Motorsport News Issue 356 - March 7-20, 2007 by V8 Sleuth

ASTON MARTIN - NEXT FI'BRAND'NAME?

news

No.356 7-20 March 2007 Australia $6.50 NZ $8.00 inc GST »■

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25 Motor Mouth

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26 Box Seat .■w

‘ ...i. -28 Opinions

Always look ofuthe Britek Side

82 Talk Converter X

Ownership Shmownership

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30 Five f^inutes with Rick Keliy V

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Five Minutes with Michael Caruso

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m^l^lfgotd^er his2006 disappointments,

his time inîand what happens now 38 EXCLUSIWârk Webber's FI Preview Qurowni'FT driyîs Bulliihgbout2007.r

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66 BrOg Racing 6Si iNationaTSeene

suiUghiniages.cofh Contents: mynsmMh, Phil Wttliams, sutt6h'images.com, John Morris, Marshall Cass

76 Race Shop/Industr.y Flews r/" 79 Classifieds

What can happen? DESPITE calls for sanctions

against HRT for its ownership

probiem, there appears to

l3e nothing thatTEGA can do

in the way of taking punitive

TEGA says: Own up! Holden Racing Team ownership wrangle continues

action against the team. TEGA's actions and

responsibilities are governed by the TLA and while Motorsport News has never had access to the confidential document, one team owner

● ●●

was willing to straighten out

a few myths surrounding the

THE clock continues to run, with no resolution yet

ongoing controversy - on

to the Holden Racing Team ownership issue. The factory team left Adelaide last Sunday with one of its drivers,Todd Kelly, leading the V8 Supercar

the condition that he remain anonymous.

"TheTLA is primarily a

Championship Series but no announcement from

either the team or theTouring Car Entrants Group that the issue of its ownership has been settled. TEGA has given the team until March 12 to, in its own

commercial document," he said, "and there are no

words,"resolve its outstanding control and ownership

issues to TEGA's satisfaction".

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Should HRT not do that, it is possible thatTEGA may terminate the team's two Level 1 licences (its permits to race in the series) and that the team would

Performance boss Tom Walkinshaw on the weekend

- regardless of the fact that as a supplier to the team,

of theVSSCS in Perth on March 23-25.

Walkinshaw has not official standing with TEGA.

Two weeks ago, the other Clayton-based team (Toll HSV Dealer Team) was cleared to compete when owner John Kelly was able to satisfy TEGA that it

"He requested the meeting,"O'Rielly said,"and Iam always happy to meet with people."

But despite meetings in that have stretched into

last weekend's Clipsal 500 round, there is yet to be a resolution to the situation and now other team

owners have weighed into the matter (see separate story). Mark Skaife, who TEGA recognises as the owner,

would not comment on the ownership issue, other than via a prepared statement: "I have no comment on any of this as we are

working on the resolutions as required by TEGA," said Skaife. "The Holden Racing Team is in Adelaide to race

competitively this weekend and that is our sole focus." On Monday TEGA Chairman Kelvin O'Reilly said that there was "no changes to report" in the matter, despite the fact that he met with Walkinshaw 4

TEGA can only issue a licence to compete in the series and

be forced to miss, at the very least, the second round

met the requirements laid out in theTeams Licence Agreement.

provisions in there for any kind of punishment should a team step outside the guidelines.

In a statement,TEGA included a pointed reminder

that"lt requires that teams are independently owned. It prohibits a situation where there is cross ownership or control of more than one team. The benefits of

ownership are personal to the legal and beneficial owner of the TLA and a controlling interest cannot

be transferred to any other entity without approval ofTEGA.

"Those persons who are granted a licence to compete must be of good character, and undertake to compete fairly and professionally and have the appropriate knowledge and qualifications to discharge the responsibility of a team owner in the best interests oftheVS Supercar Championship Series."

then terminate that licence, if

and when it sees fit to do so.

Any talk of fines, suspension or any other actions are complete rubbish and being spread around by people who have

no understanding of what is going on."

If that is correct, the only

acuon open to TEGA, should

the matter not be settled

March 12 deadline, would be

to terminate HRT's licences,

by Skaife Sports

Should that happen, the

company {or another entity,

should it come to that) would have to apply to TEGA to buy

the licences again and be

Clearly, theTEGA board has run out of patience and is applying pressure to the paries involved to resolve

vetted by the TEGA board.

the matter before it does.

For more, see Motor Mouth, page 25 motorsport news

NEWS

Team owners call for action Gore and Rogers demand TEGA take action and issue punishment to Holden's factory kingpin TWO prominent V8 Supercar

team owners have spoken out on TEGA's ongoing investigations into the ownership of the Holden Racing Team. Craig Gore has joined Garry Rogers in calling for action to be taken against the team

m 4m

sooner rather than later as TEGA ....

:■

investigates the relationship

between Mark Skaife and

Walkinshaw Performance.

Craig Gore: Astounded a resolution has taken so long.

fine ambassador or the sport,"

both TEGA and V8SA/AVESCO,

company, he has a conflict of

compared HRT and Toll/HSV to a single team. "I find that totally wrong they have not been punished," Rogers told Melbourne's

he said.

"But as a director of the

interests and clearly, with his

fiduciary duties, he should step down."

The Queensland businessman also criticised TEGA over the

length of time that the matter

Herald-Sun.

was taking.

"In the Teams Licence

Agreement there are a list of things you can or can't do. If

"The passage of time is disappointing. Ithink that it

you go outside those, you

is a whole lot easier to prove

addressed the media and asked

commit a material breach. And

why the HRT matter was taking so long. "Considering the things Ihad to do when Igot my licences and the scrutiny Iwas put under

there are some pretty severe punishments for breaching

ownership of something. Did he buy it? Does he own it? Ican prove that Iown this truck. Ican prove that iown this team this

one four-car team, it would

afternoon." Gore said that he wanted to

by the board - and Mark was part of it - Iam astounded that

have been OK, but they didn't,"

see penalties applied to the

Rogers continued. "They said

team.

we have not been able to clear

they were separate teams. Last

"The first one is that they are

this up very, very quickly. "I am not saying that he is

year they accepted they were grouped. They've got away with breaking the rules for two years."

asked to leave the series.That is obvious. Their licences should

Last week in Adelaide, Gore

guilty. "It is not hard to prove the contractual ownership of an

Garry Rogers: Wants HRT punished.

everybody." Rogers, until recently a long-time board member of

those.

"If they had owned up to being

Gore said he wanted to see

Skaife step down from his role

be revoked and penalties [applied of] up to $250,000 plus costs. We all need to play by the rules. Iam the only independent privateer in this series and

asset. Who owns the truck? Who

as a member of both boards but

owns the shirts? Who owns the

stopped short of seeking HRT's

cars? It is not that complicated. The reason that it is becoming

immediately exclusion from the

if Ihave to play by the rules,

category.

everyone should."

so complicated is what concerns

"Mark is a great driver and a

-PHILBRANAGAN

Bezzyls second SBR chance? DAVID Besnard is in line to drive for Stone Brothers

another chance.

Racing in the V8 Supercar endurance races this year. The former V8 Supercar regular is in contention to link up with his former team, having spent the past season racing in New Zealand with considerable success. After a

An announcement regarding SBR's endurance pairings is expected to come in the next few months. A possible Sandown and Bathurst line-up for the Stone Brothers team would see Besnard partner James Courtney in the Jeld-Wen Falcon, while Russell Ingall would be paired with his regular ring-in Luke Youlden.

couple of wayward V8 seasons withi WPS Racing, Besnard's renewed approach and fornj ipjliyZ'ihe sits.fourth in. the charnpionshipj'tmay seejRgss and^nn Stone give him

Besnard was drafted into the Stone Brothers team back in

v;.

2000, contesting two Development Series races. He drove with Tony Longhurst at Bathurst that year and came within iSine laps of taking an unlikely victory (until Longhurst

’'n'

grashed the car).

. Besnard stayed with.SBR in the 2001 and 2002 seasons, 'wlthi his ibest result coming at the Queensland 500 in 2002 ’/Vu'iwleni 'he won the race with Simon Wills.

yV' ijfii.MOS, he was drove the third Ford Performance Racing Paifeotiiy before two uninspiring seasons at WPS Racing.

The'likeable Queenslander decided to regroup in 2007 by leaving Australia's racing scene to drive in the New

lea'iand'feuping Car Championship. The plan has worked, with Besnard securing race wins, round victories and now, a

likely endurance drive with his old V8 Supercar team... -GRANT ROWLEY

www.ninews.cotii.au

pending the back

NoV8sonF0X THERE was much backslapping and smiling in the Channel 7 compound after the Clipsal 500 but don't go looking for the V8 Supercar Series on FOX Sports this year. The pay TV sports station won't be showing its regular Supercar replays the week after rounds this year after a deal couldn't be struck between V8 Supercars Australia and FOX. Therefore, the FOX stickers came off the back windows of all cars last weekend in Adelaide and left the Seven Network logo alone. ■ A welcome sight at Adelaide was David Clark. The Optima Sport driver, who was badly injured in the accident at Bathurst last year that took the life of Kiwi Mark Porter,spent some time with Barry Oliver in the on-track commentary box for the Fujitsu V8 Supercar race on Saturday. ■ Former Formula Ford champ Neil TVIcFadyen returned to V8 Supercar racing on the weekend in the #40 Peters Motorsport Falcon AU driven last year by Wayne Wakefield, Luke Youlden and Ben Clucas. McFadyen, whose last V8 stint came with WPS Racing in 2004,retired from the second race after crashing at turn eight. ■ Next time you want to drink a toast to the memory of Peter Brock, you can help raise some money for The Peter Brock Foundation at the same time.The Foundation, working in conjunction with Mount Panorama Winery, has released three commemorative'The Brock Vintage' wines featuring Peter's image and race record. The first vintage to be released is, appropriately enough, the '05, and fans can choose between Skyline Shiraz, The Chase Cabernet Sauvignon or, if they prefer a white, Conrod Chardonnay. for more information, take a look at www.thebrockvintage.com. ■ A 37-year-old woman from Perth has been charged with stealing a piece of the Daytona Coupe in which Peter Brock lost his life in September. The woman, who was working for the coroner collecting Brock's body, allegedly was found with a piece of fibreglass from the wreck emblazoned with the famous #05 at her home in Carlisle, Western Australia. She has been summoned to appear in the Midland Magistrate's Court on April 4. 6

WHILE buoyed by his fight back into the top 10 in leg two of the weekend's Clipsal 500,Jim Beam Racing's Will Davison will seek additional medical advice this week after being plagued by back troubles over the weekend. Davison was forced to park the #18 Falcon after 38 laps on Saturday when the pain in his lower back became too much and he finally conceded to throw in the towel. After receiving physio and chiropractic work on Saturday night, he bounced back to top the times in the Sunday morning warm-up and drove through the pain to go from 28th to a strong ninth. "I am a bit sore today but feeling pretty good compared to Saturday," he told MNews on Monday. "But I absolutely have to get my back sorted properly this week and make sure it's spot-on for the rest of the year. Adelaide was probably the worst circuit for it. "I guess the adrenaline took over on Sunday when I was in such a good scrap and I pushed the pain to the back of my head." After concerns from DJR Sporting Director Adrian Burgess,the decision to race on Sunday was left with Davison. "He said 'I know what you drivers are like'and just said that the consequences to pay were pretty big. ● Hejust said to be sensible and do what I thought was right. "After I sat down after Race 2,1 completely locked up in my back but iceing it freed it back up a bit." While he still drives the same chassis that he used in 2006 (albeit with plenty of new parts from Triple Eight), Davison said that a combination of a new seat and insert contributed.

●●●

"it's a new seat, so it's a new insert and it's obviously a little different in the way I sit and it's flared up an injury I've had there for a little while. I had got on top of it last year but it doesn't take much for it to flare up." Davison's decision to stick with DJR looks to have beared fruit too, especially given the strong pace of team-mate Steven Johnson. "I think we're back," he said said. "We were genuinely in our positions on pace and merit. I think it's a sign of things to come." -AARON NOONAN

and the legs and feet

THE debut of Supercheap Auto Racing's brand newVE Commodore was set back in its tracks by physical dramas with its pilot Paul Dumbrell on the weekend,though the youngster remains positive. Dumbrell was one of three drivers to pull out of Saturday's first race as the new seating position within the car, which hadn't rolled a wheel until Friday, took its toll and he cramped. "With the ergonomics of the car, I'd only done five or six laps in a row in practice so the issues hadn't come to a head until 10 laps into the race,"said Dumbrell on Monday. "I had cramping in my hamstrings and pins and needles in my leg and it got so bad I couldn't feel my toes from about lap 20 onwards. I was braking by judging the speed rather than the feel of the pedal so Jeff (Grech) and Pete (Smith, engineer)

●●●

J. 'Vft*

decided to pull me in. "It was improved on Sunday and, while I got through the race, it was one of the toughest races I've had to do. I didn't agree with the drive-through (for contact with Jack Perkins) and having a drama with my body compounded that." "Once we got through the teething problems,the car was really good.The first run we had without problems was qualifying and it was seventh in the first

session and in the next one I fired over a kerb at turn one and put us out for the last five minutes. "The potential is there and now we can focus on tuning it more." Team-mate Cameron McConville will still have to wait a few more rounds for the team s second VE and wasn't able to muster enough speed out of the older VZ to do much more than finish 15th in race two. -AARON NOONAN

motorsport Slews

NEWS m

Ford warns of FORD'S mammoth losses could impact on its V8 Supercar racing program,according to Ford Australia President Tom Gorman. With cost-cutting across the board after a US$12.7biliion ($16.3bn) loss last year,the blue oval has hinted that it may make changes to its racing program, though Gorman is not suggesting that the company will withdraw from the sport. "We are committed to motorsport, but I'm not sure we will be committed at the same levels that we have been," he told The Age. "We put a lot of pressure on our employees to perform. We put a lot of pressure on our suppliers to perform. "We put a lot of pressure on our

dealers to perform.Teams that don't perform are not going to be rewarded to the same level, and the same with our drivers. "If you don't do well, maybe there won't be as much love as there used to be." Gorman's words come at a time when a number of Fordbacked teams are entering in a negotiating phase with the company for ongoing support. The most high-profile of these is Ford Performance Racing, Ford's factory team which is owned by Prodrive. Company boss David Richards visited the factory last month and confirmed that talks were underway about the team continuing in the category in the future.

Macrow for Perth? TEAM Kiwi Racing fill-in driver Adam Macrow will remain on standby for the next round of the V8 Supercar Championship Series at Barbagallo Raceway in three weeks. Macrow subbed for regularTKR driver Paul Radisich, who continues to recover from injuries sustained in an incident at Mount Panorama last October. Radisich briefly tested the Falcon atWinton prior to the Clipsal 500, where he declared himself unfit to race in the opening round. Macrow was swiftly picked to substitute for'The Rat,'and the reigning Fujitsu V8 Champ may get another opportunity in the black Falcon BF if Radisich's slow recovery continues. "Adam is an option for us for Barbagallo,"team owner David John told MNews.

