Motorsport News Issue 334 - April 26-May 9, 2006

FPR: WINTERBOTTOM JOINS YOUNG STARS THE NEWS BEHIND THE NEWS

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No.334 26 Apr-9 May 2006

Australia $6.50 NZ $7.95 inc GST

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Wouldyou race there?Opinions divided overPukkysafety

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Issue 334 26 Apr - 9 May 2006

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7T DR’sback:Prodrivelookssettobecome12thF1team £

12 NZtin-topuproar.(YouthoughtV8swerecontroversiai...)

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25 Motor Mouth

Some things, NZjustdoes better

26 Opinion

Sportscars!Media!Karting!Kiwis!

28 Box Seat

WhyRobbie WiiiiamsshouldreplaceBemie

98 Talk Converter

Weshutupandletyouspeakforachange

feature 32 Five Minutes With Mark Winterbottom

43

34 Five Minutes With Ben Clueas 36 JB Turns200 Notquite(we think)butJohn Bowe has much to say about V8Supercars,the pastand the future 40 Cee Bee Radio Craig Baird tells us aboutFife in the Porsche Lane 42 Taku and Aguri make their Mark The PlayersfromSuper Aguri explain how,and why

photos

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Cover: DlrkKIysnmith, j sutton-images.com

I Contents: ^ I DlrkKIynsmlth, \ \ sutton-images.com,

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— I 46 Skaife makes NZhis own,Murph has a shocker and a iot ofcars get trashed. Weicome to Reverse Grids

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56 Imola works its magic on Ferrariand Schumacher idofone

" 81 SPECIAL:KART FORMULA MNews gives you the complete lowdown on the 2006 Australian Karting Championship in this 17-page opus!

18 Stateside 24 Rallying 62 International 64 Speedway

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68 Drag Racing 70 NationalScene 77 Race Shop

79 Classifieds

national & international

IS NTS CONCERNS are being raised among a number of V8 Supercar drivers about the safety of Pukekohe in New Zealand.

John Bowe's high-speed crash has prompted a number of drivers to mention doubts about the track,though none were prepared to go on the record,for fear of possibly being charged by V8 Supercars Australia over what could ^ be construed as negative S comments.

The crash came less than 24 i hours after a major crash at the same part of the track in the Porsche GTS event. Dean Fulford struck another car and his 911 vaulted over a fence, coming to rest less than a metre from a spectator area.

The stand was cleared for the rest of the day and the track was restored to its original spec overnight.

One driver called the track

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UNPROFESSiONM

Bowe slams first lap antics at Pukekohe JOHN Bowe has criticised the professionalism of some of his colleagues,following the 200kmh shunt which gate crashed his 200th race party, at Pukekohe last weekend.

Arriving back in Melbourne o Monday morning, Bowe reported that he"had a bit of a stiff neck, but I'm otherwise quite okay luckily," but had strong words for those who had contributed to the preliminary damage to his car, which led to a stuck throttle at the end of Pukekohe's start/finish straight.

Bowe's car was damaged when a group of back-markers - at the front, courtesy of the category's first ever'reverse-grid'race clashed at the hairpin on the first lap. Bowe,and several others, became innocent victims of the fracas: "These guys are supposed to be professional drivers," he said.

"They are paid to drive, and yet can't drive around the first lap of a 50-lap race without cannoning into each other.

"This wasn't necessarily down to the reverse grid format I've seen it happen before in normal races - but it really is time for a few of these so-called 'professionals'to start to act professionally."

Bowe's throttle jammed when a piece of carbon-fibre from the air intake, damaged in the lap one tangle,fell into the throttle mechanism and jammed it open as Bowe entered Turn 1 at well over 200kph: "In some ways, I am quite lucky," 4

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he told us.

"I was going deeper than before into the corner,turning a little before I lifted. That probably increased the angle of impact in the end.

"When I realised the throttle had jammed, I clutched it, and hit the brakes. Apparently, my brake pedal pressure was twice what I've ever put through the pedal - if you

sat there and pushed the pedal as hard as you could, you could never match it!

"I did have time to think that it was going to be big ... n "The problem is, a little team like ours can't afford the expense of this kind of damage - and it is totally unnecessary."

For more from JB,see 14 Days(page 14), and The 200 Man(page 36)

Crash injures photographer SCOTT Wensley remembers everything about the crash that caused two breaks in his left leg in New Zealand last Sunday.

The Brisbane photographer, pictured left, was in the right place at the wrong time when John Bowe's BOC Gases Falcon speared off at Turn 1 during the reverse grid race.

"I remember every bit of it," said Wensley,"but someone said that Bowe had his eyes closed. I don't remember that bit!"

Wensley, who has been shooting major motor racing events for more

than a decade, was rung by Bowe on Sunday night.The 38-year-old suffered two breaks to his left leg in the impact, which was caused by a fence pole swinging around and intho his leg.

"I saw him in the corner and then he locked it up.The car veered to the left and into the fence.

"It happened really quickly, very quickly. He realised that he was not going to stop pretty quickly!"

Wensley will continue to be treated in a hospital near Auckland before returning to Brisbane, probably at the end of the week.

motorsportnews

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PUKEKOHE Pi 'just plain dangerous" while another said every driver has some qualms about the facility.

"There are things that are in the wrong place," he said,"and there should be more sandtraps.They can do them for the GP,so why not here?"

One driver who did go on the record was Mark Skaife, who gave the circuit qualified support at the Sunday Media Conference.

"There's no racetrack that's perfectly safe," he said."Who could ever predict a car would do that down the main straight? Those sorts of things happen in motor racing sometimes; you look at the back of your ticket and it says, 'Motor Racing is Dangerous'.That is Just a fact of life.

"There's no doubt that there are, around the globe in motor racing land, safer places than Pukekohe.

"It is not a state-of-the-art facility and I am not being disparaging at all. It's not a brand-new racetrack and,in terms of building a brand-

new racetrack, you would not do it like that.

"We will come here. I've got my hand up, I am here again next year.

I have no problem about it."

The track, which surrounds a horse racing track, was defended

by Motor Sport New Zealand President Steven Kennedy.

"At the end of the day,the systems worked," he told The New Zealand Herald."It's just the law of physics.[If] you get ZOOkmh vehicles aiming with 1.5 tonnes at a post, it's going to move."

In the meantime, plans are underway to ensure that the Hamilton street circuit is as safe as it can reasonably be. Event promoters and the City Council invited Skaife to inspect the track on Monday but commitments forced him to pass. Paul Radisich looked at the facilities and the track, which will host the NZ V8 round in autumn 2008, will utilise some of the catch fencing used previousiy at Albert Park.

Bringing the sport to the fans;Dean Fuiford's Porsche ended the support race in the stands,above, while the main show wasjust as brutal. This one a lighter momentfor Greg Murphy, below.

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Iweek with the launch of MNews Platinum. [ The internet service, exclusively available Ito subscribers to Motorsport News - at [no extra cost - provides daily news grabs, [along with additional features not found in BMotorsport News itself.

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5 "in this electronic age,there are solutions to Bthat,and ours is MNews Platinum.

26 April 2006

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5

TV DEAL GETS CLOSER fn the slow lane...

AND lest anyone thinks we in the media are alone in condemning the Reverse Grid V8 Supercar races (see almost any page in this issue)... The iate mail is that some V8 Supercar team owners who were previously either slightly in favour or neutral of the initiative have had a change of heart and will enquire as to the possibility of putting an end to what one described as"this madness".

Another owner pointed out that Greg Murphy's choice of a Race 2 starting position was"inspired"...

My,that V8 Supercar on pole position is shiny. That is because of the fact that Armor All is now the presenting sponsor of the Pole Position Award in the V8SCS. It will also be the sponsor of that part of Bathurst between Ford corner and Holden Skyline, which is will probably still be known to most as McPhillamy...

The first beneficiary of Armor All's generosity was Garth Tander, who scooped up five gorillas for his pole lap in New Zealand.

One of the links between the Holden Racing Team and Toll HSV is strengthening.

A new position is being created at Clayton, the role to handle the media for both teams plus Holden Special Vehicles. The role is expected to be in addition to the current suspects, with Steve Colquhoun in Team Rouge and Ron Hammerton handling THSV. Vern Schuppan has been named as the Event Patron for the 2006 festival of Speed on Tweed.The 1983 Le Mans 24 Hour winner, who also drove for Formula 1 teams such as Surtees, Hill, Ensign and BRM, will assume the role following the completion of Frank Gardner's three-year term.

For the first time tickets are available for the September 15-17 event at Murwillumbah through the event's website www.speedontweed.com, with an'Early Bird'offer for those who purchase tickets online prior to June 30.

Q Alan Jones will be back at GP Masters this weekend in Qatar - but in the commentary box, not in one of the cars in the new series.

Jones will join Murray Walker in calling the race at the Losail International Circuit after his own plans to compete in the series were curtailed by neck and back pains during practice at Kyalami last November.

NEGOTIATIONS regarding the future of the V8 Supercar telecasts is getting to the serious stage, if the stonewall reactions of V8 Supercars officials are any indication.

Enquiries about the status of the deal to broadcast V8SCS races from 2007 onwards were met with a very rare"no comment" by V8SA Chairman Tony Cochrane in New Zealand last Friday.

MNews believes that VSSA's broadcast rights negotiator James Erskine is in discussion with both current broadcaster Network 10 and the Nine Network, which lost the rights for AFL football from 2007 to Ten and Channel Seven in January. Our sources indicate that Nine is keen to grab the V8SA deal, partly to avenge the loss of the AFL after a bitter and at times, personal battle.

Nine is also likely to want to bolster its sporting portfolio, after recently announcing that it would not renew its deal to broadcast the four golf major events.To add fuel to the fire, soccer's A-League confirmed last week that it was continuing its FoxSports-only broadcast rights for another seven years, meaning that the code would not be broadcast on freeto-air television any time in the foreseeable future.

-PHIL BRANAGAN

MORRIS

1 Sirromet, 1 TKR in 2007 ^

phil branagan

PAUL Morris Motorsport looks set to reduce its V8 Supercar entry to two cars irT2007.

The Queensland-based team has fe Level l licence, under which Morris'sSTTromet Commodore competes,on the martet,with any potehTIal transfer taking effect atThe conclusion of the season.

PMM cunaatly fields three entries in the V8 Supercar Championship Series; SSo cars tor Morris and Alan Gurr/^bian Cbuttfaard 6^0 drive in alternate ecEs),and one for Paul Ra^ich in the Team Kiwi Racing entry.

The lattertwo entries race under-Level 2 licences.

Should the sale of the #67 licence proceed (wih thSMlue

SUPER XIV

entries for 2007 to be Morris in tfre Sirromet car and Coulthard in the TKR entry, with Radisich likely to ^p bank into the roleof driser coach and endurancBco-drivar.

The move quells recent rumours thatteam principal Terry Morris had purchased TKR and included the team in the PMM fold. Mfctews sources confirm that the tapoffi are whdexjf the mark and that the NZ national team rem firmly in the hands of long-time principal David John.

As for potential huyes,there could be many but one highprofile owner has a lease on a Level 2 licence that expires at the end of the season. If he to buy the licence, it would be pased from black carto black car„.

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FALL II

14Rounds- butwhataboutAGP? LOOK for 14 rounds of the V8 Supercar Championship Series in 2007 and, possibly, no Albert Park support event.

V8SA Chairman Tony Cochrane said at Pukekohe last Friday that a proposal for a 14th round of the championship would be considered by theVSSA Board at its June meeting.

"There will be 14 appearances next year," he said in reply to a question about the category's future at the Australian Grand Prix.

He also said that 14 rounds of the series plus non-points races at the AGP was"possible but unlikely". With the positioning of the race in the FI calendar likely to stay at the third round,despite the posturing of AGP Corporation boss Ron Walker and Victorian Premier Steve Bracks, any likely date for the local race remains uncertain.

Cochrane admitted that negotiations over the future of the race had been put on hold, pending a clearer indication of what FI czar Bernie Ecclestone wants.

Should V8SA increase its number of appearances next season, it is almost certain that the new event would be at Townsville.The northern Queensland city is behind a plan to host a street race and is wellpositioned to be the next new V8 event, regardless of what may or may not happen with the Melbourne race.

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SANDOWN 500: nN IDEAL GIFT FOR FATHER'S i

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V HAMILTON

HAMILTON'S V8 Supercar races will be held in April or May,starting in 2008.

The New Zealand city, which will host the V8 Supercar Championship for at least seven years, looks likely to follow the Clipsai 500 in Adelaide and be the second round of the series.

"New Zealand will probably remain the second round of the series,"V8SA Chairman Tony Cochrane said at the weekend.

The event still faces possible objections via New Zealand's Resource Consent process, which has previously ended any plans to hold a street race in Auckland and Wellington. But Event Promoter Dean Calvert of CSM Ltd, which promotes the Pukekohe round and which will promote Hamilton, is confident that the process will get a positive result.

"The track is in a commercial area and does not back onto any residential property," he said.

Calvert confirmed that the local Hamilton City Council was fully supportive of the event and has secured the debris fencing used at the Australian Grand Prix prior to an upgrade required by the FIA for the FI race recently.The council will source its own concrete barriers and other infrastructure, including pit buildings, separately.

-PHILBRANAGAN

26 April 2006

EXPECT clarity about the date of the Betta Electrical 500 at Sandown this week, with some prospect of the race remaining as scheduled - and the AFL having to accommodate it.

Race promoter IMG and broadcaster Network 10 will meet this week to determine whether the race will stay on its original September 8-10 date or move forward a week to Fathers'Day. The potential move is being forced by a date clash between the race and the AFL finals, which 10 shows exclusively.

In Auckland,V8 Supercars CEO Wayne Cattach and Chairman Tony Cochrane reiterated the organisation's line that the potential clash, and its likely solution, is not of its making, and repeated its position that its contract with the network clearly stated that V8 Supercars would receive priority over the football.The pair also rebuffed suggestions that it should accede to suggestions from Sandown's Jon Davison that V8SA should underwrite the gate of this year's race to 2006 levels, should the race move to the earlier date.

"It's really now down to the promoter,"said V8SA CEO Wayne Cattach."The promoter has got some concerns of competing sports on the weekend."

While Cochrane aired the near-impossible option of 10 handing the day's match to the rival Nine network,it seems more likely that the AFL will schedule its match to a late-afternoon timeslot to'dovetail'with the 500, which traditionally ends at around 4:40pm. Any venue likely to host the match would be able to do so under lights, so it now appears up to the network and the league to make the appropriate arrangements.

In the meantime. Ford Performance Racing has taken the initiative and is putting together a back-up plan in the event that it will need a replacement driver for the race. FPR signed David Brabham for Sandown and Bathurst but should the Sandown race move to the earlier date, Brabham is committed to the Mosport round of the American Le Mans Series, in which he will drive for the Panozteam.

-PHILBRANAGAN

To Dad,love from Rick:And,ofcourse, Todd.If a race on Mother's Day can work in Perth, why not the male equivalent at Sandown?

7

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CiP*”

news RENAULT is giving the most positive indications yet that it will be staying in Formula 1.

Alain Dassas,the Renault executive who now heads the company's Formula 1 programme, has been talking positively about the company's future in FI,saying that the French car manufacturer has committed to be in FI beyond 2008 and is trying to negotiate deals to retain Flavio Briatore and sign a replacement driver for Fernando Alonso, who leaves the team to join McLaren next season.

Dassas has been involved in FI for some years, having negotiated the purchase of the Benetton FI team back in 2000 and having been involved in the commercial discussions in recent years.

Renault currently pays 60 percent of the team's budget with the remaining 40 percent coming from sponsorship and TV revenues.

This will probably have to change because of Japan Tobacco's decision to withdraw Mild Seven from FI at the end of the year.

The team is currently looking for new sponsorship, but much will depend on who is

chosen to drive.

"Formula 1 is a passion for a majority of Renault's employees,and the sport is known around the world'/'Dassas says.

"But we are realistic as well: before committing to the future,every company needs not only good product- which we have - but also sensible cost control. By June,we should know the new economic equation. If we have achieved the savings we want,then we will be able to make a detailed commitmentfor the future."

-JOESAWARD

WARDED MARK Webber has been awarded the 2005 Lorenzo Bandini trophy,joining previous winners such as Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher.

The prize is awarded for outstanding driving in FI, and is decided by a panel of Italian judges.

THREE DRY MARTINIS THE Martini drinks company has come back into Formula One via its new association with Ferrari, and it chose Imola to mark the occasion by celebrating its previous FI involvement with Brabham back in the 1970s -and what better way to do it than get three of the 'old guard' back together?

Former team boss Bernie Ecclestone, chief designer Gordon Murray, above left, and team manager Herbie Blash were brought together and presented with retro-style Martini Brabham jackets made by Alpinestars.

Martini was a backer of Brabham from 1975 to 1977 before switching its focus to other forms of motorsport.

Other faces from Martini's racing involvement were also present, including Ferrari's Jean Todt,former FI driver Hans Stuck and former rally drivers Markku Alen and Miki Biasion.

26 April 2006

9

HERE

IHF1 lands Monte MIDLAND Formula 1 Racing has named Fabrizio Del Monte as another test and reserve driver. It remains to be seen when the Italian will be seen in action.

Del Monte was racing in Champ Cars on occasion last year but this year has returned to Europe and is competing in the Formula 3000 Italia series.

n

Wiiliams FI has announced that it has signed Scott Garrett as its new head of marketing. Garrett has spent recent years as the Vice President in charge of branding at HJ Heinz but, prior to that, was employed by Publicis, i Walter Thompson, Nike and Saatchi & Saatchi.

The recruitment is a positive move from Williams which is clearly keen to boost its professionalism as its searches for bigger sponsors to help it fund its FI activities.

The UK Motor Sports Association has announced that it is to support the Motor Racing Archive, an organisation that is dedicated to recording the history of British motor sport with movies, audio, photographs, programme and a database of results. The Motor Racing Archive has been in operation for 20 years but needed more financing to keep up with the task of chronicling the sport.

Q Prosecutors in Munich have filed the charges against Swiss businessman Ralf-Udo Schneider in the investigation into motorsports sponsorship deals by the German chip-making company Infineon.

The prosecution service is claiming that bribes totalling US$350,000 were paid

by Schneider's BF-Consulting to former Infineon board members Andreas von Zitewitz and the former head of Infineon's microchip division Harald Eggers in return for Infineon sponsorship money. The deal related to a deal with a Formula 1 team with BF-Consuiting acting as the agent.

The Ministry of Tourism Development in Greece is studying three possible locations for an all-new race circuit, to be built to the FlA's Formula 1 standard. The main candidate locations are reported to be Orchomenos, Patras, and Crete.

Shell's Formula 1 fuel development team under Mike Evans created a new fuel, 'V-Power ULG62L/3', for the use of Scuderia Ferrari at Imola. The fuel was developed to produce more power, with a higher volatility than that of its predecessor. And, it seems, it works...

JOE SAWARD/QUENTIN SPURRING

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LJiST DRINKS THE withdrawal of Foster's from its global FI sponsorships after 20 years is likely to include its sponsorship of the Australian Grand Prix.

The sale of the Foster's brand name in Europe to the Scottish & Newcastle brewing firm (which previously owned the distribution rights only) leaves the promotion of the brand in Europe in the new company's hands, and there is no indication whether it will seek to continue the FI association.

Foster's currently has signage at 10 Grands Prix, pouring rights in

the sport and title sponsorship of three races, including Australia.

The AGP sponsorship contract is up for renewal and, despite optimistic noises from the Grand Prix Corporation, MNews understands that Foster's is not planning to extend.

That leaves the GP Corporation seeking new primary backing at the same time that cigarette signage is also lost to the kitty.

Who could pick up the tab? A little bird tells us that Toyota is one of the corporations in the AGP's sights.

DAVID Richards'Prodrive organisation is the favourite to get the 12th FI team spot for 2008.

The FIA will announce its decision this week.

Some of the applicants have already received notification that their entries have not been accepted and all the signs are that the entry will ultimately go to Prodrive. It is not clear where the budget for the team will be coming from, although there have been rumours of a deal with the Korean company Hyundai.

Having said that, Hyundai has been associated with a large number of different projects in recent years and has yet to do anything other than a rather poor World Rally Championship effort.

This would explain a possible link with Richards,right, who has been running the commercial side of the WRC in recent years and has always been good at convincing manufacturers to become involved in motorsports.

Whether this is anything more

FI'S TEAM SPAIN? SPANISH royalty is behind plans to create a 'Spanish'FI team.

It is no secret that Alfonso de OrleansBorbon y Ferrara-Pignatelli,the seventh Duke of Galliera, is keen to run his own Spanishflavoured Formula 1 team.

The Formula One group is also very keen on having a bigger Spanish involvement in the sport, not only because of the financial potential in Spain but also because of the knock-on effects in Spanish-speaking countries around the world.The success in recent years of Fernando Alonso has created new interest in the sport in Spain and a Spanish team is the obvious next step.

Alfonso de Orleans-Borbon is the obvious man to run that team. He is the cousin of the King of Spain and has backing from companies such as Repsol and Telefonica for his GP2 team.The Duke has been running his own teams since 1999 but in recent years has enjoyed success in Spanish Formula 3 and in the Telefonica World Series.

Orleans-Borbon has recently told the Spanish media that he is not one of the 22 entries for the 2008 World Championship but is hoping to get into Grand Prix racing by buying up the struggling MF1 Racing.

- JOE SAWARD

motorsponnews

ifl

news

COMES PRO than a rumour remains to be seen.

Having the entry will, of course, help the team in its money-raising activities but Richards will know that if he wants to run a serious racing team, he needs to get manufacturer backing.

The news,if confirmed, will mean that the other teams bidding for an FI spot will have to start looking at the only available alternative, buying an existing team.

The only team which looks likely to be up for sale is MF1 Racing, although the team management insists that the team is not for sale.That may be so but the team needs to do a great deal more to convince the FI fraternity that it is serious about success in Formula 1.

Team owner Alex Shnaider keeps insisting that he is serious but his behaviour in terms of investment and irregular visits to FI is interpreted rather differently in the FI paddock.

The best way forward would be for Shnaider to build the

new factory that Jordan had planned at Silverstone including the conversion of the old factory into a proper stateof-the-art windtunnei.

The argument that costcutting in FI will make such things unnecessary in the future is naive, given that FI costs are not going to drop significantly.

With teams now developing seamless gearboxes and testing being restricted more and more,some of the teams are now investing in transient dynamometers, which cost around US$6m to buy and US$1 m to install.

The latest Formula 1 motorhomes,seen at the San Marino Grand Prix, are a further indication that if there is money to be spent,the teams will spend it...

Prodrive, on the other hand. has been making all the right noises with expensive-looking plans for an FI-style factory at the Honiley Airfield near Warwick.

-JOESAWARD

HONDA: IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE A NUIVIBER of Honda FI crew members were lucky to escape without injury at last weekend's Imola GP when Jenson Button left his pit bay with the refueliing line stiil attached to his car.

Button later confirmed that the team's lollipop man had made an error: Alistair Gibson, who is on the lollipop, lifted the lollipop when he thought he saw the nozzle coming off. He must have seen the nozzle moving.

1.0.30 LOd So I immediately reacted,as you gs.s.till. connected and when the fuel pipe is still connected it Just takes all theimechanics with it ''These!hings'get'Trolm hougnt to sixty in two seconds so by the time you realise, you're gone and everybody is on the deck," reported'Button."Then>il.‘hadi tojust sit in 1 the.pitlane and wait for someone to disconnect the nozzle"-.?s^^ |^Jililg,jiii6id.ent added to another'what-if'race for H'onda> which again'failed to back rquanMng'paeewiith race speed';

26 April 2006

11

■FINES AND ■^1

DBR9s(iiR2ALMS ASTON Martin Racing will contest the second and third rounds of the American Le Mans Series at Houston and Mid-Ohio.

The team's two DBR9s will compete in the Lone Star Grand Prix in Houston on

fi

^Whines ^

May 12 before moving on to Mid-Ohio on Sunday 21. Drivers will be Tomas Enge and Darren Turner in #009 and Pedro Lamy and Stephane Sarrazin in #007, and both cars will receive a 25kg weight reduction following Chevrolet's win at Sebring. n Stobart VK-M Sport Ford Rally Team driver Jari-Matti Latvala will be a spectator at the upcoming Rallye Argentina while he recovers from surgery to his thumb.

Latvala injured his hand in a crash in Corsica, and while he was keen to return to action immediately, doctors advised that doing so would put him at risk of further injury. It is not yet known when he will be able to return to competition.

JCB, the British manufacturer of construction machines, is building a car for a Diesel Land Speed Record attempt later this year on America's Bonneville Salt Flats.

The JCB DieselMax car, over 29ft long and weighing almost 3 tons, will be powered by two turbocharged, 4.4-litre, four-cylinder JCB444 diesel engines, delivering 750bhp through separate six-speed transmissions.

RAF pilot Andy Green, who set the first supersonic Land Speed Record almost nine years ago with Thrust SSC, will drive. The current record of 235.756mph was set at Bonneville way back in 1973.

Q The council of the Regione Lombardia has stepped in to end uncertainty over the Italian Grand Prix in the Parco di Monza, which resulted from a successful court action about noise pollution by a small group of residents. In November, Judge Marco Manunta ordered that cars were no longer to be raced without silencers on the Autodromo Nazionaie.

The judge saw fit to comment that motor racing was "a superfluous, dangerous and socially useless activity that has a major impact on the environment."

His decision was upheld last month by an appeal court. However the Lombardy regional government this week passed new legislation allowing a maximum of 30 days In each year on which the venue will be exempt from the rules on noise emissions.

This exemption will be sufficient for the historic track, which is jointly owned by the municipalities of Milan and Monza, to stage its Formula 1 race meeting (8-10 September), as well as rounds of Italy's national Formula 3000 series and other events.

-STAFF/AODISON/SAWARD

THE cash registers, and the suspended cash registers, are full of New Zealand dollars after the Pukekohe round of the V8 Supercar Championship Series.

Garth Tander broke even, paying $5000 for his Albert Park brake test, but GT made the money back when he qualified on pole position.

Holden Racing Team was siugged with a $20,000 fine suspended for the rest of the year for freighting equipment excess to that permitted in a flyaway race, example pictured right.lhe team flew a spare diff to NZ as it was not ready to be packed in the authorised freight container at the time.

Mark Skaife was fined again, with a $2000 hit for using inappropriate language over

READY TD PERFDRM THE Australian Performance Car Championship has secured a new naming rights sponsor.

Sydney-based company STS Turbo will back the series, which boasts some of the hottest sedans and coupes on Australian roads. Cars such as the HSV GTS Coupe, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, Subaru Impreza STi, BMW M3 and a Ford Falcon FPV F6 Typhoon - to be driven by Andrew Moffat, son of the legendary Allan Moffat - are some of the stars of the show.

The seven-round championship wiil take in four rounds on the CAMS National Series bill, and three at V8 Supercar rounds.

2006 will also see the debut of the Privateers Cup class. Privateers will use control tyres (four per round) to try and reduce costs and car maintainance, as well as extended eligibility life for cars superseded from the Outright class, exception from performance-parity adjustments applied to Outright cars and guaranteed coverage in four round telecasts on the Channel Nine nationaiTV network.

TURMOIL TOU louise garrett

^

THE Parker ENZED V8 NZ series ended in turmoil last weekend and the winner of the title may not be known for some time.

With championship leader Kayne Scott awaiting the outcome of an appeal over a protest from Angus Fogg, the final round at Pukekohe was at best going to produce a provisional result. But just to muddy the waters, the pivotal final race of the season has been marked by further controversy.

Long after the dust had settled, Fogg was disqualified from Race 3 and penalised 10 points for causing Luke Youlden's early exit from the race, and John McIntyre

(who had already been penalised in Race 1 for not complying with the new start rules) had three seconds added to his race time for a nudge that spun Scott out of race position.

Despite winning two of the three races over the weekend and being named provisional Champion, the point deduction means Fogg now doesn't have a clear enough margin over Scott should the driver in the runnerup spot win his appeal and regain 150 points. The appeal decision isn't expected to be heard for another week.

Scott put a positive spin on the developments; "Even the coverage of the controversy (the sponsors have seen) as a positive thing," he said.

motorsportnews

news

CONOMOS RETiaeS .

c JS the radio at the conclusion of the Top Ten Shootout lap (in other words, he swore).

In the Reverse Grid race, Lowndes was reprimanded for touching a cone on his way out of pitlane. In earlier races, Andrew Jones was fined $1000 for crossing the blend line at pit exit, while Mark Winterbottom was hit twice for the same crime for a total of $3000. Mark Porter coughed up $500 for missing the drivers' briefing.

THE retirement ofToyota Australia Executive John Conomos from his top role, announced last week,seems unlikely to change the number one car-maker's approach to entering V8 Supercars.

While the subject has been a regularly touted one over the years- so much so that a number ofV8 teams once had resumes sitting at Toyota's Sydney HQ - Conomos has been among those ultimately advising against taking on Ford and Holden In Australia's top motorsport category.

Indeed,Toyota's latest billboard advertising uses ' FI's newV8 engine requirement as part of a light hearted dig at V8 Supercars - a picture of an FI Toyota with words such as'Now thafs a V8 Super Car..."

There is to be no formal successor - indeed,the Executive Chairman role was created to keep the hands-on Conomos involved with the company.

Ted Okada remains as President ofToyota Australia.

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CARRERA CUP ENDURO AT WAKEFIELD

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THE second round of the WPS Carrera Cup Championship at Wakefield Park will feature a endurance-type race with a compulsory pitstop.

Three races are scheduled for the Wakefield Park round, with the first heat set to be contested over 25 laps or more, with a compulsory left-front wheel change.

The event will be the first of its type in Carrera Cup racing in Australia.

As MNews went to press,the rules for the race were being written, and the event programming was being finalised. With the round being on the Fujitsu V8 bill, it has freed up some time to do this special race.The race will be for normal championship points and is likely to be run on Sunday morning.

Front-runner Jonathan Webb is looking forward to the longer race, but said that it will be"business as usual."

"It will Still a pretty short race, so we won't attack it differently," he said."It is still a sprint race, and the tyres, compared to last year, are very strong. I think they'll last without a drama.The key will be the pit stop, so we'll just have to make sure we get a hang on that." _The.Fujitsu V8 Supercar meeting will be held between 26-28 May. -GRANT ROWLEY

"The sport has had one hell of a lot exposure in the last period.

We'd like it to be more positive but that comes down to you guys (the media)finding the positives and talking about that. It'd be neat to build on some positive momentum at the end of the season."

In the three races at Pukekohe, Fogg's Ford won the opener from McIntyre and Mark Pedersen and McIntyre, with the order repeated in Race 2(except Pedersen and McIntyre swapped places) and Paul Pedersen prevailed in Race 3 from Andrew Pawcet, Scott and McIntyre.

Points (subject to appeal); Fogg 1126, Scott 1058, Andy Booth 910, M.Pedersen 886, Paul Manuell 769, McIntyre 758.

26 April 2006

! !

im.

The^ Said it

l l9

"tVe are pleased that the criticism oftheformat hasproven to be anfanded."

V8 Supercars Australia CEO Wayne Cattach immediately after the Reverse Grid race

The^ should^ive allthe drivers IQ tests, it u/oald reduce thef'eld

bpj half."

John Bowe shortly after his 220kmh crash in New Zealand

I

‘I'vegot my hand up,/am here atjain ne;ctyear. / have no problem about it."

Pukekohe wiimer Mark Skaife on the track’s safety "I4^hen / u/asyoiny up to the podium,/said to Michaelthat /could not remember the u/ay anymore."

Ferrari principal Jean Todt after the win at Imola “ifDanieldoesn't have the morality to pay his debt to my team then

i\

at least I'm happy that a current Team BRM Driver[Ben Clucas]has beaten him to a trophy /knoio he ivanted to win."

