ 304 Vwww.myl05.com/83104

Chevron B29 - reduced. Well known B29 reduced for quiok sale. $55000 - nrg Neg. Rob 0407 671193.

306 www.myl05.com/54894

Farrell S/Sports car/trailer, second outright SA Hillclimb Champs, 2003-04 outright sports car record Colingarove 13.1600 record. 16-2000 rec, fast and reliable. $20,000. Andrew 08 8373 2820 (wk) 0438 310 943 799 / 08 8357 6485 (ah), www.myl05.eom/30977

Formula Ford, Swift SC93F offered for sale, very good condition, comes with numerous spares - ratio's, rims, spare panels, nosebox/cones. Very straight car.

Includes Tandem axle enclosed trailer, with double width, fully enclosed annexe. Ready to race. $16,900 Not Neg. Melissa 0413 938 307 884. www.myl05.com/87854

Historic Formula 2 Kaditcha Group R, 1600CC VW Golf engine and Hewland 5 speed. 2 race meetings since engine rebuild. Comes with nose moulds, spare wheels, spare nose, some spare engine parts and more. Very good package ready to go racing. CofD currently being processed. $24900. Jacob 0417636716. www.myl05.com/76441

Historic Formula Ford S-African, pretty South African formula ford .inboard suspension, elligble historic series, ready to race— D.A.W. current producer of race cars in SouthAfrica-must sell-possibly trade road $16,500.00 Neg. miles car or ?

306 0419335670 / 03-9808 9241. www.my105.com/69431

6 April 2005

Speedway

FOR SALE, 1 Formula 500 FBR Chassis Chromoly 4130 cond n tubing Rotax 494 Race ready heaps of spares Ph: Gary 07 4035 5866/ 0412 463 283. Gary 0412 463 307 283. www.myl05.eom/50142

IDEAL TRANSPORTER, FLAT FLOOR, 680 ENGINE 185HP 5SPD SEMI AUTO, 2 SPD EATON 4 DIFF. IDEAL TRANSPORTER . BUS VERY CLEAN AND RELIABLE.REGO 22/03/05. 6,500.00 ONO. DARRYL 041897938 308 www.myl05.eom/80773

Racecar hauler - Mitsubishi Canter turbo, turbo diesel - 5 speed - pro. built belly lockers all around body - fold down ramps generator - compressor - fuel storage electric winch - alloy bullbar, with driving lights - 6xcleanskin tyres - tinted windows clean interior - tyre rack - shelving - diff, axle, wing & exhaust racks - spotlights Vic.reg. - mechanically good, drives well much morel. $18500.- ONO. david 307 0416194763 / 0416194763, www.myl O5.com/16693 Chev C30, Duelley 454 BBC T400 Alcoas 38ft goose neck trailer. $26,000 ONO. Michael 03 9793 9113 or 0402 846 418 307 www.my105.com/91174

Parts

com

V8 Supercar Transporter for sale. Truck only 30k since rebuild. 830k. Three car trailer with hydraulic rear door. Trailer repainted 04. Alloy steers and chrome drives. Excellent condition. Prime Move ONO AUD. Jim Morton 0412052489.

304 www.myl05.com/47113

Workshop/Pit Equipment Lap timing system, Astra tech complete single car system . Includes in car display, in car sensor and car wiring loom. Track side beacon. Never been used.checked only to verify correct operation. 750.00 Neg. Jeffrey 307 34022420, www.myl05.com/96561 Engine Dyno, Heenan Fraud water brake with stands, tall shaft, heat exchanger etc, will handle well in excess of 1000HP can see running. $12,000 ONO. Michael 03 307 9793 9113 or 0402 846 418. www.myl05.eom/99960

Sponsor Seek

For Sale, New Mar 04, used four times, cost $2600 with $600 paint job. $1200.00.

307 Jim 0412052489. www.myl05.eom/65083

www.sponsorseek.com.au KTCQ

Sports Sedan Complete driveline, Lola rear uprights, CAE quick change diff, lots of ratios, Jerico gearbox with ratios, Koni 3012,2way shocks, trippleplate clutch, hydraulic throwout bearing,tailshaft, bigCVs+driveshafts,all arms,AP4spot callipers+1 spare, will take over600HP.Will seperate Wanted HewlandDG300,complete or not. $13200,. Graham 0412351888.

307 www.mylO5.com/13187

I am very happy with the service I received. Aii three of the enquiries you forwarded were firm buyers and it was sotd on a first come first served basis.

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OPINION

motorsport

news www.nrmewscoin.au EDITORIAL 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

way.