V8 grid spot up for grabs

"We all thought that Paul was going to be OK,and so did he. Paul admits he's not 100 percent as his ankle is still sore. It was too risky to put in a new driver, so Adam was the perfect fit, and he did a terrific job. Paul is our first preference to drive. Adam is aware of that and appreciates that." "The speed of our package shows that we need a capable driver, and it would be irresponsible of us to put in a driver who isn't 110 percent." If Radisich does not drive at Barbagallo, his next chance behind the wheel will be at the team's next test day before Pukekohe. - GRANT ROWLEY THERE will soon be a 32nd V8

WATTYL.

www.tnnews.com.au

Supercar licence for sale. The Touring Car Entrants' Group (TEGA) has rejected the application by Waiden Motorsport to compete in this year's V8 Supercar Championship Series and the Level 2 licence wiil soon be availabie for appiicants. "We wiil advertise it soon,"TEGA Chairman Kelvin O'Reilly said on Monday. The licence in question was the '24'licence, which was used last

year by Jack Daniel's Racing under a lease arrangement with Romano Racing. Walden Motorsport had been putting together a deal to run a PWR-sourced Commodore out of Sydney for Garth Walden but the application was declined byTEGA's board after consideration. Any prospective purchasers of the licence will be subject to TEGA's usual scrutiny in such matters. -PHILBRANAGAN 7

Back down to Earth Regs on hold THE FIA has announced a one-year postponement of the introduction of standardised aerodynamics and

mandatory waste energy recovery systems in Formula 1, from 2010-to 2011.

The energy rules will demand that proportions of the waste heat from braking systems and the waste

energy from exhaust gases are recovered and used to propel the car. The governing body says that all the teams have agreed to coincide with the introduction of these new regulations with a new, 'four-race' engine in 2011. It is understood to be negotiating with the teams on a specification including fuel flow limits, direct injection, high-efficiency turbocharging and possibly biofuels.

Honda FI unveils a radical 2007 paint scheme - but the car underneath it already needs a revamp HONDA FI is set to complete a major revamp to its all-

senior technical director Shuhei

new RA107 car in time for

the first definitive car since he

the second GP of the year, in Malaysia.

replaced GeoffWillis during 2006.

Nakamoto, for whom this is

disappointing results through the January and February pre season tests.

The RA107 will race in current form in Melbourne

next week, although MNews sources suggest that there was even thought given to rolling out the team's 2006 cars on

Bridgestones to get through the early races while a second allnew design car was built. The performance of the new RAl 07 comes as a blow to

on the car. It will however be so small that it will not be readable

unveiled its new colour scheme

to the naked eye. The idea of using FI as a means of promoting a cleaner

for 2007 and announced that

environment is an unusual

not only is the team not going to have any sponsorship logos on the car but it is aiming to use the program to collect

concept as FI is often criticised by detractors as being the epitome of wastefulness and pollution. The reality is that the FIA bought itself'carbon neutral'

IN the meantime, the team has

The decision follows

that their name will appear as part of the map of the world

donations for environmental

charities and to raise global awareness about global

status nearly 10 years ago by

warming. Fans can go to www. myearthdream.com and make

planting trees in Mexico. This was a useful publicity coup at the time and has helped the

a donation or simply pledge to change their ways, lif they do

sport stave off criticism. - STAFF/JOE SAWARD

■ More details of a project to stage a FI race in South Africa have been

given by David Gant, the CEO of the South African Grand Prix Corporation. Gant said he had arranged financial backing for the US$137.8 million project from outside the nation, thus

obviating the need for government funding. He confirmed that a 58-hectare

site had been earmarked near Cape Town International Airport on which to

build a S.8km circuit and grandstands, alongside new commercial and industrial parks.

z. ;

Gant is awaiting clearance to use

this land from the local authority and the airport operator, but said he was

confident that his company would be in a position to present a viable licence application later this year. ■ Jos Verstappen's planned comeback in Champ Car has come to nothing.

The Dutchman had announced plans to be racing in the US series in 2007

but negotiations failed to secure him a drive as there were no teams willing to take a driver who wanted to be paid. ■ Dickie Stanford, the long-time team manager of Williams FI, is back on the road again, working as the manager of the Williams test team.

Lifting the lid MARK Webber is likely to debut an all-new helmet livery next week - but not necessarily the one, below, that set tongues wagging during testing in Bahrain. Having switched from Schuberth to Arai (at the

suggestion of designer Adrian Newey - the Arai affects airflow into the engine's airbox less!), Webber has taken

the opportunity to 'Red Bull-ise' his helmet. However, never fear. We hear that this is an interim

design and that it is likely to be modified by next week to include Mark's signature yellow and green criss-crosses on top.

Little Italy if

ings

A TOUCH of Maranello arrived in the middle

Stanford has been with Williams since 1985 and the move to the test

of Melbourne's Italian heartland, Lygon St,

team may herald a return to the race team at some point in the future if his replacement, Tim Newton, decides that

Ferrari FI car.

he wants to return to his former job as the test team manager. - SAWARD/SPURRING 8

last week when Marc Gene demonstrated a

metf®

A large crowd was on hand to see the demonstration, which kicked off next weekend's Australian Grand Prix as well as

crowning a day of celebrations marking Ferrari's 60th anniversary. motorsportnews

NEWS , % rTT

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MARK W^ljber's ichancesipf ai strdn|^^^ showingiln the bpehijig(l^raGa«bfi|b^ year, here in Melbourne next well^wili>&|pend

to ai great extent bri the, result of a vital* final, two^day test at Magny Cours this week.

While most FI teams roundg^jgujjs&r testing at last week's seeehel i|ahrainlesf^^ Red Bull will debut a rewised!aero paekage, produced as a result ofidatalfrom the first' few days of the RB3's January testing, at the French circuit

The turnaround in preparing the

development package has been remarkably quick, and indicative of a'hands-on'approach from design guru Adrian Newey.

Despite the weeks of testing, the'pecking

order'going into Melbourne rerhains unclear,

although general concensys along the'fiij pit lane suggests that FerrarHooks cohsistehtly

and reliably quick. With McLaren, BMW (albeit

a bit fragile) and Renault among, the likely challengers.

For its part. Red Bull has generally resisted'

the urge to'run light'throughout, with one exception - David Coulthard producing a fastest time of the day on the day when, coincidentally, team owner Dietrich Mateshitz turned up for a look!

Of the rest, early evidence suggests that Honda and Toyota may struggle, although the former has announced that a heavily

revised car will appear for the second round

InMalaysia. Williams and' Ipyker did not travel to

| I

Bahrain, preferringi to continue testing at

Barcelona, so their position relative to the

othersiin uncertain, although Williams hinted' | at imprqvernent with some mid-field times

during the*^lier iBarcelOna tests when all the teams were present.

In the meantime, MNews has drafted someone in perhaps the best position to

sift the fact from the fiction in terms of pre championship insight. Turn to page 40 for Mark Webber's exclusive'from the cockpit'view on how the teams and drivers line up for the 2007 FI season.

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Something to Sing about SINGAPORE seems certain to be allocated an FI Grand Prix in 2008.

While Malaysia's efforts to grow its Grand Prix into a role as a SE

Asian motorsport centre have faltered, Singapore is, it seems, intent on taking up the challenge. The latest word is that

maximising coverage in Europe and the United States.

Local sources say that more information will be available later

this week when the country's Committee of Supply debates the budget for the Ministry of Trade and Industry, which oversees

Singapore's tourism development.

announced Speedcars Series, a sort of 'Asian NASCAR'category, which will run on road courses.

The cars, which will be tubular

involvement.

"It seems that motorsport is really becoming a reality in Asia and the Middle East," Ecclestone

chassis with a fibreglass silhouette, ^ said,

Iwould like to think this is due

are being built in the United States (or perhaps being bought in large numbers as there are a large number of NASCAR chassis

to the popularity of Formula 1. The new Speedcar Series will consequently add even more interest."

Singapore has a deal to run a

At the moment there Is no

on the market as the series moves

Grand Prix In 2008 and that the

word as to who is running what

towards its Car ofTomorrow) and

We hear that the next big-name

only remaining details is what

but somewhere in the middle

team to join the series will be Johnny Herbert and that Christian Danner is likely to be Involved as

date the race will have. The choice

of it all is a Singapore-based

will feature engines manufactured in Charlotte, presumably by

seems to be between April (it

German businessman called

one of the big NASCAR engine

would be the third race) and August.

Rainer Buchmann, who has been

companies.

working with Bernie Ecclestone

The plan Is for the city to host FI's first ever night race on a street

for some years to make the event happen.

course in the downtown area.

It is interesting to note that

This would minimise disruption

Buchmann is also one of the

in the city while at the same time

names behind the recently-

www.mnews.com.au

The big question is whether or

well. There are also whispers that the series may involve Sheikh

not Bernie Ecclestone Is himself

Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al-

involved in the programme as he has clearly lent some support to the series, in the press release announcing Jean Alesi's

Maktoum, the man who founded the A1 Grand Prix Series, before

selling the business a year ago. -JOESAWARD 9

We were wrong IN our last issue, we reported that Michael Patrizi tested with Stone

Brothers Racing at Queensland Raceway in December. He did not; the driver we mistakenly left out of the story was Josh Hunt. The error was made by a reporter, and MNews apologises to Hunt, Patrizi andSBR. ■ CAMS Rising Stars/Borland Racing Developments Formula Ford team manager Terry Kerr ended up with a broken leg from the opening round in Adelaide. Kerr had been working in the

pits earlier in the weekend during a session when he accidentally became sandwiched between two cars and a broken fibula was the result. MNews

wishes him a speedy recovery. ■ Team BRM may have to locate a new chassis for Formula Ford driver Paul Pittam after he was an innocent

casualty in a multi-car wreck that forced a Safety Car period in the final race in Adelaide on the weekend.

Swapping Red

Toro Rosso gets

Bull for Red

Such was the impact that the gearbox casing was cracked and replacing the car with a new one may be more time and financially effective than attempting to repair the existing one.

SCOTT Speed has finally been

"The team thinks the crash caused

good chunk of our budget gone." ■ Champ Car's races in China and

Belgium both look set to move dates. The Chinese event may be moved from

May to October to allow drivers to race in the Indy 500 if they so wish, while the Zolder date may move to 26 August. ■ Americans Alex Gurney and Jon

Fogarty have taken out the latest Grand-Am Sportscar round in Mexico

City. The duo took their Pontiac Riley to victory over Max Papis and Colin Braun. While he may have been bumped out of the NASCAR Busch Series race

by Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Pruett continues to lead the Grand-Am Series

with a fourth place finish in Mexico.

have been negotiating for a

the season ahead - although

battered and bruised Pittam said. "It's

really going to make the remainder of my season difficult because that's a

by the team, which seems to

with Scuderia Toro Rosso and

the grid is now complete for

about $40,000 worth of damage," a

the team (and Super Aguri)

RED Bull's head of corporate projects Dany Bahar, who

may be headed for stormy waters in Melbourne.

has run the Austrian drinks

Speed had a promising season in 2006 and has waited

company's Formula 1, NASCAR,

soccer, ice hockey. Red Bulletin and Hangar-7 activities for the last two years, has decided to

a long time to be confirmed

confirmed as the second driver

deal which was rather different to that which Speed wanted to

agree to.This may be a question

of the duration of the contract, as team boss Gerhard Berger is believed to want to tie down

his drivers for the Kong-term in

leave the firm - and the word

is that he is going to end up at Ferrari as head of sales and

marketing. Bahar's departure will have little effect on the Red Bull Formula 1 teams but his switch to Ferrari

may prove to be interesting in the longer term. The position he is rumoured to

be moving to is currently held by Andrea Bozzoli.This would make

Bahar one of the key executives in the company beneath chairman

■ Noise restrictions have caused Holland's Zandvoort circuit to cancel its Formula 3 Masters event. The track is not allowed to run cars above a certain

Todt (60) and Amedeo Felisa (60). At 35, Bahar, above right, would

noise level on more than five days in

into a top role in the future. It may

any year, and lost an application in court for a waiver. It has decided to

give precedence to its AT Grand Prix and DTM event. W

Luca di Montzemolo (59), Jean

be in a strong position to move be that Montezemolo sees Bahar

as as potential chief executive

when Jean Todt retires. - JOE SAWARD motorsportnews

lV"-> I-

This would obviously make a great deal of sense from a marketing point of view, as the company

A - '

I,-.-.;/

JAGUAR is gone ^ but could Aston Martin be the

expands it production and tries to grow its market.

next sportscar'brand'to appear ih Formula '1? The latest reports from the financial world indicate that David Richards has now moved into the position

5600 cars a year, which puts It in direct competition

as the preferred bidder for Aston Martin, which is being sold off by Ford.

If the final details of the financing can be putin place in the next few days, an announcement could soon be made.

According to our sources, Richards is acting independently of Prodrive in this case but that does not mean that he will not quickly exploit the available

At the moment, Aston Martin produces around

with Ferrari and other luxury car makers that are

already in Formula 1i. The company is making around US$75m a year, which is rather less than Ferrari but this is mainly due to the weakness of the dollar and if that picks up - and it appears likely that it will^ the company will benefit, it Should also be noted that Aston Martin is led

by Ulrich Bez, an automobile executive who has unfinished business in Formula'!. Bez started his

synergies between the two firms, if his bid for Aston Martin is successful. He could even merge the two operations at a later date. The big question is whether or not Richards is plotting an Aston Martin/Prodrive

career at Porsche, where he developed cars such as the 911 Turbo, the Carrera 2.7, the 968 and the 993.

deal in Formula 1.

VI2 programme with Arrows in 1990.

He was involved in the successful TAG turbo FI

engine programme but later led the ill-fated Porsche

Oh, say, can you see ●●● changes?

more Speed

CHANGES are to be made at the

order to help the team build up its performance.

Indianapolis circuit which will take away the existing, high

begin in Melbourne when there may be court action if rival

speed final turn - which has

teams believe that the STR02 is

been the cause of much incident

or not the team is going to run

too closely related to the Red

into trouble with the design of its chassis. MNews sources say that while the whole subject has

them do.

and controversy during the running of FI races. The change has been motivated

It remains to be seen whether

gone very quiet of late, it is likely to be the calm before the storm.

Bull RB3, which clearly several of Watch this space! -JOE SAWARD

The Sport is the winner

The action is expected to DURAL, NSW reader

John Collett is the lucky winner of the 'Access All

Areas'Motorsport News/ ING Australian Grand Prix

competition. Apart from flights down to the GP, grandstand tickets and accommodation for John

by discussions with the FIM about staging a MotoGP event at Indy, as early as 2008.