BRM F3 team boss Bronte

Rundle gi

\S Dean Fulford's Porsche crash at Pukekohe resulted in one smashed car andsome expectant fans on Sunday, top.

Dirk Klynsmllh

Any ideas that Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup might make it into professional golf would have been helped by the presence ofSteve Williams but Tiger Woods might be a little hard to beat...

Ford Racing Media

14

motorsportnews

14 days

26ApHl2006

Williams man heads to SEAT BTCCsquad FORMER Williams and Oreca Sportsar engineer Doug Bebb has joined SEAT'S BTCC team to oversee operations as team manager. Bebb was last involved with the BTCC in 1996 with the Williams-run Renault Laguna team.

The 2006 Formula Palmer Audi Champion will receive a full day's testing with top FB team Carlin Motorsport in a deal forged between eponymous team boss Trevor Carlin and FPA founder Jonathan Palmer. FPA runs as a support race to British F3 in July at Snetterton.

The new Ferrari 430GT won both Avon Tyres British GT Championship races at Oulton Park at Easter, with Tim Mullen/ Chris Niarchos scooping both 60-minute races. Their main opposition was the Panoz Esperante offormer F3 Euroseries racer Tom Kimber-Smith and ex-BTCC racer Luke Hines, which although it led race one,struggled with rear end grip and eventually fell away. GTC(the GT Cup class) was won in both races by the venerable Marcos Mantis of Chris Beighton/Jon Finnemore which despite its 10-year age fended off the newer Ferrari and Porsches to win both races.

A pre-1966 Touring Car and GT race will be run at Brands Hatch as a support race to the WTCC,running for the Jack Sears Trophy.

The new Duratec-engined Formula Fords made their debut at Oulton Park with two stunning races both won by Peter Dempsey. He grabbed the lead on the last lap of Race 1 to win from Nathan Freke and kept Freke at bay or the entirety of race two, giving his Ray chassis two wins.

And well done Australia,the UK only had 17 entries, compared to Australia's 21 on debut. Now for the Ashes...

The 50th anniversary of Jim Clark's motor racing debut, on 16 June 1956 on the now defunct Crimond airfield circuit in Scotland at the wheel of a DKW saloon, is to be marked by Britain's oval racing fraternity. A "Jim Clark Tribute" meeting will be run over two days(17-18 June) at Crimond Raceway, near Peterhead, culminating with a BriSCA Formula 2 World Championship event. Clark's mentor, Ian Scott Watson, who owned the DKW Sonderklasse, will be the guest of honour.

- DAVID ADDISON

BRISCOE HELPS OUT

AUSTRALIAN international Ryan Briscoe got a further taste of a Champ Car Lola-Cosworth after testing for Mi-Jack Conquest Racing at Portland International Raceway two weeks ago.

Briscoe was given a call-up to the test by team boss Eric Bachelart to assist the team's rookie driver Charles Zwosiman,above, who is a sore boy after the rigours of pre-season testing have left him with strained wrists, as well as a damaged back from the recent Long Beach round.

The team only tested one car at Portland as the team's second driver, Canadian Andrew Ranger, has struck budget problems. Briscoe did the bulk of the driving with 76 laps, setting the car up for Zwolsman, last year's Atlantic Champion driving 51 laps over the

two-day test.

"We are thankful to Ryan Briscoe for coming in on such short notice to help us with our test in Portland," expressed Conquest Racing co-owner, Eric Bachelart.

"Ryan is an excellent driver and can provide good technical feedback that will help us prepare our cars."

"Champ Cars have a lot of horsepower and no driver aids so they are great cars to drive,"said Briscoe.

Briscoe finished the test 15th fastest,0.8s up on Zwolsman's best time.Team Australia's Will Power was eighth fastest after 114 laps.

Meanwhile, Ryan, above inset, has been clocking up the frequent flyer points and was spotted in the FI paddock at the San Marino Grand Prix last weekend, seen talking with his former colleagues at Toyota FI.

ACURA ENTERS TFIE 2007 American Le Mans Series is shaping up to be a blockbuster with confirmation that Acura will enter the championship.

Florida's North American luxury brand will enter the LMP2 class of the series, where it will clash with the Penske Motorsports-run Porsche factory team.

"As Acura marks its 20-year anniversary, I can't think of a better racing series to showcase our technology and performance than the American Le Mans Series," said John Mendel,senior vice president. Auto Operations.

"Our entry as a full factory team in the American Le Mans Series will accurately reflect Acura's position as a leader in automotive performance and technology, and provide us with an arena in which to compete against other manufacturers in endurance sports car racing."

The Acura program will feature the first racing engine completely designed and developed inhouse by Flonda Performance Development(HPD) in Santa

Clarita, California. FIPD will continue its involvement in the IndyCar Series, subject to the ongoing discussions regarding the possible merger of that championship and Champ Car. In its first year, the project will use chassis from external suppliers, including Lola Cars and

Courage, before embarking on an in-house chassis program for the LMP1 class, with the goal to race at Le Mans.

Testing of the Acura-powered American Le Mans Series cars will begin this summer, with drivers and teams to be announced in the near future.

motorsport news

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ATKO GOES RACING Aussie WRC ace enters Nurburgring24 Hour classic CHRIS Atkinson will make his circuit racing debut when he suits up for the Nurburgring 24 Hour this June.

Atkinson has recently passed the necessary tests to gain his circuit racing licence and will enter the classic endurance race in a yet-to-benamed Subaru team. It is not known who will

share driving duties with Atkinson.

Atkinson will join an already strong Australian contingent at the race, held on the classic Nordschleife circuit on June 17-18.Tony Quinn has entered a 996-model Porsche GT3 Cup Car into the race, as well as Mai Rose's regular effort with his Mitsubishi Mirages.

ALMS HYUisiewr? ^

MWR CUR SWMP MATTHEW White will step out of his BA Falcon in the next round of the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Championship at Wakefield Park.

White will hand his ex-Britek/Thexton Falcon over to team-mate Dean Wanless, who will steer the BA for the rest of the season.The team's older model AU Falcon, which Wanless campaigned at the first round of the year in Adelaide recently, is likely to be driven by White himself at Wakefield Park, although the former V8 main series driver is on the hunt for a driver to fill that role for the rest 2006.

"At the moment we are looking for a suitable driver, who ideally would be able to run in the

26 April 2006

top five,"White told MNews.

Matthew White Racing plans to upgrade to two BA Falcons soon, although White is waiting for the right car and deal to present itself "My deal with Dean was for him to drive the BA," he said."I wanted to do the first round to get the car in the window,and we did that, so now we are focusing on getting both cars ready for Wakefield."

One snag that may affect White's weekend in Goulburn is that his wife, Christa, is due to give birth on race day. A compulsory pit stop may be required...

- GRANT ROWLEY

77

news QUESTION: How did the first stint go for Fernando?

PAT SYMONDS;To be honest,the first stint unfolded pretty much as we expected. We saw Michael pulling away from everybody, as we had predicted - although perhaps not as fast as we had thought. It also became clear during that stint, that the tyre degradation was very low.

That meant we knew the longer first stint we had planned, would allow us to pull back some time on Michael - as, indeed, proved to be the case[NB: Alonso was 13.563s behind when M Schumacher stopped, and 11.272s behind after Alonso had stopped].

And what about the second stint of the race?

PS:That was when things became very surprising. Michael's tyre degradation was suddenly dreadful - and it very soon became clear that we were significantly quicker than him, and running much faster. It took Fernando less than 10 laps to close the gap and start pressuring him.

But we didn't have that extra fuel, and we would probably have run only a lap longer than Michael. During that lap, he would have been on new tyres and we saw in qualifying that they were particularly strong on those opening 'golden'laps. So we didn't think it would work for us and obviously, simply following Michael in and out of the pits was not an option.So we got creative, and took the only other option available to try and get the win - to bring Fernando in early...

Presumably,then,the logical thing to do would have been to run longer again and pass him at the stops?

PS:Yes,that would - but by the middle of the second stint, we are already locked into our strategy. We make the decision about our second stop during the first stint, and at that point, we had no idea that Michael would have the problems he did. So we followed our optimum pattern, which was to do a shorter second stint in order to improve our track position relative to Michael. Unlike the television predictions, which had us stopping on lap 47 I believe, our measurements said we would stop only a lap later than Michael in all likelihood, or possibly even on the same lap.

In reality, though, you stopped Fernando early...

PS: Yes, exactly. Fernando pitted two laps earlier than we had planned. Had we been certain of going significantly further than Michael in the second stint then obviously,the option would have been to stay out - and it would have probably worked.

Was it easy to know which lap to stop on?

PS: We had to judge it so that we didn't stop too early, and drop into Massa's clutches. So as soon as we saw we were clear, we discussed it with Fernando and gave him a choice: if he was able to overtake Michael, he should stay out;and if not,then he should pit. He pitted, we went for it, and we missed out by just 0.7s when the stops cycled through.

Is it frustrating to get beaten by such a fine margin?

PS: I think that's what motor racing is all about to be honest. Hats off to Michael and Ferrari, because they pulled a blinder!

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motorsportnews

NO IDE[A]

YUJI Ide has, in all likelihood, driven in his last Grand Prix.

The Japanese driver, whose debut season in Grand Prix racing has featured sonne of the most inept driving seen in the sport in recent times, was thought to be on his final chance after team principal Aguri Suzuki earned the wrath of his sponsors for Ide's crash-strewn performance.

Despite the fact that Ide was well aware that he was in bother, he had a Lap 1 accident that saw him clatter into the read of Christijan Albers's MF1,sending the Dutchman into instant retirement. Following the race, the stewards left no doubt that they placed the fault clearly at Ide's feet.

It now appears likely that Flonda, which as been patient until now, will advise Suzuki that it will make Anthony Davidson available for the drive.

That translates to a polite order to retire Ide and take the long-time BAR and Honda test driver.

Davidson drove in the Malaysian Grand Prix last season when Takuma Sato was taken ill the day before the race. Both he and Jenson Button retired on the first lap of the race with engine problems. Ironcially, should 'Ant'get the nod, Sato will be his team-mate at the next race in Germany.

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FW’S ENGINE QUESTION FRANK Williams hopes to have made a decision on who will supply engines to his team in 2007 and beyond by June this year.

Williams only has a one-year contract with current engine supplier Cosworth, but has been linked with Toyota since mid-2005.

Toyota currently has a deal with Midland, but it remains uncertain whether Toyota could reach an arrangement with a much stronger rival.

"From our point of view, we're already under pressure from the engineers to get the decision,"Williams told speedtv.com.

"You need to build your car earlier and earlier these days, or start developing it earlier. It's a rolling situation, it won't be beyond halfyear, no question.

"The engine choice is both technical and commercial. We'll make the best choice for Williams."

26 April 2006

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SCOT TURNS ON HIS OWN DARIO Franchitti's bid for a podium at last weekend's Japan Indy 300 fell apart when one of the Scotsman's crew was injured in a botched pit stop.

From a grid 10 start, Franchitti had jumped to third before the incident, at his first stop.

The team had been pitted next to a bump caused by the timing/ scoring trigger iine, which had caused the car to move about a iittle on the way into its pit box during practice.

This time the bump turned the car left into one of the tyres that was about to be fitted to his car. It in turn felled the mechanic waiting to fit it.

'We knew about the bump,"a worried Franchitti said later,"but the car had been going straight over it during practice. I'm at a bit of a loss to explain why it went left.

As a result of the mayhem.

Franchitti went down a lap and finished well out of the major placings.

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THE ambitions of Brit Ben Clucas to race full-time in this part of the world took a step forward in final races of NZ's Toyota Racing Series, which featured just about everything,from great racing,stoppages, farce and a new car!

Daniel Gaunt had already wrapped up the title, and a new Yaris road car, and was at the sharp end over the weekend, winning one race.

Clucas came out on top in Race 2 to claim the New Zealand Motor Cup, above, but only after the race was stopped after seven laps when it rained.The Aussie F3 series leader took the lead on the opening lap of the restart to win in a canter from Hamish Cross, who edged past Gaunt on the run to the flag.

The Saturday race was no less dramatic, with no less than four starts needed before being stopped after nine of the 12 scheduled laps were completed. Gaunt won by the narrowest of margins from Knight, with Clucas third.

Final Points: Gaunt 1437, Harford 982,Knight 927, Doran 868, Hamilton 844,Williams 746.

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■_

- V---

TROYS WILL BE TROYS

Bayliss beats Corser at Valencia for SBK double

IT was an all-Troy battle at the Valencia round of the World Superbike Championship.

Troy Bayliss (Ducati) and Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki) both had a crack at leading the races but after the pair ran away from the pack, it was Bayliss who prevailed in both races, his first double since returning to Ducati.

Corser led most of the first race before the Vtwin took over, but the second was much closer, the red bike adding to the weekend returns to form by 'Red'teams; Ferrari in Italy and Holden

MOTORSPORT

Racing Team in New Zealand.

"Everything went really well in both races," declared Bayliss. "We thought about changing the tyre for race 2 but we didn't and it was the right decision'to stick with the hard tyre. I didn't think Corser was going to be as quick as he was in that second race. I thought it would be the same as the first but he went really well."

In Race 1, Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati) overcame a strong Yamaha challenge from Norick Abe and Noriyuki Haga for third. Fourth was Abe's best

finish since moving into the World Superbike class., while Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki) scored sixth place, before a fall robbed him of a good finish in Race 2.

Lanzi filled the podium spot again in Race 2 from Abe, Haga and Fonsi Nieto, his and Kawasaki's best finish of the season despite running wide on the opening lap of the race after clashing with team-mate Chris Walker.

Points: Bayliss 125, Corser 103,Toseland 86, Haga 64, Barros 62, Pitt 58.

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HARVICK: TOYOTA

Vale Louise Smith

martin d dark

LOUISE Smith,89,the first lady NASCAR driver in the 1940s and 1950s lost her

RICHARD Childress Racing's Kevin Harvick hopes to have decision on his racing and team future within the next two weeks.

Harvick, who won both the Busch Series and Nextel Cup events at Phoenix last weekend, has been linked to Toyota's NASCAR plans, and Inside sources have whispered that a deal has already been inked.

One ofToyota's fledging Cup entries.Team Red Bull, has been mentioned as Harvick's possible home,which would see Harvick switch his self-owned Busch and Truck Series operation to Toyota.

As MNews went to press, no deal had been formally announced, but after his winning efforts at Phoenix, Harvick was saying positive things about his current life at RCR. "Like I have said numerous times, there is a seven-year relationship

battle with cancer on April 15 in South Carolina.

Smith was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1999 and won 38 NASCAR events.

Her best result (in what is now the Nextel Cup division) was 16th. She last competed in 1962.

I QCanassi Racing underwent some management changes on April 18 with the announcement that team manager Andy Graves resigned from his position within the organisation and will be reassigned in a different role within the company.

Former Petty Enterprises crew chief Steve Lane will take over crew chief duties for David Stremme, replacing Jeff Vandermoss, who moves to the car chief position on the Reed Sorenson Dodge.

-MARTIN D CLARK

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The process of switching NASCARs from their current highoctane fuels to unleaded will be sped up when selected Busch and Craftsman Truck series races use the fuel later this season.

Official fuel supplier Sunoco believes it may be close to an alternative and hopes to have it in use at several events this year. The ultimate plan is to see all NASCARs

switch to it exclusively by 2008.

NASCAR is exempt from the 1970 Clean Air Act, which requires all automobiles to use unleaded fuel. NASCAR tried unleaded fuel in 1998 during some Busch races, only to find it contained additives that were dangerous when they came in contact with ground water.

- MARTIN D CLARK

motorsportnews

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stateside

OR RCR? here and I have a lot of friends on this race team," Harvick said.

"We have been through a lot of pretty traumatic situations. We have won championships in the Busch car, we have won races in the Cup car. We have done everything we want to do except win a Cup championship and be consistently winning races year-in and year-out.That is what I want to make work. I want to make it all work going forward."

Harvick was also quick to point out that his future deals are not about the money, but the performance of RCR. His seven-year relationship with RCR started when he took the reigns of the familiar Goodwrench Monte Carlo after the death of Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2001. Harvick went off to clinch the Busch championship that year and finished ninth in points with two Cup wins.

Harvick currently leads the Busch Series by a healthy margin,thanks to his secondconsecutive Busch win at Phoenix.

26 April 2006

1

FORMER Charhp Car charjipion Paul Tracy will race at the famed Talladega Raceway next weekend.

Having only committed to a limited schedule this season of five Busch appearances while concentrating on his Champ Car World Series campaign,the Canadian will step back aboard the #34 Sportsclips car, pictured above.

Tracy impressed in his first restrictor plate race at Daytona in February - having ran as high as 10th before being tapped into a spin by John Andretti.

"Daytona was both fun and educational and I'm looking forward tp taking what I learned and using that information to help me do well at Talladega,"Tracy told autosport. com."The draft is the great equalizer and it made Daytona fun.

"Carl (Edwards) passed me and stuck his hand out the window and signalled for me to follow him,so I sucked up behind him and we caught the front pack of cars."

KEEP

Monster,Inc 'MONSTER'Nobuhiro Tajima exceeded all expectations at the Race to the Sky hillclimb in New Zealand over the Easter weekend,the Japanese driver smashing his own record set in 2003 by nine seconds to win the title for the seventh time.

Swedish rally ace Kenneth Eriksson won the qualifying round with Tajima second, and there was an air of anticipation in the final as Eriksson followed Tajima up the hill following the shootout. However,it was Tajima who blitzed the field in his powerful Suzuki Escudo and while he was expected to come under strong pressure from Eriksson,in the former Possum Bourne WRC Subaru,the Swede was dogged by bad luck and had to withdraw after engine problems prevented him getting to the top of the hill.

"It was fantastic! I am very happy," beamed Tajima at the event finish.

Next week's Targa Tasmania will witness the shifting motorsport focus of the local Subaru and Mitsubishi brands when the pair enter officially-sanctioned cars in the all-tarmac event for the first time.

For two companies that have become synonymous with gravel rallying in Australia, the move to tarmac is the first indicator of a new dual-pronged marketing direction as the brands seek out new buyers for their production cars as well as an aggressive move to attract new competitors to their motorsport divisions.

Subaru is backing Dean Herridge in an ex-Cody Crocker Impreza WRX while Mitsubishi is throwing its support behind former open-wheel racer Warwick Rooklyn in a brand new Evolution 9 Lancer.

For Subaru the move is seen as a dramatic shift of policy with the brand previously shying away from any official factory involvement in either tarmac rallying or circuit racing.

"Obviously doing well in Targa would be fantastic, and it is the biggest opportunity for us to showcase our product," said Subaru Motorsport Manager Greg Foletta.

"By building cars that work well in these events Subaru Motorsport demonstrates that it can offer product and expertise to the huge number of people out there who are interested in performance cars."

Mitsubishi's Alan Heaphy agrees with Foletta, highlighting the fact that the initial cost and continuing investment in maintaining a tarmac rally car over a gravel-spec vehicle is a significant factor in the brand's decision to compete in Targa.

- RYAN LAHIFF

S3

MONTE GOES RETROl ORGANISERS of the Monte Carlo Rally have announced plans to return to the traditional French stages that had previously formed the basis for the classic event.

In recent years the Monte Carlo Rally, traditionally the opening round of the World Rally Championship, has been centered around the harbour principality and as such the stages available have become increasingly limited. By moving closer to Monaco the nature of the event has also suffered, with the traditional ice and snow-covered roads giving way to dry tarmac mountain passes.

The township of Valence will host the service area for Leg 1 and 2, with stages run in Ardeche and Haute Loire, before the focus switches back to Monaco harbour for the final Leg, with stages run over the infamous Col deTurini.

With the FIA granting an exemption to the Monte Carlo organisers to utilise two separate service areas, the door could be open for changes to other WRC events - particularly Rally Australia, which has battled with immense transport distances since the creation of a central service area in the heart of Perth.

- RYAN LAHIFF

VALE: SHEKHAR MEHTA THE WRC is in mourning following the sudden death of President Shekhar Mehta.

The former Nissan and Datsun driver was taken ill and rushed to a London hospital but passed away on April 12.

Sixty-year-old Mehta will be remembered for his five victories on the notoriously demanding Safari Rally, and remained an active driver with the Nissan marque until 1987.

At the peak of his rally career he was frequently co-driven by wifeto-be Yvonne Pratt.

When Mehta retired from competition he took up the administrative side of the sport.

It was during this time that Mehta showcased his true talent, holding the position of President of the FIA's Rallies Commission and twice holding the position of the World Rally Championship Commission President.

Mehta filled a crucial role in preserving the stability and continuity in the sport during his tenure as President, and will be remembered for his gentlemanly manner and graciousness.

Australian Rally Commission Chairman Garry Connelly passed on his sympathies to a man who had also formed a part of the local rally scene.

"Shekhar Mehta has been a part of Australian rallying since the 1970s when he competed in the Southern Cross Rally for Datsun," said Connelly.

"The rally world will be all the poorer as a result of his passing.

He was a man of charming character and good humour whose gentle but firm manner made him popular with all who dealt with him. Our deepest sympathies go to his wife Yvonne and son Vijay."

- RYAN LAHIFF

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WITH a projected Easter announcement date on the future of Rally Australia having passed, Garry Connelly, Chairman of the Australian Rally Commission (ARCom), has moved to reassure the rally community that while no verbal commitments have been made, there is a significant amount of planning work continuing at pace in the background.

Connelly had suggested earlier in the year that he expected an announcement around Easter, however recent media comments implied that an official unveiling was still a matter of months away.

SORDO SCORES A LIFELINE DANIEL Sordo's WRC career has recieved another boost, with the Spaniard securing funding that will allow him to compete in another two rounds after Rally Argentina.

The reigning JWRC Champion has opted to focus on making as many forays into the WRC with a Kronosrun Citroen Xsara as funding will allow rather than attempt to defend his title, and the gamble has thus far paid off with a pair of podiums in Catalunya and Corsica.

Sordo is now confirmed for Argentina, Sardinia and Greece.

molorsDortnews

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WATCHING »=■-»

ATKO WANTS GRAVEL

"The fact that there has not been an announcement does not mean that there hasn't been a great deal of work going on over the summer," said Connelly.

"There have been regular meetings between CAMS and the preferred promoters.

"The date of any official announcement is not a matter solely for CAMS. There is still the necessary community liaison process to be finalised, and obviously the promoter will wish to make an announcement at a time that suits it."

Queensland remains hotly tipped to take over the hosting rights for Australia's round of

the World Rally Championship from Western Australia, with Connelly confirming that an official application for a 2007 date allocation had been lodged

by CAMS in preparation for the undisclosed future promoter.

"CAMS has lodged with the FIA its application for a date in accordance with the normal requirements," Connelly said.

"However the date that will be allocated is entirely at the discretion of the FIA and depends on a number of issues such as shipping logistics, especially in relation to Rally Japan and Rally New Zealand."

- RYAN LAHIFF

CHRIS Atkinson is hoping that the problems that have plagued the Subaru team over the recent tarmac rounds of the World Rally Championship will be put well behind them when the series heads to the gravel of Argentina.

The Imprezas of Atkinson and team-mates Petter Solberg and Stephane Sarrazin were entirely inadequate against the factory efforts of Citroen and Ford as well as a raft of privateer entries from Skoda and Peugeot during the recent Corsican and Catalunyan rallies.

Solberg has only taken two points away from the two events, while Championship rival Sebastien Loeb scored a maximum 20 points to add to his tally.

"Obviously we are a bit disappointed not to be in the points, that's what we are after

and we'll have to keep pushing," said Atkinson.

However, Atkinson is confident that the Impreza has the measure of its rivals on gravel and will be fighting for contention in Argentina.

"Come the^next rally I'm sure we'll be there fighting and we'll definitely be going flat out from the start."

While Solberg and Atkinson focus on the upcoming gravel events, Sarrazin returns to the tarmac test tracks to try to find a solution to Subaru's pace woes.

"We have to understand exactly what did and didn't work in Catalunya and Corsica and then improve in time for the next asphalt event," said the Frenchman.

"The team is driven and will push massively to get the good results."

- RYAN LAHIFF

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26 April 2006

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opinion

KISSING OUR COUSINS

E

LSEWHERE in this issue of MNews,I have downed a few angry pills and in my two cents'worth on the whof matter of Reverse Grids[without pr empting myself, I thought the idea choked before the season started,and I still do no\ But if! am going to be stubborn enough to give out the rough stuff, 1 need to be balanced and with that in mind (not to mention that yesterday was ANZAC Day), I've come to praise New Zealanders, not bury them. Apologies to any English Literature graduates ...

My first thought when I stepped out of Cattle Class in Melbourne was that our cuzzins across the Tasman have a fair few things sorted on the motor racing landscape.The Parker Enzed V8 Touring Car Series may have ended with a provisional winner only (until some technical dramas are sorted) but the racing was close,the Falcons and Commodores look and sound the part and the whole thing seems sensibly priced.

On the open-wheeler front, MNews has longstated its support of the concept of a one-make class for some time and the nearest thing to ideal looks to be the Toyota Racing Series. Great cars, terrific racing, great presentation and professionalism at a sensible cost. Please Toyota Australia, think'Tasman Series'and we will all rush out and buy Corollas.

There is also the StarTourer class, a kind of Schwarzeneggered Aussie Racer class with n a bit more of everything, except cost. Cars were on display at Pukky,they looked great and apparently,there are plenty of potential competitors showing interest.

mnms mross ilm n things $mted m tHe ffi^tor racing ianascape^* On the officialdom impressive news.front, there was more When,on Saturday, Dean Fulford's Porsche got airborne and landed frighteningly close to a spectator area,there was swift work to repair the fences damaged in the incident.That was as we might expect in our own back yard but as soon as the work was done,event promoter Dean Calvert and MotorSport NZ boss Steve Kennedy both fronted in the media centre and invited questions from the media. No, make that,they insisted that we ask them;they did not duck and dive, answered everything straight down the middle and then,got back to work.

In a few minutes, any journo tempted to run a Death-defying Bioodsport headline was headed off at the pass.The story had been controlled before it had a chance to become a story.

The next day,V8 Supercars Australia took the opposite tack following the Reverse Grid event.

In fact, they broke one of the golden rules of media management;they painted a target on their heads. I had no intention of commenting on the Reverse Grid race after a single race but when Wayne Cattach did so, V8SA set the ground rules. At least we are used to a hosing in the Tri Nations Rugby - but NZ beating the

Aussies in media management? That is another thing.

The traffic plan worked; the crowds are large and enthusiastic; and if there are mean-spirited locals on the other side of the Tasman, I am yet to meet any.So what if petrol costs NZ$1.68 a litre, there's only rugby on TV and I don't know what a Chilly Bin is? Pukekohe gets one more event and we are all looking forward to Hamilton in 2008. In fact, it should be ... choice.

M

ost MNews readers do not know Scott Wensley and none have seen his photos in this magazine, as he shoots for other publications.

But hell, we love Scotty. I cannot think of any individual in the motor racing business in this country who is any more respected, professional and just plain good at his job as Wensley.So the news that he suffered a broken leg as a freak outcome of the John Bowe crash was a blow to us all.

The good news is that Scott is making a good recovery and we expect to see him back soon, bouncing around on crutches, smiling (' and shooting. I am sure I speak for everyone in the sport in wishing him the best health and a speedy return.

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WHAT ROBBIE WILLI Joe Saward

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N Australia I found myself chatting away for a long time with Craig Pollock's girlfriend Belinda,a lady who combines great charm with a razor-sharp understanding of marketing in Formula 1.

It emerged that along the way we had both lived in Paris and that she had lived in an apartment overlooking the Champs de Mars, the large parkland area that extends from beneath the Eiffel Tower down to the Ecole Militaire.

This piece of land is often used for big events,the biggest each year being the Fete de la Musique,a vast free concert to which celebrated international artists are invited to perform a couple of songs each for an audience of around 400,000 people.

It is a great event but very hard for the stars, because getting a big crowd like that going with just one or two songs is a tough call for any entertainer.

The funny thing was that Belinda and I shared exactly the same memory of the event: Robbie Williams. Fie walked onto the stage and within a minute had the crowd eating from the palm of his hand.

There was something that Williams did that got the people moving. I guess you have to call it charisma.

The subject of Robbie Williams popped up again at the FI Sponsorship Forum in Monte Carlo during the off-season. John Armstrong, the chief executive of Momentum,a major sponsorship agency, gave a speech about what it is that the sponsors of today want from the Formula 1 business, hoping to show how teams can make themselves more appealing to global brands at a time when they are losing faith in traditional advertising and looking at sponsorship as a more effective way to build affinity with their consumers.

Armstrong used a Robbie Williams concert as an example. It was all about engagement, getting the viewer to feel good about what he or she was watching.

That same in theme up again on Saturday Imolapopped where Ron Dennis (of McLaren found himself chatting to a small group of British pressmen.

The subject was the discussions the previous day between the teams and CVC,the new commercial rights people. Dull stuff, one might think, but far from it, because Dennis was talking not about who should get what percentage but rather about how to make the 2S

sport more interesting, more engaging,for the fans.

What is important, he said, was that the sport creates heroes. People relate to people and FI must find new ways to engage the public, to provide new things for casual fans who decide that they want to scratch the surface of FI and look behind the very basic story that is presented to them in a TV broadcast.

That does not mean that FI is about to throw open the gates of the paddock, but it may mean that casual fans will be able to one day recognise one driver from another and might even know a little more about their different characters. And serious fans will perhaps one day get the chance to feel a little more what it is like to be on the inside.

Formula 1 is, in many ways, a form of escapism for fans who love the idea of travelling the world as FI does.

D

ennis mentioned in passing that he recently saw the TV coverage of Melbourne and was amazed to discover from aerial shots that there was a huge lake in the middle of Albert Park. FI team bosses do not go walking in public areas and simply arrive each day in cars and go to work.

Flis argument was that if he didn't know what the park was like, what chance was there fora race fan on the other side of the world?

The sport must learn to provide the dreamers with their dreams. Fie talked of how technology can be used to give fans more idea of what it is like to be a driver, creating a new generation of computer games which can simulate the stresses and strains that a driver faces.

This was the kind of talk that one would not expect from an old style team boss. For far too long money has been the dominant factor in FI, but now the shock of Indianapolis last year and the stresses and strains of the fight between the manufacturers and the rest seem to have led to some serious thinking about how the sport works and how all those involved must be partners in the business to help it grow.

"We need to develop the access to Grand Prix racing," Dennis said."We need to create more personalty in the sport. We have to be open to the process of change."

I just about skipped back to the Media Centre. Finally there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Flallelujah!

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26 April 2006

29

BOOM TIME

'IsJJ JJMAL IF you weren't at Bolivar Raceway north of Adelaide over Easter, you missed some of the best racing you will see this year - and certainly the best motorsport of Easter.

The 2006 Australian Karting Titles had all the attributes of an outstanding race meeting: an abundance of talented drivers and professional teams,a great

Network 10 Commentator LEIGH DIFFEY

THEentry of Acura into the American Le Mans Series, and Le Mans itself, is very significant.

It is the first time in the company's 20-year history that they have gone racing at this level.

The 3.4-litre V8 engine will be built

by HPD, which is a significant plus, and the amount of manufacturer support that the ALMS can boast is huge.

It takes work to get this level of support. Sportscar racing here has never been big, but in Europe and the USA,the foresight of Dr Don Panoz with the ALMS,gave it a big boost.

GrandAm, which came along in 2000 with the France family.

is on a different path but there is no doubt that it too is strong.

Overseas, outside of Le Mans and Sebring, this element of the sport does not draw massive crowds like NASCAR and Formula I, but the people who are drawn to the races are true, loyal and faithful fans. In my period overseas, they were wanting to come back to see the various makes compete in the major races.