However,I am dismayed that

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CDNTRIRUTORS 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, Darren Sutton, Daniel Powell Rally: Jon Thomson Drag Racing: Dave Ostaszewski (USA), Nick Nicholas, Ken Ferguson National: Mark Wicks, Sean Henshelwood, Mark Jones, Erin McCowatt Photographers: Sutton Motorsport Images, Dirk Klynsmith, Bothwell Photographic, Marshall CasslTMigel Snowdon & Diana Burnett, AF1 Images, Neil Hammond, Alisport, 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

i

Material published by MOTORSPORT NEWS is copyright and may not be reproduced in full or in part without the written (aermission of the publisher. Freelance contributions are welcome, and while all care will be taken, Australasian Motorsport News does not accept responsibility for damage or ioss of material submitted. ●Opinions expressed in Motorsport News are not necessarily those of Australasian Motorsport News or its staff.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

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request his time at the Australian GP next year.

Then,in the evening on the

they don't seem to grasp the pivotal role the Ten Network has played in the expansion of V8SC. When has there ever been a time

sports telecast of an AM radio station, a supposed FI expert stated that the Bahrain Grand Prix

converter

that motorsport(of a variety of flavours) has received so much attention on TV? Instead, AVESCO seems to

Send us your thoughts: mail: PO Box 7072, Gardenvale, VIC 3186 fax: 03 9596 5030

www.mnews.com.au

think the best way to grow the sport is to sell it off to the highest bidder. Be that a pay TV monopoly. Be that a free-to-air giant with a history of buying up broadcast rights, and then scheduling for the middle of the night, or simply not bothering to broadcast.(It's a great tactic; buy everything to stop your competitors having access to it).

Four years ago I was a lapsed motor sport fan, who was lured back to V8s by the extensive and informative coverage provided by Ten's broadcasts. But if Tony thinks I'll spend $800-900 a year on a pay TV subscription (on top of a Sydney sized mortgage), he can think again.

And if there are more fans out there in the same position (and I suspect there are), maybe V8s and motorsport will drift back into obscurity.

Bruce McKinnon Narrabeen, New South Wales

FIA needs wake-up call What fantasy land is the FIA living in?

They don't introduce a testing ban and then supposedly on safety and cost-cutting grounds introduce new engine and aerodynamic rules. So the teams are now spending even more money on testing to get back what they have lost in the new regulations.

Now, we the fans have to put up with ridiculous qualifying rules and the teams are too scared to run their

would be tough on the cars, in temperature-control terms, because FI cars do not have radiators!

What did he think was in the sidepods,CD stackers? He obviously doesn't read MNews FI Tech guru Paolo Filisetti's work!

But credit where credit is due, at least the radio expert got almost everything else right- he tipped Alonso and Trulli for the podium.

Murray Anderson Patterson Lakes, Victoria

Puzzled Fan Australian is in a top-flight team.

Last Sunday 1 was shocked not once, but twice, by the lack of understanding some members of the media have of FI. First, in the morning, I was greeted by a story in a metropolitan tabloid newspaper that was spelling the end of Mark Webber and Michael Schumacher's careers.

Whoever this guy was (I have never seen his name next to an FI piece before, but must admit to rarely reading the paper he writes for), he was offering the most ill-informed and completely bizarre FI story I have ever read.

Not only did he state that Webber "has his head on the chopping block" in Bahrain, he doubted the Aussie's ability to get another drive after Williams sack him! These claims are completely unsubstantiated of course. The author draws on stats, stating Webber has no wins or podiums: If FI was so easy to predict, why both going to the races? Fifth on debut was obviously not good enough.

There it was, the last shred of credibility I had for this paper, completely dissolved in one, 18-

I saw this caption on the side of the AVESCO transporter at the Clipsal 500 - note 2004 winner shown, below.

Are AVESCO on the ball or what?

I l?9‘

HC**'’

l

:!000 200

20ce 2003 200*

I have been advised by AVESCO that "Holden was the Championship Manufacturer, as apposed to the manufacturer of the winning car.

This means that Holden scored more wins that Ford over the year."

However,the sign writing on the truck specifically mentions(and 1 quote)'Leading Manufacturer (Based On Champion)'.

Whilst I understand AVESCO's explanation,I believe your sign writing is misleading. The 2004 Champion was Marcos Ambrose, driving a Ford!

Doug Williams dougwil@ncable.net.au

cars on Friday and Saturday to save milage. Who was the genius that came up with this idea?

If the FI cars need to be slowed down, introduce air restriction - it has worked in many other formulae and seems to me the simplest way to restrict engine power.

Brian Gibson Port Keinbla, Neiv South Wales

$390 $495

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 admin@mnews.com.au

82

paragraph story. I hope Webber remembers this when this paper

It was with horror (though not shock) that I read your story concerning the tendering of broadcast rights for V8SC. Tony Cochrane and co have done a lot of good for V8s(and with it the wider motorsport community), and no doubt have benefited themselves along the

PRODUCTIOH

I

AVESCO beware: fans will NOT pay for V8 TV

Media needs FI brush-up

Everyone's an expert, it seems, when it comes to Formula 1 these days.

Perhaps more are beginning to take notice - and therefore pretend to know what is going on - now that an

Oh no, some hack back home thinks my career is over! Webber scored more points in Bahrain, but still couldn't please some.

motorsport news

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