Motorsport News Issue 321 - October 26-November 8, 2005

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No. 321 26 Oct -8 Nov 2005 Australia $5.95 NZ $7.50 inci GST

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www.mnews.com.au

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news and opinion

Ingall for HRT? No. But r ^ 4 there is plenty of other 6 8

features

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movement along pitlane Big Mac Who's off to Supercheap next year?

Go West(point) Change at DJR - or not ...

10 Welcome to Portugal Davo warms up for A1 at the Creek 16 Gorey, we need you Will Spa be priced out of FI? 25 Motor Mouth Branagan 1, Ford 1, Holden 1.

26 Box Seat VlOs by stealth, Max-style 82 Talk Converter You're still upset about Murf and Ambrose

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28 Rve Minutes With Craig Lowndes The smiling assassin nails 'em again 30 Five Minutes With Sebastien Bourdais Paul Tracy's best mate talks about winning his second Champ Car title 32 Welcome To My World Right now, it's good to be Kevin Kalkhoven 34 Powerhouse MNews takes you behind the scenes as Will Power steps up to the big time 48 Air Jordan Stoddy buys an airline, we go and ride on it. Sounds like a good deal

race coverage

I 38 Coastal Warning If Indy was anything to go by, #888 is going to cause some headaches next year 50 French bubbly Bourdais takes the silverware and the crown from the Indy 300 54 Game Over Alonso drives the point home one last time for 2005 in Shanghai 60 Treasure Island Is there anything Rossi can't do?

62 One man show Loeb thrashes them in Corsica

motorsport

DEAL”^ OR NO DEAL?

Photos: Cover; Justin Collins, Peter Bury, Marshall Cass, Dirk Klynsmith Contents: Dirk Klynsmith.

Peter Bury, sut1on-images.com

regulars 22 Stateside 66 Speedway

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Drag Racing

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64 Rallying National Scene

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Marketplace

Courtney: Japan or Oz?

Davo: Car #18?

Johnson: At home.

Whincup:888 or Tasman?

2006 T

HE V8 Supercar silly season has hit top gear as options for 2006 start to come together for a number of key seats.

MNews is on top of the latest moves, including the shock move by Holden which will keep Cam McConville in red for some time to come {see story page six).

While both parties acknowledge that they have spoken, both SBR and James Courtney's manager Alan Gow are insisting that no deal is done for

James to replace Marcos Ambrose.

With Steve Ellery's confirmed departure from Triple 8, an alluring seat alongside Craig Lowndes has attracted a number of interesting callers - including current Tasman Motorsport driver Jamie Whincup, although the late news suggests possible overseas-sourced options for Roland Dane's squad.

And what about DJR and FPR? Despite team denials, rumours still persist that Will Davison may get a gig

Speculatwn has h&en high that Id's mth patties say 'Mji^e is no deal

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Ellery: Up in the air.

Jason Richards: FPR or Tasman?

Canto: CRM, for now.

McConville: big surprise (see p6).

WHO GOES WHERE there at the expense of Glenn Seton.

All of which leaves an absolute queue at FPR for the berth alongside Jason Bright, after Greg Ritter was told recently that his services won't be required at the factory in 2006.

While Bargs and Mark Winterbottom have re-signed with Larko, the coming new-boys at Tasman have neither current driver re-signed for 2006 - although pens are warming up as we speak. And LP is close to a deal which will

guarantee two Perkins Commodores.

Tony Longhurst now has two team licences - but could he on-lease one to main-game wannabes Paul Cruickshank Racing? And the Toll sponsorship - where's that going?

And finally, Britek: up to seven drivers are talking to Brighty's crew.

As they say, it's all happening, and most of it - the fact and the serious rumour - is here in MNews. It's fascinating stuff. Read on ...

NODEAL-yET JAMES Courtney does not have a deal with Stone Brothers - yet.

Despite rampant speculation that the young Aussie has signed to replace Marcos Ambrose at Stone Brothers, both the team and Courtney's manager, UK-based Alan Gow, are adamant that's not the case.

However, both concede that settling their respective futures is becoming a higher priority by the day, and neither will rule a Courtney/SBR future out.

"James is in the fortunate position of having a number of attractive options," Gow told MNews on Sunday.

"There are options with both Toyota and Nissan in Japan, and a couple of good possibilities in Australia.

"It's rapidly getting to the point where we do have to sit down and decide which is the best option for James.

"There are a lot of pluses, and some minuses, in relation to Japan, and the

same for 'coming home'to race a V8," he continued.

Gow has consistently voiced the view that Courtney has "plenty of time" to come back to Australia full-time and that he should make the most of a Japanese/international career while it is available to him. However,the speculation continues to boil, and the options at SBR appear to be getting less by the day ...

The other Australian option is thought to be a potential role with HRT - be it full-time or, most likely, a second enduro campaign at Sandown and Bathurst next year. While the Courtney/SBR rumours also suggested that any deal could be delayed by some form of 'option' held by HRT over the youngster, Mark Skaife ruled that out at the weekend: We have no form of hold over James," he told MNews.

- CHRIS LAMBDEN

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SBR boss Ross Stone is "one hundred percent confident" that a replacement sponsor will be signed shortly to replace Pirtek, which stunned the team by bringing its nine-year association to a close last week.

While planning for a Pirtek-liveried 2006 was well-advanced, a deal had not been totally finalised. It is understood that the company was less than happy with SBR's agreement to supply Brad Jones Racing with engines from 2006 (Pirtek rival Enzed is a secondary BJR sponsor).

"It's a shame," Ross Stone told MNews this week. "Pirtek have been with us for nine years. That's a long time. But things do change and we have to move on.

"Things are going to busiy over the next period of time as we sort that out - and our driver line-up ..."

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Back in the Hunt!

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Super CiM I McConville to join Murphy

I CAMERON McConville will 3 drive for Super Cheap Autos Racing next season - alongside A SERIES of disasters for most "I always thought that the Greg Murphy. championship challengers has championship would start for real this Holden will shortly announce brought Craig Lowndes and Mark weekend," Lowndes said on Sunday that McConville is to replace after his dominant win,"and that's Skaife right back into V8 Supercar Paul Weel, who will step down championship contention with two the way it's heading ..." from a full-time driving role rounds to go.

While consistency (six sixth places) with the Dandenong-based With Todd Kelly, Marcos Ambrose

by Ingall will still be sufficient to hold team in favour of the 31-yearand Steven Richards dropping serious the charging pack at bay, that's easier old Melbourne driver, right. said than done - as Surfers illustrated. points over the Surfers weekend, and Weel is likely to race for the series leader Russell Ingall (courtesy As the man with a healthy lead to team that bears his initials at of some vigilant stewarding) copping lose. Rusty is faced with the often the Sandown 500 and Bathurst two drive-throLighs and shedding daunting scenario of 'staying out of 1000 with either Nathan Pretty some points, the former team-mates trouble and driving for points' which or Owen Kelly, who raced for can often be more of a minefield than are back in championship business the team in those events this with everything to play for. simply going for it... season.

Earlier in the silly season, Points with two rounds to (dropping worst performancefrom rounds 1-10): McConville was thought to be Ingall 1610, Ambrose 15U,Lowndes 1529, Skaife 1516, T. Kelly 1500, S. Richards one of Ford factory team FPR's 1419, Pander 1360, Bright 1352, McConville 1303, R. Kelly 1274, Johnson 1232, prime targets for 2006. The Seton 1207, Whincup 1199, Murphy 1194, Bowe 1157, Ellery 1156, Radisich 1114, jn. Richards 1053, B. Jones 907, Baird 898, Morris 897, Besnard 824, Dumbrell PWR deal has clearly been 782, Weel 776, Bargzvanna 741, Ritter 739, A. Jones 733, Wilson 731, M. White struck to keep a popular 551, Winterbottom 536, Pratt 495, A. Davison 469, Owen 434, Wills 403, Canto Holden man on the red side of the fence.

308, Muller 192, Macrow 184, Youlden 176, Brabham 172, O. Kelly and Pretty 172, Bredeand Cleland 168, Faulknerand Gurr 156, Courtney, Porter, Ji. Richards The move has the potential and Scott 152, Halliday and Menu 148, Marshall and Pagliani 144, Luff 140, to place McConville closer to McLean 136, Fernandez, Simonsen and D. White 128, W. Davison 124, the front of the V8 pack, Holdsworth and Scifleet 116, Evangelou 96, Coleman and D'Agostin 92. though he has shone in recent

outings in the Garry Rogers Motorsport Commodore. In the last two rounds of the series at Bathurst and Indy, he has finished fourth, though the team recently released his team-mate Andrew Jones and will therefore need two new drivers for 2006.

McConville has one V8 Supercar round win on his CV, taking the Winton 300 last year.

Walkinshaw’s V8 Return Ambros

Former HRT boss takes control of HMS: Does TEGA know?

TOM Walkinshaw has bought Holden Motorsport, the entity which looks after design, engineering and manufacture of Holden-originated V8 Supercar equipment.

HMS will be renamed TW Performance Group. Former TWR UK managing director Craig Wilson takes up the role of MD of the company, which will remain in its Clayton base and retain all existing staff.

The purchase was completed quietly on October 1 and, perhaps in anticipation of some discussion on the matter, was tlie subject of a press release dated October 14, which only found its way into MNews's hands over the recent Surfers Paradise Indy weekend.

The change of ownership was also news,it seems, to some TEGA officials, who were slightly stmuied when approached for comment by MNews at the weekend.

TEGA has no real interest in the ownership of HMS in that it is not a 6

MARCOS Ambrose says that he wants to race in the Craftsman Truck Series in the USA in 2006.

The two-time V8 Supercar Champion said at Indy last weekend that his preference for next season was to race for JTG Motorsports, the Ford-backed team with which

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Holden together: Walkinshaw, right with Todd Kelly, now runs TWPG.

team entity, but a supplier, although complications can arise if numbers of staff are 'leased-out' to teams.

The deal does not, apparently.

involve any of the lucrative Holden Motorsport merchandising rights, Holden Motorsport merchandise remains in the hands of Holden itself.

motorsport news

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Toll Dealer Team

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THERE has been something of an industry competition of late to secure potentially sizeable sponsorship money from Toll, the transport giant, which currently sponsors Anthony Tratt and is looking to get into the thick of the pointy end of the field. A number of teams have 'tendered', but our men on the inside reckon it's headed to the HSV Dealer Team. Just a rumour, mind you ...

■ Having just acquired the second Team Dynamik licence, we hear Tony Longhurst may well on-lease one of them for a while. Nothing confirmed, but we do know that Development Series team Paul Cruickshank Racing is seriously committed to getting into the main game asap, preferably next year. Watch this space...

■ Holden's representatives on the board of the Touring Car Entrants' Group TEGA, Garry Rogers and Mark Skaife, were returned to office following the group's Annual General Meeting last week. But there has been movement on the Ford side, with Triple 8 chief Roland Dane replaced by Dick Johnson Racing's Steve Chalker.

e wants a NASCAR Truck testing in a Busch Grand National car last month.

"It does make a lot of sense to opt for a less hectic schedule next season of 25 or 26 races," he said. "If I did do selected Busch or [Nextel] Cup races, it would be a fit. That [Truck] would be easier and cheaper for a sponsor as well.

That makes sense."

Ambrose already faces a big challenge for next year, moving from his Gold Coast home to Charlotte in North Carolina, and adapting to the US racing scene. As well, he and wife Sonja will be new parents when they make the move.

"A 25 percent program is 100 percent more than here

and it will take some adapting to. Common sense says to do a slightly less hectic schedule.

"I am on a learning path, so is the team. I am looking for somewhere to grow, someone who believes in what I am trying to establish. JTG is a good fit for that. I have put my hand up and it is up to them."

- PHIL BRAIMAGAN

■ Late starters notified for this Sunday's huge Muscle Car Masters event at Eastern Creek include V8 stars Glenn Seton, who will drive his Dad's Capri, and Kiwi Jason Richards, who will pilot Paul Stubber's Biante Series Camaro.

Also expected at the meeting is an announcement of the Biante Series 2006 calendar, with events likely to include races at Barbagallo, Queensland Raceway, Bathurst, and a return to a possibly expanded Muscle Car Masters.

■ At the same meeting, MNews readers Lex Devine(QLD)and John Parinetto (NSW), winners of the MNews Biante competition, will hot lap with John Han/ey (XU-1 Torana) and Fred Gibson (GTHO Falcon) respectively. Good luck fellas!

■ Will Power certainly believes in starting at the top. The rookie had legendary engineer Lee Dykstra overseeing his maiden drive in the Lola/Cosworth.

■ Almost seven thousand more spectators attended the Gold Coast Indy this year compared to 2004, The four-day total for the event was over 316,000 and yep, that is a record.

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■ The Victorian government and the Australian Grand Prix Corporation announced a gross economic benefit of $174,8 million to the state from this year's AGP. In its 10 years in Melbourne, the Grand Prix has approximately contributed more than $1.2 billion of economic benefit to the Victorian economy.

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T8: Jamie or James?

TWO blokes named James are in the frame to partner Craig Lowndes at Betta Electrical Racing next season.

Tasman Motorsport’s Jamie Whincup and Briton James Thompson are both under consideration for the drive after the team confirmed that Steve Ellery would leave the team following the Grande Finale at Phillip Island late next month.

Whincup would not comment on the matter at Indy last weekend, though Motorsport News believes that he has already had a meeting with Triple 8 boss Roland Dane.

Whincup is believed to have a similar meeting scheduled with Tasman Motorsport this week.

On the other hand there is Thompson, who won the British Touring Car Championship with Triple 8’s Vauxhall team in 2004 before moving to the Alfa Romeo World Touring Car team this season. The 31-year-old from Yorkshire is one of the drivers looking for a new ride following the Italian maker’s decision to cut back on its WTC program next season.

Whincup, Thompson in contention for Betta drive

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Ellery looks for a new drive

“James is looking for a drive,” Dane confirmed last weekend. “I believe that he has some options and that some of those options are in different parts of the world.”

The Queensland-based team is known to be keen on European drivers. Yvan Muller partnered Lowndes to a Sandown 500 victory and at Bathurst but was unavailable to race in Australia next season.

MNews also believes that 2004 European Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx was in contention to race Down Under until he accepted an extended BMW WTC deal [see separate story\.

“Nothing is signed,” Dane said on Sunday.“We have options and we want to make sure we get the right driver.”

- PHIL BRANAGAN

WILL Power will be a F Champ Car driver for the next three years.

The Queenslander has ^ signed a three-year deal with Team Australia that will see him line up alongside Canadian veteran Alex Tagliani next season, taking the seat currently occupied by fellow Australian Marcus Marshall.

Marshall, who signed a twoyear deal with Team Australia spearhead Craig Gore at the start of the year, will be placed elsewhere in Gore's Team AustraliaAA/PS Racing network.

This could possibly mean a return to Australia and a full-time drive in V8 Supercars, where Marshall has previously performed strongly as an endurance driver.

Power made a huge impression upon his new team when he had his first hit-out in a third Team

STEVE Ellery has no seats open to him for the 2006 season.

Following his release fronn Team Betta Electrical last week, Ellery has spoken to a number of teams about 2006 but one of the complicating factors is that several teams already have a list of drivers knocking on their doors.

However, MNews believes that Tasman Motorsport, which is yet to sign a driver for next season, will speak to the long-time Ford driver this week. Ellery said on the weekend that his preferred option would be to stay with a Ford team next season but would not rule out driving a Commodore.

Australia car at last weekend's Indy 300 on the Gold Coast, running strongly in the top 10 before being punted out of the race by Tagliani.

This latest twist in his career will see him move from his current base in England, where he has lived for the past three years while competing in British Formula 3 and World Series

by Renault, to Indianapolis, where he will be close to Team Australia's base at Derrick Walker Racing.

In the meantime. Power is expected to have another run in a Charrip Car at the next round in Mexico on November 6, where he would again drive a third Team Australia Lola in an effort to get as many miles under his belt as possible in preparation for next season.

- MARK GLENDENNING For more on Will Power's Indy weekend, please turn to our feature on page 34.

motorsport news

on on the Outer?

RUMOURS continue to suggest that Will Davison will race for Westpoint Racing next season.

Davison made a strong impression with the Dick Johnson-owned team this season, taking second at the Queensland Raceway round of the HPDC Series and impressing many with his form at Sandown and Bathurst. However,co-driver Glenn Seton is in the first year of a two-year deal with the squad and MNews believes that the team will confirm that

Steven Johnson will stay with the team prior to the next round of the series at Symmons Plains.

Seton could not shed any light on the matter at the weekend; Dick or Chalks [Steve Chalker] haven't said anything to me," he said."My form has been fine, 1 have fulfilled the requirements of the contract, and if there is going to be a change, 1 have not been told about it."

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Salman da Man AVESCO welcomed a delegation from Bahrain to Indy on the weekend. The group was led by Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, a member of the Bahraini Royal Family and Government Affairs and Public Relations Officer of the Bahrain International Circuit.

'Salman' is actually a keen racer, although he is slowly turning his attention to the circuit, where he is / deeply involved with Martin Whitacker in the runrjing of the track.

Al Khalifa's cousin won the Formula BMW Asia Championship this year, and while the delegation on this occasion was mainly media, further fact-finding missions are planned for marketing, medical and logistics staff.

The next delegation is expected to be at the 2006 season-opening Clipsal 500. But before that, AVESCO Chairman Tony Cochrane will travel to the gulf region to discuss further freeto-air television coverage for V8 Supercars.

A part of the discussions between BIC and AVESCO include Network 10 staff training the Bahrain television crews on how to cover motorsport, with the aim of allowing self-sufficient coverage in the future.

At this stage, the Bahrain V8 Supercar round will show some action live at 10pm on the Friday night, with all three races repackaged to be replayed on Sunday. The round will be held on the Thursday and Friday, the Bahraini weekend.

The event is likely to have a title sponsor already closely linked to the BIC, and Fosters will replace VB as the official beer of the event, although no alcohol track signage will be present. Just as with FI, cars are exempt from the alcohol advertising ban. n Michael McDowell made his Champ Car debut at the weekend when he replaced countryman Ryan Flunter-Reay in the second Rocketsports car. As the attention lay at the other end of the pit lane with fellow debutant Will Power, McDowell spent Thursday walking around the track with a digital camera.

His favourite pic? A happy snap of the sign above his pit. Priceless.

WITH the signing of Will Power to Team Australia's Champ Car team, Marcus Marshall seems increasingly likely to switch his racing career to V8 Supercars for season 2006.

Marshall initially signed on to a two-year deal with Derrick Walker, Craig Gore and John Fish's squad alongside Canadian Alex Tagliani, but the Queenslander has struggled to adapt to the high-horsepower openwheelers this year.

At the Lexmark Indy 300 last weekend various sources indicated to MNews that

26 October 2005

Marshall is likely to remain within Craig Gore's racing empire and slot into one of WPS Racing's V8 Supercars in 2006. Suggestions have even been made that the WPS Falcons could next year carry more significant Team Australia branding.

Marshall is no stranger to V8 Supercars, having raced at Bathurst three times,for Team Brock in 2003, PWR Racing in 2004 and WPS Racing this year with his Champ Car team mate Tagliani.

- CHRIS JORDAN

n Timo Glock was surprised to find that the uniforms of the Surfers Paradise Lifesavers showed a remarkable resemblance to his Rocketsports Champ Car. Both are yellow and both enjoy DHL as a major sponsor. So Glock, with a little help from Rocketsports proactive PR officer Heather Haupt (we assume), acquired a bunch of the Lifesaver's shirts for his crew.

Timo was in fine form at Indy, also voted by the Miss Indy and Miss V8 Supergirl contestants as'Mr Indy', as the most desirable driver at the event.

Timo was desperately searching for the newspaper the next day, wanting to show his mates back in Germany,

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NICO Rosberg, the newly-crowned GP2 series ilhampioh, is reported to have been ^^.—'Signed as Mark Webber's team mate at — WilliamsFI for 2006. _ If and when this'is confirmed by the team, — itw^l renew the Williams-Cosworth-Rosberg combination that won the 1982 World phampionship-witlTbis Finnish father, Keke.

Rosberg Junior, who races with a German licence, has impressed Williams with his performances in testing, and the team considered running him in one of the season^ closing Grands Prix at the expense of Antonio Pizzonia. Instead, the Brazilian was I given last chances to prove himself, in which ^ he appears to have failed.

Pizzonia was promoted to the race team at Monza in place of the 'injured' Nick Heidfeld - but is now contemplating a return to the test team, having failed to trouble the scorers in any of the final four races.

- QUENTIN SPURRING

ilico Signs?

KIMI Raikkonen would like to take on Michael Schumacher in his own back yard - at Ferrari.

Stories emanating from Finland are suggesting that the 2005 championship runner-up is more than happy to go to Ferrari in 2007 even if Michael signs an extended contract with the Prancing Horse. Raikkonen is confident that he can beat the seven-time World Champion, even if Michael formed the team around himself.

The major problem in this is getting Ferrari to agree to signing Kimi if Schumacher is opposed to the idea. In public Schumacher has said that he would be happy to have Raikkonen in the team alongside him, but that may be bravado. Raikkonen is almost 11 years younger than Michael and perhaps ready to take more risks in 2007 than a 38-year-old with piles of money and a young family.

Raikkonen is frustrated at McLaren and,so rumour has it, does not get on very well with Ron Dennis's desire to dictate the way in which his drivers

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Mixing Red With Rosso

RED Bull has confirmed its takeover of Minardi on November 1 and has revealed that the new team will be called Squadra Toro Rosso (Team Red Bull in Italian).

This is good news for the employees at Faenza. The Concorde Agreement rules mean that the name of the team will remain the same for a minimum of five years and it makes no real sense for Red Bull to have an Italian named team operating in 10

Britain or in Austria.

Red Bull has also confirmed that the drivers in its two teams next year will be David Coulthard, Neel Jani, Christian Klien, Vitantonio Liuzzi and Scott Speed but did not say which driver will be associated with which team, other than DC, who will head the Red Bull squad.

This is causing some disruption at the moment as the team tries to decide whether to put Klien into the Squadra Toro

Rosso team (with Liuzzi at Red Bull) or allow him to keep his place alongside Coulthard. There has been a suggestion that Liuzzi might just end up at BMW if Red Bull puts him into the 'B' team.

At the same time. Red Bull has yet to confirm that Franz Tost will be the new team principal of Squadra Toro Rosso but it is likely that this will happen as soon as it is confirmed that Tost is leaving BMW Motorsport.

- JOE SAWARD

THE two Midland-Toyota drives for next year are up for grabs in 2006 and, in essence, it is a competition to see who can supply the most money to buy the last two remaining pay-drives in Formula 1.

The word in the paddock is that the drives start at US$8m apiece and will probably go up to US$1 Om or more as the competition intensifies.

Brit Anthony Davidson would fit well at Midland but he is not likely to find the money required.

Much more likely is a deal involving Tago Monteiro, who has done pretty well this year and who seems to be able to find the money he needs to pay for a drive.

Narain Karthikeyan might return, but it seems more likely that Narain will try to get a test drive somewhere else and hope to eventually work himself into another race drive when the older F1 generation go away and molorsport news

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Let’s start dating

lead their lives. In addition he has twice come close to winning the World Championship and has twice been let down by his equipment.

There may be changes coming up in the management at Ferrari, with rumours that Jean Todt will bow out and leave the team to be run by Ross Brawn. Whether V 'jj this will change the attitude ' towards Schumacher remains to ^ vodafnnp ^t.» be seen. Michael is still the. team's star turn but he is not getting any younger and eventually the team must look to the future and, while Felipe Massa is a good solid driver, he is \ not currently seen as being in the same'league as Kimi or Alonso.

The big question is vvhether or not Raikkonen really wants to jDe with Schumacher,or whether ^ there is a negotiating game going on, designed to convince Michael that his best course of action is to retire rather than face the possibility of being beaten by Kimi.

Michael is a fighter but he has often spoken about the dangers when older drivers try to keep youngsters behind them.

A fascinating situation.

-JOESAWARD..

THE Formula 1 teams expect to see 19 dates on the 2006 World Championship fixture list, which was due to be presented today (Wednesday)for the approval of the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Rome after being finalised in Monday's meeting of the Formula 1 Commission.

The WMSC reserved 20 dates '? when it released the provisional calendar in July, but Formula 1 promoter Bernie Ecclestone commented: "I blocked off 20 dates but we can change that around. It won't be 20, 1 can assure you. Who knows? 18, 19, 17?"

This year's World Championship ran to an unprecedented 19 Grands Prix against opposition'from most of the teams, who are actually under contract (in the Concorde Agreement) to do only 16, Most of them want to limit future seasons to 18 maximum. n A Bahrain International Circuit press release has let slip that it anticipates hosting the opening round of the 2006 World Championship, on March 12 and Interlagos in Brazil is expected to close the series on November 5.

There has been speculation that an extra race might be a 'Pacific Grand Prix' at Fuji International Speedway, which has been rebuilt to FI standards since being purchased by Toyota three years ago.

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new opportunities open up.

There are two names which have been mentioned from Japan: Satoshi Motoyama and Sakon Yamamoto. The former is 34 and a little old for an FI career but after winning the Formula Nippon three times and being on his way to a fourth, there is not much left for Motoyama to achieve at home.

Yamamoto did a very good job when he was the team's third driver in Japan and would get a drive tomorrow if he came up with the cash.

- JOE SAWARD 26 October 2009

HONDA'S'B'Formula 1 team is, it seems, close to confirmation.

The much-vaunted team remains a secret but it is clear, at least according to our sources, that the team will involve former FI driver Aguri Suzuki and that a deal has been struck for the team to move into the old Arrows

and race team facilities. This could

probably explain the appearance in Shanghai of former Arrows man Daniele Audetto.

There are still details to be sorted out before an announcement can be made but it seems that there are no

real political problems as the new team will almost certainly agree to factory at Leafield. The facility was sign for an extension of the current acquired in May 2003 by Menard Inc Concorde Agreement. The finance and has been used in recent years by appears to be in place and the only Menard Engineering Limited for real question is whether or not the automotive consultancy work.

The 30-acre site in Oxfordshire team is logistically possible in the includes everything that is needed for time available.

Certainly there is not much time as a team,including autoclaves, clean the team is going to have to be ready rooms, research and development to apply to enter the championship laboratories, models shops, patterns shops, fabrication and machine shops, when entries close on November 15.

-JOE SAWARD dynos for engine and transmissions

n Credit Suisse has confirmed that it will be remaining as a major sponsor of BMW Motorsport when the Munich car company takes over Sauber, Peter Sauber will be an advisor for Credit Suisse and will attend four races a year. The new deal will cover the 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons. The sponsorship was part of the deal agreed by which BMW took over the team. Peter Sauber will retain 20 percent of the team. n Spain's GP2 team. Racing Engineering, has long been interested in getting into Formula 1 but only if the FI rules are changed to allowed new teams to buy chassis. The team, run by the wellconnected Alfonso de OrleansBorbon y Ferrara-Pignatelli, has access to some of the most powerful people in Spain and this may well help him to fulfil his ambition with backing from companies such as Repsol and Telefonica, which are interested in creating an all-Spanish team.

■ Red Bull is ending its Driver Search scheme in the USA, preferring to look at the much bigger picture and pick up the best young drivers across the world.

- SPURRING/SAWARD

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FI's Radical Future

RA considers bold new direction tor GP regulations

by JOE SAWARD in PARIS

WHILE the Formula 1 Commission was meeting as MNews closed for press, to discuss the future of Formula 1,in particular proposals for the all-new 2008 FI regulations, details have leaked out about some potentially radical technical ideas to be put forward by the FIA. Many of the ideas are not expected to go as far as some of the earlier proposals put forward by the federation, but we hear that the FIA research department has come up

with The Maths!

The top speed formula is moderately simple: Top speed = (rpm x 60) x circumference of tyre (in kilometres) A diff ratio = 7450X 60X(2 XTlx

0.3385mA1000) A 3.15 = 301.80 km/h (with zero tyre growth) One percent in tyre diameter growth produces a speed of 304.82 km/h n = approx. 3.14159

26 October 2005

with some unusual thinking with regard to aerodynamics as it searches for ways to improve the racing.

The latest idea to reduce the disruption in the air behind a car, so that other cars can run closely behind, is to get rid of the current rear wing and replace it with smaller wings behind each rear tyre.

Tests have apparently shown that this reduces the aerodynamic

disruption behind a car. It is called a 'central downwash generating wing' and has been developed in league with the FlA's technology partaer AMD. It is believed that the proposals for 2008 will also include wider wheels and slick tyres.

The FIA may be pushing to introduce the changes in 2007 if the teams agree.

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Stoddy will hate this item MAX Mosley is virtually certain to be re-elected as the President of the FIA when the General Assembly meets on Friday. Mosley, who was first elected to the post in 1991, is the sole candidate, and a threat by some of the Grand Prix teams to persuade the Formula 1 Commission to oppose his re-election appears to have evaporated. This week's plenary conference will also rubberstamp changes to the Formula 1 technical and sporting regulations that will have been approved by the World Motor Sport Council on the submission of the Formula 1 Commission. n Two of the so-called 'FI banks', JPMorgan and Lehmann Brothers, are no longer involved in Formula 1, leaving Bayerische Landesbank as the only financial institution still with a vested interest in the future of Grand Prix racing.