Next year, the field will contain Audi, Porsche and Acura, plus Aston Martin, Chevrolet and so on.There will be great races up and down the field and I cannot wait to see it ciose up.

S'

atmosphere with almost 400 entries and above all, close, hard racing. No reverse grids required here - most of the Finals were decided on the final lap.

It cost nothing to get in, you can see the whole track and the talent that filled the grids in all 11 classes was vast.This talent is what puts Australian motorsport among the best in the world.

GO SOUTH,YOUNG Motorsport News Photographer DIRK KLYNSMITH

I

WITH the way traffic works in much of New Zealand,it is about as easy to stay in Hamilton for the PukekoheVB Supercar round as it is in Auckland.This year,that is what I did.

What a great place. Okay, as a life-long rugby fan, I am a little biased about being in the hometown of the Chiefs, but with the NZ round of the series moving south in 2008, it may not be long before the region is better known for Greg Murphy,Jason and Steven Richards and co.

The track is great. Having walked much of it In one of my more energetic moments, I cannot wait to get there and point a Canon at the cars.The off-camber right-hander off the straight is going to be one of the great corners of the series, and the entry speed will be well over 200kmh, so long as the council remembers to remove the roundabout on the straight...

Most Kiwis seems to be fairly crazy about anything sportsrelated but the locals of Hamilton

motorsport news

opinion

SPIN,SPIN, SPIN?

b'MiH Ji/ Karting is where it all starts for the stars of V8 Supercars racing and our cast of Aussies overseas, but karting also has stars in its own right that are simply awesome to watch in action.To be brutally honest, at times it makes circuit racing look decidedly tame, in terms of the Nationals and some of the great stories that came out of Australia's premier

karting event, see Motorsport News's debut'super-supplement'.

Kart Formula,starting on page 81.

But if you want to really see what I'm talking about,get yourself to a karting meeting and get yourself to Eastern Creek for the 2007 Nationals. It is a race meeting like no other. Believe me,the stars in V8 Supercars know what I'm talking about.

Motorsport News Karting Editor CHRIS JORDAN 4.

Motorsport News Editor PHIL BRANAGAN JOHN Bowe made it to 200 starts in the V8 Supercar Championship Series round in New Zealand last weekend so, I guess, you have to listen when he says he does not blame the massive shunt he had on the reverse grid format.

An hour or so after the race.

V8 Supercars Australia issued a statement headed 'Reverse grid format a success'\r\ which V8SA Chief Executive Wayne Cattach said, amongst other things, that We are pleased that the criticism of the format has proven to be unfounded".(Of course, we in the media would have been happier had Cattach faced questions from the media, rather than issue a neat statement, but we will get over our d isappointment.)

VSSA's spin on Reverse Grids started during the race, when media man Cole Hitchcock pointed to the fact that Marcus Marshall has passed lots of cars (sorry Cole, I was not paying any attention to how many). In Cattach's statement,the spin continued, heaping praise on such drivers as Mark Skaife and Russell Ingall for gaining 20 and more spots during the race.

What was omitted was the fact that seven cars were involved in the Lap 1 incident caused by drivers who would otherwise be

are taking this to a new level, with seemingly the entire population right behind the race - two years out.

With the V8 paddock backing onto the Waikato Stadium (the Chiefs'home turf)the sporting precinct will attract a full house for the race, starting in 2008. Despite the popularity of the established race at Puke, it's almost a shame we have to wait two years for the Hamilton event.

And,from what I hear, we may not have to wait that long before we are in one of my other favourite places,Townsville...

26 April 2006

at the tail of the field but who, because they were at the front, dragged frontrunning drivers like Jamie Whincup into the mess.The statement also failed to mention that Skaife and Ingall'passed' many cars by pitting early under the (inevitable) Safety Car. One benefit of Reverse Grids, according to its proponents. is that the Race 3 grid will be jumbled up in a fashion otherwise unlikely. Yeah? The Race 3 grid was Skaife, Ingall, Winterbottom, Bright, Lowndes and Johnson who qualified, respectively, second. seventh,fifth, third, first and 16th.

Wow,what a turnaround. And all we needed to achieve that was some busted cars and lots and lots of Safety Car laps, which will hardly impress the fans.

Crashes happen in racing.They will occur whether the grids are reversed or not but, oddly, I was under the impression that cost containment was a priority.

Normally, I would consider that making comments on the basis of a single example was premature.

Jumping the gun,and wait longer to consider my verdict. But, since an hour is long enough for V8SA to pat itself on the back,three days seems fine to me.

This is ridiculous. Reverse Grid racing has no merit whatsoever.

Stop it, before someone gets hurt.

fh

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A/liark wiMterbottom might be in the midst of a make-or-break V8 Supercar season, but he did his stocks no harm by taking second overall at Pwkekohe last weekend. PHIL BRANGAIM spoke to the factory racer in NZ MNEWS:Your best result, since fifth at Bathurst in 2004.

MARKWINTERBOTTOM; i knew that the cars were getting fast -Jason (Bright) was second in qualifying at Symmons Plains and third at Phillip Island. At Adelaide, we got it right by Race 2 and we did the third-fastest lap in the race. So I was confident we could get it right.

By Round 2?

We knew that it would come.This is a bit quicker than we thought it might be, but we will take it.

From your perspective, did you think that you had the pace to challenge Mark Skaife?

He was right about the pitstops - I stalled on the opening race so I fulfilled my end of the bargain!

I had the speed to put some pressure on Mark. He had speed in spots and I had it at the Hairpin but, by then, it was all about braking. It was comfortable and nice to be able to put pressure on him; I tried but he did not make a mistake, unfortunately!

You got into a battle with Craig Lowndes then. He got through ...

There was a lapped car in the way, he shot down the inside and I got the switch-back on him on the way out. At the end of the race, he nudged me -that was a bit unexpected.

It was nice to be able to race these guys. If we can chip away and get seconds and thirds, we know that a win is not that far

Craig was pretty forceful on the final lap [of Race 3]- was that a bit naughty?

I covered the line and he pushed me off the line. I was racing for a spot on the podium, not [against] him,so I had my eyes on that.

"He had his chances, but he had to whack me off to pass me"

Surprised?

I was. It was the last lap of the race -1 had not blocked until that lap.

That was something that I was not expecting, I gave him plenty of room during the race. He had his chances, but he had to whack me off to pass me.That does not feel good - or bad - but that is racing.

given me a very good car and I have a very good team-mate. We have held up pretty well so far.

If you have the right equipment in this business, pressure is not a problem.

away. We are making progress - but so is everyone else.

How much help has it been being able to share data with Jason Bright? We hear you two have a very similar set-up?

We got on well from the start. At the test day we had, I drove his car and we were within half a tenth of each other.That helps.

He has so much experience. I do not have as much as that but we are gelling as team-mates,for sure.

Is this result a surprise?

Yes and no.When I signed the contract, I knew that this was going to be a positive move.

I went to the factory for the first time and myfirst debrief was about three hours, because everyone was so pumped that I was there. It was good to have that feeling back again; good to have those feelings surrounding you.

A lot of people were looking at you at the start of the season as one of the drivers facing a makeor-break year. Is that how it is?

I think it is. This is a very hard game and, over the last two years, I have had a lot of people tell me that I cannot drive! People come up and say things, people in the crowds.

Ford Performance Racing has

32

- Winterbottom on Craig Lowndes's last lap pass at Pukekhoe

Last year, Orrcon Racing admitted that the budget meant that they were cutting things a little. What pressure does that put on a driver?

Motorsport relies on budget. Sure, Larkham Motorsport struggled with budget and that had an effect, which meant that there was not two of everything. But they worked hard and did their best. It was hard to share data on the cars but this team has a good budget.

When I ask for something, it is there the next day.

I can handle that! It makes a big difference.

When you are racing different drivers, like Mark Skaife and Russell Ingall, does it force you to re-learn how to drive?

When I hopped out of the car after Race 3,1 had to remind myself that I had been racing Mark Skaife and

Craig Lowndes for 30 or so laps.

It is nice to be up there; once you do,they know you are there and when you have been there a few times, you feel like you belong.

They expect you to be there after that and when you race those guys, there is less panel damage and so on.That is a nice change.

The endurance races are down the road but what is the team's plan at this stage?

Things are flexible. Pressure means you can perform, if you have the equipment; pressure is a nice feeling to have.

At this stage, we have not decided what we are going to do. Brighty and I might team up. With his level of experience around Bathurst, I would not be sticking up my hand to be the lead candidate to have a lead role, necessarily.

It is hard to go past experience at Bathurst. Ifwedoteam up, I think that it would be hard to go past the combination of his experience and my youth. We will have to see how it goes.

motorsport news

interview \ c

Five minutes with...

BEN (LUCAS

Ambitions of a Formula 1 career have been set aside as the young Briton aims for V8 Supercars, via Australian Formula 3 and the Toyota Racing Series. By PHIL BRAIMAGAIM MOTORSPORT NEWS: How did your drive in New Zealand's Toyota Racing Series come up?

BEN CLUCAS: Basically, I met Barrie Tomlinson some years ago, when I was with the Toyota Young Drivers program. I got in touch when I was in Melbourne for the Grand Prix and got in touch with Dave Arrowsmith of Esquire Racing.

When you decided to come and race in this part of the world, was TRS already part of the plan?

I must admit, it wasn't. I came to Australia with the aim of racing in Formula 3 and I went to BRM. I knew the engineer there, Marcus Koch, and he was quite keen to help me get into V8 Supercars.The best way to do that is to race as much as you can.

Through meeting Barrie, one thing came after the other and here I am.

When you arrived in Aussie F3, what was your first impression of the category?

I would have to say that it is pretty good.The cost is a little cheaper than it is in England because of the strength of the pound against the Australian dollar.

And the level is quite good.

Bruno Senna was in my car at the Grand Prix, because it was a non-championship event and i struggled a little bit for budget.

He won the races but he only qualified third - then he went and won the opening round of the British F3 championship.

So I think that shows that the guys at the front of the Australian F3 series are quite competitive.

What about stepping into TRS? How can you compare these cars to F3 cars?

I would say that the cars are more similar to Formula Renaults, which i raced in 2004.The monocoque is quite similar; both are made in Italy byTatuus, and I would say that the Toyota has a little more aerodynamic grip than the Renault.The tyres are a little wider as well.

34

-T]

"I want to listen to people, and look, and talk to as many people as I can to get a V8 Supercar test."

- First British full-timer in Supercars?Sounds good to Clucas

1 love the cars.They are a lot of fun to drive, particularly on a fast circuit like Pukekohe.You take the lastfew corners here really fast and sort of hold your breath as you come onto the straight.

Is the TRS relevant to anyone wanting to make the step overseas?

Definitely, i think that it is quite a big step to make to go straight from Formula Ford to Formula 3, because they have lots of aero and it is quite hard to get your head around the amount of grip that they have.

A step in-between, like TRS, is very good, because i think that it gets you used to wings, which

is a completely different skill to learn. Racing with wings can be quite difficult; as soon as you get close to another car, you lose front downforce and you get understeer,so you have to learn how to cope with that.

To have something like this in the gap between FF and F3 would be really good.

With your eyes on a career in V8 Supercars, where do you go from here? is it a season in the Fujitsu Series?

I am not really sure at the moment. I want to listen to people and look, and talk to as many people as I can to get a test. If 1 manage to get my bum in a seat.

the rest is up to me. If I can get my bum in a seat, and go through a test, that would be fantastic.

Now that you have seen Supercars in the flesh, do they live up to the expectations that you had when you came to Australia?

I think that they have exceeded them,easily.

I saw them in England on Sky TV and I do not think that television does justice to how close the cars are, and how competitive it is.The entire field is so close - I think that is why it is so popular with the fans and why there are so many drivers wanting to get into the category.

If you make the slightest mistake you lose five or six places.

The level of interest in competitors from overseas in the series has never been as high as it is now.

We have you, Adam Sharpe raced in the Fujitsu race in Adelaide ...

Why is that?

I am not sure. I can only speak for myself but I think that this is the best touring car series in the world, perhaps along with the DTM series.There are a lot of places where touring car racing is t struggling at the moment, with maybe Britain on that list.

With my experience in the Toyota Driver Academy in 2004, i felt that that was my big opportunity in front-line single seaters.That did not quite work out how i wanted it to, and now I want to make it in touring cars and V8 Supercars.

The profile here is high, with drivers like Jason Bright racing overseas in GTs. is it an option to race internationally and here?

It Is an international series.

Australia, New Zealand,the Middle East; it is very well known around the world on TV in England and other countries.

The level of drivers in the series is high and I believe that if you establish yourself at the top in V8 Supercars,that could open a lot of doors around the world.

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much enjoy the category; OME things about John Bowe don't enjoy what I do. I have no trouble getting out of change.Time,as it does for all of us, bed early for training...

"I'm probably fitter marches on,yet JB than I've ever been. remains one of the We've evolved a specific sport's thinkers. He programme that suits calis it worrying.JB what we do - ie drive is a worrier. Any conversation about a V8 Supercar - quite specifically. I do different the sport;the state of kinds of work at two gyms piay, isn't going to be and I do some cyclinglightweight. not as hardcore cycling This one was taped at around 9am on Good as Andy Jones or Cam McConville - but, I reckon Friday(when most of us I'm more motivated than might have preferred I've ever been. a holiday sleep-in) "Whether that's because and came after Bowe's I can see the end, or regular morning gym session. Motivation isn't maybe it's just me.I've always told people I'm a a problem for a driver for whom Pukekohe was the late matured 1 say it as 200th race - a fact which a joke, but it's probably true, I still act like a child had, until quite recently, most of the time..." eluded him: "It hadn't remotely occurred to me until the Things have changed substantially since JB last week or two, until someone mentioned made his first appearance in a car with a roof it. I've never placed any (having dominated the particular emphasis on Formula Mondial Gold records -1 prefer to look more towards tomorrow Star for a number of years) - making the sort of debut than yesterday. But I impact that would be guess because there's miraculous today. some interest in it, it's "My first touring car pricked my ears up a bit, inasmuch as I would like championship race was to break Brock's record. at Adelaide Raceway,in the Volvo 240T turbo car.

"No disrespect to him, I hadn't driven it before he was a fantastic driver.

But he was a Holden and 1 qualified on the driver - and, as you know, front row of the grid.

"The following weekend anything I can do to was Wanneroo, where we usurp Holden drivers is qualified on pole, caught always good for mel and passed Peter Brock "I don't struggle for - who was one of my motivation. I still very

heroes - and led the race by quite a comfortable margin until the car broke down.

"It's rare fora newcomer to do that these days because of the intensity of the competition. For any given race then,there were three or four cars that could win it. It's so different now...

"The thing about youth is you don't think about things too much.You just turn up,drive the car, live on your instincts. As you get older, if you've got any brain power, you learn more about what goes on; what makes things tick. And then, if you're a worrier like me, you spend most of your time worrying about it."

It wasn't long at all before Dick Johnson pounced and one of the enduring partnerships in touring car racing was born. Quite often, in the red Sierras,the two of them Just drove around in formation,such was the team's dominance: "Early on I was quite honoured to be part of it and I played the part of a.... Rubens Barrichello. I was never told to; I was never told not to pass Dick or anything;there was no skulduggery going on. If someone pays you to do a job,then they pay you to use your brains in doing it."

Further success came early in the V8 era.

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ms> John Bowe is V8 Supercars current 'senior citizen' and, CHRISJ.A/1/IBDEN, he plaMj^jetcii^hgt ihilii i iiiilil III passes PeterBf^k'sl^Sel

"When Ross Stone joined DJR,the psyche of the place changed a bit. I felt it was okay to get off the leash a bit.

"It was a great time. We had some good times... and some terrible times, as you do. Winning the championship was good.

When Ross and Jimmy were there, it was a very good little team. And it was little compared with nowadays, but it was a very, very good team.

"Unfortunately,they had other opportunities open up and they left.

It corresponded with people'politicking'the Fords slower, and the momentum wasn't quite carried through.We were still a force, but It wasn't quite the same."

A

t the end of 1999, Bowe did the unthinkable and left too,seduced by the opportunity to head up a single car team built around him. History will relate it wasn't to be the best decision of all time. It only lasted a few months before being taken over and reinvented as Team Briggs, but that too drifted along.

"I look back and ask myself why. I do.

"Regardless,though, I think that if I had stayed with DJR. I might not still be driving now.

"It was an opportunity.

I'm a soft touch for a good story. I was told a good 26 April 2006

story and I saw it as an opportunity. In hindsight it wasn't. I was a bit naive in some ways. I don't look back with great regret, or anything, it was just one of those things. I've had some good times since, but certainly not in terms of being a consistent contender.

"I'm not the first to get it wrong. Not that I want to compare myself with him, because he was a world champion, but Emerson Fittipaldi left McLaren when they were at the height of their powers and went and drove for his brother at the bottom end of the grid...

"I guess I was probably ripe for a change as well.

Ross and Jimmy had gone and the place just didn't have the harmony it used to have. I like harmony I'm a people person.

Having said that, we did get second in the championship both years after(the Stones left), so it was hardly terrible! But from a human dynamic point of view...

What followed were three years effectively in the wilderness.

"It was a very difficult time. I've always been very motivated - but motivation doesn't make the car go any faster. I have a very low threshold offrustration... and I was very frustrated at times.

One day, when I finish my book(which we've

^^Yep, I have to beat that.

I want to^* -John Bowe is determined to beat Peter Brock's record of213 championship starts

been working on for years!). I'll go into all that in some depth, it was very frustrating.

A nd then along came /iJones.

"Brad and Kim and I had known each other as friends for a long time, well before I joined the team.That's why I went there.There were other opportunities, but like I said the human side of it is more important to me than the other side.Some may think that's stupid, but it's true."

Personal karma may be high at BJR, but consistent results are getting harder to come by.

"There have been times when we have been really competitive. It's one of Brad's terminologies, but we fight above our weight.

"There are Haves and Have Nots in this category - it's always been that way, but now the'top'teams spend a lot of money;a lot of money. And we don't have that much money.What they do at Albury with the budget they've got is pretty special I reckon - but it's very difficult to compete against the massive resource some of the others have, "i don't want to be seen as a doomsayer, but the cost thing does have to be reigned in even more.

If it costs $10m to run a two-car team,then it(the category) will eventually fail.The country does not have enough people for more than a handful of teams to ever be able to raise that sort of dough.

"I'm sure V8SA is aware of that, and the fact that it's hard to implement real savings, because if you've got $10m available, you're going to spend it. You spend it on people. And the people are what makes the car go faster.

"The more brainpower you put in, the better result you get. I don't know for sure, but when Alan Jones drove for Williams in F1,they probably had 60 people all-up. Nowadays it would be 500 people.

Why? Makes the cars go faster. Brainpower.

"That's not to say the people we have at BJR aren't clever. You just need more of them! And then

you need enough money to implement and develop what they think of- which may or may not make the car go faster. But you've got to have the resource to at least give it a try. And on it goes.

"One problem is that, like FI,the teams have a fair degree of say in what goes on. And if you've got $100m, you don't want your McLaren team to be reduced to the level of a Toro Rosso or whatever."

For 2006, BJR has done an engine deal with SBR,allowing Albury to concentrate on car development.

"The relationship with SBR is new and we're both just finding our feet, as you'd expect with one test day and a couple of races.

"From what I can see, there's quite a few Holden engines out there with a little more grunt,so you've got more chance of finding that with a pooled resource!

"As for the rest of it, we're just paddling like a duck like every other team - to use what resources we have to go faster."

Regardless,JB will be around for another year or two at least. If nothing else, there's that magic 213 to beat.

"Yep, I have to beat that.

I want to. I'm a fairly harsh critic of myself, but I'm not going that bad... am I?" More with JB nextpage...

37

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... on the 'R' word and racing after VSs 'THE day will come when I'm not going to be able to race a V8 Supercar. I'd much prefer to race an Aston Martin, like Jason Bright just did - I'm interested in cars like that. But in Australia, V8 Supercar is the category.

"I'd like to think that I'll do some racing still - like Jim Richards did after V8 Supercars. Historic racing, maybe the GT category, left, if it gets some more momentum up.

Porsches?

"But at the moment I try not to think about it too much. I think I've got another couple of years in me... and I'd like to break Brock's record, just because it's there.

"I was attracted to historic racing before 1 was historic! I'm just interested in cars and in racing have been since I was a child - so I'm simply interested and, when I've got time, I just go and do it, especially if I can drive a good car.

It's fun.

"Driving a V8 Supercar at a test day can be fun, but racing one's not really'fun'- it's serious; it's business.

It's the difference between having a kick on the oval with your kids and playing an AFL Final, I guess."

... on V8 supercar aerodynamics THE Falcon has an inherent aero disadvantage that's always been there.The fact that the Stone Brothers, with Marcos and Russell, won three championships just shows how good SBR is. There's no doubt in my mind that the Holden has a better'balanced'aero package.

"I wasn't at the recent aero tests. and nobody seems to know the results. But if they were done correctly, which I assume they were, they would show that the Falcon's got a bit better front aero and the Hoiden's got better rear aero.

38

"In terms of balance the Holden is better. I would think it's pretty easy to fix: let the Holden have the same front and side skirts as the Falcon and let the Falcon have the same rear wing and boot spoiler that the Holden's got! I don't think it's that difficult. But I'd like it fixed, to be quite frank.

"The Stones won those three championships with an aerodeficient car.They did a fantastic

job - and the top Holden guys, who should have beaten them, managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, I would have thought.

Holden people will read this and dismiss it as'JB bellyaching again,'and the Ford blokes will agree with me.That's the way it is!

But, the tests have been done and I'd like to know the results."

molorsportnews

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interview "HAVING additional manufacturers in the

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category could be its saving grace. Now that’s something I'm not sure Ford - who I've had a tremendous 18-year motorsport involvement with - would necessarily support.

I haven't asked them! But for the prosperity of the category,I think they should welcome with open arms any other manufacturer that might have a sniff around.

"Look at NASCAR, where some of our thinking seems to come from.Toyota is about to come into NEXTEL Cup, having done Trucks or whatever, it's a huge commitment by them to do that,

0®!

CL

... on the judiciary IT may come as a shock, but in Bowe,the judiciary has a fan!

'The advent of Peter Wollerman as the IPO, is terrific, because he's straight up and down;says what he means; means what he says... and he says'you've got to give others racing room'. And a lot of those blokes out there don't listen.

"I give people racing room, because that's what he says.

1 can'strategically place' my car as good as anyone, but if it means not giving someone racing 26 April 2006

MOTORSPORT TYRES

GIVES YOU THE EDGE

"it surprises me that they haven't moved ahead with V8 Supercars here, i've seen their biiiboard advertising, with an FI car and 'This is our V8 Super Car'- but that to me suggests that they reaiiy wouid like to be in it, but they don't quite know how to go about it! The audience they reach with FI may have a ioad of noughts on it, but you're never going to touch the peopie who buy Camrys with an FI car..."

room,then you ieave yourself open to receiving penalties, drive-throughs, or whatever.They don't see everything, and you might get away with it twice or three times, but you won't get away with it all the time. And if you get a drive-through,that buggers you.

"There was a meeting before Adelaide - all the drivers and the IPO - and everything was presented in a manner that was totally professional and clear: what we are allowed to do and what we're not allowed to do; what's acceptable, what's not. It's black and white. Crystal clear.

"I'm not commenting on the penalties, in terms of financial versus other, but the judicial system itself is the best we've had in my 200 championship races - by a long way. It's moved to the level of professionalism that the teams themselves operate at.'

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39

PUTTING THINGS INTO

PERSPEQIVE

Craig Baird has cleared the air. He told GRANT ROWLEY about his summer dealings with Craig Core, his V8 Supercar future and how he is now on the VIP list...

OME might not know this, but of all the CAMS competition licence holders in Australia, Craig Baird has one of the best international motor racing CVs. New Zealand, America, Europe, Australia.The Kiwi native has been there and done it in a diverse range of categories and,on the way, has scored a diverse range of results.

In recent times.Team Baird has had a lean run at the top of the timesheets. When he returned to the Australasian region in 2000 after two seasons in the British Touring Car Championship, Baird linked up with Stone Brothers Racing for his first tilt in a V8 Supercar. And fancy his luck, he won a race at Phillip Island early in the season.

But thereafter, things became difficult. Team Brock was never more than a glorified privateer, and Team Kiwi lacked the required funding to make its presence felt at the top.

In 2005, Baird signed with Craig Gore. A year later, he was out the door after Gore and Mark Larkham's teams got into bed together. At the time, word on the street was that Forte Gore was an unhappy place to be, but as Baird revealed to MNews, it was a case of circumstance, rather than ruthlessness, that saw him find a new racing seat in the Carrera Cup Championship this year.

"Everyone thinks that Gorey picked up the phone and just sacked everyone," Baird explained.

"He didn't just slam the door.

There was a lot more conversation involved and he was pretty humane about the whole thing.

We knew that there was going to be bloodshed one way,shape or form. It was going to happen.

"Two teams merged,so whether you were a mechanic, a driver or management,there was always going to be major changes within 40

1 PSAi

"At the end of the day, I still have unfinished business in the V8 Supercar ranks" - Cra/g Baird

the infrastructure. Gorey sat me down and he said 'if it does come up and its your name, I just don't want you to go - 1 want to back you and help put you into some sort of racing.'

"Craig and I still speak two or three times a week.The way he did it was very professional. But when you've got to go,sometimes you've got to go."

And Baird did go, replaced by Max Wilson and Jason Bargwanna, but that doesn't mean that he's gone for good.

"At the end of the day, I still have unfinished business in the V8 Supercar ranks," he quipped."You can only run at the front oftheVSs if you have the right team behind you and I haven't been able to place myself in a team that is capable of doing the job.

"In my rookie year with Stone Brothers Racing, we won a race and we ran in the top 10, but I just didn't adapt to the cars as quickly as I thought I would have. So from there, I always drove shitboxes, but that's just the way it was!

"As good as it was driving for Team Brock, it was basically a Rod Nash privateer entry.Then I went toTKR, and I enjoyed my time there. I was a little concerned with the funding, but we still had some top 10 results and a pole position.

"At the beginning of 2005 with WPS Racing, I thought we had a reasonable chance. We were doing well at Pukekohe until our crash - I think I finished 11 th in the second race. But as other teams moved forward, we never seemed to follow them.

We became stagnated with the equipment we had.

"For them this year, I think Larko's experience is going to do a lot for the team. In his own team, he's was in an under-financed situation. Now that he has some freedoms, I think he'll channel funds in the right direction to get

the personnei working.

"I have no doubt that Craig Gore wili win races in V8s. He's the sort of guy who will keep at it, buy better equipment or do whatever it takes to win. I think he's a very astute businessman and while people love him or hate him,the fact is that he's a successful guy and he doesn't like iosing."

But don't think we've seen the last of Baird in the black and silver war colours of WPS Racing.The Kiwi will join the Queensland team for the endurance races at Sandown and Bathurst and, judging by the WPS's early season form, a top five result might not be out of the question ... aving been left out in the squabbie for a seat at WPS Racing, Baird found a new home at Tony Quinn's ViP Petfoods

moiorsportnews

Carrera cup "Vm happy to be in a position where I can leave the hotel in the momin§ track knowing that I can Baird is motivated by this year's CarremCu/^Championship

Porsche team, which contests the WPS Carrera Cup Championship.

Is this a step back? MNews says no. In terms of talent, the Carrera Cup series this year is the secondbest category in the world (err, Australia) and after two rounds of the series (including the nonchampionship races at Albert Park), Baird has been beaten in just two races.

Tm happy to be in the Porsche," he said."I'm happy to be in a position where I can leave the hotel in the morning and head to the race track knowing I can get pole position, knowing that I can win a race.

"If I can make a good living out of driving Porsches, I wouldn't complain. I'd like to end up doing what Jim Richards has done. He makes a living, enjoys his racing and is very competitive."

26 April 2006

One of the added bonuses of driving with Quinn is that the Petfood giant is taking one of his older Cup Cars over to the Nurburgring to compete in the famous 24 Hour race. Baird will be the lead driver.

Tm looking forward to it," he said.

Tve seen bits and pieces on tv, and I think I'm going to be totally lost!

I have to get a videogame. I know people joke about it, but it will be a bit of a heads-up on where it goes. I've been watching Han Stuck's qualifying lap in the BMW, so I reckon if Quinny takes me back eight or 10 times, I will have the joint down pat!

"For the first year, I want to drive it around, keep it in one piece, keep it off every fence, ditch and whatever else Is out there, and make sure that everytime I hop out, it's in one piece."

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Stuck in a moment:Craig Baird endured a frustrating year with WPS Racing in 2005,above, but was even more frustrated when he didn't get another chance with them this year. Winning in Carrera Cup,above main, will no doubt ease his pain.

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I T doesn't even look easy on paper.

'Right,starting with a clean sheet, we're I going to put together an FI team. Not just any FI team, mind you - this will be an allJapanese one,so if any cashed-up Brazilians come calling then just hang up the phone.

And did I mention that we have to be ready to go racing in five months? No? Well, we do.So let's get to work. I'll send someone to pick up some coffee and doughnuts.'

Even in an era where success in FI is dictated by the ability to act on impossibly short lead times,the existence of Super Aguri is a minor miracle.This time last year,the team didn't amount to much more than a pile of paperwork, a list of useful phone numbers, some big ideas and a healthy (if somewhat irrational) dose of optimism. But in the space of just five months a team structure was created, positions were filled,funding was put into place, and an answer was found to a rather significant problem: how on earth do you create a Formula One car out of thin air in 20 weeks?

The key to the whole thing is the people.

Team patriach Aguri Suzuki already holds a small place in FI history after becoming the first Japanese driver to score a podium, having finished third at the 1990 Japanese GP driving for Larrousse, and has spent the last couple of years running Super Aguri Fernandez Racing with Adrian Fernandez in the IndyCar Series.

Managing Director Daniele Audetto has an immense CV, having worked in a variety of roles over the past 35 years including Ferrari FI Team Manager, Renault FI Engine Department Co-Ordinator and World Superbike Championship Managing Director.

Transplanted Melburnian Mark Preston served in engineering roles at Arrows and McLaren before signing up as ChiefTechnical Officer, while lead driverTakuma Sato is now in his fourth season as a Formula One driver. Time and money may be short, but the team is not lacking in know-how.

42

So just how did they manage to get the team onto the grid in such a short time? We decided to let Suzuki, Preston and Sato tell the story themselves.

MARK PRESTON: In some ways, I have been surprised at how well the plan worked out. As long as you stick to it and everyone thinks it's realistic and follows it, then it sort ofjust happens.

I worked out what needed to be done,and also the things that we didn't have to do if we didn't have time. So we knew quickly which things needed to be done first and which could be cut out if we started running out of time.There were some really big drop-dead dates where the floors and the top bodies and various electronics had to be solidified, and when you got to that date,that was it.

If you tell people that's the date,then they do meet that date.They might not make it as flash or as lightweight or as trick as if they'd had three months, but it will work.

There are a few compromises on the car, which we are now going back and looking at.

We are lightening off some parts and things like that where we had to do it quick and we couldn't take any risks. It was all about minimising the risks and just getting it to the track.

AGURI SUZUKI: I am very happy. But it was a very, very hard job. In only four months we set up a new team, built a new car - it was a very, very hard job. Not only for me, but for everybody.

These first races have been incredible results.

Before Bahrain, we did not have a test - we'd only done 400km or something like that.

Our competitors had done from 20,000 to 27,000km before the race in Bahrain. So it has been a bit surprising!(laughs) You might be thinking that the team could have saved itselfa lot ofstress by delaying its FI

debut until 2007, thereby giving itselfa rather more feasible 18 months ofpreparation time. The same thought occurred to Preston.

