Motorsport News Issue 338 - June 21-July 4, 2006

CONTENTIOUS FLEXI-WINGS BANNED

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THE NEWS BEHIND THE NEWS

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No.338 21 Jun -4 Ju!2006 Australia $6.50 NZ $7.95 inc GST

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J LE MANS SB Audi ushers “‘I in the diesel era

rlACK Daniels

I REVEALED Sir Jack's secret McLaren test!

There’s no prize for seeond place

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07 3808 1986

motorsport

Issue 338 21 June - 4 July 2006

www.miiews.com.au

4

4

SirJack

No,not Brabham,Perkins...

7

Endure this

Almost allseats taken for enduros

9

Flexible rules?

Gentlemen,stiffen your aero kits

12 Tunnel ofHate

Willis gets the weekends off.Sort of

16 Academy beware A Bathurst movie. On the24 hour...

(pinion 28

27 Motor Mouth

The PeugeotPlan to win Le Mans

28 Box Seat

Is this the man for McLaren,2007?

. 30 Opinion

Read,Patrizi and Bates air their views

f 82 Talk Converter

More on TV,here and abroad

Ihsv^sr team 56

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32 Five Minutes With Steve Ellery

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34 Five Minutes With AJ Allmendinger 36 From Zeroic to Heroic How the guys atHSV dealt with the arrivalofTom and Tolland turned a lousy early-2005into astrong 2006 40 Wholesale Price Shane Price goesJD for Sandown and Bathurst 42 The Knight Talker 46

PHOTOS

EXCLUSIVE:Our greatest driver.SirJack Brabham,

Cover: sutton-images.com Holden Motorsport crazyforkingswood.com

speaks about his titles, his life and driving a McLaren 46 Lactose Tolerant

Contents: , sutton-images.com i NeilBlackbourn K Phil Branagan

Winning the indy500issinking in forSam Hornish

O' ' '‘

race 50 Spain 1, England0 No,not the World Cup, it's Fernando Alonso leading a procession atSilverstone. Webber and Button did not...

56 Dieselmania

A udi burns and wins at Le Mans

62 Birthday Boy

Simon and Sue win in Queensland

66 Winter? NahH!

Read feeds Speed Need north ofTweed

20 Stateside 24 Rallying 58 International 64 Speedway

trade

69 Drag Racing 70 NationalScene 76 Industry News8i Race Shop 79 Classifieds

notional & international

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grant rowley

JACK Daniel's Racing will head to the V8 Supercar's endurance races with the sport's youngestever driving line-up.

Larry Perkins'Fujitsu V8 Supercar drivers Shane Price and Jack Perkins will suit up in 'Black Jack'colours for the annual Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000 races in September and October.They will compete under Perkins's famous #11, driving the VZ Commodore campaigned throughout this year by Paul Dumbrell. Dumbrell will team with regular JD driver Steven Richards in the #7 VZ. The young pair will have a combined age of 39 when they run in the endurance races, eclipsing the former mark of Dumbrell and Leanne Perrier(nee Tander) in 2001, and Scott and Jason Bargwanna in 1992.

This year's Fujitsu Series is littered with new faces, and after two rounds, Shane and Jack have established themselves as the

JUDGEMENT DEV A V8 SUPERCAR Australia planning meeting,on July 7,is likely to formally decide the fate of the much-discussed reverse-grid format- but expect it to be gone before the post-Bathurst events take place.

While teams expressed their general unhappiness with the format via V8SA Board meeting just over a week ago,they were persuaded to let things be, pending the scheduled planning meeting.

In an outcome that suggests compromise,V8SA CEO Wayne Cattach was successful in convincing the teams to follow'due process'in assessing the situation.

"That's the way it should be," Cattach told us this week."That's always been my approach - you have to follow due process; you can't run the sport from Pit Lane... you can't run a business that way.

"Among other things, some promoters are using the concept to promote their events, and you can't therefore change at the drop of a hat.

"But it will certainly be on the agenda at our annual Planning Session, at which all elements of the format will be up for discussion.There are

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obviously different views on the reverse grid concept - although it hasn't turned out to be the crash-fest many thought it would - but there is an issue over whether the format is suitable for certain types of tracks, where passing is more difficult."

Given that philosophy, it comes as no surprise that Cattach is pre-empting the canning of a reverse grid race at the Gold Coast Indy event; "Clearly, that is the type of venue least-suited to the format."

While the Planning Session will consider what to do for the remainder of 2006,suggestions for 2007 will also be discussed.

"With our new telecaster coming on board, it's appropriate to review all the aspects of our race format," he said.

"One possibility that I'll be suggesting we revisit is the concept of two different tyre compounds which in effect creates the situation we once had with two or more tyre manufacturers in the sport.

As tyre performance came and went at different times, it did create passing opportunities."

-CHRIS LAMBDEN

Is night racing on the V8 Super* Card? g f

NO additional races in 2007 - Queen's Birthday Monday race? - V8s await CP date THERE will be no extra V8 races in 2007, but look for a number of interesting dates and times as the calendar is put together to help Network 7 fit AFL and V8s into its scheduling.

Despite the teams'TV income rising to some $280,000 per car per year, V8SA CEO Wayne Cattach has ruled out additional events for 2007, but not beyond.

"It's common knowledge that our Channel 7 contract calls for up to 16 races per year, but in year 4

one we'll be hard-pressed enough bedding down what may be quite a different calendar. I don't think the teams could manage any more at this point. Beyond that,though, it's inevitable."

Queen's Birthday long-weekend Monday,in June, is looming as a serious option for one V8 race, as both parties work on the best options to avoid major AFL Football clashes; "That's a definite possibility," Cattach said,"as is night racing, or

maybe late Saturday twilight."

At the same time, V8SA is awaiting confirmation of an Australian FI GP date before confirming whether the V8s will appear at the GP. "It's not about money - that's already agreed," Cattach said.

"We simply need a date, and to figure out how that can work in with all the other things we've got to consider with our calendar, including new events.That's all we're waiting on - a date."

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EST-EVER MOUNTAINEERS JACK PERKINS AND SHANE PRICE WILL CREATE BATHURST 1000 HISTORY THIS YEAR rookiebenchmark.The former Formula Forders currently sit inside the top 10 - Shane in sixth and Jack ninth.

While the plan at the start of the season was to consider promoting Price and Perkins into the endurance seats, their sharp results in the opening rounds have led the team to announce their line-up early.

"It was always on the cards, but we had to prove that we were capable,"Price told MNews."So far, we've had two good rounds and I think we will prove to be a pretty good endurance combination.

"We've been doing what we've been told to do, we haven't done anything wrong and we've shown pretty good speed. I'm absolutely rapt to get the opportunity.'

Price insisted that results were not a priority in the pair's debut races.

My aim for Sandown and

Bathurst isn't to show anything too special," he said."We just want to bring the second Jack Daniel's car home in one piece. If you drive around at a decent pace, you are probably going to finish in the top 10 anyway.That's my aim. I'm not going to try and run in the top five, because in reality, it's not realistic.

I'll be happy with putting in a solid job and bringing back a straight car."

Price, who finished second in last year's Formula Ford title, has a slight advantage over Perkins, as he has already competed in a V8 Supercar at Bathurst. Price contested the non-championship Development V8 Supercar race on The Mountain in 2004 with John

Faulkner's Flolden Young Lions team.

Perkins is just as excited to be confirmed in the role alongside Price in his father's team.

"We've had to prove our worth, and we've come in above expectations at the moment which cemented it," he said."I'm not getting carried away. I'm still trying to get comfortable in the car, and that comes with more laps and more experience.

"The GP support races certainly helped, but there is no pressure for results. I have full confidence in the car and team,so at the end of the day, it's up to Shane and I to bring it home."

^^WeVe had to prove owr worth, and we've come in above expectations at the moment^^ -Jack Perkins,son ofsix-times Bathurst winner Larry

^Solid Edge

21 June 2006

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LEADING Fujitsu V8 Supercar driver Tony D'Alberto will team up with Anthony Tratt in the #16Toll HSV Dealer Team Commodore at Sandown and Bathurst.

D'Alberto, who has contested the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series for the past four years, will make his second Bathurst start after debuting last year with Tasman Motorsport.

Getting familiar to the HSV car shouldn't be too much of a problem for D'Alberto.The HRT#49 chassis that D'Alberto and Tratt will compete in is the sister car to the one which D'Alberto drives in the Fujitsu Series.The #49 chassis is Toll HSV's spare, and was last seen in the hands of MarkSkaifeatthe Australian Grand Prix support races.

This is the first time that Tratt will head to Bathurst without the luxury of being a full-time V8 driver.Tratt has been unlucky in the past not to have a higher finish at Bathurst than 12th in 2002.This year will be his 10th start on The Mountain.To keep miles under his belt, he has contested the Carrera Cup Championship.

- GRANT ROWLEY

CMCHT m H US WEBB PAUL Cruickshank Racing is set to promote Jonathan Webb from Carrera Cup regular to V8 Supercar endurance driver.

As MNews went to press on Monday,Webb was set to take in a large amount of seat time in the #20 GlenfordsTooi Centres Falcon during PCR's Queensland Raceway test on Tuesday.

To date, Webb has had limited miles in V8 Supercars. He ran a drive day in Cruickshank's older AU Falcons last year, and had a handful of laps in the team's current BA earlier this year.

Team owner Paul Cruickshank told MNews that Webb's test at QR would decided whether he gets the nod or not to drive with Marcus Marshall.

"I think he is a good driver," he said."We've had to make the car more accommodating for him

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FORD Performance Racing will use three endurance drivers in the #6 Ford Credit Falcon this season.

While no announcement has been made, Matt Halliday looks set to drive for the team at the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000.

The New Zealander has raced in both events before, suiting up for the old Orrcon team in 2004 and 2005. Halliday, 26,spent the summer and autumn sharing the driving duties for A1 Team New Zealand and in the inaugural A1 Grand Prix series.

The factory team will continue its association with David Brabham, who drove for the team at Sandown and Bathurst, and subsequently replaced Greg Ritter at Symmons Plains and Phillip Island. But the Aussie international, who raced a privately-entered Aston Martin to ninth at Le Mans last weekend, is unavailable for the Sandown event, which was

moved to Fathers'Day following a scheduling clash with the AFL that potentially compromised Network 10's coverage of the event.

MNews believes that there are a number of potential drivers for the Sandown drive and that the

LONGHUis? li mm% mm because he's got a pretty big frame.

"It will depend how he goes tomorrow (Tuesday). We want to make a decision based on how he settles in at the test. My feeling is he'll be fine. Last time he drove, he set a reasonable lap time for someone who hasn't had many laps. His speed is the Porsche has been really good,so I can't see any problems."

Webb currently sits fifth in the WPS Carrera Cup Championship.

- GRANT ROWLEY

TONY Longhurst is returning to V8 Supercar racing to drive at Sandown and Bathurst.

The Queensland veteran, a two-time winner of the Bathurst 1000, will partner Steve Owen in the Autobarn Commodore in the races. It will be his 24th Great Race.

"Steve has performed well in the early part of this year's championship,so we thought it was necessary to have an experienced campaigner sharing the car with him at the enduros,"

said team owner Rod Nash.

"Gaining a top 10 finish at Sandown and Bathurst is the goal and Tony's experience, coupled with the speed that Steve has shown of late, will certainly help."

Longhurst competed at Bathurst with his own team last year but failed to finish. Owen has finished in the top 10 at Bathurst twice, most recently in 2004 when he finished eighth in a Kmart Commodore he shared with Tim Leahey.

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FPR likely replacement for Brabham is Cameron McLean. McLean has considerable V8 Supercar experience.

The team plans to test Halliday and other drivers at Winton in the near future.

BMDURJUieE DJ?fVES MMOST SOLO OUn

THE entry lists for the two V8 Supercar enduros are almost complete.

A number of announcements,and unannounced deals, over the last two weeks have filled in 58 of the 62 seats available for the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000. Only Garry Rogers Motorsport and Brad Jones Racing's second entries remains with TBAs. While a number of highprofile deals have been completed in recent days, some have been in place for some time, like the second WPS entry for former team drivers Craig Baird and David Besnard.The Kiwi has been in great form in the Carrera Cup series while Bezzy's arrangement is believed to have been in place since the WPS and Larkham teams merged at the start of the 2006 season.

Likewise, Paul Weel and Owen Kelly have'swapped' seats between Tasman Motorsport and SCAR, Grant \ Denyer and Alex Davison will drive the second DJR entry and expect to see Fujitsu driver Mark Porter team with : Alan Gurr in the #39 Morris machine.

There is a notable lack of international entries. Clashing ! events overseas means that the only'foreign'drivers of note are Richard Lyons and Allan Simonsen in the second Betta entry.

UNOFFICIAL V8 SUPERCAR ENDURANCE ENTRY LIST

1. Russell Ingall/LukeYoulden 2. Mark Skaife/Todd Kelly 3. Jason Richards/Andrew Jones 4. James Courtney/Glenn Seton 5. David Brabham/Matthew Halliday 6. Jason Bright/Mark Winterbottom 7. Steven Richards/Paul Dumbrell 8. Max Wilson/Jason Bargwanna TO. Craig Baird/David Besnard 11. Shane Price/Jack Perkins 12. John Bowe/Brad Jones 14. TBA/TBA 15. Rick Kelly/Garth Tander 16. Tony D'Alberto/Anthony Tratt 17. Steven Johnson/Will Davison 18. Alex Davison/Grant Denyer 20. Marcus Marshall/Jonathan Webb 021. Paul Radisich/Fabian Coulthard 22. Jim Richards/Ryan Briscoe 23. Mark Noske/Owen Kelly 25. Warren Luff/Adam Macrow 26. Jose Fernandez/Tony Ricciardello 33. Dean Canto/Lee Holdsworth 34. TBA/TBA 39. Alan Gurr/Mark Porter 50. Paul Weel/Nathan Pretty 51. Greg Murphy/Cameron McConville 55. Steve Owen/Tony Longhurst 67. Paul Morris/Steve Ellery 88. Richard Lyons/Allan Simonsen 888. Craig Lowndes/Jamie Whincup

Stone Brothers Racing Holden Racing Team Tasman Motorsport Stone Brothers Racing Ford Performance Racing Ford Performance Racing Perkins Engineering WPS Racing WPS Racing Perkins Engineering ' "Brad Jones Racing Brad Jones Racing Toll HSV Dealer Team Toll HSV Dealer Team Dick Johnson Racing Dick Johnson Racing Paul Cruickshank Racing Team Kiwi Racing Holden Racing Team , Tasman Motorsport Britek Motorsport n Britek Motorsport Garry Rogers Motorsport Garry Rogers Motorsport Paul Morris Motorsport Supercheap Auto Racing Supercheap Auto Racing Rod Nash Racing Toll Racing Triple 8 Race Engineering Triple 8 Race Engineering

I

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Monza saved ITALY'S historic Autodromo Internazionale at Monza has reached a compromise with the local residents who won a court order restricting on-track action by unsilenced racecars to 30 days a year.

The parties, including Parco di Monza officials, have signed an agreement that commits the circuit operator to installing noise barriers and extends track activity to 110 days a year. Monza director Giorgio Beghella Bartoli commented;"It's a good deal, although obviously we do need to rationalise the calendar."

The Formula One group launched a range of Formula 1-branded merchandise last week,including teeshirts, polo shirts, caps, and a variety of key rings, wallets, mouse mats, photo frames and document folders.The new range comes in the wake of the recent launch of F1 branded watches and is a sign that the company's new owner, CVC Capital Partners, is keen for the sport to produce more revenues.

The items on offer are aimed at the high-end of the market, with baseball caps selling for US$37, rising to US$230 for special edition versions featuring Swarovski crystals. Carbonfibre mouse mats and leather document folders go for US$466!

Tom Rubython and Business FI magazine are facing yet another legal battle, with the next case asking for libel damages of more than US$550,000.The suit is coming from FlA director of publicity Richard Woods, who is claiming damages and aggravated damages for alleged libel in an article titled "The Propagandist".

Woods is also seeking an injunction to ban repetition of the allegations.

The magazine has been taking a legal hammering of late, with a ruling again it in August last year in which FIA consultant Alan Donnelly won damages of US$15,000 and costs of US$210,000. In May Tony Purnell, the former head of Jaguar Racing, won another lawsuit with damages of US$138,000 and costs of US$386,000.

The former FI circuit at Aintree is under threat because of a US$50m development program being planned at the Liverpool racecourse, home of the famous Grand National horse race. The local council has now given its permission for a big new grandstand that will block the old circuit, which was home of the British Grand Prix in the 1950s and early 1960s.

- JOE SAWARO/QUENTIN SPURRING

0

FI Engines, Going Cheap AS FI engine manufacturers come closer to accepting significant restrictions on development, if not a total freeze, they are now scrambling to offer engines to customer teams,in order to avoid potential engineer redundancies.

Latest mutterings from the engine group suggests begrudging acceptance of most of the FIA's cost-cutting plans. With development likely to be severely restricted, engineering staff face an uncertain future, unless the manufacturers can find additional work for them - hence the sudden interest in outside supply.

Renault and Honda have now joined those offering an engine (and chassis) deal. Ferrari is, we hear, competing with Cosworth for clients, although there simply aren't that many teams looking for ! engines next year.

Williams is reputedly close to a deal with Toyota, while Scuderia Torro Rosso is set to inherit Ferrari engines from Red Bull Racing when RBR switches to Cosworth power.

Despite continued suggestions of a team sale. Midland is reportedly keen to secure a Cosworth deal and, we hear, is negotiating with Williams to buy the intellectual rights to this year's FW28,to save on design costs.

As Prodrive sets up for a year of testing and development in 2007, Renault is said to be in discussion with the team over both engine and chassis supply.

- JOE SAWARD

JPM IN THE WIL JUAN Pablo Montoya may face a return to the US racing scene as his FI options for 2007 fall away.

The Colombian has now been told by McLaren that his services will not be required.

His future in FI is thus in some doubt as the options are limited with only Red Bull and Toyota apparently showing any interest.

However, Red Bull is tipped to be running Tonio Liuzzi and David Coulthard, while Toyota will keep Ralf Schumacher and is in negotiation with Jarno Trulli to extend his deal with the team.

Montoya may ultimately have to head back to the United States where he won the CART title in 1999 with Target Chip Ganassi Racing. Ganassi is, of course, now a major player in the IRL, and is currently running a pair of Target-sponsored Dallaras for Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon, and Wheldon is said to be NASCARbound (see other story).

There is speculation that the decision not to keep Montoya is a precursor of an announcement

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mfmm that GP2 driver Lewis Hamilton will drive for the McLaren team next year.

Ron Dennis says that the team has contingency plans in place to meet every eventuality and this would seem to suggest that the team is waiting on a decision about what happens to Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.

Our sources say that Raikkonen

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BRUBHAM IN FISI SORTED But who willjoin him atRenault? B MCIMRBNI RENAULT has surprised the driver market analysts by re-signing Giancarlo Fisichella for one further year.

It had been thought that Fisi would go,to be replaced by young Finnish star Fleikki Kovalainen, but Fisi's retention changes things.

While there are those who believe that Kovalainen will still get the other Renault seat, MNews understands it is more likely that he will be loaned out to a lesser team - possibly one of the Red Bull equipes for a year. Flavio Briatore, as he did with Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber, has a record of blooding his drivers in a rear-of-grid team before dropping them in further up the grid.

All of which leaves the speculation as to an Alonso replacement as it was: was there a big offer made to Kimi Raikkonen? Will Michael Schumacher make a dramatic switch of teams? Or will Flavio negotiate a way out of his Williams option for Mark Webber?

As things stand, with Ferrari confident that Schu will remain in red, Raikkonen starts to look the favourite. Webber's stunning Monaco performance may have raised eyebrows at Renault- and it would save the team close to US$30m a year, although there would be a cost in securing Webber's release from Williams.

At the same time, it is worth noting that Briatore himself has yet to agree a deal to continue on as Renault team boss. If his employers have decided to go with a Fisichelia/Kovalainen line-up, it has been suggested that Flav may not go on - not wishing to be part of a team with reduced chances of success. And Fisichella, as anyone who has listened to Renault's in-car communications will know,isn't seen as a strong leader.

Our odds? Raikkonen $1.40; Webber $3; Schuey $8 - but don't put the house on it!

... and the team never knew it happened TFIREE-time world champion Sir Jack Brabham had a one-off taste of'modern'Formula One technology when he sampled a turbo-charged Flonda-powered McLaren MP4/4 in the late 1980s.

Big deal, you say? Well, aside from the fact that Sir Jack would have been well into his 60s at the time, the strange thing about it is that to this day, nobody at McLaren - including team boss Ron Dennis, who was very much in charge of the team back then - has any idea that he did it. Nor does Sir Jack's, son, Geoff, who would have been racing in the IMSA GTP series in the USA at the time.

Brabham was strapped into the McLaren while touring the Honda factory in Columbus, Ohio with his wife. Ayrton Senna was scheduled to drive the car around Honda's private facility for the benefit of employees and local press, however when the Brazilian failed to show up, Brabham was

called upon to serve as an 11thhour substitute.

Sir Jack told MNews that he could not remember the exact car or year, but based upon his description of a 900 bhp turbopowered McLaren with carbon brakes, it has to have been the MP4/4- the only car that McLaren ran with a turbocharged Honda engine. Fittingly, it was this car that won 15 of the 16 rounds of the 1988 world championship courtesy of Senna and Alain Prost.

On this basis, we can guess that the drive would have taken place in late 1988 or early 1989, as it is difficult to imagine Honda wanting to demonstrate an out-ofdate car.

- MARKGLENDENNING For more on Sir Jack's recollections ofthe day in the McLaren,as well as his reflections upon the 40th anniversary of his third world championship,please turn to our exclusive interview on page 42.

DERNESS

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FIA CUPS FLEXI-WiniGS h.

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Montoya's quandry: Lots and lots of Formula One cars, but none of them have his name on them. has a Ferrari deal and that this will be announced at Monza in September. By then Michael Schumacher will have decided what he wants to do in the future.

-JOESAWARD 21 June 2006

THE FIA has moved to curtail the 'flexi'wing phenomenon with immediate effect, by demanding that'separator'blades be fitted between the planes of rear wings.

The change is due to be implemented at this week's Canadian Grand Prix.

Both Williams and Honda will be among those welcoming the news - both teams having,for one reason or another, opted out of the flexi-wing world.

Indeed, the contrast in relative performance of the Williams at aero-sensitive circuits such as Barcelona and Silverstone, and low-speed Monaco was stark.

The FIA's insistence on separators being added to the rear wings will increase drag for those teams who have pioneered the concept and will get rid of what many felt was an unfair advantage.

Such is the effect of the flexible (or even inflatable)

rear wing that the current'order'of teams may well be changed as a result of the ban. Interestingly, Canada is a race which usually sees most teams debut their'mid-downforce'aero packages, something which might well disguise the relative losses from team to team of the flexl-ban.

"There's no doubt it should help us, but we won't know to what degree until we see it," Mark Webber told us on Monday."Everyone will be on new aero packages anyway,so it will be interesting to see where we stand."

The reasons that all teams have not used flexible wings(developmental issues aside) are complicated some could not make them work;some felt they were illegal; and others did not wish to risk being caught cheating as the rules do state that aerodynamic devices cannot move.

9

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I Mo more rides THE popular V8 Supercar meeting rides are likely to be abolished at the end of this year.

MNews understands that the traditional Friday afternoon joy rides could be taken off the schedule in 2007. Now that many teams complete their own ride days with their own race cars or hybrid-cars, it seems that V8 Supercar Australia is keen to see the back of them.

V8 Supercar drivers Cameron McConville, Paul Dumbrell, Jason Richards and Jack Perkins competed in the'Run to the'G'last week.The run started at Federation Square, taking in two laps of some of Melbourne's more scenic parts, including a quiet jog up the Yarra River.

The four Holden V8 Supercar drivers weren't there for a fun run, though.

McConville, renewed as the fittest man in V8 Supercars, was actually beaten to the line by Dumbrell. Perkins and Richards weren't too far behind after 21km.

Craig Lowndes is going even further than that. The Betta Electrical star Is riding a motorcycle to the Hidden Valley round of theV8SCS. Accompanying Lowndes on the 4159km journey will be Triple Eight Race Engineering Technical Director Ludo Lacroix,Team Chef Murray Redpath and Workshop Manager Steven Robertson,all keen two-wheel enthusiasts themselves.

MURPH-BURCER ALL you vegetarian FTolden V8 Supercar fans may want to read another news story just now.

You can now buy a Murph's Meat Lovers burger at Burger Kings in New Zealand.The man who has dominated racing in the NZ V8 Supercar rounds is currently advertising a burger with two of pretty much everything, including beef, cheese and onions, on the other side of the Tasman and it is proving to be a great hit among the fast-food public.

There are no plans to introduce a similar item at Hungry Jacks,the local brand of the same company.

FAN-TAZ-nC

le^rfeAPfiR half a sea$pn^rtyYe' sidelines,Stevesllany will make an early returinitp the V8 Superear ehampionship at the upcoming Hidden yalley and Queensland^ rounds with Paul Morris Mdtorsiport. illery signed a two-year deai^o serve as a PMM endurancedriver earlier this seas0n, but the team

The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport(CAMS)has announced the appointment of DAMPS Insurance Brokers as its new provider of insurance broking and risk-related services.

Dr Rob Nethercote, CAMS's Chief Executive Officer, said that OAMPS's extensive experience working with sporting organisations was a major contributor in making the appointment.

DAMPS has established a toll-free number specifically for CAMS members, who can contact Rod Hughes on 1800 776 780(1800 SPORT-0).

Fifteen cars will line up for Round 4 of the Australian Formula 3 Championship atMallala this weekend.

Ex-Formula Fordster Stuart Kostera Jnr is a notable inclusion,forming half of a two-car PHR Scuderia assault. Maher Algadri will drive a sister Dallara-Renault.

Another newcomer is Laurent Le Page, who will form part of an expanded Team BRM.

m

FORMULA Ford 1600 front-run nerTaz Douglas has developed a working relationship with the Toll HSV Dealer Team in his pursuit of a full-time V8 Supercar drive.

The young Victorian has become a part-time employee at the Toll HSV Dealer Team, giving him an insight into the workings of a V8 Supercar team,and an opportunity to build valuable contacts within the sport.

"I've been told that if you want to catch the bus, you have to be at the bus stop," said Douglas."I've been

watching how the team operates, and they are a slick group."

"I don't really have a specific Job,they just make me do anything.This is a great way for me to be involved with a V8 team, but with no pressure.

I don't want to rush into it. I'm happy doing this season in Victorian state Formula Ford, and we'll assess what options I have at the end of this year."

Douglas is also likely to get drive of one of the team's V8 Supercars before the end of the year.

-ANDREWVAN LEEUWEN

motorsportnews

news

has now elected to give him two rounds in the #39 Sirromet Wines VZ Commodore that has been shared this year by Fabian Coulthard and Alan Gurr to round out his preparation for Sandown and Bathurst.

"We've been pleased with the progress Alan and Fabian are making,"said Morris."We simply want to give all our endurance

drivers as much racing as possible before Sandown and Bathurst."

Ellery said that he has been racking up seat time whenever the team goes testing, but that only real race conditions can completely smooth out the rough edges.

"I've been testing with the guys and the times haven't been too bad," he told MNews.

^^^^^mBurgess atDJR FORMIR Midland F1 and Jordan

sportinf director Adrian Burgess may yetappear in V8 Supercars up the role of team .-^' rnanager at DJR - but it won't happen any time soon.

Burgesf was a guest of the team at Barbagillo early last month but despilf advanced discussions with DJi management, any % possible deal is still some way off P being finalised.

"We've had talks with him, but at the moment he is back in the UK and there is nothing further to be done,"said DJR General Manager Ste\^aChalt^,. ed what he saw in 'Aj ^?he has a lot that he treed to sort out before I'd move over here. He has UK, he has other lE®nts over there ... and

211 June 2006

then there are the issues of im.migration.You can't just move over here at the drop of a hat.”

Chalker said that there was no current'Plan B'in place ifA^he deal with Burgess should fail to come together.

"We're not going to rush into hiring someone just for the sake of filling the role," he said. "It would be good to fill the position, but everyone at DJR agrees that the most important thing is that we find the right person. If that takes a year, then we'll wait a year.

"We've worked very hard to get the team to where it is at the moment. Everybody is working well together, there is a good chemistry, and I am not going to upset the applecart by rushing into hiring someone."