Cle'arly.Turn 13 is far too dangerous for bikes, and so a reconfiguration of the circuit, to do away with the use of the banked oval sector is being

planned. FI cars will, of course, also use the revamped road circuit as well, with the work likely to be completed for the 2008 race. - JOE SAWARD

and a friend, he will get to experience the Grand Prix as close as it's possible to get when he takes on the role of

iS GRAND PRI

marshall for a day, on Friday. He'll be out in the Course

Car, in Vehicle Recovery at Turn 1 and at theTurn 4 Flag Marshall post. That's one interesting way to

get up close and personal with FI. We'll tell you how he goes. A record number of entries

flew into the mailbag this year, so thanks to everyone who entered.

www.mnews.com.au

V8 Supercars

●ii

'13^1

go green introduction of a five percent

first major touring car category

ethanol blended fuel this year.

in the world to become carbon neutral.

"Through the V8 Racing Green program, we can balance our

The program was launched last Thursday in Canberra by the

same time educating our millions

Minister for the Environment

of fans on what we see as the

and Water Resources, Malcolm

number one issue facing the environment. We are proud to lead the way for motorsport

As part of the program, V8SA will work with Future Climate

Australia to plant 10,000 trees

across the country and undertake a number of educational

initiatives, as well as the

T<a

K<» ■J

V3 SUPERCARS has become the

Cochrane.

‘Air

W-Mu

V-

Touring car=first carbon neutral program for V8s

Turnbull, and V8 Supercar Chairman Tony Cochrane. "V8 Supercars Australia recognises the important role we can play in reducing carbon emissions and educating the public about climate change,"said

‘mgrSS &■

5^^

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carbon emissions while at the

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globally and want to make a

●s

■i

'T?i

difference."

At the time of the launch, V8SA claimed that the initiative was a

r.^ff

f/:

world-first in motorsport. However, both the Formula 1 World

■t

Championship and the World Rally Championship offset green gas emissions through the Mexicobased Sco/e/Te scheme, FI starting in 1997 and the WRC in 2001. -PHILBRANAGAN

i ●* .*v

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Bunbury International Circuit?

A GENUINE motor sport mystery has unfolded in Western Australia.

A fortnight ago a brand new circuit was

of plans regarding the BIC.

"Any legitimate international competition within Australia can only be organised

MNews at the launch.

under the auspices of the FIA and in this

launched in Perth, the first official hit-out for

"And it's been a very tough road. Now

the long-rumoured Bunbury International

we've got the rights to build it, we've got the capability to build it, and now with our

case, through their sole delegated authority Glindemann, Acting Chief Executive Officer

International Motorsport Management, the launch included a 4.1 km fully-FIA approved circuit as part of a $30 million technology

subdivision we've got the funds without question to build it," The story becomes a mystery thanks to a response from CAMS the day following the

facility situated in Bunbury, 170kms south of

PIMM launch.

proposed circuit.

Circuit.

Proposed by local company Perth

Perth.

"[This project] has been nine years in the making," PIMM chairman Ross Roberts told

CAMS claimed that it was totally unaware

for motor sport in Australia, CAMS,"said Bob of CAMS in the statement.

MNews are awaiting an official response from PIMM regarding its position on the - ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

motorsport mews

NEWS ,

●

SUl.BARtf' Motorspprt will enter two tars in

Heniiidge both have tarmac rally experience, fhe Subaru Motorsport-builtWRXC-spee machines will be prepared for the reborn

to conform with Tarmac raliy regulations.

Subaru World Rally Team Star Chris Atkinson will headline the'rally'team of

Bathurst 12 Hour by Sydney-based Subaru

spot on the 12 Hour grid is Alfa Romeo, the

experts team Protecnica Racing.

Italian giant will enter a 159 2.4 litre diesel, the entry comes from Thomson Alfa Romeo,

the WPS Bathurst Hour this faster with an all-star driver line-up.

Cody Crocker and DeamHerridge in one car, with a media entry for NeiliCrompton, Grant Denyer and experienced Subaru steerer

Chris Alajajian. Denyer's spot in the grid remains dependent Of? approvalfrom ford as Mnews went to press.

The event willUbe Atkinsonb segOndifoad course race. He cOmpetedi in Idst year's

Nurburgring 24 Hour, while Crocker and

"It's a full-on assault," Protecnica boss Scott Anderson said. "We are committed to this race and we

have nothing but a view of winning: We know what we are doing with Subarus, and

3E rules, as they are built and sold by Subaru Another manufacturer to confirm its

with Australian Alfa General Manager David

Stone set to be one of the drivers. Entries have closed for the Bathurst 12

the driver line-up is sOlid. It should be an

Hour, with a total of 37 entries lodged, although this figure is certain to change

interesting event." the WRX C-spec cars, pictured below, will

On^pril 8.

before the flag falls for the start of the race

receive slight modifications to comply with

-GRANT ROWLEY

Longhurst/Dynamik issue sorted THE civil action between Team

the licence involved in the matter.

Dynamik and Tony Longhurst Racing has been determined in

Longhurst eventually sold Longhurst Racing, including its

the Queensland Supreme Court. The action emerged from the 2005 V8 Supercar Championship

which sold one of the Level 1 s

Series when the two-time Bathurst winner drove for Kieran Wills's Adelaide-based team. Justice John

Muir criticised both parties and www.mnews.com.au

licences, to Rod Nash Racing, to Paul Morris Motorsport and

RNR's existing Level 2 to Paul Cruickshank Racing. The former Dynamik/Longhurst LI is now in use by Autobarn Racing. 73

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SEBASTIEN Loeb has ruled himself out

of competing at Le Mans this year.

citing concerns about being able to

compete on an equal footing with the diesel-powered entries. Loeb drove in the previous two Le Mans 24 Hours with Pescarolo and was

tipped to return for a third attempt, but after looking at the competition the three-time WRC Champion thought

i‘i

the better of it.

"During my first participation in the event, I took part without any real expectations, just to see how I would do," he wrote on his website.

"Despite this, we were challengers. Last year, along came the Audis, and without having any idea what we were up against, we still had some hope. Now, we understand what we're up against! Even though the ACO has made changes to a number of rules in favour of petrol cars, it's still not enough to even up the field." n Starting this season, the first race of each two-race event in the FIA World

Touring Car Championship will have a rolling start, and the second a standing start, as previously.

■ The Speedcar Series, a new track racing championship for NASCAR-style stock cars in the Middle East and Asia,

has been launched. Series manager Benoit Lamonerie said there would

be 24 cars and 18 races, and that the

inaugural championship would start in November 2007, ending in April 2008. No fixture list was issued, but the

eoobhp 'silhouette'racecars are headed for nations like Bahrain, Dubai and Qatar, and China, India, Indonesia and Malaysia. The first 'name'driver to be signed up is Jean Alesi, who will test the first of the Charlotte-built racecars next

week at Virginia International Raceway. ■ The BMW Italia team's Aston

Martin DBR9 set the pace when the 2007 FIA GT Championship teams conducted a 20-car group test at Monza,

Italy, this week. Driven by Jamie Davies, the car was fastest in all three sessions

of the opening day of the tests, both on a wet surface and in the dry. The Racing Alliance Aston Martin of Karl Wendlinger went second quickest, ahead of the Lamborghini Murcialago of Peter Kox and the Haupt Motorsport Maserati MCI 2 of Hubert Haupt. -QUENTIN SPURRING 16

BRYCE Washington's stunning Lamborghini Gallardo made its Australian GT Championship debut on the weekend at the Clipsal 500. The striking five-litre VI 0-powered machine arrived from Germany a week prior to the event, beginning a new association with a new car for the former Formula Ford driver after two years of racing Porsche GT3s in the Australian GT and Carrera Cup championships. Sourced from Reiter Engineering and flying in via Flong Kong, the car punches out 535 horsepower

with further examples of the car expected to follow suit soon.

Washington will continue to race Carrera Cup in a Paul Cruickshank Racing-run Porsche as team-mate to Aaron Caratti and Michael Trimble but says the Lambo is the package to help him stay on top in GT racing. "With the Porsche we lacked the horsepower of the Dodge, the Lamborghini and the Ferrari, but with our new Gallardo GT3 I'm confident we will have the

package we need to take us back to the front in the championship we won two years ago."

Bezzy and Leanne for NZ GP THIS weekend's New Zealand Grand Prix will have an Aussie

flavour, with David Besnard and

Leanne Tander competing for the European Techniques team. The prestigious New Zealand Grand Prix atTeretonga, near Invercargill, will see Besnard make his first appearance in an open-wheel race car since his oneoff Champ Car drive at Surfers Paradise in 2004.

Besnard, who has been keeping busy in the NZV8Touring Car Championship this season, will

get his first taste of the Toyota Racing Series cars in the rookie test day tomorrow (Thursday), before practice and qualifying begins on Friday. "I'm absolutely looking forward to it," he told MNews.

"I won't get many laps before the race but the cars are all even. I've raced a lot of Formula cars

in the past so I'll draw on that experience. It will just be a matter of how fast Ican get my head around it."

Besnard has the backing of loyal sponsors Hydraulink, GT Radials and Dominion.

Taking on the Kiwis: Leanne Tander, above, wiil be joined by former Aussie FFord champion David Besnard this weekend. Regular Australian F3 driver Tander contested the last round of

the Toyota Racing Series atTimaru

with European Techniques, and is excited to be back with the team for the NZGP.

"The New Zealand Grand Prix

is obviously a big event, and winning would be good, but I'm

not putting my hopes that high," she said.

"If Ican run in the top five by the end of the NZGP it'll be really good." - GRANT ROWLEY

motorsport news

NEWS . , -%

F f I>..

“' *1 \2- ,.1M

'\f^

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●i

I^JOSE Fernandez has returned to the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series for the full M. season in a Fujitsu-backed Falcon, run by the new Prodigy Motorsport

I' outfit based in Newcastle.

NOKC

I,' After initially looking to move into the Carrera Cup, the 38-year-old has li returned to the series where he competed from 2003 to 2005, driving one of

0 the ex-DJR BA Falcons has used by the team's Fujitsu Series squad last year

S-.,

alongside Clayton Pyne. - - "I really wanted to do Carrera Cup quite badly but Icouldn't can't get it together," he told MNews. "I can't justify paying money for someone to prepare a car and me not owning it at the end of the year."

After qualifying in the top 10 on the weekend, he was banished to the rear

of the grid for using non-approved gloves during the session. A charging drive put him third on the final lap, however a touch from Jonathon Webb spun him

*3:

and he wound up ninth. A drive-through penalty for overtaking under yellow flags in Race 2 dropped him to 12th after another charging drive.

Patrizi heads to F3 Euroseries MICHAEL Patrizi will drive with

extremely strong championship. If

the Prema Powerteam in F3 Euroseries this year.

you have a look at the drivers who have come from Euroseries in the

The West Australian has eiected to drive in the competitive F3

past three years, you'll find that many of them have ended up in

Euroseries after options in the Champ Car Atiantics Series with Team Austraiia dried up.

Formula 1 or DTM."

Prema Powerteam won the

Euro F3 Series in 2003 with Ryan Briscoe, right, and Patrizi hopes the experienced team wili take him to similar heights in terms of

In terms of an international

racing career, Patrizi

acknowledges that 2007 is a make or break season.

"There's no doubt about that," he said.

"Last year was a disappointing season for me due to certain

the championship. "I want to win," Patrizi said, who'il

drive a Mercedes-powered Daiiara

circumstances.

"I think Iproved myself in

F306.

America.

"The team are extremely keen to win. It's going to be hard,

"But Europe racing is all about results. You have to perform to be

but Ihope we'can push on and

noticed."

threaten,for the championship.

Patrizi will fly to England next week and begin testing with

"Formula 3 Euroseries is an

Prema soon at Hockenheim.

He will be partnered by Dutch driver RengerVan der Zande. Patrizi will contest the Marlboro

Masters stand-alone F3 race later

in the year with the Italian-based team, and has tentative plans to race at the prestigious Macau F3 meeting. - GRANT ROWLEY

Moffat Jnr in FFord season struggle n

A PODIUM result in his first foray back into racing in over 12 months has Formula Ford racer James Moffat on the hunt for sponsorship to ensure he can mount a full assault on the national championship.

After stepping out of V8 Utes at the end of 2005 and spending last tr-

year as a mechanic for the Sonic team, Moffat Jr knocked the rust off by finishing second to team-mate Tim Blanchard on the weekend - but he only has funding to get to the next round. "Now that I've got through Clipsal unharmed with a straight car, Ican probably make Perth but it's a hard one in terms of expense to get over there and back again," said Moffat. "So unless Idon't pick something up after Perth, it's going to be pretty hard to keep going. Ididn't know what to expect going into last weekend and Istruggled a bit with a lack of seat time up until qualifying. "If I'd known the last race had been shortened, there was no way I would have left the door open for Ashley Walsh to steal the win at the

last corner. Ithought there was still a few laps to go and Isaw the flag and couldn't believe it!" -AARON NOONAN 17

a )

£ on

THE Automobile Club de I'Ouest has issued the full entry list for its Le Mans 24 Hours race in June,which comprises 55 cars chosen from 76 applications. Forty-one teams will be involved,from 13 countries. Audi once again heads the list with two JR1 OSfrom Audi Sport

North America and another from Team Joest,although this year, they will have two Peugeot 908s to contend with as the French manufacturer returns to the famous race. Pescarolo will run two cars, with a further seven single-car teams rounding out a field oH3LPMIs.

James gets a Mazda LOWB^

Now thafs preparation ACURA is taking its American Le Mans Series program seriously and recently completed a 12-hour test at Sebring in preparation for next week's race. Andretti Green Racing, Highcroft Racing and Lowe's Fernandez Racing lined up their 3.4-litre, V8 powered cars on the Florida and it was Fernandez that emerged with the'win', Adrian Fernandez, Luis Diaz and David Martinez wheeling their Lola home ahead of the Dario Franchitti, Bryan Herta and Tony Kanaan AGR Courage and Highcroft's Stefan Johansson/David Brabham/Duncan Dayton Courage. 78

AUSSIE James Davison will step into the Star Mazda open wheeler series in the United States. The former Team Australia Champ Car Atlantics driver, who parted ways with the Walker Racing-run outfit before the end of last season, had looked at the possibilities of racing back in Australia before deciding to drive in the series for Velocity Motorsports. The series supports American Le Mans,Champ Car and Grand-Am races and features fields of up to 40 cars. A carbon fibre chassis, the cars are powered by 240-horsepower rotary engines with a six-speed sequential gearbox. "Last season toughened me up after being put in difficult circumstances and has motivated me more than ever to compete for the championship,"said Davison. The opening round supports the Sebring 12 Hour on March 15-16. motorsport news

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A WEEK after

the Daytona 500, NASCAR announced three

Nextel Cup Series crew chiefs have been fined for

Tomorrow has come

rule violations

committed during Speedweeks. Lee McCall, crew chief at BAM

Racing for Mike Bliss, has been fined US$10,000 for unapproved lower rear spring mounts, with the same fine and violation for Randy Seals aew

WITH NASCAR'S Car of Tomorrow only a matter of weeks away from debuting in an actual race, Nextel

chief for Kevin Lepage at Front Row Motorsports.