MP:Sponsors don't want to pay for testing, basically. I said to Aguri,'Are you sure you don't want to go to 2007?', and he said,'Nope, we have to go racing in 2006,otherwise it won't happen'.So it was iike, right, well that's it then! i toid him,'We!i, this is the oniy way we can do it', and he said,'How far will we be off the pace?'I told him that it would be somewhere around five seconds and he said,'Right, let's do it, let's go'.

AS: I understood that the performance was not going to be so good. I knew that before the first race. But at Bahrain, when my cars were starting, I was thinking of the next step. I was very happy, but I was already thinking of the next step.

IVIP: The smiles in the team were pretty big when the cars went out of the garage for the first time at Bahrain, as they were for the first finish and the first qualifying session ...

With every'first', everybody is congratulating each other because every little bit is another big tick in the box. I mean,that's been the funny thing across the whole project - every week there has been,'right, we've passed the crash test, we've signed off all the aero, we've got the engine in'. Everything is a tick box.

In Malaysia, we were rac/ng. We're going, 'We're not supposed to be racing yeti'But we got ahead of Midland at the start. So we thought,'Alright, we'd better start thinking about strategy then!'. So every race is like,'Oh, we're racing now? OK,let's see if we can qualify better.'Everything is a big tick box.

Building a new FI car in the time available was never going to be an option,so the team opted to buy Paul Stoddart's stocks of2002 Arrows, and set about converting them into 2006-spec cars.

motorsportnews

formula one

THE MOUSE THAT ROARED

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Some FI teams spend five months evaluating suspension geometries.In the same timeframe,the people behind SuperAguri created a new team from scratch.MARK GLENDENNING spoke to Aguri Suzuki, II Takuma Sato and Mark Preston about how they did it.

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"Before Bahrain, we did not have a test - we'd only done 400km, or something like that."

- Aguri Suzuki,above

26 April 2006

MP:When Aguri said we have to go racing in 2006,the only way we were going to get there was if we did it this way.

Everyone keeps saying it's a four-year-old car, and I keep saying, what's changed? The rules haven't changed. Aerodynamically the cars have changed,and that's why we've put all the effort into aerodynamics. But the monocoques haven't got any smaller, because the rules restrict how small you can go. Side impact,they updated with the push-off test.

The car had already done the Impact test, so that doesn't change.There is no new carbon fibre that has come out,so there's no reason to change any of that.

The cooling meant that the car could be smaller, so we took advantage of that and reduced all of the ducts and started to use what I suppose you could call'contemporary designed'undercut sidepods and all those sorts of things. So we just upgraded all of the aerodynamics to be the latest.

And it is the original gearbox married to theVB. Honda re-did all of the control and electronics for it. I was amazed - within two

days they had it running on the rig, and off we ran! So the car has got full modern electronics supplied by Honda.

There is not much left other than the front suspension, rear suspension, gearbox and monocoque. Everything else is new.They are the long lead-time items though,the monocoque and the gearbox.The gearbox lead-time is something like 14 weeks, which means that it wasn't actually possible to do a new gearbox in the time that we had. We had to do a new rear-impact, which was a bit stressful, but so did everybody else so we were no different to the other teams in that respect.

So the monocoque has had a lot of modifications, because obviously it had to take the new engine.There is not much left that is actually original.

The main reason that we are where we are in terms of lap times is just aero. It's got a good engine,the tyres are obviously good ... it's just downforce.

We've had four months in the windtunnel. continued on page 44 43

continued from page 43

and everyone else has had four years running in two windtunnels 24 hours a day, seven days a week.We can catch up quicker, because we can see what people have done over the last four years and just go straight for all of the undercut sidepods, louvres, chimneys...

We are trying at every race to bring something new,so that we can keep everybody motivated and giveTaku some more interesting stuff that might help him to go a bit faster.

TAKUIVIA SATO: I was a bit surprised that the team was able to get everything ready so quickly. But it's a good surpriselThe boys have done such a fantastic job, not only to build up the cars and the team, but also all the energy.

They've shown such commitment- day and night, seven days a week, no weekends off, people working until two or three a.m....

But the people here just love it, they are proper racing people.That has made me even more motivated, and really makes me want to be involved very much. And obviously, our first priority when we went to Bahrain was to have no complications in scrutineering, get through qualifying and onto the grid, and then finish the race.

Then at the second race in Malaysia, although the car was fundamentally a couple of seconds off the pace of everyone else, we made a big step forwards. I was able to race, you know,and I really enjoyed it.

I think in general that the other teams are quite impressed with what we have done so far - but I also think that some are a bit scared!

That's good news for us.

I'm very excited. It is a totally different experience for me,and a very unique approach.

The whole team has been set up by Aguri Suzuki-san, and there is a very Japanese environment - there two Japanese drivers and as many Japanese employees as possible. So for me,it is a very interesting challenge.

Set adrift by BAR last year,Sato has been given more than just an opportunity to extend his FI career. For the first time, Taku has been placed into a leadership role - a position that carries immense pressure at the best oftimes, never mind when you are Japan's mostfamous driver, driving for an all-Japanese team.

Yet the extra responsibility seems to have had a positive effect on Sato, whose driving over the opening few rounds ofthe season has shown the refinement and maturity that many had long suspected was in there somewhere, but had only been revealed in glimpses.

AS: I thinkTakuma's performance this year is a lot better than last year. Maybe he has a little bit less pressure. And also, he understands the work that he has to do now. Fie understands everything.

Of course, he still has pressure. But it is good pressure. I want to give a good car to him as soon as possible.

TS: Obviously I am confident in what I do, but at the same time I am also developing as well. I 44

5liiipi;esniff£ \

i;

i "If you are committing the same energy, why don't you put it into the positive side?"

- Takuma Sato,above

feel very much involved in the team; I feel very central to it, and that has given me a big boost.

If you are committing the same energy, why don't you put it into the positive side? We all have a negative side, in every single person all over the world. But I think that these negative things can be turned into a positive thing at the end of the day. I want to maximise what I have. What you have got is what you have got,so you have to try to maximise that. And from that point of view, I am really enjoying every circumstance in what we do. It is a big challenge.

From a purely drivers'point of view, I would love to have a competitive car. Of course I would. But I'm happy with the situation right now.

Although Super Aguri is still in its warm-glow honeymoon period, where everything is new and each little achievement is celebrated, it cannot

afford to spend too much time congratulating itself. FI is a harsh business, and the stark reality right now is that the cars are some way offthe pace.

Much hinges on what happens when the team wheels out the first'real'Super Aguri FI car, to be designated the SA06,later this season. Then there is the matter oftrying to match the development pace ofits rivals while still building up its staff.

AS: In all Formula One teams, it is always the same.You never have enough money!(laughs) For example, atToyota, I don't know how many people are working there. Maybe there are 1000 people atToyota, and also $600 million. At Super Aguri,there are less than 100 staff. But everybody has very good motivation.

And passion.

TS: Strictly speaking, we are two seconds off the pace from Midland, and we don't want to

motorsportnews

formula one

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be sitting in this position for a iong time. So we ail are desperate to either get the new car or a B-spec car from the current car. But I think to get to that level, as a team we have to train, we have to get on so many things the logistics, the pitstop work, everything. Right now, every lap that we do helps the team.

We just need to train and train and train, because by the time that we' get a competitive car we have to be ready to take it. If we got a new car now we probably couldn't make the most of it. Everything has to be stepby-step, and slowly but surely we are getting there.

MP: We have now got a lot more confidence that we're right, and therefore we have a list of all the things that we have to do to change this car to become the new car. So just like anything in Formula One, it is always a progression.

We are probably going to have a Honda gearbox - I am not sure what the timing on that is yet, we're just sort of nailing that down, but hopefully by Great Britain we'll have a Honda gearbox, so that will step us up. There have, perhaps, been some changes in gearboxes over the past few years, so we'll step up in the gearboxes, even just to take the benefit of going from VI 0-sized gears to V8-sized gears.

And we'll just keep bringing aero updates as fast as we can. There are still all the little things like getting to know the new tyres. All those little gains that could add up to being the last second or whatever it is between us and our rivals.

AS: Of course we have set targets for Super Aguri. In 2008 there will be a big change to the regulations, so we will have to see how that works. But in 2007, 1 want to get a podium!

26 April 2006

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AS: We need the new car. But we also have to do some modifications to this car before the new car debuts. I don't know when we can use the new car; we have not decided yet. But we have to improve this car first. We need to take a very competitive car to Suzuka, that will be very important. We want to make everybody there happy!

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45

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ANY things came out of the second round of the 2006 V8 Supercar Championship Series at Pukekohe.

One is that Greg Murphy is still a national icon in the land of the Long White Crowd but he is not invincible.

For only the second time since the series crossed the Tasman, Murph was not the victor; in fact, he had an absolute shocker,the lowlight of which was a Race 1, Lap 1 crash that prompted (another) overnight rebuild from the Super Cheap Autos Racing team.

The second revelation is that any pronouncements concerning the demise of Mark Skaife are premature.

The boss of Team Red may have been driving a repaired car after his dramas in Adelaide, but he bounced back in emphatic form; "The guys have been working very, very hard," he said after his recordequalling 37th career win.

"This victory is made up mostly of their [his team's] effort, this is mostly them."

Skaife was fast in qualifying, took the opening race and charged to fifth in Race 2, aided by the expected level of carnage. He won the start of the final race and looked like the Skaife of old as he eased away to win.

The third revelation - and something for FPR to smile about at last - is that the new generation is getting faster and growing in size.

Following Jamie Whincup's win in Adelaide, it was Mark Winterbottom who stepped confidently into the spotlight at Pukekohe, well and truly pushing Skaife, particularly in Race 3.

On the final lap of the weekend, he succumbed to the (physical) pressure from Craig Lowndes, but he emerged from the trip away as a star in the making.

Russell Ingall maintained his 2005 form of points-collecting despite some brake problems. Garth Tander won the maiden Reverse Grid race and John Bowe emerged shaken but unhurt from a 200kmh-plus Race 2 crash, which had the unfortunate side-effect of injuring regular V8 photographer Scott Wensley.The veteran shooter suffered a broken leg when struck by a fence pole dislodged in the Bowe crash, despite the fact that he was standing well back from the Armco barrier.

As for the Reverse Grid race, the jury remains out,though V8 Supercars Australia considerately opened the door for criticism by announcing that the format was a success immediately after the race.

Oh,and the Kiwis showed up in huge numbers, more than 100,000 claimed for the three-day meeting.

One more trip to the track remains before we decamp to Hamilton in 2008.

46

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PHIL BRANAG/VM reports from Ayckfand

26 April 2006

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v8 supercars Comefly with me,across the sea (and bring your cars as carry-on) W Practice and

A^ Qualifying

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SO it was that, having made each Journey to Auckland by sea,31 V8 Supercars and various boxes of stuff were loaded into aircraft and,for the first time,flown to New Zealand. All arrived in tip top condition,and some teams used the extra time before the Tuesday departure to do things like rebuild the wreckage from Albert Park.

At the cessation of the long practice session on Friday, Russell Ingall's smile was as wide as the south Pacific ocean, having pipped Rick Kelly and Jamie Whincup for top spot. Elsewhere,some described their cars as'ugly';Todd Kelly was in that camp and,of much more concern to the locals, so was Greg Murphy.

"We tuned it up a little and it is better," said the national treasure, "but the car feels knife-edged to drive.There are lots of cars out there that are better tools than us."

When it came time to qualify, he was in danger of not making the top 10 cut. In the end, nationwide disaster was averted by a narrow margin and #51 scraped in.

And the news got little better after the single-laps were completed. Murf was ninth, aided solely by the efforts of Max Wilson whose first sector was fine, prior to a spin at the hairpin.

Tander was fifth man out of the pitlane but when the dust settled.

he was on top of the sheets for the first time since the Sandown 500 last September.

"All square," he smiled, referring to his $5000 cheque for pole cancelling out his $5000 for a brake test at Albert Park.

For much of the proper session, it looked like Max was going to be The Man. He topped the slower group and after everyone in the faster group had gone through one set of tyres, he was still in second. It was then that the Dirt Busters came out - twice - to sweep clean the track [see breakout].

Then, it started to get interesting, with Lowndes (straight from his winning effort in Friday Night Games)taking prime spot, Skaife overcame the ugliness for second from the still-delighted Ingall and, as a portent of things to come, Bright. Even better for the FPR crew,Winterbottom was fifth. Bright pointing to the benefit of both drivers liking the same thing from their cars, despite the slight drawback that Bright is still in the ex-Greg Ritter backup car while his 2006-model is on the chassis jig, It was not unexpected to see that the main players were, roughly speaking, where they were expected, but there was enough youth sprinkled about to be worthy of watching.The question was, could they make an impression in the races and if they cJid, how would the Murphycrazed locals react?

V8SUPERCAR QUAUFYING POS NO DRIVER

TEAM CAR

TIME

1 888 Craig Lowndes 2 2 MarkSkaife

Team Betta Electrical Falcon BA

55.8074 55.8380 55.8562 55.8666 55.8785 55.8844 55.9203 56.1106 56.1476

3 6 Jason Bright 4 88 Jamie Whincup S 5 MarkWinterbottom 6 16 Garth Tander 7 1 Russell Ingall 8 15 Rick Kelly 9 8 Max Wilson 10 51 11 7 12 3 13 11

Greg Murphy Steven Richards Jason Richards PaulDumbrell

14 22 IS 4 16 17 17 200

Todd Kelly James Courtney Steven Johnson John Bowe

18 50 19 10 20 18 21 34 22 021 23 33 24 67 25 23 26 39 27 25 28 14 29 55 30 26 31 20

Cameron McConville Jason Bargwanna Will Davison Dean Canto Paul Radisich Lee Holdsworth Paul Morris Andrew Jones Fabian Coulthard Warren Luff Brad Jones Steve Owen Mark Porter Marcus Marshall

Holden Racing Team Commodore VZ Ford Performance Racing Falcon BA Team Betta Electrical Falcon BA Ford Performance Racing Falcon BA Toll HSV Dealer Team Commodore VZ Caltex Racing Falcon BA Toll HSV Dealer Team Commodore VZ WPS Racing Falcon BA Super Cheap Auto Racing Commodore VZ Jack Daniel's Racing Commodore VZ Tasman Motorsport Commodore VZ Jack Daniel's Racing Commodore VZ Holden Racing Team Commodore VZ Jeld-Wen Motorsport Falcon BA FirstRock Mortgage Falcon BA Team BOC Falcon BA

56.4511 56.5380 56.5388

Repco Valvoline Cummins Commodore VZ Team Kiwi Racing Commodore VZ Repco Valvoline Cummins Commodore VZ Team Sirromet Wines Commodore VZ Tasman Motorsport Commodore VZ Team Sirromet Wines Commodore VZ

56.5432 56.6596

Autobarn Racing Commodore VZ Hyundai Construction Commodore VZ Glenfords Racing Falcon BA

56.6647 56.6973 56.732956.8556 56.8622 56.8932 56.9694 57.1100 57.7586

TOP 105HOOTOUT 1

Tander Skaife Lowndes Ingall Bright Winterbottom Whincup R. Kelly

14.1895 14.1407 14.0184 14.1303 14.1695 14.2885 14.1917 14.3317

38.9806 38.9956 39.0409 39.1792 39.1364 39.2275 39.2226 39.3171

55.7253 55.7930 55.8742 55.9789 56.0083 56.1302 56.1637 56.1683 56.4231

BLACK REIGN ONE of the standards of being a V8 Supercar newshound is that, sometimes, racing drivers tell fibs.

Of the subjects about which the fibs are told, tyres seem to be the subject of much truth-stretching (along with age). Having control rubber has swept away some of the untruths but following a practice session, it is not uncommon to have Star Driver look you in the eye and swear to the skies that the sub-record lap he just drove to top the sheets was set not on green tyres but units with 2000km experience at QR or PI and which provided grip roughly equivalent to three bias-belted forklift tyres and a beach ball.

So it was refreshing at Pukekohe that, because it is a fly-away race, all drivers got two sets of green Dunlops for practice in lieu of the teams' usual tyre banks. Subject to the 48

usual reasons like traffic, red flags and set-up, everyone got a crack.

"Today is only a muscle-flexing day,"said Russell Ingall, after edging Rick Kelly and Jamie Whincup in the session.

"It [the two-hour format] works well for the

I;

56.1633 56.1726 56.2498 56.2595 56.2794 56.3272 56.3974 56.4141

Super Cheap Auto Racing Commodore VZ WPS Racing Falcon BA V8 Telecom Falcon BA

Fujitsu Racing Falcon BA Team BOC Falcon BA

/

teams, you can get through a lot, especially with the [10-minute] break in the middle."

No-one got any points for the session but, prior to a shot being fired in anger. Ingall really looked'up'after the session ...

- PHIL BRANAGAN

motorsport news

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3

ost of what happened to determine the winner of the opening race happened within a few seconds of the light turning green - or, if officialdom is correct, a second earlier than that.

Skaife won. He did that after Tander was hit with a drivethrough penalty for jumping the start, the second time in four races that a Toll car has been called for premature acceleration.

If Rick Kelly looked to be a little unfortunate in Adelaide, Tander was dead-set murdered in Auckland,though he was somewhat stoic about the penalty later.

"I said,'That's not the right decision, there was no way I jumped the start on this occasion"' he reported later. If he did accidentally drop in the odd cuss between those words, he had reasonable cause to do so.

The second (and third) events both struck SCAR. Murphy moved up and found himself with no room and, after contact from another car, turned around and nosed hard into the barrier. He had no idea who was in the other car, with the identity likely only to be identified by the on-board TEGA cameras.

50

department.

'I went to the inside when I saw the dust," he recalled,"I was in fourth gear but I could not see who it was inside the dust. So I went outside to miss him, Murph rolled back and I went to full right lock. I turned it so hard it spun,and I went through the gap sidevyays!

He pitted for fresh rubber and rejoined at the back while, not long after the race the PWR crew were up to their elbows in broken Commodore (again).

Going as hard as anyone was Paul Weel, resigned to a late night and more hard yakka.

While Skaife was zooming away. his team-mate was struggling for a lack of power-assistance with the steering when the engine started to miss - and worse, spill Mobil.

Several drivers skated around on the slick spots, including Steven Richards(up to a fine fourth from 11th) before Kelly's motor called it a day and he parked, ingall was second for the fourth Puke race in succession,followed by the impressive Bright. First and third were drivers in their backup (and older) cars while Ingall's has been'backed off'from its radical Adelaide settings. Not all things in V8 Supercar racing are, it seems.

not far behind Bright and ahead of Lowndes,the extremely swift Wilson, a recovered Richo, Courtney,Johnson and Dumbrell.

But maybe,the silver lining award goes to Tasman Motorsport, with Jason Richards having power steering problems and Andy Jones serving a drive-through penalty for overlapping at the restart.They were the last of the finishers so looked forward to front-row seats on Sunday morning.

D

URING the summer,two of the main talking points were the Reverse Grid races for 2006 and the arrival of James Courtney. After seeing the latter In action, D-Day arrived for the former last Sunday.

The sequence of events that led to the Bowe crash are covered elsewhere in this issue [see news pages] but with drivers of the speed and experience ofTander and Jason Richards at the pointy end of the grid, it was not difficult to figure out what was going to happen.

The Melbourne Tigers started on

cCnDiOCuts

the front row and, after the early Safety Car, Garth picked them off and sped into the lead, which he held when the race restarted 'sans' pitstopsan hour later.

It could have been a Toll 1-2 but it wasn't. When the dust cleared after Lap 1, Rick was sixth, but when he pitted under yellow, he was 17th and well out of contention.

While he suffered,the big beneficiary out of the chaos was Skaife. He pitted early, kept Ingall behind and sped away from his

motorsport news

v8 supercars r

V8SUPERCAR RESULTS

RACE 1(36LAPS)

A

DRIVER

RACE TIME

FLAP ON

Skaife 39:35.1429 39:36.5649 Ingall 39:42.3241 3 Bright 4 Winterbottom 39:47.6921 5 Lowndes 39:49.0231 6 Wilson 39:57.8750 7 S.Rkhards 39:59.6275 40:00.5678 Courtney 9 Johnson 40:01.4029 10 Dumbrell 40:02.7717 11 Bargwanna 40:03.4552 40:04.0348 12 R.Kelly 13 McConville 40:04.3355 14 Morris 40:08.5504 40:11.2082 15 Whincup 16 Canto 40:12.9044 17 Bowe 40:13.5687 18 Davison 40:13.7706 19 Holdsworth 40:16.3552 20 Tander 40:18.6437 21 Radisich 40:20.1059 22 B.Jones 40:22.1887 23 Porter 40:30.2925 24 Luff 35 25 Owen 35 26 Marshall 35 27 A.Jones 34 28 J. Richards 29 29 DNf T.Keliy DNF Coulthard 16 DNF Murphy Olaps

56.6326 6 56.692014 56.767417 56.7907 7 56.870813 56.888212 56.637417 57.054623 57.135316 56.9347 9 57.229113 56.735316 57.068727 57.2361 7 56.632214 57.1404 7 57.288211 57.249013 57.389118 56.4767 9* 57.172810 57.210216 57.801534 57.685427 57.588127 58.211315 57.327813 57.0020 7 56.925811 57.451514

1 2

IT

M <ri t

V8SUPERCAR RESULTS RACE2(47LAPS) DRIVER

The numbers game:Above, New Zealandjammed a serious amount of people into the Racecourse. They ail got to see James Coutney's best round result, below,and they also saw Luffand Porter get physical,left. arch rival when the race got going to make it to fifth, behind Jason Richards, Winterbottom and McConville.

Frosty was particularly impressive, passing Owen, Brad Jones and Morris at the Hairpin on successive laps, the FPR-mobile looking well glued to the track.

Ingall and Morris followed,from Davison, who continues to shine in the Dicktaphone car and even had the testosterone to tap Skaife when the red car passed him at the Hairpin. Johnson was not far 26 April 2006

back from the frustrated Rick Kelly.

Todd was less lucky, spinning off at the Hairpin, leaving him in 13th.

And Murph's nightmare continued. After a pitlane start, prompted by a wish to check his rebuilt car was kosher, he was motoring through the mid-pack until hit by Courtney. In the end, he was 15th,three possies up on James, who also stalled at his pitstop. continued on page 52

1 2 3 4 5 ^6 7 :8 9 ' 10 11 12 13 14 15 ' 16 17 ' 18 19 : 20 21 22 23

RACE TIME

FLAP ON

Tander 01:55:39.7648 56.6930*20 J Richards 01:55:42.4347 56.853118 Winterbottom01:55:47.0851 56.877923 McConville 01:55:49.5107 56.976421 01:55:56.1822 57.052724 Skaife 01:55:57.8841 57.0565 8 Ingall Morris 01:55:59.5984 57.425326 Davison 01:56:00.1659 57.152017 Johnson 01:56:00.3839 57.136717 01:56:06.2581 57.181724 R Kelly Dumbrell 01:56:08.7152 57.106917 01:56:16.5148 57.353517 A Jones 01:56:16.9093 57.288625 T Kelly Coulthard 01:56:24.4731 57.615122 01:56:24.6684 57.1881 17 Murphy Holdsworth 01:56:25.3907 57.668927 46 56.9628 9 Lowndes 46 57.022623 Courtney 46 58.060024 Marshall 46 57.1666 7 Bright 46 57.475620 Canto 45 58.226628 Luff 45 57.211423 Owen

DNF Richards DNF Radisich DNF Bargwanna DNF BJones DNF Whincup DNf Porter DNF Bowe DNF Wilson

35 33 26 17 16 13 7 7

57.412310 57.471024 58.086824 57.5339 8 56.859916 58.8270 8 57.9383 5 57.2754 7 57

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When success and popularity collide: Rick Kelly, above,is one point off the series lead. Home boy Greg Murphy, below, had his worst Pukekohe showing to date. Ford Performance Racing’s Mark Winterbottom was the latest 20-something to get amongst the trophies.

*

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Ingall was running in the high56s and just hanging on until the brakes started to fade a little. If any Stones car has an Achilles Heel, it seems to be brakes and, once again, Ingall had to learn what was possible and what was wishful thinking.

"Once Bright and Tander got past it was, basically, sort the car out, learn where you brake and press on from there," he said iater.

"Luckily, I do not think that it was too bad, but the guys said that I had third over-all sewn up."

That was after Frosty lost touch with Skaife and made touch with the fast-closing Lowndes.The two swapped places and back again, after Craig sighted a yellow flag for the grass-tracking Marcus Marshall. Lowndes got even closer on the final lap, prompting Frosty

to block for the first time.

He got two nudges for his trouble, Lowndes sweeping across his bows at Ford Mountain to take second in the race and fourth overall.

"That was something that i was not expecting,"the FPR youngster said later,"I gave him plenty of room during the race. He had his chances but he had to whack me off to pass me.That does not feel good, or bad, but that is racing."

Tander followed,from Ingall, the always-recovering S Richards and Rick Kelly, who dropped the lead in the series by one point.

motorsportnews

v8 supercars ONE thing, it is often said, affects the other.

Take John Bowe,f'rinstance.

After blowing out 200 candles on a cake to celebrate not his age,as some wag suggested. but his double-ton in starts, he was looking pretty strong in Friday practice. But the POlizei determined that young JB had availed himself of too much kerb and booted his fastest time.

As a consequence, Bowe was relegated to the slower group in qualifying, probably costing him several spots.

To make matters at Team Albury even more heated. team manager Kim Jones was fuming after the sessions. having witnessed some varied interpretations of what to do with a dirty racetrack.

What needs to happen is that it needs to be fair and consistent, it needs to be seen to be fair and consistent,"said Jones."We wasted a set of tyres getting the dirt off the track."

For the record, Bowe started 17th.

- PHIL BRANGAN

I

HOPi SKIP! JUMP RACE3(SO LAPS)

Local yokel: Reigning Carrera Cup Champion Fabian Coulthard played It safe in front ofhis home crowd, above.

He leads Paul Dumbrell,James Courtney and Todd Kelly.

Maybe the best comeback was from Johnson in ninth, after running off the road on lap 4, prior to Will Davison running off on subsequent debris. Not fun for Dick (or Jane, whoevershe is).

And that, apart from some interest with the tailenders, was that.

Suddenly, Skaife is equal with Peter Brock for round wins, even if there is a long way to go in this series before anyone starts talking "title".

26 April 2006

Apart from the storm caused by the Reverse Grid race, the big talking point on the way to Perth will be Generation T. Mobile phones and portable video games may be the providence of the new generation, but soon,V8 Supercar racing could be added to that list.

Whincup starred in Adelaide, Winterbottom in Auckland. Who will be the next 20-something kiddie to step up, in Perth? The only certain thing is, there will be plenty of people watching.

W V8SC5POINTS-RD2 Ingall 540, R Kelly 539, Tander 502,5 Richards 482, Johnson 475,Whincup 474, Dumbrell 464, Lowndes 428, Winterbottom 421, Morris 402, TKeily 362, Bright 328, Davison 325, McConville 323, Wilson 318,Skaife 312, A Jones 280, Radisich 279, Bargwanna 278, Hoidsworth 278, j Richards 253, Luff 251, Murphy 248,Canto 232, Courtney 230, Bowe 229, B Jones 169, Fernandez 150,Marshall 125, Gurr 115,Owen 96,Coulthard 86,Porter 76.

DRIVER

RACETIME

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

50:57.1288 56.781026 ' 51:00.7955 56.522715 .

51:01.4869 56.7300 8 51:03.2407 56.597814 51:04.2638 56.5219*16 51:04.9040 56.883412 51:15.0953 56.869414 51:15.9045 56.932429 51:17.0518 57.100016 51:17.3490 56.894730 51:19.0908 57.027615 51:20.0496 57.385923 51:22.4515 57.3323 23 51:22,6755 57,230723 51:22.9939 57.112625 51:33.8378 57.5231 13 51:35.1762 57.3837 25 51:40.7296 57.485814 49 57.144530 49 56.692728 49 57.439633 49 57.569928 49 57.552715 49 57.941741 49 56.856114 49 58.035426 48 58,180229 41 57.114214

Skaife Lowndes Winterbottora Tander Ingall S Richards R Kelly Courtney Johnson Whincup Dumbrell Morris Bargwanna Radisich Murphy Hoidsworth A Jones BJones J Richards Bright Coulthard Owen McConville Porter T Kelly Luff Marshall Davison

DNF Canto DNF Wilson DNS Bowe

4S 29

FLAP ON

57.355424 57.050310

53

ONE by one,Peter Brock's Australian Touring Car records are falling.

The V8 followers with a statistical brain would have noticed that John Bowe competed in his 200th V8 Supercar race, and this time next year, he'll beat Peter Brock's 213 championship starts.

But that is in the future. Last weekend at Pukekohe, Red Leader Mark Skaife equalled the King of the Mountain's record of 37 career victories, and in the process, became only the second person to knock Murphy off the top step of the Pukky podium.

"It's quite humbling to reach a milestone like this," Skaife said of beatingt Brock's

record."For quite a period of time. Brock has been the guy that we've all aspired to in terms of motor racing - he has been the king of touring car racing - and it's great to win as many rounds as him.

"When you're out there trying to win as many races as you can, you don't tend to think about the records. Certainly, it's a great career milestone for me."

Skaife's win also marked the end of a dry spell, stretching back to the first round of the 2003 season when he last took a win in an individual round. While two endurance race wins between then has kept him in the winner's circle, his results in the past few

season's have been lean.

Skaife attributed his Pukekohe success to his team,who have seen the best and worst of motorsport over the past six weeks.

"This feels a lot like 2002 to me - the vibe in the team - it was very professional and at a very, very high level," he said.

"This was a 100 percent win for me.The guys have worked very, very hard.The preparation from Adelaide has been an unbelievable workload.To get here with a new car and have it work well and for the guys to have done the job they've done over the weekend, it's a real credit to them.

This victory is made up mostly of their effort."

iTTiTOT/

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MOUNTAIfTKINGS IN ONE

UPGRADE 2005's B-grade Qld teams could be 2006's heavyweights TWO Ford teams have been the quiet achievers of the V8 season so far - and they both live in Queensland.

In racing driver-speak, Dick Johnson Racing and WPS Racing have been'chipping away,'and gathering a nice packet of points for their toil.

After two rounds, Steven Johnson is in the best championship position (fifth), and even though he didn't hog 54

the limelight at Pukekohe, his consistency netted him fifth overall.

"I would have liked to finish where I started or better, but I can't complain, being in the top 10 was a good result,"Junior Johnson said.

"And fifth for the weekend, well I'm happy with thatl We're just keeping those championship points ticking over, improving the cars bit by bit. As far as I'm concerned, we can only get better."

At this early stage, DJRis

running fourth in the team's championship behind Toll FISV, Jack Daniel's and Triple 8.

WPS Racing also proved at Pukky that their off-season shakeup has had a positive effect on the team. Max Wilson qualified in the top 10, and both he and

team-mate Jason Bargwanna would have finished higher if they weren't involved in the opening lap reverse grid mess. Still, both are in the championship's top 20, which is a far cry from where WPS and Larkham's Orrcon team were at this point last year...

moiorsportnews

I

v8 supercars

With STEVE HiNDERSON Engineer,#51 Commodore

PLENTY OF PRESSURE

MANY people arrived in Auckland under pressure but, with three million Kiwi eyes on car #51,Super Cheap Autos Racing engineer Steve Henderson had more than many.

Greg Murphy's race engineer had plenty to do over the weekend and wanted success.

"Because of what Murph did last year, and what PWR has done, there was pressure and some of that has come from Murph,"he said.