Bayerische - jointly owned by the State of Bavaria and the Association of Bavarian Savings Banks - has now acquired the shares held by the other two banks, for undisclosed sums.

It gives Bayerische sole ownership of Speed Investments and other companies formerly controlled by Bernie Ecclestone, whose Bambino Trust owns the remaining 25 percent of SLEC.

Canto lopes to GRM

Jones dropped from Commodore drive

DEAN Canto will drive the #34 who drives his cats. But yes, it's been // a tough one.

Garry Rogers Motorsport Commodore VZ in the next round of Canto did a respectable job in his first drive in the main series since the V8 Supercar Championship his days as a Briggs/Triple 8 driver.

Series at Symmons Plains in three He finished 13th in Race 3 after a weeks.

Canto, the current leader of the steady weekend.

"I'm happy with the result, and HPDC V8 Series, got the call to drive Garry's happy too," Canto said. the Valvoline/Repco machine on the The New South Welshman will streets of Surfers Paradise last visit the GRM shop this week to weekend after regular driver make some slight refinements to the Andrew Jones was dumped prior to seating position before the next V8 the Indy round. round in Tasmania.

Jones, who finished fourth with Canto will not be available to Cameron McConville in the Super GRM to drive in the 'Grand Finale' Cheap Auto 1000, admitted that the at Phillip Island due to his HPDC 2005 season has been tough. commitments with Dick Johnson "The year has been difficult for me," Jones told MNews."Ultimately, Racing.

- GRANT ROWLEY the decision is his (Garry's) as to

n The Minardi Formula 1 team will be renamed 'Squadra Toro Rosso' when it passes into the ownership of Dietrich Mateschitz's Red Bull energy drinks brand at the end of this month, reflecting its Italian roots. The team, which will continue to operate from its base in Faenza, will be directed by current BMW Motorsport executive Franz Tost, according to German media reports. American Scott Speed and Italian Tonio Liuzzi are currently expected to be the Toro Rosso drivers, with David Coulthard and Christian Klien staying with Red Bull Racing. n Paul Stoddart says that he intends to return with a new Grand Prix race team if there is a manufacturer-led 'breakaway' series in 2008.

He said: "Sadly, it's looking increasingly obvious that we're heading towards two series. The manufacturers have made a very clear statement that they want a fair and equitable Formula 1, but I can't see IFIA president] Max Mosley backing down. The diplomacy aimed at reaching a compromise has failed miserably and equally I can't see the manufacturers backing down. So there will most likely be two series in 2008, Hopefully that will give me an opportunity to come back."

-QUENTIN SPURRING

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Stewards,IPO Under Fire Perkins wins appeai:AVESCO Judiciai system and personnei criticised

THE V8 Supercar Court of Appeal has slammed Race Stewards and V8 IPO Peter Wollerman in unanimously upholding an appeal by Larry Perkins against a CAMS Stewards' decision.

Perkins, representing Paramount Motorsport(which holds the AVESCO licence for Paul Dumbrell's entry), was found guilty of "knowingly providing false information to the Stewards at the Dumbrell appeal.

The Court of Appeal, which includes two

independent judicial figures, appears to have been appalled by both the charge and the conviction, noting among other things that: the finding should not have been made;the Stewards hearing deprived Paramount Motorsport of natural justice; the Chief Steward (Mr Chopping) inappropriately reversed the onus of proof; the finding was based on inferences that should not have been drawn by the Stewards; IPO Peter Wollerman conducted a superficial

investigation; the finding was against the weight of information; and,finally, that the finding should not have been made.

The Court also noted the seriousness of the charge and the gravity of the consequences flowing from the determination.

In legal terms, this is strong language and, despite subsequent comments from AVESCO that "our judicial system needs to be reviewed" suggests a more deeprooted problem.

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^^Mis be Enough Comment by CHRIS LAMBDEN iLARRY Perkihs' successful afjpeal is the fifth by him Concerning:ayariety of charges ^brought byer^recent years. ^That his appeaketfike rate is ^O'.percent begs Some "awkward questions:' ) Is CAMS (or indeed AVESCO) wasting its members' cash by

proceeding with frivolous or unsustainable charges particularly against Perkins?

Are the Stewards/personnel bringing those charges competent? In more.than one case, the officials concerned are practising lawyers in the real world,so the latter should

not be in question.

Larry Perkins' no-holdsbarred style hasn't necessarily endeared him to all his colleagues at TEGA/AVESCO over recent years - but is this the result? Are personal prejudices clouding judgement up there on Judicial Hill?

There would hardly be a regular in pit lane who hasn't clashed with LP one way or another over time (this writer included!), but honestly, this is . starting to get pathetic. If I was a paid-up CAMS member. I'd be querying where my dollars were going ...

MackPepkins? 300?Ihe maths agi

TEAM Perkins is expected to field a two-car Holden team in the colours of Mack Trucks next season.

Team boss Larry Perkins would not confirm the news at Indy last week, other than to say Uiat he expected tlie iconic brand to remain with the team.

"They have been with us for a while," he said,"but what level they will fill next season,1 would not like to say."

Mack has been with the Melbourne team in a secondary sponsor role for the last four years but MNews believes that representatives of the US-owned company came away from a recent trip to the Bathurst 1000 impressed with what they saw.

Steven Richards will stay with the team next season, despite rumours that linked him with the vacant Stone Brothers Racing seat earlier in the year.

Perkins picked up the option of Paul Dumbrell at Bathurst earlier this month though MNews believes that there is still a chance that the former Konica Series champion will drive for another team in 2006.

One thing that is certain is that the Perkins team will continue with the support of Holden, despite changes within the Holden Motor Sport program [see separate story]. Wlrile he is yet to sign a deal,LP said he has the word of Holden boss Denny Mooney that he will have backing for next season.

-PHILBRANAGAN 12

THERE were still a number of sceptics long after Larry Perkins and his crew claimed 300kmh on Thursday at Bathurst.

Some - including some wellcredentialled team engineers- who said it couldn't be done. To conclude the discussion, MNews has done the maths. It's simple high school stuff, the only real variable being the size of the Dunlop tyres, particularly at speed.

Dunlop's Kevin Fitzsimmons confirmed to MNews that a racing Dunlop is 67.7cm in diameter (ie a radius of 33.85cm) and that tyre growth is minimal,"less than one percent". For our initial maths we assumed no growth at all. We also assumed a rev limiter setting of 7450rpm (to ensure the engine stays below the 7500 limit).

The maths(see right) are conclusive.

With no tyre growth at all, you hit a 7450rpm limiter at 301.80kph. With one percent tyre growth,it's 304.82kph.

LP was right. The intriguing question, therefore, is how come so

many other data experts were wrong?

"Well, they're either running a very low rev limit (unlikely)," says LP,"or the figure they have for tyre diameter is wrong or out of date.

'Some have inherited their data set ups from other teams and simply may not have updated that figure -some of them have possibly still got the old Bridgestone dimension in there!"

And while,for track-to-track comparative purposes, the actual figure doesn't matter,for winning an argument over top speed, it's crucial.

And there the story ends.

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Ohamp Car's '07 American Beauty ... and they said no to Honda!

CHAMP Car will race a new USA-built car from 2007.

The category announced earlier this month that it would move to a new chassis built by Elan Motorsports Technologies at the end of next season. The company, which is owned by Don Panoz, will build a car which is smaller and lighter than the current Lola-built car. Power will come from an upgraded version of the Cosworth engine used by the current cars.

The new car will allow teams to dramatically cut the cost of racing and encourage teams to step up into the series from Formula Atlantic.

The new Panoz DPOl chassis will retain some of the current Champ Car identity, but incorporate many new chassis design elements, and aerodynamic and safety features! While primarily built to race on road and street courses, the car will be adaptable for ovals.

Series co-owner and boss of PKV Racing Kevin Kalkhoven said that the new car got the approval of team owners by a narrow margin over Lola's bid.

'Tt was very, very close," he said. Two things happened; exchange rates were an issue a nd secondly, the technical team decided by a hair's breadth that there were advantages in the Panoz design. If exchange rates had been different who the hell knows?

"PersonaUy, I had a lot of loyalty to Lola. The team owners are paying for their cars and they made the decision."

Kalkhoven also revealed that the series' commitment to cost containment prompted him to reject a request from Honda to return to the series. For more of Kalkhoven's views, see pages 32-33.

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Go you Go

WILL Davison is confident of a strong showing leading up to the fourth round of the A1 Grand Prix at Eastern Creek in two weeks time.

Davison made his A1 GP debut last weekend at Estoril in Portugal and despite some setbacks,impressed with sbcth in the Feature race after starting from the rear of the grid.

"When you are starting from back there its just crazy," said Davison, who was taken out on the opening lap of the opening Sprint race.

"I got hit like I have never been hit before. I just had to laugh because what can you do?"

Davison started the race back in 19th after the fire extinguisher went off in the A1 Team Australia car in qualifying just as Davison had fitted new tyres to set a fast time.

After the bad luck of Race 1, Davison shone in Race 2, climbing from rear of field to finish sixth.

"Because of all the problems I had in qualifying and Race 1, Race 2 was the first time I had a proper crack at driving the car," said Davison.

"It was pretty tough starting from the back row and not having much data. The car was hard work because it was cooking its rear tyres and I was struggling with oversteer."

Davison said he thoroughly enjoyed his first crack at A1 GP race action and was looking forward to his home event.

"I enjoyed the race; It was good to get a result," said Davison. "It's great racing and it is a great format. I feel like I am coming back to Australia well prepared and I am really pumped up for Eastern Creek.

"After seeing how they got behind the hometown car here in Portugal I am hoping we get the same support here in Australia. I am aiming for a podium and anything less will be a disappointment."

Jonny Reid has also been confirmed as A1 Team New Zealand's driver, meaning that he and Davison will both carry prior Eastern Creek experience into the race.

The Monday prior to the Eastern Creek race will be a free fan day, with a preview of the cars when series founder Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum A1 Maktoum will drive one of the series cars around the western Sydney circuit.

A1 Team Australia's seat holder Alan Jones, along with Davison and Christian Jones, will also be present on the day to sign autographs for fans and school children.

/ am coming home WITH BEER: Davison's car will carry Fosters signage, a first for the company in motor racing. iconic Australian beer brand Fosters for the first time last weekend in Portugal.

The Australian team is one of the first cars to carry sponsorship and the deal is significant in that the Australian brand is very rarely associated with teams, and more regularly featured on circuit signage.

Fosters sponsorship is predominantly Formula 1-based, where Fosters owns exclusive track pouring rights at several venues.

Bargs a

IN other A1 Team Australia news, the Australian car carried branding from

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Pierre Bows Out

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And the winners are...

TEN MNews readers and their mates will be going along to the A1 GP next week with our compliments. All successfully named the three Australian A1 drivers - Will Power, Will Davison and Christian Jones - and will be contacted by the A1 promoters shortly to arrange collection of their weekend double passes.

Well done to all of you - and sorry to the hundreds who missed out. You' ll just have to lash out and go along anyway.

The winners are: Mark Bailey (Peakhurst NSW), Mardi Mantell (Richmond NSW), Rod Slader (Conder ACT), Lindy Ward (Kogarah Bay NSW), Stefan Trnacek (Kelmscott WA), Larry Cornford (Picnic Point NSW), Bronwyn Reid (Toongabbie NSW), Karen Hall (Stanhope Gardens NSW), George Nascimben (email supplied), and Paul Fox (Ferny Grove, OLD).

nd Frosty back LARKHAM Orrcon Motorsport has announced that it has re-signed Jason Bargwanna and Mark Winterbottom for the next three seasons.

The Queensland-based team owner said last week that the 2000 Bathurst winner would start his fourth season as a Ford driver

alongside 'Frosty', the former Konica Champion who joined the team when Larkham stood down from driving in 2003.

Larkham has also affirmed that

26 October 2005

the team is striving to move forward after a dismal season, during which it was struck by unusual events like Winterbottom hitting a drain in Shangahi, four months before Juan Pablo Montoya did exactly the same thing in the China Grand Prix.

"Bargs brings much experience to the team, is a great racer in the true sense, and shares the tenacity that is the very backbone of this team," said Larkham.

"Mark is young and very talented, no doubt about it."

AMID a flurry of departures and retirements at Shanghai, none was more poignant than the gathering to honour Michelin's Pierre Dupasquier.

An impressive turn-out included Bernie Ecclestone and all the major team principals present, including Ferrari's Jean Todt and Ross Brawn. More than half of the drivers' grid attended, including World Champion Fernando Alonso, and, perhaps more significantly, the entire top management of the Bridgestone FI programme also showed up as a mark of respect for a man who has. been the ,. motive force at Michelin for some many years.

Under Dupasquier's control Michelin tyres have 180 World Championship titles in various different disciplines.

"We will never forget you," said Edouard Michelin.

"You are unique."

"He's a great guy," said Ecclestone. "We are‘alf’"''~ **● going to miss him. He's a superstar."

Also departing this year was the doyen of the British media, Mike Doodson, who has been writing about the sport since 1970 when he was the FI correspondent of Motoring News. In the course of more than 500 Grands Prix, Doodson played an important role in building up interest in FI in magazines across the world, including MNews, for which he was the founding FI columnist, in 1993.

- JOE SAWARD

Japan goes missing in A1 A1 Team Japan is the first 'World Cup of Motorsport' team to run into budget problems, and missed this weekend's third round of the A1 Grand Prix series at Estoril, Portugal, citing "late notice that sponsorship money was not going to be available".

The team was looking for a sponsored driver to replace regulars Ryo Fukuda and Hideki Noda, who had prior commitments respectively in the World Series by Renault and Formula Nippon. n Scott Dixon will race on occasion for A1 Team New Zealand in the 'World Cup of Motorsport' during the northern hemisphere off-season. The former IRL champion confirmed that he hoped to be making a few guest appearances after meeting with Kiwi franchise holder Colin Giltrap when the new series visited the EuroSpeedway near Lausitz, Germany.

Dixon, who won the recent IndyCar race on the Watkins Glen road circuit in New York state, commented; "I'll probably do races where I know the circuits, such as Laguna Seca, Monterey and maybe Eastern Creek.

It's in the hands of Chip Ganassi and Target, because I'm contracted to them, but we'll probably work that out over the next couple of weeks."

■ The GP2 series promoters have been testing the 'spec' Dallara racecar with 'slick' tyres, reportedly with spectacular results.

GP2's move towards slicks is seen as a sign that, if the FIA goes ahead with its plan to switch Formula 1 to a single tyre supplier in 2007, such tyres will return to Grand Prix racing, for which GP2 is the recognised 'feeder' formula, Heikki Kovalainen, the 2005 series runner-up, is reported to have lapped two whole seconds under the GP2 record on Bridgestone slicks on the Paul Ricard High-Speed Test Track in the south of France.

■ Yet another addition has been announced to the bewildering plethora of 'spec' European singleseater categories, 'F3000 International Masters' has been created by KSO, the promoter of the FIA World Touring Car Championship, to add a class for powerful singleseaters to its support bill in 2006.

Eight races will be run and the 'K06' car is a 1999 FIA Formula 3000 design that has been purpose-updated by Lola Cars International, ■ Randy de Puniet will step up to the MotoGP World Championship in 2006 with Kawasaki. The 24-year-old will make his debut on the Ninja ZXRR at the post-season test at Valencia.

-SPURRIIMG/STAFF 15

Sna On Muller Takes A Seat

FOR not the first time,the Belgian Grand Prix, at the classic Spa circuit, could be in financial trouble.

There have long been problems making the race profitable. The circuit is in the middle of nowhere and the weather is usually dodgy. The diehard fans love to come to Spa, but it is not an obvious venue for the casual fan who wants a closer look at Formula 1. The -►TLOtherTireblem is, of course, that Formula iQne lagement wants its

SAIMDOWN 500 winner Yvan Muller will race for Seat in the World Touring Car Championship for the ne^ two year. . Muller, 36, will join forces : -with countryman Hugues de ';!chauhac’s ORECA squad in iiO|ie of two Seat Leons. His ,team-mate is yet to be named. ' '. Muller,has raced in the British Toiiring Car ChampionsRip since ;-1998j when he made his series .’ debut.with the Audi team. The ^ following season, he moved to ;’yauxhail and took the British l crown in 2003 and 2005.

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^iANDY-Pfiaulx has^knocked "back a chance to fStS a V8 t.Slipercar to drive in the (World Tourings Car C Championship - and in FPormula One. .".The'29-year-old will stay with Great Britain's BMW team for the next two seasons, driving one of the new models 320is. Priaulx won the 2004 European title with the team and will battle fellow BMW driver Dirk Muller and Alfa Romeo's Fabrizio Giovanardi for the World crown at Macau

on November 20.

It isgreatto have a deal, he said last weekend.

I want to wear number one next season and I loved doing the Formula One stuff.

As well, he will continue to best a test driver in BMW's FI program. He tested several times this season for BMW.Williams and next season will drive on a more regular basis for what was known as Sauber until the Chinese Grand Prix.

- PHIL BRANAGAN

Patrizi Conquers China

MICHAEL Patrizi has taken a spectacular victory in the final round of the Formula BMW Asia Championship, supporting the Chinese FI GP at the Shanghai International Circuit.

The win secured second in the Championship for the young West Australian and also earned him victory in the Rookie Championship "To stand on the top step of the podium and hear the Australian anthem played in front of a massive Sunday Grand Prix crowd like there was at Shanghai today is about the biggest moment a racing driver can possibly have," said Patrizi.

"To cap it off, some Australian fans in the front grandstand were holding a big Australian flag and singing along. I will never forget that for the rest of my life!"

Patrizi fought with Hamed Al Fardan in the early stages of the race, but contact between the two broke the Australian's front wing Despite the loss of downforce, Patrizi stuck with Al Fardan When Al Fardan ran wide at the first corner with a deflating tyre Patrizi slipped through to take the Sunday race win.

The first race of the weekend saw a drafting battle develop Patrizi finishing fourth among a pack of battling cars.

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pound of flesh and, with the race fees up in the US$18m region each year, it is not all easy to make the event pay.

For the last couple of years former racing driver Didier Defourney has been trying to balance the books, introducing some interesting new ideas as he tried to bring more people to Spa. This year, however, the bad weather and the poor performance of Ferrari (which

meant that the Michael Schumacher fans from across the German border did not make the trip) resulted in lower than hoped for ticket sales, and that means trouble Defourney was loaned S18m by the regional government to pay the fees necessary but it is not keen to do the same again and is looking for alternative ways to fund the race. The choice the government faces is to stick with Defourney and

hope that things get better in the years ahead, or dump him and try to find someone else willing to take the gamble, which will not be an easy task.

The regional government did ask the government of the ' Grand Duchy of Luxembourg..it. it would like to be involved but' the Luxembourgeois have turned down the opportunity.

The regional government must make a decision on November 8.

-JOE SAWARD

Atlantic Crossing

TEAM Australia has confirmed James Davison as the first of its two drivers for the 2006 Champ Car Atlantic Championship.

The news,first predicted by MNews back in August, was announced on the Sunday of the Lexmark Indy 300.

Davison will embark on his second year of racing in the United States after this year finishing sixth in the Formula BMW USA Championship. Davison earned five podiums this year in FBMW USA,highlighted by a win at Indianapolis supporting the US FI GP. "Racing in America has been my goal for a long time and Champ Car is where I have set my sights for a long

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26 October 2005

time," said Davison.

"When I decided last year to do Formula BMW in the US,Team Australia didn't exist. But now it is really flying along and for me, there is no better place to be than the new Atlantics class and Team Australia."

The identity of the second driver is still to be confirmed, although one could not help but notice that Michael Patrizi, along with Davison,spent the Indy weekend working with the Team Australia crew. Patrizi raced a Team Australia Formula BMW in September and tested an Atlantic along with Davison and Peter Hackett under the watchful eye of Derrick Walker last month.

WILLIAMS is to auction 20 of its collection of cars in December. The major lots on offer will be the , Williams Honda FWlOB in which Nigel Mansell won his inaugural Grand Prix at Brands Hatch in 1985, Mansell's FW14B in which he won six Grands Prix en route to his World Championship title in 1992, Damon Hill’s FW18 from his World Championship season in 1996, as well as cars with Grand Prix winning history in the hands of drivers such as Riccardo Patrese, Alain Prost, Jacques Villeneuve, Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher. n Mansell became the first former Formula 1 star to drive the new Grand Prix Masters singleseater, built by Delta Motorsport, when he tested it in damp conditions last week on the Pembrey circuit in south Wales.

The 1992 World Champion commented: "What they've achieved with a new car is fantastic.

Straight out of the box, it’s very neutral and responsive to changes.

This championship is all about entertainment and I'm now even more convinced that it will achieve that and more."

The GPM series is set to begin next month at Kyalami, South Africa. n Renault will demonstrate one of its World Championship-winning FI cars at the forthcoming Race of Champions, which will be held on December 3 at the Stade de France in Paris. It will be the first time that a Formula 1 car has been seen at the event. n Gerald Brussoz, the head of tyre development at MIchelin's FI department will join Ferrari next year where his job will be to improve the way in which the tyres interact with the chassis, a major problem this year. Michelin had been worried about losing engineers following the departure of Pierre Dupasquier, the man who led the company in FI for many years. n The FIA is inviting bids for the media and marketing rights for the 2006 CIK-FIA Karting Championships.

The aim of the tender process is to increase the global profile of karting.

The rights will cover five important karting meetings which include the World Championship races at Angerville, France, on September 28October 1; the European Junior Championship at Mariembourg, Belgium on Aug 31-September 3; and the European Formula A meetings at La Conca (I), Varennes sur Allier (F) and Ampfing (D).

- SAWARD/SPURRING/STAFF 17

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Big FFord and F3 fields at A1

by GRANT ROWLEY A LARGE grid of 36 Formula Fords will enter the A1 Grand Prix support race at Eastern Creek International Raceway in two weeks time.

There are a number of interesting entries, including James Moffat, Mathew Radisich and Jake Williams.

Moffat will drive for Minda Motorsports, partnered by Brad Lowe. Radisich, the nephew of V8 driver Paul, will make his nationallevel debut in a Van Diemen RF01, while regular Decina Aussie Racing Car driver Jake Williams will steer a VIP Petfoods VDRF02.

Sonic Motor Racing has entered Tim Slade and Todd Fiore, while Colin Sieders will run his ex-David Reynolds Van Diemen RF04 as a satellite car in the Sonic squad.

FFord champions!lip runner-up Shane Price will have one last crack in his Caltex Havoline entry, with new team pals John Martin and Paul Laskazeski.

New South Wales-based team Anglo Australian Motor Sport has enlisted the services of Luke Wood, Aussie Racing regular Simon Arthur and Wensley Carroll.

While the category boasts Its biggest field of the year, champlonship-winning team Fastlane < Racing has elected to stay on the ' west coast to prepare for the Phillip Island Magic meeting later in November.

Meanwhile, the 2006 Ford Racing Formula Ford calendar has been

announced. Unlike the past few seasons, the series will conclude at the V8 Supercar ‘Grand Finale’ at Phillip Island. The eight round series will also visit Tasmania’s Symmons Plains for the first time since 1995.

FORMULA 3 will contest its penultimate round of its Gold Star Series as support to the A1 Grand Prix event Eastern Creek with its largest-ever field for a championship round.

Twenty four entries are confirmed, highlighted by the return of the Piccola Scuderia Corse team. The Sydney-based squad has contested selected rounds this year, but will enter two cars at The Creek for former F3 champ Michael Caruso and Leanne Tander.

Other notable entries include German entry Swiss Racing Team, who has entered Jeffery Lee and Michael Ho. Two Dallara F304s have been shipped over especially for the meeting.

Series leaders Insight F3 are also ramping up their effort. Aaron Caratti will be joined by his younger brother Nathan (who finsihed 11th in the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch over the weekend)and David Borg.

Series stalwart Chris Gilmour will hand his regular Dallara F301 to Kevin Miller, while Gilmour will get comfortable in Cooltemp Racing’s newly-acquired F304, which will add another class entry to the front of the field.

Last year’s Champion Karl Reinder is set to get reacquainted with Team BRM, who’ll also campaign a car for series debutant Jason Vince.

2006 Ford Racing Australian Formula Ford Championship Calendar R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8

March 23-26 Clipsal 500 May 12-14 Barbagallo July 21-23 Queensland Raceway Oran Park August 11-13 Sandown September 8-10 Mallala September 15-17 Symmons Plains November 10-12 December 8-10 Phillip Island

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I Fields of Dreams: Both FFord, above, and Australian F3, below, will have record grids for their respective A1CP races in Sydney.

Paffett claims DTM

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THE title lead swung between Gary Paffett and Matias Ekstrom seven times throughout the year, but at Hockenheimring last week,Paffett sealed the DTM with third place.

"It was an incredible feeling when I crossed the line," Mercedes-Benz driver Paffett, right, said.

"During the race, I had no time at all to think about what it would be like to be the champion. This has been a nearly perfect season with some minor mistakes - and with a fantastic result."

Ekstrom qualified 15th and despite a succesful pit strategy only finished seventh.

Bernd Schneider took the race win in his 200th DTM race. Jamie Green finished second.

Final points: Paffett 84, Estrom 71, Kristensen 56, Schcider 32, Hakkinen 30.

STATESIDE

Kiwi’s US crown

The old one-two DARIO Franchitti beat team-mate Tony Kanaan by 0.1117s to claim his second victory of the season in the final round of the IRL IndyCar Series at California Speedway two weeks ago.

There were claims post-race that the Andretti Green team-mates used team tactics to hold the field at bay, but Franchitti wasn't so sure.

"I wish there were(team tactics)," he said."We certainly talked about what we could do to help each other, but with Sam Hornish Jr doing so well, it didn't come to that. I couldn't leapfrog him (in the championship), and he couldn't leapfrog Tony."

"It was a good team effort. We all worked well together."

It was a dominant weekend for Franchitti, who also scored pole position. During his pole victory lap, Franchitti stopped on the Turn 2

lost a good friend (Greg Moore)six years ago," he said afterwards.

Franchitti's 11th career win was his first on a track longer than 1.33 miles.

,

Tony Kanaan finished second, ahead of Rahal Letterman Racing's Vitor Meira. The consistent Scott Sharp was fourth,in front of Hornish Jr and series Champion Dan Wheldon, pictured right with his new (and very large) piece of silverware.

i'

NEW Zealand driver Wade Cunningham has won the 2005 Menards Infiniti Pro Series in the United States.

The former World Karting Champion dominated the final race of the year at California Speedway, which was his first race win for the season I He had finished second seven times this year.

"Once the flag dropped I was away," he said. "I knew pretty much straight away that I had a strong car and that I was going to be able to run at the front no matter what."

Final points: Cunningham 519, Jeff Simmons 474,Travis Gregg 462, Nick Bussell 430, Jamie Camara 403.

"The year has been good," the Brit said. "It would have been nice to end unon^imjgvs.

apron to turn a few doughnuts in honour of Greg Moore, who was fatally injured in a crash at that point during a race on October 31,1999.

"A bittersweet win here because I

on a high note, but still I'm happy for Dario to win. He's had some bad luck."

- PHIL MORRIS Final point: Wheldon 628, Kanaan 548, Hornish 512, Franchitti 498,Sharp 444, Caslroneves 440, Meira 422, Herta 397, Scheckter 390, Carpenlier 376.

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26 October 2005

19

Ppemat Anack FRANCE has won its second A1 Grand Prix round from three rounds after Alexandre Premat matched his countryman Nicolas Lapierre's Round 2 performance in winning both the Sprint and Feature race at Round 3 at Estoril, Portugal last weekend.

"The race was great," said Premat.

"It was hard to keep Scott Speed and Nelson Piquet behind me. The car was great to drive again, I did the fastest laps and we are leading the series. I wish Nicolas Lapierre good luck for the next race.

Premat credited effective use of the PowerBoost button as a secret to his speed.

"I used the PowerBoost quite

JET-HOTs"

a lot. The PowerBoost button is really good. If you are close to the car in front, it helps you overtake. It's a great idea."

Nelson Piquet Jr was second for Brazil in the Sprint race, ahead of Neel Jani of Switzerland, Jos Verstappen of the Netherlands and Tomas Enge of the Czech Republic.

Neel Jani again impressed in

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the Feature, finishing second.

Former FI driver and current Super GT pilot Ralph Firman was third in the Irish entry.

After dominating pre-season A1 GP testing, A1 Team USA and Scott Speed finally fired, finishing fourth in the feature, one spot ahead of 2005 British F3 Champion and local hero Alvaro Parents.

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Australia had a mixed outing in Portugal, but Will Davison impressed on his A1 debut, see news pages.

Davison's fire extinguisher ruined any chance of a strong qualifying session, and starting from the back amongst the lesser skilled drivers cost Australia dearly when Davison was the innocent victim of a shunt with Salvador Duran and Adam Khan.