- MARK GLENDENNING

"Even though Ita fast,f've just ; lost that ability to find those last couple of tenths when I need them,it's not something that won't come back - once the competition starts, and you're comparing yourself to 30 other cars, you find it within yourself.

"It's a Just a good opportunity to go out there and blow out the cobwebs,and get around all the

«oiheri.cacs:aqain ahd=learn how everyone races again and all that sort of thing."

The reshuffle in the #39 car will mean that Gurr, Coulthard and Ellery will have competed In two rounds each after Queensland.

For more on El|e^y's return to the drivers'seat,check out our interview , ^ on page 32.

La Oelle hack at QR

I

FUJITSU V8 Supercar ■int **9 Series driver Marcus La Delle will return to the track for next month's third round at Queensland Raceway after spending two Vi months on the sidelines \ due to crash damage. \ The DJR First Rock Falcon AU was extensively a busy weekend for DJR, damaged when a wheelnut which will field a total of five flew off during the first race at V8 Supercars at Queensland Adelaide in March, pitching the Raceway across the two series. car into the wall at high speed.

But after two months the But if history is any guide, then it should not pose a process of turning a cube back problem - the team did the into a car was completed when same thing at QR last year when the repaired Falcon arrived back at the team's Queensland base Will Davison joined the Fujitsu field in a third DJR car, and last week,opening the door for finished second outright behind la Delle to join team-mates Grant team-mate Dean Canto for a Denyer and Andrew Thompson team 1-2. on the grid.

- MARK GLENDENNING The return of La Delle spells T

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HONDA ACTS

Allin the Family

Willis Home Alone tofix Aero problems

THE Andretti family is looking to have a third generation in Formula 1.

After 19-year-old Marco Andretti's startling performance in the Indianapolis 500, his grandfather, 1978 World Champion Mario Andretti, said of him:"I don't know of anyone I would say has a better makeup to be a Formula 1 driver.

He's the total package - a no-nonsense, get-on-with-it type of young driver."

The FIA-approved race circuit designer, Hermann Tilke, has visited the Spanish port of Valencia to advise on the layout of an all-new street circuit beside the harbour.

The promoters have gained government funding to put together plans to stage a Formula 1 race, to be known as the Mediterranean GP.They believe that Fernando Alonso has so transformed public interest in Formula 1 that a second race in the nation would be more than viable.

Alonso has been promised personal sponsorship from Spain's biggest soccer club by a businessman who is standing as its next president. Juan Palacios made the pledge to back the nation's most popular sportsman, who is a lifelong Real Madrid fan.

The Australian Grand Prix Corporation has won a $13 million grant from the Victorian government to upgrade the facilities of the Albert Park circuit.

Giancarlo Fisichella has started a legal action in the London High Court against his former formula 1 team owner, Eddie Jordan,for allegedly unpaid wages dating back to the 2003 season.The sum involved has been reported to be approximately US$240,000.

Bernie Ecclestone will press for the Formula 1 calendar to be expanded to 20 Grands Prix in the near future, he told German magazine 4ufo Motor und Sport.

Ecclestone wants the season, which currently runs from March to October,to be extended to accommodate the extra races. He said;"It would be good to have 20 races provided we can spread them out over a longer period (because] these backto-back races are a killer. And we need to be able to put on races in places that are good for the people who compete. I was called a lunatic to run races in China and Turkey, but I put them on because they're good for the manufacturers."

-QUENTIN SPURRING

Joe saward HONDA Racing FI technical director Geoff Willis will now be seen at fewer races, as the team pulls out all the stops to design a better car for 2007.

The team has not been very impressive this year, since Honda took full control of operations, with Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello struggling to be on the pace of the other frontrunning FI teams.

One reason may well be that the team stayed well clear of flexi-wings, mainly as a result of the unfortunate mess it got into last year when it was banned for a race because of fuel tank irregularities, despite the fact that other teams were clearly doing the same thing at the same time.

Rather than risk a repeat of that, Honda has struggled on without the questionable wings(which have this week effectively been banned - see other story).

Having said that, at Monaco where the flexi-wings did not contribute,there was nothing really special about the Honda performance - while other

teams like Williams and McLaren improved dramatically.This suggested that there were problems with the Honda that cannot be blamed on the lack of flexi-wings.

Interestingly, some of the other aerodynamicists do not understand the Honda approach; "I don't really understand the Honda," said Red Bull's Adrian Newey in a recent interview.

"It has a particularly massive front wing but with no barge boards and some very strange sidepod solutions.They obviously know what they are trying to achieve but the cars I have been involved with over the years have had a very different philosophy..."

The team knows that it cannot afford another uncompetitive car in 2007,so Willis will now be seen at fewer races in order to make sure that the new 2007 car is more competitive. His place at races will be taken by Jacky Eeckelaert, who joined the team from Sauber at the end of last year.

Eeckelaert is unusual in FI circles in that he is qualified as both a chassis and motor engineer and also raced himself up to Formula 3 level in the early 1980s.

HEAD

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PATRICK Head has slammed Michael Schumacher's driving ethics and indicated that the Williams team would have protested Michael Schumacher's 1994 world championship if not for Ayrton Senna's fatal accident earlier that year.

The Williams's engineering director and co-owner has told FI Racing magazine that he has no doubts that the German deliberately ran into Damon Hill in order to prevent the Englishman from overtaking him and, hence, win the title.

"That day in Adelaide, we at Williams were already 100 percent certain that Michael was guilty of foul play," said Head."It was so blatant.

"He was about to drive his stricken Benetton up the sliproad when he spotted Damon's Williams about to pass him and abruptly veered across the track to prevent that happening."

Head made the comments following Schumacher's latest controversy, in which the seven time world champion parked his Ferrari on the track during qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix. VVhile Schumacher claimed

motorsportnews

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SCARS AND STRIPES

Judge throws out USGP lawsuit

The Moment of Impact: Patrick Head has reopened old wounds and likened Schumacher's Monaco 2006 behaviour to this controversial incident 12 years ago in Adelaide when he clashed with Damon Hill. he had made an error, many, including Head, believe he did so deliberately to ensure the started the race from pole position.

"I'm not one of the extreme ones calling for him to be kicked out of F1,"Head says,"but what this episode proves - just as it did at Adelaide 1994 and on a number of

other occasions - is that he isn't a sportsman in the sporting sense of the word.

"He has an overwhelming urge to win and it seems quite clear that he doesn't care how he achieves that aim.

"This sort of behaviour is clearly just part of Michael's persona."

GPDA; NO PENALTY

MICHAEL Schumacher's incident in Monaco was discussed at length by the Grand Prix Drivers'Association at Silverstone, although the German escaped any form of reprimand.

Fernando Alonso, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kimi Raikkonen, Mark Webber and Franck Montagny did not attend the meeting, although Webber did have a one-on-one chat with Schumacher in the Ferrari motorhome - the content of which he won't discuss.

To show his displeasure at the non-outcome, Jacques Villeneuve resigned from the organization following the meeting.

However, we understand the subject will come up again in September at the GPDA's AGM, and there are rumours that Michael will then stand down from his position on the board. If this is true, it will allow Michael to be replaced without him losing face.

-JOESAWARD 2H June 2006

A US judge has dismissed a class action brought by race fans after last year's US Grand Prix debacle.

There was never much hope of success, but that did not stop fans and lawyers trying to sue those involved at Indianapolis last year, when seven teams pulled their cars out of the United States Grand Prix attheend of the parade lap, leaving just six cars racing.

Fans were outraged at what had happened and while everyone in FI was blaming everyone else with no-one having the good sense to look at a bigger picture, some of the fans decided to try legal action against the parties involved.

But despite all the finger pointing since the event, there was little by way of legal option.

The 14 cars that pulled into the pits at the end of the parade lap were classified as starters and thus all the parties involved delivered what they promised to deliver - at least in legal terms.

US District Judge Sarah Evans Barker has now ruled the fans had no basis to sue: "It is to be assumed that the Michelin teams made the decision they believed to be in their best competitive and professional interests, and in doing so, they owed no legal duty to let the preferences of the spectators trump their own good judgment," the judge wrote.

The most interesting thing will be to see what effect last year's mess will have on crowds at Indianapolis this year.

Michelin made the best of the situation by refunding money to fans who bought tickets for last year's race and has bought an additional 20,000 tickets which will be distributed free for the this year's event. While there may be many US fans who have been turned off FI, it is also true to say that the controversy will probably have made more people aware of the sport than ever before and that this could be reflected in the crowd figures this year.

-JOESAWARD 13

●V

The^ Said it

099

“1 wouldn’t waste ny time .●I’d . It goingto see Juan Fablo would be lilce going to a zoo and trying to communicate with a chimpanzee.”

An infuriated David Coulthard comments on Juan Pablo Montoya after qualifying at Silverstone. DC later apologised

●ClHlAHO

■ ' "I bnow with, lilce, seven or eight laps to go, 1 started tearing up. 1 told myself to stop being a sissy and finish the race because I hadn’t won anythingyet.”

AJ puts the ‘men’ in AOmendinger

"The mora I of the story is

more video I need to play games, I guess.

Kurt Busch finished second at Pocono to Denny Hamlin at Pocono, who had never raced there before and attributed his win to computer gaming

Ferrari test driver and Catalunya local Marc Gene got a taste of life on two wheels - and at the end, one - behind Randy Mamola last weekend, above left, dumicorsep,esse There is something for everyone in the Nurburgring 24 Hour race.

Christian Benz vvon the sidesaddle class in his Renault Clio, above right. smor,imoges.com Meanwhile at the Karussel, a wild animal lay in wait... suttonimages.com

Suzuki MotoGP star Chris Vermeulen has his own toys.

Rizia Suzuki Media

res "With the yualifyingty this afternbon fjustwent Brain off out turned my an d went for it!

How to qualify on the front row for a MotoGP, by John Hopkins

Sometimes we think that Neil Blackbourn is a showoff. If we had taken this photo of Michael Guest in Queensland, we would have had our thongs in it.

14

motorsportnews

VJe may never see Valentino Rossi and Kimi Raikkonen line up together at Ferrari- but is the Finn trying out tojoin the Italian ace at Yamaha,left?

Meanwhile at Silverstone, another Rossi got in the action when Status Quo's Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt played in the post-GP concert, above. suttonimages.com

15

news Two minutes with lll

HenriPescarolo YOU are taking part in the Speed in Tweed this year?

Yes I hope so.

I am very busy with my team,even though it is just five IMS races plus Le Mans it takes up a lot of time, but I am hoping to be able to do it.

It sounds like a great event in a great country.

You will be reunited with John Goss?

TWO of the iconic names of international motorsport will join the cast of the Festival of Speed on Tweed.

Nine-time Bathurst winner Peter Brock will be joined by four-time Le Mans 24 Hour winner Henri Pescarolo at the event, which will take place at the Murwillumbah event on September 15-17.This year's event will commemorate the Bathurst endurance classic and as guest of honour. Brock will open the event and complete a number of demonstration laps with some of his Bathurst winning cars.

"Bathurst is the pinnacle of the Australian motorsport industry and has been for many years," said Brock."Culturally the event has had a much bigger impact on the Australian population than any other form of motorsport."

Pescarolo,63, competed at Bathurst three times between 1977 and 1979 and will be reunited with his co-driver on each of those occasions, John Goss.The French racing legend, who competed in 59 Grands Prix, has competed the Le Mans race as a driver a record 33 times and his Pescarolo Sport team finished second in this year's race last weekend.

Yes that is the plan.

We drove together in a Ford Falcon for three years (1977,1978, and 1979) and we had a good time.

I have not really kept in touch with John but I still follow Australian racing and it doesn't seem to have changed much.

The cars are still the same concept of big touring cars with big engines and lots of power and a great noise. I will be very happy to drive one again.

I am just going for pleasure, not to prove anything. I am flattered that I have been asked and I hope that the event is a big success.

Do you know what you will be driving?

No not yet.The organisers have asked me to go, I have said yes, and they will then sort out a car.

Do you have good memories of Australia?

Oh yes, it is a great place.

I have good memories of all my time there with John - he was a nice guy to drive with and we got on well.

I remember I stayed in a big country house and then after the race I hired a motorhome and toured for 3000 kilometres to see the country.

And Bathurst?

An amazing place.

A very interesting track and a real challenge. I was really impressed with it when I raced there and I see that it has not really changed even now.

- DAVID ADDISON

BIG SCREEN BATHURST n

16

JUST when you thought every possible motor racing cliche had been used {and abused)already by the makers of Driven comes news of a new Australian movie based around the sport.

King ofthe Mountain will be shot next year and based on - what else? -the country's greatest motor race - yes,the Bathurst 24 Hour.

Vision from the two events in 2003 and '04 are in the process of being digitally modified to make them suitable for the big screen.

More vision is to be shot at the Easter Bathurst event at the track next April.

The story revolves around an Aussie battler from the wrong side of the tracks(Shannon Noll ofidolfame)who is given the choice between making up for his youthful misdemeanours by either racing a car at Bathurst or going up for a stretch in the Big House. So, he teams ups with a crusty yet wise crew chief(Bryan Brown)to take on a field of stars, including a visiting American bad-guy driver (Julian McMahon),to win the'biggest'race in the country. Also signed for the film are Ben Mendelsohn and Melissa George, who will provide the romance element, while Peter Brock will play(who else?) Peter Brock.

While the Imaginative and fresh underdog-trlumphs-agalnst-

the-odds plot sounds like gold to us, perhaps the producers might consider casting the role of a brilliant yet eccentric motorsport writer who,James Bond-style,saves the world while driving fast cars and romancing fabulous babes, all the while maintaining a perfect hairdo...

Look for King ofthe Mountain to be released in cinemas late next year - and, probably, on DVD a few weeks later.

Pf -

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[f: AGAINST ^ THELAW, n ^ AGAINST i THEHOOD, AGAINST ALL ODDS.

motorsport news

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Le Mam indoors THE Automobile Club de I'Ouest, the organiser of the Le Mans 24 Hours whose rules are used by Le Mans Series in Europe, America and Japan, has announced that the front-running LMP1 racecars will be closed coupes from 2010 onwards.

The current rules accommodate both open and closed cars but the ACO wants roofs because it believes the public will more readily identify the racecars with passenger vehicles. The LMP2 category will remain open-top.

Mika Hakkinen is the latest former Formula 1 World Champion to sign up for the UK's Goodwood Festival of Speed, which will be held over 7-8-9 July. John Surtees, Jack Brabham,Jackie Stewart, Alan Jones, Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill will also be there. Hakkinen will drive a range of Mercedes-Benz racing cars.

Three-time Dutch Touring Car Champion Duncan Huisman has been recruited to replace Marcel Costa in the BMW Team Italy-Spain team for the rest of the 2006 World Touring Car Championship.

Huisman won the final race in the 2005 WTCC in Macau in a privately-entered BMW. VX Racing, the works GM Vauxhall team in the British Touring Car Championship, has prepared a fourth Astra Sport Hatch racecar for Turkish Touring Car Champion Erkut Kizilirmak.

The 36-year-old will join the team at Croft next month and is also expected to race at Donington Park and Snetterton.

Kizilirmak, who is currently second in his national championship with his ex-Yvan Muller BTCC car, made a guest appearance for SEAT in the 2005 World Touring Car Championship at the Istanbul Park circuit.

-QUENTIN SPURRING

SPORTS BOOMTIME Peugeotreadies Audi-killerforHonda,Porsche and... Toyota?

SPORTSCAR racing looks to be on the verge of another golden era, starting with Audi's win at Le Mans last weekend.

The German manufacturer won its sixth 24 Hour race but its first with the new R10,the first diesel-engined car to win the French classic. At the same time, Peugeot unveiled some detail of its 908 diesel project, with which it aims to compete in the race in 2007 with an aim to win the race the following year (see Motor Mouth, page 27).

That places the two dieselengined manufacturers head-tohead for overall honours, while the two factory programs frorh Porsche (in partnership with Penske Motorsports) and Acura/ Honda are expected to make appearances in the 24 Hour race in

MOTORSPORT

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2007 and 2008 respectively.

But that could just be the tip of the iceberg. Allan McNish, who drove in the race for Audi but who has raced in both Sportscar and Formula 1 with Toyota, let slip on the weekend that he expected the Japanese maker to return to the race with an 'alternative energy'technical package - in all likelihood, a hybrid-engined

SP73R

SP85R

car, reflecting the maker's road car engineering direction with Toyota and Lexus.

Toyota has a long history at Le Mans, having made its debut there in 1985. But the maker never got to taste the victory champagne and considers the race to be'unfinished business'.

At the same time, MNews sources suggest that at least one other make is looking at the'alternative'engine route as a return to the race and that Nissan, with the approval of parent company Renault, could return to the race. Like Toyota, the Japanese marque has a long tradition in the race and, again like Toyota, yet to taste success at the highest level.

The possibility that six factory teams could compete in the event is practically unprecedented in the history of the race.

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news

Changes comingfor A1 Grand Prix branagan/spurring A1 Grand Prix has announced a number of changes to its tworace format ahead of its second season,and may be headed back to Australia.

Following losses of almost $300 million in its first season, the self-proclaimed World Cup of Motorsport has cut its intended schedule of 14 events for 200607 to 12 but one of the ports of call still could be Sydney's Eastern Creek, which hosted the new series last November.

"We were very pleased with our association with A1 Grand Prix," said ARDC spokesman Phil Harrison, 'if they decided that they wanted to return, we would be more than happy to have them back."

One option thought to be under consideration for the Australian round is to have a street race

around the Homebush Olympic precinct but, in light of the spectacular maiden-season losses, the cost of such an event makes such a venue potentially unviable, at least in the short-term.

What is more certain are the format changes next year.The Sprint race will be reduced from 30 to 20 minutes, and the Feature race extended from 60 to 70 minutes.The interval between the Sprint and the Feature will be increased to nearly three and a half hours to allow for scrutineering, set-up adjustments to the cars, and decisions about any protests. Championship points will be allocated only to the top six finishers in the Sprint, but to the top 10 once more in the Feature.

A full calendar is presently under development but the 2006-07 series will begin with a new event at Zandvoort in the Netherlands on October 1.

ALAN Docking Racing will enter and prepare Borland Racing Development's Spectrum chassis in selected rounds of this year's United Kingdom Formula Ford Championship.

Current Australian Formula Ford Championship leader John Martin will drive the Spectrum 011 in England, where Martin and Spectrum will together make their international debut at Brands Hatch on August 2627. Martin will return to Australia for the Sandown and Mailala rounds of the local series, before flying back to England to contest rounds at Silverstone,Thruxton and Castle Combe on consecutive weekends.

These rounds will be followed by the prestigious Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch in October.

The Spectrum, which features the UK-spec Duratec engine, will be sent to England for ADR to maintain. Borland's team will have the car completed in the next few weeks, before conducting four or five local tests.

This is Martin's first stop in his international driving career. Martin plans to contest the British Formula 3 Championship in 2007, and the placement of Martin/Spectrum/ADR may be a prelude to next year...

- GRANT ROWLEY

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19

T,

ONE STRANGE,STR

How Champ Car fitted an entire silly season into seven days A

J ALLMENDINGER'S maiden win at Portland last weekend capped off a tumultuous week in Champ Car circles that actually saw the 24-year-old American briefly join the unemployment queue just days before his first appearance in Victory Lane.

Alimendinger was shuffled out of his drive in the #10 RuSPORT entry early last week to make way for 2002 series champion Cristiano da Matta, leaving Alimendinger on the sidelines.

"AJ has been with us since we created RuSPORT late in 2002," RuSPORT boss Carl Russo said.

"However, as RuSPORT and AJ have progressed, we believe a different environment will help AJ to grow even faster, and so we have made this very difficult decision."

The move marked a departure from the team's long-held philosophy of running a full blown American operation, da Matta, meanwhile, abandoned his seat at Dale Coyne Racing to take up the spot at RuSPORT. "To say this is a great opportunity would be an understatement,"da Matta said.

"This is my sixth season in Champ Car. Only in two of the previous five seasons have I felt like I could fight for a race victory every time I went to the track. Now, I can say I have that opportunity again with RuSPORT." Alimendinger had barely finished ripping the stickers off his helmet when word came through of another reshuffle along pitlane, this time at Forsythe Racing where Mario Dominguez shown the door.

Relations between the Mexican and his team had reportedly been strained for some time, and reached a head when he triggered an accident that removed both himself and team-mate Paul Tracy from the race at Milwaukee. It was the second time this year that Dominguez had clouted the sister Forsythe car, having also performed the trick at Long Beach.

On the flipside, he earned one pole and two podiums during his 12-month stint with the team.

"Changes in the engineering structure of the team no longer 20

suit both parties and it was mutually agreed that the best direction forward would be to part ways,"said a statement from the team.

Dominguez concurred:"My management and I have decided that it is in the best interest of my career to part ways with Forsythe Championship Racing," he said.

1 was in a position where playing No.2 in the team was not what I wanted to do this early in the championship,so I believe what's best for my career is to go somewhere where I can be a leader.'

That somewhere proved to be the Dale Coyne seat left vacant by da Matta. Dominguez signed up with the team at the 11th hour and gave it a 14th place finish in Portland.

Which left just two pieces of the puzzle, and happily for all concerned,they fit together perfectly.

Alimendinger slotted in to join Paul Tracy at Forsythe, met everyone in the team,and won first time out.

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INDY Pro Series driver Jaime Camara will make his Ir.dyCar debut at Nashville this Friday.

The young Brazilian will share the number seven Andretti-Green car with Tony Kanaan at the upcoming open test at Nashville.

Marco Andretti will join the pair.

"I'm really excited about the test," said Camara, left. "It's going to be another step in my career, achieving that is a big step for me.

"I hope I can do a good job. At the end if the team is satisfied with my performance, I think that's a very good point in my favour for something for next year.'

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The process begins

Casey trades in his Dodge for a Chev

TOYOTA submitted its first 2007 Camry for NASCAR approval last week.

The car then made its way to the Lockheed wind tunnel in Georgia for aero evaluation before Johnny Benson got behind the wheel of the car at the Atlanta Motor Speedway the following day under the watchful eye of series officials.

Team owner Rick Hendrick is not expecting any team chemistry problems 'next season - despite the fact that his 2007 drivers are not on speaking terms.

Casey Mears, who will replace Brian Vickers at the end of the season, and Kyle Busch had a bitter falling-out after an incident at Phoenix. But according to Hendrick,"that has already been put to bed.'

Clint Bowyer, Reed Sorenson, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch all got around NASCAR's limited testing rule at Infineon Raceway by getting behind the wheel of Busch Series cars at the road course during the second week of June in preparation for the June 25 event.

Apparently NASCAR is none too happy with the idea,so look for a rule amendment as season's end - particularly as Busch cars do not run at Infineon.

Q As reported previously, it's looking more and more likely that UPS will not return to Robert Yates Racing, with Daie Jarrett leaving and Yates Busch Series sponsor Citi Financial moving into the Cup sponsor role.

Sources say UPS will follow Jarrett to the Michael Waltrip-owned Toyota team next season, but with its shipping competitor FedEx doing very nicely with young rookie Denny Hamlin,there are now rumblings it will go to Evernham Motorsports with driver Kasey Kahne, whose Dodge backing is apparently up for renewal at the end of the year.

The other somewhat unlikely outsider is Greg Biffle at Roush Racing, whose sponsor contract with National Guard is up at the end of the season.

Jeff Gordon's heavy wreck at Pocono measured a 64g impact on NASCAR's incar recording devices- the third-heaviest impact in the four years the equipment has been used.

The wreck occurred after his left front brake disc broke, sending the car across the inner curb then into the outside wall at speeds of around 200mph (320 kmh).

- MARTIN D CLARK/STAFF

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AFTER four years in the Texaco Ganassi Dodge,Casey Wears will replace Brian Vickers in the 25 GMAC Chev in 2007.

"This is an opportunity for me to work with close friends and start fresh with one of the top organisations in all of sports," said Wears.

"It's an exciting situation for me, both personally and professionally."

"Casey is a talented driver and a high-character person who is going to be a great fit with our organisation,"team owner Rick Hendrick said.

"He has the ability to win races and ultimately contend for championships,so we're thrilled to welcome him to Hendrick Motorsports."

- MARTIN D CLARK

WHO THE HELL IS THIS GUY? DAVID Gilliland, a part-time Busch Series driver, became the first'Busch driver'to win a Busch race in 18 events,stamping out the stronghold of the Cup drivers at last weekend's Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway.

"I've waited my whole life for this," grinned Gilliland after making it to Victory Lane in just his seventh Busch start."I love racing these Cup drivers, because it's only going to make me better."

Gilliland, a California native and former NASCAR West Series racer, started fourth and then passed and held off a charge from J.J.Yeyley, Denny Hamlin and Mike Wallace to take the flag in his unsponsored Clay Andrews Racing Chevrolet with an engine built by independent Steve Allen.

- MARTIN D CLARK

THREE CARS. WALTRIP MICHAEL Waltrip Racing has announced that Burger King and Domino's pizza will share primary sponsorship of the #00 Toyota Camry in 2007.

The question is, who will drive the car?The team is not willing to divulge that information yet, but admits that it is working on a third Cup team to run alongside the two planned Busch and

Ciwit. .1^.4

Craftsman Truck entries.

Waltrip will drive a NAPA-baeked Camry and veteran Dale Jarrett has already been confirmed as the second driver, which likely means that MWR either have a third sponsor lined up or are still working on a contract, which could be with Jarrett's current sponsor at Robert Yates Racing, UPS. - MARTIN D CLARK

motorsportnews

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stateside

VICKERS WALKS BRIAN Vickers has been granted a release from his contract at the end of the year from Hendrick Motorsports.

Vickers was hired in 2003 by the late Ricky Hendrick to drive for his the Busch Series team.Vickers went on to win the series title that year and moved to the Cup Series the following season, but has been the poorest performer of the four Hendrick Monte Carlos over the last three years.

"This is the hardest thing I've had to do in my life to this point," said Vickers.

"But I took responsibility and no.ade the best decision*! could with the information I had."

What no one is saying at this point is where Vickers will move to, but top of the list appears to be Team Red Bull's new Toyota operation or Robert Yates Racing to replace Dale Jarrett. Alternatively, could he switch rides with Casey Meats at Ganassi?

- MARTIN D CLARK

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23

Second chancefor Barker AFTER being discarded by Toyota at the end of 2005 it appears that Ben Barker is set for a return to the Japanese manufacturer, as plans rapidly progress on the manufacturer's first Super 2000 vehicle.

Speaking at Rally Queensland,team owner Neal Bates outlined the current plan for the outfit.

"We're looking very good to have the first S2000 car up and running in time for the Rally of Melbourne at the end of the season - we've already begun work on a shell,"said Bates.

With Toyota currently dominating the NEC Computers Australian Rally Championship with Simon Evans and Bates,the pair look set to head towards the final round filling the top two championship positions.

Bates had intended earlier in the season to debut the S2000 Corolla in the hands of the driver placed second in the standings, but a re-think has seen Ben Barker come back to the team's attention.

"The last thing we'd want is to risk losing a place in the Championship just to debut a new car, so there is a very real possibility that Ben could get a call up to drive the S2000 car while Simon and I continue to run our existing Group N (P) cars," said Bates.

WRC points leader Sebastien Loeb has predicted that the second half of the WRC season will prove a lot tougher for him as development on the Citroen Xsara comes to a halt.

"We have an old car now,it's still really, really good, but we have to work on the C4 for next year,"said Loeb, who has been hard at work testing Citroen's replacement World Rally Car, the C4.

"Ford will continue(to develop their car). It may be more difficult for me.

"There's not a lot coming on the Xsara though. We have two more tests, Germany and Finland. And then we're finished testing with it."

SECOND EVO ON THE WAY? MITSUBISHI Ralliart's Alan Heaphy has confirmed rumours that the team are building a second Evolution IX Lancer, but played down suggestions that the second car will hit the stages this season.

A rumour involving reigning Privateers Champion Steve Glenney has been circulating since the Forest Rally in Western Australia. It suggests that Glenney would bring funding to the team

to secure the drive, with a debut as early as the fifth Round in South Australia.

"We are most definitely building a new car at the moment to replace the existing car Scott Redder is driving, which means that we will have a fully-prepared car sitting in the workshop,"said Heaphy.

"But at this stage, we just don't have the budget to run a two-car team.

"I'd love to be able to announce a second car, and I hope to be able to in the future, but right now it's not feasible."

Glenney has been linked to the Heaphy-run team for over 12 months after impressing with his performances during the 2005 season, however a lack of sponsorship funding has left the South Australian sitting on the sidelines so far this year.