"Everybody wants to do well at these events but the accident happened. It was one ofthose things, a racing incident, wrong place, wrong time.The damage was about a mirror image of what happened in Adelaide, but this time down the right hand side of the car. It is never a good thing, especially at the

.. I-

track on which you are competitive.

"We worked hard to get it back (to straight). It was a chassis rail, a front rail, gearbox mounts,that kind of thing. It was about six-and-a-half Gs, which made Greg a bit sore. We got within 3mm on the longitudinal axis and on the right-front rail, we were within about 1mm.We put it on the scales around 9am this morning, the ride height was within a millimetre and corner weights were within 5kg.

"The damper towers were not damaged and that affects the corner weights and ride heights. We knew we had a problem and compensated for that on the left hand side.

"We got into the race and found out that we were not quite as clever as we thought that we were."

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TACnCALSnt Twelve months ago, Fernando Alonso held a rampaging Ferrari at bay.

This time it was the other way around.

JOE SAWARD watched a fascinating tactical duel

M

ICHAEL Schumacher won the San Marino Grand Prix by going very fast when he could - and going very slowly when it mattered.

As a work of strategy Ferrari's victory at Imola was a masterpiece, with Michael and his 'think tank'taking advantage of the fact that overtaking at Imola is next to impossible.

Once he had taken pole position and got into the strategic driving seat, all the Ferrari team had to do was to make sure that the inherent speed of the Renault could not be used to full effect.

It was 2005 in reverse. Like Alonso vs Michael last year, it involved a certain amount on blocking. So let us not read too much into this victory, because the only track where a similar stunt can be pulled is at Monaco. If Ferrari wants to beat Renault on a regular basis, the team needs to improve the car a great deal.

On this occasion, Michelin and Bridgestone were pretty evenly matched,so it really was down to strategy.

It was agreed by the pundits on Saturday night that the two Ferraris would have to stop much earlier than the Renaults and that the Flondas would probably have to stop earlier than both of its apparent rivals.

And that was exactly what happened.

Once Jenson Button had disappeared and the Ferraris of Schumacher and Massa were running one-two with Alonso in Massa's slipstream,the Brazilian suddenly slowed significantly. Poor Fernando was stuck behind him for three important laps as Michael pulled away from his team-mate at a rate of knots.

Once Massa had gone Alonso was able to drop his lap times by more than a second, and he pulled away from everyone for the next five laps before he too had to stop.That put him up to second because Massa's loss of time had cost him places as well.

The road was now clear between Fernando and Michael,and the Renault closed in at great speed. But as soon as he arrived in the slipstream of Schumacher,the red car suddenly slowed down considerably.The lap times dropped from 1 m26s to 1 m28s.

Later Michael would say that he had a tyre graining problem, but those who understand 56

strategy understood that Schumacher was deliberately slowing Alonso in order to stop the Renault using its car advantage to the maximum. It was obvious that Fernando could have gone on longer and faster than Michael and thus grabbed the lead at the second stops, but Michael's deliberately slow pace convinced the Renault strategists that they had to bring Fernando in early.

And then Michael covered the move.

As soon as Fernando went into the pits, Michael did a startlingly fast lap (in the 1m25s)and immediately pitted.The strategy worked out perfectly because as Schumacher accelerated out of the pits he was still just ahead of the Renault, and at Imola that is all that you need to win.There is no overtaking at the Autodromo Ferrari unless the driver ahead makes a mistake,so Michael and Fernando played out the same battle they had had a year ago, albeit with the order reversed.

Michael made no mistakes and so won the race. A clever victory.

Some mayhow lookthings back on the weekend consider might just have and been different. In qualifying,for example, a number of drivers lost their fuel allocation for one lap because they failed to set a time within 110 percent of the best time on tht particular lap.

Schumacher lost one lap that way- but Alonso lost two. One more lap in the race without Massa ahead of him would probably have been enough for Fernando to get ahead ...

In the final laps Alonso piled on the pressure, but in the end made a small mistake and immediately decided that it was time to turn down the revs and settle for second place.

Michael went home with 10 points. Alonso took eighth. Fie remains 15 points ahead of Schumacher in the Drivers'Championship.

Juan Pablo Montoya came home third, having eclipsed Massa mid-race and that was really the best the team could have hoped for. Raikkonen was fifth, having needed a very long second stint to jump Mark Webber's Williams.The MP4-21 is not a quick enough car to take on the Ferraris and Renaults at the moment - well, not at Imola.

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formula one

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Same but different: Schumacher gave Alonso a taste ofhis own medicine from 12 months earlier, above, while Massa furthered the Scuderia's cause with a decentscoop ofpoints, below.

Montoya,left,stood up on a weekend where Kimi Raikkonen failed to fire.

i 26 April 2006

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57

QUAUFYINC

AN UNUSUAL GRID Ferrari on pole,in Italy?Not unusual- but where did the speed comefrom?

JOESAWARD weighs the options ICHAEL Schumacher took pole position for the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola.

For some days before the event, Ferrari people had been making positive noises about the progress being made - but the gap in Australia had been so huge that making up 1.6s seemed an unlikely thing to be able to do.

And yet,from the start of practice, the Ferraris were quick.

Some in the paddock preferred the age-old explanation that Ferrari "always goes much better in Italy than elsewhere, ahem"but the scrutineers found nothing to get excited about.There were many theories, but perhaps it is worth listening to a man from Flonda discussing Ferrari's apparently miraculous performance.

'One should not underestimate Just how difficult it is to get these current tyres working,' he said."The difference is enormous with the Bridgestones and the Michelins. Ferrari has gained a lot of time, but that sort of gain is possible with the current tyres."

Ferrari's problem this year has been choosing the right tyre, because the current tyres seem to work only in very narrow bands of performance. But when they work,they really work.

This is what Ferrari wanted everyone to believe. But was that really the case? Or was the team simply running its cars very, very light?

Racing at Imola is as much about track position as it is about speed. Qualifying is thus important because the driver at the front can control those behind him. Being on pole offers a big advantage, particularly if a driver can be there with a reasonable fuel load in his car.

The weight of fuel can sometimes be fudged by the stopwatch but comparing the times from the different qualifying sessions is dangerous because one never really knows

whether the lap times in question are a good guide, or whether the driver did not run as fast he might have done or ran into traffic at a key moment.There is also the likelihood that the track itself is faster in the later session. It's all about comparison.

Doing the maths can,though, give hints.

Michael Schumacher's best in the final qualifying session was just 0.2s slower than his best time in the second ofthe two 15-minute sessions when cars usually run at their lightest.

That seemed to indicate a smallish fuel load.

By comparison,second placed Jenson Button was eight-tenths of a second fosferthan he had been in the previous session!?)!Third placed Rubens Barrichello was 0.5s quicker.

This made some sense, as Honda has tended to run cars light in recent races.The team said that the cars had also made significant progress, but Button gave the impression that he felt others were running more fuel. He just did not know how much more.

Felipe Massa in fourth place was 0.2s slower. which was the same difference as Michael.

Fifth-placed Fernando Alonso achieved the same lap time in both sessions, but that was probably because he did not get a clear run in the faster session.The Renaults looked quick throughout practice - until the final qualifying a sign that the fuel load was high. And Kimi Raikkonen's McLaren and Mark Webber's Williams both dropped a fuli second, which would seem to suggest the same thing.

The danger of that strategy was that a fast car with a heavy fuel load might get stuck behind a slow car with a light load.

Alonso gave a decent hint about his plans: We need to try and make up positions at the start," he said, making it very clear that he wouid be running with a biggish fuel load, and relying on Renault's prodigious electronics to get him to Turn 1 in good shape!

formula one

FIGHTING MINNOWS CHRISTIJAN Albers spent much of the weekend rolling around the Formula 1 paddock on a electric skateboard but on Sunday afternoon he exited the race in spectacular fashion when Yuji Ide launched him into a big accident at the Villeneuve Corner on the first lap.

"With all due respect to the Super Aguri drivers, they are being much too aggressive in trying to jump ahead of us at the start so they can hold us up during the race," said the flying Dutchman,left.

"They are taking too many risks and we saw today how dangerous that can be." ide had a rather different view of events, "i don't think I was pushing too hard at the start," he said."Albers was on the racing line and I could not avoid contacting his car.

The FIA Stewards took a look at the incident, decided that ide had caused a collision and gave him a reprimand ...

- JOE SAWARD

FORMULA 1 QUALIFYING POS NO

DRIVER

TEAM CAR

Michael Schumacher

2 3

12 11

Jenson Button

GB

Honda RAI06

Rubens Barrichello

Bro

Honda RAI06

M

1:23.242

4

Felipe Massa Fernando Alonso

Bra

Ferrari F24B

M

1:23.702

5

6 1

E

Renault R26

M

6

7

Rolf Schumacher

D

Toyota TFl06

7

4

Juan Pablo Montoya Kimi Raikkonen

Col Fin

McLaren-Mercedes MP4/21

M

1:24.021

McLarenMercedes MP4/21

M

1:24.158

3 9

D

TIME

5

Ferrari F248

1:22.795

1:23.709 1:23.772

Jarno Trulli

I

Mork Webber

Aus

Toyota TFl06 Williams-Cosworth FW28 Renault R26

M

1:23.771

Colt D

8MWSauber;FT06 Williams-Cosworth FW28

M

W!887 r 1:23.966

68

Red Bull-Ferrari RB2 BMWSauberF1.06

M

D

ll:24i10T , 1:24.129

M

10

9

11

2

Giancarlo Fisichella

12 17 13 10

Jacques Villeneuve

1:24.172 1:24.795 ,

14 14:

Nice Rosberg David Coulthdrd^

15 16

Nick Heidfeld

16 20 17 15

Vitantonio liuzzi

I

Toro Rosso-Cosworth STRl

Christian Klien

Aut

Red Bull-Ferrari RB2

18 21

Scott Speed

USA

Toro Rosso-Cosworth STRl

19 18

Tingo Monteiro

Por

MFI-Toyota

1:26.820

20 19

Christijan Albers Takuma Sato

Ned J

MFI-Toyota

21 22

1:27.088 1:27.609

22 23

Yuji Ide

J

M

M

Super Aguri-HondaSAOS n Super Aguri-HondgSAOS

1:24:520: i 1:25.410 1:25.437

1:29.282

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FI RESULTS C

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Pos

Driver

Total Time

Best lap

On

1

Michael Schumacher 1:31:06.486

1:24.624

19

2

Fernando Alonso

1:31:08.582

1:24.569

23

3

Juan Pablo Montoya

1:31:22.354

1:25.096

22

Felipe Massa

1:31:23.582

1:25.528

12

5

Kimi Raikkonen

1:31:24.010

1:25.027

49

6

Mark Webber

1:31:44.225

1:25.488

39

3

7

Jenson Button

1:31:46.121

1:25.347

29

s

8

Giancarlo Fisichella

1:31:46.686

1:25.353

43

3

9

RalfSchumacher

1:31:51.997

1:25.316

45

10

Rubens Barrichello

1:32:24.337

1:26.129

12

11

Nico Rosberg

1:32:26.161

1:26.418

30

12

Jacques Villeneuve

1:32:28.856

1:25.438

53

13

Nick Heidfeld

61 laps

1:25.996

53

14

Vitantonio Liuzzi

61 laps

1:25.679

43

15

Scott Speed

61 laps

1:26.248

57

16

Tiago Monteiro

60 laps

1:27.160

53

DNF

David Couithard

47 laps

1:26.855

41

DNF

Takuma Sato

44 laps

1:29.100

40

DNF

Christian Klien

40 laps

1:26.759

30

DNF

Yuji Ide

23 laps

1:31.032

15

DNF

Jarno Trulli

5 laps

1:28.039

4

DNF

Christjian Albers

0 laps

No time

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YOU CALL THAT STRATEGY? another on to more and more bizarre race strategies as both teams appear to work on a theory that grid position is almost more important than the race results.

Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello were second and third on the grid but pitted 10 laps before Alonso's Renault. Jarno Trulli retired his Toyota before his strategy became clear, but Ralf Schumacher pitted a lap after the second Honda.

"When you have a three-stop strategy, the cars suffer even more if there is a problem with the pit stops," Honda's Geoff Willis told MNews.

"Before the third qualifying session one has to judge the pace of the top 10 competitors based on how fast they go in the second qualifying session. In retrospect I think we underestimated our own pace and ran too light.

"Theoretically, the difference between a 26 April 2006

two-stop and three-stop strategy at Imola is minimal. The three-stop is 2-3 seconds faster than the two stop but, whatever you choose, you have to make it work.

"Statistically pit stop errors do not happen very often and today we had three of them.

Jenson had a problem with his right rear on his first stop, Rubens has a problem with a sensor during his first stop, and then Jenson had the big problem with the lollipop at the second pit stop. That meant we looked worse than we are. The car is better than it was before and it was good to be racing on the pace of the McLarens."

But overall the Honda problem was probably best summed up by an anonymous Honda man who remarked savagely that the best strategy today would have been to turn up with the fastest car!"

-JOE SAWARD

r

FI POINTS

Drivers' Points: Alonso 36, M. Schumacher 21, Raikkonen 18, Fisichella/Montoya 15, Button 13, Massa 9, R. Schumacher 7, Webber 6, Heidfeld/Villeneuve 5.

Constructors' Points: Renault 51, McLaren 33, Ferrari 30, Honda 15, Sauber-BMW 10, Williams 8, Toyota 7.

59

TAKE THEM THEY COME After failing to score in Australia despite having a competitive car, Mark Webber and williams were a little concerned about San Marino - hut they came away with some points anyway MARK Webber looked upon the points gained for sixth place at Imola as something of a bonus.

"That was actually quite a hard race for us," he told MNews on Monday morning.

"From the start of the weekend,our pace just wasn't quite what we'd expected and we weren't quite able to put our finger on it.

"The tyre choice wasn't an easy one either.The soft option seemed perhaps a little too soft, and the harder tyre a bit too hard and, despite Alex doing two good long runs on Friday, we still weren't sure.

"So I did an additional tyre comparison on Saturday morning, which took a little bit away from other work we wanted to do.

"We did go for the softer tyre in the end, but when Sunday turned out to be as hot as it was, we were quite concerned. Actually,though,the tyres held up quite well.

"Qualifying wasn't bad.There's some interesting stuff going on in that second session in terms offuel loads I think. Our time(5th) was okay, but

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our Session:3 time was disguised a bit by the quite heavy fuel-load we went with - although we also have yet to get the best out of the car in heavy fuel/green tyre mode.

"We did struggle a bit all weekend with brakes,especially into the Rivazza, where the car just wasn't right over the bumps.

"That's what caught me out after the second stop. I briefly slid off there, which was quite interesting...

"Although we had a fairly clean run through the first two stints, and were able to keep Kimi behind (having jumped him on the opening lap), McLaren fuelled him to go very long,five laps further than us, in the second,so he was able to end up ahead quite easily.

"From there on, we just held the gap back to the next car, which was Jenson.

"But really, given where we thought we'd be, I'm pleased with the result. | "We've got the Silverstone test this week,and we've plenty to do in a e number of areas!

formula one

IS THAT A BRAKE OR A WING? FI Tech Editor PAOLO FILISETTI explains why,among the Imola innovations, Ferraris latest brake coolers have raised eyebrows THE usual array of aero tweaks characterised Imola, but the item getting most attention was Ferrari's front wheel rims, which some have claimed are an aerodynamic device.

Aerodynamic device? Wheel rims? What?

This innovation has been questioned by rival teams since debuting in Bahrain, and consists of a sort of clearly visible protruding lip coming out of the side profile of the width of the wheels.

Given that the lip is attached to the wheel rim, and thus subject to the rotation of the wheels, it is, therefore,'mobile'. As the rules state that no mobile part having an aerodynamic influence is allowed, rival teams have alleged that the part has to be considered a mobile aerodynamic element.

For its part, Ferrari claims that the lip is a functional element of the brake cooling air intake.The fact that this element protruding outside the wheel rotates, doesn't in Ferrari's view, mean it is a mobile element, as its profile always stays the same (ie its profile is unaltered whether it rotates or is standing still!

Our illustration shows the'brake cooling system'made up of two main elements, the inner drum (yellow) and the outer one connected to the wheel rim.

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MCLAREN 248 GETS A FACELIFT WINGS IT

BEFORE McLaren has introduced a new front wing that differs from the previous one especially in two areas.

One is the overall width of the main profile, that has been reduced, while the horizontal section of the endplates have been increased by the same length, roughly 4cm.

This change has the effect of reducing dramatically the vortices caused by the front wheels, while at the same time it minimises drag, by reducing the overall width of the wing profiles.

The result is reduced drag, with no loss of downforce.

2B April 2006

THIS element,right, is part of the extensive changes introduced on the car,to improve performance and overall balance and features new endplates.These include a flat upper profile instead of the sculpted previous one,ending backwards with a horizontal triangular fin.

This improves the management of the airflow close to the wheels.

The additional fins, placed on both sides of the nosecone, have been replaced by wing profile shaped ones that provide a better influence to the airflow passing between the chassis and the tyres.

These changes are not Just improvements per se, but they help in terms of providing a better quality of airflow passing underneath the car and then extracted by the diffuser.

In this race, as part of the overall revision of the aero package, Ferrari's barge boards, below right, were also slightly revised. Even if at a first sight they look pretty much the same as before, the winglets attached to the barge boards were modified, in particular in their cross section.

In fact, the lowermost one has been slightly enlarged so as to improve the management of the airflow passing underneath the car.

The upper winglet is slightly bigger,to help in splitting into two part the airflow passing close to the boundary of the sidepods, dramatically reducing some vortices that slightly affected the flow directed to the sidepod entrance, hence worsening the cooling capabilities.

61

Senna takes two wins at British F3 opener at Oulton Park THE name; Senna.The Series: British Formula 3.The result:two starts,two wins.

So it was when Bruno Senna, nephew of the Brazilian legend, opened his 2006 title assault at a cold and blustery Oulton Park. After out-jumping Double R team-mate Stephen Jelley on three restarts to win Race 1, Senna rocketed away to take a sevensecond Race 2 victory.

"Well I wasn't expecting that but in the end I got a good start and from then on I pushed really quite hard," he said later."I'm just delighted."

After tuning up for the series at Albert Park, Senna's Mercedes-Benz-powered Dallara 306 was the class of the field, though Dane Christian Bakkerud took second in Race 2 with Honda-Mugen power ahead of Mike Conway. In the opening race, Oliver Jarvis claimed third, again with Mugen power.

Mexican Rodolfo Gonzales was the best of the National Class runners for 2004, with two class wins and 11th and eighth outright in the two races.

Points;Senna 41,Jarvis 22,Conway 20, Bakkerud 19, Maro Engel 18, Jelley 17.

IT was a weekend offirsts at round two of the 2006 GP2 championship at Imola last weekend, where Trident Racing , and iSport both notched up

HELIO-SAN HELIO Castroneves will go into the month of May at Indianapolis in winning form after capturing the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi last Saturday.

Castroneves won the Indy Racing League's third round from defending Champion Dan Wheldon and former champ Tony Kanaan.The Penske driver dominated proceedings, leading 184 of the 200 laps, looking unbeatable from as early as mid race distance. Castroneves takes a 42-point lead into May, where attention turns to the Indy 500.

"What a team, what a team,"said Castroneves."These guys are unbelievable. We were fast from the very start this week, which is good because there wasn't a lot of practice time.

"But today was perfect and the car was perfect, too. i said yesterday that i wanted to finish where we started, and I don't think it was ever in question. We were fast all day."

Qualifying at the 1.5-mile Japanese oval was rained out, meaning the race was started in championship order.

The race was marred by two heavy crashes.The first involved Tomas Enge, who was subbing for Eddie Cheever in the Cheever Racing entry while the team owner fulfilled GrandAm commitments. Enge had front suspension failure as he was trying to get his ailing car back to the pits, the Czech's car veering into the path of Ed Carpenter.

After the caution period, Scott Sharp spun at the restart and into the path of PJ Chesson and new RahalTeam Ethanol driver Jeff Simmons, who spectacularly rolled down the front straight.

Castroneves's team-mate Sam Hornish Jr was fourth, ahead of Buddy Rice, Bryan Herta and local hero Kosuke Matsuura.

Points: Castroneves 146,Wheldon 104, Hornish Jr 94, Dixon 92, Kanaan 89, Matsuura 80, Herta 77, Meira 64.

motorsportnews

international

-awml ●. iV—

IRELAND 5 FOR PATRIZI

ERNESTO their first wins in the series courtesy of Gimmi Bruni and Ernesto Viso.

Bruni's success came with relative ease in the opening race.

The Italian started from pole, and saw off an early challenge from Lewis Hamilton to take a commanding win at the end of the 37-lapper. Nelson Piquet Jr was in the box seat to claim second, but he ran into car troubles late in the race and was reeled in by Michael Ammermuellerand Nicolas Lapierre.

But while the opening race was relatively orderly, Sunday's race was anything but. There was trouble right from the start, when Adrian Valles stalled on the line and was hit by Lucas di Grass!.The field slowed up for the Safety Car,

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but Ammermueller was caught unawares and thumped into the rear of Alexander Premat.

As soon as racing resumed Viso was on the attack, the iSport pilot reeling in the BCN pair of Hiro Yoshimoto and Timo Glock to take his first GP2 win. Piquet Jr also got past the pair to take second, leaving Yoshimoto to complete the podium just ahead of his team-mate.

Some distance behind them, Lewis Hamilton took a commendable 10th after starting from dead last in punishment for inadvertently passing the Safety Car during the first race.

MICHAEL Patrizi has had an encouraging two rounds in the Formula BMW UK Championship at Mondello Park in Ireland last weekend.

The West Australian finished fifth in both races around the tight circuit and left pleased with the speed of his Motaworld Racing entry.

"My goal for the opening rounds of this season was to be consistent and we have achieved that," said Patrizi.

"We had the car going really fast. I didn't get a clear lap in qualifying, which put us back on the grid for the races, but the car felt really good all weekend."

Red Bull

Points: Piquet Jr 25, Bruni 18, Viso/ Ammermueiler/Lapierre 16, Hamilton 9, Vailes 6, Yoshimoto /Glock/Premat 5, Lopez 4, Filippi 2, Porteiro 1.

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KEVIN Harvick won the Subway Fresh 500 at the flat Phoenix International Raceway last Saturday night.

Harvick ran in the top 10 most of race but didn't look to be a threat until 10 laps to run, when he moved around Greg Biffle for the lead as Biffle and Roush team-mate Mark Martin ran dry of fuel in the final laps.

"Our car maintained its speed while the other fell off during the final run,"said Harvick."Once we

Patrizi started eighth on the grid for the first race, but a lightning start had him into fifth on the first lap, where he finished.

The second race saw Patrizi start slightly higher, in sixth, and again a good start to the race had him in fourth. After a Safety Car was needed to clear the circuit, Patrizi ran wide at the first corner of the restart, dropping to seventh. The 21 -year-old was able to take advantage of his car speed in the closing stages and made it into fifth place on the last lap with a late braking move.

Both races were won by Ireland's Niall Breen.

RED Bull-backed Australian Nathan Antunes made his Formula Renault debut last weekend, using the Northern European FRenault event at Oschersleben as a warm-up for this weekend's opening round of the FRenault EuroCup. Antunes, left, failed to finish both races.

were able to get out front we Just started to conserve fuel. I just wanted to make sure, I've been here before and run out of gas."

Tony Stewart did well to place second and lead a handful of laps after being forced to start at the rear. His Joe Gibbs crew returned his qualifying tyres to Goodyear instead of being placed in the impound area. Rules state that the top 10 qualifiers start the race on the tyres they qualify on.

-MARTINO CLARK 63

SUPER-SUB Garry Brazier told GEOFF ROUNDS about his late call-up from the Performance Wholesale teamfor the Ea^er Trail FOUR-time Australian Sprintcar champion Garry Brazier broke a 16-year absence from the Easter Sprintcar Trail to make a rare but much anticipated appearance at late notice.

It was the first time he had contested the Trail since the early 1990's after accepting an offer from Queensland car owner Bill Mann to replace the injured Cameron Gesssner, who is expected to be sidelined until next season with a hairline fracture in a vertebra near his neck.

"It's a good car and it gave me the perfect opportunity to come down and race,"said Brazier.

He started in fine style with a second place to winner Max Dumesny at Borderline Speedway after qualifying in second place.

"Bill puts a lot of effort into his racing and has good equipment so our weekend was okay with at least a strong placing at Mount Gambler,"said Brazier.

His Warrnambool effort began poorly for the confident Sydney driver when he time-trialled in 20th position in the Lusty Loaders Maxim.

"I just ran too low (on the track), I just ran too low, I should have known to get up higher here at Warrnambool."

Brazier seemed to combine well with crew-chief Dave Sharman and bounced back to grab a win and a second and would start the 30-lap feature from fifth position.

Brazier's weekend was an anti-climax when he was unfortunately involved in a turn one collision and forced out of the feature with severe driveline damage.

"It's just really disappointing to finish it this way after the way we went last night,"said Brazier.

"I think we could have gone alright as we were set to come on near the end and could have challenged for the win.

"That's all history now though and we'll look towards our next event."

The Mann-Brazler combination will again figure in the upcoming two-night Australian Sprintcar Open at Brisbane this weekend according to Mann.

"The whole thing has been a one-off because of Cam (Gessner) being injured,"said Mann.

"We will again team up with Garry as our driver for the Australian Open and then I'll sit down with Dave(Sharman, Performance Wholesale team crew chief) and assess how we want things to go from there.

"We had a good (Easter) weekend and I was pretty pleased with everything.

"As far as the future goes, well for now I'm not sure what will happen.

"1 already have a short list of four drivers that I'd like to have driving for me next season but,that also depends on how Cam is - it's still his drive.

"If Garry (Brazier) is one of those four then we'll consider him along with the others."

Mann said he was again keen to campaign all rounds of the 2006-07 World Series Sprintcars.

"We may not even make a decision on our preferred driver until somewhere around August.

There's a few things to work out at this stage,"said Mann.

THERE is something about Easter and Max Dumesny.

The iconic Sprintcar star has added another two Easter SprintcarTrail victories to his impressive dominance at this time of year and has now won 28 rounds since commencing on the Trail in 1984.

His recent two victories at Warrnambool's Premier Speedway and Mount Gambler's Borderline Speedway two weeks ago helped Dumesny to $10,000 in prizemoney and two tickets to the United States for the overall Trail victory.

Night One-Avalon The nasty weather conditions that had been threatening southern Victoria on Good Friday eventually caused the opening round of the Trail to be cancelled at around 3pm.

It was the first time since Avalon joined theTrail in 1989 that the opening leg of the series was affected by weather.

"Unfortunately we can't re-run the round and it's a huge shame given the talent that was present in the pits already,"said Avalon Raceway promoter Jeff Drew.

"When the rain hit just before 3pm the weather radar was not a pretty sight and we had to cancel the event before the public gates opened."

Night Two - Mount Gambler With finer weather across the South Australian border,58 cars assembled and were all keen like the thousands that religiously follow the Trail to get in some action.

motorspoitnews

speedway

MAX TAKES THE EGGS

The heats in the tight bullring that is Borderline Speedway had all the regulars around the top of the qualifying boards with both Dumesny and Garry Brazier (in the Bill Mann-owned Maxim, replacing the injured Cameron Gessner, who is out of action with a broken vertebra) securing wins, as did the impressive Matthew Reed.

Ironically, it would be these three that eventually filled the top three placings on the podium.

From pole, Dumesnyjumped Brazier at the start of the feature and that's the way it stayed until the finish with Reed filling third after starting from seventh.

Notable drives in the final also came from Robbie Farr (11th to fifth), Luch Monte(12 to seventh) and Danny Reidy (15th to eighth).

Night Three - Warrnambooi Sunny and bright conditions hovered above Premier Speedway 26 April 2006

for the final night and in front of a crowd of around 5,000 it would again be the hometown favourite Dumesny who wouid give them the victory they craved.

Dumesny again set the pace early by setting a quick iap of 11.284 seconds around his'home' speedway,just ahead offormer national champion Todd Wanless with an 11.285s iap.

Victory in an early heat for Dumesny would again secure a front row for the 30-iap final alongside American Dean Jacobs.

Jacobs jumped Dumesny at the start but it wouid be short-lived for the Ohio-based driver.

In a spectacular start to the feature,frontrunners Brazier, David Murcott and Luke Dillon all came to grief in a six-car pile up on turn two of the first lap.

Reed,James McFadden, Ian Loudoun and John Vogels also were caught up in the carnage.

The result though was that

Brazier, Murcott, Loudoun and Reed could not re-start due to severe mechanical damage.

The restart was a little different, with Dumesny grabbing a virtually untouchable lead from the opening laps and was never troubled.

He drove away from the field despite a late charge by Farr.

It would be Dumesny's night, winning from Farr and his team mate Wanless, who impressed coming from sixth.

Dumesny said the Warrnambooi win was a good result for the tireless work his crew had performed during the season.

"We've done thousands and thousands of kilometres in travelling this season and I couldn't win like this without a dedicated crew that I have,"said Dumesny.

"We haven't been too bad (this weekend). For me it's actually good to win, but it's always really

good to win here at Warrnambool."

Runner-up Farr said that he aiways enjoyed racing at Easter in the southern parts of Australia.

"We had a pretty good weekend _reaiiy,"said Farr, above left.

"Tonight(Warrnambooi), near the end of the final we kept sneaking up there on Max butjust couldn't poke through late when we might of got past him.

"The iapped cars piayed a big part at one stage and when Max and i came up on one there was one piace for him to go and that was the oniy way through for both of us."

Wanless was competing in his first Easter Trail and said he was rapt to have two consistent cars over the weekend, benefiting from having Farr as his team-mate, "i think as a team we've done alright,"said Wanless. We've finished here at Warrnambooi tonight with two cars in the top three and that's a pretty fair effort."

65

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Rain halts latest Outlaws show LAST weekend's World of Outlaws event at Lawrenceburg Speedway was rained out, forcing DIRT Motorsport to postpone the City of Lawrenceburg Sprint Nationals, co-sanctioned by the All Star Circuit of Champigns, until July 7, one night before the World of Outlaws returns to 1-55

TATNELL KEEPS AT BROOKE Tatnell remains in touch with the front-runners in the 2006 World of Outlaws Championship, coming off a strong event at Tri-State Speedway two weeks ago.

The Australian, below on the outside of series leader Donny

Schatz, time trialled second behind Jac Haudenschild atTriState, but could only manage fifth in the feature, which was won by Craig Dollansky.

The win made Dollansky the sixth winner of this season, with Schatz, Sammy Swindell, Chad

Kemenah and NST drivers Danny Lasoski and Paul McMahon also winners thus far.

Although he is yet to record a feature win, Tatnell and Rush Racing lie sixth in the points standings. Australian owned team Titan Racing is seventh in the

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Speedway.

Fans, drivers and teams all contributed $6110 to a collection taken at the World of Outlaws event at Tri-State Speedway for legendary Sprintcar driver Danny Smith.

The Indiana veteran's wife passed away on the morning of the event after a long battle with cancer. Donny Schatz was a big part of making the collection happen, kicking it off with almost $700. Smith is well-known to Australian speedway fans, having toured our shores numerous times.

Victorian Justin Drew has earned the right to carry the number one plate on the doors of his Holden Commodore after dominating the Australian Modified Production Championship at Riverview Speedway over the Easter long weekend.

Ashley Parkinson held off the flying Ford Falcon of Wayne Miles and Darren Shearn to round out the podium dais.

Craig Vanderstelt narrowly defeated Michael Burford and the much-improved rookies Shane Hendry and Josh Ruhs to claim an incident-packed City of Adelaide Title for 360ci Sprintcars at Speedway City.