Race 2 held better fortune for Davo, as the Melbournian raced through the pack to register sixth place and add to Australia's points tally.

Matt Halliday was 14th and 16th in the two races for New Zealand, allowing Australia to close in on the Kiwis and making the ANZAC battle an interesting one, as both team's drivers have experience of the Eastern Creek layout

3B uaps

Pos

Race Time

1 2 3 4

1.01.05.054 1.01.12.971 1.01.2r,387 1.01';24.477 1.01.32.774 t.OI.40.228 1.01.41.083 1.01.41.719 1.01.43.184 I.01.56.ek 1.02.04.187 '1.02.07.401 1.02.10.998 1.02.16.035 1.02.21.971

Country | Driver France Alexandre Premat Switzerland Neel Jani Ireland Ralph Firman USA Scott Speed Alvaro Parente Will Davison Enrico Toccacelo

5 Portugal 6 Australia 7 Italy 6 Brazil

Nelson Piquet Jr

9 Czech Republic Tomas Enge 10 Austria Mathias Lauda 11 Lebanon Basil Shabaan 12 Great Britain Robbie Kerr 13 India Armaan Ebrahim 14 China Tengyi Jiang 15 Pakistan Adam Khan 16 New Zealand Matt Halliday 17 Russia Mikhail Aleshin 18 Canada Sean McIntosh 19 Netherlands

Jos Verstappen

20_Germariy 21 Malaysia 22 South Africa 23 Indonesia 24 Mexico

Adrian Sutil Fairuz Fauzy Tomas Schekter Ananda Mikola Salvador Duran

35 laps 35 laps 20 laps 18 laps 17 laps 15 laps 14 laps 3 laps 2 laps

* A1 Team Japan did not attend Round 3 G P

POIMTS

Points: France 50. Brazil 42. Switzerland 34. New Zealand 29, Australia 21, Canada 18, Ireland 16, Mexico 16, Great Britain 15. Netherlands 15, Malaysia 14, Portugal 14. Czech Republic 8. Germany 8, USA 7. Japan 6, South Africa 6. Indonesia 4. Pakistan 4. Italy 4, Austria 1.

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Back in the points: Will Davison's A1 debut meant that Australia has used three drivers in three rounds. Davo drove well, getting sixth from ROF.

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JIMMIE Johnson overcame a bad alternator to win his fourth race in a row at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Charlotte two weeks ago.

Johnson, who started from the rear after cooking an engine during practice, blew by Joe Nemechek for the lead with 22 laps to run and fought off Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle in a tw'o-lap sprint to the flag following a late yellow for a spinning Rusty Wallace.

The race was marred by blown tyres, with blame later being directed towards Goodyear, the track and the teams for under-inflating right side tyres.

NASCAR officials eventually enforced the team's tyre pressures to make sure they were at Goodyear's recommended SOpsi and threatened to dock points from those found to be under-inflating.

Stewart lost a 75 point lead in the standings thanks to blown tyre (despite running the recommended pressures) on lap 216 wMle leading. The punchire caused him to rear-end tlie waU. Nevertheless, the following cautions enabled the team to make repairs and he salvaged 25tlr, six laps down.

One by one leaders hit tlie wall due to tyre problems,including Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne and pole sitter Elliott Sadler. Ryan Newman led early and cut a tyre on lap 23 and then another later to lose a lap hvice. Jeff Gordon,Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Sterling Marlin, Bobby Hamilton Jr. and Scott Riggs all hit the wall on their own.In fact, the only multi-car incident came when Michael Waltrip liit Jamie McMurray and dragged Dale Jarrett into the mess, right.

"This is the biggest joke in racing I've ever seen.

remarked Harvick(who was obviously under a rock during the US Grand Prix). "It's disgusting and embarrassing for our sport."

Meanwhile,track President Humpy Wheeler has promised a re-surface before the May races in 2006, which should give Goodyear engineers time to look at a different compound for the new asphalt.

- MARTIN D CLARK

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Final result: Johnson (Chevy), Kurt Busch (Ford), Biffle (Ford), Nemechek (Chevy), Martin (Ford), Mears(Dodge), Newman (Dodge), Hamlin (Chevy), Rudd (Ford), Edwards(Ford).

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JEFF Gordon chose not to pit during a late race caution, and it earned him the win ahead of Tony Stewart and Hendrick team-mate Jimmie Johnson at Martinsville last weekend.

"This brings back a lot of tough memories of what happened a year ago," said Gordon of last year's Hendrick plane crash.

"It's been a tough season and we could certainly use a win. Today was just phenomenal, Steve Letarte (new crew chief) made a great call to stay out that one time and that's really what won us the race today. I was just thankful Tony didn't use up my rear bumper, because it looked like he was awful close a couple of times."

Stewart totally dominated the event, leading over 300 laps, but while his car seemed weaker late in the race Johnson and Gordon got stronger around the halfway mark and were able to capitalise when it counted.

Rusty Wallace gained a spot in the title chase, but could have gained more when 1

for the second race in succession he spun, this time from fifth place with the help of Jeff Burton. Wallace moved up the chart thanks to a poor day from four of the five Roush cars, with Kurt Busch the only one to finish in the top 10 - and that was after regaining a lost lap from a penalty for rough driving when he dumped Michael Waltrip into the wall.

Once again rookie Denny Hamlin finished eighth for the second week in succession for Joe Gibbs Racing in the FedEx Chev.

Although nothing has been announced, expect him to serve full time in that car next year after two astounding results.

- MARTIN D CLARK Final result: J. Gordon (Chevy), Stewart (Chevy), Johnson (Chevy), Labonte (Chevy), Burton (Chevy), Kurt Busch (Ford), McMurray (Dodge), Hamlin (Chevy), Kyle Busch (Chevy), Newman (Dodge).

Chase standings: Stewart 5957, Johnson 5942, Newman 5894, Biffle 5874, Edwards 5808, R Wallace 5791, Martin 5787, Busch 5785, Kenseth 5785, Mayfield 5741.

Tuning Out NBC Sports has withdrawn from contract negotiations with NASCAR to televise the second half of the NASCAR season once its current contract expires in 2006.

Instead, it is reported that ABC/ESPN will return to screen NASCAR races after they were booted out by the current Fox/NBC plan, while Fox are expected to continue to televise the first half of the season.

The current contracts have the two broadcasting giants paying $200 million (AU$267.5m) each per year, but that is expected to rise in 2007- hence NBC pulling the plug.

- MARTIN D CLARK

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26 October 2005

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i Pedregon Goes NASCAR NHRA Funny Car owner/driver Frank Pedregon has been picked as NASCAR's first Hispanic team owner.

Pedregon will start out running a team in NASCAR's Late Model Dodge 250 Series, which contests 18 races on the west coast of the US. He will be paired with a major sponsor,and groomed for an eventual graduation to Nextup Cup. Drivers will be picked from a large pool of hopefuls as part of NASCAR's Drive For Diversity program, which is aimed at promoting the sport amongst minority ethnic groups.

"About a year ago, I decided to call [NASCAR President] Mike Helton himself and ask him how I should go about starting a team that would feature a minority driver," said Pedregon.

"To be here now at this combine selecting a driver with the full support of NASCAR behind me is a dream come true."

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Howard's Answers, As and Bs and a Labrador Motor Mouth

H

OWARD Marsden used to drive me crazy. I liked the long-time Ford Racing boss and miss him greatly, long after we used to have sessions of me asking questions and him responding.

What drove me nuts was that he would give me eloquent answers that told me nothing, an art form he had perfected long before I came along.

One of the things he used to emphasise with me was that the strength of V8 Supercar racing was that it was a championship of teams, not makers. He was pleased that TEGA, which is owned by and which represents the teams, had the major say in the running of the category.

His experience was that typically, car makers came into a category, spent big, got what they wanted (or failed to) and exited, leaving a scorched earth behind. Champ Car boss Kevin Kalkhoven echoed just that notion last weekend (see pages 32-33).

26 0ctoter200S

To has some shifted degree, a little that with idea the news that Tom Walkinshaw has formally taken control at what was Holden Motor Sport and is now TW Performance Group.

That does not mean that Holden has taken a more formal role with the ownership of the Holden Racing Team, HSV Dealer Team or PWR Racing, far from it. What it does mean that there will be a perceived difference between the 'have' TWPG-supported teams and the 'have-not' others.

It is not for Motorsport News to approve or disapprove of Holden's deal with Walkinshaw. After a long career in the sport, it is inevitable that the Scot has his admirers and critics; that is fine. Neither do we have a specific interest in the General's motorsport program; Holden is not publically listed in this country and, apart from its fans' emotional connection to its race program, is free to run things as it sees fit. But at first glance, and until we see concrete results from the change, this does appear to separate Holden's teams into 'As' and 'Bs'.

We will see what happens in

car was unwrapped at the recent Sydney Motor Show after a long development period, during which there have been rumours and counter-rumours about 2WD, 4WD and normally-aspirated engines.

The new car has rear-wheeldrive and a normally-aspirated the future on the Holden side of engine. The latter means that it will sound really great, which V8 Supercar racing. And of will not doubt earn a Marsden course, one wildcard in all this could be what comes out of the smile from somewhere in the already impressive and rapidly blue beyond. The reason the improving Tasman Motorsport car does not have 4WD, next season ... according to Ford, is because no such system exists in the Focus lineup. Funny, I don't see car about he used Speaking ofwhich Marsden, one to many RWD Focuses either.

Apart from the usual things, speak with obvious passion was the Ford Escort RS1800. like building a team and developing the new car. Ford In his words, there were few does face a number of things in the sport more blood challenges, most of which will curdling that hearing the car's relate to the fact that the twin-can engine hammering Australian Rally Championship away in the distance, then is pretty much entirely fought having the car itself burst into out on loose surfaces by view, all sideways rear-wheelturbocharged, all-wheel-drive drive action, before cars - in winter. Ever seen a disappearing into the forests again. Howard had a particular labrador running on linoleum?

Ford is a welcome addition to love of rallying and talking the players in the series, and it about that car put fire in his may be successful in the long eyes.

Ford Australia has built a 21st term. But folks, with this first step, that is going to take some century version of the RS1800 time. in its new Focus ARC car. The 25

Apart from its fans' emotional connection to its race program, Holden is free to run things as it sees fit"

I

,

i

Many ways to skin a (FI) cat his week Max Mosley will be re-elected the Presidenf'of the FIA. Mosley is unlikely to stay in the role for the full fouryear term and those watching the federation will be paying close attention to the names which will appear in Mosley's team for the election.

One nam^ that will probably ,j be there is Jean Todt and there is a strong feeling that eventually MosTey will try to hand his job on to Todt.

This will not go down well in some circles but the FIA voters are by nature a compliant lot who prefer to stick with the status qucf that protects their own positions rather than make a fuss and risk being toppled. Mosley plays them with virtuoso skill and, but for a few flaws, would be the perfect FIA President.

His major failing is his belief that he is cleverer than the rest of the motor racing world (which is probably true) and his constant need to denigrate those who dare to challenge him.

His other fault is that he tends to ignore details which do not fit in with his plans (like the Concorde Agreement) and this undermines what could be great moral authority.

Mosley is considered to be a consummate politician, which roughly translated means he can appear to be devious, and he does not help himself by 26

surrounding himself with similar people. ^Back in 1992 in Kyalami, Mosley (then new to the job) joked with reporters that, "the art of doing this job is to appear to be a gentleman while being completely selfserving" which ranks right up there with Bernie Ecclestone's recent remark in China that "you will always get a straight answer from me,even if it's not the truth!" l,ifi,nst,uiet Mosley back in 1988 and at the time I wrote that talking to him was "like having a worm inside your head, eating away at all that has been crammed in there. It makes you a little crazy sometimes..."

For many years after that I was a Mosley supporter, but in recent times I think he has gone too far and have dared to say it. This has not gone down well with Max and his coterie.

But that is life. He is in the position of power and until someone kicks him out, or he quits, that is the situation.

The 2006 1 engine rules areFormula a good illustration of how Mosley works.

Back in the late 1990s he started campaigning for revlimiting V10 engines in Formula 1. His argument was that this would slow the cars and would also cut costs. The FI teams argued vehemently that Grand Prix racing is all about ultimate performance and finding the limit and that

rev-limiting is not what the sport needs or wants.

Switching to a different* sized engine was a possibility, but rev-limiting was a no-no.

Mosley, being a combative soul, did not give up. For some years he was banging on about standard electronic control units. The teams objected to that as well. So Mosley moved on to a 2.4-litre V8 engine formula.

There was opposition to this - notably from BMW and Honda - but in the end Mosley forced the issue and won the day. The manufacturers began to invest heavily in designing the new engines, while Mosley, "in order not to prejudice the smaller independent teams", successfully proposed a rule that existing 3-litre V10 engines would be allowed to be used in 2006 and 2007 "subject to a restriction on revs, to be determined by the FIA." The plan was for the rev limit to be set "at a level which will ensure that the engine is less powerful - but not much less powerful - than the 2.4s."

The big question is what the right balance would be. The only team currently planning to go into the new season with a rev-limited V10 is Minardi (or rather Squadra Toro Rosso as it will soon be known).

However, there are believed to be a number of other teams monitoring the situation and wondering if they might be

more successful if they ran revlimited VIOs, rather than V8s.

There is a very obvious precedent for this. Back in 1988, the FIA tried to strangle turbo engines so that teams would switch to 3.5-litre normally-aspirated engines.

The rules seemed draconian, with turbo boost pressure slashed by nearly half and an almost 25% reduction in fuel tank capacity.

The FIA thought this would do the trick but Honda was cleverer and the McLarenHonda MP4-4 was so dominant that the team won 15 of the 16 races. Equivalency is a difficult thing.

One could suggest that Mosley knows this and has designed the 2006 rules so that the teams m/ghr eventually realise that a V10 could still be better and, in their rush to be competitive, decide to voluntarily accept rev-limited VIOs. If the teams abando n V8s for rev-limited VIOs Mosley will have achieved what he originally wanted.

In that case, the motorsport chiefs of the big car companies are going to have a difficult time explaining to their bean-counting bosses how it was that they invested in new V8s and then ended up not wanting to use them ...

Ultimately, there will be cost-cutting and Mosley will have got his way, but to get there the route will have been paved with automobile manufacturer dollars ... motorsport news

Five minutes with...

Cnaig Lowndes

in terms otround wins, Craig Lowndes 'ieads'Ute V8Supercar Championship Series after a stunning performance on tfie streets ofSurfers. Here is what he said after the race QUESTION: One of the keys reasons you are up here now is because of two great starts in Races 2 and 3.

CRAIG LOWNDES: I don't know about the last one but it was good enough. We both had shocking getaways. We got a good start this morning in the second race and that was good enough to get into the lead.

In the last one [race], it was very difficult to pass on this circuit, so positioning was everything. Once we got into the lead, we tried to stretch it. We made minor adjustments to the car for Races 2 and 3 and the car was really, really good.

Q: One thing that was very obvious in Races 2 and 3 was great pitstops, particularly in Race 3.

CL: 1 am not sum how it went in the last race, I am not sure exactly what happened there but the boys did a great job. Like everyone in pitlane, we practice and we try to find every Enth and tenths that we can. Pitstops are so crucial, they are a big part of the races now.

Q: Is it fair to say that, after the disappointment of Bathurst, this in some way makes up for that?

CL: I would still like to win Bathurst! For us, the car has been fantastic since China and in ithe last half of the season, it has really come on strong.

The guys have done a terrific job. The car rolls out 90 percent right, which you need to do, especially with the limited time you have on the track. It is hard to get the car perfect here, with the crown on the road and the white lines. We made one mistake and we got over that. I do not know where we are in the points, but for the team, it is a great finish after a disappointing weekend at 28

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"Six paces to go. Oghty-eight points to make up. We need Russell to make a mistake and we need to pounce on if' -Lowndes has a plan

Bathurst, for the team, the sponsors and for Ford.

Hopefully, we can continue this on in Tassie and Phillip Island.

low 52s. It did not get loose as much as it did this morning, so for us, it was an added bonus to have the extra rubber.

Q: This is the first time we have had a V8 Supercar race after the Champ Car event.

What was the condition of the track, after there were some concerns expressed before the race?

CL: After the second race this morning, I felt that the bitumen was starting to break up a little bit and 'ball up'. But after the Champ Cars went out, they put some rubber down and the car was really fast; we were consistently in the high 51s and

Q: You are now third in the championship and 81 points down. Do you now start thinking in terms of,"maybe I can do it from here" with only two rounds left?

CL: We always think that we can do it. We just have to win races and be at the front of Russell [Ingall] and Marcos [Ambrose].

We just have to beat those guys consistently.

Six races to go. Eighty-eight points to make up. We need Russell to make a mistake and

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we need to pounce on it. He didn't have a very good weekend this weekend and a few other people did. For us, we need to make up ground and keep doing what we are doing.

Q: There are two prime Ford seats with no confirmed drivers for '06. Russell Ingall said earlier this year that he expected to have some input into the decision made at Stone Brothers. Do you expect to have the same privileges at Triple 8?

CL: 1 hope to be able to sit down with Roland [Dane] and whoever else is involved with the decision-making. We have made the first decision [to release Steve Ellery] so now we need to make the second one.

We will sit down after this weekend and go through what options there are. There are a few drivers out there that we might like to be in the car. moiorsponnews

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● GREG MUPPH'

Five minutes with.

Sabastien Bourdals

Sehashen Bouniais became the 15th Uriver to win the Lexmark inUy 300iast weekenU, making it back-to-back Champ Car crowns tor himseitamtIVewman-ttaas Racing. Here is what he bait to say

n 1

QUESTION: Sebastien,first let's talk about the race today.

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: Well, I guess it didn't really start the way it was supposed to. I was getting a little worried. I saw everybody bunching up behind us. I thought, 'trouble coming'.

Sure enough, when we got to the braking point, I was a little ahead, but not by much, everybody was all over us. What happened wasn't supposed to happen. It's just very unfortunate for the beginning of the race.

After, I was feeling very bad. I was just supposed to be Oriol's wingman today. He was out on the first lap, or pretty much. I was behind PT [Paul Tracy], who came out of nowhere, jumping up and down in the chicane. I was like, 'Yeah, that's just great'.

After that, I really had to win this race because it would have been terrible if PT had won the race for Oriol's championship. So I was giving it all, even more than in regular conditions. I was able to stick with him. I nearly lost the car in the braking over the bump in Turn 3. I nearly lost it. I lost like two seconds in this lap. After I had to keep on saving fuel to try and go a lap further and still catch him because we were still too far away.

Q: Sebastien, you clinched it again with a victory,just as you did last year, on top of the heap. Tell us how it feels.

SB: You know, such a great reward for this team that's working so hard. Obviously you're going to say I won the back-to-back championships, but without the organisation around me, I would be nothing.

I can't be grateful enough for all this hard work. It's just unbelievable. One and two for the second time in a row in the championship. I guess Newman/Haas Racing is going to have a tough time to top it up 30

S

"C

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The cap doesn't feel very good, it doesn't feel very competitive... it doesn't mean it's not" -Sebastien Bourdais again next year. It's tough to keep up with that.

off with a win and finish in great fashion.

Q: What are you going to do for an encore? Only Ted Horn has won three Champ Car titles in a row.

SB: I guess once you've tasted it, the one thing you want to do is try again. I think we can pretty much announce we'll be back in 2006 with Newman/Haas Racing and the McDonald's car No. 1.

Q: You said in the first two years, you never really have been completely happy with your car here. You weren't really happy yesterday. Again, the fact you won the race obviously suggests the car was pretty good. I assume that is also a sense of satisfaction, too?

SB: Yeah, I was a little disappointed yesterday. But whatever. It was just not our day.

I wasn't very happy with the balance. It was still pretty competitive. The car doesn't feel very good, it doesn't feel very competitive. It doesn't mean it's not. It feels weak from the inside. When you're looking at the clock, it's not looking particularly bad.

We didn't make a big revolution, but definitely improved it significantly for the race, and even during the race we made it better.

Q: As wins go, did this one have special significance, taking the championship? It was a race you said you particularly wanted to win, the Gold Coast race.

SB: Well, yeah, it was one of the races I had never won before.

It's an historical one. Obviously, it's one that means something.

It's a long one. It's a race where anything can happen. You can make a mistake extremely easily. The chicanes are like big traps waiting for you to get caught. I was just extremely happy to go through it and show what kind of pace we had.

More than anything else, I think it's just really, really a great performance to be able to win the championship and to top it

Q; You have already won the championship. What can we expect of you in the race at Mexico City?

SB: Well, I think Mexico City is a

track where I was pretty good last year. I'm not going to go over there with any kind of pressure.

Really not so many people are going to have championship aspirations. It's just going to be about this one race, like a race outside of the championship where everybody goes for it.

Q: After the results of these past two years, you've turned out to be one of the greatest Champions the series has ever seen. Looking back at your early career, looking at Formula One, are you happy you came here now? Is it satisfying?

SB; Well, I think I've always been happy to be there. You know, obviously when you're in a professional series and winning races, making a pretty good living out of it, working for Newman/Haas Racing, you have to be satisfied.

FI is not something I completely gave up on. But so far I never had a chance to prove what I can do. You need a good one to be able to show something. So we'll see if something happens during the 2006 season, if 1 can get a chance for the 2007 one. So far there's nothing really scheduled.

We'll see what happens. 1 guess I can't predict the future.

Q: Will you have time to take in and absorb your win here on the Gold Coast? Are you on the first plane out for Mexico?

SB: First plane back home tomorrow. Unfortunately, every year we say we're going to stay there. But the schedule is not wide open. I have the Race of Champions in Atlanta on Friday or Saturday night. I have to make it back home, practice a little if I don't want to look completely stupid. Might want to hurry back home. molorsport news

K

stick

EVIN Kalkhoven looks confident, the kind of confidence borne of knowing what you are doing and sticking to it, no matter what.

So Kalkhoven,a co-owner of Champ Car,PKV Racing and the sole owner of Cosworth, knew what to say when,last month, Honda asked if it could come back to the American open-wheeler series. He said thank you, but no.

"It is no secret that Honda

approached us," he affirms."And I decided that I really didn't want to change the formula. It doesn't slam the door shut. The issue about having two manufacturers in the sport is about controlling costs.

Manufacturers want to compete. The way they compete is to spend more money. All of a sudden, you have a situation where you have 'haves, and have nots' and costs that escalate.

"Then, when they leave the series, you have a disaster on your hands."

Robert Clarke, the man who heads Honda Performance Development, has tasted massive success in the Indy Car Series but clearly, the company wanted to return to the series.

1 I’.?

Clarke's appearance at Las Vegas got the tongues wagging ("Hey, we could have met in a hotel," smiles Kalkhoven)and shortly after he got the negative response, the company announced its continued commitment to the IRL. Kalkhoven did not deviate from his plan to have technical equality in tire series, despite the obvious temptation to take the IRL's sole remaining manufacturer.

"The reason is very simple; motor racing, overall, has become viciously expensive," he explains."An example of that is Formula One. The technology is such that the driver really does not count any more. Was [Michael] Schumacher really brilliant last year and bad this year? Probably

not. It is about the technology.

"We want to make it a drivers' series. Let's take a Will Power and put him in a car and see what happens.

The only way you can do that is by having equality of engines, equality of chassis, equality of tyres. That, and making it affordable. To me, that is what motorsport is about.

"People come to an event to see a driver they like, competitive racing and the odd incident. You do not need different chassis and engines. It is about making it affordable and making it great entertainment."

To that end, the series will run the Lola/Cosworth/Bridgestone combination again next season before moving to a Panoz chassis, with upgraded Cossie V8, the following season. As an undercard, a revamped Formula Atlantic starts in 2006, with an all-new technical package and the massive carrot of a US$2million injection into a Champ Car ride in 2007.

"The reception has been amazing," says Kalklioven. "Forty cars have been ordered;40 kids. That is the long-term future of the sport.

"We had to rebuild from the ground up. Atlantics was a big part of that and that has been an incredible success. The second thing we had to do was the new car. They will be much cheaper so that teams can come up from Atlantics. They will be able to afford it."

One thing of which the Adelaideborn businessman is especially proud is the involvement of Team Australia, Marcus Marshall and Will Power.

With all due respect to Marshall, who has struggled in his rookie season, the arrival of the higlily-rated Power raises the bar.

"Getting Will Power into the team was something that we wanted to do.

It's great, and he has driven so well.

No traction control, no power-assisted anything. He is a tough kid.

"I would like to see some more

is' ■A

M V

A

V

Things look good: Champ Car is on the way back after a couple of lean years.

motorsponnews

CHAMP CAR

inn to Plan A /

Kevin Kalkhoven is piotting the future of the Champ Car Worid Series.

PHIL BRANAGAN caught up with him at indy TM

national teams,following the experience of Team Australia and Craig Gore.

But to do that, you need the involvement of someone

k "It is not Just ^ about money,

like a Craig Gore in each country. It is not just labelling a team as'Team Austraha'.

"He has brought attention and marketing, and sponsors. It is not just about money,it is about making sure that Team Australia is a winner. Craig does not do anything if he cannot win, it is not just a matter of going racing and spending money.

"When the playing field gets set in 2007, with none of the teams having any historical advantage and all the teams getting their cars and engines at the same time, that's going to be a very interesting team. If Craig has some good drivers, we could have a good Team Australia."

There is still much to do. Champ Car's Asian plans took a hit last month with the cancellation of its

I It is about making sure ' Team Australia is a winner tl

- Kalkhoven on Craig Gore

proposed Korean race, again. The track was not ready in time and Kalklioven admits that the organisation needs to have a man on the ground in Korea and China, as it does in Japan, to maintain its push into those markets.

For all that, the events that the series does have appear to be working, with new events ui Edmonton and San Jose drawing 200,000 and 150,000 fans respectively.

AS the owner of Cosworth, Kalkhoven is the man responsible for ensuring that Mark Webber and TBA (Nico Rosberg?) have good power in Formula One next year. Kalkhoven has seen the firm's new 2.4-litre V8 and is impressed.

"It is up and it is running, at 21,000 revs and well over 700 horsepower," he beams.

"It is a little jewel of an engine - you could 26 October 2005

entertainment. And by the way, a race breaks out. It returns racing to its roots. Racing started on the streets. That is, I believe, where there is a huge opportunity.

"What is important is that the races become events. There is

S'j

Clearly, Champ Car's future is on the streets.

"We like to do street races," he admits."I have always said that Surfers is the example how to put on a great event and we have emulated that in places like San Jose. Not the greatest track but... thank God nobody remembers the first year at Long Beach! San Jose will be better next year.

"This is what the fans want;

put it in a purse and take it away. It is going to be a very competitive package.

"There is a reason why Frank Williams decided to pay for Cosworth engines instead of getting a free BMWs. It is going to be very, very good.

"FI is part of the DNA of Cosworth but it is tough being an independent supplier against manufacturers who are prepared to

absolutely no point in going to a great circuit like Laguna Seca if nobody comes. What we see is that open-wheel oval racing in the United States is largely dead, people don't go and it does not matter if it is us or anybody else.unless it's NASCAR.But they do some to the street events and they do come to the road events and they come in huge numbers."

That is clearly a swipe at the rival IRL. As we said, Kalkhoven could have said yes to Honda and, as the owner of Cosworth, was in a position to not supply the Tony George-owned series with engines. Perhaps he was

being kind.

Or just clear. It must take a certain clarity, and a hell of a lot of confidence, to say no to Honda. On that single decision, the entire future direction of Champ Car may rest.

spend hundreds of millions of dollars. You just have to be a lot smarter and, fortunately, there is a history at Cosworth of being quite smart."

Can Cosworth beat BMW next season?

There are two Aussies in particular, one from Queanbeyan and one from Adelaide, who are counting on it.

- PHIL BRANAGAN 33

;

changeable weather, Power rebounded to qualify 11th on the Twas the silence: the first"Ione think to it's break us. grid for his first race.

The momentum carried Sheltered from the blazing sun through to Sunday, and Power by a small canopy, the race crew for Team Australia's #25 car were was running eighth - and first of the three Team Australia cars huddled around a couple of tiny when he and Tag found TV monitors trying to identify themselves on the same piece of who had gone backwards into a wall. The answer came a few road. It was as good a debut as seconds later when a different anyone could have wished for.

Last weekend represented a camera shot highlighted the massive spike on Power's career orange flash on top of Will timeline, as it marked the Power's helmet. moment that he breached the It doesn't take much of a gulf between hungry young mistake to end up with a broken car at the Gold Coast street upstart and paid professional.

Sitting back in his small cabin in circuit, and the wry smiles the Champ Car drivers' private amongst the crew hinted that compound. Power admitted that they initially figured that Will had embarking upon the biggest just joined a long and weekend of his career carried a distinguished list of drivers to lot of baggage. have paid the price for getting it I've definitely had to step up a wrong. But that all changed a few seconds later when the screens gear mentally, because from Monday until now, I haven't had a broadcast a replay showing minute to spare," he said.

Power being hit from behind under braking by Alex Tagliani.