- RYAN LAHIFF

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

THE World Rally Commission appears to face some tough decisions, with six fledgling events vying for a spot in the calendar for next year's World Rally Championship.

The sixth and final candididate,the Polish Rally, ran two weeks ago,and with stiff competition from Portugal, Ireland, pictured, Jordan, South Africa and Norway the pressure was on for Poland to perform.

"I really liked the special stages. For its route and the accommodation,this rally is up to World Championship standards,"claimed leading Polish driver Michal Solowow.

Glowing reports from key WRC personnel on each of the six events has done little to determine a

clear favourite, however what is clear is that if any of these events are to feature in the 2007 World Rally Championship it will be at the expense of one of the existing 16 Rounds.

Australia's future in the series is yet to be determined, with Western Australia discarding the event after this year's running ofTelstra Rally Australia, and the admission of one of the new events could come at the local rally's expense.

Australian Rally Commission Chairman Garry Connelly admitted to MNews last week that a possible announcement date for the new home for Rally Australia remained unclear.

- RYAN LAHIFF

- RYAN LAHIFF

motorspoitnews

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CMLu OM mm mmm i weighing his options for 2007

APTiER a rollercoaster T2 months,@igi Gaili has hinted ; that he!has a:major deal!io ! line for the 2007 WRC season.

"It is maybe too ea riy yetto n understand what is going to happen in 2007,"he said.

"Mopefully we eani fenow ^ something in September. But for now it is still too early."

I Gaili had the carpet pulled ; outfrom underneath him 1 when Mitsubishi ceased its ' 1 W.RC programme without warning atthe end of 2005.

However,the Italian has i rebou nded during the 2006 ! season with strong;resuilts iin; I both a privately^run Lancer ; and Peugeot 307,including;a I podium finishin Argentina. ; Speaking candidly about

his recent past, Gaili was quick to level criticism at his former emiployers at Mitsuibishit "I have to say obviously it was a big pity what happenedi to Mitsubishi" he saidi "We spent two years trying; tod'eveiop thefir.1he ipotentiai is there."

Gaili ihas also denied: recent media reports that suggested he was to compete in;a privateer Subaru,diuringi the second half of the current WRC season. "fhere is nothing that I can; tell you," he said."Of course we try to speak toevery tea m;a ndi !|am ready to do something.

But there is no iplan> that l ean tel you;" - RJ^N LAHIPP

Sorry Tales atSkoda

SKODA Red Bull's mid-season recruit Harri Rovanpera says that limitations with his Skoda Fabia are preventing him from driving at his best.

"I still have a certain limit while driving right now, which I can't transgress yet because of my car set-up,"said Rovanpera, who struggled to 12th atthe previous round in Greece.

"We changed a lot, but haven't found the settings that would allow me to bring home some points for the drivers'championship. We need to continue to work together to improve this situation as fast as possible."

Red Bull team boss Raimund Baumschlager admitted that Rovanpera's performance was blighted by a set-up that didn't favour the Finn.

"There's still something wrong with the entire package,"he said."The only positive aspect was that we brought both (Red Bull) Fabia WRCs to the finish. We need to use the summer break before Germany to develop new parts and test them beforehand."

- RYAN LAHIFF

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T

HE Peugeot 908 will mark our return to Le Mans in 2007,and we are very excited about the return to the event.

We have launched the engine here at Le Mans this weekend,and our plan is to unveil the car at the Paris Motor Show in September, when we will be announcing more about our drivers and our programme for next season.

The engine is the HDiFAP and it is a 100 degree,VI2,SSOOcc engine,the maximum allowed under the regulations,and it will maximise the acceleration at low revs out of corners.

The 100 degree V-angle allows the height of the centre of gravity to be lowered without affecting the torsional rigidity of the engine.

Two diesel particulate filters will be mounted at the end of each ofthe exhaust systems, and through technology which has come from production cars,they will provide a guaranteed control of exhaust emissions under all operating conditions.

The engine is expected to produce 700bhp and is without precedent in a diesel engine.

It is a direct result of Peugeot's know-how in diesel technology.We will be working with Michelin as our tyre partner, with whom we have worked for many years.

WeSeptember will be testing the engine 30 onwards and from at the end of the year we wiii be running the first laps for the car, but as yet we are not announcing what our programme for 2007 is going to be.

We are obviously treating Le Mans as our priority, but we will look at other races as well.

For example,Sebring would be a good test for the car, but remember that Peugeot does not sell cars in the US and so it is not a market that is a priority, and therefore a European-based programme may be better for us. But that will be announced later in the year.

Our aim is to beat our competitors, but we must do this in a market that is beneficial to us.

We are not yet revealing whether the car will be an open or closed prototype, as again this will be revealed later this season, but we can confirm that we will be treating our return to racing as a long-term project.

We can confirm that it is our intention to run two cars in the 2007 Le Mans 24 Hour race, but our full programme will be confirmed in September.

Ithouse. is our We intention towith conduct project as inworked Henrithe Pescarolo a consultant in the early stages ofthe project, but that has now concluded.

We have designed and built our own engine and we will design and build our own chassis as well - we prefer to do everything in-house.

We will be looking at drivers soon as well.

We are working with Eric Helary in the testing process and obviously we will consider him for a drive, but we will not commit yet. We would like French drivers, but we will also look at drivers from other nationaiities. it is our desire to have the best drivers

MOTOR with Frederic St Ceours CEO. PSA (Peugeot)

t

possible, and if that means non-French drivers, then we will consider it strongly. Remember that we are talking to drivers for a long-term project, notjust one race.

It is possible that we will not be the first manufacturer to win Le Mans with a diesel engine, but is our aim to beat the other brand.

We are just excited about racing at Le Mans again and being successful once again.

We will be running the project without our Director of Peugeot Sport Jean-Pierre .Nicolas, n who is retiring in Septenh'b’er. He will be replaced by Michel Barge, who will be taking over the project, but he will be working with Jean-Pierre's team.

Jean-Pierre has been with us since 1983 and has worked on our FI,sports car and rallying projects and he will be much missed within PSA. I doubt,though,that he will be able to keep away once the car races!

Peugeot has a proud history at Le Mans and we are twice a winner of this great race. As a French manufacturer we.want to win again, and that is our goal. We will not be happy with». defeat.

»)■

F

ORMULA 1 team bosses are always looking for the next big thing - be that a driver or a technical tweak that will help them win.

In general, Formula 1 has a tendency to jump on one bandwagon after another. At the start of this year people started getting rather excited about Nico Rosberg but since then, he has not continued to outshine Mark Webber and has settled back to being a driver who is doing OK. The next big thing at the moment is Lewis Hamilton, who has done spectacular things this year in his rookie year in GP2. Hamilton drives for the ART Grand Prix team and it is clear that this team has a technical advantage over the others.The cars are quick and no-one seems to know why.They helped Rosberg to get into FI last year and are doing the same this year for Hamilton.

The important thing, however, is that Hamilton has humiliated his ART team-mate Alexandre Premat.The Frenchman is a man with a season of experience in the formula and all-but matched Rosberg most of the time in 2005 - when they were both rookies.The fact that a rookie is beating him hands down. indicates that Hamilton is a talent far in excess of Rosberg.This should not be a surprise, as they have raced together since they were young teenagers and Hamilton has always won.

In that particular generation,the man who pushed Hamilton hardest was not Rosberg but rather Robert Kubica.

Lewis's peopleperformances thinking thatthis hereyear mayhave be astarted future World Champion. Hamilton himself is wiser than that. He keeps his feet on the ground and drives himself on to success.

Tput a lot of pressure on myselfT he says.'The desire to win is so strong, it's incredible So when you make a mistake,and you know you shouldn't have made a mistake or you know you can do better,it's a real pain.'

In Spain Premat,staring a future in Sportscars in the face, pulled offa rather cheap trick and bumped Hamilton into a spin and won the ace Prematjumped around on the podium.

apparently proud of his'achievement'. Hamilton smiled and said nothing but he was angry. He did not consider the move to have been fair.

But he behaved like a professional. Kept his mouth shut and did his talking on the racetrack.

Premat, more than ever, is now facing a future as a Sportscar driver.

Much of this calmness comes from a grounded family background.This is no spoilt brat racer who grew up in Monaco with everything he ever needed. Hamilton lived comfortably but kept his feet on the ground.

His brother Nicholas has cerebral palsy and Hamilton admits that this has helped him keep things in perspective.

The big question asked in FItocircles is whether or notnow Ronbeing Dennis is going take the risk and sign up Hamilton if Kimi Raikkonen does decide to go elsewhere.The team already has Fernando Alonso coming in and a combination of Alonso and Hamilton would likely be the strongest in FI,

"He is the most impressive driver I've seen in a long while^' Stirling Moss, left, sings the praises of Lewis Hamilton, right

opinion Dennis and Hamilton go back to the day when the 11 -year-old karter walked up to the McLaren boss and introduced himself and told Dennis that one day he would like to drive for McLaren. Dennis was impressed and when Hamilton did well, he noticed and started to pay for Hamilton's racing. Hamilton makes no bones about the fact that without Dennis's support he would not be where he is today.

Dennis is conservative by nature but having seen Rosberg's performance at Williams, and perhaps having noted that Hamilton has got faster as he has raced cars with more horsepower(always a good sign), there is a strong possibility that Hamilton could be in FI next year.These days experience counts for a lot and drivers spend a lot of time driving simulators before they ever get the chance of

|21PJune200g

testing a real FI car. But Rosberg came into FI this year with a bang having spent the winter racking up the testing miles. It will not be easy b ut then Hamilton is no ordinary racing driver.

He has caught the eye of many in FI, among them Sir Stirling Moss.

He is the most impressive young driver I've seen in a long while," Moss said at Silverstone.'

He has the car control and he has the calmness when he is driving, but he is also a fighter and has a great manner about him.'

More than one team boss has muttered quietly that they would like to know if there was a way that Hamilton could be prised out of his McLaren deal but somehow I don't see that happening.

I think he will be with Alonso next year.

FAMILY FRIENDLY Top Fuel Champion PHIL READ

T

HIS is my second year driving Top Fuel, but I've been to every drag race meeting since I was about 15.1 guess I know my way around the traps,so to win the Top Fuel Championship is just amazing.

I was hoping to do it in my first season!That may sound cocky, but I knew with the new car we'd be in with a really good chance.

The new car probably gave us an extra 20 percent performance in horsepower alone.There is nothing wrong with the old chassis, but the technology with the new car, the fuel balance,the clutch curve and things like that - It's a tried and true product.The Lamattinas brought out a new car to win their first championship last year, and we basically followed suit.

Heading into the title deciding round, I wasn't nervous at all. It didn't bother me from where we'd come from, because Darren Morgan was well ahead in the points standings before we took delivery of the new car.

I must admit,though,that after Darren was knocked out of the first round at Willowbank,

everyone was Jumping around screaming "we've won,we've won!" We were only five points in front and if someone else had of run quicker than us, we would have lost our advantage. I was more nervous about getting that first round win over Roy Smith than I had been all year. I Just wanted to get the Job done and make sure 100 percent that we could not be beaten.

Realistically, we probably weren't going to be beaten, but Santo's car has run quicker that 4.89s before,so I wanted to make sure.

1 was strapped into the car when Morgan was beaten, and I said to my brother "let's not get excited yet, let's get the Job done and we'll celebrate later."

W

inning the meeting was a great way to top off the season, especially after we had Just lost our good friend Ian Kleeman. He'll very much be missed. I ran a tribute to him on the side of my car, so I think its our good luck charm now. I don't think I'll ever take that off.

He was about the only person in the world who could control my father when he gets angry!

Ian was dad's boss, and his best mate at the same time, and a great friend of the family. Drag racing is very much a family

sport in Australia. My kids come to all the races, there are eight family members in total, and all of us are going to dearly miss Ian.

N

ext season, we want to go back-to-back. We are only still in a learning phase in terms of this car, and we have learnt a hell of a lot already in our five races. It's been to every;, final round since its been in this country - so look out next year.

I can't see it being too long before we run in the 4.5s, and that would be great. 4.5s is Just about the last milestone that and 330mph,which won't be broken for a while. I can't see anyone running 4.4s for a long time,so if we can be the first into the 4.5s,that would be huge. Dad got 10 or 12 milestones in his career, and if I can get one, I would be thrilled.

BEFORE I got to the Intel London Grand Prix street demonstration, it felt like it was Just going to be another day where I was going to drive a race car.

But when I got there, I realised straight away that this was a big deal and I was one of the main attractions.There were only three drivers at the event, and even though Jacques Villeneuve was getting most of the attention, Andy Priaulx and I were both getting a lot of attention, Andy from the British fans, and me from the Australian and Kiwi tourists that were there to have a look. It was great to see all the Aussies and Kiwis and hear the familiar

TOYOT

A

OUR TRD Corollas are currently sitting first and second in the Australian Rally Championship, and obviously we're incredibly happy about it.

It's something that we've built and worked on to try to get into this position for the last three-odd years, so it's pretty satisfying when it is all working and going to plan.

Making the cars competitive has been a iong process and to be honest, when we took this on, we probably thought that we could do it quicker. But that didn't prove to be the case. Some of the rules were very slow in allowing some VOs or homologations to the car, but it's all there now and we're happy and taking the successes while we can.

The car is not too far removed from how it first appeared at the Rally of Melbourne in 2002.There are only very subtle changes that

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accents and I signed a lot of autographs.

In the morning Martin Brundle did a track walk with us. It wasn't a usual track walk, as the track was just a 400-metre circuit up and down with a circle area at one end for burnouts. It actually looked like it was going to rain, but it turned out fine.

After all the introductions we all went back to our tents.

JV went out first and pretty much did burnouts for 10 minutes to show how much power an FI car has got, something that Intel were keen on displaying as part of

the whole event.

Then Andy and I went on. Andy took passengers for one lap around the track, doing burnouts a lot of the way.Then as Andy pulled in to switch passengers I'd go out and do laps and burnouts.

After that we both did some press stuff. It was a heap of fun and a really great event.

The crowd was very excited about the whole thing.There was a really good turn out considering some of the difficulties in staging the event. Because the venue is a'royal place'you are not allowed to advertise any

rA lid

event held there, but there was still a big crowd.

Out the front of Albert Hall is an exclusive strip of London and it is near Princess Diana's memorial, it took a lot of work to get the event there so there were a lot of strict guidelines.The Formula BMW I drove had a straight exhaust - the crowd enjoyed the noise a lot, but the people that live there didn't...

For more with Michael Patrizi, check out the MNews Piatinum website for 'Postcards from Engiand'- Patrizi's exclusive diary, only available to MNews subscribers...

REAPING THE REWARDS TRD driver/team principal

NEAL BATES

have made the difference.

Obviously there have been developments on the car, but a lot of the stuff that is on there now is very similar to what was there at the start.

It's all just working better now.

But there have been some milestones. Some of the stuff along the way that makes us feel good about the achievements are things like developing our own centre differential. We did the whole thing from scratch - hyrdraulics, electronics, mechanicals ... the whole lot.

Having been through it ourselves, we know what Ford is up against right now 21 June 2006

with its Focus. We are trying to encourage Ford as much as we can, and help them all I the way. Developing a Group N (P) car is a very big job, and when we initially took on this task we thought we could probably do it quicker than what we did.

It is a very tough and close competition, and sometimes you make a change on the car in testing and think,'yeah, that's great,'and then you go to a rally and you don't see any difference from the previous rally, it is tough, and I am sure it will take Ford a couple of years before they are truly competitive.

/ S/TZ04

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31

Five minutes wi

STEVE ELLERY

After six months on the couch, Steve Ellery is preparing to make his V8 Supercar comeback at Hidden Valley with Paul yworris A/lotorsport. He spoke to MARK CLElMDElMNllMC MOTORSPORT NEWS: Race drivers tend not to make great spectators, so I guess it will be nice to get back into the thick of things at Hidden Valley?

STEVE ELLERY: Oh,it will be. Since Phillip Island last year I guess I have been a bit toey, but I've been enjoying the time off as well.

It's just great to get an opportunity to get back behind the wheel before Sandown and get some of the cobwebs out and get back up to speed. I'm really looking forward to it.

When did you get the call?

Last week. I mean,doing Queensland was always on the cards; that was sort of something that was always going to happen, although the Darwin thing was unexpected.

But I am really happy to have gotten the call-up, and I'm going to grab the opportunity with both hands and go out there and get plenty of miles, get some experience, and get back up to speed. it's not like you don't know how to drive these cars, so what will be the hardest thing to adapt to? Is itjust a matter of getting used to having 30 of them buzzing around you?

Yeah, I think that's probably the main thing. I've been testing with the guys and the times haven't been too bad.

Probably the thing that has been hardest to find is those last couple of tenths of a second. Even though I'm fast, I've just lost that ability to find those last couple of tenths when I need them.

It's not something that won't come back - once I get back in the car and get out there and the competition starts, and you're comparing yourself to 30 other cars, all of a sudden you find it within yourself.

It's a just a good opportunity to go out there and blow out the cobwebs,and get around all the other cars again and learn how everyone races again and all that 32

I am keen to keep driving these cars; I don't want to get out of the series just yet. 1 don't think I'm too old, so we'll just see where it takes us. I'll just enjoy It while I can.

"I think, as a driver. I am going to benefit from the six months that I've had off'* sort of thing.

But to tell you the honest truth, 1 haven't forgotten a lot!

The weather in Queensland could do anything, but it's a fairly safe bet that Darwin will be pretty warm. Is conditioning going to be a problem?

Oh,look ... it shouldn't be, because I have been training. It's not like I've been sitting on my backside doing nothing. I've been keeping fit and everything else.

But when you are not in the cars a lot, of course the one thing you do notice is the heat. But 1 have been racing these cars for 11 years. There will be some small conditioning things, but it shouldn't be a problem.

I actually think that for the longer-term and what we want to achieve later in the year, the conditioning that I'm going to get from racing at Hidden Valley should be fantastic for me. I'm going to leave there better for it.

So what have you been doing over the past six months?

Not much!(laughs). Enjoying life!

I have spent a lot more time with

the family. I get to watch the kids' football games, and one of my kids is in an orchestra, so I get to go and watch all of the concerts.

It's been pretty good, actually.

What instrument do they play?

The violin.

Well, that would be quieter than having a kid with a drum kit in the house...

Yeah, well that's me!

So is the plan to come back into Supercars full-time?

I don't know. We'll see where this goes. I have a contract with Paul [Morris] for next year - it was a two year deal - so we'll see where all this goes. ^ If I can go out in these next few races and go well, then you never know what opportunities might come to you. And I think that long-term for me as a driver, I am going to benefit from the six months that I have had off.

If I do have the desire and the results do come and there is a show ofform there, then if the right opportunities arise in the right places then I might look at it.

Guys like Jamie Whincup and Dean Canto have proven that it is possible to return after an enforced break.

Definitely. There had been a lot of stress for us over the past couple of years, with all the Super Cheap stuff that went on and then last year with what happened after Bathurst.

There has been a huge amount of stress for me,and it has been really good to just take some time off and get rid of some of that;just drop my shoulders a bit, and relax, and spend some time with the family and friends, and do some things that I've not really been able to do before.

I have really enjoyed that, and now I am ready to get back into competition.

Not wanting to harp on it, but the timing of last year's fallout must have been frustrating, as it was probably one of your best performances over an entire season as a driver?

I don't mind talking about it, because I had a good time last year and I still stand by it. I enjoyed Triple Eight more than I have enjoyed anything I have ever done.

It was a fantastic opportunity for me, but at the same time, a huge disappointment as well. It was a great season, but it could have been better. And I think members of the team would sit down and look at that as well, and say that it could have been better on their side, and it certainly could have been better on my side as

well.

It was a good time, I enjoyed it, but I think positive and I am looking at the future.

Whatever the future holds for me, I am looking forward to embracing it and seeing where we end up.

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interview

'^'tltlLMENDINGER Between rounds of the Champ Car World Series, the American was sacked by RuSport, hired by Forsythe and qualified on the front row and won in Portland. Here is what he thought later QUESTION; AJ, how good is this?

AJ ALLMENDINGER:This is absolutely amazing. I still don't think I really understand it and believe that it happened. I know with, like, seven or eight laps to go, I started tearing up. I told myself to stop being a sissy and finish the race because I hadn't won anything yet.

It just absolutely amazing. I can't thank Forsythe and the whole team enough for everything they've done for me this weekend.

Before the weekend even started, just stuff like travel and stuff that happens -[stuff that] doesn't seem that big of a deal that sometimes can be trouble - they made so easy.

Getting here,the group of guys were absolutely fantastic. I can't thank them enough for what they made me feel like when I got here and how comfortable I was to get in the car, out of the car, how much fun they made this weekend go.

I mean,the pit stops were absolutely fantastic. I just can't thank the whole team enough.

Tell us a little bit about the second stint, you have a 7.7 second lead, (Justin Wilson) starts whittling away, you come out of the second stop, there he is.

I was hoping that since I would switch colours,Justin would be a lot nicer to me, but he's not. (laughs).

Fie just started running me down. I was really struggling in lapped traffic. Katherine Legge held me up for three laps. I knew watching my lap times I was running 60.4 and [60.]5s by myself.

Once I got behind Katherine, I was running 62[s]. I knew Justin was coming.

I beat him out of the pits, thanks to the Forsythe pit crew. I just knew I had to pace myself because once we got through the lapped traffic, started pulling away, my car was getting off the last corner really well, so it was going to take a mistake by me or Justin to really get a great run on me 34

"I figured Dale Jr did it, so why couldn't I?" - AJ discusses the finer points ofcussing on TV

to get around me. I saw him lock up, and I knew that he probably flat-spotted his tyre right there.

So once we got through traffic, I just drove as hard as I could to get away from him.We were able to pull enough [of a] gap.

From there on, it was kind of just pacing and taking care of the car because I knew I had a six- to eight-second lead. I was just pacing myself the last few laps and bringing the car home.

What did you see at the start?

Luckily a clear track, that was good. In my mirrors, looked like chaos.

I don't really know what happened on the start. The first start, Bruno really took off early.

Ithinkkind of caught the whole field offguard. So they didn't throw the green. On the second start, I think he was waiting a while because he didn't want to jump the start again.

Maybe the flagger,JD, was thinking he might try to take off early. Just listening to Justin as I walked in, about the same thing, I wasn't even looking up. 1 was kind of getting ready to take off.They yelled "green"to me,so it was a bit of a mess going into turn one.

Once I saw - coming out of turn one, Dan [Clarke] was behind me, I knew I probably had a better car. I really tried to pace myself and save the tyres, but still kind of drive away. I think that's what got us such a big lead in the first stint.

Are you glad CBS has a six-second delay?

Did I cuss on TV? Yeah, after taking the checkers.

I didn't remember that! Oh, well, yes then. I don't know. It

didn't matter at that point. I was just yelling, so... [I] figured Dale [Earnhardt] Jr. did it, so why couldn't I? Your dad and you were hugging after the race,just a great display, what did that mean to you?

I mean,[it was]just a build-up of emotion for two-and-a-half years.

I came so close, obviously, at Edmonton last year, wasn't able to get it. Being on Father's Day, really just everything that my parents have done to me and mean to me,just kind of the emotional rollercoaster that I went through the last week,it just kind of built up. I knew that it was going to come to that point once I got out of the car. But I wouldn't have it any different.

This was a two-race deal, do you think this helps your cause to stay in the car ail year?

Actually, they said since I didn't qualify [on] pole yesterday, they're going to look at if I'm going to be in the car at Cleveland (laughter).

As I said before, I think we wanted to look at, see if the team gelled, myself and the whole team would get along and work well together. I think we showed that that happened today. It was just more building for the rest of the year.

I'm not too worried about it.

Everything will sort itself out.

Mostly, I would think I'll be in the car the rest of the year.

What was the major difference between today compared to past weekends that you were not able to win? There has to be some reason why you were able to come through.

Well, I mean,the first thing was

that Forsythe this weekend just gave me a fantastic car. I think working well with my engineer, Michael (Cannon),the whole team, made it easy.

But more importantly, after signing with Forsythe, I just kind of had a new lease on my career, excitement,[I] knew there was going to be great opportunity. I was thrilled to sign with Forsythe.

So coming to the racetrack, meeting all the guys, seeing how energized they were,to see me being at the team, makes it exciting to sit in the car, talk to the guys all weekend.

When you're more relaxed, having fun, it seems to make a your job a little easier. I think because of what Forsythe is all about,everything they have done for me, up to this week and during the weekend, 1 was just excited to be here and have fun and it showed.

Obviously, you weren't having fun and weren't relaxed before.

Well, I think, as Carl (Russo) said, there was difference of opinions.

We were going at it a different way. But other than that, like I said, I have no hard feelings. I'm happy that Carl made the decision.

It was a little hard at that point to figure out what was going to happen in the short-term. But it figured itself out. When you're able to come in a new situation and really just have a new attitude about the excitement of being here, as I said, it can make your job a bit easier.

Flow tough was it to deal with lapped traffic today, it seems like a lot of people were having trouble with that today.

Well, I think that was the problem.

It was hard to get close to the lapper in front of you. It seemed like, for me at least, I don't know about the other guys, but I'd always come up on two guys racing each other. So obviously they don't want to move over because they're racing for position. So it was difficult.

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interview

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Difference a Year Makes In fune 2005,the HSV Dealer Team was in the basement ofV8 Supercar racing.This year,they are 1-2 in the championship.

What happened in between? PHIL BRANAGAN asked m

v8supercars s is

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T was one of those freaky, numerology-meetsastrology things that, fittingly, seem to emanate from some parts of Asia.

The workshop looked similar, most of the faces looked familiar (if a little older) but there was a spring in the step that was not there a year ago.Twelve months and one day ago, what was then the HSV DealerTeam had lurched back to Melbourne from V8 Supercars'first(and, as it turned out, only) venture into China, heads down,arses kicked.

That weekend at the Shanghai International Circuit the team had been plundered; in front of the V8 Supercar fraternity and a billion and a quarter locals. Garth Tander and Rick Kelly had finished 19th and 30th respectively,from a field of 32 entries.

Worse than that, in a Holden dressed up as a Buick (to make it all the more relevant to the aforementioned natives), Kelly had qualified 32nd for the race.

Without suffering any specific disasters - crash, mechanical breakdown, illness or earthquake the two-time Bathurst 1000 victor, a guy looked upon as one of the sport's great young talents, was stone motherless last on the grid.

Now,the scene at the'other' Clayton team is different.Things are brighter(OK, we concede that a bunch of orange paint has heiped)and people almost leap about while conducting their business.That is off the track; four rounds into a 13-round championship,Tander is leading and his closest challenger is his 23year-old team-mate.

What a difference a year makes.

A mere 365 days earlier, the soundtrack for what had been Kmart Racing,a two-time Bathurst winner and one of the iconic Holden teams in the country, might have been The Easybeats.

fn/rmraCTiTil

Now,it wouid not be a shock to walk onto the shop floor and hear We will Rock You. So, what the "From last hell yearhappened? to this year... we sat down at Christmas time and analysed our performance," says team manager Rob Crawford.

“We identified our weaknesses and put in a plan to fix what happened in the first haif of the [2005] year.

"Traditionaiiy, we have, as a team,gone badly in the first half of the season. Why? It was partially down to the drivers not being as ready as they might be,and down to the team not being on top of the cars that we had at the time.

The engineering staff was not up to speed, we were not there on strategy and pitstops.

Sometimes,it takes hitting rock bottom before taking a forward step and China was a disaster.

"Absolutely,"concurs Crawford.

"After China, we sat down and tried to fix things.There were a heap of things to fix. Not just the cars, with set-ups, strategy - did we get things that wrong? - and big questions, like, were the drivers driving the cars the way that they needed to be driven? Garth was in the top 10 in China,sure, but Rick struggled.

"There was a program put together for the drivers, with their fitness, and we made some changes in the engineering department.We now go through different processes in our engineering department than we did 12 months ago and there have, obviously, been benefits."

But... the five million doliar question is,'What went wrong in the first place?'

"We got lost, absolutely lost. It was probably a combination of 20 things that were wrong and trying to rectify those little two percenters and trying to rectify those things was what we needed

to do to be a successful team.We were having team meetings left, right and centre and everyone had to lift their game. Decisions that were being made had to be changed and the input from the drivers had to be changed.

"So we came up with different reporting systems from the drivers to the engineers and from the engineers to the mechanics.

Continued on page 38

got lost, absolutely lost.