Scott Miller, RCR crew chief of Jeff Burton's cat, pictured above, was also been fined $10,000 for slotted lower

truck trailing arm mounts prior to the Budweiser Shoot out. -MARTINO CLARK

Daytona 500 Champion Kevin Harvick. "Whatever it is after that is a bonus.The drivers have more room inside. There's a lot of things built into the

Cup teams have taken to Bristol Motor Speedway for a two-day test last week to learn as much as

car to absorb energy when they hit the wall. They felt

possible about the re-shaped car. The car will be used in 16 races this year, beginning with the March 25 race on the high-banked half-mile

the teams will figure out the rest."

it was time to evolve the car and make it safer, and

Chevrolet pilot Dale Earnhardt Jr rated his Impala

oval.

SS better than the regular Monte Carlo.

It features both an adjustable front spoiler and rear wing, although opinions remain divided on whether

he said."The car is an inch wider, it has a little more

the car will produce better racing. "The first thing about it is the car is safer,"said

grip. Iam really pleasantly surprised. It has exceeded my expectations at this point."

"It actually drives better than our other cars do here,"

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NASCAR considers reducing RCR's Shell logos

Itlgi.

SONOCO, the official fuel of NASCAR, has put in a complaint to have the size of the Shell logo's on Kevin Harvick's Richard Childress Chevrolet reduced and to make the Shell logos on the drivers helmet and uniform less prominent.

ESI (BSl

RALLY-OFFROAD EQUIPMENT

■■■

Shell, new to RCR this year replacing Goodwrench, did what all new sponsors to the series are required to do by getting their signage and sponsorship approved by NASCAR before the start of

the season.

While they were initally approved, it seems Sonoco is less than impressed. One suggestion was that the team has been asked for Pennzoil (a brand of Shell) to be the larger signing on the car.

CORALBA & TERRATRIP RALLY METERS, PELTOR &

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PLUS ..QUANTUM SCALES

Expect to see a new look car, suit and helmet in the near future.

Roush Fenway Racing is in discussions with Gulf Oil as a possible future sponsor for one of their teams. Gulf is currently a partner with the Fenway Sports Group who recently bought into Roush Racing, but they will obviously face similar issues as those currently experienced with RCR. - MARTIN D CLARK

●●●

A ABOUiHANSiSYSiliEMS.

and more from RCR sponsor-land

WHILE RCR considers the size of its Shell logos, they are is also in negotiation with NASCAR and series sponsor Nextel about Cingular,

(

Jeff Burton's primary backer and Nextel's teleco rival.

liDOWIilS>i|MiWHEELk :

Cingular is currently merging with AT&T and the Cingular name is

set to disappear. Under NASCAR's contract with Nextel, Cingular and Ryan Newman's Penske Dodge sponsor Alltel are allowed in, but no other phone companies may appear on cars. This leaves the Burton car sponsor-less under a contract that would keep AT&T out. RCR are confident that they will resolve the issue, but will need to be cautious until something is signed. According to market annalists, there is also the possibility Alltel could be in a take over bid from Verizon, leading to a possible Cingular-AT&T scenario so Penske Racing could be in a similar position with Newman.

ij CHECK OUT ...www.speedzone.com.au

- MARTIN D CLARK www.mnews.com.au

f4 Atko's Saviour? Pirelli going solo PIRELLI will be the sole tyre supplier in the WRC from 2008 after seeing off a bid from rival BFGoodrich. The three-year deal will see Pirelli supply control tyres to all championship teams. "Racing is in Pirelli's DNA,so clearly an agreement of such importance is recognition of a commitment to motorsport that has continued for a hundred years,"said Paul Hembery, director of Pirelli Competizioni. BFGoodrich, meanwhile, did not try to hide its disappointment. "We demonstrated during the 2006 championship that the BFGoodrich tyres were the best,"said Frederic Henri-Biabaud, BFGoodrich Rally Competition Director. "The financial and technical efforts we deployed for the past two seasons have therefore not been acknowledged, which is all the more regrettable since we know that today's and tomorrow's WRC car manufacturers unanimously supported our proposal. "The BFGoodrich brand was therefore eliminated on the basis of criteria unknown to us, but obviously unrelated to sports." Pirelli is expected to make the 2008 tyres available in June or July this year, with testing scheduled to start from September.

Subaru takes the wraps offthe new WRC2007 Impreza -a car that everyone at SWRT hopes will be rather better than its predecessor SUBARU has unveiled the newest evolution of the Impreza WRC,a car that the team hopes will address many of the inherent problems in the previous version of the Impreza. The WRC2007,which will make its competition debut in this weekend's Rally Mexico, bears a strong visual similarity to the older model,although there has been a lot of work done underneath the surface. "The targets.were to produce a car that has a more responsive front end with better traction and more balanced tyre wear, especially on longer stages,"said Steve Farrell, SWRT director of engineering. "To achieve that, we have applied a different hilosophy into areas such as weight distribution, suspension geometry and differential set-ups. We also have new dampers to improve road-holding and traction. "The car also has a different radiator and intercooler pack. We have simplified the layout, which has improved the airflow, made the front end easier to service, and lost some weight."

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motorsDortnews

RALLYING.

The new generation TOYOTA has taken the covers off the new S2000-spec Corolla that will make its debut during this year's Australian Rally Championship. Simon Evans will stay behind the wheel of the current Group N (P) car for the opening two rounds in Queensland and WA,while Neal Bates will compete in an interim S2000 converted from Group N (P). A pair of brand-new S2000s are expected to be wheeled out for the third round in Canberra.

Toror^

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DENSO AND THE WRX The story behind the Impreza's success is best told by the raw statistics: six World Rally Championship titles and 46 outright rally wins. The Impreza has been the defining car in Subaru's elevation from relative obscurity to a legend in world rallying. From its inception in 1993, the Impreza has provided a sensory assault on motorsport fans across the globe.

To be a leader In this fiercely competitive environment

requires cutting-edge technology and demands the very best ' components and equipment at every stage in the'operation. From pre-event preparation to extracting every last bit of

araia

JBARUi

●'Vi.O n AULV TEAM

Mill on DENSO

am.-"

Iridium Row

^om.au

5 II to

1 T)e<vi Scfi Iknow that the team thinks that the ownership

issue is media specuiation - it says so on the team's website - but there are some things I

want to share.

Y'see, Ireckon Iknow whose team it is.

sitting next to me was a bloke dressed headto-toe in Holden Racing Team colours. Not

the latest 2007 merchandise, as you wouid probabiy prefer, but something around 2004

vintage that had been through the wash a few times. Here was a man who was in this for the

i. long haul and who had been to many races

We nodded (as you do on a flight) and after a bit, he asked if Iwas going over for the race

He told me that he had been to almost every'

race since the inception of the 500 (except for when the wife had that minor procedure) and was a hardcore fan. When icommented, "Nice watch, he showed me with beaming pride the HRT timepiece he had bought at Bathurst the year Skaifey and the Toddler came from behind rne oeat fasman Motorsport. Sureiy no TAG

or olex could possibly have a more admiring^ owner.

On Saturday, another vignette compieted the picture in my mind, i was waiting to speak to Skaife after Race 1 while he dealt with about 100 people, signing anything put in his hands, posing for pics, smiling all the while. From

strSh?

Iwas fascinated as two like chickens. 'He

and

® gushed. "What about when

Ska fey said fhot.7" babbled the other. Probably, F

t£ers7.rr''®u"^'°"

'^P^ated 1000

ing that afternoon and evening.

the team. The Teams' Licence Agreement makes it clear that ownership endows owners with rights but also commitments, in the words of

When ihopped on the piane to Adelaide,

about 15 metres

ThatIt was when imatters figured toit TEGA out. who owns obviously that great American philosopher, Spiderman's grandfather, with great power comes great responsibility and, cleariy, the fact that TEGA is being so persistent (in ypu view, possibly, annoyingly so) indicates that they are quite keen on seeing who or what is behind curtain number two.

But Ireckon that it matters more, much more,

to the bloke with the watch and the ciucking chickens. See, ithink that they believe that HRT is fhe/rteam and thatyou are just minding the store.

Sure, they are not financially invested in the team, apart from the fact that they did what the marketing people wanted them to and

bought caps, bag, uniforms and watches. But they feel connected to the team, just like any team's fans in any sport They care. They Live, they Love, they Race. Maybe the most important people in aii

this are not TEGA, or the lawyers, or even you, the owner. Maybe the most important peopie in this scenario are the 80,000-plus there on Saturday and Sunday, the old and the new

television audience on Seven, the fans lining up for the autographs and the photos, the peopie who buy Motorsport News. If they decide that none of this is worthwhile any more and decide to inove on to a different team - or a different

sport - you and Iare both in danger of making ourselves look foolish.

A number of peopie (usuaily in Holden red)

have asked me if this is any of my business.

Maybe, maybe not. iam in the privileged position of being able to publish my opinion here, but the deal is, Ishould only do that from

a position of neutrality. So no, HRT is not my

team, financiaiiy or emotionaliy. No team is.

But a long time ago, Idecided that this was my sport.

Of course, none of this may matter in the Big

Picture. Maybe none of this has anything to

do with fans, emotion and fervour, and maybe the most important thing in the world really is money, power and who has it.

But before you come to that conclusion, dear owner, Iask for one small favour. Have a quick

look at your wrist and tell me what brand your

watch is, and how much it means to you. And while this matter makes good copy for we in the media, it is stiii a right oid mess. Whatever it is going to take to resoive it, one was or the other, i hope it happens swiftiy. Honestiy, there are more important things to be deait with. There must be.

Cheers,

fjdream-com

Reasons to be cheerful much from a series of tests at which everyone is playing games.

box seat wHhJoe saward

hings have been so quiet in fact that Honda T got a huge amount of airtime over its idea of painting a map of the world on its FI car. I don't care if the team could not find the

IPPEE! The new season begins and we have a new era in Formula 1.

There is no Michael Schumacher. We

have a whole bunch of new young stars. There are lots of new combinations. Just for a

change the teams and the FIA are not fighting (for now). We will have to wait to see if the teams are fighting each other, but for the time

being, things are really very quiet in FI. Yes, we have had a lot of testing but it is

always a dangerous thing to try to judge too

money (if that was the case). Idon't care if people think it is a gimic. Ithink the Honda idea is terrific. Will it change the world? No. But it might do something to improve the me-meme image that Formula 1 has. It is better than doing nothing. It's original. It's clever and its a car that looks different. Good for Honda.

There are way too many negative people sniping at them. Saving the world is not

something that FI is going to do very easily,

but what It can do is to highlight a fact that people often forget; that it is not just cars that cause faollution and waste. FI is always

in the spotlight but it is an irrelevance when

you compare it to a single Boeing 747 taking off. Aviation is pumping out tons of pollution

all the time. And noise. And millions of people

are going to airports in their cars and that adds

to pollution. How come no one really gives

aviation a hard time? And what about the

electricity industry with all its smoke-belching power stations?

It is about getting more efficient cars. It is about turning off light switches that do not need to be left on. It is about new ideas...

So don t knock Honda for thinking outside the box. Let's look at it in a positive way and

say'Great, we may not be abie to do that much

e 1

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Driving around talking on mobile phones is dangerous, but is anyone trying to ban Vodafone sponsorship? to save the world but we're doing something. We're doing a lot more than other industries are doing.'

et's not be the victims for every bandwagon

L jumping politician in the worid.

Which brings me on to South Australian Democrat MP Sandra Kanck, who has been

spouting forth recently on the subject of banning aicohol sponsorship in motor racing because it links booze with driving. What a lot of rubbish!

rushing around or not.

Peopie get drunk at cricket matches, at rugby games and in every pub on every corner. Perhaps the Ms Kancks of the world should spend their time trying to give people more hope so that they don't need booze. This kind of thing drives me round the bend. Driving around talking on mobile phones is dangerous but is La Kanck trying to ban Vodafone sponsorship? Driving around eating is dangerous but is she trying to ban food companies from sponsorship?

Yes, drinking and driving is dangerous,

but what on earth makes Ms Kanck think

that banning sponsorship wiii stop people drinking? i've been coming to the Australian GP for years and ihave not noticed any reduction in the number of drunks on Canterbury Road because Fosters has stopped being a big sponsor of the Grand Prix. Alcohol abuse is not about advertising, it is

going to happen whether there are race cars

Normaily in the FI worid we crash in and out and it has been a long long time since idid anything touristy around the Lucky Country. There usually isn't time. This year, however, it

makes no sense to go back to Europe and then fly out again for Malaysia, so i'm flying out the gang and we are going to be visiting Sydney, Meibourne and heading back to dear old Adelaide to see how much the oid piace has changed since iwas iast there a decade ago. And we'll no doubt leave a whack of money behind which would not be there if not for Formula 1.

nyway... Let us hope that the race in Meibourne gives us some cracking good sport and if the books don't quite balance (and I'll tell you now they won't), then we should all consider the value that the race brings to

Melbourne and Australia in general.

For example, after this year's race I am staying on in Australia for nearly two weeks. I am doing that simply because for once Ican.

Formula 1 may not have all the answers for Australian tourism but it is doing a iot more than most of the'major events.' I suppose the message in ail of this is that

life is a lot more fun when .you are being positive and creative rather than knocking

things down.

So let the games begin and iet's hope we

have a great FI season.

»Ajm

Good, better, best THERE may not have been the carnage that often marks the Clipsal 500, and which we are told is the highlight for a percentage of people go to

have settled for what they had in

pointed out, the return to the

2006? Tick. New faces in the mix - Nice

days of good supports getting

one James C; come on down Lee

well. Tick.

Holdsworth.Tick.

with Chris lambden

race-day TV has gone down very

See what Imean? It was simply a terrific weekend to kick off 2007

the races, but last weekend showcased so much that is good about V8 Supercar racing at the

Commodore and the upgraded

V8SA calendar. Others come close,

Behind the scenes, there's a

moment.