I've just been doing After all of the build-up. interviews, PR things, everything preparations and planning, he'd At a World Series meeting, you been taken out by his team-mate. finish a session, and you have until the next session to talk t wasn't the ideal way to end his about data. Whereas here, you finish the session, debrief, data Champ Car debut, but over the course of the weekend Power lunch, next session, debrief, go through data, and then PR, or had already made his point.

Having essentially lost the things like the Indy Ball. Everyone opening day of track time to wants a piece of you. But that's motorsportnews E guy from Cosworth

ething Big

If Will Power’s first foray into Channp Cars was anything to go by then Team Australia has some good times ahead.

MARK GLENDENNING followed the Queenslander’s debut fair enough, because people are putting money into this, and that's what makes it all go around."

As Mark Webber would tell you after his experiences at Melbourne in 2002, a driver's first race in a major series bears some huge, and ironic, contradictions.

The driver is trying to settle into a new team, with a new car, on a bigger stage, and the thing they need more than anything is time to sit down with the team and work on ways to get themselves dialled into the car, and their car dialled into the track.

And yet the demands on them from the outside to do interviews, meet sponsors, pose for photographs with footballers or sign autographs is so huge that the time available to actually focus on racing goes straight out the window.

Almost overnight, a driver becomes a public figure, and last week Power was no exception.

Fans queued for his autograph.

People held their mobile phones up above a throng of bodies to try and snap a photo. His appearance in the drivers' parade before the race drew one of the biggest cheers of the entire field. MNews put it to him that he was experiencing his first week of fame; Power was nonplussed.

26 October 2005

"I wouldn't say that (I'm famous) yet," he said.

"It's not like I walk into a hotel and have people stare at me. I just wanted to finish the race well. This is the one weekend that Team Australia needs to do really well, and make a good impression on the people here so swearing on the radio probably wasn't the best thing to do." .

Oh yeah, the swearing on the radio. When a driver is immersed in the heat of the moment in a race car, the last thing they are thinking about is the public's sensitivity towards schoolyard language. So when Power was baulked by Michael McDowell towards the end of what would have been his best qualifying lap, he let fly. Unfortunately, his radio was on. Even more unfortunately, it was being publicly broadcast.

"I shouldn't have sworn like that," he rued. "It's just one of those things that comes from the intensity of when you're in the car."

"I tell you right now," interrupted Tagliani, who was sitting in the cabin with Will when MNews spoke to him, "if you are going to swear on the radio every time you get blocked, make sure you turn your radio off, because you will get blocked a lot. Welcome to Champ Car, and street courses!"

power's last few weeks have passed in a blur. It was scarcely two months ago that he first tested a Champ Car but, despite impressing the team, it still took a while for the Queenslander to commit his medium-term future to racing in the USA. "I did the test two months or so ago," Power reflected. "We did very well at that, they were very happy with how I went. We talked about it, more or less talked about the possibility of doing something next year, and the possibility of doing this race.

And I said, 'aww, I want to concentrate on Europe, and focus on doing GP2'.

"Then, as time went on, I thought about it. I had to come up with another budget for GP2 it was a heavily subsidised drive, but I still would have had to find money, and I had pretty much dried up all of my contacts. It was going to be very hard. It was possible, but at the end of it, next year, what do I have? If I don't get into Formula One I'd be looking at Champ Car anyway."

But Power had to take a hit in the short-term in the interests of the bigger picture. He now admits that his performances in the Renault World Series, where he spent much of the season as

a championship contender, suffered.

"Doing all of these drives, from the time I tested the Champ Car, then the A1 car, then a World Series meeting - and the World Series meeting didn't go well because of a problem that we had at that race - my focus wasn't really on," he said.

"As much as I thought I was, I wasn't putting 100 percent into what I was doing, which was World Series. So the results there weren't good enough."

But it has paid off, and Power is now facing the hitherto unknown luxury of knowing, in October, what he'll be doing next year. And for the next three years, come to that.

"I said a couple of years ago that my aim was to know what I am doing before Christmas," Power said.

"That was a dream of mine. I said to (girlfriend) Kerry, 'I would love to not be sitting there, eating Christmas dinner, thinking, 'what the hell am I doing next year?"'

0

n paper. Power looked to be going into the weekend slightly on the back foot.

First and foremost, the lateness of the deal meant that Team continued on page 36 35

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continued from page 35 Australia had to summon a car, and a pit crew, from thin air. A car was cobbled together in the workshop in record time and his crew were assembled from an assortment of other teams, some of which were outside Champ Car, Most of them had never met before the weekend, which should have been a breeding ground for chaos. Instead, it looked like they had worked together forever.

"That's what's good about these guys," Power agreed. "It is a good, professional team and the guys are gelling really well.

The thing about Derrick (Walker) is that he is such a good operator. He is very good at organising everything. When I went to his workshop in the States I thought, 'this is so good.

He's so professional, so organised'.

"To get this car, in two weeks, built up from nothing, and get it to be reliable and nice to drive we hadn't even tested it, it just ran up the runway twice - it's just amazing. And the end result hasn't been too bad."

Power admitted to some doubts when the weather played havoc on Friday, particularly given that he was in the rare position of starting a race weekend in an alien car.

"This was unusual for me, not to have tested and not to be very confident and used to a car," Power remarked. "To have to come in and really have to just push on and learn straight away, and the weather made it even worse. I was sitting there thinking, 'man, this is going to be so tough'."

But his performance on Saturday restored his confidence, and by Sunday he was ready to

\\

You want feedback? He did a good job. He's a professional. For a first time experience, you couldn't ask for better.

It

- Alex Tagliani talks up his new team-mate(24 hours before punting him out of the race...)

go. There were only two things that he wasn't prepared for.

"I couldn't believe that everyone knew my name (during the drivers' parade)," he marvelled. "I didn't realise it was going to be like this. I've never seen anything like it."

He also admitted that he was caught out by the rolling start.

"It took me by surprise," he chuckled. "They all got away! It was good though, because there was an incident at the first corner and I had plenty of space to see that. That's exactly how I wanted to start. I wanted a gap like that."

The retirement of Christiano da Matta and Mario Dominguez and damage to the car of Oriol Servia at the first corner promoted Power from 11th to eighth, and by the time the pitstops came around he was ninth, having been passed by Nelson Phillippe.

He got back up to eighth after leap-frogging Tagliani in the pits, and it was Tag's overeagerness to resume the original order that brought Power's afternoon to an early end, "Everything was going alright," Power shrugged. "I think on the next stop we would have made a change for the better, because I had too much understeer, and

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we would have been even quicker. But it was my first race, and that's life. It's racing.

"If he was going to get any closer I was going to let him by.

The guys came onto the radio and said, 'if he gets close, just let him go'. And that was no problem for me. But I don't know, he must have braked really late, because I braked late, and he hit me from behind. It was a bit disappointing, sitting there against the wall, facing the wrong way ..."

It was an undeserved end to a remarkable afternoon, but there were still plenty of positive

noises coming from Derrick Walker and Craig Gore after the race. The last word, though, went to the guy who will be Power's team-mate for at least the next 12 months.

"You want feedback?" Tag asked MNews on Saturday.

"He did a good job. He's a professional. He feels the car right. He didn't put it in the wall.

For a first time experience, you couldn't ask for better."

2006 cannot come soon enough.

EaEDlIjOM T UiM

¤ 220 page colour magazine ¤ Extensi Austral ¤ Race r

26 October 2005

E

Australian Championships Aussies Overseas ; il Events ionships h more!

I

Four Fop Eight The Gillette V8 Supencar Challenge had something for everyone in three grueiiing races on the streets of Surfers Paradise. PHiL BRANAGAN reports on the weekend that may have changed the championship

T

HERE are six races left in the 2005 V8 Supercar Championship and each of them will be like a precious metal.

Craig Lowndes won his fourth round of the series and remains in contention to win his first title with Ford. But that tells only a minute part of the story that unfolded on the streets, with first Marcos Ambrose, then Todd Kelly and then Russell Ingall all seemingly having their title aspirations crushed through an unlikely series of events.

Ambrose had a clutch fail at the start of the opening race and then hit the wall in the second; Kelly lost an engine in Race 1 and then played catch-up; and Ingall's brakes delivered him first a Race 2 penalty and then a near-incident in Race 3, his avoidance of which resulted in another penalty.

uirk Klynsmitt

"All I had to do in the third race was have a reasonable result and we would have been in a very good position," said Ingall.

"I was coming into the pits and my brake pedal went real soft. To avoiding hitting (Steve) Ellery, who was just in front of me at the entrance of pit lane I steered back on to the race track and I was given a drive through penalty as a result."

That was the bad news; the good is that Ingall left the track with his lead extended to 64 points. Had he known before the weekend that was going to happen, in all likelihood he would have been thrilled. But clearly, he was not.

What else happened? There was a good, old-fashioned Bathurst style standoff after Steven Richards and David Besnard tangled in Race 2, the two standing almost toe-to-toe in

the heat to (not) sort out who was to blame for a shunt that saw the Team Australia car backed into the wall at speed. At the end of the day, Richo was blamed by the Stewards and handed the equivalent of a drivethrough penalty, But the winner of the weekend, Lowndes, now faces ^he prospect of going to Tasmania and Phillip Island with a real sniff of taking the crown.

"Six races to go," he said.

"Eighty-eight points to make up.

We need Russell to make a mistake and we need to pounce on it."

Race 1(31 laps)

f - and it is a big if, - Ingall wins the 2005 V8 Supercar Championship, the race that sealed the deal for The Enforcer was one of the worst to watch of the season. No, make that one of the worst on record. Murphy was 4s clear after two laps; in the following 29 circuits, a lot happened but it did not impact on the result of this race. Murph won by about the same margin; Lowndes was second, a spot he grabbed when Skaife was too kind on the brake pedal at the first chicane, rolled through the straight bit and had to address the situation by allowing Craig past. At the end of the race, all three men looked distressed (well, Lowndes looked as distressed as he ever gets, which is hardly at all).

It

(

118 SUPEBCABS

Eight Eight Was that the hottest race you start of the formation lap and have done?" the red-faced Skaife about 120 seconds after the asked Lowndes later. His answer start, it packed up completely. It was a nod; so too did Murphy. was just one of those random Ingall was fourth and grasped things that happens in racing and the title by the throat.

Ambrose was manfully upbeat as The aim was survival. We he walked in. were racing Todd and Marcos Steven Richards,s race ended and now, it is just Marcos. Now, with a scrape of the wall after a it is a one-car field, but that is great start, while there was the hard because he is so fast. It is usual level of wreckage in the more dangerous. middle to end of the field.

What prompted the situation Overheating struck a couple of was Todd driving in with a blown engine.

I am absolutely shattered because this has out a big dent in continued on page 44 our championship," he said glumly. "But we are not giving in because anything can happen.

Everything had gone exactly to plan and we only had to finish where we were to put pressure on the leaders.

Not the best way to officially l welcome Tom Walkinshaw to the s!' f fold.

I I I But Kelly was not alone; Ambrose had felt something odd iS i'i I with the clutch of his car at the S'»'

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40

H Queensland, underwater one moment, perfect thenext.

That was the lay of the land at Surfers on Friday; it rained in the morning and was fine in the afternoon.

Actually, ‘it rained’ falls short of accurately summarising the Old Testament-style downpour that befell the circuit; it pelted down.

There were muddy rivers running across the track and after a few drivers completed some laps with trepidation, everyone parked.

The actual qualifying session was one of the better ones of the year. Greg Murphy topped the sheets, a fitting reward for the SCAR lads, who looked a bit weary after hurrying car #51 back

together following its post-Bathurst vacation at Dencar. And Murph was not happy; he felt that Jason Richards had been a little tardy getting out of the way and the countrymen had words at the end of the day. He carried those feelings into the rest of the session and the subsequent shootout.

So it was with some irony that the shoot-out appeared to be, at one stage, a Murphy v Richards battle. The Tasman car glided from apex to apex with aplomb; it had good power and everything else required to be a street weapon.

“We are punching above our weight still,” said the team,s tech guru Ron Harrop somewhat modestly. “But we are heading in the right direction.”

moiorsport news

John Morris/Mpix

Maybe so, but the question we asked Richards following the shoot-out was,“Why aren’t you on the front row?”

The answer was that a power steering rack seal was leaking fluid onto unfortunate parts, including the rear tyres, during his Top » 10 lap.

I felt like an amateur out there,” he confessed somewhat too willingly.

Not quite. He was 10th after qualifying second in the session.

Neither of those things are the work of an amateur. Having said that, he may not have topped Murph with a perfect car; Murph’s ‘six’ at Bathurst was a work of art but this lap, to take his first pole position of the season, was from 26 October 2005

the Kamikaze school of driving.

“It was pretty aggressive,” he said. “I did not know what the time should be because the conditions had changed since qualifying. The car felt great in qualifying so I knew I could go a little bit faster.”

For a bloke who would start Race 1 from the front row, Todd Kelly was surprisingly downbeat.

He called himself a “boofhead” for over-reacting to the sun on the track in the shootout, believing that higher track temperatures would allow him to minimise his tyre warm-up on the out lap.

Likewise, Mark Skaife was third (“as good as I could do in the circumstances”) but was less than thrilled with the fact that the cars were better than people may have seen.

Both Stone Brothers cars were in the 10. Ambrose nerfing the wall outside the Holiday Inn (formerly ANA) and “leaving a lot of time out there” while Ingall described his lap as “scrappy”. As you might expect from a bloke with two titles and a fight on his hands for a third, Ambrose was not especially sentimental about the track where he pretty much re-established his Australian career in the Honda Integra race five years ago.

Steven Richards was fifth, happy with the lap but not quite with the front-to-rear tyre balance of the Castrol Commodore.

Lowndes was a lowly sixth after the heroics of Bathurst, losing time in the session proper when he grazed the wall at Holiday Inn. In fact, for much of the session it appeared that Lowndes would be led in qualifying by the newly-released Steven Ellery, now officially on the market (see news pages). In fact, had Ellery not used all three sets of green tyres staying in the 10, the result may have been different.

Heading Jason Richards was Cam McConville, who was pleased with the lap but felt that there was more speed in the car in race trim than in qualifying trim.

Elsewhere, there was some frustration, with Jason Bright feeling that his new FPR Falcon was a much better racer than a one-lap car. Garth Tander and Rick Kelly frustrated by losing time in the morning rain and Jason Bargwanna looking at a shoot-out appearance until a brake pad replacement “took away all the feel”. He was 23rd.

One thing that most seemed to agree on was if the predicted hot weather transpired brakes would be at a premium.

“It is a dangerous weekend for everybody,” said Ambrose at the end of the shoot-out. Prophetic words, indeed.

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11

THE question came from a fan in the V8 Supercar pitlane. It was directed to Dean Canto.

The points leader of the HPDC Series had received a late call-up from Garry Rogers after the sudden sackjng of Andrew Jones [see news pages]. It was a matter of a professional racing driver taking an opportunity but the Holden-or-Ford aligned fans may have seen it differently to that.

"It's hard to say," answered Canto after his first Holden drive since 1999's Queensland 500 (in Wayne Wakefield's Commodore VS). "The brakes are different, the gearshift is a reach. We may change some things if I drive at Symrhons but so far, Garry is happy and I am happy. Hey, I outqualified Seto!"There were some last-minute things to deal with, like wondering whethenRhiUScifleet's racesu,ijj,!(f40uld fit ("It's better than my Westp'oint suit!") and a drivers, briefing to attend. To get there. Canto walked straight past the DJ.R bit'., hocker without as much as a glance. Funny business,.motor ’ racing.

- PHIL BRAIMAGAN UAL-IFYINI3^

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II 16 12 45 13 15 14 6 15 17 16 021 17 48 8

Dr i ver 1 car/team | t i me

1:51.4299 Super Cheap Auto Racing Holden Commodore VZ 1:51.4310 Dodo Racing Holden Commodore VZ Team Perkins Racing Holden Commodore VY J;51.5103 1:51.5904 PIrtek Racing Ford Falcon BA 1:51.6660 Caltex Racing Ford Falcon BA 1:51.7126 Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore VZ 1:51.7854 Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore VZ Cameron McConville Repco Valvollne Cummins Team Holden Commodore VZ 1:51.9165 1:51.9686 Team Betta Electrical Ford Falcon BA Steve Ellery 1:52.0232 Team Betta Electrical Ford Falcon BA Craig Lowndes 1:52.0654 HSV Dealer Team Holden Commodore VZ Garth Tander 1:52.1061 Max Wilson WOW Sight & Sound Holden Commodore VZ 1:52.2881 HSV Dealer Team Holden Commodore VZ Rick Kelly 1:52.3243 Jason Bright Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon BA 1:52.3765 Steven Johnson Westpoint Racing Ford Falcon BA Paul Radisich David Besnard Craig Baird Paul Dumbrel]_ Jamie Whincu p Paul Weel

22 J2 23 20 24 67 25 34 26 16 27 7

John Bowe Jason Bargwanna Paul Morris Dean Canto Glenn Seton Alex Davison

21 _ 5 75 10 52

Surfers Paradise, C^ld

Greg Murphy Jason Richards Steven Richards Marcos Ambrose Russell Ingall Todd Kelly Mark Skaife

19 11 20 23 21 50

28 29 30 31 32

1 1

Team Kiwi Racing Holden Commodore VZ Team Australia Ford Falcon BA WPS Racing Ford Falcon BA Team Perkins Racing Holden Commodore VY Dodo Racing Holden Commodore VZ Super Cheap Auto Racing Holden Commodore VZ Team BOC Ford Falcon BA

9 11 12 10 7 11 7 9 9 12 13 10 13 13 19

1:52.4495 _10 1:52.6916^ 'l3 1:52.6930 12 1:52.7^78 1:527830 1:52.7945 1:52.8030 1:52.8320 1:53.0202

Larkham Orrcon Racing Ford Falcon BA_ Slrromet-Ufe, Style, Wine Holden Commodore VZ Repco Valvollne Cummins Team Holden Commodore VZ 1:53.1750 1:53.2020 Westpoint Racing Ford Falcon BA 1:53.2403 Autobarn Racing Holden Commodore VZ 1:53.4175 Team BOC Ford Falcon BA Brad Jones 1:53.4626 Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon BA Greg Ritter 1:53.4941 Anthony Tratt Toll Racing Holden Commodore VY 1:53!7102 Mark Wlnterbottom Larkham Orrcon Racing Ford Falcon BA 1:54.9099 Matthew White Fujitsu Racing Ford Falcon BA

8 Tl 13 10 14 12 13 10 11 13 12 13 12 7

TOP ID SHDDTaUT RESULTS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7.

9.

10.

Murphy T.Kelly Skaife Ambrose S.Richards Lowndes Ingali Ellery McConville J.Richards

49.8582 50.0726 50.1411 50.2642 50.0631 50.7362 50.1199 50.5616 50.6798 50.9171

1.23.5509 1.24.0009 1.24.1327 1.24.0511 1.23.9962 1.24.5549 1.24.4938 1.24.6083 1.24,9992 1.24.3457

1.51.3434 1.51.9250 1.520418 1.52.0458 1.52.5147 1.52.5421 1,52.6957 1.53.1342 1.52.2375

41

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Tyres made for living. That's A

I

Very CC: Clockwise from above, Skaife ran over the turn one chichane and allowed Lowndes through to second in Race 1. Cameron McConville backed up his Bathurst fourth with fifth on the streets. The Race 1 start saw both HRT cars swing left and right. Lowndes hit the lead in Race 2 but nearly lost the lot on the back chicane.

Bright had this little grass excursion. The photographers love Lowndes. Marcos hates walls, and Tander was flaming hot.

continued from page 39 fohn Mnrui/Mpix

Ford drivers, Jason Bargwanna's car pitting frequently to cool down while Seton suffered his own temperature problems when his icesuit failed, heated him up and literally broiled him.

Not a nice way to close in on the end of his tenure at DJR. So the race may have turned the series. Too bad it was an absolute shocker to watch.

Race 2(22 laps)

««

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Fcler Bury

Mnrshan Cass

Sunday dawned hot, damnon hot. The sun beat down the track, the temps were up and even if the races were nine laps shorter, heat management was going to play a big part in how the race played out So did the start. In fact, it decided the whole thing; Lowndes was marginally swifter at the green, led into the first chicane and, aided by the fact that this time, the T8 crew actually remembered to open his roof vent (unlike Race 1), glided it home. Fie pitted for rubber a lap later than Murphy and resumed in front. Fie cruised it home by just under 3s.

Murph was second from Skaife and Ingal l, whose car was fast enough to establ ish a new lap record but which ate its brakes in doing so. At one stage, he straightlined a chicane but redressed the time he gained, with Tander a safe motorsportnews

After-burner: Both factory Holdens are now right in championship contention, above, but they'll all have to catch Ingall, left, who has a nice buffer. not the brakes' fault. enough distance behind in after dropping as low as 28th fifth. Post-race, Ingall was The damaged showed in the after his penalty, running across docked 32 seconds for the points, with Ingall seemingly the grass on one of the chicanes as he continued to indicretion, despite the fact content to cruise to a healthy that he and SBR tech man Ken lead. struggle for brakes.

Douglas front the powers-thatOnce again, the streets of be with a laptop full of data.

Surfers provided plenty of biff The consequence was that but the name of the game was t was a little cooler for tne start survival. Lowndes did that best, Ingall dropped seven places to of the first V8 race to ever run 11th. aided by what has been for the after the Champ Cars and last few rounds the best car in Rick Kelly was sixth ahead of neither of the drivers on the the field. Added to that, McConville and Ellery, whose front row made even an whatever woes do afflict him, race was interrupted with a wall average getaway. But rub and half-spin at the end of like the qualifying wallbanger, Lowndes's was less awful than appear to be deflected: to the front straight.

Murphy's and that decided the others, they may have a great But what put this race into race. the headlines was what impact.

The pitstops also accounted Still, even Clark Kent knew happened to Ambrose. We have for much [see breakout] and seen the Pirtek car start at the that there was Kryptonite Skaife, aided by an extra lap of floating around somewhere ... back before and then charge clean running and a swift effort AVESCO Events now, mercilessly through the pack from the lads in red, jumped effectively, closes the season (witness Barbagallo this year) Murphy for second. with its two rounds, and we but this time around, nothing And that was largely how it face the prospect of six like that happened. Marcos finished; Lowndes, Skaife, tantilising races, starting at picked off a few cars and then Murphy and Tender, who got Symmons Plains on November spun while looking inside Paul the best of the HSV lot after the 11-13. Can Ambrose regain his Morris at Falken Tyres turn. He increasingly impressive momentum? Can Skaifey and pitted for his tyre stop and McConville got by Rick to take The Toddler win the day for the continued on, without a rear fifth in the race and fourth Holden fans? How will Ingall window and with the wing overall in the round. After the drive with that handy lead? Or element at almost 90 degrees near-catastrophe, Ellery will that jet with the 8s on the to where it belonged. followed from Todd, whose side, and that beaming smile "Everything is happening but recovery after his engine failure behind the wheel, rule the the right things," he shrugged. could have great repercussions day?

"It [the brake pedal] went to the for the final two rounds, while Of course, there are any floor but I am sure that is Bright and Whinchup rounded number of drivers who will be something that is the same for out the top 10. out to prove none of those everyone. I went inside Paul, he In a now-healthy car Ambrose things happen. Folks, we have a tried to have me room but I mounted something more like hell of a championship on our could not stop it. I spun it to try one of his charges to get up to hands ... and miss him and got into the 11th and file some valuable wall. It was not Paul's fault and points, while Ingall was 24th

Race 3(22 laps)

26 October 2005

orri'iiMpix

Australia v MooETabl^in

I

TEAM Australia was already under closer examination than ever before at Indy, because of the obvious presence of three green and yellow LolaCosworths.

But in the second V8 Supercar races, those colours came to light further when Da\'id Besnard and Steven Richards tangled at Falken Tyres. Richo was on a charge while Bezzy was out to defend his position and continue the team's recent run of positives.

As one may expect, there were varied views of the incident.

"He wasn't inside me," Besnard explained. "1 braked where 1 had the last lap and he hit me in the rear. It was near the end of the race, what was he thinking?"

And Richo?

"He moved [laterally] three or four times from the prex'ious chicane, he had a big slide there. 1 don't mind him defending his position, but you have to brake in the same place as the lap before, not 50 metres earlier."

After the race, Richards was charged with careless driving and after a Stewards' Hearing, was slapped with a 32s time penalty, the equivalent of a drive-through penalty. When Alex Tagliani stoved Will Power off the track, nothing happened. One day, perhaps, the reasons why such things happen will be clear.

-PHILBRANAGAN 45

I

VBSCS RD

U8 SUPERCARS

1 1

SURFERS Paradise, Pos I DRIVER 1 Race Time

Fastest

j Lap

Race: 1 2

Murphy Lowndes

59:16.9355

1:62.3270

24

59:20.6521

3

Skaife '’

59:'21.9886

1:52!6233_ 1:52.5390

m' 17

4 5

Ingali Mc'Conville

59:26;5827

1:52.4816

23

59:28.2679

1:5^.2280

Vs*'

59:29.1210

1:'5Z6298 ’ ’l5

6

J. Richards

7 Jlle!7 " 8 _ Bright _ 9 R. Kelly"' id fan'dV 1r Baird' 12 Besnard 13

Radisich

14

Johnson

15 16

Whincup Bowe

17

Jones

18

fratt'

19

Ritter

20_ Canto 2) Winterbottom

LOVE him or hate him, you had to feel bad for Russell ' Ingali.

In all three races on the . streets of the Gold Coast, he had been having brake problems; and he was not alone there. Before the . weekend even started, some drivers had suggested that L the key to the weekend was going to be who preserved , their picks the best. : ' ,With Ambrose*s¥riking problems as soon as the races started, it was Ingall's mission to Stay out of trouble at all j costs. So, Race 3, Lap 6 will j not live in The Enforcer's * memory as a favoured ^.moment. With Steve Ellery in r front of him and heading into *’ pit lane, Ingali followed - or ’ tried to. , Both SBR cars had more

than their share.*ofj)rake* problems.and Ingalls middle pedal sagge'S aldrmrhgly. His instincts, developed in almost two decades of steering cars around racetracks at maximum speed, avoided a major accident. But the very act of doing just that, and crossing the pit entry line, earned him a penalty, Harsh call? Doing the right thing replaced a big incident vyjth^ minor one but he DID crosstTie line. Go back 19 years; at Adelaide in 1986, Nigel Mansell had a tyre explode at maximum speed.

He wrestled his WilliamsHonda to a stop, safely, and emerged unscathed. His reflexes and instincts saved his skin.

Upon reflection, Mansell later admitted that had he

crashed the car'and spread debris all over BrabhanT Straight, the race would probably had been redflagged, the results wou nd back to the previous lap and he would have earned points rather than a DNF. Nelson Piquet won the title that day in South Australia. Mansell had to wait another six years to take his one and only crown.

Instincts ruled both incidents. Ingali may have felt bad after the race but tried to put a posititive spin on things; "Things could have certainly finished better for us today, but we still have a 68 point lead with two rounds remaining.

And history shows, if nothing else, that he is in good company.

- PHIL BRANAGAN

Man for all sports

AS well as being a team owner and series owner in the Champ Car World Series, Paul Gentilozzi is perhaps the biggest fan of V8 Supercars in the Champ Car pit lane.

As an owner/driver in the US Trans-Am Road Racing Series, Gentilozzi is a close follower of the V8s, as it and Trans-Am have obvious parallels.

"The engines are very similar," said Gentilozzi.

"The chassis are different, but to me, they're your version of the TransAm and I think it would be great fun to race them."

"If I had more time I would certainly focus on doing some races over here."

Perhaps a V8 Supercar exchange program is in order?

I'd love to do that!"

I have raced against some of the guys. I raced 46

TransAms in New Zealand a few years a go and Stevie Johnson was there, and the V8 drivers are good drivers. When you can race against this many good drivers, it's always fun."

For now though, Gentilozzi has his hands full. His Trans-Am team were again Champions with year, so a V8 Rocketsports effort will have to wait.

"We love it (Trans-Am)," said Gentilozzi.

"This year we ran Klaus Graf and Tomy Drissi for the championship and they finished first and third. I filled in as kind of the designated blocker when we needed help and when we needed to win a race. My objective wasn't to win the championship."

Designated blocker - do they have those in V8 Supercars?