It was probably a combinatfon of.20 things that -nw were wrongfF Toll/HSV maniiger Rob Crawford

No good thoughts, to takeaway: The best thing that Rick Kelly can say about his race in China is that he was not hurt when he crashed, above.

If they win, they better not thank all their sponsors: Tander and Kelly run 1-2 in the championship and are a major threat for the rest of the season.

"Last year, we were not grouped with HRT. This year, we continued from page 37 t may seem a little odd to say that a team that had changed identities three times in three years has remained fairly stable.

But while the'second'Clayton team has changed from Kmart Racing to HSVtoToll/HSV, and its cars subsequently look much different, the inner sanctum of the squad is largely unchanged.The experienced trio of Crawford and race engineers Erik Pender (Kelly) and Matty Nilsson (Tander) is in place; since Greg Murphy left at the end of 2004 to pursue a title at Super Cheap,only one other person has left the team.

"Garth has gelled with his engineer and the same has happened with Rick,"affirms Crawford."There are now good bonds in place there."

If the core group of people running the John and Margaret Kelly-owned team is the same,its situation is much, much different to how it was two years ago.

Most tellingly, transport giant Toll has arrived. After clipping its toe in the V8 waters some years back with a single entry for 38

AnthonyTratt(and leaving it in until 2005)company boss Paul Little indicated that he wanted to get serious this year and was the object of much courting from the teams in pitlane.The HSV team won the race to get the money and the orange, black and white paint.

"They have been a great asset," says Crawford."They have brought the money into the team to allow us to go racing in a competitive manner. Last year, probably, we did not have as much and we could not do what we wanted to in R&D. Now, we can do that."

The other arrival in the game plan was Tom Walkinshaw - or, more correctly, Walkinshaw Performance.The long-time Holden man moved in to sort out a myriad of problems and, because of the common linkToll and HRT share with WPG,the teams are now grouped by TEGA. How does that work?

"Tom has taken over the managerial role of running our team and Mark's [Skaife's] team and he manages it from the UK," explains Crawford."We run the team, he lets me run the team the way I want to. When there is a

mistake, he wants to know what went wrong and what processes are in place to fix it."

Great. Happy,smiling faces at Clayton. But, with only six days of testing available to teams anyway, surely losing 50 percent of that small allocation is a major loss?

Crawford muses for a while before answering.

"Last year, we were not grouped with HRT.This year, we are and that has definitely helped in some respects. We have to be smarter on how we go testing, and the test programs we put in place prove that we are doing that part of the job better. A lot of times, you go testing and it turns into a qualifying session. So now, we are smarter, we divide the testing up between the two teams.

"We are allowed, within the rules, exchange data between the teams.That is, obviously, a benefit to all four drivers. But you have to be able to compare apples with apples and not oranges, so that is why you have to have the four cars the same. Having the same equipment has helped; being able to swap data between four cars is a big advantage when you get to a race weekend.You can

see something that Mark orTodd [Kelly] are doing a little differently and our guys pick up on that. HRT can pick up on what our guys do as well." ' One thing that has not changed is bragging rights. HRT wants to beat Toll and vice versa.

"Nothing has changed in that respect.The drivers want to beat their team-mates. It is the same for our team; we want to beat those guys down there.That is 100 percent and it is the same with them. In doing that, you lift the bar and, when you do that you are, hopefully, quicker than the fastest Ford team out there.

There must be some interesting scenes in Tom's Cafe,the on-site eatery that services both teams, Holden Special Vehicles and other tenants of the business park...

T

ander's arrival in the team took a while to gel.

With no disrespect at all,Tander had been a fixture at the Rogers team for years, and Greg Murphy was, likewise, the go-to guy at Kmart Racing. When the change came at the start of 2005, it was inevitable that things would take a while to fine-tune. So, how do

motorsportnews

V8supercars

eumMc OF RACING WE'RE PMCTiemC OUR PITSTOPS - AND WE^^T^AKIHC the KINCSWOOD

Glory Days: Kelly and Greg Murphy twice topped the podium at Bathurst, above.

Hometown Hero: Tander and Kelly are now the men with thejob in front ofthem,right.

that has helped in some respects'* Tander and Kelly stack up?

"They are pretty even,"says Crawford, "they are probably only half a spring different in their cars.

When one driver is not going as well as the other, we can throw the other guy's set-up into the car quickly and that works pretty well. It is perfect for the endurance races. When they do test the other driver's car, it never takes them long to get used to it. There have been times in testing when Rick has been faster in Garth's car than in his own, and vice versa."

And so far, despite running 1-2 on uncorrected points, there have been no wins for the pair. Not good enough, according to the team boss.

"We are in a good position as we speak but i still feel that we have underachieved in the first half of the season. There have been times that we should have won rounds and we haven't. We should have had more podiums but we have not exploited our opportunities. We need to be faster in the second half of the season. To win a championship you need to win rounds. We have stepped on our dicks too many times in the first half of the season.

21 June 2006

"We sat down at the start of the season, the drivers, the engineers, the whole team and we looked at how Russell [Ingall] won it [last season]. We stated there and then that we have to finish every race.

Last time at Winton, Lowndesy was hitting Garth up the rear end for three laps and you need to say, under those circumstances, 'Garth, pull over and wave him by', because if the rear bumper comes loose, you get a mechanical black flag, you are in pit lane and out of it. 5o it is smarter to wave it past and press on, to manage and get it right."

H

istory shows that, after the debacle of 5hanghai, Tander and Kelly were able to turn it around with immediate effect.

In the following round at Hidden Valley, they finished second and third respectively, behind only Todd Kelly. For most of the rest of the season - Bathurst apart - they were a factor; at 5ymmons Plains and Phillip Island, they were just plain fast.

The bad news for the opposition is all those tracks are coming up again, starting in Darwin next week...

; THETEGA Cost Containment police needs to pay a visit to Clayton. i I Sure,there is some impressive hardware around the business | ! park, but once you work you way around the various merchandising I ; transporters, you may spy one ofToll's secret weapons in the corner. | Atthe very best of it, a Holden Kingswood is about 30 years old. A j i good one can bring as much as $20,000; a bad one as little as $500. | Toll Racing has a Holden Kingswood and it is worth about $99.95. i ; Itisashockerexceptforthefactthat, new,its wheels and tyres are | worth around $7000 - and it has on-board airjacks. | I What the hell is going on here?

I "We asked Holden fora car to use for pitstop practice,"explains i Crawford."We could not get one so we thought.To hell with this, we j will build one'." i One of the team members'family had an old HZ with a nice interior ■I and a rough-as-guts outside. It was just what he wanted for a project ! so, when he was finished stripping it, out came the interior guards, in ' went jacks, brakes and wheels (all well-experienced and, by racing I standards, buggered) and a race seat and bingo! Toll's pitstop car. ' Twice a day (unless it is raining) the crew line up its gear, don i helmets and, Crawford aboard, the old dunger's 202 is warmed up. He I is quite adept at getting the car on the marks (he can even arrive with I the rears locked up, V8 5uperstar-style) and it's up, rattle, lug, rattle again, down. A good time is around 4s; excellent stops, usually after a few goes, take 3.6s. i Ugly? Yep. Effective? Yep. Pretty clever, lads ...

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WORLD EXCLUSIVE! The finest in 1970s

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automotive design allows the Toll team to hone their pit stop skills to a fine edge. The 30-year-old HZ may be a colour I familiar to any paren t who has had sick kids

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but note V8 Supercar wheels and brakes, right...

39

M

OTORSPORTNEWS: Two rounds down in the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series and you’ve had two solid top 10s,including equal third at Wakefield Park. Did you expect to be challenging for podiums straight away?

SHANE PRICE: No, absolutely not.

Even at Clipsal, I didn't expect to /● be near the top five.

At the start of the year, I'd always planned to give Wakefield Park a big go.There's no walls and in practice, I had a couple of spins and explored the limits and made the most out it. In qualifying and the races, I calmed down a bit and made sure that I finished. I had decent pace, and in the last race, I even started to catch Luke Youlden.

MN; It must be encouraging to have that speed.

SP: Just to be catching Youlden in the last race was very encouraging. We all know how much time he's had in these cars ... I didn't expect to be up there with him.

I now feel its a lot more realistic to run up the front now that I have proved the pace. I can see that it is available. All I need to do is just keep moving forward and improve on the small things.

MN: Steven Richards's race engineer Barry Ryan joined you guys at Wakefield Park. How much did he help you?

SP: Yeah, he worked on my car and he is really good. Barry is one of the reasons why the learning curve has been sped up.

He knows a lot about what's he talking about, especially with data. He also knows how to teach a young guy, and how not to confuse a young guy too much.

He's definitely helped me fasttrack the learning curve and get me to a decent pace quicker.

The whole team around me, in general, is well above the level we thought it was going to be. The cars are obviously capable of going very well and the whole group is making it very easy to learn theV8 craft. They are very experienced and very knowledgeable.

MN: All four Perkins cars are running in the top 10 in their respective championships. Can you notice a good vibe within the team?

SP: Oh for sure. Some teams find it hard to get a top 10 finish in a race, let alone have them all running very well in the championship,

motorsportnews

v8 supercars j MN;You've had a race meeting as a support category with the main series (Clipsal), and a stand alone Fujitsu race (Wakefield Park). Did you notice a difference in the way the team operates in the two events?

SP; It's hard for me to tell, as yet.

They are basically putting our cars on the track and we go out and drive them. We don't have to worry too much about car set-up just yet. Yes, it does benefit to have feedback from Paul (Dumbrell) and Richo (Steven Richards) and then relating my feedback to theirs.

The biggest advantage is having current data available. Being able to overlay data from the same weekend with Paul or Richo is priceless. You know that the track is similar and you know that everything is pretty equal.

MN: How much have the senior drivers in the team helped you in these early stages of your career?

SP:These cars are way different to anything I've driven, so in terms of that, they've been able to teach both Jack and I everything they know about lines, power down and all the different things we are not used to.

MN:Were you surprised to be given the nod for Bathurst with Jack this year?

SP: Well, I was not surprised, as this was the plan from the start of the year. It was always on the cards, but having said that, we had to prove that we were capable. So far, we've had two good rounds and I think we will prove to be a pretty good endurance combination.

We've been doing what we've been told to do, we haven't done anything wrong and we've shown pretty good speed. I'm absolutely wrapped to get the opportunity.

MN: Does the fact that you are both rookies lessen the expectation?

SP: My aim for Sandown and Bathurst isn't to show anything too special. Basically, we just want to bring the second Jack Daniel's car home in one piece. If you drive around at a decent pace, you are probably going to finish in the top 10 anyway.That's my aim. I'm not going to try and run in a top five, because in reality, it's not realistic. I'll be happy with putting In a solid job and bringing back a straight car.

MN: Not many people will remember but you've 21 June 2006

already competed in a V8 Supercar at Bathurst(in the non championship Development Series race in 2004). It was only a limited run, but it's turned out to be very handy.

SP; Definitely, 100 percent. Driving anything around Bathurst helps you. At least I know what to expect.

I don't regret doing that race at all.

Even though I didn't get a great result, 1 just drove around, learnt the track and improved each time.

Going into Bathurst this year, I will be 20 times more ready and more prepared than what I would have been without that race experience there.

Bathurst is such a daunting track and having driven there is such an advantage. I'm so glad I've already ticked that box.

MN:You've come through the old school of rising through the motor sport ranks Karting, Formula Ford and V8 Supercars. Is this still the best way to learn your craft?

SP; I don't think anyone can really question that. Karting is the first step, and it always has been.To me, I don't see any other way of starting out, and it's a well recognised formula all across the Kliil HE

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Also, by doing karting, then Formula Ford, it gives you the option of either going overseas or stay in Australia.

When I was doing Formula Ford last year, there was that option to go overseas, but I chose to stay here.The offer from Perkins was too good and my goal ever since I can remember was to race V8 Supercars for a living.

MN:You're well on your way to a V8 career now, but is there any desire to race overseas?

SP; Not at the moment. All my thoughts are Involved in V8s and making it in the main series as a full time driver.

MN: Between race meetings, you fill in time working at your dad's shop(Drew Price Engineering).

Do you still get a chance to go for a skid in the karts?

SP: At the moment,I've only tried to drive karts when I have a big gap between races. Karting is a different driving style, and I don't want to throw in another variable into my learning curve. I want to concentrate on one thing and limit the bad habits. It's too easy to get into those.

^^We’ve been doing what we've been told and we've shown pretty good speed.

I'm absolutely wrapped to get this opportunity^^ 3 will rkins year

lack Lives Here forty years after he won his third World Drivers’ Championship Sir lack Brabham remains our greatest-ever driver. He told HARK GLENDENNING about ills remarkable career, Ids hlRhs and lows and the day he drove a Hclaren turbo l ll

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finfiMaf MOTORSPORT NEWS:When you look back at the 1966 world championship, what is the first thing you think of?

JACK BRABHAM:Well,the big thing that made the year was the Repco engine.

We started going down that road at the end of 1964, when we knew that the formula was going to change for 1966. We didn't have an engine, so i managed to talk Repco into building the engine for me. Getting that engine together was what made it for us. What it did was, it gave us the jump on everybody eise. We had an engine early; we managed to get in the car and get some testing done,and then we went out and managed to blow them all off in the first year.

MN:Why did all the other manufacturers leave It so long to change the specification of their engines?

JB:There wasn't enough time from when the FIA decided that they were going to change the formula to the three-litre. Cosworth was working on an engine at the same time, but we just managed to get in before theirs was fully developed and ready.

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MN: Did your success take the other teams by surprise? They must have known fairly early on that you'd gotten a jump on them in terms of getting your mechanical package sorted.

JB: We were a surprise to them, I think. A big surprise to them.

Particularly Ferrari!-(laughs) We'd already had a couple of years of beating them in 1959 and 1960 in the rear-engined Cooper, and that was pretty good. But to then come back and do it again in 1966 ... that was a real feather in our cap, I think.

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MN:When you and Ron Tauranac began to build cars together, was there any sort of'us against them' mentality?

JB: Well, we were all there racing for Australia, really. Most of the people that worked for us were Australians or New Zealanders.

Drive on,Jack: Brabham drives his Repco Brabham to fourth place at the 1967 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, left.

He still maintains his competitive spirit; top,Sir Jack reacquaints himself with a Cooper Climax from 1959 at Goodwood.

idea was that perhaps we'd go on with Dan Gurney, but he decided to go off and build his own cars. So I went on and won the championship in 1966 instead of Curney^^ “Sir Jack ponders his 1966 title MN:It's taken for granted now, but moving across to the other side of the world back in the 1950s was not a common thing.

JB: No,it wasn't easy. And the other big snag is, you can't go over there and expect to go well the first year that you get there.To do things right takes time, and I hope that this Foundation that's financing people to go over there [ED:the CAMS Foundation] are making sure that the people that are going over there are committed for a few years, and notjust going over for one season.

Just going over there for one year is a waste of money, really.

The people that go over there have got to be committed and be prepared to stay there and work at it for several years.

MN: Moving back to 1966, did that championship feel any different due to the fact that you won it in a car built by your own team, rather than in a Cooper?

JB: Actually, we started in 1962, building cars. And up until that stage, I was with Cooper. But I just felt that I had gone far enough with Cooper -1 couldn't become a part of Cooper, or whatever...

MN:You were an employee.

JB:Yeah. So we decided to have a go at it ourselves.That was when I organised to get Ron Tauranac to come over and help me.

But as far as winning the championship goes, well, it was certainly a lot better from our point of view. Winning in a Cooper was one thing, but when you win in your own car it has to be better, doesn't it?

MN:Well, what did it feel like?

JB: I was excited, and thrilled, that we'd been able to do it in our own car. I'd done it in a Cooper a couple of times, and that was good too, but the pinnacle really was being able to do it in your own car.

And particularly with the Repco engine - as far as I was concerned we were all there racing for Australia. We had an Australian engine, most of our people were Australian, and it was all a big Australian effort.

MN:Is it true that you nearly retired from racing in 1965, a year prior to your third championship?

JB: Yes. Well, it was not in 1965.

It was in 1964 that I considered retirement. But then we got Dan Gurney to come and drive for us. continued on page 44 43

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continued from page 43 r The idea was that perhaps we'd go on with Gurney and I could drop out of it, but Gurney decided to go off and build his own cars.

So I went on and won the championship in 1966 instead of Gurney.

MN;Why did you consider retirement at that point? You say that you thought about giving up in 1964, yet you went on until 1970.That's another six years.

JB:The only reason I was thinking of retirement was that we couldn't do any good in the 1500 formula.

Unfortunately,they changed the formula in 1961 to 1500, and we just didn't have an engine that was good enough. And we couldn't see one coming, either. But luckily, they decided to change the formula to three-litre, and getting the Repco engine put us back in business.That got me fired up again.

MN:You had a very close call at Spa that year, where you went into Burnenville on the first lap and didn't realise that part of the track was wet. Do you remember much about that?

JB: It rained. I was on the front row, and in those days they used to make a decision before the race over whether everybody would be on dry tyres or wet tyres.The decision was for dry tyres, because it looked as though it was going to be alright.

So we all put our slicks on and took off, and of course halfway around we suddenly realised that the road was wet. And we were on slicks! I was only this far off going off around one ofthe very fast right-hand corners.

And when I came around on the next lap, there were about 10 cars on the side ofthe road! (laughs). And then Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart both had an accident together on a straight, and finished up in the garden of somebody's house...

MN: At the time that all of this was happening, you were 40 years old and a lot of people were making an issue of your age. Was that frustrating?

JB: Yeah,that was what happened in 1966.The press were giving me a hard time about being 40 years of age, and saying that it was time that I retired. So at the Zandvoort

race, the Dutch GP that year, I bought a fake beard and went out to the car with a walking stick. But it was sheer luck for me that 1 won the race, because if I hadn't then the press would have really come after me.

MN:You obviously felt good within yourself at that time though - you won the title that year, and threatened to win another two in 1967 and 1970.

So you obviously didn't feel that your driving was on the decline?

JB: No. In 1967 I would have won the championship but the engine blew up at the American Grand Prix, which put Gurney in front of me.We were driving together, you know, we were never far apart. We were finishing first and second in races and all that sort of thing. But then I didn't get any points at the American race, so it finished up with Dan winning instead of me.

MN: And in 1970 you ran out of fuel on the last lap while leading at Brands Hatch ...

JB: In 1970 there were three race wins that we lost because of stupid things. I won the South African Grand Prix, and then for the Spanish Grand Prix we put a brand-new Cosworth engine into the car. And just as I was passing Stewart, the engine blew up. It broke the crankshaft. And that was a disaster, being a new engine.

When the engine went back to Cosworth,they found that it had a flaw in the crankshaft that they hadn't picked up in crack-testing, so they fixed the engine up for nothing. But that didn't win the race for me. I should have won that race.

Street fighter: At Monaco in 1970, Brabham was in contention for the win until an incident on the final lap.

Remarkably, he was 44 at the time.

Brabham's cars all bore the code BT for Brabham and partner Ron Tauranac, right.

Then I had an incident at Monaco on the last lap, and missed that one...

MN:That was the race where Jochen Rindt was catching you over the final few laps?

JB: Yes. I wasn't worried about him - I had enough room to keep in front of Jochen alright - but I lapped one of the cars that had run out of petrol, and it put me on the wrong side ofthe track. I got on the sand on the dirty side ofthe track and couldn't stop for the corner. I just missed it; I only just nudged the fence, but stalled the engine.There was nothing wrong with the car, it just stalled the engine.

But it was worse than that, because an official jumped over the fence to push the car. I tried to stop him from pushing the car, because if they pushed it then you'd get disqualified. So he went to push the car anyway, but he fell across the bonnet. So he's laying on the front of the car, and I had to wait for him to get off before I could drive off again.

MN: No doubt muttering some choice words at the same time?

JB: Well, I suppose I could have just gone off with him on it, couldn't I?

MN: And then the other missed opportunity was at Brands?

JB: Yes, we got to the British Grand Prix and what happened there was, one ofthe mechanics started the car in the morning, and because it was cold, he put it on 'full rich'on the injection. And left it there. He didn't put it back. So the car used four gallons of fuel more in the race than it should have.

MN:So you stopped on the last lap.

JB: Yes. We were leading by ... I think it was 15 seconds, or something.

MN:Was the mechanic hiding somewhere by the time you got back to the garage?

JB:(laughs) I only found out in the last five years who did it! It was a big secret -1 couldn't find out who'd done it for a long time.

Everybody was saying,'no, it had nothing to do with me ...'. It turned out that it was a young mechanic who'd only just joined us. He hadn't been there long.

We were having dinner with him about five years ago and he admitted to it.

MN: How many people worked in the team at that point?

could have won the championship in 1970. We lost three very good friends that year^' 44

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IT became one of the most vigorous points of discussion in the Motorsport News office.

During the course of the interview, Sir Jack rather casually mentioned that he drove a turbocharged McLaren/in about 1980, or something".

That was news; a three-time world champion, returning to the cockpit, two decades after he retired. "[It was] fantastic," he said. "Nine hundred horsepower and wings!

"We didn't have anything like 900 horsepower.

And we didn't have anything like the tyres that they had on it. They were huge tyres. Plus, the aerodynamics, and the carbon-fibre brakes.

You know, it just had unbelievable brakes.

"When I got in it I roared off down the straight, I was getting down near the end and I thought,'well. I'd better put the brakes on'.

So I did, and it stopped right where I'd put the JB: We only used to have about seven people that we took to the track. We didn't have 200 like Ferrari.

MN: I was talking to the BMW people yesterday, and they are about to go to 350 people.

JB: It's incredible. I mean, we lost that race because we didn't have control of our seven mechanics.

How would you get on trying to look after 350, and get every one of them to do the right thing for you?

MN: Was there a period that you felt that your driving was at its best? Did it ever peak?

JB: Well, I never felt that my driving dropped off at any time. The only thing was that we just could not get the equipment together for a few years, which sort of put me off. We couldn't get a decent 1500 engine. I'm sure Ferrari had that formula changed.They couldn't beat us in 1959 and 1960, so they got the formula changed to 1500 [chuckles].

MN: You went into 1970 knowing that it would be your final season.

JB: Well, I hadn't really slowed down. I could have won the championship in 1970. But there was a lot of family pressure to give it up.

21 June 2006

brakes on. I had to accelerate back up to the corner! I couldn't believe it."

We asked McLaren supremo Ron Dennis who, it must be remembered, got his motor racing start as a mechanic with Brabham in the 1960s. Did he remember Sir Jack driving one of his cars?

The answer was, no, he did not but, on the off-chance he had forgotten, he checked with the team manager. Davey Ryan, who is almost an institution at the team and who knows the details of every race and every test, also had no recollection of Sir Jack in a McLaren.

We even checked with our old mate Geoff Brabham, who at the time was racing in the USA and who would have been told of any FI test for his father. Geoff said he could not recall the test.

Sir Jack was travelling at the time we were putting this together, but we managed to

We lost three very good friends that year.

MN; I guess during that time most drivers took the danger of what you were doing in your stride, but even so, was it scary going to Indianapolis during that period? Those cars on that track were not a great combination.

JB: Yeah. The incredible thing there, the thing that put the speeds up, was the wings. When I was there in 1970, 1 think out lap times were about 180,180mph average.They put the wings on, and suddenly they jumped up to about 230.

MN: You had a wildly varying standard of drivers there - some of the backmarkers were a bit raw, and it didn't take a lot for those cars to catch fire. It must have been a terrifying place to race, even for someone like you who had raced at Spa and the Nurburgring and so on?

JB: I didn't enjoy the racing at Indianapolis. It was just one of those things that you had to go and do.

MN: Good money?

JB: Well, it was more than the money. You had sponsors that wanted to be there. Like Goodyear - we were on Goodyear tyres, and

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reach him just as we went to press.

"Driving the Honda was in no way a test," he told us.

"What happened was that [wife] Margaret and I were visiting Honda in Columbus, Ohio, and enjoying a tour of the factory. Ayrton Senna was supposed to turn up and drive the car around the complex for the employees as it was some sort of presentation - I forget which.

"Ayrton did not turn up, so they asked me to drive the car so the employees and local press would not be disappointed, which I did. And I enjoyed it very mcich'!"^ - —' Brabham told us fhat'he cannot remember the precise year, however based upon his descriptions, the car had to be a McLaren MP4/4 - the car that won 15 of 16 rounds of the 1988 world championship in the hands of i Senna and Alain Prost.

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they wanted to be there. So it was those sorts of factors behind it, really. I didn't race there because I enjoyed it.

MN: You didn't like that style of racing?

JB: Well, in my book it was too dangerous. It was like racing in a canal - you could have an accident with somebody that was not your own fault. Getting mixed up in other people's accidents was not the sort of thing to do. It was only sheer luck that I got away with it in i 964 - there were two people killed right in front of me, and I was so close to getting mixed up in the middle of all of that. Unbelievable.

MN: You spoke to Masten Gregory before the race ...

JB:That's right, yeah. He warned me about that car, because the car that he tried to qualify, he couldn't qualify because he said the car just frightened him. He said it was terrible.

MN: He was a pretty brave guy, too.

JB: I didn't think anything could frighten him. Anyway, when the race started I wasn't looking at anything except that car. It was only two rows in front of me. And all I did was just watch that motor car, because I knew before the race

started that there was going to be an accident.

And as soon as I saw that car go out of shape, boy, I had those brakes on like you wouldn't believe. I just got slowed enough to be able to turn and go through the fire at a right-angle. I only had to go a little bit further and I would have been right in the crash with the other two cars.

MN: So would you liked to have kept going after 1970, or were you ready to quit? If family considerations had not come into it, would you have continued?

JB: No. I'd really decided that I'd had enough anyway. I had three boys and they all wanted to go back to Australia, so we decided to pack it up and go home.

MN: It must have been hard to adjust to those first couple of months out of the car, having been involved for so long.

JB: Yeah. I'd been there since 1955.

But it brings us back to the point I was talking about when people first go over there. You can't go over and expect to do well first time out. When you first get there, there are just too many things to learn - you have to learn the tracks and all that sort of thing. It's a long term thing.

45

The MOTORSPORT NEWS;How will you remember the 2006 Indy 500?

SAM HORNI5H:The last 50 laps are kind of a blur.The first three-quarters of the race was about patience. It seemed like it took 10 hours.

The last 50 laps seemed to take about five seconds. It was just that quick. Had I been leading the last five laps, might have screwed it up because I would have been 50 nervous. I don't think I would have known what to do.

It was pretty neat the way It happened because I didn't have time to be nervous.

What went wrong in that fateful pit stop on lap 152?

Roger(Penske) tells me when to go. When Roger saw the fueller pulling back, he.said,".Qo". But.the nozzle got stuck in the car. fwent,then stopped. n We didn't know if that cost us the race or not, but we tried to get ourselves back into it.

Did you think you had any chance to recover from the drive-through penalty?

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Sw H®rnish is no great fan of interviews. But two weeks after winning the Indy 500, he made an exception and took time out to reflect with MARY BIGNOTTI MENDEZ I thought,'Here is my luck that I've had over the past couple of years'[ED: Six 500s, all DNF], It was our problem for the day. After the month we had, it would be great to win.We just wanted to make it to the end.

If you can't win Indy, you want to win the championship. Helio (Castroneves,team-mate) was already out of the race. How do we get the most points? We managed to stay on the lead lap and make it to the end by saving fuel.

Although you were the fastest driver all month in practice, you didn't use your speed to lead. But weren't there some close calls during the race?

Sometimes you can go out there and do everything right and not win the race.Then other times you can have a lot of problems and overcome them.

Coming into the pits when we had to serve our fuel penalty,Townsend Bell hit me.You try to go into the pits as quick as you can and then slow down to 60mph (pit speed limit).

Townsend just misjudged it a little bit and couldn't get stopped. He locked up his brakes, tried to avoid hitting the back of me,and still got into the side, hitting my left-rear tyre.

Then,on the last restart,(Dan)Wheldon and I got together.There was quite a bit of bumping and banging out there, which you wouldn't think you could do in an Indy car. I was trying to get underneath Scott Dixon and didn't know Wheldon was there. We touched.

What happened when you first tried to pass Marco Andretti on the penultimate lap?

I came up on Marco trying to test it out and see what he was going to do, as far as he would block me, run me down into the grass.

I actually came up on him fairly slowly because I was so far behind. Marco gave me some room. I thought maybe I should try this, but it wasn't the right time. I needed to wait

was going to drive over him if I had to. I figured even without four wheels on my car I could still slide by at 200mph and win^^ and give myself another opportunity. As a race car driver, you need to know when to fight your battles.