BF Falcon as close as you could

bit of mad paddling going on

MNews has in the past been critical of some aspects of the

but not quite close enough. It all fits together in Adelaide, just like

250 Safety Car-free kilometres.

running of V8s - it is our job to tell it like it is - but Just as equally, it's our job as an independent motorsport media outlet to hand out bouquets when they are deserved. And frankly, there was little not to like about what was

served up to the (record) crowd at the weekend, and the punters watching at home on Seven. For a start, the TEGA tech guys

appear to have got the'parity' equation between the all-new VE

mnews publisher

humanly ask for first-up. After Race 1 finished Holden-Ford-

Ford-Holden-Ford-Holden, just six seconds across the top four. Holden won. Ford set the fastest lap in both races.Tick.

The racing itself, especially at the front, was superb - high speed chess, where one simple error could, and did, have a price. Dare we say that the revamped points system provided the motivation to'have a go', even late in the races, where drivers might

Atmosphere. There's no doubt the Clipsal 500 is the gem in the

with.

underwater.The person who

the GP used to.Tick. For me it was a best-of-both-

probably enjoyed the weekend

worlds weekend - Saturday at

TEGA Chairman Kelvin O'Reilly,

least would be hard-working last seen disappearing into his on-

the track, Sunday on the couch. How did Seven go? Out of the starter's box, they did a great job. There were a couple of nervous moments but, overall, good

takes that long to work out who

vision and pretty informative.

owns a business...

You can always get a feel for the public view by a quick check

Anyway, enough of that. Catch your breath, have a quick drink

track office with a stern-faced Tom

Walkinshaw. Only seven days to go and then we'll all know why it

of the MNews mail inbox on

and it'll be Grand Prix week. If Red

a Monday morning. Mostly positive stuff. And, as others have

Bull's revamped aero kit is a goer, then maybe...

CHANGE is an exciting thing. So, Imade sure Iwas sitting nice

and close to the idiot box at 1:00pm last Saturday afternoon, because Iwas intrigued to see what Network Seven was

lPj

opinion

With andrew van leeuwen mnews national editor

going to do with its return to telecasting V8 Supercars.

On the whole Seven did a good job. It wasn't a whole lot different to what we

saw on Channel 10, but with pretty much the same production crew pushing

the buttons that's to be expected. The graphics were good, and I'm sure the intros and outros will improve as

Seven builds up its library of footage. Talent wise, Neil Crompton unsurprisingly led the field.That was always going to happen; it's no secret that Cromley is in the know and good at what he does. Matthew White did his bit just fine, while newcomer Daniel Gibson pretty

much shaded his more experienced counterpart Mark Beretta in the pit-lane -

reporting stakes.

But the best part of the new-for-2007 broadcast is that we saw heaps of

racing. While the last couple of years we have got used to seeing support races

only over Bathurst weekend. Seven showed Utes, Carerra Cup and Formula Ford.

And that's cool.

Race fans want to see racing - any racing. Watching a Formula Ford race sure

beats a 20-minute colour piece on what Mark Skaife did during the off-season.

Sure there is room for improvement, but a solid first effort and plenty of promise for the season to come. 28

motorsport news

OPINION %

Good pace, bad luck Jason Bright has just completed his first weekend as an owner/driver MY first weekend as an owner

faster with a clear run. But that is

and a driver with Britek was

how it goes.

pretty good overall. We were a bit unlucky in

Sunday's 250km race.The Fujitsu car had reasonable pace, I thought, but we lost out in the opening lap fracas when Dean Canto and I got caught up. Iended up parked behind him.

I got reverse right away but he obviously couldn't find it. It was

a shame, because we had good , pace on good rubber and full tanks.

After the second stop, for fuel, I misjudged the brake balance and brushed the tyres - and while it did not cost us a lot of time, it bent

something and we struggled from there,

rthink that we missed making I

the right call when we filled the

● ●●

opinion

with Jason bright v8 driver/owner

tank; in retrospect, maybe we should have stayed out there a little longer and made time while we could on low fuel.

There was a bit of discussion going on between the crew and myself -1 cannot see what the

The Fujitsu team did a good job in what was, really, our first shot at

being a fully competitive team. As a team that has just been, really, thrown together, I give us

a 10. As a team that could be in a position to win, Ithink it's about a seven.

But over-all, for where we are at, Iam really happy. We should have been in the top 10 in qualifying. We bolted on a set-up and we did the third-fastest lap of Saturday's race. So, in reality, the car was not

too far away, considering where it has come from.

The Clipsal race can be difficult from the point of view of having

The speed is in the car but in

a lot of commitments in and out

terms of moving further up the

of the car. But from that angle, I

field, it is all the little things that

have to say that this time round I

crew can see and they have a

matter from now on - making

the right calls, picking the correct

had more time on my hands than I have had in many other races!

going on.

strategy and all those 100 small

Maybe not with my time at PWR, but certainly there was

better view, usually, of what else ISi After we came out, we were

behind Cam McConville and Lee Holdsworth and caught them

decisions you make over a weekend.

On the technical side, our

quickly. Cam pitted and straight

engine mapping needs to be a lot

could have run a second a lap

time in that area. That cost us in

away, our pace went up - we

better; we dropped a big chunk of

qualifying pace and race pace.

much more to do when Iwas with

HRT and in the two years with FPR. Sure, there is a lot to do, but

sometimes, it seemed like they were working my arse off for no good reason!...

Five minutes with

●●●

RICK KELLY The reigning Champ had a few doubters heading into the Clipsal 500, but he made them eat their words PHILBRANAGAN with victory on the streets of Adelaide MOTORSPORT NEWS: It was

we got stuck behind someone,

certainly not a great qualifying session for you but you fought

we had to make slightly different

back well. RICK KELLY: It would not have been

managed to get a nice little buffer there and we maintained it to the

possible without a great car.

end.

lines and we got held up a bit. We

We had a fantastic car here last

year and, obviously, we had an allnew car here this year. We made it

Last year you copped some criticism from some quarters that you drove conservatively at times

handle quite well and react very similar to last year's car, so we

because you were looking at the championship. We you able to keep that out of your mind today? To be honest, that does not worry

made the most of it this year.

Did the team make significant changes from yesterday (Saturday)

me too much.

to today, bearing in mind what

In 2004 and 2005,1 had a lot of

you learned from yesterday about

pace but Imade a lot of mistakes.

Yesterday, to be honest, we made

Last year was very much a year for me of backing off that and being

the car?

very few changes for today. We changed it up and today,

really consistent. We achieved that; we backed

we just went back a little on those

off a little bit and we weren't

changes. It is quite good that the car is so reactive to small changes and the fact that it reacts very similarly to last year's car really gives us good consistency.

quite as pacy, and we did not

win many races. But we won the

Every time 1 was m front of other championship,

cars I was able to pull away

Hopefully, that will mean that we can do that throughout the

- Rick rates the pace of his shiny new VE

wSs:rCr

we need we have while still being

nice and consistent.

year, because we went well almost

everywhere last year.

You had a pretty dramatic start to today's race, with James Courtney getting slowly off the line. Did that

get past Todd, other than to fire

Ithink that Todd might have had the same braking dramas that I had yesterday. Fortunately, today

As far as the championship is concerned, you cannot be unhappy with the fact that you

it over the kerbs at Turn 9.1 didn't

we got on top of it and we were

have to do that.

able to be in a position where it

are coming away from Adelaide second in the championship.

fire it over a few kerbs, probably that was the only opportunity to

catch'you out a bit, and take you

did not bother us too much.

by surprise?

You were ahead of Todd but once

Iam always ready for that sort of

the stops were completed, you were back behind him again with a longer stop. Just a little bit more

thing.

As Icaught up Ithought, 'Gee,

that car was slow' and obviously,

the aim was to get him off the line. I was already looking down the left and, fortunately for me, James

didn't get the best of starts and I got through.

Early in the race, you were able to get through on Todd, then you pulled away. Obviously you had

good pace in the car on full fuel.

Idid. The car was quite pacey on full fuel and light fuel, it had just a little bit of understeer on full fuel. It was lucky for me that Todd made that small error because I pushed hard in the first sector to

It is just tough when there is a 78 lap race to get used to the brakes and the pedal is a little longer than it was last year. You have to get used to that difference, and Iam

fuel (than Todd)? No, that just made it a little bit

certain that there are a lot of cars

sweeter when we got there.

in the same position.

Talk us through what happened up

It was a great race to the finish after that last Safety Car period. Were you confident that you could

atTurn 7 [When Todd lost the rear

of the car and Rick passed him for

It's a different pointscore and that is something we have to get used to.

You have to change your driving style slightly, be a little more aggressive and that is something w/e look forward to.

What were you thinking before the final Safety Car came out, and what were you thinking after it did? Not much, to be honest!

the lead].

hold out Todd and James?

We have all got the new brakes on our cars this year with the control braking package, so it took a little bit to get used to that for us. It

Not at all! To be honest, it is quite tough out there when you are

the car corner-by-corner and lap by lap. Obviously 78 laps is quite

behind cars.

tough around here and my main aim was not to make any mistakes

happened to us yesterday as well;

clear air, you can drive your own lines and that worked for me this

I made the same mistake at the

same spot and Jamie Whincup managed to sneak past me with two laps to go.

Once you have a little bit of weekend.

Every time Iwas in front of other cars, Iwas able to pull away. When

Iwas concentrating on driving

today. We did that, we knew we

would be good at the end and after the Safety Car, we knew that there was a chance to get him at the end.

motorsportnews

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Five minutes with

●●●

MICHAEL CARUSO Winning his first-ever Fujitsu V8 Supercar race on the weekend was a big thing but taking the round was MARKGLENDENNING even better news for Ford Rising Stars Racing's young gun MOTORSPORT NEWS: You came

out of Adelaide with your first V8 Supercar win, a maximum points haul, and a bad weekend for a

3MBYTEC»/

couple of your rivals. Was that more than you had expected? MICHAEL CARUSO: Most definitely. It's a great way to start the championship. Last year we had a

lot of trouble where Ididn't get to finish races because of mechanical

troubles, and drive-through penalties and stuff like that.

Clarion clarioo

We're really focussing on trying to be more consistent this year and really having a shot at the title.

The car seemed pretty good

Ijw

IBl ■.v&JU

straight out of the box. Did you . play with the set-up much over the course of the weekend?

We only made a few minor

adjustments through the whole weekend. You know that when you

finish a weekend like that that your car has a really good base set-up and great balance.

—w 1 haven’t signed anything at the moment - there are a few things that need to be sortbd out - Caruso on recent reports that he’d signed with Team BOC for the enduros

You've got the benefit of a year's worth of data to work with now,

If you are going to go out and win

which presumably helped a lot when you were looking for a base,

You have already been linked to a couple of teams for the enduros -

championship lead?

your first Fujitsu round, Iguess ti doesn't hurt you to do it on a

has anything concrete happened

set-up for Adelaide? Yes, exactly. Last year we didn't have anything at all, so it was really just a big learning curve. We just tried to get as much information

weekend where you are sharing the billing with the main series? Yes. It's always good to be racing

yet?

championships before, and Ihave always found that it's better to

at the same racetrack as the main

that need to be sorted out.

about the car in order to have

series, because you can get a good comparison of how well you

some stuff to work on this year.

are going compared to the main

Hopefully Ican sign with a team soon, because I'd like time to build up a relationship before we get to

game guys. And they are all there

the enduro rounds.

The team has been rebranded [ED: As Ford Rising Stars Racing] for this year, and has also expanded to two cars. Has that changed the way things work? They've changed a little bit. Some

watching us, and coming and patting us on the back if you've won the race ... that is definitely a big morale booster.

personnel in the team have moved

around. Ihave got a couple of new

enduros, or possibly even a main

Price, the Ford Racing Manager,

have not been to before is Winton,

game race seat for the future? Definitely. There are probably a few seats that people are already talking about that will be available

come up and shake my hand. He seemed pretty happy, and it's

so that will probably be, in my mind, the only track that Ihave got

always good to make those guys

a little bit to work on. But Ithink

happy!

that overall we will definitely be in

people on my car, and a couple of guys that worked on my car last year have moved across to the other car.

It's a big thing, going from the

Ihaven't signed anything at the moment. There are a few things

Your win came on what was

the debut race weekend for the

is doing. I'm sure that a few of those

guys will come back stronger than they were in Adelaide, so you just

have to try to make some more

Ford Rising Stars Racing team -

and hope that that's enough. Do you expect to be able to carry

presurpably Ford must have been

the speed that you had in Adelaide

Does it help boost your profile

pleased?

across to the rest of the rounds?

as far as finding a seat for the

Yes, it Was pretty cool to have Ray

Most definitely. The only track I

there with a shot.

in the main series next year. But I still want to focus on what Ihave

pretty flat out. They did a great job to get both cars out there and

So does your success in Adelaide

got to do this year, and Iam sure

that things will fall into place if Ido

change your approach for the rest of the year, now that you are going into Wakefield Park with the

focus on your own operation and not worry about what anyone else

irnprovements on your own car

one car to two, and it has been

racing for the first round.

Idon't know. Ihave won

a good job.

Well, you can always learn Winton on the PS2...

(Laughs) I'll try that one out! molorsDortiniiBWS

''''

Garth Tander may just have won the 2006 V8 Supercar title if it

hadn’t been for that red suit MARK GLENDENNING spoke to GT about life back in black MOTORSPORT NEWS: Are you one of those

fine but our tyre life probably wasn't that great.

guys that spends a lot of time over the off

But we improved on that during the year.

season reflecting on the year that has just passed?

GARTH TANDER: Oh, Ithink you always look

back at the year that you had previously, and try to learn something from that. But then

So Iwas pretty happy with all that. That was a set-up thing? Yes. Well, it was really a case of just

because as I've heard Dick Johnson say, the

understanding the car that we had last year. So we learned a few things like that last year. Obviously you want to look back at your own performance to find anything you'd done that

only thing you get from looking backwards is a

you could have done a bit better.

again you don't want to look back too much,

sore neck.

There were a few areas where Ireckon Icould

You need to learn from a few things that you did in the year previous and try to apply that to the next year, to try and make sure that you

have done a bit better of a job, so you just try to use that as motivation for the following year.

don't make the same mistakes.

Well there is a fairly strong case for arguing that you were the form driver in the series

When you looked back, what did you

for most of last year. On the whole, were you

learn? You had a pretty clear mission at the

start of the year, and it looked like you did everything in your power to tick all of the boxes.

Yeah, that's right. Imean, there were a few

things in there that you'd look at trying to improve upon.

Ithink earlier in the year our race pace was 34

year went on, our tyre life and consistency improved as well.

satisfied with your personal performance? Ithink for the majority of the year Iwas pretty happy with the way that everything went. There were a few mistakes in there that probably

When we spoke before the season began last year, you mentioned that there were perhaps

half-a-dozen guys who could contend for the championship, and that you were one of them. Was there still an element of the

unknown, given that the team was sort of

reorganising itself at the time? No, Idon't think so.