- CHRIS JORDAN

22

Dumbrell

23

Seton

24

Morris

25

White

1:527647^ "Y9‘ 1:53.0851 "'l6 _59:5J».7229 14 1:00:01.461:53.039953

1:00:02.08 ^:53.637953 18 1:00:02.72 r;53^131624 14^ 1:d0;03.03 1:52.858625 J4 1:00:03.74’'1:53.126526 16 “r:'00:0'Yi6 l:53;636l’57 '19 r;00:04.62 i;53’092815 17 r:0d:07.36'l:53.'354"9'"'T8 1:00:08.60 1:53.683418 21 ■l;00;19.yo'l':53.49507'7'"''l3 1:0Q:20.95 1:53.585849 16 1:00:21.581:53.553984 14 1:00:29.971:53.449583 ' 12 'Ti00:30.4rV:53.187614 20 1:60:41.801:53.88566y 'l8 1:00:51721^3.8^99^ ' 15

l766T52.38 1:54.487315 '

26 ^ Wilson 27 S. Richards

DNF Davison dnf'w^^

' 30'laps

1:52.9401

13

28 laps

1:52.6632

7

_26'lapsJ ir53.8681 ' 14 2Vlaps 1:53.4811' ' 13

DNF Bargwanna D~NF T. Kelly ' DNF Ambrose

Race

59:35;6'605

__21_laps "I'lap

1:5'3.2765 2:02.0102

16 1

' 1 lap

2:3'3.0h6 '

Y

Z

1_ 2

Lowndes Murphy

42:02.6971

1:51.8389

15

42:05.4862'

1:51.9475

15

3_ 4

Skaife Tander

42:06.2703 42:19!2772

1:51.9317 "3 1:52.2521 8'

5 6

R. Kelly McConville

42M9.7789

1:52.5'522

' 13

42:20.1694

1:52.1146

16

7 8

Ellery V^incup

42^30.0155 1:52.7520 10 42:32.09'79' V:5'2.5242 ' 14

9

'Bright'

_42:38.4102

1:52.6208

14

42-A2.bQ0B '42:427527

V;51.6_246 1:53.4435

14R II

42:45.7399

1:53.3790

12

42:477838 42:48.2522

1:53.3236 1:52‘.14lV

12 "9

10

Ingaif

11

Johnson

12 13

Bajrd Radisicfi

14“ 15

I Kelly " Bowe

42:48.9069

1:53.3507

]3

1^ Jones 17 Canto

42:49.6356

1:53.5170

15

42:53.8142

1:53.'4273

14

18 _Dumbreli 19 Bargwanna 20 Ritter 21 Morris

42:54.6 6 74 42i58.0260

1:53.1676 '1-53.6135

15 11

43:08.6379_ 43:09.8541

1:53.5101 1:54.3410

11 13

22 'Weel

43:10.8283

1:53.0860

11

23 24

Seton bavison

43:13.1854 43:14.9867

1:53.40S'3 1:53.7012

15 12

25

Wilson

43:15.2766 43:17.4920

1:53.1870'‘ 1:54.1917

14 4

43:19.0280

1:53.9022 "

2_6 Ambrose 27' 'white' 28

S. Richards

29_ W|nterbottom 30 Besnard DNF J. Richards DNF'Tratt '

Race

43:22.0_437 1:52.0568 43:24.9561 " ' 1:53.2110 22 laps 16 laps

1:53.4863 1:52.3546

14 M

16 laps

1:53.7913

11

21 11

3

1 2

Lowndes Skaife

43:41.7737 1:51.6328* 43:44.3204 1:51.9042

3 4

Murphy Tander

43:46.0829 43:48.5826 43:49.0487

5

McConville

6 7

_R. Ke_ily” Eliery

8

'"tKeliy

14 13 "16

"l :52.l’777 ' ' 12 1:52.3981 5 1:52.2081 5

43:50.2143 ’ 1:52.1074

10

43:50.489'l 43:50.7234

’l':'52.2555_ 1:'52'l392

if 11 6

43:51.3967

1:52^606

4'3:52.0'6i_0' 43:52.4029 43:53.530'0

1:52.9460'^"l2' 1:52.0859 ’ ' 12 1:52.8579 ' 12

Canto Wilson Ritter Weel

43:54.0935 43:54.7199

1:52.'5319 1:52.6471

Bowe

43:5Z2869 43:57.7346

9 10 11

Bright _ Whincup Ambrose

12

Johnson

13_ 14 15 16 17

18 _ S. Richards 19 j. Richards 20 Seton 21 _ 22 23

Besnard Dumbrell Davison

24

Ingali

25_ Morris 26 WinterboUom 27 Radisich 28 Jones 29' Baird ' 30 'Tratt DNF'White DNF Bargwanna

9 11

4'3:56.2654 ''l:52.'63b6 "ll 43:56.8605 'l:52.6045 'l5 I:52.'9960 1:51.9448

10 b'

44:0'0.013'4 _lV52.88'60" 'l0 44:01.5043 1:52.86""' 10 44:62.655'6_ 1:_53Y292 ' 'l9 44:03.5934 V:52V7184 ' 9' u':'o'6.1158 i':53.8'2'45' " 5 44:06.2566 l:51.7l'75‘ 11 44:06.8882 1:53.2171 ' 14 44:07.’9163 44:31.5921

1^3’3550 1:53.0812

10 11

'21 laps " ●52.9132 10 20 laps 1:'53.2323' ' 11 20Yaps’ " 1 ^53'3424' lO'iaps 'l:53.84H' 5 laps ' l':53.6527'

9 8 3

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Sunday October 30 - Eastern Creek Raceway T ""

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COME AIMD MEET AMC^S TEAM OF CHAMPIONS!

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Iflist you thestars major attractions at the CarDon't Masters any better, take a look the of thought legendary who'll be joining us AMC on theMuscle big day. miss couldn't a uniqueget chance to rubjust shoulders with at some of the biggest names in Aussie muscle car racing history - all on the same star-studded day at The Creek!

ALLAN MOFFAT COLIN BOND KEVIN BARTLETT JIM HUNTER PETER BROCK BOB MORRIS FRED GIBSON JOHN SHEPPARD BOB JANE LEO GEOGHEGAN JOHN HARVEY CHRISTINE GIBSON HARRY FIRTH JOHN GOSS JOHN FRENCH BOB SKELTON

●● .

AMC MASTERS TO HOST HISTORIC TOURER GRAIMO FINAL! v Following a late calendar revision, the final round of the Biante Model Cars Historic Touring Car Series will now be held at the AMC Masters. Although originally scheduled to run as a support event for the V8 Supercar Championship Series closer at Phillip Island on November 27, the Biante boys will now take centre stage at Eastern Creek on October 30 for their thrilling series decider. So get ready for some red hot Historic muscle car warfare at The Creek. ,

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v 1979 John Harvey M-HDT Torana A9X (Paul Stubber) v 1979 Bob Morris ASF/Breville Torana A9X (Garry Hinton) v 1979 Allan Grice Craven Mild Torana A9X (Tony Sawford) v 1977 Peter Janson Torana A9X (Ron Hands) v 1978 Bob Forbes/Kevin Bartlett Torana A9X (Ron Hands) v 1975 Colin Bond HOT Torana L34 (Mick Cameron) v 1973 Bob Jane/John Harvey Torana GTR XU-1 (Mick Cameron)

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TICKET information

I Pre-purchase tickets on sale from Monday August 15, 2005.

I All ticket sales direct from Eastern Creek Raceway 02 96721000 www.eastern-creek-raceway.com or at the gate.

I Adults:$30 I Students/concessions:$15 Kids 12 and under: Free! Grandstand; Free!

I Competitors paddock: Free! Trackside parking: Free! k

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GROUP C TOURING CAR INVASION!

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Ford Performance Racing flew to the Gold Coast in style last week.

CHRIS JORDAN rode along with the boys in blue on OzJefs maiden voyage

A

Air Stoddy: Motorsport News was part of the very first OzJet flight.

Above, John Benson and the pack file onto the Melbourne runway and below, Clinton Wilson studies some data (and Kung-Fu videos).

S others battled security checks, line ups and cramped flights. Ford Performance Racing - as well as a few hangers on - took its staff to the Lexmark Indy 300 in style last Thursday, aboard OzJet's maiden trip.

The flight, tagged FPR001, was the first charter voyage for OzJet, the latest venture for Paul Stoddart's aviation empire and his new ‘number one project’, now that Red Bull is to take over the Minardi FI Team.

Stoddart came along for the ride with the team he now sponsors, although what was supposed to be a relaxing meeting on the Gold Coast quickly turned into a one day stopover when circumstances intervened.

"Max (Mosely) has called an FI Commission meeting for Monday," said Stoddart. "So I'll be going to that - can't let Max have all the fun!"

The sale of Minardi and Civil Aviation Safety Authority compliance are also things eroding Stoddart's time of late, leading him and his able Australian sidekick Geoff Harris to fly out of Coolangatta on Friday morning.

"This was supposed to be my first relaxing weekend in a while, but no, things keep popping up," said Stoddart.

The deal with OzJet came about through Stoddart receiving a phone call from old FI pal Tim Edwards, now Team Manager of FPR. "My mate Tim Edwards rang me and said 'I have an idea'," said Stoddart. "The colours are the same and it is a deal that gives both of us exposure. It works for both of us."

In Edwards's time at the Jordan FI team, he regularly flew Air Stoddy’ with many other FIites, hopping aboard European

Aviation aircraft from race to race. Now, a similar set-up is being thought out for FPR and OzJet for the future. MNews certainly hopes this Melbourne to V8 Supercars arrangement is the first of many! For the general public, OzJet is currently looking at getting its final CASA approval in mid-November to begin public fliqhts in December.

s

ome team members, including the team's two drivers Greg Ritter and Jason Bright, had already ventured to Indy to fulfil commitments before the Thursday, but the lucky ones that remained made up the bulk of the 33-strong field for the first flight.

FPR's Commercial Director Rod Barrett also used the opportunity to bring along some sponsor representatives from companies such as Caterpillar, a Ford Credit competition winner and yours truly. Somehow, I'm not sure how I will be able to fly anything else after flying up and back with OzJet. Imagine an all-Business Class cabin not even half full. With empty seats galore, most on the flight switched from seat to seat mingling and chatting all things motorsport. Inevitably, with the likes of Stoddy, Harris and Edwards aboard, the topic of FI was brought up in discussion with entertaining consequences.

A

s far as a flight review goes, there is not much to say, other than I doubt that I, or anyone at FPR, will be able to easily adjust to anything less any time soon. An A-Team cabin crew line-up consisted of two Australians and two of Stoddart's European Aviation crew. The two Brits have been in Australia since February establishing details for CASA compliance, proving that Stoddy's latest creation is no

FEATURE

me a Fat Seat Fat seat central; John Curran gets cosy, above, before tucking into the gourmet breakfast, below.

tiash-in-the-pan. buropean s cabin staff has an enviable reputation in terms of customer service, and that has definitely been carried across to OzJet. MNews is home to two of the most discerning critics in the game in Messrs Branagan and Glendenning, and when they joined me for the return journey. they both gave a big tick of approval. Wine buff Glendenning rated the cheese platter, while Big Dog Branners described the leg room as "ample room for a prayer mat to aim at Mecca."

The atmosphere of the team in both directions was up-beat. Car 5 Engineer Clinton Wilson joined the journos in bashing away at the laptop both ways. While he

looked to be examining data on the way up, he had something that looked like a kung-fu movie playing on the return. Car 6 Engineer Phil Keed was impressed with the Minardi esque livery of the Boeing 737200, and FPR massage guru John Curran was certainly approving of the 'fat seats'.

Signs at the moment point to the travelling circus continuing or into the future (the Motorsport News staff sincerely hope sol) Yet again, Stoddy seems to be on a winner.

MOTORSPORT

2S0ctei)er20G5

QUEENSLAND Queensland Raceway Champion's Way Willowbank QLD 4306 Tel 07 5461 9100

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Kostera’s Tyre Service 7 Mead St Kalamunda WA 6076 Tel 08 9293 3500

TASMANIA Fulton Enterprises 41 McKenzie St Mowbray TAS 7248 Tel 03 6326 9199

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

VICTORIA

NSW & ACT

1

Junk Food Para Forget the first turn shunt And forget that Team Australia did their best to eliminate themselves on their home track. Just remember the Frenchmen at the front with all the skills of the other men who have held the Vanderbilt Cup. CHRIS JORDAN reports on the Lexmark Indy 3Q0 'V-

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EBASTIEN Bourdais's competition evaporated at the Lexmark Indy 300, allowing the Frenchman to waltz away with an easy victory, his sixth of the season.

The win also clinched what was already inevitable - his secondconsecutive Champ Car title. And much to everyone's amusement, Bourdais kept alive the Gold Coast Indy hoodoo, where no driver has ever won the Champ Car event twice in the 15-year history of the event.

"The race didn't really start the way it was supposed to," said Bourdais.

"I was supposed to be Oriol's wingman today, but then Oriol was out and FT jumped through the chicane and was out in front."

"It would have been a terrible thing for Tracy to win for Oriol's second place in the championship,so I drove as hard as I could."

The first incident to play into Bourdais's hands was the start.

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Newman Haas controlled the pace from the front row and with team orders that appeared to be aimed at letting Servia lead, Bourdais was cautious. This however,only caused to bunch the field and as the contenders funnelled into the first chicane, Cristiano da Matta barrelled into the back of Servia,spinning Servia and pitching his own Lola straight into the wall, da Matta was then collected by Mario Dominguez as he bounced back onto the track.

After the wreckage was cleared, Tracy and Bourdais puUed away from the field. But the two fierce rivals didn't lock horns as they have so often this year, insteacl Tracy edging away late in the opening stint and broke Alex Zanardi's lap record from 1998 in the process. Bourdais on the other hand looked to get an extra lap out of his first tank of methanol, which he did successfully,jumping ahead of Tracy in the process.

But Tracy's luck ran out on lap 24, when his Cosworth XFE engine cried enough.

"I didn't feel that I was pushing that hard," said Tracy.

"But the engine just started to fee! weak and then it started smoking and spewing. It's been that kind of year.

This left Bourdais to control the race from the front and cruise to an easy victory.

"It was a nice win, very straight forward," said Bourdais, who is already amongst Mario and Michael Andretti, Nigel Mansell and da Matta as NHR Champion drivers, but is the first to win two titles.

Servia, meanwhile, was able to continue after the first corner fracas and set about picking off drivers oneby-one. The Spaniard was into the

continued on page 52 26 October 2005

W

ITH the cancellation cars had speed in reserve to of the Ansan event in make the front row their own, Korea, Sebastian Cristiano da Matta was fifth, Bourdais used qualifying for ahead of Paul Tracy, who ruined the Lexmark Indy 300 to a quick lap when he broke his collect a point for fastest rear suspension when he tagged qualifier on Friday and the outside wall at ANA Corner. effectively clinch the 2005 Team Australia would start the Champ Car World Series on race line astern, with Alex the Gold Coast.

Tagliani ninth. Will Power 11th With the fastest time in the and Marcus Marshall 13th. first qualifying session, Bourdais Power's impressive performance only had to present for the start had him the second quickest of the race, earn a further two rookie, one spot and 0.045s points (Champ Car scores behind top rookie but vastly points to 20th, but 19 cars were more experienced Timo Clock. present) and then lift the 11th is also the highest an Vanderbilt Cup. Australian has ever qualified for the Gold Coast race.

But on Saturday, Bourdais was denied the kudos of pole by his team-mate Oriol Servia.

“The Friday session began on a Servia set an impressive time to wet circuit, and with the gain his first pole after 97 forecast for Saturday pointing to Champ Car starts, the latter half fine conditions, it was highly of the session certainly an unlikely that any of the Friday times were to stand. But improvement on the first half, when the PacifiCare car dropped fastest on Friday does parts of its damaged front wing guarantee a front row start in around the circuit, causing a red Champ Car, so the big boys had flag. something to play for.

"It's hard to put all your splits As the track began to dry, Alex together on one lap here, Tagliani was hitting his stride, because of mistakes and also sitting at the top of the time coming up on traffic," said sheets. When Timo Clock spun Servia. his Rocketsports Lola, a red flag Bourdais had admiration for allowed teams to pit with a little his 'super-sub' team-mate. over two minutes remaining.

"When I did my lap, I thought Paul Tracy was the first to 'it has to be pole'," said advance on pole after the Bourdais. "But Oriol was faster! stoppage, but as the chequered I am happy for my friend." flag flew Bourdais went faster, Third on the grid was the securing the title. Tagliani then Forsythe car of Mario pumped out a fast time to elevate him to second, 0.271s Dominguez. The Mexican had been fastest with three minutes behind Bourdais.

- CHRIS JORDAN remaining, but the two NFIR

continued from page 51 top 10 very quickly, but found it tougher getting past the faster guys.

As the leader drove into the distance, attention turned to debutant Will Power.

Things were looking good for the Queenslander, as the understeer that had plagued Team Australia's third Lola for much of the weekend was going away.

But Power was'removed'from contention by none other than his team-mate, Alex Tagliani.

Tag tried to dive down the inside of Power at ANA Corner, but only succeeded in hitting the left rear tyre of Power. The clash flattened Tagliani's right front tyre, but Power had the rough end of the deal. He was turned into the tyre barrier rear first, taking off his rear wing and bending the mounts sufficiently that Derrick Walker's men put the car away.

"There was just a 'bang' and that was it," said Power.

"It was going well before that. We had just got rid of the understeer problem. Even my hand was OK. We strapped it up before the race and I had a Nurofen to kill the pain just before the race."

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Motorsport News has the action covered from all angles: Cristiano da Malta collected the back of Servia at turn one, above, before Dominguez got himself involved, below.

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Safety first: The Safety Car, above, was required twice.

Another Indy, another Miss: Jana Petersen won the 2005 Miss Indy.

Power's hand carried huge blisters over the course of the weekend. Both the Renault World Series and A1 Grand Prix cars Power has driven this year use paddle shifting, making his adjustment to the big and burly Champ Car a painful one. But perhaps even a bigger painkiller was the pre-race Driver's Parade, which capped a huge weekend.

"The weekend has just been huge," said Power.

"I can't believe the support. In the parade, the whole way around the track people were waving yellow flags and yelling 'go Will'. I couldn't believe what was happening!"

Power did what he had to do. He was extremely impressive and it is a mark of his skill that a driver the stature of Tagliani had to try a desperate passing attempt to get past a guy just 29 laps into his first-ever Champ Car race. He was getting lots of pats on the back and shaking lots of hands post-race. It just looked a little strange that he was using his left hand ...

While Power got changed, Tagliani limped in and was back out with new tyres before he lost a lap.

When back on track, Tag was motoring along, at one stage passing AJ Allmendinger for second. But second was handed back to

Australia's best: Marcus Marshall finished 11th in his debut on the Surfers Paradise streets.

52

Allmendinger when Tagliani, off sequence from his repair pit stop, pitted for fuel on lap 48.

Allmendinger's race was largely uneventful,as a threat from his RuSport team-mate Justin Wilson was also quelled when Wilson needed a quick splash of fuel witlr two laps remaining.

"All these good finishes I have are always behind one guy who has a really fast car," joked Allmendinger, who equalled his career best with second.

Third was Jimmy Vasser, who like his countryman, had a fairly quiet race, see breakout right.

Tagliani drove very well to recover for fourth, ahead of Servia, top Rookie Clock, Wilson and Ronnie Bremer, who performed well all weekend for perennial back marker Dale Coyne Racing.

Points: Bourdais 344, Servia 265, Wilson 231, Tracy 221, Allmendinger 199, Vasser 198, Tagliani 192, Dominguez 189, Clock 181, Bremer 137.

moiorsport news

CHAIVIP CARS

Coulthard in Cruise and Collect Mode ABIAN Coulthard has put one hand Another to tag a wall in Race 1 was on the 2005 WPS Carrera Cup David Reynolds, but the Sonic driver Championship after cruising to a decided to pull off the circuit before th e dominating win at the penultimate temperature gauge went too high. round on the Gold Coast last weekend.

Luke Youlden was another to not finish Coulthard entered the round locked in a Race 1, after he hit the back of Jonathon battle with Jim Richards, but Richards had Webb,splitting the VIP Petfoods car's a horrid weekend that left him to watch radiator. Webb also came in for repairs from the sidelines after engine damage. but rejoined. Under the Safety Car, Richards passed Coulthard for the lead in Rodney Jane was hit from behind and the wet Race 1, but clipped a wall at Turn 2, sent into the wall, ending his race. demoting him to eighth. Richards finished Amid the commotion, Coulthard the race, but damage caused his engine to cruised to victory ahead of Klark Quinn overheat, the damage sufficient to rule him and Paul Freestone. out of the weekend, leaving Coulthard to Quinn continued his fine form of late, cruise to victory in all three races. finishing second in all three races and "It's the difference between a minor like Coulthard, was able to drive away rebuild and a major one," said Richards. from the main pack in each race.

"We just decided it wasn't worth "It's quick at the morhenfbut 1 vvish I continuing. I'm not thinking about the knew why," joked Quinn. "It was good at points anymore."

Bathurst, but I really like that place and I

go well there, but here we are going really well."

Bryce Washington has not appeared at every Carrera Cup round this year, but now that he is back he has shown real speed. Washington was fourth in Race 1 and third in Race 2, but a clash with Paul Freestone in the final race meant that Washington missed the podium with a DNF. Freestone was served with a drivethrough penalty for the incident.

Washington's loss was Ian Dyk's gain, the young Sydneysider gaining his first Carrera Cup podium with third in Race 3 and the round. It was a good comeback for the GMR driver after a spin in the wet first race.

- CHRIS JORDAN Points; Coulthard 1125, Richards 963, Youlden 743, Webb 740, Fitzgerald 588, Reynolds 576, K.Quinn 537, McLean 519, Cressey 471, Dyk 456.

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IMMY Vasser is one of the few remaining stars in the Champ Car World Series that remains from the heady days of the 90s.

Consequently, he is the darling of the Queensland media in the lead-up to Indy week. This year, the media cottoned on to the pit lane rumour that Vasser was to retire at the end of the season.

But Vasser was bemused by the speculation and who could blame him. His third place at Surfers is his second podium in succession and his fourth on the Gold Coast.

"The car felt fine today, but we are still lacking speed," said Vasser, "I was having a good race with Tag, but he went an extra lap on a stint and ran out of gas and coasted in dead stick, so I

26 October 2005

starting to show that the hard work is paying off.

Inevitably, the question came.

Is this good result going to reverse your decision about 2006? It seems the decision they were all talking about is yet to be made ...

I feel on top of my machine and if I retire it won't be through lack of performance. I could drive another two years.

It could be better for me to step out for commercial reasons and I will concentrate on building the team for the future.

If someone comes along and hey, maybe they could be Marshall Casf better for the team in terms of fibre was flying everywhere. I sponsorship - then I'd think could tell that by the dynamics of about it."

"But the team and I won't the grid and what drivers were on what row," make that decision until mid"Street circuits have been our December.

- CHRIS JORDAN weakness all year, so we are

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got away.

Vasser used his head at the start to avoid the carnage triggered by his team-mate Cristiano da Matta.

"Just like I thought, carbon

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Flavio Briatore's strategists devised a plan to beat McLaren in China and snatch the Constructors title. And it worked, despite Safety Car interruptions.

JOE SAWARD was there

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HERE is a certain irony about a country spending hundreds of millions of dollars on building the world's flashes! racing circuit and then watching the Grand Prix being ruined by a cheap piece of grating ripped loose by the grip of the Formula 1 tyres and the power of the engines.

One would have thought that the Chinese might have learned from the similar incident earlier this year when V8 Supercar runner Mark Winterbottom had the guts torn out of his Ford Falcon. On that occasion the grating sliced through the floor of the car and narrowly missed driver's rear end (much to his relief).

The grate dislodged in the Grand Prix caused a Safety Car and that had a major effect on the race and potentially on the World Championship - although we will never know for sure. Things were 54

further messed up when Narain Kathikeyan went off in a big way on the 29th lap, bringing out a second Safety Car. Some lost and some gained from all of this. Alonso lost a 20secs lead with the first Safety Car but then McLaren lost the chance to use the fuel advantage they were carrying in qualifying.

Alonso won, Raikkonen chased as best he could, but the race and the Constructors' title was lost.

During laps up on beforethe therecognition cars even lined the grid - an amazing thing happened. Michael Schumacher was wombling slowly around to the grid and simply pulled across the track into the path of Christijan Albers, who may well have said a few choice words in Dutch about the Germans as he was flying over the Ferrari.

Both cars were royally rooted and the drivers headed back to the pitlane to gather up the T-cars and prepare to start tire race from the pitlane. Hours later the Stewards issued a reprimand for Schumacher, a punishment which must have hurt as much as being whipped with wet spaghetti.

Schumacher and Albers would be joined in pitlane at the end of the parade lap by Karthikeyan with what the team later described helpfully as "a problem". In fact, they'd run him light (which had moved him all the way up to 15th!) in qualifying, and decided to fuel up the car.

When the lights went out Takuma Sato set off long before everyone else, which was really not what was needed at this stage in his tortured FI career. He was duly penalised and sent to the back of the class where he spent the rest of the day trolling arovmd.

Up front the race was developing, apparently as we had all suspected.

Alonso was driving away at a rate of knots and Fisichella was going much more slowly with the two McLarens on his tail.

Button dropped away at the start and had to spend the early part of the race hanging out with Coulthard.

Barrichello was next but it was clear that the Ferraris had no chance at all.

Michael was messing about with Jordans and Minardis and making no progress at all.

And as we all waited to see how much further the McLarens would go, we were missing the point. The point was that Fisichella was deliberately play-acting, slowing the pace and acting as though he had a lot of fuel in his car. The Renault folk said that his fuel load would actually have taken him to lap 21 and then he would have turned up the engine and gone for it.

motorsportnews

The last blast: Toyota capped off its best season yet with a podium, above.

Christian Klein was Red Bull's star, and the Safety Car also got some track time, left. Top, Renault won the start, the race and the Constructor's Title.

Alonso would have gone to 23.

By torturing McLaren engineers after the event we were able to discover that Raikkonen was going to be in on lap 25 or 26. Montoya was going in earlier. And that meant that the gap between the Renault and Raikkonen stops would not have been enough to put Kimi ahead.

It all became irrelevant, however, as all strategies disappeared with the chaos of the first Safety Car, which turned the whole race into a scramble.

The second Safety Car (for Karthikeyan's shunt on lap 29) enabled everyone who wanted to, to fill up and go for the flag. Most took that option while a few enterprising folk tried a different approach, staying out and using track position and clear road to make up time, which was then used 15 laps later.

This worked well, as Mark Webber and the pursuers found themselves jammed up behind a slow but difficult-to-pass Barrichello. As a result Ralf Schumacher ended up third, Christian Klien a strong fifth and Felipe Massa sixth.

The significant point in the middle of

26 October 2005

the race was that Bridgestone tyres were obviously not going anywhere.

Michael even spun off by himself behind the Safety Car on lap 23. It was not what one would norm^y expect from a seven-time World Champion.

Michael blamed cold tyres but the situation was so dire for the Bridgestone men that Barrichello had to stop an additional time at the end of the race as one of his front tyres was so shot

action helped Alonso to stay ahead and saved Fisichella time as well, as he would otherwise have sat behind Fernando while the team worked on the World Champion. This was a trick pulled by McLaren at Spa and later declared unacceptable by the FIA. Fisichella tried it on and paid for it late in the race when he was given a drive-through penalty which cost him

"Coming into pits, Fisiciieiia stowed to such an extent that other cars were pited up behind him,jinking about tike disco dancers ft

that it was judged to be dangerous.

And so it ended up with Alonso leading all the way and Raikkonen getting second, despite the best efforts of Fisichella to mess things up for him at the second stops.

Coming into the pits, Fisichella slowed to such an extent that other cars were piled up behind him, jinking about like disco dancers. The

third place. Later, Fisico theatrically tried to make out that he was an innocent party and did not understand why he was punished: "This is the best fourth place of my life," he said. Worthy of an Oscar perhaps.

The nett effect of this was that Ralf Schumacher ended up third, which certainly never looked very likely

before the race. He was eighth for the first part of the race, but was the prime beneficiary of the Karthikeyan shunt. Toyota left him out and suddenly Ralf was second.

When Alonso took off at the second restart, Ralf could not go with him but was quick enough to pull away from Massa and Klien and, as his immediate rivals were all stuck in traffic Ralf was able to pit on lap 47 and get out in fourth. Fisichella's penalty did the rest. The strategy was smart and there was a bit of luck involved, but third is third.

Behind Fisichella were Klien and Massa, who also gained from staying out after the Karthikeyan shunt.

Massa had to hold off Webber in the closing laps. The big victims of fate were Button and Coulthard who, through no real fault of their own, ended up eighth and ninth.

And so a great FI season came to an end and everyone packed up their bags and gladly headed for home after 19 races. We'll be back in action in March when,once again, all the technical boffins will have started from scratch - and they call that cost cutting!

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with Pedro de la Rosa setting the pace on Friday along with Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya.

But FI qualifying these days is like playing "Rock, Paper, Scissors" and wins at the end of it all. enault had everything to lose and nothing much to gain from taking usks e word was that, with two r cars, Renault -*!:l new engines in were able to take risks.

For his part, Raikkonen had a raceold engine. This may not seem much, but it meant that the Renaults could be made to run stronger for longer, because the VIOs did not need to survive for another day. And after that, all Renault needed was for their rivals to make assumptions.

And they did, V-^ Tbey-esSumed from the lap times that the two Renaults were running lighter than Raikkonen. They decided that Montoya would run lighter because of his early slot in qualifying. He was needed up front and so he had to be much lighter in order to be there.