Then I wasn't sure if I'd be able to catch up to him again. I thought I blew it. I came all this way,495 miles. Had I gone into that corner, pushed the issue, maybe I would have gotten the pass done there, or maybe not. I better not throw it away. Sometimes discretion is the better part of valour. Second wouldn't have been bad after that day because we're still fighting for points, trying to catch up to Castroneves.

When you fell way back behind Marco on that last lap, how did you overtake him?

It actually set me up fora perfect run coming off of Turn 4 where we had a full head of steam.

In the draft, I had the advantage. I knew he was going to make a move once he saw me coming up behind him. I waited for him to make his first move and then countered what he did.

I was going to drive over him if I had to. I figured even without four wheels on my car. I'd still slide by him at over 200mph and win.

Where did that last lap speed come from?

I ran mostly second or third all day. I knew that we had the speed, running about 9/1 Oths and waiting until the last 20 laps. When you get to that point, you can lay it out there. Just make sure you get to that point.

How good was your car?

From the start to the end of the race,the only

difference in the car was-half a turn of front,wing.The car was great, about as good as it could be, and the gears were perfect.

We knew We had the fastest car.The challenge was to be patient, making sure we have the opportunity to use it in the last 10 laps to get the win. We would have made it even without that last yellow, but i't allowed us to run full rich. We still had three gallons in the car at the end of the race.

Has the win sunk in yet?

It's a great feeling. I coTildn't have asked for i,^ to turn out any better than it did,for all the *" ups and downs we had. Nor would I trade it for anything else. It's even better than I thought it would be,actually. It may not always go the way you want it to, but it's that much sweeter that way.

Even though you've achieved two IRL IndyCar championships with Panther Racing, did you feel the need to succeed at Indy considering your team-mate Castroneves already had two victories?

I am my toughest critic. No-one has pressured me to do that. I came here to Marlboro Team Penske for the sole purpose to win Indy. I felt driving for Roger would be my best shot.

We didn't know it would take three years to have everything on the same playing field (Honda engines). Once we had equal power with everybody else we went out and won.It shows how good this team is. I'm real happy to be here.

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Never driven a kart? Scores to settle around the office? You can do both at an indoor karting venue. MNews burned off some testosterone at one of the best

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disprove the cynical old adage that'those who KAY. So you've done golfing days can, do;those who can't, write about iti' to death; everyone's been to the The MNews team prefers to think that footy already;the cricket's not on 'til December. Lunch is pretty boring. it's more a case of showing that a good motorsport journo can at least turn a wheel in Time for something new;something far more some style... exciting.Take the staff indoor karting!

There are some average commercial karting There are many commercial kart venues places around - this is most definitely not around Australia, some outdoors,some indoors average. It is top drawer, it isn't just an indoor (most desirable in cooler climates), and if track and a bunch of karts. Before you even get you do your research well, you'll end up at a to the machinery, you pass through an upstars professional, well-organised venue where just viewing area/cafe/corporate area, where the about anyone can have a go in machinery that is not too far removed from full race karts. approporiate paperwork is taken care of. It is immaculate, with drinks, snacks, timing screens Considered the best venue in Melbourne, - it's even licensed (after the driving, chaps), a GO KartSport Racing, in the south-east suburb first in this industry we are told. of Moorabbin,turns out to be not a million While the engines are the ubiquitous 200cc miles from MNews headquarters,so it is only industrial four-strokes, the karts themselves natural that a bunch of motorsport egos would are pretty close to race-spec, with an eye on eventually find themselves trackside, keen to 48

obvious durability and ease of public use.Tyres are Dunlop race-spec, of a harder compound which, on the basically concrete surface, provides a reasonable level of grip.

The one obvious concession to the'rental' environment are the wrap-around crash bars.

Not outrageous in size, like many, but sufficient.

The MNews crew is a mixed bunch - three former kart racers, a Formula Fordster, and some complete beginners.The pre-race rigmarole is thus all-inclusive, with a brief chat about flags, basic driving skills and standards (they even have drive-through penalties!) and 'race'instructions.

On track, the karts are pretty good fun, even for the karting'pros'.The machinery at some commercial venues can be heavy, slow and, in some cases(due to lack of maintainance) handling is'variable'at best. At GO KartSport

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i Beating the boss:Having a kart race as the backdrop to a corporate function - or even the office day out- is different... and heaps offun!

The crash bars don't give you a licence to crash!

Corporate lounge/viewing platform at this venue(below left) allows for in-comfortspectating,a quiet drink, and even corporate presentations(above). ?TAG

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Racing,the machinery is in tip-top condition, light to drive, and everything works. Grip levels aren't as rib-stressing as full race karts, but for an experience aimed at providing Joe Average with a feel for the kart experience, it's enough.

50km/h flat through the end-of-straight sweeper is a big step for most first-timers.

Safety is important. Karts aside,this circuit uses a system of inter-linked water-filled plastic barriers - solid enough to stop you, but movable/deformable enough to inflict little more than the odd bruise in a worst-case scenario!

MNews is there for a'qualifying'session and a race. There are all sorts of packages and options available. While you can just walk in off the street(much as we did) and run a couple of sessions (at around $65 a head all-up), GO KartSport is dealing increasingly with corporate t\ June 2006

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groups - staff outings, product launches and so on. Corporate groups can be arranged from a dozen to 40'drivers'in a group (up to 200 catered guests included), with varying formats - qualifying, heats,finals, team races etc etc.

As an 'active'group outing, it's a hoot. As a back-drop for a corporate launch, it's certainly different.

"There's no doubt that our business is increasingly from the corporate sector,"owner Gary Dubois tells us.

"Either staff outings or corporate functions.

We set out to create a realistic, quality kart 'experience'- with all the appropriate safety arrangements - and the feedback we get suggests the corporate audience loves it."

After MNews,a bus-load of fermale office workers descended on the place. No lap records were threatened, but they had a ball.

A junior Soccer team was expected (drivers must be 10-years-old or over, and there are shortened 'Junior'karts for youngsters - although you have to be 18 to be able to take on full'race'formats).

For those taking it a tad seriously, timing is up-to-the-minute, with individual lap times, print-outs after each session/race. For the pros in the MNews squad,this is crucial - tenths being shaved. For the novices, it's more about chopping half a second each time as some basic familiarity with racing lines emerges.

Bottom line? It's fun. Beats lunch or golf hands down.

And the result of the MNews GP? Well ... let's just say that the younger generation continues to show little respect!

Check out; www.gokartsport.com 49

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T took a Paraguayan to give England victory in the first round of the soccer World Cup in Germany on the Saturday of the British Grand Prix. And at Silverstone the following day the fans had to rely on a Spaniard to give them a 'home win'.

Fernando Alonso, resident of nearby Oxford, was a popular winner with the 78,000 spectators who turned up for the race and Alonso himself was happy to win.

"It was fantastic to win in Spain and Monaco, and now Silverstone," he grinned."The last two are a dream come true, because they are big circuits with big names and great emotion in the grandstands.To win in this country, close to my home in Oxford, is a really good feeling. It's been a fantastic day."

For Fernando, perhaps. For the fans and for FI in general, it was not a classic event and with the world having gone mad about soccer, it will take rather more than this to get the fans watching FI races in the weeks ahead.

It was unseasonably warm at Silverstone this year, with England basking in a heat wave.The tyre companies seemed to be well-prepared.

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however, and the performance between the two seemed evenly-matched.There were anomalies with Williams doing unusually badly and Midland doing rather better than we have come to expect so the conclusion was that it was more to with chassis on this occasion than it was to do with tyres.

The wisdom in the paddock after qualifying was that Alonso had a bigger fuel load than his qualifying rivals and would win with ease. And that was exactly what happened.The Spaniard took the lead at the start, and only lost it during the second of his two pit stops.This bizarre fact came about because he was so far ahead at the first stops that he came out before his chasers had arrived but at the second round of stops, had eased off sufficiently to allow his team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella to lead for a lap before he dropped back to fourth place.

Fisichella hoped to come out in third but ended up behind Kimi Raikkonen and that was the end of his challenge. Fie was right behind the Finn at the finish but that is as close as one can get at Silverstone.

Raikkonen had looked strong in the early part

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The thirst the English have for a‘home win’ in the British GP had TO BE QUENCHED BY THE THOUGHT THAT SPAIN’S WORLD CHAMPION LIVES A MERE 50km FROM SILVERSTONE. JOE SAWARD REPORTS

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british gp of the race but a challenge for the lead was seen off within a couple of laps and after that Kimi fell back into the clutches of Michael Schumacher for a few laps of exciting wheel-to-wheel racing.

Then things settled down and Raikkonen remained ahead at the first stops. At the second stops, however, Schumacher was able to get ahead and Raikkonen had no reply and so fell back into the clutches of Fisichella.

At the same time Michael could do nothing at all to close the gap to Alonso. At the flag, the margin of 4.7s was very flattering to the Ferrari.

It could have been thrice that if Fernando had pushed as hard as he might have done.

Felipe Massa was ahead of Fisichella in the early part of the race but he lost fourth place at the first stops and after that, was left on his own in a lonely fifth.

The rest were nowhere at all because in the early laps Juan Pablo Montoya was stuck behind the fuel-laden BMW of Nick Fleidfeld and was never able to make up the lost ground. Fie was sixth with Heidfeld and his BMW Sauber team mate Jacques Villeneuve in seventh and eighth taking the final World Championship points.

Follow the leader:KImi Raikkonen held an early edge over Michael Schumacher but the Ferrari got past into second at the second stops. But by then, Alonso was out ofreach...

AlUUNTAINING PERFEQ

QUALIFYING came down to a onelap blast from the big names at the end of the final session on Saturday.

The Silverstone track was very different to how it had been in the recent tests and although it improved as the weekend went on, it was very slippery on Friday and Saturday, probably because of the unexpected heat and sunshine. As a result of this, the battle for pole was fought out at the very last minute of qualifying.

The first serious runs towards the end of the Q3 session saw Michael Schumacher edge out Alonso by a tiny margin with Michael clocking lm20.815sand Fernando 1 m20.858s. Into the pits they went as Kimi Raikkonen came through to grab third with a 1 m21,296s, his McLaren apparently not up to the task.

For those final runs Michael was ahead on the road but it was clear from early in the lap that Alonso had him covered. Michael stopped the clocks at 1 m20.574s and then Fernando swept across the line with a 1 m20.253s.There was a gaggle of cars behind them and in the scramble to the line Kimi Raikkonen suddenly popped up in second place with a 1 m20.397s.

The Finn had been pretty lucky because he pitted late for his new tyres, got out of the pits with very little time left and managed to start his final lap just two seconds before the session ended.

Raikkonen's warming up had been done at full speed and perhaps the effect of that on the tyres will show in the race for these black round rubber things are temperamental in the extreme.

Getting it all together was not easy for anyone, particularly as the wind was blowing quite strongly and changing direction from time to time.

"It was difficult for everybody," said Alonso."Some set-up changes we made helped, and together with the fact that there was more rubber down,the balance improved this afternoon. We were quickest in all three qualifying sessions, which means that the car is ready for tomorrow. And every pole position is more and more important, because it is so difficult to overtake."

McLaren needed a decent result at home after a run of 52

disappointments in recent races and the suspicion was that the team had decided to run lighter than the major opposition to grab a good starting position.

"We'll see how the strategy works out tomorrow," Kimi said,"but there's no reason to believe we don't have a package that can win the race. Strategy is the important factor."

His team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya was eighth and disappointed.

Michael Schumacher was also disappointed, he had been hoping to grab pole position and was a little taken by surprise by Alonso's speed. It had looked all through the session that Michael was probably running lighter than the Renault.

"You always hope to be on pole and so it's normal to be disappointed," he said."I did not expect such a gap to the pole time, but now we have to see what these tenths really mean, given that we don't know what fuel load our rivals have on board. I am still pretty optimistic about tomorrow's race, as we know we can count on a package that can win," Alongside Michael on the grid will be Felipe Massa in the second Ferrari while Giancarlo Fisichella was fifth, ahead of Rubens Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher, Montoya and the two BMWs of Nick Heidfeld and Jacques Villeneuve.

-JOESAWARD

I I

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FORMULA 1 QUALIFYING

POS NO DRIVER

NAT

CAR

1 1 Fernando Alonso 2 3 KIml Raikkdnen 3 5 Michael Schumacher 4 6 Felipe Massa 5 2 Giancarlo Fisichella 6 11 Rubens Barrichello 7 7 RalfSchumacher 8 4 Juan Pablo Montoya 9 16 NickHeldfeld 10 17 Jacques Villeneuve 11 14 David Coulthard 12 10 NicoRosberg 13 20 Vitantonlo LIuzzI 14 15 Christian Klien 15 21 Scott Speed 16 18 Tiago Monteiro 17 9 MarkWebber 18 19 Christijan Albere 19 12 Jenson Button 20 22 TakumaSato 21 23 Franck Montagny 22 8 JamoTrulli

ESP

Renault R26 McLaren Mercedes MP4/21 Ferrari FI 248 Ferrari FI 248 Renault R26 Honda RA106 ToyotaTFIOGB McLaren Mercedes MP4/21 BMWSauberF1.06 BMWSauberF1.06 Red Bull Ferrari RB2 Williams F1W28 Cosworth Toro Rosso Cosworth STR01 Red Bull Ferrari RB2 Toro Rosso Cosworth STROl MF1 Toyota M16 Williams FTW28 Cosworth MF1 Racing M16 HondaRA106 Super AguriSAOS Super AguriSAOS Toyota TF106B

GER BRA ITA BRA GER COL GER CAN GBR GER ITA AUT USA POR AU5 NED GBR JPN FRA ITA

TYRES

Q1

Q2

Q3

M M B B M M B M M M M B M M M B

1:21.018 1:20.271 1:20.253 1:21.648 1:20.497 1:20.397 1:22.096 1:20.659 1:20.574 1:21.647 1:20.846 1:20.764 1:22.411 '1:20.594 1:20.919 1:22.965 1:20.929 1:20.943 1:22.886 1:21.043 1:21.073 1:22.169 1:20.816 1:21.107 1:21.670 1:20.629 1:21.329 1:21.637 1:20.672 1:21.599 1:22.424 1:21.442 1:23.083 1:21.567 1:22.685 1:21.699 1:22.773 1:21.990 1:22.541 1:22.076 1:22.860 1:22.207

6 B M B B

1:23.129 1:23.210 1:23.247 1:26.158 1:26.316

Just Married

Tiger by the Tail: Alonso timed his run in qualifying position perfectly, and this time there were no track blockages to deal with. It was the fourth pole position in a row.

@HAN 9

3

OFF BUTTON THE biggest debacle in qualifying was Honda with local hero Jenson Button qualifying a catastrophic 19th.

The team blamed a weight check for causing a delay at the wrong moment but the reality seemed to be that the team was so confident that it had the lap time it needed that it did not send Button out when he should have been out there.

The car had not been very good - things got better as the track improved - but for Button, who was wearing a patriotic red-and-white England 21 June 2006

design helmet for the World Cup weekend, it was irrelevant.

"The balance wasn't fantastic," he said."When that's the case there is no point in pushing then. You don't take risks in first qualifying.Then I came in. I got pulled on to the weighbridge for a random weight check,and that cost us time.

"I'm really surprised they pulled me in when they did. But we still thought the lap would be good enough. It's massively disappointing,for myself,the team and all the fans."

-JOESAWARD

IT was no secret at the start of 2006 that, has BMW had an n economical opportunity to change drivers, Jacques Villeneuve H might have been looking for a job.

The former world champion came to the Bavarian maker with Sauber and,thanks to an iron-clad contract, stayed confident that he would race this season, despite the rather obvious behind the scenes activity to investigate options. But the status quo prevailed and JV stayed.

And guess what? He has been racy. At Silverstona, Jacques flew in qualifying, swapping times with team-mate Nick Heidfeld when the cars were light on fuel and lining up one spot behind him, in 10th, when they were race-fuelled.

"I was hoping for better," admitted Villeneuve."After the second qualifying session the car was quick, but in the end it just didn't work out for some reason.The car was difficult to drive compared to earlier in the day, and for some reason we came into the pits one lap too early."

Life appears to agree with the Canadian who, between Monaco and Silverstone, married long-time girlfriend Johanna in New York.The team marked the event in traditional fashion, above...

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IRFUHIV, NOT AIRHELD

The spotlight was on wings at ultra fastSilverstone.PAOLO FILISETTI was there AS soon at the 2006 Formula 1 calendar was confirmed, it stood out that Monaco,the slowest race on the Formula 1, was followed by Silverstone,the second-fastest(behind Monza).

On the sinewy streets on Monte ^ Carlo, Fernando Alonso averaged ISOkmh in his Renault R26.Two weeks later, at Silverstone, the combo averaged 215kmh. It was a case of taking off the barn doors and installing small flaps.

There were new wings everywhere. Ferrari had a smaller rear wing on its 248F1,the same profile as its'medium'wing but shorter in profile. At McLaren,the news was at the front of MP4/21, a new front win sporting a double sinuous'S'profile, with the extremities bending upwards even more noticeably than previous examples.This produces a greater gap between the wing profile and the ground,to reduce the pitch sensitivity of the car at high speed.

Williams and Toyota both had new barge boards,the Grove team reintroducing a solution used,then discarded, on last year's FW27.The Cosworth car had a narrower and more pointed turning vane, replacing

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SILVERSTONE

MONACO

the squared flat one seen so far.

A small barge board, which has been seen this season in front of the main unit, was missing,to cut turbulence and, hence, drag.

Toyota had new'winglets'at the front of the TF106B's sidepods, similar to those seen (and now enlarged) on the Honda. Rather than a'Silverstone'change, which may not be seen again until Monza, we expect to see the innovation kept for coming races.

Nasal Dest Revealed: Renault's EVERYONE agrees, pretty well, that Renault's first V8-engined car,the R26,is the fastest car in Formula 1.

Last year, we discovered (and showed)a ballast metal plate placed in the foremost section of the R25 nose. Since then, many rival engineers have mused that Renault was hiding another 'secret'in its nose.

Now we can unveil the latest secret; a refinement and development of the concept.

The car now has a vertically54

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SILVERSTONE 60LAPS DRIVER

RACE TIME

FLAP ON

1 Alonso 2 M.Schumacher 3 Raikkbnen 4 FisiChella 5 Massa 6 Montoya 7 Heidfeld 8 Villeneuve 9 Rosberg 10 Barrichello 11 Trulli 12Coulthard: 13 Lluzzl TtKIien 15 Albers 16 Monteiro 17 Sato T8Montagny

1:25:51.927 1:26;05.878 1:26:10.599 1:26:11:903 1:26:23.486 1:26^6;696 1:27:03.521 1:27:10.226 1:27:10.935 591aps 59 laps 59!laps 59 laps 59'laps 59 laps SSIaps 57 laps S71aps

1:21.599 21 1:21.934 53 1:22.461 15 1:22.238 42 1:22.371 43 1:22.780 38 1:22.706 43 1:22:921 46 1:22.916 47 1-23.224 38 1:22.744 19 1:23:995. 42' 1:24.221 25 1:23:712 30 1:23.977 27 1:24.636 25.

1:26.520 23 1:27.167 26

DNF Button DNF Speed DNF R.Schumacher DNF Webber

r

8;laps 1:25J07 8 Haps Oilaps Olaps

Fastest lap: Alonso on lap 21,1;2l.599

FI POINTS

Driveis'Points: Alonso 74, M Schumacher 51, Raikkonen 33, FisiChella 32, Montoya 26, Massa 24, Button 16, Barrichello 13, Heidfeld 10, R Schumacher 8, Coulthard and Villeneuve 7, Webber 6, Rosberg 4, Klien 1.

Constructors'Points: Renault 106, Ferrari 74, McLarenMercedes 60, Honda 29, BMW.Sauber 17, WilliamsCosworlh 10, Toyota and Red Bull-Ferrari 8.

royer latest tweak mounted damper inside the nose, the task of which is to reduce pitch sensitivity at high and low speeds and to reduce the effect of damper rebound while riding kerbs. In other words, this internal damper 'dampens'the action of the 'primary'damper and allows the car to remain relatively stable in every condition.

Bank on other teams testing this'tweak'during the coming weeks...

- PAOLO FILISETTI 21 June 2006

From Zero to Zero

McLAREN-MERCEDES they dfd not wintir-.but they will get to wear #1 next year.

Mark Webber and Williams bad a disastrous Biitisb Grand Prix. At least it was over quickly

IF you start back among the nuff-nuffs,then you risk getting involved in their dramas. And so it was for Mark Webber at Silverstone,a first lap involvement in someone else's shunt the perfect follow-up to a comedy of errors which provided a terrible qualifying outcome.

Silverstone, like Barcelona four weeks earlier, was never going to be a Williams strong suit. In contrast with Monaco,a fortnight before, Silverstone requires top notch aero efficiency and that remains the Grove achilles heel.

The time traps again told the tale - there was never going to be another front row start, as there had been at Monaco.

Even so, as for local hero Jenson Button, qualifying was a nightmare: "We just got caught with our pants down," Mark told MNews.

"We did exactly what we've done for every other Q1 this season and done one run in order to save tyres for the race.

"But as soon as I did my run, we were in troubie.There was no rear grip - it didn't feel like new tyres.The track was slow, the car was bad.

"Of course we could have gone quicker [with another run], but we'd shot our bolt, couldn't get out again, and missed the cut by a tenth.

"If Jarno (Trulli) hadn't blown up, we'd both have missed it!"

Race day brought even less - an adventurous lap one lunge by Scott Speed into Ralf Schumacher resulting in an errant Toyota veering straight into Webber's path. Webber was disappointed but, in reality, it cut what would have been a long, hot, pointless day.

Williams was scheduled to test its first step into the'flexi-wing' world at Monza later in the week (see news pages). Some success in that development would at least increase the team's optimism going into the upcoming Canadian and US Grands Prix.

-CHRIS LAMBDEN

MICHAEL SCHUMAGMIR He gained second place JniL the pits - but he did:not stop gualilying or eome away looking:like a liar. Alliiini alli a ipreltf'solid weekendi's work.

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j Both cars in the top.ili0|lfj: , | I qualilying and in;theipoints jithithe race.See what happens when you fit'flexy'wings for a fastiracetrack?

Hll^kROSBERG, 'The Kid chased hard!and I come'upijustshotapfaipoint. J ' 'No reward but a strong;effort., f Maybe Son Of'0ur Keke Is i back iofashion. ..

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fCOfffBEEl® Hey Captain America: if you'wanna feump'draft' someone on lap T,g.O;to NASCARi

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Get those rear wings flexingf’-'I - or do hot bother going to Indiana.

\ HONDA Same as 'Williams', but with engine smoke.

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JUAN MONTOYA. Yes, he scored points, but team-mate Kimi hosed him to the tune of 46 seconds in the race - after DC cailed him a chimpanzee on Saturday.

Chin up, Juan - you just might get revenge and win at Indy. Next May...

TELEVISION VIEWERS Gee, the first lap was actionpacked, with the lights going out, the start, the crash between Ralf and Webber and then the Safety Car...

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BURNING -DOmjIA HOUSE m

YET ANOTHER AUDI WIN AT LE MANS MAY NOT SOUND LIKE ANYTHING TO GET EXCITED ABOUT. ^BUJJHE MAIDEN WIN

m FORj^E^1 IN SPORTSCAR RACING.

BY DAVID ADDISON

le mans

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UDI won Le Mans. If you think you have heard that somewhere before, apologies, but the Ingolstadt marque returned to La Sarthelast weekend and took a 1-3 with its new R10 model, making history as diesel technology won for the first time.

Emmanuele Pirro/Frank Biela/Marco Werner were the winning drivers as their car ran almost faultlessly.

Opposition would have come from the sister car of Alan McNish/Tom Kristensen/Rinaldo Capello, but that was the first in trouble, an unscheduled stop for Kristensen requiring the injectors to be changed on one bank of cylinders.The time lost was never recovered.Truth be told, it wasn't a thriller, devoid of any real battles for placings, and a high mortality rate accounted for the majority of the order-shuffling.

Early on, McNish led from Biela, the two enjoying a great scrap, pursued by the Pescarolos of Emmanuel Coiiard and Franck Montagny. On lap four,though, the safety car was deployed after Fabio Babini reduced the BMS Scuderia Italia Aston Martin DBR9 to its component parts after a violent accident at the Porsche Curves. Babini claimed he was caught out by oil, and the damage was enough to render him and co-drivers Fabrizio Gollin and Christian Pescatori retirements.

After the Safety car went in, Biela ducked past McNish at Arnage to steal the lead, and the two whispering Audi diesels pulled away inexorably from the Pescarolo of Collard/Nicolas Minassian/Erik Comas.

It was at 20:30, though,that the first chink in Audi's armoury became apparent as the number seven car (McNish/Capello/Kristensen) pitted for a replacement wind deflector. Kristensen's stint was then interrupted when the injectors on one bank of cylinders needed changing, and as the car's race place went into freefall, French hopes soared.

Two hours later, French hopes plummeted.

Minassian brought his Pescarolo into the pits with an engine cut-out problem, which took an age to trace.

The car rejoined in 34th place and was never in the hunt again.That left the Audi ofWerner/Pirro/Biela against the Pescarolo of Montagny/Sebastian Loeb/ Eric Flelary, but that car was never able to sustain a real challenge, as its pace was always slower than the Audis. Helary blamed it on gammy tyres from Michelin, claiming that they lost their edge when temperatures rose slightly, a woe echoed by Corvette driver Oliver Gavin who described them as "Peaky."Whatever the tyres were doing, it cost the Pescarolo time, and with the Audis gaining four more laps of fuel from a stint compared to the Pescarolo, it wasn't long before diesel efficiency moved the R1 Os out of reach ... ... until the early hours of Sunday morning, that is, when the leading Audi needed a gear cluster changing. Its lead fell to two laps over the French car:

by Sam,it was four laps to the good.

The only other scare befell Werner, when he was prevented from leaving the pits by an eagle-eyed marshal. With only one headlight working, Werner's

car was pulled back to its pit by the mechanics who put a new front end on the car and sent him out. Didn't take even a minute to do: normal Audi efficiency, really.

Montagny did Herculean work in the Pescarolo to help it secure second, whilst McNish/Capello/ Kristensen took third. Fourth went to the leading LM GT1 car, the Corvette C6.R of Jan Magnusson/Oliver Gavin/Olivier Beretta, which was gifted the lead on Sunday lunchtime when the leading Aston Martin of Pedro Lamy/Stephane Sarrazin/Stephane Ortelli needed a new clutch.The car lost almost half an hour and elevated its sister car of Darren Turner/Tomas Enge/Andrea Piccini to second in class.

The Aston had been in the wars early on after a late call to the pits under the safety car meant Turner had to drive over kerbs to comply.That damaged the floor of the car and created an oil leak that took time to fix. The second Corvette, though, needed two new clutches to get Max Papis/Johnny O'Connell/ Ron Fellows home in 12th place, but the real stars of LM GTl were French heroes Luc Alphand/Jerome Policand/Patrice Goueslard (Chevrolet Corvette C5-R), which took third in class after a faultless performance.

LMP2 was won for the second year running by the MG Lola ofTommy Erdos/Mike Newton,joined by 1988 winner Andy Wallace. As ever, LMP reliability was lamentable, with the RML-run MG the most reliable of all. An early vibration problem was cured by a new upright and brake disc and a leaking turbo wastegate cured a power delivery problem. After that, the team consolidated a massive lead, and car owner Newton had the honour of bringing it home.

LM GT2 was the last class to be decided, and it happened in the last hour when the previously trouble-free Porsche 911 GT3-RSR of Dominik Farnbacher/Pierre Ehret/Lars-Erik Nielsen suffered gearbox dramas and was stranded out on the circuit.

Farnbacher got the car back to the pits, repairs were affected and he then backed it into the barriers in his desperate chase of the Panoz Esperanto of Richard Dean/Tom Kimber-Smith/LawrenceTomlinson, which claimed a rare Le Mans success for Don Panoz's eponymous cars.

From 50 starters,just 22 finished, with accidents accounting for some, but mechanical reliability accounting for most. Alex Yoong crashed the Racing for Holland Dome and broke both steering arms, putting it out; gearbox problems accounted for the Swiss Spirit Courage of Marcel Fassler/Harold Primat/ Phillip Peter; and Jorg Bergmeister crashed the White Lightning Porsche while leading LMGT2. Most bizarre retirement? The Ferrari of Tim Sugden/Christian Vann/ Nigel Smith, which had the bonnet fly off, taking the radiator and cooling pipes with it. By the time the car returned to the pits, the engine was somewhat overcooked.