Ithink that if you look at our speed in the last part of 2005, we had every reason to be confident that we'd be strong going into 2006. We knew what spec cars we had for the start of 2006, and we confident that they'd do the job. And we're just as confident going into this year's championship. Although we've got an all-new car, the underpinnings are pretty much the same as what we used last year. The aero

shouldn't have happened, but on the whole 1

is a little bit different but that's the same for

was pretty happy with the way the year went. Our qualifying speed was really, really good. Our race pace was good all year, and as the

everyone. Ford or Holden, VE or VZ. So Ithink we have every reason to be confident heading into this year. motorsport news

V8SUPERCARS.

You said you were confident, but did you guys surprise yourselves a bit last year? Toll was very much the frontrunning Holden team all year - you even beat HRT, and only a couple of years ago they looked untouchable. Idon't think we were surprised. We worked

very hard to get the results that we got. This team, even before Icame along, had fantastic speed on occasion but the

consistency wasn't there, and they admit that. And that is one thing that we have been

working on through the whole period of time that Ihave been here - being consistent all

through the year, and working on the tracks where we weren't strong. We were very keen

Heiti

to improve on our performances there, and I think we did that last year. There were a few tracks even in 2005 where

we didn't really have our head around it, but Ithink we got on top of that last year. Now, I think we have a pretty good understanding of what our cars need to go well pretty much everywhere.

Looking back at your championship campaign last year, is it unreasonable to pinpoint the endurance races as the point where things derailed? Oh look, there is no doubt that those two races

certainly cost me a lot of points. There's no doubt about that. But that's regardless of the

colours ,that you're wearing; it could happen

anywhere. It could have happened If I'd stayed at Toll, and as it turned out it happened when I went to HRT.

Like Isaid last year,'if is a very big word in our game. If Ihad stayed at Toll it could have been a very different result, or if Ihad stayed at Toll then both Rick [Keily] and Icould have

been out of it. It might have been just my bad luck that Itook with me to HRT. You just don't

If I had stayed at Toll it could have been a very different result

know. - TANDER DIM THE SANDOWN AND BATHURST DEBACLE

True, although HRT did have a worse

reliability record than Toll last year, and that hurt you at Sandown. Oh yeah. That's just the way it goes. If you look at the past, HRT have a fantastic reliability record. All the componentry in their cars is the same as in our cars ... it just happens, it's motorsport. it's a funny game.

When did you first become aware that a plan for you and Todd [Kelly] to swap seats was in the works?

Igot a phone call... Ithink it was just after

have stayed at home. However, it wasn't a bad car to be going to,

the lead HRT car. And Ithink we proved with

morning.

the speed, both Mark [Skaife] and Iat both circuits, that we had the speed to do the job.

Yes, it is my livelihood, yes it is what Ido, and yes it would have been nice to get good results

Was there any room for negotiation? Could

for both of those races. Particularly Bathurst; there was a lot of emotion surrounding that

you have insisted upon staying put?

weekend and we very dearly wanted to win

(pause) Icould have tried!

that race, fdr very obvious reasons.

Were you aware of the potential for something like that when you first joined

up on Monday morning, and we just pressed

But it wasn't to be. Like Isaid, the sun came

Oran Park.

the team? You joined Toll specifically to win a championship, and there is every chance

That late?

you could have done that last year if you had remained with your own team.

Yes.

Obviously we'd looked at everything previously, and looked at the way the rules were worded, and things like that. So we were ready to do something if that was the way we

Oh look, regardless of where you are going, I think everyone joins a new team to look at new possibilities and new opportunities.

wanted to go. Then after Oran Park, the decision was made.

opportunity to win a championship and we got very close last year, but that's not to say

Joining this team, Ifelt, was a good

that last year will be the only opportunity that Were you happy about it?

I have.

Oh ... 1think in an ideal world ... Rick and Ihad

been working together aii year, we worked well together in the endurance races the previous year - we had good speed at those races - so in an ideal world, Iwould have been happier to www.mnews.com.au

Not really. At the end of the day, we had bad results and the sun still came up on Monday

Is it disconcerting though? As a driver, this is your livelihood; it's your career. It must have been a bit unsettling to be getting plugged in and out of different teams.

on.

Does it make this year more important for you personally? Idon't think so. You have to be very careful not to put additional importance upon jhis year based on what happened last year. This year is an all-new year. There are all-new cars, all-new qualifying, an all-new points structure ... so you have got to play the year that you are in. You don't look back and think that you've got to work twice as hard this year because you didn't get what you wanted last year. Ihave fallen into that trap before, when I finished second in 2000 with GRM. We felt

continued on page 36 35

V8 SUPERCARS

So it is a retirement plan?

continued from page 35

that it was automatically going to happen the following year and, as it turned out, it didn't, for one reason or another.

You definitely don't go in expecting to run at the front. You know that the way the championship is, you have to work really hard regardless of the performances that you might have had in the past. Do you take more confidence into the season after a year like 2006? You basically drove a season good enough to win a championship - does that give you something extra to carry

It's certainly going to be after my driving career. Ihave said that all along. Whilst we have the F3 going now, and Iam looking to build that up next year to run a

couple of cars in that and in Formula Ford as well, Iam very mindful of the fact that Ihave got to have people in place who can make that operation run without me being there, should I not be able to be there.

Being a V8 Supercar driver is still very much the prime objective, and setting up a race team is in the background to give me something to do when Iam not driving.

No, Idon't think so. You always go into each

Is there a timeframe for the Fujitsu team? I'd like to hope that it would be within the next

year with a slight degree of trepidation, and a

five years, but Ihave not set myself any hard

bit of confidence.

and fast timelines.

in?

You think you are capable of doing the Job, but until the year gets underway, you just don't know. Last year was good; we had good speed all year, won a lot of races, got a lot of pole positions, and had a very quick car all year. It was a great result, it was great for the team,

not going to rush into it. It is something that I want to do when the time is right, and all the starts are lined up and the moon is aligned. I'm not going to do anything that is going to jeopardise my driving.

The motorsport landscape may change in the next five years, and there might be something different. It might happen sooner; it might happen later. There are currently a few opportunities around that could see me do it earlier, but Iam

but it doesn't mean anything for 2007. You still have to do the job again.

You have two years left on your current deal. Do you see Toll as a long-term home? At the moment, yes. I'm very happy here. Everything is working really well; Ihave got a great relationship with all the guys In the engineering group. And Ido a lot of work with FISV (the road car company), they are very

receptive to all sorts of marketing and business plans, and various things that you've got going on.

So Iam very, very comfortable with where I am at the moment.

The reason I asked is that you have talked in the past of wanting to take your own team [EDrTandersport, currently running in Formula 3) and turn it into something bigger.

Are you looking at being an owner-driver? Idon't see myself being an owner-driver. Ithink that in today's environment it is very,

very difficult to dedicate the right amount of time to each job. Imight end up running a Fujitsu Series team while Iam doing the main game, but to run a main game team while you are still driving in the series, Ithink, would be very difficult.

Itake my hat off to Jason Bright and Mark Skaife at the moment, Ithink they are very game and very bold to be doing what they are doing. Iknow how hard Iworkjust being a driver, and to have the responsibility of the team on your shoulders as well, Ithink could create some unnecessary diversions.

Be a part of the YOKOHAMA

Australian Production Car Eight rounds - Four states - Close sprint race^ Challenging endurance races

Racing that isn't02l2Zg)!7 The opportunity is here for you to race true Production Cars in the 2007 APCC as well as compete i

hrRACEdai

The season begins at Bathurst in April and takes to the tracks of Phillip Island, Qld R/way, Eastern Creek, Phillip Island, Mallala, Oran Park and finishes at Sandown In December. This is great value for a National Australian Championship with excellent TV coverage, Register NOW for the 2007 season Contact the PCAA for vehicle lists and other information regarding the 2007 Championship Garry Mennell Mob 0407 272 165 or go to v,iwv/.pcaa,com.au 36

motorsport Slews

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tilde Open $pMet Kr-F.'

ômnk 1 i$ Uek and the 0Mnd pi4ee if bieti and ti>tdp up f<» Can Fernando ^hufo make it th^ on the tMtl Oi^ uiB fomeone die piâd in the fifft êan o| the poft'$ehumaehei^ enal tliotohfpoti tteiiif toot^ eJhead to

T S as if someone has taken last year's Formula One entry list and put it into a blender. Just one team - Toyota - will arrive

teofon Z667

for being quick but fragile in recent years, and considering that Alonso is a master of

of beating him on any weekend.

mechanical sympathy, this could shed some

their pecking order, the team itself has to do the same thing against its rivals. Virtually all of the architects of the Prancing Horse's success over the past decade are now gone, and much

light over how much of a part Kimi Raikkonen

in Melbourne with the same driver line-up

may have played in his own bad luck since

engine supplier and tyres as it did last year Everyone else is taking at least one step into the unknown. Some are virtually startinq with a clean sheet.

2002. And it will be a double induction process at Woking, with the team's long-term pet project Lewis Hamilton finally stepping up into

Exactly half of the teams have to figure out where in the paddock Bridgestone parks

against a reigning double World Champion in your rookie year, but many seem to think that

its transporter following the withdrawal of

the top tier. It's a big ask to measure yourself

Hamilton will be more than capable of holding

Michelin at the end of last year. In the case of BMW Sauber, this is the only real adjustment that needs to be made, as the team got a head start with its 2007 driver line-up when

his end down.

There are also interesting times ahead at Ferrari, although for different reasons. Felipe

it replaced Jacques Villeneuve with Robert Kubica mid-way through last season.

The big questions surround the big teams,

which have undergone a driver shuffle unlike anything we've seen in recent years. Fernando

Alonso has taken his two world championships and marched away from Renault and into the arms of Ron Denrys at McLaren.

The silver cars have developed a reputation

Massa sealed his future in the sport for the foreseeable future with some frankly brilliant performances alongside Michael Schumacher last year, and now he gets to measure himself against Kimi.

■'

Twelve months ago, you'd have been forgiven for dismissing this is a huge mismatch, but now there is every reason to believe the Massa could be capable of beating Kimi on the right weekend. Who knows, he may be capable

But while the drivers within Ferrari work out

of the team's 2007 fortunes will rest on how smoothly the new regime settles in.

Mark Webber will start the next phase of his career when he drives out of Albert Park's

pitlane in the colours of Red Bull Racing, while back in the garage the team will be monitoring its new tyres, its new Renalilt engine and its new design guru in the form of Adrian Newey. Throw in a lot of Ferrari engines (Spyker and Toro Rosso), a Super Aguri driver with the nonJapanese sounding name of Ant Davidson

and a complete absence of tobacco livery, and there is no shortage of new stuff to spend the Australian GP weekend getting your head around.

But who's going to win? For the first time in years, it is almost impossible to even hazard a guess.

●

And we wouldn't have it any other way. r .T

■» V. ■ V

■I- >

■

iiT-

re^x^motorsportjiews ■V.'

/ fl PHEVieW

Driver's eye view It^s hard to make sense of all this testing mumbo

jumbo^ unless of course you are actually driving one

of the cars. That's why we asked MARK WEBBER to give us a team=by“team form guide /

ING Renault

Renault R27 Giancarlo Fisichella Heikki Kovalainen IT looks like Renault is having a few problems with their first-lap speed on Bridgestones.

The cars look better on longer runs but they are not at Ferrari's and McLaren's pace. Idon't know if Heikki Kovalainen is totally in love with the new tyres, he might be used to something different. But Renault is a question mark. Until we see

how they will go in race conditions, we just don't know.

They are not double World Champions for

nothing but they have had a lot of changes over the winter. There has been a shift in the

engineering department and Pat Symonds has a different role now.

Fernando Alonso has gone and that presents the team with a big challenge to continue from

where they were in the last two years.

B.Assetfor Renault Fl

motorsiiortnews

FI PREVIEW

Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari F2007 Kimi Raikkonen

Felipe Massa YOU look from the outside and it

appears that they have had a lot

hard on cars, that came out at McLaren, and Ferrari does

of changes as well. Some of the

not seem to have its normal,

key personnel are not around and that would appear to be a

bulletproof aura at the moment. That is something that is hard to

loss.

roll out, year in, year out, but they

But they are fast - fast but fragile. Kimi Raikkonen can be

are obviously trying to improve in those areas.

Honda Racing Lewis Hamilton

Honda RA107

THEY are under a stupendous

Jenson

Button

Rubens

Barrichello

amount pfpressurejihawingi a double WGiildiGhartipioniVvalk in thpre.lihey need a car ini

which Fernando Aionso can

reasonable step in the of^ season and we will have to

watch how it develops as the season goes on.

i| think that have two very

use to go for three in a row. But, in talking to some of the drivers, they are happy

iLewis Hamilton Is doing a

with how the engine is comingi

good job as well;

along - and that has always

beena little bit of an Achilles ■

Heel with the team. The car

looked amazing in the cooler eonditiohs in Europe, and it was quick in Bahrain, but not ;ph$norTiemal as (it was iin Europe.

%js yearlsa blgone in terms of g.etting both

perfOrrnahGe arid reliability right for the tea m. They have taken what appears to be a

good drivers, Fernando, obviously, buti think that

A QUESTION mark.

They were massively in the shit before they got to Bahrain and

they have put in a lot of work, as they always do. They seemed to be a lot better in Bahrain, which was good timing. Ithink that they have several aero upgrades that have been transferred onto the car.

They seem to have a good envelope to work in to increase the pace of that car, and they seem to have done that already. Good for them.

BMW SAUBER BMW

Sauber

F1.07

Nick Heidfeld Robert Kubica THEY look to be very solid. They were doing a race simulation

the other day in Bahrain and they did a PROPER race simulation; a pitlane

start, full procedure, stops, the lot. While that was going on, Nick Heidfeld did a qualifying run and he was really quick, and it all looked very good. One of the team's strengths is that Mario Theissen seems to be able to focus

on bringing in the right people to do the job for him. With Nick's experience and

Robert Kubica, they have two drivers who seems to know what they are doing. The cars looked a little fragile in testing,

with the hydraulics and gearboxes, but the pace is good.

AT&T Williams

iV" ■

Williams-Toyota FW29 Nico Rosberg

Si i. «i-

Alex Wurz /

TJiimc Par

I THINK that the team has done well.

The car looked pretty good during the winter season, though they skipped Bahrain. They have a totally new

'■-v

technical structure to focus on the

Toyota Racing

weaknesses that they have had

in the last few years and it looks

good. Ithink that Patrick Head

has been more involved and they have some good people in key positions to focus on what has not worked out.

The car looks quick. Reliability

will be a huge thing and the team is aiming to get that right, obviously. Ithink that the team will give Toyota's'A-team'a bit of a touch-up.