Renault thus needed a plan to stop Raikkonen taking off and winning the race. The best way to do that was to have one car as the hare and the other as the tortoise (and part-time, rear gunner). The plajub«#«fc're l^okeii-toijtftb^et Alonso on pole have Fisichella second on the rtatgicl-Aifliwo-woufd tt'tirrake off into .the distance while Fisi would hold back the McLarens which, Renault assumed, would be running with heavy-ish fuel loads.

Overtaking at Shanghai is not easy, so track posifion is as important as ^ outright pace. McLaren needed to score two more points than Renault and if Raikkonen won the race, it ~ nMtorspwtQews

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Both Juan Pablo and myself Montoya did a good are in strong positions to get the results we need. qualifying time in the circumstances and ended up The big question on Saturday fifth overall at the end of the night in Shanghai was how Renault had achieved 1-2 on session. But was that with a the grid? Was it because heavy load or a light load? It Raikkonen was a little ragged had to be lighter than normal.

Different brilliance: Fisichella, or because Alonso and But the big question was, how above and Renault were a class Fisichella were running lighter? light?

It was neither - Renault had Alonso, with what looked like above. Karthikayen, below, was 15th in Jordan's last CP. simply turned the revs right a light load, was on pole and, back up on their 'one-race' as it turned out, was fourtenths faster than Raikkonen, enqme^.. the kind of gap that a Renault Touche. First part of th^Jaii accomplished. ^ would normally only have achieved with a light fuel es, there were 16 other cars advantage. But after t^ race in qualifying but, on this the Renault boys expl^ned that ? bccasiofr, they were almost bit r practice and qualifying was part players. " actually a very clever con job.

Jenson Button did his usual With the revs turned down good job for fourth, both during p'ractice, the brilliant qualifying laps with big Ferraris were in the top 10 but,assumptions made by the rival of most interest to Aussies, a loads of gas but this was not a teams appeared to be backed front brake lock-up into the perfect lap and it ended up up with data. hairpin cost Mark Webber a being a fraction slower than The key moment in couple of rows when the Fisichella. That was key. qualifying came when Williams looked a reasonable "We knew before qualifying Raikkonen was on his car in lap time terms - albeit up that we would struggle to get qualifying rutr. He was to 15kmh down on the hot pole position today," he said. obviously carrying a lot of fuel and that made the job harder. '"The car was not perfect on the shots down the straight. He would start from 11th.

All year Raikkonen has driven qualifying lap but I'm confident tt

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QUALIFYING

ESP E Fernando Alonso Mild Seven Renault FI Team 1:34.080 ITA 2 E Giancarlo Fisichella Mild Seven Renault FI Team 1:34.401 FIN 3 E Kim! Raikkonen 1

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Team McLaren Mercedes 3 Jenson Button Lucky Strike BAR Honda 10 Juan Pablo Montoya Team McLaren Mercedes Michael Schumacher Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 14 Dayid Coulthard Red Bull Racing 2 Rubens Barrichello Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 17 Rail Schumacher Panasonic Toyota Racing Mark Webber BMW WilliamsFI Team 12 Felipe Massa Sauber Petronas 16 JarnoTrulli Panasonic Toyota Racing 8 Antonio Pizzonia BMW WilliamsFI Team 15 Christian Klien Red Bull Racing 19 Narain Karthikeyan Jordan Grand PrIx 11 Jacques Villenueve Sauber Petronas 4 Takuma Sato Lucky Strike BAR Honda 21 Christian Albers Minardi FI Team 18 Tiago Monteiro Jordan Grand Prix 22 Robert Doornbos Minardi FI Team

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1:34.488 GBR 1:34.801 COL 1:35.188 GER 1:35.301 GBR 1:35.428 BRA 1:35.610 I GER 1:35.723 AUS 1:35.739‘ BRA 1:35.898 ITA 1:36.044 BRA 1:36.445 AUT 1:36.472 : IND 1:36.707 **.

CAN 1:36.788 . .

JAP 1:37.083 NED 1:39.105 V. PO 1:39.233 NED 1:39.460

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Winners F0CUS ON WEBBER Renault Flavio Briatore promised the Renault board a title in 2006.

He has delivered Drivers' and Constructor's titles a year early. Take that, RonI

Stuck in Traffic

Safety Cars upset our bloke’s Shanghai strategy too

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Half Schumacher A week after looking like a dunce in Japan Raify comes up aces at The Shang with a third place. Enjoy the winter big guy.

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Renaults through practice, and the first part of Webber's qualifying lap

Christian Klien Red Bull may have paid his way into F1 but the Austrian looks the goods. CK will probably stay in RB's 'A-Team' next season.

And it's goodbye from him (inset): Stoddy and the man who gave him his proudest FI day share a moment on the grid. Early running, left, and Webber tails eventual podium man Ralf Schumacher.

Strategy made the difference ...

Michael Schumacher Even before the race started Schumi appeared to be wearing the clown shoes and it only got worse from then on.

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Grand Prix of China

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Juan Pablo Montoya An errant drain cover is hard to see and harder to miss.

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WILLIAMS produced a slightly improved car for the final round, but a qualifying brake-lock had long-reaching effects.

With its long,long main straight, Shanghai rewards cars with good aero efficiency and/or power, or both. And while Williams appeared to have a car with good comer speed, the price was paid in the speed traps, where Webber's car gave away some ISkph to the pace-setters.

Nevertheless, the Willamses appeared to be as strong as anything else behind the McLarens and

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motorsport news 1

FORMULA ONE suggested a third row start - until the end of the straight.

"I actually braked a bit earlier than Antonio (Pizzotria), but the set-up we'd gone with didn't handle the bumps into the hairpin that lap," rued Webber.

Back to the Windtunnels PAOLO FILISETTI noticed the small things at V5’s final race

The front lock-up cost 3-4 tenths and a couple of rows on the start

THE 19th and last race of the 2005 season was also

grid, crucial as it transpired.

the final outing for V10 engines. With the cars

"We were fuelled to go quite a long way,so the first Safety Car did us no favours at all. At that point I'd been trucking along with Ralf, and I was fairly sure he'd stop first...

"Sam (Michael) made the call to stop during the second Safety Car as we could fuel to the end,but as we saw we just got stuck behind Rubens for far too long.

"He(Sam) wondered afterwards whether he'd done the right thing, but it was the right call. The three who stayed out made all their ground thanks to Rubens holding us up.

He was shot through the corners, but we simply didn't have the straight line to do much about it. On the main straight, it was all I could do to keep up with him - and I was getting a big tow!"

The race has clearly spelled out what Williams' aero engineers will be concentrating on as they produce the package for the Cosworth-powered 2006 car.

"It's a no-brainer. We're pretty good on down-force, but our aero efficiency isn't what it should be.

That's what the aero boys will be working hard on as they develop the new car."

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coming straight from Japan, there were few changes to be seen, but what were visible still raised the odd eyebrow.

In its last race as BARHonda, the Brackley team had new brake calipers. Akebono is part of the Honda empire and will supply the team (both Honda teams?) next season, replacing Alcon. The system used in China, right, was said to be less stressed by the long brake applications typical of the Shanghai track.

McLaren also gave the brakes a rev, with new oval shaped air ducts to increase cooling without added turbulence.

On the aero side, BAR had a new horizontal fin attached to the vertical one in front of the

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34 laps/Gearbox 1:35.587 17 DNF Sato DNFI Karthikeyan 28 laps/Crash 1:37.398 17 24 laps/Damage 1:34.501 15 DNF Montoya DNF M. Schumacher 22laps/Spun 1:35.87716 Fastest Lap Raikkonen on lap 56,1:33.242

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important next season.

So will the lower rear bodywork of Renault's R25, which is sure to be copied and tested by othpr teams in the off-season, bottom. The

1:39:53.618 1:33.536 45 ^[Alonso 2 Raikkonen 1:39:57.633 1:33.242 56 3 R. Schumacher 1:40:18.994 1:34.035 44 1:40:19.732 1:33.563 54 4 Fisichella 1:40:25.457 1:33.727 43 5 Klien 6 Massa 1:40:30.018 1:34.094 43 7 Webber 1:40:30.460 1:34.271 53 1:40:34.867 1:34.766 53 8 Button 1:40:37.865 1:34.585 54 9 ICoulthard 1:40:53.595 1:34.713 53 10 Villeneuve 1:41:18.266 1:36.563 13 11 Monteiro 1:41:26.430 1:35.011 18 12 Barrichello 55 laps 1:34.560 52 13 Pizzonia 55 laps 1:36.894 54 14 Doornbos 55 laps 1:35.347 16 15 16 Albers 51 laps 1:37.215 48

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rear wheels. The fin is slightly larger, to optimise the 'airflow cleaning effect' from the turbulence generated by the rear wheels, right. With (slightly) smaller engine packaging with the introduction of V8s in 2006, these items will become more

Chinese

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parts throughout the season to provide more clean air to the rear wing. This does not directly reduce downforce so much as

1

reduce the drag so that 'more wing' can be run.

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Drivers' Points: Alonso 133, Raikkonen 112, M. Schumacher 62, Montoya 60, Rsichella 58, Trulli 43, Barrichello 38, Button 37, Webber 36, Heidfeld 28, Coulthard 24, Massa 11, Villeneuve and Klien 9, Monteiro 7. Wurz 6, Karthikeyan 5, Albers and de la Rosa 4, Frlesacher 3, Pizzonia 2, Lluzzi and Sato 1.

Constructors' Points: Renault 191, McLarenMercedes 182, Ferrari 100, Toyota 88. WilliamsBMW 66. BAR-Hondo 38. Red Bull-Cosworth 34.

Saubor-Pelronas 20, Jordan-Toyota 12. Minardi Cosworih 7.

26 October 2005

59

Island Five ‘The Doctor’sealed his fifth Island win in a row. CHRIS JORDAN was there

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Checa was yo/m Morrh/Mpix progress through the weekend. Before we referring to Biaggi's failure to finish the would be quick on race. While the Friday but not Roman's team-mate progress from there." was challenging Rossi, Biaggi was For Rossi, the win flicked from his bike was one he enjoyed. on the first lap.

"It was a great Pedrosa, come on race," said Rossi. "I down. have won a lot at this Sete Gibernau and track and I like it a Colin Edwards had lot" said Rossi.

Rossi admitted that he had to quiet races for fourth and fifth vigorously concentrate to keep respectively, while Shinya his gap in the closing stages.

"We did a lot of work in the winter at this track, so I tried to think of it as a winter session, not a race."

Melandri was edged off of the podium by Ducati's Carlos Checa right on the line. Checa is in the midst of his usual late-season spurt, and in the absence of team mate Loris Capirossi, Checa gave the red team something to cheer for on the Spaniard's 33rd birthday.

"I had a top speed of 333kph, I'm 33 today and I came third," joked Checa."Maybe I can arrange with Max (Biaggi) to have his number three for next year? He is pretty angry now, so I will maybe wait a week.

Nakano was a strong seventh for Kawasaki.

Chris Vermeulen's MotoGP saw him finish 11th, happy to have scored points on debut.

He was just pipped at the line by sole Suzuki runner John Hopkins.

Vermeulen's team-mate Alex Barros endured a sickening crash when he lost the front end at the Hayshed. The Brazilian slid into the gravel on his back, the hard impact sending him into the air.

Thief of the Night

THOMAS Luthi jumped to the lead of the 125cc Championship standings with a lights-to-flag victory at Phillip Island two weeks ago.

Luthi pushed hard in the opening laps to put a gap between him and his pursuers, pulling a two second gap within the first five laps.

Despite the chasing pack's slipstream advantage, Luthi was able to capitalise on the battle for second and pull away to take a 2.6s victory.

"It was a great race for me," said Luthi. "It is great for me to win here because it was not so easy to get a great set-up. This track is very difficult."

Japanese Aprillia rider Tomoyoshi Koyama was motorsport news

ALENTINO Rossi was made to work for his 11th win of the season at Round 15 of MotoGP World Championship two weeks ago at Phillip Island.

The reigning World Champion again proved the class of the field, being the quickest man when it mattered.

But Nicky Hayden clearly had some speed on board his Repsol Honda at the Island, and while happy to have such pace, was aggrieved that a mid-race dice with fellow Honda rider Marco Melandri had allowed Rossi to pull a gap.

Hayden was able to edge up on Rossi in the final few laps once past Melandri, but it was to no avail. Hayden can take confidence, however, in the bike speed of his HRC mount.

"I felt really comfortable running that (Rossi's) pace, even when he tried to get away," said Hayden.

"Sometimes it's ragged almost painful - to run that pace. But today I was just waiting for him drop the hammer and when he did I could go with him. That's the thing that was frustrating - the bike was so good today.

"Now we,are making : -y,

■VMBTOGP

Mellow Yellow Title Wrapped

THE MotoGP circus is a hard school to crack for any Australian.

The paddock is predominantly Spanish, with a splash of Italian for good measure (mainly surrounding Ducati or Rossi). Japanese, Dutch and British presence is also noted, and of course, the odd Australian.

Each season Australian observers of the world road racing scene groan as over-rated Euros or Japanese riders get work while more talented guys are overlooked. It isn't until you actually experience a MotoGP weekend that you realise why.

The sport is Spanish. Even most of the English-speaking paddock i dwellers are fluent in Spanish. The sponsors involved want to service Spain and Italy first and foremost, to the extent that press releases are issued in Spanish, most with an Italian translation, and some, with English.

Chris Vermeulen starred at Phillip Island. On debut, 11th in the toughest class of riders in the world was quite an effort. There is no more daunting bike than a MotoGP machine, and arguably no more daunting place to debut than the Island. But the 23-year-old took it all in his stride.

"It was an okay race, nothing more as far as I'm concerned," said Vermeulen.

Vermeulen deserved his call up to the Camel Honda Pons team in the absence of Troy Bayliss, and after his debut effort, deserved his retention for a second go in Turkey.

Credit to Pons and Honda for resisting the urge of another rider with a more sponsor-friendly nationality. Just a pity the post-race press release was only in Spanish . . .

- CHRIS JORDAN

DANI Pedrosa rode with a point to prove at the Phillip Island two weeks ago, and as well as silencing his critics, his thrilling win brought him the 2005 250cc World Championship with two rounds remaining.

Phillip Island has been something of a bogey track for the slightstatured Spaniard, but he will now be able to look upon the daunting layout more fondly, as the place where he clinched his thirdconsecutive world championship, after his 125cc win in 2003 and

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second, ahead of Italians Marco Simoncelli and Mattia Pasini, Fifth was Mika Kallio, a disappointing result for the factory KTM pilot, as it meant he surrendered his points lead to Luthi .

Entering the final lap, Kallio lay second, but a scuffle with Simoncelli as the Italian slid 26 October 2005

Pedrosa and Honda sealed the 250cc title at PI

past at Honda Hairpin pushed Kallio back to fifth.

Kallio's KTM team-mate Julian Simon survived a scary moment mid-race, when he clipped the back of Koyama's bike entering the Southern Loop. Simon slid to a halt in a sickening fashion but emerged unscathed, - CHRIS JORDAN

250cc glory last year.

Pedrosa used the post-race press conference to explain his lack of form over recent rounds.

"1 crashed at Motegi when my engine seized," said Pedrosa.

"1 rode that race and finished second, and I still now carmot explain how I finished.

"When we travelled to Malaysia 1 had an MRI and it showed 1 had a broken shoulder. 1 said nothing about it to my team, because maybe they would get worried. Over the recent rounds, the press and riders have been talking about me struggling. 1 got angry but 1 said nothing.

"I was not thinking today 1 will be World Champion, but I was thinking that I could have a good race."

"This track 1 have never liked, and in practice 1 was struggling to

get set-up.

"My engine was very fast today, so 1 knew that with a slipstream 1 could win.

The race was a case of what could have been for Australian Casey Stoner. On his 20th birthday, Stoner got a perfect launch from pole and led the first three laps.

Just as it appeared that the young Aussie could be developing a gap ahead of the squabbling pack, he lost the rear end of the Carrera Aprillia through MG Corner.

Any chance of Stoner rejoining the race was ruined when Alex De Angelis in second was faced with a choice: run over Casey or his bike.

He opted for the machinery option, performing an awkward bunny hop. The crash broke the swingarm on Casey's bike and he soon retired it to the pits.

"It is a very disappointing weekend for everyone," said Stoner.

"Coming into this race we had a small chance to fight for the world title but unfortunately 1 made a mistake and the championship is gone.

Pedrosa and Porto were then left to fight for the win. Pedrosa stalked his rival for the duration, leaving it until the final drag to the line to draw ahead and take the win, clinching the title in the process.

Jorge Lorenzo was third, disappointed that he could not stay with the front two after running at the front early.

- CHRIS JORDAN

I

T seems that every time Sebastien Loeb starts a round of the WRC in 2005 he is destined to re-write the record books.

It was no different on the Rallye de France - Tour de Corse on the Mediterranean island of Corsica last weekend, where he not only captured his ninth victory of the year, but also became the first driver to win every stage on a WRC round.

In an incredible feat of speed and talent, Loeb was the fastest on all 12 stages, winning one of the few events that has eluded him so far.

They call Corsica the rally of 10,000 corners, and while it provided plenty of twists and turns for everyone else Loeb made the whole thing look straightforward, beating Ford's

Loeb, Of I

Toni Gardermeister by almost two minutes in a dominant display.

The infamous sudden downpours, which so often threaten Corsica, failed to materialise across the weekend, but it is unlikely that they would have caused Loeb any problems.

Fresh from being crowned Champion at the last round in Japan, Loeb extended his margin over Toni Gardemeister by more than 20 seconds on the final day, pressing home his advantage and never letting up.

"Everyone was expecting me to win in Corsica, so I had to do something a little different by winning every stage," joked Loeb.

"I set myself two objectives at the start of the year: to win in Finland and Corsica. Marcus proved the man to beat in Finland,

have won my home round."

Gardemeister's second on tarmac bolstered his chances of staying at Ford when Gronholm joins the Focus team in the new year. It was a consummate performance from the Finn, who has struggled for pace this season despite capturing plenty of podiums.

"I felt sure I could take a good result because I knew the Focus RS is a great car on asphalt and I quickly realised that if I didn't make any mistakes, then everything would be fine," said a smiling Gardemesiter.

Petter Solberg had hoped for better than third. But the Subaru /Pirelli combination lacked the speed to challenge either Loeb or Gardemeister, and was helped onto the podium by the failure of Gronholm and Francois Duval.

Solberg finished just ahead of

who equalled his best WRC result with fourth, the same position the ex-FI driver captured in last year's Catalunya Rally.

While Loeb brought a smile to the face of Citroen boss Guy Frequelin, another disappointing failure by Duval meant the French maker wasn't able to seal the manufacturers' title at its home event.

Duval was second on Friday's opening leg, and, despite brake problems throughout leg two was fourth going into Sunday's final leg and was pushing to regain a podium placing when he fired off the road on the opening test and rolled out of the rally.

Gronholm took the fight up to Loeb on Day 1 before a gearbox problem forced the Finn to retire the troublesome Peugeot at the end of the final stage of the day.

One senses the move to Ford cannot come quickly enoygh for I

orse

!ZIiI3

Having already dominated the WRC this year, Sebastian Loeb found a new way to crush his rivals by winning every stage of the Tour de Corse.

JON THOMSON reports

the lanky Finn, 2, however an error on the final The Peugeot had became leg ended the Queenslander's jammed in third gear and rally when he went off the road.

Gronholm stalled the engine in "It's a shame we weren't able order to stop at the end of the to complete the stages on the stage, but he could not get it last day, but looking at the bigger going again using the starter picture this has been a very motor and was out of the rally. useful rally for us," said Atkinson.

Solberg showed in the last "This is only my second tarmac round in Japan that big rally, and it's pretty tough going improvements had been made to up against drivers with so much the Subaru, but he was unable to more experience. But it gave us translate those to the tarmac in an opportunity to test some Corsica and despite taking third different set-ups and find the he struggled to match the pace limit, which is part of the process of Loeb and Gardemeister. and the lessons we have learned Solberg's third and Gronholm's will help us both next week and in the future."

DNF also added spice to the battle for second in the WRC Fifth place for Czech Roman Driver's title, with the Norwegian Kresta allowed Ford to stay now locked together with the ahead of Subaru in the scrap for third in the manufacturers' Finn on 71 points with two rounds remaining. standings on a weekend that saw the Blue Oval celebrate the 100th For Australian Chris Atkinson, his hopes of gaining some WRC outing for the Focus.

After months of valuable tarmac experience came to a premature end on Day 1 with disappointment for Skoda, clutch failure after just one stage. French tarmac ace Alex Bengue Fie retired and returned on Day gave the Czech manufacturer a mui i-needed end-of-season

morale boost with a competitive sixth place. Bengue again showed the potential of the Fabia, as he had in Monte Carlo at the start of the year, while team leader Armin Schwarz suffered a handling problem causing excessive tyre wear and an early retirement on Day 2.

Mitsubishi collapsed in Corsica, with a lacklustre performance from all three factory Lancers.

Gigi Gain and Flarri Rovanpera finished ninth and 10th, but asphalt ace Gilles Panizzi was a huge disappointment and couldn't boost the team's fortunes.

Panizzi was forced out of his home event with engine-related problems on Saturday after a weekend on which even he admitted he'd struggled to find his usual sealed-surface pace.

The WRC moves immediately to Barcelona next weekend, where Loeb will attempt to score his 10th win of the year. If his performance in Corsica is a guide, it is highly likely he will achieve a perfect 10.

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1 Sebastien Loeb Fra Citroen Xsara j Daniel Elena Fra 3h35m46.7s 2 Toni Gardemeister Fin Ford Focus RS Jakke Honkanen Fin 3h37m38.4si 3 Fetter Solberg Nor Subaru Impreza Phil Mills GB. 3h38m28?7sr 4 Stephane Sarrazin Fra Subaru Impreza Denis Giraudet- LFra l 3h39m2Q:9sa 5. Roman Kresta Cz Ford Focus RS Jan Tomanek' Cz 3h4Vm08.2sV 6. AlexBengue Fra Skoda Fabia Christian Escudero Fra 3h41m14:5s |7.XavierPons E Citroen Xsara Carlos Del Barrio E 3h41[h28.5s,i 8 Nicola Bernard! Fra Peugeot 307 I Jean-Marc Fortin Fra .3h42J5.8sq Drivers' Points: Loeb 117, Gronholm 71, Gardemeister 58, Martin 53, Rovanpera 31, Kresta 22.

Manufacturers' Points: Citroen 160, Peugeot 130, Ford 93, Subaru SO, Mitsubishi 59,

WRC RD14 CORSICA .'j .

Gronholm Poached!

FORD has trumped the opposition by signing Marcus Gronholm in a last-minute coup, which saw the two-times world champion snatched from under the nose of Citroen.

While other manufacturers were sweating on where Sebastian Loeb would go, Ford Rally team boss Malcolm Wilson grabbed Gronholm just as he was about to sign with a proposed Citroen super team.

The 37-year-old Finn, who has been with Peugeot since 1998, will lead Ford's WRC assault for the next two seasons.

It had been thought that Gronholm would sign for a privateer effort next season in readiness for a possible return of a works Citroen team in 2007.

"My priority was to sign a driver of the highest calibre, and clearly Marcus is that driver," said Wilson, pictured with Gronholm.

Ford’s New WRC

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"Flis experience will prove invaluable as we continue to develop the new Focus RS WRC. "Fie is one of the fastest and most reliable drivers and his appetite for success remains as large now as it was at the beginning of his career," "A signing of this calibre

proves how seriously Ford is taking its commitment to the WRC, And for a driver like Marcus, whose world title ambitions are clear for all to see, to commit to the team for two seasons is a huge confidence boost for all of us."

- JON THOMSON

FORD has announced that it will debut its all new 2006 Ford Focus RS WRC at Rally Australia next month.

While the new Focus was very nearly scrapped along with Ford's rally program late last year when the company was battling financial strife, many believe that it could be the car to beat next year, particularly with the absence of the French manufacturers from the WRC. - JON THOMSON

Breaking The Mould

A REAR-wheel drive Focus will carry Ford's hopes in the Australian Rally Championship.

Ford unveiled its ARC challenger at the Australian International Motor Show last week. It is powered by a 2,3-litre, normally-aspirated four-cylinder engine, based in the Duratec unit, with a sixspeed sequential gearbox.

The car will debut this weekend at the final round of the ARC driver's title in Bathurst, with Michael Guest driving and Mark Stacey calling the notes.

The car has been built to Australia's unique Group N Prototype rules, the Focus will be up against the four-wheel drive turbocharged cars from Toyota, Mitsubishi and Subaru.

The move to run a 2WD car has raised eyebrows amongst the rally fraternity with Ford deciding to use the rear drive layout to take advantage of lower weight limits and a larger capacity engine allowed under the Group N P regs.

Flowever with the possible move to a normally aspirated S2000 formula in the future, the Focus may put Ford in the box seat with this configuration.

"We are confident that it's the right direction for Ford at present, and that we will be a challenger in the ARC," said Ford's project leader Steve Hoinville. "Running a four-wheel-drive system would have been a tough option for us, as we don't have any such 84

system in our current Focus vehicle line up. We would have had to source it from a much older and obsolete vehicle.

Clearly this was not the best approach."

Floinville explained the intrigue behind the specification of the Focus was because the company had to finalise the homologation of the car with CAMS and until this was done, they were not in a position to announce all the details.

Neal Bates, who battled Guest in the ARC during the early 1990s, says he welcomes the addition of another manufacturer but doubted the Focus will make too much impact on the Subarus, Lancers and Corollas during 2006.

"It will be fast on hard-packed roads such as Tassie and Adelaide if they are dry but if it is loose, it will be difficult for the Focus to put the power to the ground," said Bates.

"It will obviously be much lighter and have a better power to weight but the turbo cars will have better torque which is pretty vital in rallying and I reckon it you would be easy to get over excited in a rear drive car like this but we will wait and see.

"If we get a tarmac round in the ARC, the Focus will win hands down but at the moment it is all on gravel."

Bates agreed that Ford may be positioning itself for a switch to S2000 should that become the ARC standard in years to come.

- JON THOMSON

motorsport news

RHI-iYINB

The Neal Deal

Rally Oz Stays wast WESTERN Australia will reluctantly play host to Rally Australia for one more year after CAMS failed to complete arrangements to move the event to the east coast in 2006.

While CAMS had been attempting to find a new venue for the rally since the WA Government announced in March that it was dumping the rally, deadlines could not be met despite fruitful negotiations with a private consortium on the east coast.

The failure to secure a new venue in time means CAMS and the FIA will force the WA Government to fulfil its contract and n.m the event for one more year, a prospect which has apparently not pleased authorities in Perth.

CAMS CEO Rob Nethercote confirmed last week that time had run out to have all agreements in place before the FlA's calendar deadlines.

The governing body had to have all agreements in place ahead of the

World Rallies Commission meeting in desire and ability to continue running Corsica last Saturday, where the 2006 Rally Australia, whether that was on calendar was ratified. the west or east coast, while another "Our transition team will now work source close to the WA organisers towards achieving a successful described the reaction at being told outcome and a new home for the they would be forced to organise the event for 2007," said Nethercote in a event again in 2006 as one of "panic". statement.

Running Rally Australia in WA in It is understood CAMS had the deal 2006 will mean the calendar will have to move the rally to the east all but to be re-jigged to enable cars and signed off, however it could not equipment to be moved between guarantee that all approvals would be Perth and New Zealand in time. put in place before the FIA calendar The original draft calendar had deadline last Friday.

Rally Australia scheduled for October 27-29 with New Zealand on CAMS was apparently not November 10-12. However, that could prepared to take the risk of upsetting the FIA should a small hurdle prevent only be achieved if the Australian event was held on the east coast. the rally being run on the dates specified for the new venue. The event Running in Perth will mean New spacing in 2006 is critical given Zealand is likely to be held on shipping schedules.

October 20-22, with Rally Australia A source close to CAMS told retaining November 10-12, a fortnight before the WRC finale in Wales.

MNews that they wanted to leave the FIA in no doubt about Australia's - JON THOMSON

Watch This Spaci

SUBARU is expected to decide on its future in the Australian Rally Championship within the coming month.

Speculation has been rife that the marque will withdraw from the ARC at the end of the year, possibly in favour of an APRC campaign with Cody Crocker and Toshi Arai. According to the company's Australian managing director Nick Senior, a statement will be made within the next few weeks. ' "We should have a decision by late October or early November," Senior said. "Our financial year is January to _ December,so it's not unusual to be waiting this long for ' confirmation of our potential plans."

Subaru has dominated the ARC landcape over the past decade, having won the last 10 drivers' titles and last eight' manufacturers' crowns. Should it withdraw from the ARC, it is expected that it would fall to Les Waikden's fron't-rupning privateer team to fly the company's flag in Australia.

RYANT^IFF

-f.

NEAL Bates says he is extremely pleased to have secured a two-year deal with Toyota after being on year-toyear contracts for the past 15 years.