But Audi was unstoppable, and with another win, so came the start of the revolution. Diesel technology is very, very good ...

England 7, USA 1: Mike Newton's patriotically painted MG won the LMP2 category,left, while the Corvette of Gavin/Beretta/ Magnussen prevailed in the GT2 class, right.

AH the Fun of not much l ll

Does the AudiRIO lacktemotion?

STAND at the exit of the Dunlop Esses and wallow in the atmosphere of Le Mans.

The accents in the crowd, D English, French, Danish aplenty;the smell of the barbeques wafting from the camp sites; the noise of the cars on a flying qualifying lap.

The Judd-engined cars come by, screaming as they accelerate.

The hairs on your neck stand up. Next through is the LM GTl Lamborghini Murcielago, its symphonic-sounding engine note reverberating off the trees as it heads onto the Mulsanne Straight.The Corvette comes by, its harsh rumbling engine note distinctive, as is its opposition Aston Martin, which barks past.

A Panoz hoves into view, a shattering sound as it speeds by, the ears taking it all in and coping with the harshness of the noises.

And then - nothing.The Audi RIO has gone past. Never heard it coming, never heard it go. Someone has hit the mute button. No passion, no excitement, no charisma.

Effective, efficient and quick, yes, but does it stir anything in anyone? Only if you like grey as a colour.

When a Porsche 917, a Panoz or even a Matra blasted past, people were excited; they stared, they dreamt of the glamour of motorsport. If they even notice the Audi RIO whisper by, chances are they will go back to texting their friends...

It seems churlish to criticise Audi,for its engineers are clearly brilliant, but it is difficult to feel emotion for them.The Audi RIO, a sports car icon? Discuss.

-DAVID ADDISON 57

BRINGING IT HOME

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becemie tl«i€ prst US driver to win a CCWS race since 2004

AJ ALLMENDINGER broke an 18 njon*h losing streak for US-^born drivers in the Champ Car World Series with victory on debut for Forsythe Racing in Portland, Allmendinger had a dreanii weekend^ in Portl'and‘, leaving the mid-week hirings and firings behind to take his new team to the top step of the podium. Just days before the Portland round, Allmendinger's career had: been^ in:the a ir after he was sacked by RuSPORT,see news pages. But at the Gi Joe, Allmendinger hit back, Starting from outside pole, All mendinger led ail but five of the race laps to win the second fastest race in Portland history. Mis only ehalienge during the race came from ex-RuSPORT team-^mate Justin Wilso n, however the8rit was Uinabl e to find a way past,even in:the lapped traffic.

"It just absolutely a mazi ng,"said Allmendinger."I can't thank Forsythe and the whole team enough for everything they've done for me this weekend,i can't thank them enough:for what they made me feel like when |: got here and how comfortable I! was

to get in the car, out of the car, how much fun they made this weekend go."

Championship leader Sebastian Bourdais finished third.

Team Australia's Will Power was unable to capitalize on his fourth-row starting position, with brake problems striking the Queenslander mid-race. It wasn't an all bad weekend for Power, who set the fastest lap of the race.

"After we fixed the brake problem the team made a change for the better and the car was really good,"said Power.

"It's very disappointing to come away with another mechanical problem, but we were able to get some good lap times in."

AlexTagliani finished 1 Tth. Points: Bourdais 1i62, Wilson 132,Allmendinger T02, Ranger 89,Tr,acy 76.

Rossi on the prowl

VALENTINO Rossi's championship charge is well and truly back on track following victory at Catalunya.

While Rossi's win was spectacular, it paled into insignificance compared to the massive first corner shunt. The accident started with Ducati team: mates Sete Gibernau and Loris Capriossi touching on the way into Turn 1, taking ' Marco Melandri, John Hopkins and Randy De Puniet down with them.

Melandri, Gibernau and Capirossi were taken to hospital.

After the restart Rossi took some time to get up to speed, languishing in sixth before blasting through the field. Once in clear air, Rossi pulled a handy gap over the leading pack,finishing 4.5s clearof Nicky Hayden.

Kenny Roberts was third.

I It was a mixed day for the Aussies in the field, with Casey Stoner sliding off the track after leading at the restart.

A

while Chris Vermuelen finished sixth.

Points: Hayden 119, Capirossi 99, Rossi 90, Melandri 89, Dani Pedrosa 86.

THE 250 front-runners put on a great show in Spain, with Andrea Dovizioso leading Jorge Lorenzo and Alex de Angelis to a close finish.

The top three duked it out on the final lap, with the finishing margin less than 0.1s.

Points: Dovizioso 133, Lorenzo 108,Yuki Takahashi 89, Hiroshi Aoyama 85, Roberto Locatelli SO.

MASTAR MVA Aspar had a solid weekend in the 125s, with their four Spanish drivers occupying the top four finishing spots.

Alvaro Bautista finished first, ahead of Hector Faubel and Sergio Gadea.

Points: Bautista 144, Mika Kallio 88, Mattia Pasini 87, Faubel 87, Gadea 83.

USSIE INVASION AT THE NURBURGRING

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THERE were some good results and some bad results for the strong Australian contingent that lined up for the Nurburgring 24-hour.

Tony and Klark Quinn, Craig Baird and Kevin Bell put in a strong showing around the gruelling Nordschleife to finish inside the top 10, and just 14 laps behind race winners

5S

Lucas Luhr,Timo Bernhard, Mike Rockenfeller, and Marcel Tiemann.

World Rally star Chris Atkinson had his share of problems in the circuit-spec Impreza. Atkinson, who was partnered by Phil Bennett, Alan Van der Merwe and Jonathon Price,finished 116th after spending more than an hour in

the pits with various problems, including overheating and turbocharger problems.

The VX Commodore V8 Supercar of Mai Rose, Adam Wallis, Kevin Burton and Anthony Robson lasted only a couple of hours. After running inside the top 50, Wallis crashed the car at the two-hour mark, forcing the team out of the race. **

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HELIO Castroneves's championship charge has been strengthened by victory under lights at the Texas Motor Speedway, but it could have been so different.

Ma^boro

most of the day, and screwed up at the end."

Dan Wheldon seemingly had the Bombardier Learjet 500K won.

The reining IRL Champ started outside pole, led 171 laps, and then became the victim of a bundled pit-stop. And while the dropped wheel nut only bumped Wheldon back to third, the Brit was in no mood to celebrate the podium finish after the race.

"We had a fantastic car, but we made a mistake in the pit,"said Wheldon."It's one of those things when you're racing Marlboro Team Penske that you can't afford to do.'"

"I'm just very, very frustrated and now something silly like this.

I wanted to lead early on and dominate the race because that's what we need to do to overcome the points deficit. And we did that

Sharper final pit-stops by both second-placed Scott Dixon and fourth-placed Sam Hornish Jnr may have put them further up the finishing order. Hornish in particular was a real contender, having started from pole and going on a long fuel run. It turned out his run was a bit too long,and as Hornish rolled into his pit-box fora quick top-up on Lap 191, his Honda engine died offuel starvation.

As for Dixon, he had a faster car than Castroneves in the latter part of the race, but ran out of laps to finish just over 0.2s behind the winner.

Castroneves'victory takes his 2006 tally to three wins, and Penske's total to four.

"The pit stops were the key to winning the race," Castroneves said."This is notan individual sport. It's a team effort and

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Points: Castroneves 232, Dixon 210, Wheidon 195, Hornish Jnr 194, Tony Kanaan 164.

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mistakes benefits from it. We ; didn't make any mistakes."

"We made a final adjustment on the (lap 126) stop and didn't touch it on the last stop. I also had a pretty fast in-and-out lap that helped me get to second. I had pitted with (Scott) Dixon and when we came out, I was a straightaway ahead."

Unusually the Texas Motor Speedway provided almost zero carnage. There were only two caution periods, with the final 122 laps run under green. The result was a 185.71 mph average speed, the third fastest in IRL history.

With six rounds down, the Penske/Ganassi drivers continue to head the championship.

Castroneves retains his lead, with Dixon, Wheldon and Hornish Jnr behind.

ALVARO Parente took his maiden victory in Race 2 at the World Series by Renault round at Istanbul, and was joined on ths rostrum by two podium

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^ and DavideValsecchi. ^ The front-running duo of ■ Pastor Maldonado and Borja ^ Garcia clashed on the opening lap, sending Maldonado into the barrier, and Garcia into pit5 lane for a penalty.

From there Parente could

control the race, emerging from ■ the pit-stops and a mid-race

caution in the lead, and holding on to take the chequered flag.

"This completes a fantastic weekend for me,"said Parente.

Race 1 was a lights-to-flag victory to pole-sitter Andy Soucek.

The Spaniard jumped into the lead at the start, and withstood race-long pressure from Garcia to win the race. Garcia held on for second, while Parente was third, Eric Salignon 30, Parente 30, James Rossiter 24.

59

LOCAL HERO LEWIS Hamilton was the hometown hero at Silverstone

WITH three wins from pole position, Sam Abay was unstoppable at Rounds 6,7 and 8 of the Formula BMW Asia Series in Beijing a fortnight ago.

Having grabbed pole position by 0.4s in qualifying, the young Australian decimated the field in Race 1 to lead Dominic Storey by 13s at the chequered flag.

Any chance of Storey challenging Abay for the Race 2 win dissolved before the start, with Storey suffering a mechanical problem on the warm-up lap. Abay made the most of his rival's misfortune, taking another lights-to-flag win.

Abay lost the lead at the start of Race 3 thanks to a lightening

start by fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo.The pair pulled away from the rest of the field, with Abay taking the lead at half race distance.

"It's a fantastic result for the whole team"said Abay."We worked hard all weekend to ensure we had a good set-up and the car was a delight to drive."

Ricciardo's second place made it three consecutive podiums for the West Australian, who finished third in Races 1 and 2.

Abay's clean sweep hands him the championship lead from Earl Bamber, while Ricciardo is fourth.

Points: Abay 130, Bamber 104,James Grunwell 90,Ricciardo 87,Storey 60.

two weeks ago, winning both GP2 races at the British Grand Prix.

Hamilton's Race 1 victory was never in doubt,the Brit passing polesitter Adam Carroll on Lap 1 and never looking back.

Alex Premat looked to have second place wrapped up after emerging behind the leader after the pit-stops, but was dropped down the order thanks to a drive-through for speeding in pit lane. Premat's penalty allowed Timo Glock to finish second ahead of Carroll.

Hamilton's Race 1 win put him eighth on the grid for Race 2, not that a fourth row start was likely to worry him.The race reached a crescendo mid-race when Hamilton and Nelson Piquet Jnr took on Civio Piccione for second place.The trio went three wide into Maggotts, with Hamilton coming out with the position and Piquet ending up on the grass. By Lap 12 Hamilton was in the lead, and beat Felix Porteiro and Carroll to the flag by nine seconds.

"Hopefully it's just a continuation of my success and my drive to get to Formula One,"

said Hamiiton."To get that seat at McLaren, i reaiiy want that, and it's an opportunity that not many people get. And that's what I'm working for, and to have a result like this it looks really good on my CV." Points: Hamilton 67, Piquet Jnr 46, Premat 36, Ernesto Viso 26, Michael Ammermuller25.

TO P/mSH FIRST JAMES Hinchcliffe Joined the 2006 Champ Car Atlantic winners list with his maiden victory at Portland last weekend.

The Forsythe driver didn't hit the lead until the final lap, braving the oil slick left by ailing leader Ryan Lewis who was suffering from gearbox problems. Lewis'retirement wasn't the only front-running DNF to help Hinchliffe's cause, with front row starters Graham Rahal and Team Australia's Simon Pagenuad taking each other out in the early laps.

With the top three out of the race, Hinchcliffe was free to take his firstever win in the Champ Car Atlantic series ahead of Lewis and Andreas Wirth.

"Since the first time I sat in a go-kart, I've been told 'to finish first, you have to first finish,"'said Hinchliffe."We had a really consistent race.The whole Forsythe team did a wicked job putting the car together."

We had some mechanical issues in qualifying and shouldn't have started as far back as eighth.To pull off a race like this is a huge boost for the team. I could tell Ryan Lewis was starting to slow on that last lap when his gearbox went. I just couldn't believe it. My heart goes out to him because I've been in similar situations."

James Davison had a tough weekend, qualifying 18th before crashing out of the race. Barton Mawer was a classified finisher, moving up from his 14th position grid spot to finish the race just outside the top 10.

Points: Wirth 109, Hinchclifee 85,Pagenaud 80, Alan Sciuto 70, Danilo Dirani 68.

60

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mmmMm ●KMrmit f HE threat of rain made for some of the most competitive rracing seen all year at the two-mile MiGhigan Speedway on Sunday.

Pole sitter Kasey Kahne came up trumps when the race was red flagged for the rain on lap 129 of 200l "It was all afeouit beiragi at the iright iplace at the end " remarked Kahne. "iut we did ihave the best car and I want to thank my crew for fixing, it after l hit the wall in final practice yesterday."

Kahne's fou tth win of the year was not easy after he pitted off sequence on lap 48 to

remove debris from the grille of his Dodge. iWe ilost aHa p’wh en th e water temperat u re hit 25® degrees, onily to regain hisilost!l'a:p and power back to the front to beat Carl' Edwards off pit road'by inches for the final ti me. Me then passed Reed Sorenson for the 'leadi OnHap' tp; Edwards came home second ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr. who recorded his first-ever top five at Michigan. Sorenson, who took two tyres on his final stop, held'on for fifthi with Greg Biffle fourth and points leader Jimmy Johnson si>cth.

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AmHwose cfimBfies second at Michigan, then loses all his gears

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MARCOS Ambrose has finished 26th at the Michigan 200, but not before qualifying an impressive second fastest.

Ambrose was well and truly on the pace in qualifying, finishing the session outside Mike Skinner's pole. And unlike the previous two rounds, Ambrose chose to start the race from the front-row, rather than dropping to the rear.

Ambrose took a conservative approach to the race, dropping back to sixth by Lap TO* and was back to T9th by the middle of the race.

Within the final 3:0 laps of the race a gearbox gremlin developed in Ambrose's Ford F150, trapping: the car in fourth gear. The problem dropped Ambrose back to 29th, although the Australian did manage to climb his way back to 26th

June 2006

before the race finish.

"The qualifying; run was obviously very pleasing.

We were wide open out there and to run any faster we would have had to have taken some drag off" said Ambrose.

"We were able to run up front with the leaders atthe beginning of the race, then a group of cars went high,Twas left on the bottom and kind of dropped back."

"Later in the race we lost all; gears but fourth and struggled with that for the rest of the time. We learned a lot here at Michigan and it was a fun place to run and we were able to get some great experience for the rest of the season."

Johnny Benson won the

Michigan 200, holding off a laterace charge from Nextel Cup star Mark Martin.

TWO weeks ago in Texas, Ambrose qualified 19th and came home 27th following

issues with a loose wheel.

Point leader Todd Bodine, who lost a lap early, went on to win the event passing Mike Skinner's similarToyota to the outside on the final lap.

- MARTIN D CLARK/STAFF

61

THE BIRTHDAY PARTY TRD driver Simon Evans celebrated his 34th birthday last weekend, and he marked the occasion by winning the Rally of Queensland.

RYAN LAHIFF watched things unfold on the Sunshine Coast AS the 2006 NEC Computers Australian Rally Championship reached its halfway point in Queensland,a very worrying trend is starting to develop for any driver not in possession of a Toyota Corolla.

But it wasn't all smooth sailing at the front, where theToyotas of Simon Evans and Neal Bates came under incredible pressure from Mitsubishi's Scott Redder and Subaru privateer Dean Herridge.

Queensland has always been a notoriously rough rally and the two fastest drivers in the series, Simon Evans and Scott Redder, had never tasted success on the undulating Sunshine Coast stages - a fact that both drivers desperately wanted to eradicate.

Evans blasted away early on Saturday morning in his Corolla, 62

and opened an immediate lead over Herridge as Evans's rivals reported early concerns. Both Bates and Redder were struggling with vehicles that refused to behave, leading both drivers to make drastic suspension and handling adjustments during the course of the day.

At the head of the field Evans was seemingly untouchable, separating himself from secondplaced Herridge by over half a minute. As if to give himself something to worry about, Evans clouted a metal cattle grid, which forced the protective metal sump guard of his Corolla onto the gearbox and created a significant crack.

A McGyver-esque patch-up job by the Toyota mechanics, involving a handful of quickset

putty and a swatch of aluminium from a soft drink can had the Victorian driver back underway, with all fingers crossed that the temporary seal would last out the day.

It seems,though,that when you're on form nothing can trouble you, and just as Cody Crocker and Rossum Bourne had demonstrated in the past, Evans cruised through the remainder of the day to claim the victory ahead of second-placed Bates, with Herridge relegated to third ahead of a limping Redder.

"It's a pretty good birthday present!" said Evans who only revealed that it was in fact his 34th birthday at the completion of the Heat.

One of the standout performances of the day came

from privateer Kelvin Croker, who drove his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3 to a top five finish in his first pacenoted event.

Croker was coached by former champion co-driver Dale Moscatt, and admitted that the hardest thing about the day was"listening to Dale and then processing his calls in time."

Hard-charger Wiii Orders also had heads turning after posting stage times faster than the factory teams eariy in the morning, but his run ended prematurely with a broken piston in his Subaru Impreza WRX. An overnight gearbox change had Evans on the back foot for the second Heat, with the regulations imposing a 30-second penalty for the mechanical swap-out. With Evans relegated to the bottom

motorsportnews

arc 'W. A

r 2006 AUSTRALIAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

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:

€ 3 ROUND 3 RALLY QUEENSLAND Land ofSunshine: While Evans was busy winning, Redder, above, was having also having a strong weekend in the Mitsubishi.

Michael Guest and Ford continued on their learning curve,left, while Kelvin Croker, below, managed a fifth in Heat One on his first pace-noted event.

Leg 1 Saturday Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

rWf=Cr .

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211 June 2006

After skipping ahead of both Bates and Herridge to move into second, he soon had Redder in his sights.

A late scare for Redder looked like it might steer an easy win into Evans's hands, after Redder similarly cracked his gearbox on a cattle crossing grid, but the Mitsubishi driver held his nerve over the final forestry stage to take second outright for the weekend.

"This is the only event where I've never had a podium finish, and I finally feel like I might have lifted the curse of Queensland!" Redder said.

"It's a great result for Mitsubishi and the team, and there's no reason why we can't continue this form into the last half of the season."

Deadlocked on points heading

Ih02m41.3s 1h03m27.3s 1h03m33.8s Ih03m45.9s

Stewart Reid/Anthony McLoughli Ih04m48.6s Toyota Corolla Kelvin Croker/Date Moscatt Mitsubishi Lancer Ih06m 31.6s Simon Jansen/Elysia Kruper Mitsubishi Lancer 1h08m39.2s Glenn Brinkman/Steve Richardson 1h09m21.6s Subaru Impreza

Leg 2Sunday 1

of the field from the start of Day 2,the task ahead was to claw his way back into a points position.

Equally frantic overnight work

by Mitsubishi had cured Scott Pedder's handling concerns and he struck home his advantage early while Evans was out of the equation.The Mitsubishi driver opened a distinct lead over Herridge and Bates, who were both once again locked in a stageby-stage tussle.

"Neal is like a blowfly,"joked Herridge.

"He's annoying and he just won't go away!"

With nine stages making up the final day, Evans began his move,taking small chunks of time from Redder, Bates and Herridge throughout the morning before he pounced during the afternoon.

Driver Simon Evans/Sue Evans Toyota Corolla Neal Bates/Coral Taylor Subaru Impreza Dean Herridge/Bill Hayes Subaru impreza Scott Pedder/Glen Weston Mitsubishi Lancer

into the final stage. Bates threw down the gauntlet to Herridge and managed to pip the Subaru driver at the very post to claim the final podium position.

"These battles with Dean are enjoyable when I come out on top, but they're pretty nerve-wracking while it's happening!" exclaimed Bates.

Some consolation for Herridge was maximum points score in the Privateers'Cup ahead of Queensland star Stewart Reid and West Australian Darren Windus.

Pirtek Rally Team Ford finished Heat 2 in 14th, and were buoyed by a constantly improving Focus.

Driver Michael Guest worked particularly hard to give the team its first round finish without a DNF. But for Evans it was another near-faultless performance.

8

Scott Pedder/GIen Weston Mitsubishi Lancer 1h00m57.4s Simon Evans/Sue Evans Ih01m03.3s Toyota Corolla Neal Bates/Coral Taylor 1 hoi m l 0.8s Toyota Corolla Dean Herridge/Bill Hayes Ih01m 15.2s Subaru Impreza Stewart Reid/Anthony McLoughlin 1h02m 15.2s Toyota Corolla Darren Windus/Jonathon Mortimer 1h02m36.9s Subaru Impreza Kelvin Croker/Dale Moscatt 1h04m23.2s Mitsubishi Lancer David Hilts/David Callaghan 1h05m 58.6s Mitsubishi Lancer

Points:Evans 110, Bates 96, Herridge 84, Redder 73

matching his efforts at the previous round in Western Australia, to move even further ahead ofToyota team-mate Bates on the Championship ladder.

"I knew Scott(Redder) had problems and I just kept the pressure on,"commented Simon.

"I tried hard not to go silly over today's stages, and I kept telling myself that there's a Championship on the line "I know I definitely don't want to start the day with a penalty again, though - it's been hard work!"

The series now heads south to Hobart for the Subaru Safari Tasmania on July 14-16.

63

CONE TOURING

NST boss killed in freak accident

will Kerry Madsen leave Knoxville for the National Sprint Tour?

KERRY Madsen has been

SPEEDWAY promoter Fred Brownfield was killed in a freak accident at Grays Harbour Raceway last Friday.

The National Sprint Tour boss died after being struck by a car while marshalling the start of a modified stock car race.

Brownfield, 53,started the Northern Sprint Tour in 1996,and the National Sprint Tour this year. An ex-World of Outlaws driver. Brownfield is survived by wife Debbie and his five children.

Saturday's NST round was cancelled as a sign of respect for the late Brownfield.

Tony Wynne made the most of his home track advantage to claim victory in front of a large and parochial local crowd at the Gladstone Sprintcar Classic.

"I'm rapt, it's great to win at home in front of my family,friends and sponsors," said a jubilant Wynne, who was a model of consistency taking a clean sweep of victories in his three heat races.

I

and had to back off.

Madsen's Davenport result leads to speculation that he will be offered a full-time drive with Selma Shell, however as the Australian currently sits third in the 2006 Knoxville points score. there is no guarantee he would accept the touring ride.

Should Madsen join the National Sprint Tour, rumours suggest one possible replacement for him at Vermeer would be his brother Ian, who has been crewing at the team this season.

-ANDREWVAN LEEUWEN

given a three-race trial on the National Sprint Tour with Selma Shell Racing Team.

The reigning Knoxville track Champion was given the opportunity to drive for Selma Shell Racing Team following the sacking of their regular driver Lucas Wolfe.

The trial kicked off at Davenport Speedway last week, where Madsen put in a cracking performance to finish sixth. He had been vying for the lead with two laps to go, but was caught out by a shortage of fuel

●I

Second highest points scorer Anthony Vanderreyden claimed two wins, while Joseph Tulloch snared a single credit.

The feature event broke into turmoil

t

as the 14-car field took the green with four cars tangling before the first corner as they jockeyed for track position. At the restart, Wynne jumped to the front as the field fell into line, leading the pack to the finish.

Sprintcar rookie Clinton Oliver could not have asked for more at Waikerie's Sunline Speedway, taking a thrilling victory last Sunday in the final 360ci Sprintcar main event of the South Australian Speedway season.

"I'm over the moon to have won the feature, the track has been challenging all day and the crew have been so supportive all season and this is a great way to thank them," said Oliver.

Oliver claimed three of the four heat wins, earning pole position for the main event, before beating Chris Evans to the finish. Evans had a chnace at the win with a caution period in the closing laps, but was unable to pass Oliver.

George Tatnell is making small steps towards recovery.

The speedway veteran suffered a stroke three weeks ago, and is slowly recovering in hospital. Doctors have begun the slow rehabilitation process, however the Tatnell family have advised it will be a long process.

- PARIS CHARLES/STAFF

MUIR: WORLD SERIES

DAVID Muir is set to launch a full World Series Sprintcar assault next season.

The campaign will be headed

by David's father Wally Muir, and will give the young Queenslander his first full tilt at a World Series Sprintcar title.

A new Cheetah chassis is currently being prepared for the season, along with two Titan race engines, which will potentially make Muir the only World Series

entrant with Titan power next season.

"We'll go in with the best gear I can lay my hands on," said Wally Muir. "I would like to think we can run somewhere within the top seven. It's a tough series so it will be tough, but I think we can do that."

The Muir's season of racing will also include a shot at the 2007 Australian Sprintcar Title at Latrobe next February.

moiorsportnews

^

speedway

BRAZIER CETS THE NOD SPRINTCAR team owner Bill Mann has announced a 57-show deal that will see Garry Brazier make his full-time return to racing.

Brazier, who subbed for Cameron Gessner in Mann's team at the end of last season, has been chosen as Gessner's replacement for the upcoming World Series Sprintcar season.

"Basically, he's one of the best drivers in Australia," said Mann.

'And we've got a very full schedule coming up."

That schedule includes 57 shows between the second week in September this year and the first week of May in 2007. The campaign will start with four meetings in Darwin, before running at the Masters in Adelaide, the entire World Series Sprintcars calendar,the Australian titles, the

AUSSIBS ON TON DARYN Pittman took the Australian-owned Titan team to a double World of Outlaws victory at Eagle Raceway last week. i ;

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Pittman began the Friday race from pole position, but afterjumpingouttoanearly lead, was over run by Craig Dollansky. Donny Schatz had his time at the front, leading the field up until a caution period three iaps from the end.

Schatz continued to lead into the final lap, but a brave move

by Pittman handed Titan the Amain win. Brooke Tatnell was fifth.

Saturday saw an Australian ; driver taking on an Australian ; team, with Pittman and Tatnell : going head to head at the 1/3 mile course. Pittman hit the lead early, but had to withstand ; a race-long challenge from

Tatnell. In the end Tatnell couldn't find a way past, giving consecutive victories to Pittman and Titan.

"We were more manoeuvrable than he was, but he didn't have to be manoeuvrable, he just did what he needed to do,"said Tatnell."Why take a chance?

On the second to last restart, I had one shot at him. We slammed it in there and got as close as we could without touching wheels. We gave it everything we had."

Hoosler Tire Australia Australian Distributors for

Xoo$irr

For moreinfo on Hoosier Drag&Speedway Tyres call:

NSW: 0296791990 VIC: 0393316477 SA: 0883320800 211 June 2006

WSS HEADING WEST IT’S becoming increasingly likely that World Series Sprintcars will head west next season.

WSS is currently negotiating a two-round venture to Western Australia, which will feature a round at the Goldfields town of -T* Kalgoorlie, and a two-day round at Quit Motorplex in Perth.

"There's no confirmation at this point, but it's very likely,"said WSS DirectorWadeAunger."The talks aregoing very well and hopefully something will be set very shortly."

There are also rumours that the WSS Grand Final will again be held at Brisbane International Speedway.

-ANDREWVAN LEEUWEN

WORLD OF OUTLAWS 2006 CHAMPIONSHIP Red River Valley Speedway

^^ RACING TIRE

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Australian Outlaws event,the EasterTrail, and the Australian Open.

There is also a good chance that Brazier may get a chance to race in America. Should everything work out during the Australian season, Mann and Brazier will embark on a 15-show trip around the USA,finishing at the Knoxville championships.

"If it all works out good with Garry, then there's a good chance we will head to the United States," said Mann."We'll get next year's cars delivered straight to Knoxville, take a couple of Australian built engines over, and see how we go."

"But it all depends on how the Australian season goes."

Confirmation of the USA schedule is expected following the 2007 Australian Titles.

-ANDREWVAN LEEUWEN

Standings: 17th June

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Team Bray Day; Victor, top, and Benny,above, both took home silverware from Willowbank. Bray Sr won the Top Doorslammer event, while'The Kid'secured the Top Alcohol championship.

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HIL was one year old when I won my first Australian championship and I feel very proud and privileged be here to witness his first."