The race was marred with several nasty incidents, the worst being the horrendous crash by Mark Caruso, who flipped into the catch fence, tearing down the safety mesh in front of the clerk of course and his assistant. Both officials sustained minor injury however the car and flag stand came off looking worse for wear, Caruso was also lucky not to be seriously injured as part of the fence had lodged itself in his twisted wreck.

After repair work was made to the fence the race was restarted, however, the red lights were to be soon ablaze again. This time it was the defending track champion Dennis Burford taking a violent tumble through the air.

Newly-crowned Australian Champion Jamie Cobby's promising run came to an end with a deflated left rear tyre. Nick Bombak's fortune also changed for the worst, forced to retire due to a lack of vision after running short of tear offs.

-STAFF/PARIS CHARLES

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CP KICK-OFF FORMER world champion Nicki Pedersen won a thrilling opening Grand Prix of this year's World Championship last weekend when he headed home Aussie Jason Crump in the Slovenian GP. Poland's Tomasz Gollob was third in the final, with sixtimes World Champion and defending titleholderTony Rickardsson of Sweden fourth.

Pedersen, above, had won his semi-final ahead of Rickardsson but there was drama in the other semi-final

as Mildura's Leigh Adams suffered an engine failure after leading for three of the four laps.

Ironically it was Adams's misfortune that allowed Crump to make the final. He was third when Adams slowed but moved to second behind Gollob to make the final.

It meant the last three world champions contested the battle for rostrum places and also means that Crump's title hopes are very much alive.

-TONY MILLARD

TROY Little proved he can master any engine size after his Easter visit to Mildura.The talented Sydneysider will now be busily packing his luggage after winning an all expenses paid trip for two to America since claiming victory in the Mildura to Knoxville 360ci Sprintcar Nationals at Mildura'sTimmis Speedway.

"I would like to thank Bill Boberts, Harold Brennen and all the team for helping this weekend, this is a great way to cap off our season,' said a jubilant Little, left.

Troy has now set a new record having captured feature race victories in 41 Oci, 372ci, wingless and now 360ci classes in the one season. Fortune favoured Little, who inherited pole position after highest point-scorer Chris Evans retired to the infield prior to the start and Craig Vanderstelt was sent to the rear after crashing in the opening turn.

With a clear track out front.

Little managed to keep his car pointing in a straight line throughout the caution plagued race to claim victory as others spun out of contention.

motorsport news

speedway

THEM points after finishing eighth at Tri-State.

Newly-crowned PCR Track Champion Trevor Green made an Outlaws appearance with the new Lewis-Green Racing team that will embark on the Knoxville Track Championship. Green timetrialled 10th and finished 12th.

Catch this race fans: Tatnell has a new toy to play with a t-shirt cannon, below.

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The newly crowned Australian 360ci Sprintcar Champ Jamie Cobby finished second and rounding out the podium was last year's winner Stephen Bell. Darryl Wright used the highline to carve his way through the field to seize fourth and Brett Milburn rounded out the top five.

South Australian Michael Miller claimed an exciting victory in the AMCA Nationals interstate challenge. With cars also entered from Victoria and New South Wales the event was a hard-fought affair. Scott Ellis stole second, passing the national champion Ricky Barrand in a drag race to the finish line.

- PARIS CHARLES

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AMERICAN star Dean Jacobs has wrapped up an outstanding West Australian tour by winning the AHG Series as well as the Kwinana Track Championship.

Jacobs ran a strong second in last Saturday's A-Main at Kwinana to clinch the title.

Jacobs, above and right, has won five features and ran second five times to eclipse the field in what has become a very competitive series this season.

"We have had an awesome series," said Jacobs."We came over here to run with Geoff Kendrick and to win the AHG Series and we did it. I cannot say enough about Geoff and the team, they have been great".

Jamie Maiolo, who recently quit the Kendrick team, taking his crew chief with him after a mutual parting of ways, finished as runner-up in the series, racing under his own banner.

"We didn't have the season I had expected but we still finished second," said Maiolo.

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David Priolo has gone from strength to strength this season to finish in third

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place, which was a great result considering he has had a number of rollovers including

Hoosier Tire Australia Australian Distributors for

a spectacular one on Saturday night.

"I am really happy that we did so well even with the amount of issues we had throughout the season it just shows how far our team has come". Said a jubilant Priolo.

Flying Ryan Farrell finished fourth in the series but went out on a high note, taking out the last round of the series at

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Kwinana. Farrell started out of position ●’\'2m the 25-lap AMain, reaching the lead two thirds of the way through the feature.

"It was very busy out there tonight so we just tried to keep out of trouble, but also get to the front as quick as possible," said Farrell. "It's really good to finish with a win."

- DARREN SUTTON

WORLD OF OUTLAWS 2006 CHAMPIONSHIP Tri-State Speedway

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Standings as at 15th April

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Formore info on Hoosier Drag & Speedway Tyres call:

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26 April 2006

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67

CRUZ AND KJ SNAP WINLESS DROUGHTS CRUZ Pedregon raced to his first Funny Car win in almost six years when he defeated Ron Capps on The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this month.

Pedregon's 23rd career victory was his first in 126 races, dating back to the 2000 Englishtown event. After taking early round wins over Jim Head,Tony Bartone and Tommy Johnson Jr, Pedregon's Advance Auto Parts Chevy Monte Carlo took a tyre-smoking 5.41 s/266mph victory over Capps, who lost traction at the hit of the throttle.

"You can say I had a gorilla on my back because it was definitely bigger than a monkey," said Pedregon."My feeling in the final when I started smoking the tyres out there was,'oh well, Ron's gonna go by me.'But when I didn't see him I started driving off adrenaline and instinct. I've never been so glad to see a win light come on."

The win not only vaulted him from 10th to fifth in the Funny Car points standings, but Pedregon's victory also enabled him to get a long-awaited haircut as the 1992 Funny car Champion vowed last June not cut his hair

again until he won another race.

Coming off of back-to-back wins, Capps raced to his third final in-a-row after round wins over Scott Kalitta, Del Worsham and team-mate Whit Bazemore. Capps was able to increase his lead in the series standings to 105 over John Force.

Season-long NHRA POWERade points leader MelanieTroxel held off a hard-charging David Grubnic in the Top fuel final to claim her second careerTop fuel win. After Grubnic lost traction early,Troxel's engine eating 4.83s/285mph, held off Grubnic's brilliantly pedaled 4.98s/319mph.

For the day,Troxel posted wins over David Baca, Morgan Lucas and Doug Kalitta. She also made drag racing history by becoming the first driver in Top Fuel to open the season with five consecutive final-round appearances.

Troxel is now just one race away from tying Tony Schumacher with seven-consecutive final-round appearances. She closed the 2005 season with a runner-up showing in Pomona.

Grubnic, with early round victories over Cory McClenathan, Larry Dixon and Brandon Bernstein, has vaulted himself into second place in the standings.

Kurt Johnson hadn't won a round all season but put together four victories on raceday to win the Pro Stock final by 10 inches in his ACDelco Chevrolet Cobalt. Johnson posted a come-frorm-behind 6.84s/202mph to 6.87s/202mph win against Dave Connolly's Skull Gear Cobalt.

Johnson,the fifth different Pro Stock winner in the season's first five events, extended a personal streak of winning at least one race in each of the past 12 seasons.That has allowed him to climb back into the POWERade top 10 and the championship chase.

Despite a first round upset loss, Greg Anderson maintains a 40 point lead in the Pro Stock standings over second place racer, Mike Edwards.

The NHRA POWERade Series continues with the sixth annual O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, April 28-30 in Bristol,Tennessee at the famed Bristol Dragway.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKl Points;Top Fuel;Troxel 483, Grubnic 327, Dixon 297.

Funny Car; Capps 489, Force 384,Johnson 288.

Pro Stock; Anderson 369, Edwards 329, Enders 317.

Crowded Calder TOP level drag racing returned to Calder Park Raceway on Easter Monday,when two Top Fuel dragsters were Joined by a host of other machines in a demonstration day.

One of the highlights (or lowlights) was when Altered driver Eric Goudswaard mounted the wall on the front straight after losing control of his car. He emerged unscathed.

Track surface issues made setting a time in the Top Fuellers difficult, although the signs were good for the future.

"The attendance exceeded our expectations,"said Calder Park CEO Darren House."They were an enthusiastic crowd, and it showed that drag racing in Melbourne is a must."

Bob Jane also jumped in his'69 Camaroforan impomptu race against Norm Beechey's Chevy Impala. Bob won the special race.

motorsportnews

drag racing

WHITE KNIGHT

WESTERN Australian Jay Upton secured victory in Round 6 of the Australian Top Bike class in the thirdannual Bikefest at Western Sydney International Dragway two weeks ago.

Upton, riding his popular white Triumph, met Jack Daniel's Harley rider Brett Stevens in the final. At the green, Stevens left 0.05s ahead of Upton, but the Triumph reeled well to defeat Stevens with a solid a 6.52s to Stevens 6.98s.

The result has reinforced Upton's lead in the championship over Jack Daniel's team-mates Stevens and Troy McLean.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Queenslander Andrew Badcock moved within striking distance of the title with a win at the Bikefest event.

Championship leader Daniel Peatey top qualified and was the favourite to secure the round, but slowed in the final, giving Badcock the win and third in the title chase.

Neville Langley remains second in the championship.

The next rounds of the Australian Top Bike and Pro Stock Championships will be part of the 2006 Nitro Champs at the WSID on May 5-6.

Top Bike points; Upton 588,Stevens 530, Maclean 430, Kim Stevens 253, Dennis Grant 240.

Pro Stock points: Peatey 335, Langley 245, Badcock 240.

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BUELL DEBUT '

MAKING its Australian debut at the Bikefest at Western Sydney International Dragway two weeks ago was Brett Stevens Racing's brandnew S&S-powered Buell.

The state-of-the-art Pro Stock Bike was restricted to exhibition passes with fellow Pro Stock Bike rider Peter Cochrane at the helm.

The bike had only arrived in the country a little over a week before the event, but on its fourth pass, Cochrane was able to take the S&S machine down the track in a sub-National record time of 6.29s.

26 April 2006

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ASHLEY Force, daughter of 13-time NHRA Funny Car Champion John Force, has earnt a Funny Car competition iicence.

Force drove one of her father's Team Castrol Ford Mustangs through the quarter mile in 4.936s at 315.86mph en route to gaining her Funny Car competition license.

Force, who drives the Castrol A/Fuel dragster for car owners Jerry Darien and Ken Meadows, made eight runs in the Funny Car at LVMS under the watchful eye of her recently announced crew chief. Dean 'Guido'Antonelli, a key member of Force's team for the last 12 seasons.The 23-year-old is likely to move up to the Funny Car division in 2007.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKi

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BATHURST hero Peter Brock revealed his 2000-model Daytona Coupe that he will drive in this week's Targa Tasmania.

The Daytona, which weighs in at only 11 SOkgs and powered by a 5.7-litre V8 Chevy engine, offers Brock an incredible power-to-weight ratio, which could see the nine-times Bathurst winner and

than the Daytona and with it came more reliability and surety with testing etc," explained Brock. "But this is a very competitive piece of machinery. It will be a bit of an eye opener for me and I guarantee it will look good and it will sound good."

Other high-profile entries include Network 10's Daryl Beattie in a Mitsubishi Evo IX, Tony Longhurst, reigning Champion Jason White in a Lamborghini Gallardo and seven-time winner Jim Richards.

The 15th Targa Tasmania started yesterday (Tuesday) and is followed by five-days of racing and driving around the Apple Isle. Racing concludes on Sunday.

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rookie co-driver Mick Hone surprise a few contenders.

Brock last contested the Targa Tasmania in a Holden Monaro in 2004.

"The Monaro is a more robust car

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CONTROVERSY surrounded the running of the Lotus 500 at Wakefield on Saturday night, with Gary Dann and Sam Walter ultimately declared the winners in their Class B Elise by just one second after five hours of racing.

Ian Kegg, Daniel Sheldon and Aaron Serefos led heading into the final lap but slowed for a non-existent yellow flag to finish second.

Results were held back until Sunday morning after the John Falk entry was excluded from the results for having one driver at the wheel for longer than the maximum period. This was not the case but the team did not inform

officials of a driver change and they were left with no option but to scrub the Falks.

Rick Bates was the early pace setter and led as the sun set on Wakefield Park's first night racing.

Mechanical dramas saw the Bates/ Mark O'Conner car finish ninth.

Running the only Open Class car appeared to be the winning strategy for Nathan Stephens and Greg and Ben Russell. Carrying 30 litres more fuel, Stephens inherited the lead when Bates made his first fuel stop.

Stretching their lead to over seven laps, the car appeared to have things wrapped up until it dropped back with transmission

problems.

They eventually / hung on for ●'B seventh place.

David Sieders teamed with Richard L; Morkand 'ames Smi Brad Lowe and got their car off to a flying start from sixth on the grid. He mixed it with the leaders until the rear suspension failed, necessitating a lengthy stop.

They battled on to be last of the classified finishers in 11th.

- MARTIN VAN REE

Luke Searle was best of the Super Tourers. He finished fourth in the final race, just ahead of Amin Chahda (Falcon Future Tourer), who took the Future Tourer honours for the weekend.

It was a forgettable outing for Wyhoon's team-mate Peter Vicary.

In the sprint race, Vicary's weekend came to an early end, courtesy of a fire underneath the bonnet of his Falcon Supercar.

- MITCHELL ADAM

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lA/HE/V SILVER IS BETTER THAN GOLD FRESH from a race win in his debut weekend at Calder Park last month, David Krause scored his first CitilinkTouring Car Challenge round win at Wakefield Park.

Krause (Commodore Supercar) shadowed Championship points leaderTerry Wyhoon (Falcon Supercar) all the way in the scratch race, then finished second in the opening handicap race, with Wyhoon fourth.The pair battled fiercely at times during the final race as they cut through the field, but Krause eventually edged away to take the race and round win.

"The traffic played into my hand in some ways, and in some bits Terry would catch back up again, so it sort of see-sawed a little bit," 70

said Krause. "Terry was probably a little bit faster, but we managed to hold him off."

Third for the weekend was Dean Neville (Commodore Supercar).

Neville bounced back from a DNF in the scratch race to win Race 2, and finish third in Race 3.

Points: Wyhoon 289, Krause 252, Neville 206, John Burke 165, Bryce Peter-Budge 142, Searle 137,

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ASTER racing returned to Mount Panorama for the first time in over a decade, with the WPS Bathurst International Motor Festival.

Modelled on the Goodwood Festival of Speed,the event featured a wide array of machinery, including current local racing championships, car clubs displays and race cars from yesteryear were on show and cutting demonstration laps.

But it wasn't just cars representing bygone eras - drivers were also out in force.

Ten legends of Australian motorsport took part in a two-race event which saw them team up with V8 Lite racers, aboard current model Utes owned by the latter group.

It was the V8 Utes Return of the Mountain Masters, where old(er) met new.

The resounding consensus among the group was positive, in terms of both the Festival and the Ute proceedings, with all enthusing about the opportunity to race around Mount Panorama again.

"I think the chance to drive around the place could get anyone here, it's a very special place,"said Bob Holden, who records a pair of milestones in 2006;50 years since his first Bathurst start and 40 years since his Bathurst win.

Each race was an eight lap encounter, with a driver-change midway through.The V8 Ute regulars started the first race, with the legends lining up on the grid for the second race, a reversal of the Race 1 results.

The Falcon Utes of Jack Elsegood/Andrew Miedecke, and Marcus Zukanovic/David 'Skippy' Parsons shared the race wins.

Miedecke confessed to having

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a slight leg-up over the other legends, having last raced at the circuit in 2003.

Together with Elsegood, he took the win in the opener ahead of Zukanovic and Parsons.This was reversed in the second race, with a lightning start by 1987 Bathurst winner Parsons setting the stage for a win, clear of Elsegood and Miedecke.

Parsons, who has been out of racing for the last five years, was delighted.

"It was good," he said."I got an opportunity to get back into motor racing through Mick and Marcus with the Commodore Cup,so I'm rapt. I don't look at the past, I'm looking at the future and right now,and at the moment, I'm on P-Plates and I'm starting from scratch."

Garry Rogers was the legend to have most recently tasted success at Bathurst, as a team owner with wins in the 2000 Bathurst 1000, along with the 2002 and 2003 Bathurst 24 Hour races. Unlike his regular weekends at the helm of a race team, he was relishing the laid-back nature of his weekend.

"It's great," he said."It's nice to be told what to do instead of telling people what to do. Get in the car, get out of the car,'do you want something to eat?'; it's normally me doing all of those things, it's very pleasant."

Rogers shared a Holden Ute with James Brock.The pair finished third in the opening race and crossed the line in third place in Race 2, however were given a 30 second penalty post race for leaving early from their compulsory 60 second driver change.This dropped them to fifth, and elevated the Damien White/ Neil Crompton pairing to third.

Bo Seton joined White for

The inaugurallegends: Clockwise top left, Moore, Holden,Parsons,Bartlett, Rogers, Miedecke, Holland, Rogerson and Seton. Left,Skippy Parsons was the winner.

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practice and qualifying, however a combination of the height difference between the two, and Seton's decision to focus on his Historic Touring Car activities saw the 1965 Bathurst winner withdraw from the Ute race.

He was replaced by Crompton, who was originally left rideless when his designated co-driver Gary Treloar crashed during practice. Crompton's first lap in a Ute was his stint in Saturday's opening race, in which he brought the car home in fifth place.

The minimally modified Utes struck a chord with the legends.

with most having cut their teeth in the more production-based eras of Australian racing.

"A lot of us came up through production racing, back in the late 60s and 70s with the Bathurst 1000s and 500s,"said 1968 and 1969 Gold Star Champion and 1974 B1000 winner Kevin Bartlett.

"They were pretty much production based, so it's virtually like getting back into an old Falcon or Holden."

Bartlett teamed with Matthew O'Grady and the pair had a strong weekend, finishing fourth in the final race. Renowned 1970s Bathurst privateer Graham Moore teamed with Nandi Kiss to claim sixth place, ahead of Wayne Rogerson, class-winner on the Mountain, who paired with Scott Jennings.

Five-time Bathurst class winner Don Holland was eighth in the Ute he shared with Yanis Derums, with Bob Holden and Greg Willis completing the field.'

CRICK COUNTRY Round 2 of the Aus GT Ghampsonship gave BIMF a dose of the rare and exotic liiiiitchell adam A WIN in Round 2 at Mount Panorama has vaulted Greg Crick into the lead of the Speed Energy Drinks Australian GT Championship.

Crick steered his Dodge Viper to pole position, but bided his time early in the opening race. A laterace Safety Car eliminated the gap between Crick and race-leader David Reynolds, allowing the vastly-experienced Crick to make a move during the one-lap dash to the chequered flag and take the race win.

The plan was initially reversed in the final race. Crick led early, before being passed by Reynolds and Peter Hackett. Reynolds built himself a comfortable cushion, before being slowed heavily by lapped traffic, allowing Hackett and Crick to move past.

For the most part during the weekend, his first in the series, Carrera Cup hotshot Reynolds was the form driver. He sat atop the timesheets for the majority of qualifying before being pipped late in the piece, a trend which continued in each race.

In the opening race,the late Safety Car period gave Crick an opportunity to snatch the win, leaving Reynolds to second place, before taking third in Race 2.

"I got held up by traffic coming onto Conrod and it allowed the others to close right up and eventually get by,"said Reynolds.

"There wasn't much I could do about it in the end and we had to settle for third place."

It left the battle for the race lead to Hackett and Crick. Having come agonisingly close to claiming the 2005 series title, Hackett had his first run in the series of the year in a Lamborghini Diablo GTR. He charged through the field to finish fifth in Race 1, after a fuel pressure problem on the formation lap sentenced him to a pitlane start.

With those problems behind him, Hackett picked up ground in the final race. He moved into third at the start, then capitalised on Reynolds's slow run through traffic to take the win and farewell the Diablo in style.

Crick challenged Hackett late in the race before finishing second. It 72

was enough to take the round win and Championship lead.

That Is what you call racing,' said Crick of the weekend."! really enjoyed it, it was fantastic motor racing.

'I took care of my tyres at the start and brought them up to temperature slowly and they came on strong in both races.

The Porsche's tyres came on very quickly and dropped off as the race went on,so it worked well for us."

Reigning series Champion Bryce Washington joined Crick on the front row of the grid and battled with the Tasmanian for second place in the opening race. He finished third in the final race, and moves to second in the standings.

Right behind Washington in Race 1 was David Wall, in the exCirtek Porsche GT3 RSR, which led the majority of the 2002 Bathurst 24 Hour. Like the car's campaign in the 2002 B24, Wall's weekend ended early. A loose screw from the fuel injection trumpet fell into the engine, preventing him from taking part in Race 2.

Alongside Crick in the Viper brigade, D'arcy Russell had an up and down weekend. He bounced back from problems in practice to qualify ninth,then improved to sixth in the opening race. Russell was running as high as fifth in Race 2, until a split differential

Championship on the iine: Greg Crick, above,took the ACT honours from a keen pack. ended his run midway through.

Taking advantage of the misfortune that struck Wall and Russell wasTheo Koundouris. He was 11th in the first race, but progressed well to complete the top five in the second. His brother James'weekend went in the opposite direction; a water leak ended his run in Race 2 after finishing seventh in the opening encounter.

Bill Pye was sixth in Race 2, ahead of JohnTeulan and Dave Stevens, who made his way up from 20th on the grid, after receiving a tap from John Kaias and glancing a wall during the opening race.

Points; Crick 171,Washington 137,Theo Koundouris 112, Allan Simonsen 104, James Koundouris 95.

national

CUMBING MOUNT AUSSIE The Aussie Racing Cars produced the best racing at BIMF

SPORTING a new aerodynamic configuration, the Aussie Racing Car category had its first run at Mount Panorama in the WPS Bathurst International Motor Festival two weeks ago.

But even though the Aussies were making their mountain debut,they raced like they'd been going for years. Multi-car battles for the race lead were the highlights from the non championship weekend.

First honours went to V8 Supercar driver Paul Morris (a late replacement for Dale Brede, who sustained an injury while training).

Driving the BOC Falcon, Morris qualified sixth, and was quickly battling for the Race 1 lead with Nick Simmons,James Ward and series points-leader Paul Kemal.

The quartet traded places regularly, before Morris took the win with a last lap move on Simmons into The Chase. Simmons was second,from James Ward and Kemal.

There was more of the same from the group in Race 2. Morris made a similar move past J Ward on the final lap, but this time, it didn't go entirely to plan. Ward ran wide across the grass on the exit and made light contact with Morris as he rejoined the track.The clash sent 'The Dude'into the gravel trap.

Simmons took the win,from Kemal and James Ward, while Kyle Clews finished fourth, having started in 10th piace.

Morris's DNF left him starting down the order in the final race. From 28th, he was up to ninth by the end of Lap 2, before succumbing to a mechanical problem.

In Morris'absence, Simmons,Ward and Kemal kept up their intense battle for the race lead.They were joined by Neil Crompton., who was having his first run in the class, see breakout right. Crompton sat inside the top six all weekend,and challenged the front runners during the last race.

He led the race on two separate occasions, and finished in second place after a frenetic finish,just 0.01 s behind James Ward.

Simmons, who left the weekend with the class lap record, was third,just ahead of 26 April 2006

Fords and Holdens:Paul Morris, above,fared better than Darren Masini, below. Nick Simmons, bottom, won Race 2.

Kemal. Mark Duckworth, Clews, Brad Ward and Nick Percat rounded out the top eight.

After topping practice, things went downhill for Holden V8 driverTony D'Alberto.

He was 12th in Race 1, having started from pitlane, before failing to finish Race 2 courtesy of a broken differential. In the final race, D'Alberto recovered to 16th place.

Fellow Fujitsu driver David Clark recorded results of ninth in Race 1 and 12th in Race 3, but crashed at The Cutting in Race 2.

- MITCHELL ADAM

Neilback on Wheels NETWORK 10 personality and former racer Neil Crompton enjoyed his first motor race in a number of years in the Aussie Racing Car events at Bathurst two weeks ago.

"It's hard,the passion never dies for driving, but when you do one-offs and you haven't been driving regularly, it's quite a strange feeling,"said Crompton, who won the 1994 Bathurst 12 Hour with the late Gregg Hansford.

"Wardy [Phil Ward] has been at me for years to come and have a ride in one of his cars and I've always had conflict with dates,so it's never been really possible to do it. This just happened to be a window that opened,so I said 'yeah, sure i'll do it'."

Crompton drove the Teng Tools car for the first time in practice, and was instantly impressed.

"It was really good," he said after the first race."It was probably a pleasant surprise, the behaviour of the cars was better than I thought.

"Like any car, you need to understand its personality to get the most out of it, and I'm not totally on top of the car, but I'm reasonably comfortable in it. Every time I get in it I go faster; gently, gently catch the monkey."

-MITCHELL ADAM

73

.V.

SANDOWN Raceway hosted the first round of the Victorian State Circuit Racing Championships, and Glen McDonald took a clean sweep of events in the HQs in turbulent weather conditions.

Brent Rose took a hat-trick of wins in the Porsche 944 category with Robert Lange close behind bn all occasions.The Saloon Cars were also apart of that race, with the spoils being shared between Ken Wright, David Heath and Peter Gruber.

Formula Ford was awash with red flags, and each race had a different winner. Cade Southall claimed the first, CAMS National Rising Star Kristian Lindbom took out the second, and Taz Douglas,above, won the last.

Honda Prelude driver Dean Camm was untouchable in Sports Sedans. He won all three races with Glen Hastings taking two seconds and a fourth to round out a competitive weekend.

Formula Vee provided close racing, and three

different winners shared the spoils. Drew Beachem, Liam Gretgrix and Jason Kerr were the trophygetters, with Gretgrix being the most consistent.

Mort Fitzgerald only contested one MG race and won convincingly. His absence left Neil Hopwood to claim the final two races from a chasing Rob Whitwell.

Historic Touring Car drivers Tony Hubbard,Jervis Ward and Raymond Challis were the podium trio in each race. A close race in the second saw the three drivers separated by 0.7s.

Ray Hislop won two of the three Improved Production races in his Ford EB GT Falcon.

Benjamin Schoots won the second race and Just missed the podium in the other two.

Almost taking a clean sweep of the Sports Cars was Brett Bedggood,who had Kane Rose not far behind. Rose won Race 2.

- AARON SHAW

l/l/lLSOm M/I/V5 HISTOniC BATTLE ALL eyes were on Des Wall when the Historic Touring Cars took to Mount Panorama over the Easter weekend.

Wall recently purchased the exIan Geoghegan Mustang - driven

by Geoghegan to the 1967,1968 and 1969 ATCC titles - and was the dominant force.

In his first race meeting behind the wheel of the legendary car. Wall took pole position by almost five seconds, and won the opening race by over 20 seconds from Camaro driver Grant Wilson.

"We intend to do maybe two or three meetings a year to get it out there for people to see, and obviously we want to race it," said Wall, who has run at the Mountain in a variety of cars, said, "it's the second time I've driven it, but I've only done a couple of laps the week before we came here.

"It moves around a fair bit, and the brakes aren't what we're used to in the current cars of course. It actually is quite good for the age of the car and for what it is, it does everything pretty well. I'm very happy with the car."

Wall's supremacy was halted in the second race. He looked set 74

to take another victory, having reclaimed the lead from a fast starting Wilson, before a broken axle ended his race.

Wilson took the win ahead of Grahame Hill and Joe McGinnes.

Continuing his Race 2form,Wilson won the third race, with McGinnes

second; making it three podium finishes from three starts in his XY GT Falcon. Bruce Dummett was third, ahead of Ron Shepherd and Michael Simpson, while Wall's spirited recovery effort netted him sixth place.

-MITCHELL ADAM

Higher ROUND 2 of the Australian Motor Racing Series at Wakefield Park didn't go all his way, but Derek Pingel maintains his lead atop the Yokohama Australian Formula 4000 standings.

Pingel comfortably won the opening race from pole position, after his main rival Ty Hanger spun on the opening lap. Mark West finished second ahead of the recovering Hanger.

Things turned sour for Pingel in Race 2. A light touch from West on the opening lap spun his car around, and into the path of another competitor. It ripped off the front wing and bent the steering.

He returned to the pits - where West's crew fitted his spare front wing - and returned to the track a number of laps down. His only consolation was the fastest lap of the race,just shy of the class lap record.

Hanger took the win, well clear of West and Les Crampton.Sam Dale ran as high as second, but a spin dropped him to an eventual fourth place.

In the Production Touring Car Championship, it was all Luke Searle(BMW 130), who won each race. Second to Searle in the opening race was team-mate Peter Kelly, who spun while leading Race 2 and finished fourth, and failed to finish the final race.

Alfa Romeo driver David Capraro finished third in the opening race having started from the rear of grid. He backed it up with a pair of second place finishes, despite limping to the line in Race 2 with a punctured tyre.

moiorsportnews

national

ENDLESS EASTER If you couldn't see a mountain, you headed for the banks of Colder Park

Spirit Also among the strong performers were Natalie Willmington (Mitsubishi Magna) and Peugeot pilot Ronald McIntosh, who finished third in Race 2 and Race 3 respectively.

Richard Huer took a clean sweep of the four Fantastic Furniture Kingswood races. Robert McGrath finished second in the opening two races and was the only other driver to lead a lap, doing so en route to third place in Race 3, behind Pedro Marusic.

Glenn Deering and Bob Hepburn completed the podium in the final race.

Craig Munro won three of the four BMW E30 races, a clean sweep only prevented by second place in the reverse grid race, won

by Julie Showers. Nathan Geier scored a trio of second place finishes, with Neil Anderson,Gary Pearce and Serge Lubicz also visiting the podium.

A commanding Mike Reedy (Radical) was too good in the Thunder Sports ranks. Reedy dominated the field in each race, with Paul Quinn (Future Racer) and Dennis Holland (Clubman) sharing the'best of the rest' honours.

-MITCHELL ADAM F4000 points: Pingel 66, West 57, Hanger 47, Dale 42, Crampton 26.

26 April 2006

IT may have been cold, but it didn't disrupt the inaugural running of another Easter motor racing celebration the Unique Cars Muscle Car Nationals, held on April 15-17 at Calder Park Raceway.

Bob Jane himself was on hand to turn laps in his famous 1969 Camaro.The immaculate car, pictured right, helped the Calder Park owner score two of his Australian Touring Car Championships in 1971 and 1972.

Jane also had one of his ATCC-winning Jaguars on display.The British marque was the car responsible for giving Jane one of his first two titles back in 1962 and 1963.

Another famous Camaro was on hand at the Easter celebration and,while it doesn't have the results of Jane's'69 example, it does have its own special place in the hearts of the fans. Kevin Bartlett's Channel 9 Camaro is best remembered for two events. In 1981 at Bathurst, it claimed an amazing pole position in atrocious wet conditions during the Hardie Heroes top 10 shoot-out. A year later, the car rolled at Reid Park in the 1982 James Hardie 1000 after a flat tyre forced the car into the wall and onto its lid.

The #9 Camaro is owned by prominent car collector David Bowden, who was able to take the car for a quick blast himself, pictured right.

Also appearing from the Bowden stables was the iconic 'Super Falcon,'formerly raced by Ian 'Pete'Geoghegan in the late 60s-early 70s.The white Falcon was driven around Calder Park

by Ford specialist and former V8 champion John Bowe.

A number of legends of the sport joined Bowe at Calder, including 1983 Bathurst winner John Harvey and Harry Firth.

Historic demonstrations, trade stalls, show-and-shines, a Miss Muscle Car Nationals competition and other activities kept the temperature off the minds of those who visited the Melbourne circuit.

mms i

75

national

n In Three hours, Leopard skins and plenty ofBundy KEL'S Karts and Parts and the Bundaberg Karting Club have organised a three hour Leopard Enduro,to be held on Saturday, 29th July at Bunderberg.