"It means you can plan and focus on the job without worrying about whether the team would be in business the following year," said Bates, above. n Markko Martin will not compete in the remaining rounds of the 2005 WRC season and has been granted leave by'Peugeot to recover from the death of his friend and codriver Michael Park, Martin missed last weekend's Rally de France in Corsica replaced by young French driver Nicolas Bernard!, who will also pilot the second factory Peugeot in next week's Catalonia Rally, Martin's manager Paul Turner has said that the Estonian will definitely return to action in 2006.

"Markko is happy about driving again, he's not frightened, and there is no issue with that. He's ready for the challenge and he wants to win the world championship for himself and Michael," said Turner.

"We now have to look at our options, but we are grateful to Peugeot for giving him time to rebuild his career."

Bernard! has come to the Peugeot drive after working his through the ranks of Peugeot Sport's driver promotion scheme and then for Citroen in the Super 1600 title in 2003 and 2004. He currently leads the French Rally Championship, driving a 206 WRC, - JON THOMSON

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65

Back to Back for Max

by GREG BOSCATO

WORLD Series Sprintcars Champ Max Dumesny completely blitzed the Tyrepower Parramatta City Raceway Sprintcar field last weekend, winning his second Sprintcar A-Main in a row.

The Valvoline Maxim jumped into an immediate lead in the feature with Dumesny powering away to score the victory over an improving Adrian Maher with Dubbo's impressive Mark Blyton picking up third position after setting quick time in

qualifying.

While Dumesny led from the green, Robbie Farr was his main opposition for the majority of the 30lap event but after an incident late in the race, Farr spun and had to restart from the rear. He blasted forward and finished seventh, but was penalized two positions for jumping the start and was credited with ninth.

The night didn't start too well for Farr. After setting 14th best time, the Titan Maxim looked to develop problems, coughing coming onto the front straight and flipped over in Turn 4, fortunately not causing any damage.

After having problems at the opening two Parramatta meetings.

Adrian Maher has looked like he had turned the corner with his second position. This summer Maher is looking for feature race victories and like his Bevelite Glass team-mate Ian Loudoun, he has the right equipment to do the job.

Current PCR Track Champ Troy

Little started from position 13 in the 24-car A-Main field and was forging towards the leaders late in the race.

Little's JEl machine had moved into second just as the yellow' flags came out. Having to restart back in fourth, he finished in fourth only to drop a position to fifth after a post-

race pit incident.

After rurming mid pack, Trevor Green was aw'arded fourth with Martin Law'es making up the top six finishers.

Points: Green 730, Little 724, Loudoun 716, Dumesny 708, Blyton 704.

TIM Shaffer has won the final event of the 2005 World of Outlavys Sprintcar Championship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Danny Lasoski was second in the A-Main, while third for Steve Kinser secured him a 20th World of Outlaws title. This season, Kinser, right, has won 20 AMains and finished in the top 10 an astonishing 61 times. i.

The event was the end of an era for the Outlaws, with most of the top flight drivers defecting to the rival National Sprintcar League for 2006, although events such as the Knoxville Nationals and Outlaws Downunder at Parramatta are still expected to attract the best drivers and teams from both series.

As Shaffer, inset right, pulled away to cruise to victory, behind him Australia was well represented. Daryn Pittman was fifth for Titan Racing, Brooke Tatnell 12th and Kerry Madsen 15th.

Ihrts Uolaik

66

Bnoke's new look

Krikke Motorsport unveils Tatnell’s ‘Max-beater’

THIS is the new look that Krikke Motorsport and Australian Champion Brooke Tatnell will carry for the upcoming season.

The silver livery commemorates the 25th anniversery of the famous Krikke team.

Tatnell will debut the new livery, which incidently w;7/carry the Australia #1, despite team boss Shane Krikke's superstitions, on November 5 at the Australian Sprintcar Masters at Speedway City.

We all know that Brooke's form has been excellent in the USA," said Krikke. "The better he does over there the more pumped we get over here. I can't wait to get him back here and strap him in the thing.

SPEEDWAY

East meets West TWO West Australian Sprintcar stars have committed to programs in the Parramatta Track Championship.

West Australian hard charger Ryan Farrell stated that he has at least 17 meetings at PCR this summer, racing the Clay Lanyrie Maxim Sprintca r.

"The car is good but just a few things need to be sorted out," said Farrell. "I think it will be a good package."

Besides the Parramatta meetings, Ryan wilKhave at least 12 meetings back home in WA plus the three nights in Brisbane for the Australian Sprintcar Title, where Farrell will be attempting to go one better from his second at Murray Bridge this year.

"To step to the level that Max (Dumesny) and Robbie (Farr) and those guys are at, I'm confident I can run with them but I just don't do enough racing. Last year I only did 22 nights. That makes it very hard."

Fellow West Australian racer Ken Sartori has also made PCR his racing home until the Outlaws meeting in mid-January.

Sartori impressed many of the Sydney fans last Christmas when he stayed at PCR for the international meetings, but except for a couple of meetings, Sartori will be basing himself at Parramatta this summer. n Former Formula 500 driver Tony Pryor is set to recommence his Sprintcar program soon. Pryor has done a deal that will see him racing the 410ci Gaerte-powered Maxim that impressive American Jayme Barnes used down under two years ago to win a PCR feature race.

"It's been too long out of the seat so I'm really busting to get back in," said Pryor, At this stage he only plans to run the rest of the Parramatta season. n Speedcar star Dave Lambert has taken up Sprintcar racing this summer. After purchasing an almost new Eagle from Garry Rooke, Lambert looks to only be running the early and late part of the season while reverting to the Speedcar around Christmas time. The Eagle is using lots of J&J running gear and at this stage Lambert is using a rather tired but freshened up 372 owned by Rooke.

- GREG BOSCATO

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Las Vegas Motor Speedway 22/10/05 ...Tim Shaffer .Danny Lasoski . .Steve Kinser .. .Jason Sides .Daryn Pittman .Jason Meyers .Donny Schatz .Shane Stewart . .Tim Kaeding . .Kraig Kinser .Kevin Swindell

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

...Brooke Tatnell . . .Paul McMahan . .Johnny Herrera .. .Kerry Madsen .. .Jason Johnson . . . .Brian Paulus ..Craig Dollansky .Sammy Swindell .. .Jason Solwold .Randy Hannagan . . . .Terry McCarl

2005 Final Standings 1 Steve Kinser ..

2 Jason Meyers .

3 Craig Dollansky 4 Donny Schatz .

5 Kraig Kinser ..

6 Danny Lasoski 7 Daryn Pittman .

8 Tim Shaffer . . .

9 Terry McCarl ..

10 Brooke Tatnell 11 Paul McMahan

.9627 .9084 .8879 .8790 .8676 .8669 8502 8430 .8376 8370 8359

12 Shane Stewart .8148 8127 13 Joey Saldana 14 Brian Paulus .

7855 15 Jason Sides .

7854 16 Jason Solwold 7631 17 Brandon Wimmer .. . .7099 .6785 18 Tim Kaeding . . .

5035 19 Sammy Swindell 20 Kevin bwlndell .

3934

67

Series Wrapped

Schumacher amd Anderson seal titles

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I I

TONY Schumacher, Ron Capps, Kurt Johnson and Chip Ellis were victorious at at the fifth annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend.

Schumacher claimed his second straight and third overall POWERade Series Top Fuel championship by merely qualifying in Las Vegas.

Schumacher took the win and $100,000 payday in Saturday's Budweiser Shootout. Fie then doubled-up for an additional $50,000 bonus on Sunday when he stopped 'Aussie' Dave Grubnic in the event finale. U.S. Army dragster recorded a winning 4.48s/324mph to Grubnic's 4.58s/327mph.

Capps, above, defeated team-mate Gary Sceizi in the Funny Car final, 4.78s/325mph to 4.81s/324mph. With John Force going out in the first round, Capps and Sceizi both

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passed the 13-time champion in the standings, with Sceizi now holding a two-point lead over Capps, and 30 points ahead of Force going into the final event in Pomona.

Johnson used a holeshot to defeat final round opponent Greg Anderson. The ACDelco Cobalt left first and stopped the clocks at 6.83s/202mph to hold off Anderson's 6.82s/202mph.

Anderson clinched his thirdconsecutive POWERade Series Pro Stock championship during the event.

Chip Ellis stopped Angelle Sampey in the Pro Stock Motorcycle final, 7.24s/ 187mph to a red-lighting 7.25S/183mph.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI Points: Top Fuel: Schumacher 1746, Dixon 1478, Kalitta 1475, Grubnic 1263, Herbert 1247.

Funny Car: Force 1396, Sceizi 1360, Capps 1339, Might 1292, Medlen.

Pro Stock: Anderson 1751, Johnson 1507, Line 1466, Johnson 1425, Connolly 1230.

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FOLLOWING the success of the charity event at Adelaide International Raceway earlier this month and the circuit's I extensive upgrades, ANDRA has confirmed five more dates at the AIR venue.

The Cruizin' Magazine Nostalgia Drags, showcasing the sport as it happened in the 60s and 70s, will be on-track on November 27. On December 10, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle racing will come to Adelaide, while the Nitro Funny Cars are slated to run on January 21. The 2006 Four, Six and I Rotary Titles on February 25/26. Rnally, the Supercharged 'Outlaws get their chance on March 18.

NHRA stars co

by GRANT ROWLEY

wrenched by regular tuner Jim Oberhofer, and would have featured HE United States of America the same livery that the cars use in will take on Australia in two the NHRA,except that Grubnic's car summer race meetings at the has recently had a change of Western Sydney International branding, see sepernte story.

The cars and equipment that Dragway and Willowbank Raceway.

Kalitta Motorsports is shipping here As exclusively predicted by MNews (Issue #315),'Aussie' Dave have been purchased by Jim Read Grubnic and his NFIRA Top Fuel Racing and will remain on team-mate Scott Kalitta will run two Australian turf after the events, Kalitta Motorports machines in the giving our local Top Fuel scene a inaugural events. WSID will hold the major boost.

It is also believed that some of the first race on December 26-27, dubbed NHRA's other top tuners could be the Boxing Day Nitro Top Fuel Bonanza, which will be followed by dragged 'down under' to assist other a return bout at Willowbank on Australian squads during the events, which will undoubtably be the most January 6-7.

"This is a significant moment for competitive Top Fuel races in Australian Drag Racing," said WSID Australian history.

'Aussie' Grubnic has made a name CEO Jim Read. "To have Dave Grubnic and Scott Kalitta here with for himself in America's NHRA

T

the full weight of their team's resources behind them will produce a nitro spectacle never seen in this country before."

Both drivers will campaign their actual Kalitta Top Fuel weaponry.

68

direct from the USA. The cars will be

Championship this year. The Queensland native became the first Top Fuel driver from outside North America to win an NHRA national event when he beat two-time champion Larry Dixon in the final

motorsportnemis

DRAG RACING

Pro Stock Shunt

I

New Sponsor

ifirmed for OZ

DAVE Grubnic and Kalitta Motorsports have announced a new primary sponsorship program with StriVectin-SD, a high-end cosmetic product.

Klein-Becker USA, maker of StriVectin-SD and Kalitta Motorsports have signed a new three-year agreement which began at this past weekends ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals.

Zantrex-3 will remain as an associate sponsor on Grubnic's Top Fueller as well as the other Team Kalitta dragsters driven by Doug and Scott Kalitta.

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round at Heartland Park, Topeka, in May this year.

Kalitta, 43, is a two-time NHRA Top Fuel champion (1994-95) and has 18 career wins to his name.

The Boxing Day Nitro Thunder Top Fuel Bonanza will see them conduct their qualifying runs on Boxing Day (Monday) at 5pm, 7pm and 9pm. Eliminations will take place the following day. Top Alcohol will be the major support bracket at both the WSID and Willowbank. Both brackets will count for Australian Championship points.

26 October 2005

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David OstaszewsM

They'll come to a land down under: From left, Scott Kalitta, team owner Connie Kalitta and Dave Grubnic will visit Australia this summer.

NHRA Pro Stock racers Bruce Allen and Kenny Koretsky were involved in a horrifying two-car accident during Friday’s second qualifying session at the O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas.

Racing in the right-hand lane, Allen drifted out of the groove towards the right-side wall just before half track.

When he attempted to drive back into the groove, the car turned onto its right side, and slid into the path of Koretsky's Dodge. Koretsky drove^ through the undercarriage of Allen's car, which shattered it into hundreds of pieces. Koretsky came to a halt along the left-side wall with Allen stopping 100 feet behind him.

Both men were conscious and alert when they were transported to the Parkland Medical Centre in Dallas. Koretsky had climbed from his car under his own power.

Allen was released the following day to convalesce at home. He sustained no broken bones, but did suffer a concussion and abrasions to his hands but was alert and communicating with his wife and team-mates. Koretsky's injuries included a broken arm and wrist, two cracked ribs, a cracked ta|lbone, and a bruised heart and has since returned home.

Mike Thomas, who stepped in for Koretsky while he rested a sore shoulder in July, handled the driving at Las Vegas and will also wheel the Nitro Fish Dodge at Pomona, ■ Australian Steve Harker continued his US tour by top qualifying in Dallas.

Harker recorded a career-best of 5.630s at 256.16mph, and clocked another good 5.66s/255mph in the opening round, but was on the losing end of a Steve Gasparelli holeshot and bowed in the second frame, A week later, Harker qualified his Dodge in the second position for the Lucas Oil Series event at Ennis at 5.70s/254mph and lasted until the second round, falling to the event's runner-up, Jimmy Jones, ■ Five-time Top Fuel champion Joe Amato has sold his entire racing operation to Las Vegas entrepreneur Doug Davenport.

Amato will stay with the team in the capacity of adviser. Davenport, who brought e-moola.com and MGM Grand Casino and Resort to NHRA in the past, is actively searching for a driver. He hopes to maintain the crew in its current configuration, including Jim Dupuy as crew chief.

Morgan Lucas will remain as driver for now, but as reported earlier, he will move to his father's team in 2006, Davenport will move the team's base of operations to Las Vegas. He plans to have an open-shop policy that will allow fans to tour the facility during normal business hours.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI 69

►

national Toyota Tako Two scene

Testing begins for Toyota Racing Series Season to be highiighted by NZGP

fiun Cameron

Trophy bunting: Last year's Champion Brent Collins, above, steps up to NZ V8s, which will open the door for a new champ in 2005/6.

Rowley

edited by

AFTER a successful inaugural season,testing has begun for the 2005/2006 Toyota Racing Series.

The control formula will feature an extended calendar of eight rounds, which for the first time includes the New Zealand international Grand Prix, to be contested atTeretonga Park in January.

Kiwi international and Bathurst racer Matt Halliday has carried out the initial test runs in preparation for the new season.

During a recent short visit home, Halliday ran Toyota's testing and development car at Pukekohe and said the cars have already proved to be quicker than last season's examples.

"The first shakedown shows the cars are ready and slightly quicker than last year," the New Zealand A1GP driver said. "The series is the best thing to happen for aspiring drivers and I also benefited from testing as it kept me race fit for single seater driving."

The Toyota-powered Tatuus TT104ZZ cars are identical with technical specifications controlled and monitored by Toyota Racing personnel. Only basic suspension set-up, gear ratios and aerodynamic wing

settings are permitted to be changed.

Last year's series was ultra successful, and the championship has become a stepping stone for young New Zealand Formula Forders to progress their careers in wings and slicks machines.

The first round of the Toyota Racing Series will be at Pukekohe Park Raceway between the 4th and 6th of November. Drivers will get their first taste at an official testing day at Feilding's Manfeild Autocourse on the 31 st October.

The Commodore Cup car of Neil Crowes had an engine let go midway through the event, which caused the only panel damage of the race due to the oil on the track.

The speed differences of some

cars was great, but the driving standards were outstanding. The Safety Car rested all day until with 10 minutes to go, when Geoff Leake’s Austin Healey was stranded on the track.

-NEIL HAMMOND

TOyOTA RACING SERIES CALENDAR 2005/6

I Euan Cameron

November 04-06 R1 Pukekohe R2 Ruapuna Park November 25-27 January 13-15 R3 Teretonga R4 Timaru January 13-15 R5 Ruapuna Park January 20-22 R6 IVIanfeild February 17-19 March 17-19 (TBCI R7 Taupo R8 Pukekohe April 21-23 (V8SCS)

Porsche wins Winton relay THE usual mix of varied and one-make entries gathered for the Winton 6 Hour Relay tw/o weeks ago at the rural Victorian venue.

The FSP Motorsport Porsches of Duane Rodgers, Gary Tierney, Paul Girt and Roland Newman were declared the winners, in front of the HQ Holden team of Brendan Niclasen, Chris Belling, Jason Sparks and Greg Moore.

Third place went to BMW E30 regulars Geoff Bowles, Serge Lubicz, Gary Pearce and Nathan Geier.

At the start, Paul Stuart’s Porsche led off with the 21 other

70

teams following. The rhythm of the event soon settled, with the lead Porsche out front followed by the two other Porsches of Graham Gorman and Tony Moodie.

Little and large were together at the back in Henry Draper’s small-engined Mini and Craig Balling’s HQ. All of these scences is typical of the 6 hour traffic.

Save of the day went to Gary Leeson and his XW GTHO. The gearbox packed up into Turn 3, but the necessary gearbox change was performed before the race had ended.

motorsport news

NUTIOilAl.SCENE

Ut THE Coopers Pale Ale Falcon team took away a one-two result from the streets of Surfers Paradise.

Allan Simonsen won a dramatic weather-plagued first race, and the round, supported by team-mate Jack Elsegood, who won the final race of the weekend. James Brock was third for the round for Holden.

Qualifying saw Rod Wilson on pole, a tenth clear of Marcus Zukanovic.

The first race started with rain already falling, and the weather would take its toll as chaos erupted on the grid. A fast starting Ryal Harris attempted to move between Gavin Bullas and Chris Pither and the resultant squeeze put Pither into the pitwall, pushing it [backwards and Bullas out of the

Brendan Tucker also hit the same spot, prompting a red flag.

Elsegood and White crashed elsewhere on the last lap. No less than 11 teams were facing long repairs.

The reverse grid night race saw Ryal Harris blitz the field at the start and only James Moffat could stay with him, however the pair were penalised 30 seconds for overtaking the Safety Car, dropping the pair to 16th and 18th respectively. The Safety Car came out after Charlie Kovacs was again involved in a heavy accident, this time with Nandi Kiss.

Bullas had almost caught Moffat by the flag fall witft Pither being eventually awarded second after having had to straighten the chassis rails the

' ■-

race-long battle with Baxter.

Simonsen was fifth, giving him the Race 3 pole position. White had a differential failure on the warm- up lap after the mammoth repair while Zukanovic was 10th.

The final race saw Elsegood out-drag Simonsen from the front row and the pair ran away from the field. Jane muscled his way into third place from Brock at the second chicane on the third lap while Baxter would again push Brock to the line from Wilson and Moffat with Zukanovic again hitting the wall on the last lap.

- MARK JONES

Kiwis set to sampie Utes

AUSTRALIA'S Yokohama V8 Utes : Series will make its international debut as the headline attraction at New Zealand's Manfeild race circuit next February 3-5.

At least 20 utes will cross the

Tasman to race at the Feilding International circuit, with the circuit currently undergoing a $1.3 million upgrade before the start of the New Zealand summer motor'racing season.

The V8 Utes are uniquely and distinctively Australian, so our first international venture will be a big occasion," Austrahan V8 Ute Director Ian McAlister said.

'As a team owner and driver as

Points: White 573, Zukanovic 517, Harris 517, Baxter 508, Wilson 505, Moffat 472, Brock 452, Jane 438, Bullas 420,

weU as a Director, 1 can definitely say all our competitors are looking forward to a great welcome in New Zealand," he said.

'The fans have also been able to follow the progress of their own driver, 18-year-old Chris Pither, whose performances in the Kanga Loaders Holden have really shaken up the Aussies.

The race format will include an I I I s-

opportunity for New Zealand drivers to pair with the Australian drivers. with each doing two heat races and before combining for a longer final including a pit stop.

www.pacemaKer.com.au

Head Office: 6 Reese Ave Richmond SA 5033 Phone: (08) 8352 6488 Fax: (08) 8443 5131 Call your local distributor for stockist; VIC Dandonong (03) 9706 6554 or VIC (03) 9350 6277 SA& NT (08) 8277 0133 NSW & ACT (02) 9791 5117 QLD (07) 3350 4577 WA (08) 9317 2800 TAS (03) 6334 1014 NZ Christchurch 3379 7878 or NZ Auckland 9638 6439 or 9256 1120

26 October 2005

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PAUL Kemal got his championship challenge back on track at the Surfers Paradise round of the Aussie Racing Cars and closed on the series leaders with an impressive round victory.

VIP Petfoods Falcon team-mate Travis Edwards finished second for the round with William Yarwood (Falcon) the only of the championship front runners to finish well, taking third.

"Won all three races, so I can't complain about that," said Kemal. "It gives me some hope heading into the final round because the guys at the front haven't had the best of weekends."

Kemal had to fight his way forward in the first race as rain arrived between qualifying and the first race, which saw the newer bodyshape cars move forward.

Initially, Ford Coupe pole-sitter Arthur and Davy pushed clea,r only to be hunted down

by Kemal. Davy was a comfortable second while Arthur succumbed to pressure from Colin Sieders on the last lap at Bartercard chicane. Kiwi Ian Spurle was fifth ahead of Jeff Batty and Travis Edwards, while Tim Monte moved from second to 14th in the

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wet. James Ward's title hopes ended in the wall at the Lexmark Hairpin.

The second saw Kemal launch well only to have to stop after skipping the first chicane, dropping to fifth while readressing, before climbing back through the field. Kemal was saved by a Safety Car when Greg Willis crashed at Intel Turn and a fire erupted in Dennis Gilberts car. Davy spun at Lexmark Chicane on the restart lap as Kemal charged passed Arthur and in one lap picked off Edwards and Sieders. Behind Sieders was Arthur, Brad Ward and William Yarwood while a crash removed Phil Ward at Acer Exit.

The third race saw Sieders and Arthur collide on the second lap between the two beachfront chicanes after Arthur was adjudged to have jumped the start. This handed the lead to Kemal, again with team mate Edwards following home for second ahead of Yarwood, the recovering Monte, Davy and Brad Ward.

Monte improved his series lead over Sheridan Phillips, but Yarwood closed. Brad Ward, James Ward and Kemal sit just adrift heading to the Symmons Plains final.

- MARK JONES

U

THE annual AROCA 6 Hour Relay Race was held in mixed weather conditions at Eastern Creek International Raceway two weeks ago.

The Lotus team of Glen Townsend, Eric Northwood, David Raddatz, Peter Lanaan and Damien French, pictured, won the race from the New South Wales Road Racers entry (Brad Neilson, Rama Higgins, Peter Desistom John Bugh, Peter Cole) and the Italian Challenge squad (Andrew Leithhead, Andrew Papadopoulos, Nathan Gotch Mark Papadopoulos) in third.

y / IP SPOKE to my mate Troy I Hunt before I left, so I had isome idea of what to expect.

He has raced at the World Championships and he said that it is a pretty good experience. I had seen

pictures of the pits with all the trucks and staff in uniforms and stuff, so I was expecting it to be similar to top level Australian karting, but on a little bit bigger level.

"But when I got there, everything was bigger, better and at a higher level that I had expected. After I got back, I went to Bathurst, and 1 have to say that the only thing that I can compare the teams at the World Championships to is teams like HRT and FPR in V8 Supercars - the only difference is that Tony Kart had two single transporters, rather than one B-double.

//

MyJohnny role was basically helping Mislevic manage the team. The team is already so organised, professional and well resourced that each driver already has two mechanics. So my role was really observing a lot of what the other teams were doing, especially guys like Jonathan Thonon and Oliver Oakes who were fast and then comparing their times and techniques with what our guys were doing when I sat in on the debriefs with the five factory drivers, Johnny and Roberto (Rabazzi, Tony Kart boss and owner)."

"Everything from Thursday morning to Sunday night was run to a plan and was just so organised.

"Tony Kart even had two guys from Pi Research working exclusively with them for the weekend with data.

One of these was the boss of Pi, who runs the company for Kevin Kalkhoven. He was an extremely interesting person to talk to.

"Ange Pasquali was also there with Tony Kart. He used to be high up in Toyota FI, but now runs Quadra Sports Management, and he flew out of the track on Sunday night with Eduardo Mortara, one of Tony Kart's factory drivers, in Eduardo's father's private jet. So expect young Eduardo to be somewhere prominent soon!

//

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72

When 1 gotit to thelike Tony Kart factory, was a brand new fortress. I thought to myself 'this is not where all my Tony Karts have been made, surely'. But sure enough, when 1 walked in, I found what many call the McLaren Technology Centre for karting.

"The place is spotless and the

motorsportnews

NAnONm.SCENE

ne to Karting - F1-$tyle South Australian Tony Kart distributor Ben Hall recently ventured to Braga in Portugal to work with the factory Tony Kart team at the FIA-CIK World Championships. Hall, a driver of note and also the proprietor of Hall Kartsport in Adelaide, worked with the crack team at karting’s premier event, before visiting Italy and the Tony Kart factory. He told CHRIS JORDAN what the FI of karting is all about

technology is mind-boggling.

Everything is controlled by the latest technology, with lots of wireless stuff as well.

"Drivers are paid by the factory to win, because wtanbig means sates"

"The thing 1 couldn't help but think the whole time I was in the factory talking with the Tony Kart guys is that this is as close as 1 am ever going to get to working in a Formula 1 factory. The whole set-up is just a smaller version of FI. "Even Tony Kart's set-up at the track is something you would rarely see outside of FI. TTie little things, like Tony Kart having a dedicated catering truck, with the best in cutlery and crockery, an awesome chef who had an assistant and two waiters.

"The tent adjoined to the catering truck had plasma screens and a satellite on the truck that beamed in Italian soccer matches,so when the work was done for the day, we all sat down to eat and watch the soccer from Italy. It meant that we didn't get back to the hotel each day until well after 9pm.

"It was strange how the weekend worked. In Austrahan karting, everyone knows each other very well so the mood is almost always very relaxed and fun.

"It was a Little like that on the Thursday morning as everyone was saying hello and setting up, but midmoming,it sudderrly switched to ultra-serious.

"Mr Rabazzi even pulled one driver aside to teU him to take the weekend more seriously. You see,in European karting, a lot of the drivers are paid professionals. They are paid by the factory to win,because winning means sales. Rabazzi said to him 'karting at this level is no longer fun. It is serious and you are a professional, so you must treat this professionally.' It was certainly different to what Tm used to in Australia, where everyone seems to be a joker!

"In the Tony Kart tent, it was very quiet. It was just as professional as you could possibly have a race team.

No one was ever mucking around, just focused on winning.

"A strange moment was just before the final. Tony Kart had drivers first, second and third on the grid, but the team knew that they had elected for the wrong tyre earlier in the weekend

26 October 2005

-Ben Hall on the philosophy of European karting 1

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Raising the benchmark: Australian karting isn't shabby, but it's not a patch on this. Ben Hall, above right, was MNews's man on the spot in Braga, Portugal.

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and that the final was as good as lost.

"As the team was getting ready for the final, it was absolutely silent - the team knew it had lost the final before it had begun.

"It was like a cemetery after the race. It was about the most intense I've ever seen a team of people in all my years of motorsport. No one was saying anything, even though I knew that some of the guys were happy that Oli Oakes had won, as he has been a Tony Kart driver for quite a few years before switching to PDB Gillard this year. It was nice that Gillard won, as Lotta Hellberg died recently and she was such a legend of the sport and a big part of that team.

"But the Tony Kart boys are all about winning. They have had so much success that there is almost nothing else for them. The team won the World Manufacturer's

Championship, but they were so despondent that they didn't go to the presentation. They called about five or so times over the PA that a representative of Tony Kart was required, but no one went.

Eventually, (lead driver) Davide Fore, who had finished third, went over with a few of the boys and posed for photographers and collected the trophy, but when they came back it was back to being silent. // Tleamt a lot when I was over Xthere. I wouldn't say that in terms of the karts that they are worlds ahead of us. Although numbers are low at the top level in Australia at the moment, we shll run the same karts and engines as them and the smart guys in Australian karting are just as smart as the Europeans. But the professionalism is like nothing I've

seen in Australian motorsport.

Nothing is old on the karts. If something is 99 percent right, it gets thrown in the bin and a new part is put on. In Australia we are forever cleaning the karts. Over there, they don't clean things; they replace them with brand new gear!

"I think I will go back to the World Championships next year. I have made some great friends over there and I have learnt a lot to bring back with me for my customers. The next time I go I would actually like to go to the Junior European Championships as well and take some of my junior drivers with me to show them what the top level is all about.

"I'll just have to brush up on my ■ ● European languages before I return, ' because I couldn't read the road signs and I kept getting lost."

73

INDUSTRY NEWS

Warana . Feel expands the

Warana Imports is relocating to Eudlo located inland from Mooloolaba in the hinterland foothills of Queensland. Warana Imports have expanded and the new pu^ose built warehouse will ensure adequate stock levels can be maintained to cater for the growing market.