Those were the sincere words spoken by drag racing icon, team manager and a proud father Jim Read after the Top Fuel final at Willowbank Raceway two weeks ago. Second-generation racer Phil Read rose to prominence in the Top Fuel class in his Auto One/ Snap On dragster with a tyre smoking win in the final to claim his maiderfTop Fuel National

//

Championship at the rain-affected Castrol Edge Winternationals.

Following the loss of a whole day, with several attempts being made to dry the track on Saturday being foiled by consistent showers,Sunday became an action-packed day of racing, with qualifying standings determined from the first and only sessions on Friday. Several big teams in Group 1 were disappointed at missing the fields.

Joint leaders in the Top Fuel championship prior to the event, Phil Read and Fuchs dragster pilot Darren Morgan,set the

drag racing

scene on their respective first and only qualifying passes. Both cars clicked it early, with Read's 4.89s claiming top spot over Morgan's 5.05s. But Morgan, in his last drive for the Lamattina team, had his championship dreams shattered with a disappointing loss to the ever-present Bob Shepherd in the first round.This handed the championship to Read on a silver platter. Read cruised to the final with an easy win over Roy Smith and an early shut off continued on page 68

^h^mpi^KEN FERCUSgSj^iwm from a history-making

L mi* Second, butsmiles:Luke Shephard,above,and Maurice Fabietti, below left, finished as the runner-up in their respective categories. Allan Burley pleased the photographers with with this wheel-stand.

continued from page 67 solo in the second round.The only accolade Morgan could take home was second place in a tough championship.

With the title already in the bag.

Read lined up in the final against Luke Shepherd in the Santo's Cranes dragster of Santo Rapisarda.

The final turned out to be a peddlefest. Both Shepherd and Read were on and off the gas several times, with Read coming out on top, despite having more than a dozen goes at getting the dragster down the quarter mile.

"It was a real driver's race so I get all the accolades,"said Read.

"But my crew were faultless all weekend and it's all the more gratifying for all their hard work this season on the Auto One/Snap On dragster."

As the cars crossed the finish line,fireworks erupted, which caused a delay in proceedings due to a grassfire at the bottom end of the braking area.

Shephard's run to the final came after wins over Terry Sainty and 'Uncle'Bob in the second.

Brett Stevens claimed final round wins in two of the three

m

While Steve Stanic claimed classes he contested, with Top Bike the Top Doorslammer national and Top Alcohol victories. championship just by qualifying Ben Bray was the man who set in the field, it was V Bray who the Alcohol benchmark,though. flew the Castrol Edge flag high, In his Pontiac, Bray ran a pair of recording 6s passes on every 5.5s in eliminations, resetting the occasion. And his best, a second existing national record with his round run of6.03s/242mph,was second round 5.52s/259mph. also a personal best.

Bray met Stevens in an Victor Bray took the trusty old anticipated final, only for Stevens to power to an unhindered victory. '57 Chev to the final against first time TD finalist Maurice Fabietti.

Steven's solid 5.75s win came over Bray got thejump on Fabietti and Bray, who car was powerless from was never headed. the green light.

Bray made his way through at Bray scored wins in the heats over Damien Harris and Mark Brew, the expense of Stevens and Robin Judd. Fabietti cruised past Paul while Stevens piloted his Kitten Greghini and Ben Bray, but wasn't Mustang funny car to wins over good enough against Bray Snr in Gary Phillips in the first round, the final. who rattled the tyres early, crossed The TD field was the biggestthe centre line, and deployed the ever assembled in the class, but chutes at half-track. Stevens went the rain-affected qualifying 5.76s In that round then dipped robbed the crowd of some worldinto the 5.6s zone with a second round defeat of Steve Reed. class performers. Several big names missed the mark on their Bray may not have featured in the Winner's Circle, but his one and only qualifying runs.The two quickest Doorslammers in the efforts were enough to take the world - John Zappia's Rentco HQ Top Alcohol championship in the Monaro and Aaron Lynch's B&L Castrol funny car.

Steel '63 Corvette - both missed the chance to repeat their past ictor Bray made it fiveform,overpowering the track on consecutive Top Doorslammer Friday night. honours for Team Bray at the Winternationals.

Stuart Bishop debuted in his

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stunning,67 Corvette, but only had one shot at qualifying as well,,, ^ A wild ride saw the car complete two full donuts before the 330 foot mark. Bishop did remarkably well to keep the car off the wall.

Brett Stevens's Jack Daniel's Racing debuted three new BA Falcons in the class, but only his car maked the field. Wife Kath and crew chief and new driver Steve Packman in the new Glenfords entry failed to make the show.

Stevens claimed his 50th career victory in Top Bike over New Zealand's Athol Williams.Williams pushed Stevens all the way in the final, his 6.62s at 211 mph just falling short of Stevens's 6.5s at 215mph.This was also Stevens's first Winternationals win in Top Bike, but Jay Upton had already secured the national championship.

The older and more experienced Dave Rogan wrestled the Pro Stock final from ShaneTucker,and with it came the 2006 national crown.

Rogan set a new record of 7.21 s to defeat the holeshot 7.30s by Tucker.

Callam Godeassi took the honours in Pro Stock Bike, but the championship went to Daniel Peatey, who has been the pacesetter all year on his Suzuki.

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TOP Fuel driver 'Hot Rod' Fuller snapped Larry Dixon's amazing streak of five consecutive Father's Day victories by defeating him in the final round of the 37th annual K&N Filters NHRA SuperNationals last weekend.

Fuller's Valvoline dragster went straight down a slick Englishtown quarter-mile in 4.69s at 314mph to beat Dixon's tyre-hazing 4.82s at 299mph.

After defeating IHRA standout Clay Millican, red-hot Doug Kalitta and low qualifier Brandon Bernstein in the early rounds. Fuller took a starting line advantage in the final and never looked back to take home his third National event win of his career and second this year.

With the win. Fuller moved into fourth place in

the Top Fuel points chase.

Season-long points leader Melanie Troxel's first-round loss to Dixon, her first this season, combined with her 1 Ith-place qualifying effort helped Doug Kalitta trim her lead for the second weekend in-a-row in the POWERade standings from 71 to 48 points.

Ron Capps and the Brut team bounced right back to claim the Funny Car win at Englishtown.The Schumacher Racing Brut Dodge Charger defeated team-mate Gary Sceizi in the final round, 5.02s/299mph to a quicker 5.01 s/301 mph.

Capps gained some of his points lost in Joliet back when Force was defeated in the second round. The Brut driver manged to traiier Jim Flead, Phil Burkart Jr. and Tommy Johnson Jr. Jason Line scored the Pro Stock win, stopping Dave Connolly in the final round, 6.72s/205mph to 6.73s/206mph. Qualifying

STEVE Marker raced to his second NHRA National event runner-up showing of the season in Joliet at the CarQuest Nationals, which moved him into second place in Top Alcohol Funny Car standings.

Marker, originally from Brisbane, fought tyre-shake in all three of his qualifying runs, but the addition of a new supercharger and new injector hat enabled Marker to record a career-best of 5.575s at 257mph in Round 1 to take out Mick Snyder. Marker then defeated Vern Moats in the second frame with a 5.66s at 256mph. In his semi-final match with Bucky Austin, Marker again encountered tyre-shake, but was able to pedal through it and take the win with a 5.85s at 253mph.

Marker's final round opponent was defending Champion Bob Newberry.Tyre-shake once again slowed him to a 5.64s at 258mph, which was not enough to hold off Newberry's 5.57s at 257mph.

A week later in Englishtown, Marker qualified in the sixth slot, defeated Bruce Mullins in the opening frame with a 5.73s/255mph, but fell one round later to BobTasca III, 5.64s to 5.72mph.

-DAVID OSTASZEWSKI 21 June 2006

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JOHN Force recorded his record 120th Funny Car win at Route 66 Raceway and closed to within 48 points of the championship point leader Ron Capps two weeks ago.

Force beat team-mate Robert Might in the final round with an off-pace 4.93s pass at 233 mph in his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang after both men experienced engine trouble. Might posted a quicker 4.8s9 at 244 mph, but Force's startline advantage relinquished Might to the runner-up finish.

Mac Tools ace Doug Kalitta Ch ipped

fifth in the record quick field, Line bested Greg Stanfieid, Rickie Smith and Ailen Johnson. The victory. Line's second of the season, moved him into second in the standings.

Pro Stock Bike went to Matt Smith. Fie ousted Michael Phillips, Antron Brown and Tom Bradford before stopping finalist Karen Stoffer.

Staffer enjoyed a slight lead at the start, but Smith quickly reeled her in to post a 7.11s/185mph to 7.23s/186mph victory. It was Smith's first career NFIRA victory.

The third-consecutive weekend of racing on the NFIRA POWERade Series concludes this weekend at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, lllinois.The tour then heads west for the three-event western swing.

Points; Troxel 840, Kalitta 769, Bernstein 639, Grubnic 592, Dixon 541.

Funny Car: Capps 833, Force 785, Hight 647.

Pro Stock: Anderson 726, Yates 616, Line 612.

a way at Melanie Troxel's serie$ lead in; Top Fuel by stopping her in the final round with a 4.50s at 330mph after Troxel crossed the centreline.

Kurt Johnson drove to his second Pro Stock win of the season on a hoieshot, stopping Greg Anderson, 6.64s/207mph to 6.64s/208mph.

Ryan Schnitz coliected his first win of the season at the startingJine when firsttime finalist Matt Guidera red-lighted by 0.004s. Schnitz posted a winning 7.06s at 182mph to Guidera's 7.10s at 185mph.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI 69

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Grant Rowley

Morris to enter Aussie Racers V8 SUPERCAR driver Paul Morris will enter a Sirromet Wines-backed Aussie Racing Car car in the latter rounds of this year's series.

Morris, who drove an Aussie Racer at Bathurst earlier this year, was so rapt with the category that he has decided to get one of his own! Morris wants to find a young bloke to drive the car from the Oran Park round onwards, but hasn't ruled out the chance of him driving at some stage.

Early planning at this stage is to run a competition within the Holden Performance Driving Centre, where the winner would get to drive the car in the 2007 championship.

Qlhe organisers of the Macau Kart Grand Prix have put out the call for Australian and New Zealand karters to compete in the 2006 GP in December - and it seems to be working.

Glenn Powles,fresh from his race in Japan, has announced he will move up to the elite Formula A class for the event. He will continue to drive for the Italian MBA Karts team.

Powles and his father Graham are also interested in putting together an Australian team of drivers. While still in the embryonic stages, the plan is to have a group of Australians flying the Aussie colours.

"I think a team of four or five Formula A drivers, all properly decked out, would be good," Glenn told MNews.

The duo is yet to decide which other classes such a team might contest. It is expected team members would be free to drive whatever brand of equipment they chose.

DTM-STYLE AUDI FOR OZ HOSSACK TO STEER AN AUDI A4 IN 2007 AUSTRALIAN SPORTS SEDAN CHAMPIONSHIP DARREN Hossack will drive a brand-new "On our day, we can match Tony (Ricciardello), but Audi A4 in the 2007 Australian Sport Sedan nine time out of 10 we can't keep up," Hossack said.

Championship.

"The challenge now is to build a better mouse Based around the look of the German-based trap, and these cars are still the most exciting to DTM Audis, pictured below,the car is being built drive in the country."

- GRANT ROWLEY in Melbourne by Audi dealer and enthusiast John Gourlay, with assistance from Darren's father Ron, who has completed most of the engineering on the new machine to date.

The plan at this stage is for the Audi to be completed and tested by the end of the season, before a full-attack on the 2007 season. %\ Hossack's current ride,the Audi Spaces Saab -ll9-3, has been sold to Mark Nelson, who will drive the car in a couple of club race meetings (^OVNIO^ later this year before taking on the fuli national Audi Bant Sport Sedan series in 2007. Hossack has [ffi; Audi Bank 1 l steered the Saab for six years, taking it to one \ »o championship in 2004.

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ONE HOUiH’ THE New South Wales-based Production Sports' 1 Car Racing Association's One Hour Enduro races ; will run again in 2006, with the CUE Enduro Championship set to run over three rounds in three different states.

The events are open to all production cars, meeting the CAMS 2b and 2f eligibility criteria and including Porsche 944 Challenge cars. * The events will comprise two qualifying sessions; two sprint races and a one-hour feature face.There is a compulsory driver change’pit stop in the

feature, and the event is structured around twodriver- teams, with one qualifying and one sprint l race for each driver. Single drivers are welcome, but are limited to just one qualifying session and one sprint race. Single drivers will be required to get out of the car, close the door and then re-enter the car.

The enduros, now in its sixth-consecutive season, will be held at Eastern Creek(August 5/6), Queensland Raceway(November 4/5)and Phillip Island, as part of the Island Magic event(November 25/26).The races are sponsored by CDE-Oothing Go.

Being a CIK-calendered event,the GP will run to full international rules for Formula A, Intercontinental A and Intercontinental C. Additional categories for Rotax Light, Rotax Masters, Junior Rotax and Cadets will also be offered. As such, there has been considerable interest from several Aussies and Kiwis who want to compete in the Rotax classes.

To entice entries in the headline Formula A class, the organisers have done a deal with the local Government to provide competitors with free flights and accommodation to attend the event.

-STAFF/MARK WICKS

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GOLD MEDALLIST TO RACE FORMULA VEE STEVEN Bradbury will has ditched the skates and has gained a CAIVIS licence.

The 2002 Winter Olympic gold medalist raced in last weekend's Queensland State Formula Vee event,finishing in the top five by the end of the meeting. His first major meeting will be at Eastern Creek when he contests in an outright class Elfin in the FVee national race next month.

Bradbury's only motor racing experience has come from celebrity challenges at Albert Park during the Australian Grand Prix. His best result was second place in 2003.

Bradbury is recognised for becoming the first Australian to win gold at a Winter Olympics. He won the men's 1000 metre short track speed skating event at the Salt Lake City games.

Bradbury will compete against a massive field of 42 Formula Vee entries.The majority of these will come from the competitive NSW state series, but with some leading drivers from QLD and Victoria joining the fun as well.

The event is the second and final round for FVee on the CAMS Nationals card for 2006. In the first round at Phillip Island last month, NSW driver Adam Proctor took the overall win and leads the series by one point from Queenslander Shane Hart. Hart won two races at PI, with Proctor winning the other. Victorian Phillip Kilworth is third.

Skating with Celebrities:Steven Bradbury has commenced a motor racing career.

The Eastern Creek FVee event has also secured namingright sponsors. Swarfega Rapid Hand Cleansers and Premier Qne Products are the official backers.

Show Continues PAUL Stubber scored two wins and a third place in the third round of the Biante Historic Touririg CarSeries atWinton Motor Raceway three weeks ago.

Stubber's rural round win kept him in charge of the points table ahead of fellow Camaro driver Steve Mason.

Stubber led from pole in Race 1 and was not headed the entire distance. Mason smoked his tyres at the start, but a turn one incident back in the field brought out the Safety Car. Eddie Abelnica (Boss Mustang)

21 June 2006

was running a solid second, only for a broken shifter to rule him out. TrevorTalbot(Torana) took second place ahead of Gavin Bullas (Boss Mustang).

Talbot looked set to challenge Stubber in Race 2 until he fell off the circuit. Bullas picked up second to Stubber, while Scott Bargwanna (driving father Alf'sTorana) finished just behind in third. Abelnica was fourth and Mason again fifth after tyre troubles.

The Stubber Winning Show came to an

end in Race 3.The fast-starting Abelnica crunched Stubber in the door on the opening lap and took a lead that he would not surrender. Mason followed him through at the time of the incident and the order remained the same until the finish.

Bullas received a black flag for leaking fluid, which granted Talbot fourth ahead of local driver Ray Challis and V8 Supercar team owner Garry Rogers in his Holden Monaro.

Points:Stubber 155, Mason 125,Talbot 122.

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WEATHEfl YOU LIKE tJT.DR AfOTv

PHILLIP Island hosted the second round of the Victorian State Circuit Racing Championship where nine categories drove through rain, wind and cold conditions two weeks ago.

In the HQ Holden class, Mario Gaffiero, pictured leading above, claimed pole and the opening race, only to blow a head gasket entering the straight on the final lap in Race 2. Glen McDonald pipped the slowing Gaffiero by a 0.1 s. Six competitors were separated by a second in the final 10-lap event, won by John Wise.

Mort Fitzgerald toyed with fellow MG competitors, as he was capable of racing at up to 14s per lap faster in his MGB V8. Fitzgerald claimed pole and a clean sweep of all three races with Neil Hopwood and Alan Richardson finishing second and third.

CAMS Rising Star Kristian Lindbom won the opening Formula Ford race. A slight off in the second gave Cade Southall the win from Taz Douglas. Southall then went on to dominate the 1’0 lap final to the tune of over 5s,followed by Douglas and Lindbom. An enthralling battle for fourth resulted in pole-sitter Jack Williams leading the six-car pack across the line.

Drew Beacham qualified on pole in Formula Vee but failed to complete a lap in Race I. Starting from second last, Beacham catapulted to the front during the first lap to win Race 2,and then Race 3.

Liam Gretgrix, round-winner Daniel Reinhardt and Phillip Kilworth were the other front-runners.

Brent Rose and Robert Lange continued their duel in Porsche 944.

Rose won all three races, while Lange had a bolt fall outfrom the gear linkage on the final lap in Race 2.

Improved Production was a Mazda RX7 demonstration. Benjamin Schoots won Race 1, with Mario Caligari taking Race 2 and Cameron Van den Dungen winning the final. Ford Falcon driver Ray Hislop started from pole in his Falcon EB but scored two second placings.

Brett Bedggood was unstoppable in his Porsche 911 GT2 in both wet and dry conditions in the Sports Cars. MatthewTurnball and Kane Rose challenged during the races but Bedggood was untouchable.Tom Hutchinson in his Triumph TR8 was the only other podium place-getter.

Two wins and a second was enough for Dean Camm to score the round victory in Sports Sedans.

Race 1 saw Camm beat Luke Chambers and Rod Smith by under 1 s. In Race 2,Smith won by 5s from Camm.Camm was aided by the absence of Smith and scored victory in Race 3from Luke McPherson and Damian Johnson.

In Historic Touring Cars, Mark Brewster won Race 1, which was the only race that Jervis Ward did not win. Ray Challis took Jarvis on in the final race, but went down by 0.4s. Rod Evans was a distant third.

Ken Wright and David Heath shared the wins in Saloon Cars.

-AARON SHAW

CLASSIC emmaicostello IT was action all round at the WA Sporting Car Club's Winter Classic at Barbagallo Raceway last weekend, with plenty of close racing in all categories and a massive incident on the opening lap of the final race of HQ Holdens.

The third HQ race was redflagged after just a handful of corners as four cars ended up in the sand trap on the exit of BP Ultimate corner.The race was delayed for several minutes as recovery crews attempted to remove all of the stricken cars and later abandoned the event due to fading light.

Steve Raisin managed to

FUN AND GAMES ROUND 3 of the Victorian Motor Racing Championship was held at Calder Park Raceway last weekend.

Only a reverse grid race could halt Nathan Geirer's winning form in his BMW E30. Geirer was a class above the rest and was rarely tested. During the third race, battles emerged between Craig Munro and Philip Showers for second. Geoff Bowles and David Levy fought for fourth after Oliver Lindsaar had a spin on the ninth lap. Munro claimed second by 0.002s and Bowles took fourth by 0.007s.

Jamie Augustine was an unstoppable force in the Under 2rLitres.

Augustine claimed pole in his 1972 Ford Escort and won all five races, including the handicapped event. Shane Brown wasn't far away in any of the races,finishing second. Bradley Toye and Craig Hill also fought all weekend, with Toye the victor.

The HQ competitors had a few bent panels after five races, where Adam Murray cleaned up in four of them. Brendan Avard took the honours of the only other race winner. Joshua Gaffiero stepped in for Mario Gaffiero in the #40 Wogboys HQ and scored four podiums.

Philip Webster notched up five race wins in the Sport Sedans.

Competing against Mitsubishi's to Porsche 944's and Saloon Cars, Webster took control of each race despite his sluggish starts. Daniel Schulz was a bridesmaid all weekend long in his Mitsubishi.

- AARON SHAW 72

IN Round 3 of the 2006 NSW State Racing Championship at Oran Park, Ben Morley's winning-streak ended, but he extended his points lead in the NSW Formula Ford 1600 Championship.

Morley entered the weekend having won six races from six starts in 2006 and added to his tally with wins in the first two races, holding out Nick Lowe each time.

In Race 3, Lowe reversed the result; taking the lead on Lap 7 of 10. He took his first win of the year, with Morley second.

Kristian Lindbom hit the wall in practice and qualifying after mechanical problems and was

forced to miss the first race. He bounced back to claim third in Race 3,ahead of Matthew Howard,Leigh Burges and Glenn Welch.

Stephen Payne was third in Race 2 behind Morley and Lowe, but retired from the third with suspension damage.

Ryan Simpson (Jacer) and Stephen Butcher(Stinger) split the Formula Vee honours.

Simpson won the opener, with Butcher victorious in Races 2 and 3. Mark McHenry(Polar)finished third in each race, with Adam Proctor (Jacer) and Ian Chivas (Jacer) completing theTrophy Race top five.

In all three Mazda-dominated

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national

HEAD STARTER GEOFF Gillespie may have given his opponents a half a lap head start, but that still was not enough to take the Sports Sedan round victory away from him last weekend during Round 3 of the Queensland State Championships at Morgan Park, Warwick.

WESTERN TWINS accumulate enough points in the first two races to hold out David Turner and reigning champ Grant Howlett to take the overall honours for the HQ class.

V8 Ute competitors Kerry Wade and Grant Johnson returned to home soil and continued their fight for the WASCC Club Championship with a brilliant display of close racing in the Saloon Cars.

Wade and Johnson, above, were closely matched over all three races, trading positions on the track and race wins. In the end, Wade narrowly edged out Johnson by just two points with Nathan Callaghan finishing third.

Wade had another close battle in Street Cars, tying on points with Graham Stones. Matt Cherry ran a

close third.

In Formula Ford, Simon Wheeler narrowly edged out Mark Douglas and Michael Epple. Wheeler took two wins, but dropped to fourth in Race 3, leaving Epple to take a close win over Douglas.

Nathan Vince held out a charging Peter McKenzie and Simon Emmerling to take honours in the Sports Cars.

The only runaway winners on the day were Brett Scarey in Formula Vee and Troy Stones from Improved Production.

Scarey won two of the three races to easily take the win from Daniel Gate and Derek Burns whilst Stones made the most from the absence of series leader Kevin ' Ledger to win all three races from Colin Harper and Ashly Barnett.

Improved Production Over 2 Litre races, Scott Fleming (RX7) took victory after fighting off an early challenge from Ryan Brown (RX7).

Brown, Justin Keys (RX3), Stephen Thompson (RX7) and Graeme Watts (RX7) completed the top five in each race.

Layton Crambrook and Nathan Pilkington battled it out in the HQs, with Crambrook scoring two wins and Pilkington one.

Dave Loftus (Toyota Starlet) added two wins to his Improved Production Under 2-Litre tally.

Bob Jowett (Ford Escort) was second in the opening race before winning Race 2. He finished fourth in the final, as Corolla drivers Scott Hunter and Tony Prior completed the podium.

Mitsubishi Lancers dominated Combined Touring. Neville Shears

took two wins and a fourth in Race 2 after a Jump-start. Anton Mechtler won in Shears's absence, while Subaru WRX drivers Jim Stewart and Scott Anderson shared the other podium positions.

In Production Sports, it was Porsches weekend. Paul Whitmarsh (993 GT3) took out the opener before Anthony Skinner (996 GTS) secured Race 2 and 3.

Chris Jackson (Calibra) took out the opening Sports Sedans race, but a challenge on Anthony MacReady (Rover) in Race 2 ended in the gravel trap.

MacReady took the win, and backed it up with success in the final. Jackson recovered to third behind Rama Higgins (BMW).

Seeing off challenges from Race 1 victor David Grant (PRB), Russell Butler (Westfield) scored a pair of

21 June 2006

Following a breezy half-aminute victory in the first race over Colin Smith (Rover Vitesse) and Robert Coutts(Mazda RX7), fortune turned against Gillespie and his BMW M3, when he stalled at the start and conceded half a lap before he got going.

The chase to catch the field saw the lap record fall, and Gillespie cut the field to ribbons, before he captured second position from Coutts during a nail-biting final lap.

"I don't think anyone expected me to be coming through the field like I did,so I had to be a little careful, but that didn't mean that I didn't have a couple of scary moments coming up to other cars!"

Gillespie said.

Robert McLoughlin (Holden Commodore VS)took an easy 10-second win over Gillespie in the race. However,an extra couple of laps may have made it an entirely different story.

In Formula Ford, reigning Queensland Champion Trent Usher (Van Diemen RF04) returned to his winning ways,taking both races.

Nigel Barclay(Van Diemen RF91)finished second in both races, while Nick Power and championship leader Martin

Swindells(Van Diemen RF04)each claimed a third.

Saloon Car honours went to Nicholas Laracy(Commodore VN) with a first and second position in the races, and in the Holden HQ category Shane Hunt won, narrowly edging out Ramon Connell.

In Superkarts, Carlo Chermaz was unstoppable in his PVP,taking both wins comfortably.

The Gemini honours were shared between Cameron Wilson and David Wood,likewise in Improved Production, where the Ford Escorts of Dean Tighe and Graeme Wilkinson were inseparable at the end of the day.

In Historic Group N, Bruce Dummett was unbeaten in his Holden Torana XU1, as was Shane Hart(Jacer F2K4-5) in Formula Vee, both taking clean sweeps.

In Sportscars, Steve Morcombe was devastating in his stunning Chiron LMP3-05. Morcombe almost lapped the field in Race 1, and accomplished the feat again in Race 2, along the way smashing the previous lap record.

- DARIUS KQREIS

Winners: Clockwise from above, Morley, Skinner and Fleming.

C lubman Challenge wins. Warwick Moore (PRB) and Scott Matthews (PRB) also visited the podium.

Neil Kenny (Mallock) edged out Kevin Lewis (CRD 852) to win the first two AF2/Supersports races.

Kenny made it a perfect weekend with victory in the Trophy Race, ahead of Francois Jouy (Mulsanne), Lewis and Richard Crawshay (Mallock).

-MITCHELL ADAM

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Will George have an advantage?

THE Senior Rotax MAX class will be contested aboard Intrepid chassis at the next Rotax World Finals, to be held in Portugal in November.

Intrepid will supply a full field of identical Explorer karts. Could this mean that Tasmanian Intrepid driver Ben George,who has helped develop the company's Rotax chassis, will enjoy an initial advantage when it comes to the World Finals?

Last year,the class used CR6 Road Rebel frames. Swiss Hutless(with the Diabolik chassis) and Rotax (with their own RM1 chassis, which is actually made by Sodi Kart) will continue as the supplied frames for the Junior Rotax and DD2 classes respectively.

'Team Abloy'took line honours in the Dubbo 24-hour Pro Kart race over the June long weekend. After suffering problems in qualifying, the team (consisting of Brian and Mike Briton, Bryce Kertsz, Geoff Piekar and Troy Newman)started off the back of the grid but came through to win their second Dubbo 24-hour in a row.

The Mount Gambier Kart Club continues to ramp up interest for the second running of their Junior Showdown in August. The club has just announced that Junior Rotax has been added to

THi annual East Coast ©vei;40s Titles was run at Coffs Harbour over the June long weekend) bringing together hundreds of the countries more mature karters.

This was the T2th running of the event that many now Gonsider to be the unoffiGial Over 40s M'ationals. For a sport that is dbm i nated by youth,the fact that there were 230 entries from around the country Shows there are a-lot of older drives who want to participate in the

sport outside of traditiona'rrace groupsClass'.wins also-went to- - . n days. feterKI’eih-'(Rdtax!Light)'iiKurt i Due-to these large numbers, SaviesfiRotax Heavy 40-47),lam i and the track's 26-kart gridi Allen (iRotax Heavy 48+),Steve capacity,the more popular ©ansie ([Rotax Super Heavy), Rod; j categories were splitinto two sGreen (OlubmaniiLiight), Greg j -Martin (Cjubrnan Heavy 40^47), age divisions.

The most dominant driver .MioTn'aeTOilrct^ubman iHeavy ofthe meeting was Steven 48#,'i^p§i Mappersdn ;(laiI' . lingell who went-undefeated ilLi|'h|)il©j^#a|chdrhiiP|fi .j -al-wee'kend- 1 rf Cl ubma n Super Hea®5^i#5Eirf®htillMiNdti©n|'lf ' Heavy. , Light 48+), GeoffGeosch-' Dale Madden was another to-'(National Heavy 48+)and'Glen-' grab bulk silverware by winning Margraves(iNationai Super'' both the National Light and' Heavy),pimred above.