Toyota TF107 Jarno Trulli Ralf Schumacher

%■

I THINK that Toyota is in for a struggle this year. Ithink they have not shown much yet, they might press on as the season goes on and they have some good guys in there. But for now, it looks like a struggle and that might continue into the season.

Spyker Fl Team Spyker=Ferrari F8 VI1 Christian Albers Adrian Sutil THEY have reliable and a proven piece that will go around without pulling up any trees. Mike Gascoyne has been around and is working hard on a new-generation car bit it will be a long season until they pull out a new car for Turkey. The Ferrari motor is alright, it will be fine,

Super Aguri Fl Toro Rosso-Ferrari STR2

Super Aguri=Honda SAG7 Anthony Davidson

Vitantonio Liuzzi

Takuma

I THINK that they will be on the limit, operationally, to get their cars ready. They haven't got a huge amount of stuff on the car yet and they need to make sure they are ready for the start of

. I

' I

■ r "5 r

- --tx I

the season.

From the outside, it looks

! like they will be in for a long season and Gerhard Berger will take some time to get the right people in the right positions.

Sato

THIS could be the surprise package. They have a car that scored 40 points in the last half of the season last year and it is a quick car..

They will there all the time, too. They

have been doing the Bathurst 1000 every day in testing and the car looks bulletproof How quick? Maybe not Ferrari-quick, and a podium might be a bit hopeful, but there will be some bits and pieces through the season.

Ant Davidson is probably the bloke to look at but for pace, he and Takuma Sato are much of a muchness.

i: motorspomiews

FI PREVIEW

Red Bull Racing Red Bull-Renault RB3 Mark Webber

David Coulthard ●'

THE car is going well. We have made some progress

■in the Bahrain test, but we are not as quick as we want to be, that is

they need to improve; they are not shooting in the dark, they have homed in on a couple of

reasonably clear.There are a few

areas and they are confident of having some progress to build on

car's in front that are not too far

going into the season.

away from us, but you would have

The car cools really well. In the

to say that Ferrari and McLaren are

heat, we do not have to open

definitely the benchmark at the moment - particularly the Ferrari. They are doing the business and they seem to be good in most

the car up very much, as other teams may have to do. Generally speaking, once you get north of about 28 degrees ambient, the cars need to be opened up to

conditions.

We are looking forward to try and punch ahead and get into that group of teams that are just in front of us at the moment. We

have quite a substantial aero update on the way that we will use in Melbourne, we’would have liked to have had it in time for

the Bahrain test but it represents such a big change to the car that

cool but we appear to be pretty good in that regard.The Renault

V8 is very good with that; its heat rejection numbers are very low, so that is a positive going in. But the car works very well in that regard and it is very strong in the straight line, which is something that you would expect from Adrian anyway. We have some really good and

it looks like it will not be done in

important aerodynamic features

time.The carbon fibre shop is hard

on the car that build a baseline

at work getting four sets of the kit ready for Melbourne - one each for the race cars and spares - but

to work from. Reliability has been

it will not be tested until later this

week at Magny Cours. We expect that to be a big help for us.

From this point, we are pretty much locked into the aero set-up of the cars for Albert Park. Adrian

pretty good to this point. Idid a test the other day with an engine Ihave been chipping away with and we got over 1600km. That has been a great effort from Renault, to make an engine that can do those kilometres in different

is pinning pretty much everything

conditions, so that is reassuring. We need accept that we will be

into the latest update, so we are

stronger as the year goes on. We

testing for the race this week. The general concept will go on from

are still in the process of coming together operationally, we are getting stronger each month. We

there; the car has not come out of the box as fast as we would have

liked, obviously, but Adrian and the rest of his guys have been working flat-out.They are pretty sure that they know where it is

ci: www.mnews.com.au

were thrown together in a sense and we are up against more established teams, so we can

only develop in that area and get stronger as the season goes on.

The times are a-changing Over the last few seasons Formula 1 has undergone some massive changes. Last year it was engines and quaiying, this year it's tyres and practice. MARK GLENDENNING looks at how F1 has changed over the summer rvi j-'

■M3

f ERE are a handful of other changes oh ithe cards.for2007j^'

Most of them are safety-related fWOdificatiofiis that will go unnoticed by most spectators, such as thg new cockpit lights that

will be installed in ali cars, to give the drivers advanced warning, pf :

changes to track conditions.

. m

But there is one that wili have a direct impact on the racingi

and that Is the new Safety Gar rule. Gone are the days where a^ driver Can swerve into pitlane the moment the SC board is hungi out. Now, ho car is allowedi to pit until the entire field has formed! up behind the Safety Car. Also, lapped'cars that ifihd themselves between the Safety Car and the leader will be waved past and forced to rejoin the endiof the line. This helps prevent situations where a contender for-the

lead has a restart compromisedi by lapped traffic, and also offers M Ifc. the slower cars a chance to gain a lap back. ,(

M r

-●,● », ■■

Weekend format: THE introduction of limits

upon the number of engines available to teams over a race weekend had the undesired side-

effect of making Friday almost unwatchable.

'Scintillating'was not the word we're thinking of... But this year, Friday is almost THE day to go along. The engine restrictions are still in place,

championships were allowed to

but as of this yearthey do not come into force until Saturday, meaning that Friday is open slather. And not only that, but

run a third car, which meant that

the amount of track time has

spectators were forced to spend

been increased by 50 percent, meaning that the Formula 1 cars will now spend three hours on the track on the first day of every

Teams that finished fifth or lower in the Constructors'

two 60-minute sessions watching Bjorn Wirdheim or Narain

Karthikeyan grinding around while the actual race drivers kept laps to a minimum in an effort to save engine mileage. And the teams that finished

race weekend.

Third cars are now banned, however nominated third drivers are not. But no matter who is in

too high to be permitted a third car for Fridays? They kept their

the car, the bottom line is that this

miles to a minimum too, and the

moves that Formula 1 brass has

absence of a test mule meant

watching the track and see

made in years. If you happen to be in Melbourne on the Friday of the Grand Prix weekend, go along and

Ferrari complete about 20 laps.

thank them.

that you could spend two hours

is one of the most fan-friendly

matorsporlinews j

FI PREVIEW. %

And the winner is

●●●

MELBOURNE! HAVING been demoted to third last year thanks to the Commonwealth Games, Melbourne returns to pole

position on the FI calendar again this year.

Trying to pick a winner in the main race at Albert Park this year, because as explained by Mr Webber over the last four pages, FI 2007-spec is going to be a close-run thing. But there is more to the Australian Grand Prix than just, well, the Australian Grand Prix.

It's been widely publicised that the V8 Supercars are not on the support bill for the 2007 event, a first Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix history. Will the event be poorer for the loss oftheVBs? Probably, but that's not to say there will be nothing going on between the FI sessions. The Australian Grand Prix still sets the pace when it comes to support acts (except for Monaco - GP2 and World Series by Renault is pretty tough to beat), and this year Formula 3 will lead the way. Expect the F3 guys and girls to make up a bumper grid, complete with some international imports from the Asia-Pacific F3 series. The tin-top supports will be led by a full Carrera Cup field, with the V8 Ute Series making its third visit to Albert

Single tyre supplier: FOR the second time in just under a decade, Bridgestone has

spent the off-season preparing

the entire grid is very different to designing one that you hope is better than whatever your

The Japanese spent two years in combat with Goodyear before

don't expect any of the existing Bridgestone teams to have a major

for a life without a rival.

the latter's withdrawal from Formula 1 left Bridgestone to race

alone in 1999. The development war resumed with the arrival of Michelin in 2001, and over

the ensuing years the company became increasingly seen as an

ally of Ferrari. Nowhere was this more visible than at the farcical 2005 US Grand Prix, where the

withdrawal of the Michelin teams

left just six cars out on the track -

Ferrari, Jordan and Minardi. For all

intents and purposes, it looked like the Prancing Horse had a

bespoke tyre supplier, with a couple of smaller teams tagging along for the scraps. But that changed through 2006

Michelin teams looking for an extra edge migrated across

opposition can come up with. So

race.

At time of writing, some teams were struggling to get grip out of

the harder of the two compounds currently available during testing (the two softest compounds are not expected to be available until

the first European races), however Bridgestone insists that this is a simple matter of the teams

rather than an inherent problem

manager for the last few years, will no longer be seen at the track. Suganuma, who has returned to

Matsuzaki and Kees van der Grint,

He has been replaced by Jun

Is that a disadvantage? Some of the teams seem to think it is, but

who will serve as joint technical

we're not so sure.

that all of the teams need to get to know the new Bridgestone

managers. Generally, it means hierarchy at the same time, which

to those used last year. There's

levels things out a little - although

no point spending a fortune on a weapons program if there is no

it should also be noted that van

www.mnews.Gom.au

►

12 S2

in Eerrari's success between 2001

way around a new tyre company for this year.

and 2004.

enemy to use it on, and by the same token, producing a tyre for

B 7

Japan under the company's policy of staff rotation, was a key player

Toro Rosso all have to learn their

For one thing, this year's

with the Potenzas. Another factor that could make life easier for the recent

the divide. When the French broke

Bridgestones will be very different

Melbourne:

needing to learn about the rubber

camp for the final time in Brazil

Honda, Red Bull Racing, BMW and

speed comparison.

season, and will take two to each

fact that Hisao Suganuma, who was Bridgestone's technical

means that Renault, McLaren,

well as the Celebrity Challenge and the FI A/8/Sedan

Bridgestone will create a total of four different compounds this

converts from Michelin is that

at the end of last year, each tyre

There will also be a full grid of Aussie Racing Cars, as

head-start in terms of data.

as some

company had been supplying exactly halfthe grid-which

Park.

der Grint was previously charged with looking after Michael

Schumacher's tyres at Ferrari. 45

V8 SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

round 1 -dipsal 500

V8 SUPERCARS

Deliverance

v(,

At the end of last season, there were plenty of people who said Rick Kelly couldn't win races. So, when the 2007 season got underway in Adelaide, Rick Kelly won the race N

VER the summer days that have passed since the controversial finish to the 2006 V8 Supercar Championship Series, there have been those who have voiced the opinion that by driving a conservative, points-gathering plan to

his title, Rick Kelly was not a worthy Champion. Well, theToll/HSV DealerTeam ace served a warming cup of'ShutThe Hell Up'in Adelaide on the weekend when he turned a qualifying glitch into a victory in Sunday's race and, because of the odd format of the round, claimed the silverware in the Clipsal 500. Rick raced hard over the weekend and in the final showdown, had to outrun brother

Todd, who left the City of Churches with the lead in the championship after a classy drive to win on Saturday. In the end, a single slide atTurn 7 left room for Rick to slide into the lead and pull out a small but definitive gap. And that was one of the indicators ofThe Way Things Are in 2007. V8 Supercar racing

has turned into high-speed chess where a single lapse determines not who wins but who does not.

On any other weekend, this round would have been a coming out party for James Courtney, who was in untouchable form all weekend and who took pole position and fastest laps in both races. But sluggish starts left him in the pack in both races and second and third were the best he could manage under the circumstances, the Sunday

result barely metres in front of Stone Brothers team-mate Russell Ingall. Also in the single-error category were Jamie Whincup and Garth Tander, who both found oil in the opening race, and Tender's weekend further compromised by a Race 2

drive-through penalty after pitlane contact with Todd Kelly. A similar fate befell Craig Lowndes, who was adjudged to have turned Max Wilson around in Race 1. The other feature was the 20-something aspect to the weekend, with strong runs from Lee Holdsworth and MarkWinterbottom underlining the continuing emergence of the iPod generation in The Show. And as usual, Adelaide was a brilliant place to be, with

huge crowds and hot weather and has set up a fascinating season.

www.mnews.com.au

Revenge is best served hot /

The 2006 Clipsal 500 saw James Courtney experience a tough V8 Supercar debut. 12 months on he took a solid pole position

PHIL BRANAGAN

A YEAR after he left Adelaide

really good pace here this

and Shane Price, who smote

Tander also felt like he was

with a smacked-up Ford Falcon, James Courtney wreaked revenge in the best possible way, taking his maiden V8 Supercar pole position.

weekend."

the wall in the Jack Daniel's VE

taking a step into the unknown.

Commodore. But the second session was

"Today was the first time that we have run green tyres on a VE

Garth Tander led the Holden

more of a shock. Mark Skaife

Commodore at all," he said, "but

forces.

was a seemingly powerless 17th;

it was probably not as nice as a

"We going into the race as a bit

Steven Richards was 16th, having

with late-2006 suspension tweaks and a late-spec D3

of an unknown tomorrow," said GT, 'with the new VE, there are a few

engine - Courtney was in control throughout the three sessions

variables but the underpinnings

lost much practice time when he tagged a wall; and defending Champion Rick Kelly was 15th, theTollsters losing much track time with a throttle problem that left the squad in catch-up mode

qualifying car as you would like, probably not as sharp."

In the very same car - updated

in the quest to take opening honours for the 2007 season.

"It is great to come back and get this result," he sweated at the post-qualifying media session. "The boys were a little bit nervous about coming back to this place.

Second fastest was Jamie

Whincup [see breakout] while

are the same as a VZ, so we should be okay."

Once past the first three drivers, the story of qualifying was the new format. The first 11 drivers to

drop out after the opening stanza

We ran this car in the second half

were pretty much as expected, with the possible exception of Adam Macrow (being notably

of last year and we are showing

careful in the Team Kiwi Falcon)

thereafter.

In the stifling heat, tyre management was crucial. Courtney consumed three sets in the three sessions, Whincup four sets, two sets to get just to into the top 10.

But he was better off than his

team-mate. Rick Kelly started the defence of his crown from 15th

after he and engineer Erik Pender went the wrong way on set-up. But things were even worse for Mark Skaife, who found no new tyre gain in the new Team Red

car.The bad news was that he was 17th; the good news was that he

saved his final two sets of tyres by not getting into the 10.

Ift ■m ^4^

ir.'W

lyWEN 4 V (t WINDOWS & DOORS

Wti I

iriiifirHiiifi-r

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REYNARD 97D Formula 4000 Fresh Holden 3.6 litre Alloytec Engine. MoTeC Dash and MoTeC M800 ECU. 5 speed sequential g/box. Full Carbon Fibre tub and body work.

Full details at www.racingheritage.com.au motorsporliiews

QUALIFYING .

rrr

The Unforgiven

(

’iA ‘i:

THE walls in Adelaide are close and hard and have no'give'in them, as several drivers found out in the practice sessions. Apart from S Richards and S Price, the two most notable contacts came in the opening practice session. In reasonably rapid succession, Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup walled the TeamVodafone BFs and there was a buzz of activity in red-and-silverland between sessions.