Warana Imports are importers and sellers of motorcar and motorcycle workshop jacks & stands for servicing and repair use. Warana Imports have just released their new lightweight aluminium racing car jacks.

The 1 tonne racing jacks have been tested and approved to meet the tough Australian Standard AS/NZS 2615:1995. They feature a low saddle height which makes them easy to use on low vehicles and racing cars.

The jacks weigh only 15 kgs and are available in four colours; red/silver, blue/silver, black/silver and all silver. The jacks will give any workshop or race team a truly professional look.

As a specialist importer and mail order retailer, Warana Imports manage to keep the prices very low. The equipment is sent via courier from our warehouse at Eudlo directly to your door. Most items are sent the same day as ordered.

Contact Ian Oakes at Warana Imports for more information on 07 5445 9799, Fax 07 5498 7833 or visit www.waranaimports.com

Pressure

Intercomp Company has released the latest piece of race car management equipment, the Memory Tyre Pressure Gauge.

This all-new, easy-to-use tyre gauge has dual digital liquid crystal display screens for quick reading of ali pressures, accurate to 0.1 PSI.

Another unique feature is the storage of out/cold and in/hot pressures and quick calculations of the gain. The Intercomp Memory Tyre Pressure Gauge stores ten complete sets of out/cold, in/hot pressures and calculates the gain with each. The Memory Tyre Pressure Gauge will also compensate for barometric pressure changes and Is the most complete piece of tyre pressure equipment available for the accurate recording of all tyre pressures.

Intercomp Company, Inc. is the world’s largest manufacturer of high performance test equipment, and has been serving the automotive industry for over 25 years.

The Memory Tyre Pressure Gauge is now ready to go and available exclusively from your nearest nationwide Revolution Racegear centre.

Call 1800 804 778 (toll free) or go to www.revolutionracegear.com.au for details of your nearest outlet.

Total Seal Performance nANNUAL Total Seal Piston Rings has served the performance industry for over 33 years with high quality piston rings. They have combined years of experience with today's technology to advance piston rings to a new level. Dramatically tightened tolerances,improved surface finish and accurate material specifications have been achieved in the latest range piston rings.

Total Seal are known for their patented Gapless Piston Rings, whether Gapless top or Gapless second rings are your preference. Horsepower and torque is why Total Seal Gapless Piston Rings are the choice of engine builders for race engine applications around the world.

Total Seal also have a range of tools to support their products: for example a dual gauge leakdown tester and tapered adjustable ring cones. Quickseat dry film powder is also a quality Total Seal product available now.

Performance Wholesale Australia has a full range of Total Seal products in stock and with fortnightly airfreight shipments, any waiting times are kept to a minimum. Total Seal remains committed to developing piston ring technology to further improve performance.

For further information and pricing or the location of your nearest distributor visit www.performancewholesale.com.au Or contact Performance Wholesale Australia on 07 3808 1986

THE ANNUAL is a new limited edition motorsport magazine, documenting the 2005 season. Packed full of results, race reports, features and colour photos, it's a 'must have'for anyone with an interest in local motor racing.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS - V8 Supercars, Carrera Cup, Historic Touring Cars, Formula Ford, Formula 3, Aussie Racing Cars and many more ...

NATIONAL EVENTS - Speedway, Drag Racing, Karting

SPECIAL EVENTS - AGP,Gold Coast Indy, Rally Oz, MotoGP, AIGP,Targa Tasmania and more...

AUSSIES OVERSEAS - Webber, Atkinson, Briscoe, Stoner, Marshall, Power, Tatnell, Mawer and more!

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS - FI, WRC,WTCC,DTM,NASCAR,IRL IndyCar, Champ Car, MotoGP. Want to know who finished 1st in the Bathurst 1000? Need know how Webber went at Nurburgring? Want to know who finished 33rd in Race 3 of Aussie Racing Cars at Oran Park? THE ANNUAL will have the answer!

26 October 2005

75

NATIONAL SCENE

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DARRYN Piper and Jon McCorkindale dominated the Junior classes at the 2005 National Dirt Titles at Forbes recently.

Piper (Phoenix) was undefeated in Junior National Light while McCorkindale (Arrow) lost just one race on his way to the Junior National Heavy title. The Forbes track is a combination of oil-sealed dirt with concrete in the corners.

On a dry, hot day such as the Nationals, it is very much like racing on asphalt and all drivers utilised standard slick tyres.

Ryan Hallet won Midgets after a battle with Dean O’Brien. A DNF didn’t stop Chris Preen from winning Senior National, while Maurice Sutherl.cnd lifted the Clubman Super Heavy title. Simon Turner and first time dirt-tracker Kyle Clews had a close run in Clubman Light, Turner took the win.

- MARK WICKS

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THE battle for control of Australian

CAMS President Colin Osborne said.

where the AKA was told that the

karting has taken another turn in the past two weeks.

Having announced their intention to move the delegation for karting away from the AKA to the new Karting Australia organisation, the Confederation of Australian

"CAMS requested the AKA to implement constitutional and structural reform and a renewed commitment within the AKA to achieve this is welcomed."

Karting Australia Ltd organisation that CAMS set up will remain a registered entity and will still be available to use if need be.

The AKA's Armual General

After the initial meeting on October 1, where an interim board for Karting Australia was appointed and a Memorandum of Understanding was approved, all state bodies that make up the AKA elected not to support the proposed move to Karting Australia.

A further meeting was held by teleconference on Monday October 17

Meeting will take place on October 29 where the next step of its constitutional reforms will take place.

Richard Erdmann and Donald Wells have been nominated for President, although two states have expressed a vote of no confidence in Wells, who currently holds that position, due to his involvement in Karting Australia.

- MARK WICKS

Motorsport has now announced they are happy to leave the sport in the hands of the AKA. "Karting Australia was created as an alternative structure to overcome what seemed to be insurmountable difficulties with the proposed structural reforms of the AKA,"

Sera Wins!

DAVID Sera took out the 29th annual Toyota/Yamaha All Japan SL Championship at the Tsumagoi Kart Circuit on October 16.

Sera beat the best Yamaha drivers Japan had to offer to become the first Australian to win the title.

Sera attended the event with the backing of Yamaha Australia. He was to have originally competed in the one-make SSS class where all competitors use identical Yamaha chassis and KT100S engine. However, Yamaha wanted a win for their kart in the SSO class where chassis brand is open. Aboard the Yamaha chassis (they are actually made by Birel) with a stock standard 'Clubman' engine (selected by random draw), the Victorian was quick throughout practice on Thursday and Friday.

Karting Briefs

FIRST Karts NSW will continue their sponsorship of the NSW Southern Zone Series.

This year, the organisation provided a First chassis for the series. For the eight round 2006 series they will offer two Phoenix frames - a Midget/Rookie kart and a senior chassis.

Championships. The club has also announced they will have 10 lOOcc Yamaha TaG engines for use by C-grade drivers. The new 'experimental' class will run on Dunlop's hard compound SL1 tyre and is intended for entry-level karters only.

■ The North Shore Kart Club, based at Eastern Creek Raceway, will instigate a 'Pro' series next year.

The winner of Rotax Pro will receive a JT Motorsport-sponsored drive at the 2006 Rotax Nationals while Kart One Racing have offered the winner of Clubman Pro a free drive in Clubman Light at the 2007 Australian

■ A unique feature race will be held in Tasmania next month.

Starting with a maximum of 30 karts, the driver in last place at the conclusion of each lap will be eliminated from the event. This will continue for whatever number of laps are required to see just the last kart standing. The driver of that kart will pocket a cool $2000.

The Bartercard Sportsman's Cup

74

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In dry conditions, Sera qualified sixth, 0.2s off pole, in the 30 kart field. West Australian Fumiaki Ogata was an excellent second aboard his Arrow. After qualifying had concluded on Saturday evening, heavy rain set in. Sunday was greeted with more rain and Sera, a renowned expert in the wet, turned grid six into second in the pre-final.

"The leader won by about 15 karts and I beat third by about the same amount," he said.

In a wet 15 lap final. Sera started off grid two and took over the front running at the second comer. He then edged away from the opposition for a 2.5s win. Ogata just missed the podium with fourth.

- MARK WICKS

meeting is set to run at Launceston on November 6.

■ Having already clinched the championship at the previous round, Ben George finished the Austrian Rotax Championship in the best possible way with another win at the final race.

George again dominated proceedings, qualifying on pole then taking Race 1 and 2 easily. In Race 3, Team-V team mate Dominic Kraihamer was much closer to the Tasmanian and won, the pair crossing the line side-by-side.

■ The annual City of Sydney titles was held at Oran Park recently but, being Bathurst 1000 weekend, it was a much smaller event than what has traditionally been the case. Around 100 karters raced over two days. Daniel Baker won both Junior National

classes. Wins also went to Joseph Mawson (Midgets), Sebastion Tolson (Clubman Light), Jason Hryniuk (Clubman Heavy), Darsey Kondopirakis (Rookies), Stephen Zerafa (National Light), Ian Allen (Rotax Heavy), Lee Adams (Rotax Light), Damien Radosevic (Junior Clubman) and Aaron Salter (National Heavy), above.

- MARK WICKS

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Toyota Supra Turbo 1990 I Log booked 3J/improved production. Good reliable race car. All good parts including: I Bach , - Bilstein - Microtech with Dash - Cobra seat etc.

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PRB, Factory built with Aluminium Monocoque chassi, 4 wheel wishbone suspension, in-board coil-overs. Motec injections dash with traction control and Launch control. Titanium cladding, carbonfibre guards. Over 300BHP turbo 4AG, LSD fully sorted. Motorcycle acceleration in a car. Road registered as a custom car in Tas. http://www.braesidedental.com.au/prlprb/in dex.htmi. $65000.00 Or Best Offer. Philip Leith 0363340788 / 0419524315.

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Porsche 944, Built for 944 Challenge Series, everything new, engine, gear box, drive shafts, steering, loom, dash etc, no expense spared, only lightly raced by older driver, sorted suspension, high power engine, minimum weight, ready to race, support available, superb car. Sister car to front runner in series. $33000 ONO. Brian 322 0418519948. www.my105.com/21561

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Lotus Elise Sport 200, Lotus Elise sport 200 - Chassis LS1-000C LHD Ex Lotus Motorsport UK car. Never Raced. Rebuilt from the ground up, 200 Hp steel engine, SC/CR g/box with LSD, Stack Motorsport Dash with predictive iap timing, DTA programmable ECU, Up graded fuel system. Safety Devices cage AP Racing Brakes, In excellent condition . . 100,000 ONO. Steve 0404 8 0 2 901. 322 www.myl05.com/23862

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1971 GTHO Falcon, Top runner lap record breaker. Outstanding race history, 05 Clipsal 500 winner. Prepared and maintained with full set-up data, comes with Galvanised tilt trailer and extensive spares. $90,000. Call Eric (02)99976942 or Jack 322 0425333864. www.myl 05.com/70735

Suzuki Swift GTI MK1, Swift GTl Mkl. U2 sports sedan. Full cage, race seat, 4 point harness, 4 wheel disc's, koni shocks and adjustable suspension, 14" slicks. Fresh engine, Autronic, LSD, Grp A Drive shafts etc. Plenty of spares, wheels, engine, brakes, standard seats and trim. Reliable and enjoyable fi rst car. $7500 ONO. Steve 322 0404 901.

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Nota Streamliner, 1959/1960 Nota Streamliner. Extensive racing history.

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Holden Commodore Improved Production, 5ltr, V8 top AP, 5 speed tremec, AP brakes, coil over shocks, too much to list, 5 meetings since new, cost over $80,000 to build urgent $43,000 ONO, as roller $20,000. Mark 0402 307 469. 322 www.myl O5.com/17955

Road Rally/Club car, Built for Tarmac rallies no expense spared. Reg'd. Eng balanced 175bhp, lightwt pistons, 11.3/1 comp, 48mm webers, very torquey, head refreshed 2003, Biisteins, dr gearbox, 50% LSD, f/glass panels, plexglass windows, 15x7 wheels, 2 sets of Yokahama tyres, aluminium/foam fuel tank, vent/discs, 4pot calipers, fun car ready to rally. $29,990 ONO, Brian 041 851 9948, 324 www.myl05.com/62958

Porsche 993 GT2 Race car, 1996 Engine RSCS 3,8 L up rated to 360hp, Eligible for Porsche drivers challenge. State series and endurance events. Three sets wheels LHD very competitive car very well presented, 324 max 0419996289. www.myl05.com/59999

Porsche GT2 Turbo replica, Porsche 911 turbo with Gt2 body kit Motec engine management and much more very quick reliable car. 59,000 Or Best Offer. Calvin 03 56 6 4.322 9587 www.my105.com/18152

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Nissan R32 GTS-t Skyline, JUST ADD DRIVER (and or navigator). Ready to Go. Mechanically excellent. Body & trim excellent. Full FIA cage, Fia seats & harnesses and all safetry gear. Built to Level 2 LMS @ 140 RWkw. Extra 60 RWkw if modified to Level 3. Koni allround, S'steel exhaust. $18,000 ONO. Kerry 0417518660. www.myl05.eom/69019

improved production mirage, lap record holder at Sandown, Winton, Phillip Island and Mallala. Cheap to run and ultra compeitive. Many spares including Wheels, shocks, sway bars, bumpers, exhaust, discs and more. Set-up data provided for new buyer. $17,000 ONO. Brendan 322 0428519423. www.my105.com/17977

Lotus 7 Replica, Lotus 7 Replica with Mazda Series 6 RX7 twin turbo motor, running gear and suspension. Car is registered and complianced. Needs paint & trim to complete and make it your own.

Very quick car. $34000 ONO. Craig 0427143388 / 0354821850.

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Datsun 1200 Sports Sedan, 2 litre FS20 (non turbo) full race engine, fuel inject J speed 4WD, log book, quick car, ready to race. $5,000. Darrell 0413 383 102. 322 www.myl05.com/67006

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MK 2 Jaguar Targa/Race, Built for Targa NZ from lightened bare shell, seam welded, 6 point cage, lexan, coil over watts 4 link rear, willwood pedal box, 3.54 LSD, XJS vented brakes, power steer, 3 stage dry sump electric fan/water pump, new motor, flowed head, triple SUs, cams etc e mail for details. $35,000. Blair 00971505590544 / thebrownlees@dubaiinternetcity.net. 322 www.my105.com/70999

NC XU1 TORANA, BWell known reliable car. 1 owner 9 years, 300HP roller engine (3 meetings old) Brand new Advans, ready to race with all spares including 4 diff ratios, 1 spare gearbox, 4 spare wheels, galvinised tilt trailer and Dorian fimer. For more infer call Mike DYER (02) 9982-1233.

35000 Not Neg. Mike 0299821233. 324 www.my105.com/170

Historic Sports Car, Arguably Australia's most important E type the first E to race in Australia March 1962. Pre-dates the identical Bob Jane car by 8 months. Driven

by Bill Leech, Doug Whiteford, Colin Hyams, Ray Decaney, Concours restoration 10,000 miles ago. Eligible tor C of D. Group M or group S log book. Suit serious collector or museum. To arrange inspection register an expression of interest by phoning Laurie Cousin SA 0438 047 764. Laurie 0438 047 764. 322

2ltr sports sedan nat. champ 03/04., A class leading car that will be sold ready to race.with 2 sets of rims,some moulds8iparts. car is ready to race &win. $20,000 ONO. david 0357273202 / 0357273328.0.

322

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CLASSIFIEDS Commodore V6 Ex Saloon Car, professionally built and maintained by Gary Brown (QLD) complete with custom made extractors and stinger EMS. $3,000 ONO. John 0411 759 092 322 www.myl O5.com/18295

Porsche 944, Build for 944 Series, 2004 Championship winning car, no expense spared, current spec engine, spare wheels and tyres, Sparco fire system, EC. $29,750 Kane 0408 103 815.

323 www.my105.com/69044

Torana XU1, This car has good race history fresh motor ,webers,pedal box,4 spot front calipers,allumlnium tank and radiator excl.seat and belts,presents well and ready to race ,priced to sell !. $25,000 322 Not Neg. Leo 08 97955870. www.mylO5.com/10272

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RX7 Sports Sedan, 13B PP. 51ml Webber, 5spd turbo gearbox, Hilux full floater diff, AP racing brakes, reliable and fast, large spares inventory. Gold Coast. $12,500 ONO. Russell 0412 872 246.

322 www.my105.com/92238

Parts

Formula Ford, FORMULA FORD MYGALE SJ2000. Absolutely first class condition. Known history. Quantum adjustable shocks. New OZ Racing Rims (8). For sale with both Kent and Ztec motor( Scholar motor with new Race ECU ). Trailer and spares. Complete Package $ 39,500.

0405 123 666 or 08 8391 4612. 39500.00 ONO. Neville 0405123666.

322 www.mylO5.com/13820

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GEARBOX PARTS. W/Shop Clearance Hewland Mk8-9/FT200 Ratios New & Secondhand Please Tel. 02 99973252 or clivehO@ozemail.com.au for complete list www.myl05.com/42225

OFF-ROADER FOR SALE, BOSS FRAME BUGGY, MAZDA 1800CC TWIN CAM TURBO, 175 HOURSE POWER AT WHEELS, REINFORCED 2ltr VW BOX WITH ALBINS GEARS & DiFF, FOX SHOCKS FRONT & REAR, ALBINS FOATER HUBS, FULL WRIGHT FRONT END, SIMMONS WHEELS, AUTRONIC COMPUTER, 2 SPARE ENGINES & BOXES INCOMPLETE PLUS SOME SPARES & TYRES. $30,000neg ONO. 322 BRENTON (08) 86411238 www.my105.com/44083

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RF04 Van Diemen, Ready to race in state series with top running Ritter engine + spare. MSE data logger with PI c dash, complete with spares package. Easy conversion to nationals engine spec, wally 324 0419993155. www.myl05.com/35135

26 October 2005

Jentcd

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RACE CAR TRANSPORTER, 3 car capacity, rollaway cabinets, hyd tall lift, 13 kva generator, complete fitout kitchen/lounge,,,leather lounges TV/dvd/surround sound A/C, Stereo with speakers outside, full annex just been repainted inside etc etc. 210 000 Neg. Paul Leaver 0418787976 ?25 www.myl05.eom/36330

Nissan GTIR being dismantled, most panels and mechanicals available, also aftermarket suspension. John 0418 320 51 7 323 www.myl O5.com/1602 Longacre Corner Weight Scales new! new! all models available. Lowest prices in Australia. John 0418 320 517 327 www.myl05.eom/88073

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F3 Dallara 01 Spiess, Winner Mallala, Gold Coast Indy 2004, Currently fastest 01 in Aust, Engine Fresh from Spiess before Wakefield Park. Car race ready BRM prepared. Spares package available. Will trade road car. Phone Gil 0418856227. .

322 $65,000. www.myl05.eom/3607

Transporters/Trailers TILT-TRAY, 2004 Hino Dutro Hi-Grade 4.6Ltr. OHC AfterCooled TURBO Diesel. 5 Speed.AirCond.Power Steering. Electric Windows. Front Discs & ABS. Polished /Mloy BullBar. Hvy Duty Tow Bar. 4.5metre Tilt Tray & Alloy ramps. Loading Winch (1000kg single pull). Car License OK. .

0408-305210.

323 $42,850. www.my105.com/96083

Open Wheelers

Spectrum 06B Formula Ford For Sale, Complete, read to race. Leading Independently run car in Victoria. 2001 VIC Championship winner. 2nd in 2003 VIC Championship with rookie. Fully rebuilt beginning of 2005. /Ml factory updates. Top HP Lamer engine. Motec ADL data logger, rev limiter, all ratios, 13 ri ms, sway bars, short. Heaps of spares. Terry 0414 708 124 www.my105.com/55889

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MERCHANDISE TRAILER, Fully equiped merchandise trailer, folding display doors and sign, trailer used for V8 Supercar Team. Generator, fridge, cash register, new paint (blue) ready to use!, $17,500 Or Best 322 Offer. Dean 03 9357 7701. www.myl05.eom/97690

VOLVO TRANSPORTER, VOLVO F10 PRIME MOVER 40FT 2 CAR TRAILER FULL HYDROLIC TAILAGTE LOADER NEW KITCHEN WORKBENCHES AIRCOND GENERATOR ANNEXE. 85000 Neg. NANDI 029709 3300.

323 www.myl05.com/82762

Ralt/Atlantic, A fully restored rolling chassis.nothing to spend.This is a matching number car.all correct ID#'s,Log Book and COD.rare pushrod car.the 86 is by far the quickest and user friendly Atlantic ever built.Comes with gear sets and spare wheels.New Jennings BDD available. $47,500 Not Neg. peter 0418 556934 / 03 9890 6586.

322 www.myl05.com/758

RALT RT4, Absolutely race ready. No expense spared. Strong Jennings engine with 50mm Webers. Fox shocks. ECreek 1.-29.97, WField 56,9, Sandown 1:13.27.

Richard Carter 0409 993606. . $64,000 firm, RICHARD CARTER 0409993606. 322 www.myl05.com/89992

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Race Car Transporter - Scania 113M., 360hp - lazy axle - Alcoa's - Maxi cube 45 cubic meter fiber glass pan - 1500kg tail lifter - Belly lockers - tyre rack - Stainless steel work bench - 240v Lighting - 8 Kva gen - Air comp. Good clean tidy truck. Suit any type of race car, $80,000 Neg. Mark 322 08-94343691. www.myl05.eom/34950

Luxury Transporter, Prof built 30ft L 20ft living 10ft bay, Self contained. Too much to list. Has to be seen. Chev 3500 Silverado top of the range 6.5 turbo diesel. Many extras. $180,000 will separate. David 0417 322 479 002 www,my105.com/94507

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Purpose Built Race Trailer, 48FT PURPOSE BUILT RACE TRAILER 4.1m HIGH. FITTED OUT FOR RACE CAR, WALL CABINETS, ROLLER DRAWERS, BENCH/OVERHEAD UNDER CUPBOARDS, 3.6m MEZZANINE FLOOR, TYRE RACK, DROP DOWN TAILGATE, COMPRESSOR, 7KVA GENERATOR, LIVING QUARTERS. $93,000.00 ONO. 322 Tony 03 5940 2034 / 0419 109 915, www.myl05.com/35594

Racecar Transporter, 1 owner prime mover single axle. Long range fuel tanks, bull bar, clean skins all around. Trailer set up for low sedan or similar. Work bench and steel cabinet aluminuim chequered plate floor, with kitchen and lounge area.

Some storage underneath, wheel racks, and spoiler area. Phone Mark 0409846717. $66,000 Neg. Mark 0409846717 322 www.myl O5.com/10178

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OoursiHHt WWW-mnews "om.au

EDITORUl 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 PRODUCTION Graphics/Prod. Co-ordinator: Jason Freeman l admin@mnew5.com.au ADVERTISING Brendon Sheridan - PR Driven Tel: 03 9877 7271 Fax: 03 9877 7207 mobile: 0407 007 286 l ads@mnews.com.au ADMINISTRATION Managing Director/Publisher: Chris Lambden l publisher@mnews.com.au CONTACTS 357 Nepean Highway, Brighton East Vic 3187 (PO Box 7072, Gardenvale, VIC 3186) Ph: 03 9596 5555 Fax: 03 9596 5030 Email: admin@mnews.com.au CONTRIDUTORS 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 Rally: Jon Thomson Drag Racing: Dave Ostaszewski (USA), Nick Nicholas, Ken Ferguson National: Mark Wicks, Mark Jones, Daniel Powell, Erin McCowatt, Andrew van Leeuwen Photographers: Sutton Motorsport Images, Dirk Klynsmith, Bothwell Photographic, Marshall Cass, Nigel Snowdon & Diana Burnett, API Images, Neil Hammond, Allsport, John Morris/Mpix, Frank Midgley, Peter Bury, Mike Patrick (UK), Chris Carter, James Smith, Paris Charles, Bob Potts Motorsport News is published by Australasian Motorsport News - ABN 55 125 120 702 Publisher: C Lambden Printed by: Offset Alpine Printing Pty Ltd, Lidcombe, NSW. Distributed by: NDD Ltd Material published by MOTORSPORT NEWS is copyright and may not be reproduced in full or in,part without the written permission of the publisher. Freelance contributions are welcome, and while all care will be taken, Australasian Motorsport News does not accept responsibility for damage or loss of material submitted.

Pit lane rules don’t fit

I would like to commend the

1 would have to say that 1 am a bit confused about the V8 police who write up the tickets at the Supercar races.

How is it that Ingall copped a penalty for making a mistake, that probably cost him three or four seconds anyway, for putting a wheel on a bit of paint? Tough call getting a drive through for that one.

professionalism of the whole Stone Brothers team on how the whole

Then, 1 think it was the Orrcon team who got a drive through for a wheel rolling into another team's pit box. Well if you get a drive through for that, what should you get when you put your complete racing car into another team's pit box?

You have got to think there is something wrong when they can penalise one team for a minor infringement and allow another team to go and win the biggest race of the year and get a bag full of points.

Adrian Wells Whitsunday, Queensland

Tough calls favour Holden What is with the V8 Supercars officialdom? To me they seem very biased decision-wise towards Holdens. Now I'm not complaining by any means for I myself am a Holden fan and was rapt with the Bathurst result this year.

However, the decisions to penalise some and not others makes the end result feel hollow,for as a Holden you fan feel like you didn't earn it. I watched the camera footage of the Bathurst race and noticed that during one of his stints Greg Murphy, whom is a great driver, wasn't wearing a balaclava either and wasn't penalised. Why was Ambrose?

The crash incident was unfortunately a result of Murphy’s hot-headed nature towards Ambrose, yet he wasn't found guilty either.

Skaife then had that issue with the

was a disadvantage yet still he was done. Mark Skaife had the same situation and wasn't busted. Both

SUBSCRIPTIONS

percent sure that they earned it.

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andrew_green@au.adp.com As a diehard Marcos Ambrose fan, I was extremely disappointed about the way the officials handled the balaclava incident. Last year all the drivers had an agreement and now at the business end of the season the

why not on the many previous occasions V8 races were held as international meetings?

Chas vtop@austarnet.com.au

As dame Edna always says, you have to keep your urges under control, and G. Murphy clearly cannot. Sheet metal wasn't the only damage,faith in the V8 Supercar judiciary has been mortally wounded.

Bryanfrom Bridgezoater iiester@senet.com.au

he didn't. Just like Ambrose did to Skaife at Eastern Creek this year on Turn 3. Marcos got away with that one. Anyhow get on with the racing it has been good this year.

Tony tonyange@fivi.net.au

mark.cook05@bigpond.com The balaclava issue is like the

Firstly, love the mag. Secondly, if Ambrose was docked 25 points at Barbagallo and was past the B-pillar in a straight line, why is it that Murph can punt Ambrose out of the race after screwing up a corner and barely reaching the C-pillar?

I have decided that race control

speeding in pit lane at Oran Park. It would seem that Ambrose and Stones are under more scrutiny than a lot of other teams. Tm starting to think every obstacle will be put in Ambrose place to stop him winning the Championship.

Des Hartwig Gyinpie, Queensland

stuffed up big time.

Rod Foreman rod.foreman@eds.com Perhaps Murphy should go overseas,

I back to New Zealand where his silly |. little sideburns and bad driving seems to be in favour.

iEGSWRfIS:

I for one would support Marcos Ambrose if he chose to walk away from the series due to the way it has been handled. Both Marcos and all the fans do not deserve this treatment.

Stephen McKay email ivithheld

'Balaclava-gate' has raised a number of questions:

While not being an Ambrose fan.

Strange time for something like this to come to the fore but that's Bathurst. The AVESCO observer was on the ball on this occasion but

It was a racing incident. Murphy could of lifted and allowed room but

officials are again trying to sabotage the Devil Racer's year by handing him a ridiculous penalty.

Mark Cook

Claire Ingram North Katoomba, Neiv South Wales

Was there an agreement between the drivers and was it still in place?

Was CAMS or AVESCO party to this agreement?

pT britnell@airinter.com.au

Notes on Murph v Marcos the balaclava issue gifted the Bathurst win to Skaife/Kelly when Ambrose, Ingall and Murphy could have been challenging him for the win.

Andrew Green

Notes on Balaclava-gate

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 02

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penalised either. Where is the justice?

And if that wasn't enough,in Race 2 at Indy, Russell Ingall was done for cutting a chicane, he lost time and it

slowed down,both lost time and only one was penalised. I just want to see Holden win a race and feel 100

2 years $285

converter

Team BOG pit bay, and wasn't

●Opinions expressed in Motorsport News are not necessarily those of Australasian Motorsport News or its staff.

1 year $148.50

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issue of the balaclava thing.

I think your article on this issue is certainly asking the right questions, it would be nice to know who prompted it, once again, the major threat was once again thrown a hurdle.

Peter Britnell

Poor Marcos: Most, but not all, of MNews's letter have been sympathetic to Ambrose.

The low point of the weekend was to be told so rudely by Marcos "I am not signing anything". Russell Ingall was more than happy to sign away and so was Greg Murphy, but not Marcos - he was still spitting the dummy.

G. Campbell g.campbell@optusnet.com.au

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