-MARK WICKS I Heavy divisions in the 40-47 year

OFFICIALLY OLD

the existing eightjunior categories.The meeting will be a perfect lead up for the South Australian state championships to be held at the venue in October.

The American karting sanctioning body IKF (International Karting Federation) has created an award to honour the oniy North American to win a CIK karting World Championship.

The perpetual Lake Speed Achievement of Excellence award will be presented at the IKF's 2-cycle Sprint Grand Nationals at Fontana in August. Speed was the International lOOcc CIK world champion in 1978, winning the title aboard Birel/Parilla and against the likes of Aryton Senna.The former NASCAR winner currently competes in a TAG class.

Richard Erdmann has been reinstated as the AKA National President.

After his recent resignation, the AKA called for nominations to fill the vacancy.

Erdmann was subsequently returned as the National President earlier this month and will hold the position until the AKA's AGM in August.

-MARK WICKS

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THE Over 40sTitles has made a name for itself as the annual show-n-shine for historic karts.

The event offers the perfect opportunity to give these old machines a blast around the track.This year's event saw the official establishment of the Vintage and Historical Kart Association.

The group will foster and manage this growing division of the sport.

Encompassing karts from 1959 to 1975,the gathering at Coffs featured karts from throughout this period. From Victa and Villiers powered '59 models, through the 1963 Dragon/Mac91 (pictured with Ken Mitchell driving, left above)to karts from the 70s.

Almost 30 machines,some fullyrestored, others not, made it to Coffs and 22 of them participated in on track'demonstration'runs. And from all accounts, some of the drivers were older than the karts, ex-racers getting reacquainted with machines that had carried them to glory in yeas gone by.

With an official club now established, the group is hoping to run the karts and display them on a more regular basis. As such, more and more of these forgotten examples are re-emerging from under tarpaulins and garages around the country and carefully refurbished by enthusiasts to ensure the history of our sport is well preserved.

-MARK WICKS

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WHEEUNG AND DEALING Vic State Fonnuld Forder Taz Douglas has landed a job at the Toll HSV Dealer Team.

ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN asked how it all came about

MOTORSPORT NEWS:How did you think you went at Phillip Island for the Vic State round two weeks ago?

TAZ DOUGLAS;We finished second which was OK, but we are just struggling a little bit for horsepower compared to a couple of guys.The cars is handling fine and everything's OK, we just need to find a bit more horsepower.

Is that what changed between Round 1 at Sandown,the Winton non-championship round, and Round 2 at Phillip Island?

Yes, and obviously Winton is more about car set-up and driver ability, so we did really well there. But when we got to a big horsepower track like Phillip Island we just struggled a little bit.

Are you confident you can still win the Vic State series from here?

I am still very confident. I might just have to drive a bit harder,and be a bit smarter about how I go about it. And if it rains at the next round, we will be looking even better!

How has the Taz Douglas story gone so far?

As far as racing goes as a career, a couple of years back I was just crusing along racing karts, and never really thought about doing it for a living. But I won a few titles, and did pretty well.Then I decided to take a year off and move to

Queensland to, basically, go surfing. When I came back and saw guys I raced karts against winning V8 Supercar races, I thought I better jump in a Formula Ford and have a go! And it snowballed from there.

You've just done a deal with the Toll HSV Dealer Team. How did that come about?

It all started toward the end of last season, when I was set-up with an interview with John Crennan through a mutual friend.

I didn't go in there asking for a drive, or saying I'm the best. I just asked for some advice about furthering my racing career. I didn't expect anything, I was just trying to get my name out there.

And the best piece of advice he gave me that day was that in order to get picked up by a race team, I had to be in and around race teams. Rather than working with my dad on earth moving equipment, I was better off working for a team and getting to know blokes, and learn how a team works.

John then set-up an interview with myself and Rob Crawford, and we worked out a two-day per week work deal at HSV, purely just to get to know everyone and how it all works. And whether I'm putting an engine in or washing dirt off the transporter's tyres. I'm still there and I'm still learning a lot. As time goes on, I think the workload will increase.

So far so good then?

Everyone at the team has been really accepting of me.The guys there are full of knowledge and only too happy to pass it on to me, which is why I'm there so it's great.

guys are full of knowledge and only too happy to pass It on" - Taz Douglas finds the Toll HSVDT a great place to learn

Winton was the first time you have raced in front of the V8 Supercar paddock. Were you nervous about performing in front of your new workmates?

I guess it was a little bit nerve wracking, but I try not to get too nervous before a race. I really want to be relaxed and riot think about it too much because that can really stuff you up.

Before we went to Winton, Rob Crawford told me there was no pressure from the Toll HSV crew, and that I should just go out and look after myself- and that's what I did. I wanted to finish every race and hopefully get a good result, but to win all the races was just fantastic.

The big question, are you going to test a V8 Supercar this year?

I really hope so.There hasn't been any discussion about when or where I will get a drive, so I can't really say at this point.

It's hard with HSVandHRT being grouped,as it limits our testing. And there's so much stuff that needs to be tested on the race cars,so that basically counts out our six test days. If anything, it will probably be in a ride car at some point later this year.

Mustry news

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Stilling (multiple rally champion) and co-driver Frank Brookhouse , to use the Martini fuel.

the ACTAutomotive region supplier for theinMartini Racehas Fuels product line.

Reliance Services Canberra been appointed Principal of Reliance Jon Waterhouse said that he welcomed the opportunity to continue to support for rallying in the area and was excited by the advantages offered by Martini Race Fuels."The Martini Products appear to me to offer performance advantages over pump fuels whilst being available to club and state level competitors at an affordable price".

As a part of his continued evaluation of the Martini Product, Jon Waterhouse, who prepares a number of leading cars in the area, used the BRM rally as a testing opportunity by tuning the’Reliance Automotive backed Mitsubishi Evo 6 Lancer of Canberra's John

John Stilling reported favourably on the trial of the Martini Fuels saying,"We tookthe opportunity to try a newfuelforthis event-the Martini Racing 102 - and retuned the car to see if any performance gains could be made. We were hoping for performance and usability enhancements and our hopes were well founded. The car performed strongly and produced more power and better fuel efficiency, not that we were concerned about economy. The new fuel was also a pleasant surprise and the team commented on it's lack of a pungent smell and the extra performance provided."

Reliance Automotive are currently evaluating other Martini products such as gear oils & competition brake fluids with positive results.

For further information on this exciting new product contact Jon Waterhouse at Reliance Automotive Services on 026280 5972

ONEPIECE RACE PUSHRODS PBRFORMANCB RROaucra^ Your High Perfonnancc Aluminium cooling product specialists for Radiators, Intercoolers, Liquid-io-Air barrel kits & Ollcoolers , PLUS ^ NEW 3 High Performance Brake Kits by alconiv NEW

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motorsport news

classifieds RACE AND PERFORMANCE CLASSIFIEDS

Transporters/Trailers

7

online classifieds

Racecar Transporter Mitsubishi. FK415 race transporter /92 model

CSR/BIKE SPOMER

T-

Find hundreds more race vehicles and parts for sale at www.my105.com

/ 6-cyl. diesel / 5-sp./ low k's /1 SOOkg tailgate

Speedway

loader /17x8x8 body (like new)/ belly locker / alloy bullbar / interior like new(3 seater with sleeping or storage area behind) / May '07

-m-

reg,/ RWC / good tyres & mechanically / well presented & maintained truck in excellent condition / genuine reason for sale / $15850 Neg.041619 47 63. paint job jdPOOiW ON9- Scott

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33^

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WESTFIELD SPORTS CARS I>»l0427 057 492

339

Royal1982 F/F1600

r

kse

car

transporter.

12V/24V/240V, belly tanks,HUGE annexe,6cyl

long-spline,pro

www.myl05.com/51726

turbo deisel, will cruise 100-F km/H, plenty of storage and workbench inside, electric winch

bring back to full potential.$ 23900.Pip Allen on 0428 641322 or (08)99 641322.

www.myl O5.com/17103

339

339

Open Wheelers

on race car, 12 months rego, RWC,4m ramps,

Fully enclosed Isuzu SBR turbo diesel, clean skin tyres, tyre rack, electric winch, internal banana back, belly locker, highway nosecone, Reese towbar,Vic rego,suits large sedan,very reliable truck needs tidy up. $15000-fGST Contact; Mark (03) 9736 4995 or 0409 509 508.

pantec recently stripped and painted, selling due to new transporter purchased. $16,500 Neg.0438 573753.

www.myl05.com/224

342

Historic f/f 1600 Lola T642E F/F 1600 1983 built chassi 45 kent engined car. This cars has had a lot of recent work done to the chassi and running gear

339

many thousands spent on new compnents.

RALT RT4

Good condition. Car comes complete ready to race. Spares also available. Nose cone mould, and more. Parts Car can be made for

ThE rt4 bs herai is in imiitai; rag Maw cwl

Two car transporter Semi transporter with G88 volvo primemover,

International Transporter

Set up for two sprintcars but easy convert for

Truck has fully rebuilt 345ciV8 engine running

sedans, sleeps 6, fridge.stereo, BBQ, all alloy interior, side door. Can fit two sprintcars &

dual fuel. Five speed box, new exhaust, just resprayed,6 new Michelin tyres, tidy interior,

bike. Lots of storage inclding diff & tyre racks, cruise lOOkms. purchased to run two cars

lights and power to pan interior. Electric winch in rear. Comes with spare 345 V8 and

but youngest son changed mind. No longer

2x4 speed boxes. Extremely reliable truck in

needed,trailer has brand new clean skin tyres & truck has new steerers. Ph or email for more

great cond, have to sell as just bought a semi. $8,500.00 Best Offer.02 48 722-622.

photos.45,000 Neg. Frank 0417474012.

www.myl O5.com/1140

car comes complete but will requre TLC to

for loading or can be used for engine removal

Race Car Transporter

www.myl05.com/51886

light,winters

shows old from full rebuild.approx 740hp.

49,000 ONO.jason 0412987366.

Hino Turbo Race Transporter Masterton , Touring

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shocks,new weld front end. buick engine 14

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Ex

Royal 1982 F/F1600 kent engine car complete with Mk9 Flewland Koni Skocks all round.This

2003 avenger 372 buick

339

www.myl05.com/11812

IK pnaidMapw body work

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showing, Pip Allen 0428 641322 or (08) 99 641322.$34 800.00 ONO.

www.myl05.com/1207

339

U

www.myl05.eom/40471

WELSOR CLUBMAN

339 1976, Datsun A12 freshly rebuild winton lap

!

record short circuit Historic log book with C of D BMC diff with spare ratios complete with enclosed trailer and spares ready to race.

25,000 ONO. MICHAEL 0437 102 780 / 03 57 664218.

1976 Elfin 630B ANF2 Built 1975-76. Currently fitted with new Ford 1600 pushrod x-flow engine for ANF2

by Rodney Gibbes. Restoration by Brook

www.my105.com/64971

339

Hi-LiteYourAd

Motorsport. Rebuilt FT-200. CAMS Certificate

Ford F-Series Tilt Tray

Enclosed Trailer

Description, Group Q Log Book, Eligible for ANF2 or Formula Atlantic if BDA fitted. 2 sets ANF2 wheels with new radial slicks. Engine cover, nose, radiator and rims to convert to

great low budget transporter.V8 auto on dual

Fully enclosed car trailer, dual wheels, electric brakes, winch, shelves, 240v - 12v wiring,

fuel with air con.The vehicle is being sold as is

accomodates Sprintcar or smaller. Twelve

Formula Atlantic, Very quick and sorted car

and without a road worthy. It does need some

months rego, 1st to see will buy. $10,000

minor work. $7450.00.Tony 0408176092.

ONO. Leigh Drennan 0266869242.

doing 1.13.97 at Oran Park GP, $45,000 ONO. Rod 0428290010 /0247519677.

With a bit of work this vehicle would make a

www.myl05.com/40740 21 June 2006

339

www.myl05.eom/70137

339

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Block Coloured Ads Out NOW!

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RACE AND PERFORMANCE CLASSIFIEDS 'I SELL your parts, motorsport vehicle or anything to do with motorsport via our internet classified partners my105.com -for as little as $35!* Yes,3 months on my105.com, plus an insertion here in MNews, all for as little as $35.

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Find hundreds more race vehicles and parts for sale at www.my105.com Sedans/ Sports Cars

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>4 Chevy

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Turbo charged special sedan

Either log on to my105.com and follow the prompts(photo must be digital, if required)OR you can still advertise via mail/fax($10 surcharge applies)and send us your car photo if you require one($10 pic processing fee).

To suit hill climb/sprints. Mid engined twin turbo308,injected,dry sump,all braided iines, turbo 400 trans, detroit iocker quick change diff. Formula style suspension,complete with 4 wheel trailer. 15000 Ono. Peter 93852004.

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MNews/myl05 classifieds are for the sale of private goods and vehicles only. Photos marked 'proof'will not be used.

m

341

MAZDA RX4 COUPE

Mazda Rx2 IPRA Rolling Shell Logbooked IPRA. CAMS approved Alloy cage, Koni's with coil overs, Ser VI front calipers, pedal box,cabin biasadJustment,Commodore rear discs, Mazdaspeed LSD, Twin system exhaust suit bridgeport, shrouded 4 core radiator, Rx4 oil cooler, 15x7 Challengers with excellent 205/60 A032R tyres, body condition excellent,seam welded,interior respayed in 2 pac grey, original door trims and roof lining, custom alloy dash, fuel cell in boot, Sparco Evo seat and harness, spares package. 13,000 ONO.Simon 0402089447.

www.myl05.com/85282

339

Improved production 13B PP. 51 Webber LSD 4 wheel discs 5 speed brake bias 5.1 diff.

Ready to Race. $6,500. Newcastle. Phone; 0413 383 102. $6,500.

www.myl O5.com/15417

339

Australian Performance Car BA GT-P. Only 10 meetings old front nmn!^ can SBfenthJn ',;pocj|g*E^'rwni @lBr th^i'06 season. Profiessloiipy lightweight aluminium block. Moti M800 ECU and AOL CioMo wets and cage. 60lt fu^ ^ 4 rims,'BEnIS dms w3h UichaCB tyres.

Tod many parts to mention. Doat nSss this piportunity to pumhsf one of the fastest and l^htest GTs in Australia.

75,O00if6ST. John ^ 50331155 / 04tS5D0049.

Ford Mustang Good reliable car,currently Nc but can run Nb. 420hp motor, mexican block, spare wheels, gearbox. Mallala Imin 22. $47000.00 ONO. graham 0883392700/0883396790.

www.myl05.com/33389

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340

34 2 E^r Tourer Colour PassioaPurpIejSLE 5000 308' block stroked to 355'Forged Flat top Fisttro VN Heads BOTet cam v«th Y/R mrkprt Harrop manifold 650 d^fBarr^'H^ey I Hidden Below Turbo 400 Gearbo* Z500 rpm stait 10 Bolt Bnsdt L5D 4 Wh^ diss Dtagyi^juheels 15 x 7(f) T5 x 12 (rlTjper Pop up 060 5wiss madejCatniEr 2 only knowifige Australia Mini Rod Powered for Honda motor.SHBOO Neg., r;to(ST?358ii6.

339

Type/write your advertisement clearly (no more than 50 words), nominate your category and include your pic(s).

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^^hannelitoac ADL Da^ lagg^ FhTg LodJ Tn^eerfng Strait rod shlft^^ l!iU LOsnnl' dash and raHsdle. tm expensgLspared. Bnishsl 6* in last years rfflonal charaptonship with pod^ finish Jn AdelSde. liully prepared,eadyja lai^ 49,006 {0sj-gGd. Tony04tBSS1 8ff.

www.my105.com/38217

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Ads without pics may be faxed, along with your details/contact and credit card details.

VS Commodore Cup Car for Sale

www.myl05.com/79929

339

339

<

Nissan Skyline R34 Coupe This stunning R34 is fitted with the genuine Skyline body kit, air con, elec windows, twin airbags, traction control with elec override, performance exhaust, turbo timer, 18 inch chrome alloys, triple select transmission with either auto, tiptronic or steering wheel gear change system. Meticulously maintained, always garaged, a real head turner, great performer. Available with or without prestige plates"ICEY". Without plates $33 500. $35 500 with prestige plates. Derek 0408716062.

www.myl05.com/64742

339

I

2004 Porsche GT3 Clubsport

Toyota MR2 Spyder

As new, great package, won category and second in class in Targa Tas 06. Sparco Seats, Willans Harnesses. Many Spares including spare Endless pads, discs, wheels and tyres, Stainless Exhuast System. Has to be seen!

Assistance with sponsorship Also includes web site www.mr2targa.com. 25,500 Neg. Adam 0414207341.

www.myl05.eom/33390

339

Road Registered 911 GT3 Clubsport.This one owner vehicle has been built for the personal use of Porsche Centre Sydney South's Chairman, Ray Lintott with no expense spared.CAMS/FIA approved chrome moly roll cage. CAMS log booked. FVD enhanced ECU. Short Ratio differential. Starr competition exhaust. Circuit competition suspension with Tarmac rally competition suspension also included. On board lap timer. Terra Trip unit and spare set of BBS Wheels. Call Robert Lee on 02-9693 9000. A$194,900.00.

www.myl05.com/20590

339

motorsport news

classifieds RACE AND PERFORMANCE CLASSIFIEDS

Karts For Sale

online classifieds

Find hundreds more race vehicles and parts forsaie at www.my105.com

For Sale

BMW M3 E46 350hp engine, chipped, full exhaust & cold air box. Bilstein adj shocks, drilled & grooved rotors with Ferrodo pads, full welded cage, harness,dual race seats,3E CAMS log booked.

Rally rego only available. $59,000 ONO. David 0296835577/0417682150.

www.my105.eom/96013

339

rm

COMMODORE SPORTS SEDAN

Corolla Club SprintCar Corolla coupe hardtop, 1300 4K engine, twin 45mm webbers, 30/70 cam. Worked head.

Big sump. Oil Cooler, alloy radiator, Rev limiter. Shift light, H/D Exedy Clutch, Vented front discs, F&R adjustable Rose jointed Sway Bars, Koni Front Struts, Rear panhard rod & top links, perspex side windows. Cobra Seat, Best Winton time, long circuit 1:47:00.

Includes spares.. $5,900. martin 0418369302 /0359666010.

www.my105.eom/89380

339

This is the 1st time offered for sale, the Glen Taylor 2003 N.S.W champ winning car, great history at both State and National level, equipped with the very best gear, well known car always maintained regardless of cost.Top H.P. ChevVS motor with all the nice bits, Hollinger G/Box, Pensky gold shocks, air jacks etc, not raced since 2003. Has fresh motor,gearbox, potential to win champ,price includes(3) sets of wheels, spare spoilers etc. bargain at $65,000 ONO.Phone Barry or Glen on (02)9607 6344 or 0405 731 654.

www.my105.com/74731

Very fast J engine, pole 05 Vic open SNL $2500 Arrow ax8 28/30 (10 meetings old) with J engine, mychronS, easi tune, and all spares! axles, srockets, tryes, rims, etc) $4000 will seperate. Trailer, side and rear opening, hold 2 karts and equip $3500. Leigh Noske 0418622840/(03)52225430.

www.my105.com/67291

339

339

Historic Touring Car NC Monaro Currently running in the biante national series. Car is one of the best presented cars in the country. Built from ground up with new everything, looks and sounds great, is improving on performance every time it hits the track with recent good results. Is a serious contender in the right hands, car is ready to race in one of the best series going. 80,000 Neg. Keven 0419315984.

www.myl05.eom/9201

343

:r:i

Race rims

Group NcTorana Xul Brand new car,only 1 meeting old.Completely restored, sandblasted on rotisserie. Built

by V8 Supercar Machinist/Engine Builder.

Genuine reason for sale.Trade ins considered.

Can view at VSCRC Phillip Island June 10/11. $34000 ONO.James 0409859919.

www.myl05.com/24381

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1

Genuine Mazda RX2 Coupe - Historic NC. 12A Bridgeport, Webber, Alloy Rad, Big Oil Cooler, Koni Shocks, Adj Springs, Vented Discs, Volvo 4 Spots, Finished in the top 10 at the Bathurst Historic Easter round in April 06, Recently painted,spares and panels available.

Ph: Matt - 0411 736 980. $17,000.00 ONO, Liz 0421 369 720.

www.myl05.com/80067

HQ Race car Aus 1 Curent National champion car with probably more race and championship wins than any other. Great handling car with the history to prove it. Car has new paint and brand new Aoto trac engine, if you want to win races then by this car. Last raced at Winton 4 hour 05,second over all with a Sunday win by over 15 seconds. Car is ready to race. 12,500 Neg. keven 0419315984.

www.my105.com/24577

Genuine Mazda RX2 Coupe

343

Group"A"Historic Sedan

Fresh 2lt motor, 48mm webers, capri struts, konis adj, kings springs, vent discs, 4 spots, 13x7 superlites, yoko advans, camber/caster kit, 2x race seats & harnesses, some spares.

11500.00 Neg. Alan 0362347400.

Nissan Motorsport Gazelle S12 Group "A".

Historic Significance. As car was originally driven by MarkSkaife during 1986-87 winning the 2lt championship. Car now restored to original specifications but still requires some assembly, P.O.A. Phone.Terry 0415 262 855.

339

www.myl05.com/31436

340

Datsun 240Z Marque Sports 3 Litre - 242 hp at wheels Weight - 920 kg's - Fibreglass front Autotronic fuel injection Godzilla brakes 12 wheels - 8 dunlop slicks Option 1 box - 3 diffs Lap Eastern Creek 1:44 Laps QLD Raceway 1:19. $25,000 ONO. John McKeon 07 5578 2266/0407 781 846.

www.myl05.eom/50539 211 June 2006

339

Supercar For Sale

13B Turbo Rotary 225'Dragster

Very low use (8 race meetings) comes with spares and four very large BAC cabinets and pit trolley. Has not been raced for two years but is ready to race. Serious enquiries only, $110 000+GST. Craig 0412895560.

Weldon fuel system, many more features, please call for further information. $39000.

Adam 0438 763 416,

www.myl05.com/48421

339

www.myl05.com/41910

www.myl05.com/7633

339

340

Escort mkl

www.myl05.com/61269

Race rims,2 sets, set I.Race Rebels 15x10 Torana stud pattern.Excellent condition.Suit group C or sports sedan. $250 each, set 2.

Mawer 14x10 Torana stud pattern,excellent condition.Genuine rims for group N or group C.As used by Dealer Team & Bob Jane, $500 Each. $2S0/$500 Neg. Matthew 0437954327 /03 63943822.

339

/ am very happy with the service I received. All three of the enquiries you forwarded were firm buyers and it was sold on a first come first served basis.

Again thanks.

I. Hills

Get it seen Get it soid!

81

I

txilk converter Midnight V8s? Not likely...

I write with reference to the announcement that Channel

filECF Editorial Editor: Phil Branagan

editor@mnews.com.au Deputy Editor; Mark Glendenning mark@mnews.com.au National Editor; Grant Rowley grant@mnews.com.au Staff Journalist; Andrew van Leeuwen andrew@mnews.com.au Production Graphic Design & Web;Jason Freeman design@mnews.com.au Advertising - PR Driven Pty Ltd P 03 9877 7271 F 03 9877 7207 Manager; Brendon Sheridan M 0407 007 286 ads@mnews.com.au Advertising Admin; Margaret Nelson artwork@mnews.com.au Administration 357 Nepean Highway, Brighton East, VIC, 3187 (PO Box 7072, Brighton, VIC, 3186) P 03 9596 5555 F 03 9596 5030 admin@mnews.com.au Managing Director/Publisher; Chris Lambden publisher@mnews.com.au Contributors fJ;Joe Saward, Adam Cooper, Paolo Filisetti Europe: Quentin Spurring, David Addison US: Martin D. 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, Mitchell Adam 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 5S12S120 702 Publisher: C Lambden Printed by: Offset Alpine Printing Pty Ltd, Lidcombe, NSW. Distributed by: NDD Ltd Material published by MOTORSPORT NEWS is copyright and may not be reproduced in full or in part without the written permission of the publisher, freelance contributions are welcome,and while all care will be taken, Australasian Motorsport News does not accept responsibility for damage or loss of material submitted. ●Opinions expressed in Motorsport News are not necessarily those of Australasian Motorsport News or its staff.

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Seven will take over broadcasting V8s in 2007 and the ensuing fuss.

I remember when 10 took it over from 7 and what an amazing difference they made, not only with the races but the amount of coverage on RPM and \/8 Superstars.

However,everyone who is critical of this decision must realise that it really is not in V8SA interests to take a backwards step when their aim is to try to increase the audiences and attract more people to the sport.

Logically, this can only happen if the agreement is to show the races in primetime.

Does it make sense that V8SA would also risk sponsors pulling out of the sport, which they surely would, if they were only getting a midnight timeslot?

Meiissa Lowe melissa.lowe-musgrove@roche.com Channel 7 no good Both writers and readers seem to bitch about V8 coverage. But I think that it is fair to say in advance that 7 will do worse.

They screwed up ATCC and they have to negotiate AFL too!

At least the Japanese, Chinese, Malaysian and other Grands Prix might be live. Love the mag,too.

Rhys Foreman rforeman44@hotmail.com Bring back James and Martin I've once again sat up waiting for the delayed telecast of another Grand Prix, this time the British GP. Sitting there anticipating that Neil Crompton and Leigh Diffey would just carry on with their stuff before the race, I was upset to realise that they were going to commentate it! Don't the Channel Ten people realise that

It

of the Formula 1 season.

At the moment, it seems the likelihood of poor Mark's Williams making the finish line at a Grand Prix is less than that of the Socceroos downing Brazil by ten goals...

Jarred Bishop Kelmscott, WA

Send us yourthoughts: PO Box 7072, Brighton, ViC,3186 mnews@mnews.com.au

most people have to work in the morning and Just want to watch the race?

With their commentary I also notice that the stuff that these guys were going on with also muffled the ambient noise from the circuit. I would much prefer to hear what James and Martin have to say and also to listen to the engine notes as purely as possible.

This is not helped at all by flicking over to SBS and seeing the excellent coverage of the World Cup.The picture and sound was what you'd expect the FI telecast to be.

If Channel Ten can't put on a decent show and telecast the FI live rather than the junk that goes on before it (like Big Brother), they should let another broadcaster take over the rights. I hope that FOX takes over the rights so that we can't see LiVE qualifying as well as a live race.

Mark Wiison Canberra, ACT Go Socceroos, Go Webber If the Socceroos can come back from 1-nil down against Japan to win by two goals, surely Mark Webber and Williams can salvage a few points from the remainder

■ ● ●

Hello? Courtney?

I have just one question. What's going on with James Courtney?

The guy clearly has some talent... I mean he did win a race or two whilst globe-trotting the last few years. But he seems completely unable to wrangle even a half decent result out of the SBR Falcon,the very car that Marcos Ambrose seemed to have absolutely no trouble winning a couple of championships in.

But maybe the problem is SBR. Russell Ingall is hardly setting the world alight during his title defence. OK so he is not out of the game points-wise, but that's been through finishing races rather than blinding pace. And at Winton, he had neither blinding pace, nor the ability to finish on the lead lap!

Let's hope for young James' sake that either he and/or SBR get up to pace real soon.

And please Russell, no more terrible Caltex segments on RPM. Tim Watson Campbelltown, NSW Taking it to the streets Am I the only person who doesn't buy the'best touring car series in the world'junk about V8 Super cars?

In 2006-specification, V8 Supercars is almost as boring as watching a Formula 1 race - and that's bloody boring!

Winton, Oran Park, Queensland Raceway; they are all boring circuits. Let's get street circuits, let's race at tracks that really promote overtaking. If we need to go overseas, then let's do that.

Chris George Peakhurst, NSW

, ^^mnews pHaitutfiyififh poll results

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Is it time for Webber to consider a move away from Williams?

Yes, if he moves to Renault: 38%

8 WEEKTRIAL SUBSCRIPTION AVAILABLE NOW

Unsure, maybe If Williams Improves: 31%

from as little as $25 (online payment only).

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Yes, he may have a better chance to win: 24%

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Reader Mark Wilson prefers Martin and James in the FI commentary box - but you should hear what the Poms say about the latter ...

No, he should remain loyal: 7%

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