The endurance race will be shared between two drivers, with three mandatory pits stops included. 32 drivers will compete in the inaugural race, including the likes of Kel Treseder, Matthew Wall and Troy Hunt.

With five National Championship victories at the AKA Nationals(see Kart Formula], Arrow bettered thatfeat at the New Zealand Nationals over the Easter weekend. Like in Australia, Arrow won five ofthe 11 categories in NZ, but the brand also took out the coveted Manufacturer's Cup. Arrow had wins in Rotax Light(Tony Chambers), Rotax Heavy (Jarred Carlyle), Senior Yamaha Light(Mathew Hamilton), Junior Yamaha and Formula Junior (both Matthew Penrose).The Rotax wins were particularly noteworthy. Chambers and Carlyle topped qualifying and were unde feated throughout the weekend.

You just can't get karting out of your blood. Ask Jarno or Michael... or American Phil Giebler. Giebler, who drove for Team USA at the A1GP finale in Shanghai(and finished in the top 10) has just announced he will return to karts and compete for the ICC Stars of Karting crown.

A former Infiniti Pro Series race winner, Giebler is the reigning Stars ICA Champion.

Okay Ryan, what are you up to next?

Q With news of their $50,000 support for Rotax and the clubs that promote the races, DPE has released the calendar of events that will enjoy the support of Rotax and Bridgestone.There are two events in Canberra, eight in NSW,five each for Queensland and Victoria, plus four in South Australia,Tasmania and WA.A schedule for the Northern Territory is to be announced.

Further information can be obtained from the relevant state secretaries.

Q Another 24 Hour kart race is scheduled for the Alain Prost Circuit(Le Mans)in July.

40 teams participated in the 2005 Le Mans 24 Hour kart race and event organisers expect a similar kart count this year.Teams from NZ, Cyprus, Palestine, USA,Isle of Man, England and a Honda Racing FI team are scheduled to compete. Each kart has dual Honda engines flanking the driver and mounted on an English Biz chassis.

-MARK WICKS/STAFF

ICC REVIVAL? DESPITE the non-existence of CIK-style racing in this country at the moment,there are plans afoot to revive the 125cc intercontinental C gearbox class with some one-off races later this year-and the possibility of a series in 2007.

Gary Arandt, whose son Josh competed in the class last year, is drumming up interest to resurrect the category. He says there is quite a bit of interest from several drivers, but until there is something concrete organised, few will get their machines out of mothballs. As such, he is taking on an organisational role for the category.

"It's an informal association with a common goal of racing ICC karts," he told MNews.

"We have about 10 drivers ready to go and if we get a few more numbers. I'm pretty sure we can get on (the program for)some of the major events."

With some of the big names in the sport eager to race the ICC machines, Arandt wants to get an idea of numbers and who else is interested. He also wants to find out what equipment is spread around the country and what karts are for sale or available for

f i IS:

lease to potential drivers.

"We're also considering a comeand-try type test day so potential racers can get a feel for the category," he said.

With the Kiwi's having their annual CIKTrophy of New Zealand each January,there is also the potential of a two-race'Tasman Series'over the summer.The NZ event is getting more and more popular each year (four Australians competed in ICC in 2006, with Matt Wall winning) and an event in Australia in December would tie in well.

Despite the decline of the CIK

classes for the last couple of years, the ICC category actually grew and enjoyed the largest fields when CIK racing died here last year.

ICC machines cost more than your average sprint kart and new race-ready karts offer little change from $11-13k. However Arandt says the running costs are surprisingly small.

"Running the CIK series last year, plus testing, we spent about $500 on engine maintenance. We used three pistons and a set of reeds for the year.The engines are pretty bullet proof."

-MARK WICKS

AUSSIE FLAVOUR IN NZ CHAMPS CANBERRA'S Warren White Jr carved through the field from the back ofthe grid to take seventh place in the Junior-restricted class in the New Zealand National Karting Championships at Roys Hill ZM Raceway over Easter.

Considering the lack of dry track time leading up to qualifying. White did a superb job to clock sixth fastest time in a field of 25. He moved up to fourth in Heat 1 but dropped to 17th in heat two after getting pushed off the track. Starting 12th for the pre final, White was bumped again into Turn 2, his kart dropping the chain as he drove back onto the circuit.

This put him off last place on the grid for the final.

Driving an Arrow chassis. White had to pass virtually everyone as there was only one retirement during the 25 lap feature.

His final result would have been even better had it not been for a collision between Tom Blomqvist and Daniel Colville. White lost time when he had to drive off the track to miss the two karts and ran over a cone which momentarily got stuck under the front of his chassis. Nick Cassidy won the race ahead of James Hadley and Chris Cox. White will return to NZ in January for the CIK meeting where he moves up to the open Junior ranks.

-MARK WICKS

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Engines

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'■ri

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1995 13b Twin Turbo, white duco, 4 seater, hks air filters, clutch, apex! turbo timer, blitz exhaust, 18 inch BBS style chrome rims, adjustable height coil overs, heaps of spares clutch, ECU, rotors, looms, seats, needs reco'd power steering pump (only costs $250 for a reco) and rear right shocker, no compliance, can only be used as a race/rally car. Strictly no time wasters or dreamers. Priced for a quick sale. 12,500 ONO. Mustafa 0406945944 / 0410768654.

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336

Great opportunity to purchase Group Nc Historic Touring Car. 1971 Holden Monaro, 350 Chev. Recent Podium fi nishes at Bathurst 2005 Biante round and Sandown Historic.

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This one owner vehicle has been built for the personal use of Porsche Centre Sydney South Chairman, Ray Lintott with no expense spared. This vehicle is road registered and extremely competitive and eligible to compete in the following series: Speed Energy Drink Australian GT Championship, Production Sports Car Challenge, Marque Sports Car Racing, Private track/Drive Days, Targa Tasmania, Rally Burnie, Targa West, Dutton Rallies, Mt Buller Hill Climb and Targa New Zealand. $199,900.00. Robert Lee 029693 9000.

80

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CAR IS IN EXCELLENT RACE CONDITION ALL THE BEST PARTS THROUGHOUT FRESH ROLLER ENGINE, DETROIT LOCKER, WILLWOOD PEDAL BOX, MANY NEW SPARES, G/BOX, DIFF RATIOS, WHEELS ETC CURRENT NC LOGBOOK PRICE INCLUDES EXC TANDEM

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motorsportnews

Bolivar Raieway 14-16 April 2006

Championship Leopard Light l LeoparcHHei Junior National Heavy l Seni

l Formula 100

Dtjx^ight l Rota)t-Heavy

They say lightning doesn’t strike twice, but for Arrow it struck 10 times!

Five 2006 Australian and five 200B New Zealand Championships, along with the New Zealand Manufacturers Cup, truly shows that Arrow karts always lead the way both on and off the track... so Help Yourself. Get an Arrow.

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WHMT THEY MLL THE magic of the Nationals is symbolised by the elusive green plate. AlmoS 400 entries were fielded at the 2006 Nationals at Bolivar Raceway in Adelaide, with only 11 titles on offer.

The Nationals is one of those events that has a real buzz about it. Anyone that has ever raced, or even attended, an Au'^ralian Karting Titles knows why this meeting is such a big deal.

The Nationals is the showcase event of Au^ralian karting. It’s when everyone ^eps

their commitment to the ^jort up that extra notch. Things get super-serious, but the overriding love for the i{5ort is ^ill not lo^.

That’s what makes it ^[Decial.

That’s where KARTFORMULA comes in.

Ju^t as everyone in Australian karting was prepared to go the extra mile for the Nationals, AuAmlasian MotorSport News has done the same, expanding its pages to include this supplement, the firSt of what we hope to be many.

Karting is big, and the Nationals are the biggest. So it’s only fitting that the firSt KART FORMULA is dedicated to all you need to know on the 44th running of the Australian Karting Titles.

KARTFORMULA is not only the definitive record of the Nationals, it also showcases the S|3ort’s premier event and the Stars of Australian karting to a wider audience.

- CHRIS JORDAN Editor, KART FORMULA

Contents 4

Interviews

3

Kart Formula Awards

6

Junior National Heavy

7

Junior National Light

8

Junior Clubman

9

CHRIS JORDAN chrisj@mnews.com.au

Clubman Light

10

Clubman Heavy

11

Clubman Super Heavy

Photography COOPERS PHOTOGRAPHY

12

Senior National Light

13

Senior National Heavy

14

Leopard Light

15

Leopard Heavy Formula 100

Editor KAK'I' f'ORMUI.A i.s a sj^ocial evenl supplement produced by Australasian M(,tor,<|)oi't News.

M.itcM-ial publislu'd by KART FORMUl.A i.s cop)Tighl and may not be reproduced in full r>r in part without the written permissit)ii of tlie publisher. Opinions e.\pressed in Kart Formula are not necessarily those of Australasian Motors|)t)rt News or its .staff.

26Apr06

coopersphotography@bigpond.com Design & Graphics JASON FREEMAN design@mnews.com.au

16

KART FORMULA INTERVIEWS ' T

(

m i

\ocal Legend

MASON MERRITT RECALLS HIS LAST LAP PASS TO VICTORY Bolivar is your home track and Omega karts’s home track. When te^ng began earlier in the week did you thimlr a win was possible?

MASON MERRITT:It

my usual number four, but someone already had it, so I’m ^tuck with it.”

Smith's Nationals win had everything, including some luck, but the be^t bit of this Nationals ^tory is the kid himself.

^in in the second session left him in the repechage.

He qualified for the weekend’s racing and turned in a magic drive to pass 21 karts in his firS heat. A smart

You won the Clubman Light pre-final and final in a similar fashion with

pre-final drive gave him a final grid iri the firtft three rows and from there he knew

a big move on the laSt lap. I’m sure you have made those moves here at Bolivar hundreds of

what to do. This year Smith got to celebrate his vidtory, as ladt year’s win came after podtrace hearings affedted results.

A golden moment came when Smith returned from

times in testing or racing, but does it feel the same

Going back over the move nn the last lap of the final,

“Not only are you a target, but it’s bad luck. I wanted to run

a day of Nationals testing to food poisoning, then Smith had to qualify in the wet, a condition he is not fond of. A

was always possible, being my home track. I’ve done a lot of laps around here, so if I had the set-up right it was going to be alright.

When you are passing someone like James Sera it a bit more of a Struggle because there is a lot more pressure because bis driving skill is so much higher and there is a National Title up for grabs, so there is a lot more pressure on you.

didn’t agree.

“The Nationals is awesome, but I hate number one,” reasoned Smith.

Awesomely fa^, mature beyond his years and a great young guy.

The Tony Kart Australia team loSt

KART FORMULA:

when you are pulling a move on a guy like James Sera at the Nationals?

IT was Thursday morning when I was discussing the magic of the green number one plate with defending Au^ralian Junior Clubman Champ Grant Smith. He

KINC the po^-race presentation.

After all the team had been through to get to the final, let alone win it, you can understand why Grant’s father and Tony Kart Australia boss Greg Smith was emotional.

“What were you worrying about?” Grant asked his father.

Greg fell apart then and there. It was a great moment, something that is typical of the Nationals, eSJjecially in the junior categories, where the bond between driver and parent is so important and means so much.

Now we juSt have to wait to see if Smith keeps running number one. He’s earned it.

James seemed to cover his line a bit too much and go too tight. From there, was it juSt a matter of swinging wide to switch back tight enough to get by?

At the Start I went to follow him down there but I thought 'no. I’m better off going down the outside’. He’s got on the dirty Stuff and tried to brake really late and then he’s juSt lost the line. So I juSt took the normal line and I was set.

formula

MCJiRT ^ORMULJH

THE KART FORMULA AWARDS A quick look back at some of the people and moments that made the 2006 Au^aUan Karting Titles ...

Best Race - Junior Clubman final One of the moSt dramatic races you'll ever hope to see.

Best Finish - Junior National Heavy final Halfa second covered five karts, all SJ)read across the finish line.

Best Presented Team - Pro Karting Not only do the PK boys own the dance floor at poSt-race parties wherever they race, the Victorian team looked the part in their new black shirts, hats and Xzuit racesuits, with mechanics all in blue shirts, see right.

Happiest Team Boss - Chris Dell Yet another Manufacturer’s Cup to CRG.

Best Comeback - Grant Smith/Scott Pye Both were in the repechage on Friday and ended up firSt and second in Jr Clubman.

Worst Luck - Amrit Kandola Harsh that he left Bohvar with nothing but one pole award after leading so many laps.

Happiest Winner - Lloyd Bilick His celebration over the line had everything short of actually jumping out of the kart.

Congratulations to all CRG drivers

The ‘Finally’ Award - Adam Klukyk Adelaide-raised,'Klunka' gets a green plate at the track he gre\y up at - Bolivar Raceway.

another succdS^ul championship.

>6

The “Not YeC Award - James Sera Sera, J. is a seriously good driver, but again he missed out on that elusive green plate.

Best Move - Mason Merritt

r

Not a deSJ)erate dive, but a smart bit of driving. Maturity beyond his years.

M

Biggest Surprise - David Sera One of Australia’s moSt gifted drivers was out at the first corner of the repechage.

Best Quote - George Sera “We're going for firsts. It’s the first time Dave hasn’t qualified for a field and it's the first time Leopard is at the Nationals. If he wins Leopard Light we’ll have two firsts."

Best Air - Glenn Powles

n

azMosten uniorJllgtit ERGluniorRe&el Fastest OualiDer a Won eveiv'raSlEi

Fortunately Powles didn’t roll. Unfortunately, he took he and leader Barclay Holden out.

The Steven Bradbmry Award - Matt Wall After the TruUi karts crashed in Formula 100, even Wall shook his head as he took the win.

V

Best Preparation - Kip Foster After he was out at the second corner of the Clubman Heavy pre-final. Kip got to work.

Tve put a trolley down the end of the Straight. Whenever I do that, I don’t need it."

lasonHryniuk ^ -T

^CIuRiiianHeavy^^^, —^

FasiestQualifieraWoneueryrace.

Best Superstition - Matthew Wall His lucky black Sparco boots carried him to two Australian Titles and a fourth from rear

Congratulations to

of grid. They might have more holes than Swiss cheese, but they muSl work.

lewis Sfiugar- 3rd lunior National Heavy

Best Innovation - MyChron4 world debut The RedSJ)eed team gave the new MyChron4 kart computer its world debut at Bolivar. It does everything but cook you dinner.

26Apr06

Dean Oven-Fastest Qualifier CluDnian Super neaw

At the 2006 National Titles not only did CRG Drivers pole and win three class’s, but they won the Manufacturers Cup for the forth time in the last five years.

JUNIOR NRTIONM NERVY

Nicolaou a nose LEIGH Nicolaou took two

honours at Bolivar Raceway at the AKA Nationals: the green plate for Junior National Heavy and the dubious honour of the smallest winning margin, a mere 0.080s over Joshua Hughes in a five-way dash to the line.

As the five karts SJjread across the front Straight, one driver who was not in contention was Amrit Kandola (Arrow). The WeSt Australian was faSt all weekend, qualifying faSteSt and winning a heat, coming second to Nicolaou in the other and winning the pre final to Start the final from pole.

But with 12 laps to run in the race that matters, Kandola’s chain broke as he exited the second laSt corner, leaving the unlucky driver to watch from the infield.

Kandola’s misfortune meant that the pack of karts that was chasing him down became a frantic battle for the title, with Nicolaou (Arrow), Hughes(Arrow), Brendan Nelson (Arrow) and Nicholas Tanti (Monaco) all vying for top ^fiot.

From eighth on the grid.

Junior National Heavy Final - 21 laps Pos

Shugar(CRG), who was unlucky to be shuffled wide at the firSl

gaggle of karts all crossed the line within 0.529 seconds.

KasTeA On

2

lushua Hughes

+0.080 39.840 12

3 4

Lewis Shugar Brendan Nelson

+0.163 39.862 18

5

Nicholas TaiUi

+0.529 40.067 14

6

Matthew Waters

+3.328 40.000 14

7 8

Scott McLaughlin

+3.987 39.957 18

Matty Dorado Scott Dillon

+6.402 40.176

10 KyleEnsbey 11 Rowan Booth

This move S{)lit the pack a little, giving Nicolaou and Hughes a buffer and putting Tanti and Nelson within reach for Lewis

Time

Leigh Nicolanu

9

Hughes was beginning to work his way up, past Nelson in the ‘middle’ corner with eight laps to go and then by Tanti on the very next lap at Wakefield Corner.

corner after Starting fourth.

The gap, however, evaporated when on the laSt lap Hughes clipped the back of Nicolaou as the two entered Tyson’s Corner at the end of the back Straight.

Hughes kart leapt up onto the back of Nicolaou, sending both sideways. Each was lucky to regather and get around Tyson’s, but it put Shugar and Nelson right back in contention with two corners remaining.

With Nicolaou defending Hughes, Shugar tried to pass on the outside, and Nelson the inside with Tanti not far behind. The

Driver

1

14:08.135 39.920 20

+0.312 40.059 18

+12.172 40.228 20

12 Ben Stewart

+ 12.4-12 40.290 13

13 Lee Chapman 14 Lucas Boucher

+15.857 40.270 11

15 Jordan Oon

+17.272 40.364 17

+ 15.603 40.089 18

16 Byron Bate.son

+21.685 40.732 18 ’

17 Kayne Hughc.s 18 Nicholas McBride

+22.209 40.507 19

19 Nicholas Fabrio

+23.-184 40.658 14

+22.733 40.480 19

20 Travis Millar

+ 1 Lap ‘K).371

21 Sam Crack

+6 Laps -10.479 11

19 :

22 Amrit Kandola

+12 Laps 40.140

8

23 Ross Miller

+18 Laps 41.612

3

24 Geoffrey Urbane

+19 Laps 42.050

1

25 Aaron Borg 26 Tom Moffalt

+20 Laps 4-1.058

1

+20 Laps 44.061

27 Davis Wiiitnmre ^'+20 L^s -W.514 28 Ryan Cochra +21 Laps

What do I have to dofor an A1?

Kandola, above, dropped a chain while leading. Hughes, below, threw everything at it.

11 '

+10.860 40.326 13 , + 11.061 40.149 9

29 RoyceNoU DNF Chris Fathers

+21 Laps

DNF Max Carter DNF Scott Kissock FasTeil Qualifier: Kandola 39.985 seconds

1. .

V

JUNIOR NJmONM LIGHT Junior National Lisht Final - 21 laps Driver

Queensander James Kovadc and Vidorian Daniel Rochford.

CHAZ Mo^ert proved his outright favouritism in Junior National Light to win back-toback titles in the class at Bolivar

Judin Tate (Arrow) led the fird laps of the final, but Modert soon zoned in on the Vidorian and was

Raceway.

The young Queenslander opted out of the old Tony Kart chassis he used at the Vidtorian Title

pad entering Turn 1 on lap three.

From there, Modert powered away to record a solid win.

Kovacic and Rochford were in

earlier this year, siding with a new CRG chassis that handled like it was on rails all weekend. MoSert

a tough battle of their own for the entire race, and both made their way pad Tate at the same corner early on.

proceeded to dominate the tough class, winning from fellow

r V

to be second by barely a kart length, with Tate fourth and Luigi Cantanese fifth. Nicholas Foder put his bad weekend behind him to drive from the rear to finish eighth after being caught up in a lap one crash in the pre-final.

Some likely front-runners suffered the same fate in the final, with Mitch L’Edrange, Jordan Ford and Joshua Tanti all removed on the fird lap of the final.

l-aslejJl On

Chaz Mosterl

2

lames Kovadc

+ 1.6‘l() 3X.726 IS

3

Daniel RochCurd

+ I.93S 3S.77S

●I

lu.sUn Tale

+5.915 3S.S75

8

5 Cl

Luigi Canlanese Nathan Morcom

+7.450

14

+8.470 38.917

15

7 8

Rhys Newman Nidiulas Foster

+ 13.212

39.045

18

+ 13.T12

38.913

lf>

9 10

Brenlon Mminljoy lames Pallersim

+13.811 + 14.217

38.963 39.118

18 11

1 1 12

Tyler Gieenhury Zeke Edwards

+ 18.638 38.91.5

15

+ 18.663 38.895

12

13 14

lirell Mullavey Ma.v john^lon

38.942

17

+ 19.379 39.104

10

15 16

lake Spencer Damian Ward

+20.724 39.060

18

+20.736 39.024

14

17

Reece Kawil/ki

+20.877

38.9'H

18

18

Inel .Smith

+23.058

39.246

10

19

GeoCCConnell

+23.209 39.400

15

20 Cody Flarrison 21 Scott Andrews

+25.578 39.203

15

+26.801

12

23

l3:3H.fi2S 3H.5«3 l»

+ 18.792

38.930

39.235

David Whitmore

+28.1 13

39.436

6

lesse Batson

+ ll.ap

39.159

19

24

Benjamin lurc/ak +11 Laps 38.7‘K)

6,

25

Stefan Millard

+12 Laps 38.886

9

26

Daniel McLeod

+18 Laps 39.658

3

27

Brendan-Shugg

+19 Laps 45.026

1 »a

28 29

Milch L’E,s'lrange loshua Tanti

+21 Laps ●21 Laps

30 Iordan Sanderson +21 Laps 31 Iordan Ford ■21 Laps 32 Ross Miller -21 Laps Faslesll Qualifier: Mosaerl 39.153 seconds

>

13-15 man/ell /t, Toouuoomba, OLD P 07 4633 3655

lUrcching mo/t molio/ oP enr/ Qunlity part/ at budget price/ flute repair/ & paael beatiag Proud /pon/or/ of Brendan flel/on in Junior notional Heavy & Junior Clubman.

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2005: 1/t -n/UU Open 1/t - The VonriQhQ 1/t - OLD Clo/ed 2nd -VIC Open 2nd -/n Open 2006; 1/t - VIC Open 4th - notional/ Pole - JC notional/

JUNIOR CLUBMJiN Junior Clubman Final - 21 laps Pus I

I

Driver

Gr;uU Smith

Faslesl

17

2 ScoU Pyo

+ 1.153 36.500

17

3 l.cigh N'koUmu

+2.707

36.367

12

4

+3.3.52

36.37S

14

+4.109 36.-H0

14

Ben Kilsby

5 |t)sluui Hughes 6 Amril Kundola

+4.967 36.441

Lewis Sluigar S Steel Guiliana 9

+5.23S 36.627

12

+8.S32 36.504

14

Domeilic Marciano+12.226

36.401

13

13.968

36.767

14

10 Ryan Reynolds I i lesse Batson

14.319

36.569

15

12 Ma.\ Carter

14.811

36..53S

16

13 GeoUVev Uhrane

36.569

11

14 Scott IkHirman

+ 1;5.9I5 36.676

15

15 Jack Rahaley

+ 16.336

36.656

13

16 Jake Spencer 17 Mallltew Waters

+ 19.539

36.881

12

+2 Laps 36.547

18 RvanO L-hran

+4 Laps 36.419 +4 Laps 36.808

14 12

19 Andrew Cash

14

36.546

8

+15 Laps 37.614 +16 Laps 37.667

5

+16 Laps

37.466

3

+ 16 Laps

37.536

3

26 Ben Cunningham +16 Laps 38.087 27 Stefan Millard + 16 Laps 37.459 28 lames Kovacic +20 Laps 41.-185

3

20 Scott McLaughlin +10I.aps 21 Daniel RochCord 22 Jordan Oon

Rarif

On

12:54.650 3fvl75

23 Ryan Deckert 24 Jesse Fenech 25 Scott Kissock

+14 Laps 4

1

Nicholas McBride Chris Fathers Brendan Nelson

Smith keeps his title aftersickness and via repechage GRANT Smith’s 2006 Nationals campaign had everything, which probably made his second-rtraight Australian Junior Clubman Title all the sweeter.

Smith, above, along with the majority of the Tony Kart Australia team, missed a day of prac+ice early in the week with food poisoning, but recovered enough to come to the track and be one of the faSteSt karts in practice.

But come qualifying the rain descended, leaving a track condition Smith openly dislikes.

Smith turned juSt one lap in the firSt qualifying session to save his wets for the second session, but when he SJ)un on only his fourth lap of the second session, the defending Champ was forced to qualify through the repechage.

In Stark contrast to Smith, Toowoomba driver Brendan Nelson put his Arrow on pole, after admitting that his Nationals priority was Junior National Heavy and the Junior Clubman would help with extra laps.

A SJ)in on the warm-up lap did not help the heart rate of anyone concerned, but Smith qualified to fight another day. Not so lucky was Nicholas Foster, who was in a transfer position until the final corner, when he skated wide and

Fa.sTes‘l Qualifier: Nelson 47.714 seconds

does in Europe.

The two sat on the front row for the pre-final, but when the race was unable to ^art after several attempts on Saturday, the pre-final was rescheduled for Sunday morning. Kandola (Arrow) and Guiliana were handed penalties, pushing them four SJjots back each.

The Sunday morning version was not much better, with two pile-ups at the fir^ corner (the second involving half the field) sending the field back to the pits yet again. After heated arguments between parents and officials, the people that matter mo^,the drivers, got back out there and got the race going, although impressive local Scott Kissock’s CRG refused to fire, leaving him to ^art the final from ROF. Kandola was vidtorious in the pre-final, with Ryan Cochran (Arrow) second. Smith third and fellow repechage runner Scott Pye (Arrow) fourth. Like Smith, Pye worked his way up the order through the heats and at his former home club, was looking like a real threat.

Come the final, it was a collection of six

was only able to manage 22nd in the second.

While Smith was dizzy from passing karts, Amrit Kandola and Steel Guiliana finished

karts running at the front, with Pye, Ifjset right, unlucky to be shuffled back at the Sart.

Smith led Kandola with eight laps to go, but juSt as the Tony Kart looked to be handling perfectly. Smith was quickly gobbled up by Kandola, Leigh Nicolaou (Arrow) and Ryan Cochran (Arrow), and so decided to evaluate his opposition for a final charge.

Then with four laps remaining, Nicolaou dove down the inside of Kandola at the ‘middle’ corner. Cochran followed Nicolaou, but

1-2 in both heats. Guiliana was fitting in the Nationals amongSt his busy European racing schedule, driving for the PCR stable,ju^ as he

clipped Kandola and the two ran wide, with Cochran ^tuck deep in the gravel trap. The skirmish also bogged Nicolaou’s kart down.

out of the vital top five positions.

Come the heats, the track was dry and taking rubber, making it far more to Smith’s liking. In what was a deep field in terms of talent. Smith drove from 30th to ninth in the firSt heat, but

Sam Crack

allowing Smith to pass three karts in one single swoop and drive away to the moSt astounding of victories.

The charging Pye was by now back where he should have been all along and capped his comeback by taking Joshua Hughes down the inside into the final corner on the laSt lap, making his weekend equally as fluctuating as Smith. In third was Nicolaou, himself a hardcharger after failing to Start the firSt heat after he fouled a plug on the roll around.

Ben Kilsby(Monaco) was fourth, holding out Hughes and Kandola in the flurry of the final laps. Amidst Smith’s amazing victory and Pye dogged performance, many SJsarred a thought for Kandola, who after being one of the faSteSt drivers all weekend over his two classes, left Bolivar with a DNF and a sixth.

But that’s the Nationals.

formula

I

CLUBMJiN LIGHT Clubman Lisht Final - 21 laps Pos

Driver

Inne

Faslesl On

I

Mason Merrill

2

lames Sera

3

Cameron Thorpe Matthew Wall

+5.036 36.529 15

5

Matthew Panella

+5.398 36.383 15

12:56.590 36.431 14 +0.472 36.372 14

6

Ashley An»ra

+5.719 36.498 15

7

layme Uyht

+ 11.346 36.607 11

«

Robert Mimnerley

y

Fergus Symes

+11.504 3fi.373 15 + 11.927 36.447 15

10 Clan I'othergill

+ 12.027 36.450 14

11 Matthew Hayes 12 Dean Fo.«{ler

+ 12.100 36.321 14

13 Barclay Holden 14 Andrew Mercuri 15 MarcPracy 16 BD Soutar-Daw.son

+ 12.269 36.467 15 H 12.496 36.625 18 +12.993 3fvlK2 15 + 13.170 36..502 15 +14.019 36.59S 14

+ 14.261 36.628 14 17 Nick Chapman 18 Matthew Smallwtmd +14.955 36.657 13 19 Greg He.selw4)od

+16.043 36.845

20 Deepal Kandola 21 Steven Scoble

+5 Laps 36.307 15 +6 Laps 36.513 15

22 Scott Auk!

+6 Laps 36.728

23 Daniel Boorman

+6 Laps 36.894 10 + 10 Laps 37.463 8

24 )u.><lin Carter

IS

isna the ho^ club, the Southern Go Kart Club, an AuSralian Title in the mo^l competitive class, with the Clubman Light field filling out to ju^t under 60 entries.

Merritt was the solitary Omega driver to take a green plate at the brand’s home circuit (the Omega workshop is barely a kilometre from Bolivar Raceway)and ju^ to add to the mystique, Merritt made his winning move on the la^t lap at a corner named after Omega driver Tyson Pearce. Spooky.

But undoubtedly the thing that made Merritt’s win ^tand out was the fadt that he raced and beat arguably one of this country’s finest drivers in James Sera (Monaco), right. There was no charity, ju^t a tough but fair race, and the younger and less experienced combatant won.

Unfortunately for Sera, not only did the loss mean he missed out on the green plate, but he will now

a

a»ra

m

BE BlSSn

a gira

Tyson’s Corner for the la^t time, Sera drove down the inside of the

inspired considering he Parted 25th, but in the final laps Thorpe, track to defend his position. But right, had his measure.

Matthew Panella (Arrow) was Sera appeared to go too tight, du^ kicking up off the dirty side of the fifth, giving the local club two track as he broke. drivers in the top five, while Having grown up at the track, Omega boss Kym Pearce had Merritt immediately knew what much to smile about - the only to do, swinging wide and cutting other Omega in the field, WA’s back down the inside on the exit. , Jayme Light, came from the rear to finish seventh. squeezing by Sera to take the win.

One man unlucky not to be involved in the battle was Queenslander Scott Auld (Arrow), who passed Merritt for the lead in the opening laps of the final, only to have a tyre gradually deflate as a result of contaeft at the ^art.

The battle for third eventually went to Cameron Thorpe, after he and fellow Arrow driver Matthew Wall diced for the latter half of the race. Wall was running in the top 10 in the pre-final but a clash with Arrow team-mate Adam Klunyk put both out. The two were pitted

Friday evening pain: One of the favourites, David Sera was taken out at the first corner of the Clubman Light repechage.

26Apr06

8

9

25 Ben Edwards

+ 11 Laps 36.933

26 Phillip King n

+13 Laps 37.142

8..

27 Ryan Sanderson

+16 Laps 37.345

28 josh Tynan

+ 17Laps 37.175

5 4

29 jason Burns 3tl Glenn Powies

+ 18 Laps 37.320

3

+ 18 Laps 37.300

3

+20 Laps 40.183 31 Adam Klunyk DNF Nicholas Karavas

1

Fasles'l Qualifier:) Sera 36.526 seconds

9

CLUBM/UW HB/UfV Clubman Heavy Final - 21 laps l\)s

Drive*!'

Time

Jason Hryniuk Leu Milchener

13:04.426

36.965

+0.236

37.034

18

3

Jace Lin^l^^lr^)m

+2.388

37.194

18

4

Troy Hunt

+3.081

37.037

18

5

Ben Savage

+6.068

37.161

14

6

Jarod Bishop

+8.096

37.300

8

7 8

Jason Pringle IDuane Wc^

+9.184

37.137

18

+ 10.547

37.245

15

y

Kev Millard

+ 12.025

37.168

14

10 TroyWuoi^lon

+ 12.162

37.287

14

11 Kip Fo.<ler 12 Gavan Brink

+ 12.520

37.106

14

+ 12.778

37.196

14

13 Frank)'Conslanzo+13.110 + 13.693 14 Aaron Rinloul

37.243

13

AFTER three of his prime rivals were removed at the second corner of the pre-final, Jason Hryniuk was widely tipped to dominate the final of Clubman Heavy at the AKA Nationals. He won by 0.236 seconds, a credit to second placed Lee Mitchener.

Hryniuk took the honour of clean-sweeping the class, topping both qualifying sessions and winning both heats before taking the pre-final and final. But while many touted the CRG gun as a likely to win by the length of the Bolivar Straight, Mitchener (Arrow) peaked at the right end of the weekend to push Hryniuk all the way in the 21-lap final.

Fears of a whitewash were in part due to Hryniuk’s huge pedigree in the Sport, but the competition at the front of the pack was not helped when three of the leading contenders all

crashed in the opening moments of the pre-final.

Aaron Rintoul, Kip Foster and Jason Varley(who has recently 'come out of retirement’) all crashed at the tight Turn 2. Varley (Arrow) got hooked up on the back of Foster (Monaco),leading the two to Spin and giving Rintoul no where to go, with the fadtory Arrow pilot caught on the wrong side of the adtion, see right.

As these three fought there way through the pack at the Start of the final, Hryniuk quickly set about establishing a decent gap for the lead, with Mitchener and his Pro Karting team-mate Jace LindStrom (Monaco) in pursuit.

The gap slowly diminished to the CRG driver until eventually Mitchener slipped through to take the lead with eight laps remaining as the two entered Tyson's Corner.

Ever composed, Hryniuk looked

over his shoulder to see where

Lind^trom was lurking (some diSance back) and retook the lead at the same ^ot one lap later.

Over the final laps, Hryniuk upped the pace to pull a small gap of little over a kart length, which proved to be enough for the win over a brave Mitchener.

Lind^trom was third, ahead of two old comeback kings in Troy Hunt and Ben Savage. Hunt does not do a great deal of racing anymore, but slotted right in at the front of the pack in his Top Kart. For Savage, below, his comeback was struck at the 11th

18

37.239 20

15 Remo Liiciani

+ 14.191

37.077

16 Michael Cro.ss

+ 15.708

37.227

16

17 nm Vohmann

+ 18.293

37.410

13

18 Sim

+22.062

37.355

15'

Roberls

19 Michael Griffilhs +22.266

Hryniuk Too Good

Faslesl On

I 2

13

37.425 20

20 Deni Razmovski

+23.506

37.389

21 KekeFalland

+23.660

37.613

10

22 Roger I’Anson 23 Tim Barnes

+23.866

37.639

19

+26.017

37.692

8

24 William Yarwood +5 Laps 25 Nalhan Mills +9 Laps 26 KelTreseder. +18 Laps 27 Mark Cowley 28 Brad Fitch 29 Tyson Pearce 30 Jason Varley 31 LeeFosaer

13

37.612 10 37.8'H

10

39.752 39.018

3^ 2^

+19 L^.^ +19 Laps

40.570

1

+19 Laps

38.095

+18 Laps

39.4I3~ 2 2

+21 Laps

DNF Jeremy Anderson Faslesa Qualifier: Hryniuk 37.203 secojids

SP

hour with Tony Kart SA dealer Ben Hall, with Savage returning to the circuit he has was at so often in a Clubman in Hall’s equipment.

Foster made it up to 11th, with Rintoul 14th, all but two of those positions being made in the firSt couple of barnstorming laps.

Now what do we do?

Three ofthefront-runners, Varley, Fooler and Rintoul were all removedfrom the pre-final at the second corner, above,

formula

SCOTT Simpson was too strong for the rest in Clubman Super Heavy to take a well-earned vidrory for the CRG team.

Starting from the pole for the final, Simpson was able to break away from the assembled pack in the opening Stages to establish a gap and take what was one of the clearest vidories of the day.

Behind him, Stuart Morrison

Clubman Super Heavy Final - 21 laps Po.s 1

i

V

(Arrow)and Ryan Fulcher (Top Kart) were next, only breaking away from the pack that diced for second in the closing Stages, not nearly enough time to chase down the Queenslander’s lead, which in the end amounted to 2.7 seconds.

Local Morrison was a popular podium-getter at his home circuit, but was again unable to emulate the success of his brother, who was a Clubman Super Heavy green plate holder in the 90s.

Morrison adually looked to be closing on Simpson late in the race, but to no avail.

Fulcher had pressure applied

by Jason Stania (Phoenix) over the final laps, but Stania’s charge was too late to affed a passing

DrivLT Scoll Simpson Sluarl Mnr

Time

On

13:25.934 38.148

8

+2.7fi0 38.223 12

Ryan Fulcher

+4.:

Jason Stania

+4.561 38.116 12

38.307 II

Brenlon l.ocko

5.280 38.302

ft

Nick Scuckls

+5.376 38.251

7

Dean Oven

+6.611 38.240 16

8

Jason KolcJing

+6.703 38.258

9

6

) Anlliony Capitano

+ 10.264 38.454 16

10 Anthony Higgs

+20.695 38.710 II

11 Craig Maslerson

+21.135 38.695 20

12 Ben iVlcKinJay

+21..395 38.578

9

13 Anthony l.antouris

+25.604 38.602

6

14 Craig Denton 15 .Simon F

+26.751 38.738

4

+27.589 38.828 16

16 Andrew Heathcoto

+30.543 39.180 10

17 Aaron Jenner

+9 Laps 38.624 12 4

18 Benjamin Schippers+10 Laps 38.511 19 GuyBarJjera

+10 Laps 38.723

4

20 David Knight

+ 11 Laps 38.754

4

21 Steven Engel

+17 Laps 39.360

3

22 John Ellis

+ 17 Laps 39.182

3

23 Danny Errigo

+21 Laps

DNF Jason Tlppins Fas'leja Qualifier: Oven 37.839 sect>nds

attempt. Stania darted from fifth, but a skirmish at the fird corner saw him behind the eight ball right from the dart, coming from behind to eventually reach fourth.

Brendon Locke(Omega)and Nick Scudds(Arrow) were next, with Scudds unlucky to miss the

top five after being as high as third with only three laps to go.

With Jason Holding in eighth,jud behind his fellow CRG driver and defending champion Dean Oven, Clubman Super Heavy was one of the bed classes for the local Southern Go Kart Club clan, as

four of its members made up the top eight. Consolation for Oven came with the faded time in qualifying, giving the outgoing champ a trophy to take back to Newcadle.

VICTORIA l Hire Me, Echuca - 1031 5482 2032 l City Karts, YarraviUe - 1031 96371496 l Pro Karting, Thomastown - 1031 9465 5340 l McKinnon Engines, Morwell - 1031 5134 1460 l Performance Karting. Heidelberg - 0409 429 375 l KP Karts, Ballarat (031 5333 7767 or 0437 758 468 SOUTH AUSTRALIA l Lightning Karts, Adelaide - 1081 8269 2928 QUEENSLAND l Kart City. Cairns - 1071 4035 1353 l RK Racing, Gladstone - 0401 970 892 l Supersport. Surfers Paradise - 1071 5535 6296 WESTERN AUSTRALIA .The Kart Factory, Bunbury -1081 9721 4365 l Karratha Kart Parts, Karratha - 0418 921 253 «Wanneroo Kart Hire, Wanneroo -1081 9306 3233 NEW SOUTH WALES.Precision Motorsport, Wyong -1021 4353 3160.First Karts NSW, Parkes -1021 6862 6558 or 0427 450 442 TASMANIA l Southern Kart Centre, Montrose -1031 6272 6848

26Apt06

SENIOR NJmONRL LIGHT ADAM KJunyk returned to the track where it all began for him in karting to get himself an Australian Karting Title in Senior National Light.

‘Klunka’ grew up racing with his brother at Bolivar Raceway before he moved his life to Melbourne to take up employment at Drew Price Engineering. As such, he was part of the facftory Arrow team at the Nationals and rewarded his employer’s faith by bringing them a green plate.

Klunyk knew that his beSt chance of victory was to get a break early. The nature of']’ racing at the Nationals is such that the front pack is a slipSlreaming lark, with Strategy and luck playing a big part.

"I need a can of flyS{)ray,” joked Klunyk before the final.

“The easiest way to win is to get them off your back, because driving in a pack right to the end is so tough.”

A breakaway early would suit Klunyk fine and deSf)ite Starting from the outside of the front row, Klunyk led away from the first corner and established a gap in the firSt three laps. Polesitter Cian Fothergill (Phoenix)led the charge to chase him down, but the constant dicing and changing of position meant that the pack made little impression into the

I

KLUNKJi Senior National Lisht Final - 21 laps

lead.

With Klunyk gone, faSteSt qualifier Jake Chapman (Arrow), FothergiD and Mitchell Cuijpers (Arrow) were all locked in a tough battle for second. Coming back from an early clash that sent him onto the dirt, Cuijpers showed awesome S{)eed in the latter laps to get away to finish second. ahead of Fothergill, Chapman and defending champion Simon Gwilliam (Azzurro).

Pos 1

Back where it all began: Klunyk, below on ground, got the green plate at Bolivar Raceway, hisformer home circuit.

Driver Adam Klunyk

Time

Fasilefa On

13:59.493 39.604 20^ + 1.971 39.466 20

2

Mitchell Cuijpers

3

Cian Fothergill

+2.886 39.557 16

4 5

lake Chapman Simon Gwilliam

+2.904 39~523 16 +4.449 39.699 12

6

Lincoln Benns

+4.713 39.588 20

7

Matthew Panella

+5.452 39.670 16

8 9

Mark Pracy Aiden Shelton

+7.155 39.623 17

+7.027 39.581

18

10 Logan Green 11 Daimon Shelton

+10.542 39.689 13

12 Terry Cobb 13 David Goodwin

+ 12.371 39.718 14 + 13.236 39.914 14

14 Leigh Harrison 15 Stuart White

+ 13.787 39.725

11

+14.422 39.741

13

16 Callan Pendleton

+ 15.109 40.038 10

+11.289 39.721

16

17 Nicholas Candan

H 15..363 .39.835

15

18 Paul'Ilnga 19 Daniel Baker

+ 16.316 39.908

6

20 LukeFarrelly

+17.^3 39.825 19

21 Jedd Stojakovic

+ 19.937 '10.016

+ 16.384 39.9'16 13 19

22 Stewart Campbell +21.762 '10.314 15 23 Amanda Richardson+26.752 '10.3.35 17 24 Maria Auld

+26.983 '10.560

8

25 MarkNicholls

+8 Laps '10.593

4

26 Michael Vaughn

+8 Laps 'MU72 13

27 layHcdley 28 MarkDorboln

+9 Laps 40.583

8

+ 14 Laps 40.190

6

29 Nathan Mills

+ 18 Laps 'll.O'lO

2

30 lack Cox

+ 19 Laps 'Ifl.3'14

2

31

+ 19 Laps 42.022

2

Edward Wignall

32 lake Wignall

+21 Laps

Fa.<leia Qualifier: Chapman 39.6': seconds

formula

SENIOR NRTIONM Senior National Heavy Final - 21 laps

Mr Happy $

THERE is always a class at the Nationals that surprises everyone with a battle so fierce that no one, competing drivers

included, has any idea who is going to win until it’s all over.

This year it was Senior National Heavy and the happy man on the end of the virtory was Monaco driver Lloyd Bilick, pieftured left. He beat

●ivtT

and was suitably and deservedly pleased with himself.

Bilick was able to be ju^ ahead of the pack in the final laps when the close racing took several casualties. Roger I'Anson was one of these when he was caught in the wrong SJjot as three karts went for the same piece of real estate into Tyson’s Corner with four laps to run.

Veteran Darren Clee, above, is

some big names to the title

a former National Champion in ‘J’ classes and the South Aussie showed he has lost none of that touch in the heat of the battle,

I'as'lcs'l I4:l-Ui53

●I0.20fi

14

Dorron C:ii

+2.422

40.174

ki.son Pr igk Daniel Siein

20

+2.8K9

40.4.55

13

+2.995

40.024

20

Pavan Knncloln

+3.375

■la.'IOfi

I'b

in Sw eeney

+4.781

40.477

6

7

Daniel Baker

+8.425

40.1 II

18

8

6

Daniel Price

+8.577

40.483

9 Corey Lean 10 Aaron .Sailer

+8.599

40.224

+9.250

40.278

18

II

+9.5fil

40.462

6

12 Nathan Mitchell +11.645

40.700

6

13 Mark Brown

+11.801

40.560

19

14 Shaim Cleary

+24.246

41.083

16

15 Roger I’Anson

+4 Laps

40.167

8

16 Michael Powney +6 Lap.s

41..387

6

KekeFaliancl

17 .SehGerit/

+13 Laps

40..382

4

18 Brett Arnett

+13 Laps

40.135

7

19 David Staff

+20 Laps

46.684

1

20 lake Chapman

+21 Laps

21

Daniel O’Grady+21 Laps

22 David Baliga 23 lasonSidwell

+21 Laps +21 Lap.s

Fa.sle.s'l Qualifier: I'Anson 40.320 seconds

edging out KartStars Champion Jason Pringle for second S]aot, right at the ^art of thefinal.

Daniel Stein (Arrow) was the next man in the pack, finishing fourth, with Pavan Kandola I

(Arrow) fifth.

7

D C

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New Title. Same wall RIVALRIES are healthy for any so it was no surprise when the fences of Bolivar Raceway were lined four-deep for the opening lap of Leopard Light.

Two of AuSralia’s be^t kart drivers, Matthew Wall and David Sera, had exchanged heated words after the pre-final. The two are both known as clean racers, but this is the Nationals, so anything can happen.

Both had different views of a Turn 1 incident in the pre final and with Sera starting from pole in the final and Wall diredJy behind him in third, the assembled crowd was transfixed.

The moment:An altercation in the pre-final had Sera, above, and Wall, out ofpicture on left, at each other’s throats, but to their credit they raced thefinal cleanly. Sanderson, below,finished a strong third.

Leopard Lisht Final - 21 laps Pns

Driver

1

Matthew Wall

2

34.658

David Sera

+ 1.295

34.6'16

6

3 Ryan Sanderson

+7.289

34.886

15

4 Decpal Kandola 5 lu.slin Schneider

+ 11.355

34.690

17

+ 11.811

34.796

9

6

LeeMitchner

+ 12.0'W

34.890

12

7

Lloyd Bilick

+ 13.053

34.852

5

+ 13.962

34.970

U)

9 )osh Tynan 10 lordie Lindslrom

+14.788

34.950

14

+16.929

34.882

17

il johnGrother

+ 17.539

34.897

12

12 James Sera

+ 18.001

34.84-1-

21

13 Lincoln Benns

+ 18.917

34.964

14

14 Peter Klein

+ 19.282

35.123

16

15 Nicholas Pavan

+19.697

34.846

9

16 Daniel Ericksc

+20.073

34.905

21

17 Andrew |ohn!aone +21.066 +22.668 18 Mark Breen

35.0‘K) 35.168

16 11 20

19 Nick Lacey 20 Clinton Marcon

+23.930

35.103

+33.339

35.281

10

21 Kev Millard

+ l Lap

34.660

16 8

22 Troy Wool^on 23 Michael Goss

+5 Laps

34.926

+10 Laps

35.122

7

24 Ben Edwards

+ 14 Laps

35.389 35.317

2 4

+15 Laps

35.197

6

+15 Laps

35.233

28 Steven McGarry +16 Laps

35.334

25 jarred Bowler _ +14 Laps 27 David Lawrence

Surely, its two ^tars would not take each other out and hand the

DNF DNF

Mark Cowley Mark Brown

DNF

Darryl Tolmer

29 Brett Fortainicr

fir^t-ever Leopard Light title to another manufacturer?

As mot that know the two

At the end of the firt lap. Sera took too much kerb through the firt two corners, allowing Wall through. With the Bolivar circuit recently resurfaced, the once flat kerb are now quite high, enough to unsettle Sera’s kart and give Wall the slight advantage he needed.

From there Wall pulled a gap on his younger rival to cement the firfl Australian Leopard Light title. Amazingly, Wall was also the recipient of the firSt-ever Rotax Light title and also has won green plates in Formula 100, Formula Australia Light and Senior National Light. Only Clubman Light remains, but that will have to wait until Eastern Creek 2007.

15

8 Adam Hughes

With both being Arrow drivers, the Drew Price Engineering crew were the moS nervous of all.

predicted. Sera led the firt lap with Wall right behind, but the two never touched.

Fa.<les{l On 12rI3.1«0

+20 Laps 'PL728

Fa^le.<t Qualifier: D.Sera 3^1.709 seconds

and Justin Schneider(Monaco) were all involved in a huge dice for position.

Sanderson led the train of karts with eight laps to go. When Schneider made a big late braking move on Erickson at Tyson’s Corner, it gave Sanderson the break he needed to get a gap and pull away to secure third.

Erickson dropped out of the

equation when a radiator hose came astray and he 4>un on his own water at the end of the

straight.

This left Kev Millard, who had Parted from second but endured a bad Aart, to chase down Schneider for fourth. With his engine visibly beaming, Millard (Trulli) successfully got past Schneider with three laps

remaining. But alas, on the very next lap his Leopard cried enough and he retired.

The Schneider/Millard battle allowed Deepal Kandola to close in, and the Top Kart driver made his move at the second to la^t corner of the race with a late dive down the inside of Schneider to take fourth. It was a good drive from Kandola (Top Kart) after dropping a chain, and as a result, not finishing the second heat.

Wall and Sera pulled away from the pack to be all by themselves within only a handful of laps left.

Each time Sera was able to pull in a fracition of Wall’s lead. Wall was able to respond. In the end, the title was Wall’s by juSt over a second.

Further back, a huge battle formed for third position. Daniel Erickson (Top Kart) made a great Start to be third by the firSt corner. Erickson, Ryan Sanderson (Monaco), Troy WoolSton (Arrow)

formula

r.vslrsl On I

I

WITH Leopard Heavy one event before its Eghter cousin on the bM at the 2006 AKA Nationals, Rick Pringle became the firSl-ever Aurtralian Karting Champion in a Leopard class when the Pro Karting team driver crossed the line to take a dominant win in Leopard Heavy.

At the same track that his brother and team-mate Jason secured the KartStars title at Ia.s1;

second session, he was destined to Start both heats from the back.

a lap behind the leader.

Team boss Foster was second

But two charging drives into the top six put him off of fourth for the pre-final and allowed him to drive to comfortable vicltories in both that race and the final.

through the firSt corner but had his pace slowly dwindle over the course of the final with

Pringle's main opposition in the pre-final was the KartForce pair of Kip Foster and Brad Fitch, who shared the heat wins between them. While the two Monaco

year, Pringle (Arrow) was barely a I'acftor early in the weekend, having a woeful qualifying that put him 17th on the grid for both heats. Pringle did as many others chose to in the firSt qualifying session, running slicks on the wet track to preserve his wets for the second session, where conditions

Fitch was caught up in the Turn 1 aeftion at the .Start, pidtured below, and was clearly not happy with the treatment. With the

would be better. But when Pringle fouled a plug on his out lap in the

Leopard class running clutches, he was able to continue, albeit half

drivers could not Stay with Pringle in the pre-final, it was thought the pair would give a better showing in the final, until poor luck Struck both.

loosening wheel nuts. Towards the end of the race, Foster slowed considerably to ensure the leftrear wheel did not come aStray, allowing the advancing Jason Stania (Phoenix) an easy way through to fourth, with Foster juSt hanging on to fifth.

It was not all plain sailing for Stania, who was the fa.s1:eSt qualifier. ‘Stan’ was forced to come from the back in the final after having an engine seize at the end of the Straight mid-way through the pre-final.

In second place in the final was Kel Treseder, below, in what was a positive end to a fluctuating

i:>

Kick Pringle Kel T ●cl.

2.201

Bei Wnlle

2.700

i.-lW

0.:,.')1

[ason Sli

Kip Ft »slc Miiichaci Grirntlv

+ 10.047

35.603

+ 10.749

35.618

Andrew

+ 11.406

35.616

10

Brad Segda Brad Filch

+ 14.898

35.713

Pi-

+ 15.613

35.847

14

10 Andrew Quii 1 1 Shaun Slevens

+ 18..500

36.060

12

+23.964

36.132

6

12 Aaron jenner

+4 Laps

36.481

9

13 Jake Mover

+4 Laps

36.735

10

14 Ryan Fulcher

+6 Lap.s

35.968

12

15 Jeremy Anderson +14 Laps

35.794

6

16 Carey Stapleton

+ 16 Laps

37.057

17 Craig Owei I4\'F las.

+18 Laps

37.528

,nrv

3

weekend for the popular Queenslander. Aboard his Top Kart, Treseder Struggled in the wet qualifying sessions, but as the weather heated up, so did Kel’s pace.

"The wet has never been my Strong point,” said Treseder. “ Wd ► juSt don’t get it in Bundaberg.

These Victorians love it and I’m a bit lo.St in it. But when it dries up I know what to do.”

True to his word, Treseder was second in both the pre-final and

final.

Third was Tasmanian Ben

Walter (Arrow), who was pa.sT: Foster half way through the final and was showing Strong pace, but was unable to pull in Treseder. .Small consolation was the fa.SleSt lap in the pre-final and second fastest behind Pringle in the final.

tr

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PORMULM WO

F1 Team Orders

TRULLI KARTS CRASH TO GIVE WALL TITLE #2 AN accident between two karts vying for the lead in the final rtages of a Nationals final is an unfortunate but not uncommon thing. But between two team mates? Don’t worry, new Formula 100 Aurtralian Champ didn’t think it likely either.

Formula 100 is arguably the mo^t pre^igious of all the classes at the AKA Nationals; the winner is on the cover of the rulebook each year. It’s the fastest class, the karts are the hardest to drive and even though the competition is no where near as cut-throat as a field like Clubman Light, there is Sill something about the lOOcc high performance CIK engines that makes everyone watch.

Three drivers with a lot of CIK experience were at the front of the pack, in Matthew Wall(Arrow) and the Trulli kart pair of Barclay Holden and Glenn Powles.

While it was Wall who qualified faSeS and took Heat 1 and Powles who won Heat 2, moS Sill expeSed Holden to be the one to beat. To call Holden a Formula 100 ^{)ecialiS would unfairly underrate his undoubted abilities in other karts, but when it comes to high grip, high horsepower karts, he’s as good as they get.

So it was no surprise when Holden took the pre-final and led right from the ^art of the final.

Powles, however, was not shaken and ^tuck by Holden’s rear bar.

Wall, meanwhile, had a poor ^tart and did not look to have the pace to catch the lead duo.

Wall was quite aware of the

Trulli advantage. In the Wall camp on Saturday night, two of the most astute brains in all of karting, Jon Targett and Anthony Bartolo, were plotting how to get Wall’s Arrow up to S^eed. JT changed almost everything on Wall’s kart, including giving it a vastly different seating position.

With seven laps to go, it looked as if JT’s magic may be coming off, as Wall finally caught the back of Powles. But it wasn’t quite enough to get past, as Powles again edged away in pursuit of Holden.

As the laps dwindled down, Powles pulled in Holden and with two laps remaining, the gap Stood at one kart length.

On the penultimate corner at Bolivar’s ‘middle’ corner, a corner

James(Arrow) usually races in the Rotax and Formula Australia classes, but with the Rotax Nationals not until September and Formula Australia not running, the Vidtorian borrowed Domenic Albanese’s practice engines to have a crack. It was no mean feat for James to outqualify one of the beSt drivers in Australia in Thorpe, but a setback came in the pre-final when Nicholas Karavas seized in front of James as they entered the Sweeper. James went over the back of Karavas and was lucky not to roll, but the DNF put him off of the back for the final.

Jessica Golding (Tony Kart)

Formula 100 Final - 21 laps 'Umo radio'd On 12:03.^11)8 3'L()01 20 +5.524 3-k371 17 2 Cameron Thorpe + 11.387 34.:30y 15 3 Trent lame.s + 13.029 34.578 Ifi le.ssica Golding 5 Nicholas Karavas + 13.988 34.760 1) 6 Leah Unsworlh + 16.770 .34.836 15 1

Matthew Wall

7 8

Barclay Holden GlcMin Powles

+ 1 Lap 34.027 20 + l l.ap 33.895 18

9 Iimma-Louise Les3er+7 Laps 35.161 10 Mark Ward +7Lap.s 35.651

12

11 Groi> Young 12 Graham Pelersnn

+I0Lap.s 35.759 +12 Laps 36.517

9 9

13 Chris Woolon

+20 Laps 37.850

8

IDNF Brell Forlanler FasTe.<l Qualifier: Wall 34.524.scce ids

was fourth, beating home Karavas (Intrepid). Comeback driver Leah Unsworth returned to karts and was in the top five for much of the weekend, but the long final in the tough karts took its toll and Unsworth (Trulli) finished sixth, a great effort considering it had been over a year since her la^ kart race.

that has decided many a title.

Powles dove down the inside of Holden. Holden, however, was covering his line, meaning Powles was headed towards a gap that was evaporating. Powles rode the back of Holden and was lucky not to flip. Both karts smacked the tyre wall hard, Holden raising his arms in query to Powles.

Wall, meanwhile,shook his head as he drove by the scene, taking the title, but not celebrating the fashion in which he won it.

Second was Cameron Thorpe (Arrow), who had a fairly quiet weekend in the class, never quite able to catch the front three but was a class above the reit of the field.

Third went to Trent James in his fir^-ever Formula 100 race.

Arrow Triferfla: TrentJames, above, won third in his FI00 debut. Thorpe, above outside ofJames, was second.

They did what?

As Wall crossed the line, he was looking to see what the Trulli boys were doing. JJolden, below left, and Powles, below right. ended thefinal in the wall.

formula

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WEmBS^ liX^ Editorial Staff Editor; Phil Branagan

editor#mnews.com.au Deputy Editor: Mark Glendenning marki9mnews.com.au National Editor: Grant Rowley

Lowndes unfairly treated The decision given against Craig Lowndes in Race 2 in New Zealand was the worst decision given in the history of V8 Supercars.

Rick Keliy was clearly passed and Lowndes held onto his race line when exiting the corner.

Lowndes got punted in the rear so Kelly should have got the penalty for not being up to or past the'B' pillar.

Confused thommo02@ozemail.com.au

grant@mnews.com.au

Staff Journalist: Chris Jordan chrisj@mnews.com.au

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Managing Director/Publisher; Chris Lambden publishet@mnews.com.au Contributors FI:Joe Saward, Adam Cooper, Paolo Filisetti Europe: Quentin Spurring, David Addison US: Martin 0. Clark, Phil Morris Speedway:Greg Boscato, Geoff Rounds, Darren Sutton,Tony Millard (UK) Rally: Ryan Lahiff Drag Racing: Dave Ostaszewski(USA), Ken Ferguson,John Bosher National: Mark Wicks, Mark Jones, Andrew van Leeuwen, Daniel Powell Photographers:Sutton Motorsport Images, Dirk Klynsmith, Marshall Cass,John Morris/ Mpix, AF1 Images,James Smith, Peter Bury, Neil Blackbourn, Chris Carter, Coopers Photography, CBR Photographies, Paris Charles, Bob Potts, Neil Hammond,Justin Collins, Mike Patrick(UK) Motorsport News is published by Australasian Motorsport News ABN 55 125120 702 Publisher: C Lambden Printed by: Offset Alpine Printing Pty Ltd, Lidcombe, NSW. Distributed by: NDD Ltd Material published by MOTORSPORT NEWS is copyright and may not be reproduced in full or in part without the written permission of the publisher. Freelance contributions are welcome, and while all care will be taken, Australasian Motorsport News does not accept responsibility for damage or loss of material submitted. ’Opinions expressed in Motorsport News ate not necessarily those of Australasian Motorsport News or its staff.

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Kiwis own the road and circuit i must reply to the article'Teem Kiwi'in MNews 330.

Being an ex-Kiwi, I have some insight to the question'what are they doing right?', it's just the nature of the country (the roads are ali corners and hills) and the people(always in a hurry to be ahead of the world).

You may visit someone,say 200km away,and the first thing you're asked is'how long did it take you?'

'Oh, I broke my record by seven minutes'you will hear people say.

When you are there next, ask some diehard Kiwi to take you overland to say Flamilton, or even better,Tauranga, and back on a late night tear. Siing him some money for fuel and hang on!

The only thing i miss being here in this wide, brown land, is New Zeaiand's true driving roads.

One concolation is that living in the Northern Territory, i have unrestricted open road speed limits.

The mag is still tops after all these years - good on you guys!

Tex Hansen Noonamah, Northern Territory Fujitsu Series TV great, but what happened to La Delle?

It was with interest I watched Ten's coverage of the first round of the Fujitsu V8 Supercar(nee Development) Series. I think it's great that these guys and their sponsors have been given their own coverage.

The first thing that was concerning was the accident involving Marcus La Delle. It showed what looked like a wheel coming off, then La Delle hitting the wall heavily.

The concerning part was not the accident, it was the reply one of their crew gave in an interview.

Whoever he was said "La Delle mentioned something on the radio about the rear not feeling right".

This person then went on the say,"I guess that's experience"or something along those lines.

I

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Send us your thoughts: PO Box 7072, Brighton,VIC 31186 mnews@mnewsxom.au

My point is that why didn't they call him in and have a look at the problem? Knowing how these teams operate. La Deile and his sponsors are likely to cop the repair biil. Where is the Development in that?

John Danieis jack.jd.danieis@hotmaii.com Rally scene opinions differ I read Mark Glendenning's story 'Keeping the Faith'in MNews #331 and realised that he must have been at a different rally to the one I was at.

I've been going to the Rally of Canberra since 1980, when the Castrol Raiiy was run in front of thousands of enthusiastic rally fans at every spectator point.

Whiie i am not one for living in the past, the reality is that this year's rally was at best lack lustre and at worst an indicator that raliying is far from healthy in Australia.

I was at some spots where the spectator marshais outnumbered the spectators and at the finish of the rally in Kowen Forest i counted about 30'punters', including myself, in front of the finish ramp.

The depth of talent was a concern as well.Take out the two Subaru cars of Cody Crocker and

Eli Evans and the APRC field was plain boring, while in the ARC section once Neal Bates, Simon Evans and Scott Redder had gone through it was time to leave. The Focus was so slow and boring it left me cold. It was far from the halcyon days of the BDA Escorts, which were light nimble and spectacular.The Ford Focus on the other hand was fat, slow and decidedly disappointing.

I am an optimist but that weekend severely tested my faith in the sport.

Richard Baxter richard@drivealive.com.au PCR should keep it slick Why does Parramatta City Raceway keep turning out terrible, dangerous racing surfaces?

Flow can we have 10 extra cars in a 40-iap finai at the Outlaws Downunder event this year and only have two accidents, both when cars came together, and then at a normal round,five or more Sprintcars roiiover without touching another car?

Why does PCR prefer fast, singleiane, no passing tracks over four lane battles,four wide, neck and neck racing from start to finish like we have when the Outlaws are out here racing on the best PCR surface we have ever seen?

We want the kind of edge-ofyour-seat viewing that we saw in this year's $50,000-to-win event, held on a slick, wide, Outlawsstyle track.

When the Americans come out to race we are treated to the best tracks we will ever see here slick and wide, real'racer'kind of tracks. Flow can we be expected to compete with the American guns when we are served up with the kind of crap tracks that we get before the Yanks arrive and since they went home?

Robert Broadbent bananas2000@bigpond.com

What did I do again? One MNews reader was quick to give his opinion on the drive-through served to Craig Lowndes in Race 2 at Pukekohe.

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