"It is like getting a new pair of shoes," said The Whiz later. "We have got new paintwork and Craig and Idecided to scuff it in a bit. To be honest, it was terrible in Practice 1, and we were struggling the whole way." Lowndes's car was proving more stubborn than his offsider's and sixth was a good, not great, place to start. A tenth faster and he would have been third ... -PHILBRANAGAN

Clipsal Adelaide 500 ■gr

-.iiS

POS

jr.WT-

NO DRIVER]

: entertaining pole battle tio spp

I a factor lin all sessions. The Kiwi

I topped QT - on used tyres - ' was second in Q2 and looked te, ; be a threat In the final session,

butihe admitted overdriving on: fresh rubber. His run was ended

1:23.0478

88 Jamie Whincup

TeamVotiafone

1:214712

1:22.8350

1:22.9977

16 Garth Tander

foNHSVDealerTeam

1:22.5496

1:22.6255

1:22.5907

5 MarkWintefbotH

Ford Performance Racing

BF' 122.5900

1:22.5491

1:23.1131

3 Jason Richards

1:22.6406

1:22.4591

1:22.5216

IB88 CraigLownd«'

Tasman Motorsport TeamVodafone

1:22.6513

1:22.7916

1:23.3665

Holden Racing Team

1:22.6850

1:22.6397

1:23.1773

Caltex

1:216960

1:22.8264

1:22.0247

1:22.7326

1:22.7668

1:23.0478

22 Todd Kelly '■

17 5tevenJohnson

33 LeeHoldswohhi

Jim Beam

51 Greg Murphy

25 Jason Bright

18 Will Davison

Jim Beam

“Valvoline Cummins

Tasman Motorsport

“ Fujitsu

VZ' 1:233118

1:22.691

1:22.9462

1:22.9274

1:22.7708

1:22.9992

1:22.7424

1:23.0449

1:23.1890

34 Dean Canto

'Valvoline Cummins

1:23.0614

1:23.3256

1 Rick Kelly

Toll HSV Dealer Team

1:23.0704

1:23.0421

■. Ford Performance Racing Holden Racing Team

1:23.0722

1:23.3582

1:23.1464

1:23.0140

1:23.5814

6 Steven Rich'arSs 2 MarkSkaife

'Meihanleal carnage? No. Wetan

12 Andrew Jdn&

80C Gases

'BE

1:23.2983

10 Jason Bargwanna

WPS Racing

1:23.5071

1:23.3942

20 PauliD'umbrdirip

Supercheap Auto

1:24.5840

1:23.0002

w©u'ld be sent to 10th aiitet

laiiihii to'finish'the session. Ahptillt

i j >

new Tasman VE for the first tihie , havini'bis time disallowed [ in practice and, thereafter, was

QUAL1

1:22.3802

fijia't was not quite the end; ’ ©f things-For a while, the tearri seamed to think that Tascih

Jason Richards roaded his ■- ',

QUAL2

1:22.3584

Jeld-Wen

when.the car ground to a halt. IMew car problems? ;.

! there'should have been p:ne - > ]

more contender in the scrap between Courtney, Whincup and Tander. '

QUAL3

4 James Courtney

9 RusseH Ingafi

I in the new qualifying foriiial

CAR

I iVEN if there was an

TEAM

had aSkedtithe

questiony no doubt to gain a grid spot. iNope; everything stayed the

same and Richards lined upipf. - PHIL IRANiiiAi

21 111 JohnBowe

Glenfords

1:23.6123

67 PauliMorris>^

Sirromet Wines

1:23.6507

8 Max Wilson

WPS Racing

1:23.6656

50 CamerptiiMWpiP^ ^percheapAutP

1:23.7515

39 Fabian Coulthard

SirrometWines

1:23.8029

111 JackiPerkins]]

Jack Daniel's

1:23.8635

26 AlanGurr

IRWIN Racing

1:23.8805

14 Brad Jones

RT"- TeamBOC '

1:23.9948

55 Steve Owen

30 021 31

AdamiMa^dw

7 Shane Price

Autobarn

1:24.0337

Team Kiwi Racing

1:24.1811

Jack Daniel's

1:24.2683

MOTORSPORT ,

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OZ86R

DZQ2G

SP73R

SP85R

pou

NSW & ACT

QUEENSLAND

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

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Queensland Raceway

Slix Motorsport

Champion's way

939 Marion Rd

Arndell Park NSW 2148

WillowbankQLD 4306

Mitchell Park SA5043

P 07 9676 8655

P 07 5461 9100

POS 8298 1886

www.mnews.com.au

VICTORIA

TASMANIA

WESTERN AUSTALIA

Stuckey Tyre Service 828 Sydney Road

Fulton Enterprises

Kostera's Tyre Service

41 McKenzie Street

7 Mead Street

Brunswick VIC 3056

Mowbray TAS 7248

KailamundaWA6076

P03 9386 5331

POS 6326 9199

P 08 9293 3500

Chasing red Todd Kelly did everything right in Race 1, giving the VE a dream debut Race 1 F 78 laps

PHIL BRANAGAN

But with a new car, they did and, it appeared, all four were positive. Ownership dramas or not, the team can flat-out race a V8 Supercar.

THE first race of the year, after a long summer of building new cars or modifying old ones,

Courtney was smart enough to recognise that, even at ten-tenths, Keily was not going to throw

was bound to be a crash-fest, with drivers

it in the waii and settied for second and the

collapsing in the heat, cars dumping all kinds

clean side of the grid for Sunday, in third was Whincup (see breakout) from

of heaven-knows what on the track and a controversial and bitter finish.

So much for theories. The opening race of

2007 featured no Safety Cars; only two drivers, Paul Dumbrell and Will Davison, reported any significant effects from the heat, which was mild, to say the least. And after the race, the bloke who finished second complimented the bloke who finished first on his driving.

Rick Kelly and Mark Winterbottom. Both had

problems; Ricko had a drama with his pedals, a 'new car'thing that the team could fix in minutes, when they had the chance. "Cost me some time, but not that much," he reported.

"At least we know that the car is speedy." Winterbottom's problem was that his front

What the hell has happened to motor racing?

brake pads were overheating, leaving to the

It came to this; great pit-work got Todd Kelly

odd sticking under brakes. When a brake locked,

ahead of James Courtney, who was slightly

he flatspotted, meaning that when he stopped,

delayed during his first stop, during which he got four new Dunlops. After changing two, Kelly

he needed four tyres, none of which were nearby. Slow stop, delayed exit, so fifth in the circumstances was pretty solid.

faced the last half of the race with the Jeld Wen

car right behind and with many predicting that

The other notable result (or lack) was Skaife's,

the new VE would eat its rears a little more than

who found that an early stop was not the way

the Ford, we waited to see what would happen. Kelly held off Courtney. The End.

to go (he went in in ninth and returned in 20th).

"We made four changes to the car before the race," Kelly said, "you do not normally do that." 50

When he flatspotted a couple of tyres when pushing on, he was left with no option but to prioritise a finish, leaving him in 14th.

'Watch those brakes, Mark.'

Frosty was on the pace until late-race brake problems slowed his progress. motorsporinews

V8SUPERCARS .

RESUllgWs RACE 1 (78 LAPS) TIME

POS DRIVER

1 2 3

ritAp

inirii"- ●'●‘iO:40S932 1:23.4158 30 1:50:42.6798 1:22.8075 32 Courtney Whinctii ^ 1:50:45.7351 1:23.2230 34

1:50:46.8826 1:23.1911 33 R. Kelly I:23;i560 32 iWinterp^jDI.

Tender

1:51:01.9833 1:23.2795 34

7 ty.flWiMt: 1d51:03J996 1:23.7396 52 1:51:05.0283

1:23.6849

Ingall

iJohnspft^ Ml:.13.1466 1^3.8057 36

10 Bright 11

1:51:26.0671

1:23.1761 34

S.R!diat!^I* 1:51265045 1:23.7T69 4

12 Canto

1:51:29.4994 1:23.6512 40

Lownd¥ r 1-i1:35.1858 1:23.7397 7 1:51:52.5696 1:23.6384 3 14 Skaife 13

15 liffiWniiiiM ld)2:04.0451 1^4^741 41 1:52:05.1953 1:23.5930 54

Owen

Wilson . J

. , 77 laps 1:24.3325 77 laps _ 76 laps 76 laps 76laps 76 laps

18 Maffow 19

Perkins

20 J. Richards 21

Not quite there; While Mark Skaife's

team-mate was up the

pointy end, he wasn't, above. Greg Murphy, left, enjoyed a solid debut with Tasman, finishing

McConvillo'

Price

Gurr

Holdsworth

A. Jones ■x^

DumbrelT Si::

DNF Davison

Morris

seventh, while Jamie

DNF

Whincup, right, put on a hard charge.

DNF Bowe DNF

75 laps 1:25.4784 12 74 laps 1:23.6778 35 73 laps 1:24.3421 10 48 laps 1:24.7239 6

DNF B.Jones DNF

1:24.4741 41 1:24.7313 7 1:23.6060 6 1:24.2370 58 1:24.9198 6

Coultiard^

47 laps 38laps _31 laps 16 laps eiaps

1:23.8641 6 1:23.2359 20 1:24.7477 18 1:24.5837 7 1:24.9534 6

Holding Pattern IT may bean 'old' Commodore VZ but there is nothing wrong with the speed of the #33

sheared off the rocker cover. I

was lucky to get it back to the pits, because there was a fair

Valvoline car.

bit of smoke in there, and Iwas

Sophmore Lee Holdsworth was a top 10 runner all through

getting dizzy. It had started to drop oil onto the wheels, so I

qualifying and when several frontrunners found problems early in the race, Holdsworth

had a couple of moments on the way back, including one at turn eight. So my drifting skills

was in the top six - and he

came into play! "But the car speed is great. It's just a shame that we're going to

never looked uncomfortable

doing it. But then smoke started to billow from the car and

have to start from towards the

Holdsworth pitted for repairs. "It was going quite well," he explained, "and then unfortunately we had an engine problem - the fitting

When people start talking about V8 Supercars'generation

rear of the field tomorrow."

shift, do not leave out Holdsworth. - PHIL BRAIMAGAN

IlF Ciiaig Lbwhdes and ilimie

WbinGiiphadiSintilar dramas

iniipiiaGtiG4 their Race I woes were) at ileast, diferent. Lowndes had) 3' last miinute

!he assertedl

At least he had the comfort

of company, as Garth fandter

prObleiin with an antHrOlli bar, which the team patehed oni the grid by removing an adj.oiningi

found the same ©ili andi

rod’.

his charge to third! (ifor allyoui

Then the bar 'felI' onto fu11!

'soft; leaving him with a slow car to motor home Tith.

Wh incu p led ea rly> cou rtesy

of 3i great Sta^, but On lap 8,

ihe arrived at Turn 4 to see ©fl

www.mnews.Gom.au

fiagseverywhere; "librafcedi 3®i 4'0 metres early"

follOwedi him. Whincup rejoined the track in lK6th and

stats fans, the same Saturday result as in 2006) was the highlight Of the race, lander was not far behind' ihi si’Xth; - PHIL BR'ATIAGA'N

The Kelly Gang It was tense,it was tight... and it was a Kelly 1-2 Raceli^8laps A SINGLE small mistake can cost you a race and in the case of the two runners up in the Ciipsal 500,that's about all it took. One mistake. Rick Kelly and his team put together a virtually perfect race. No mistakes. He won - but for the second day in a row, after 250 kilometres, it was nail-biting stuff. Having snatched the lead from Todd shortly after the first Safety Car restart then lost the lead to his brother in the second (fuel) stops (lap 44/45), all Rick could do was push on and hope for divine intervention. So close were his Toll car and Todd's HRTVE that that was about the only option. After a late (and possibly unnecessary?) Safety Car closed him back onto Todd's tail, he pushed some more. And Todd

VJ,' 4

wilted. Not a lot. Just enough to pinch the rears and run a couple of metres wide at Turn 7. Game over. For someone who started Saturday afternoon from 15th, it was a stunning result. It should cause the Rick knockers to rethink their case ... In many ways, it was a shame that Todd should lose Sunday's race with such a small slip, and so late in the race. He looked justifiably crestfallen at the end, for it had been an otherwise exemplary drive. He had been strong in mid-race and passed his brother during the second stops. His heart must have stopped when'quasi'team-mate Tander was let go prematurely at the first stops and there was pit lane contact, but that was the only real drama (and Garth paid the ultimate, drive-through, penalty). Once Rick had slipped by, with

11 laps to go,there was a late scare as fuel became an issue.The last three laps were completed on reserve - there can't have been many drops left. Most disappointed at race end was clearly James Courtney,for he had spent the entire 78 laps making up for his single mistake, if Saturday's start had been tardy, Sunday's was ... a shocker. In a trice, front row became 10th place and the afternoon one of catch-up. And catch-up he did well.The Jeld-Wen Falcon had started with 9-10 laps more fuel than most, yet Courtney was able to quietly pick away at the cars in front of him after the first, lap five. Safety Car. Murph, Richards (Steve), \A/hincup, Winterbottom all fell by the wayside as Car #4 dipped into the 1:22s. Team-mate Ingall, and Steve Johnson - an unsung and hardly

seen (on screen) hero of the weekend - were among the first to make the second (fuel) stop, before lap 40. James stayed out until lap 54 and easily hopped past both. But the Kellys were a different matter. They'd stopped 10 laps earlier, but just when you’d think that would present Courtney with a chance to eke out an increased lead before his own final stop, it didn't. Both Kelly VEs were,even with the extra fuel load, no slower than the Falcon. The late Safety Car provided a chance, but the two Team Tom VEs just had the edge to ease away from Courtney - who now had his hands full with a rampant team-mate. Ingall had plugged away well from his grid eight start, and benefited from the demise of Tander (penalty),\A/interbottom (engine) and Whincup.

/'L '-.i

'\ ■tssoanx C IX

u A-'*

I 52

motorspori stews

V8 SUPERCARS

I K

RESSiljgV8SRACE2(78 LAPS) POS DRIVER

TIME

F/mp

1 fnmU.'T 1:58:54.1927 1:22.8325 35 1:58:55.8926 1:22.8639 37 2 T. Kelly 3 CquMII 1:58:56.6606 1:22.4348 32 1:58:57.2401 1:22.9556 31 4 Ingall 5 WHihffig 1:58:58.6630 1:23.0310 34 6 Johnson 1:58:59.1330 1:22.9808 35 7 SkaHe'J J:59;01.2657 1:22.8100 36 8 5. Richards 1:59:05.1644 1:23.1984 35 9 Paviiffl®__1:59;05.533rn22.9398 36 10 lander 1:59:07.9757 1:22.7712 35 11 Lowfidij; 1:59:10.7638 1:22.9344 34 12 Holdsworth 1:59:11.5231 1:23.4138 39 13 |J.RlchMi 1:59:12.6428 1:22.8974 31 1:59:13.0527 1:23.1539 36 14 Bright 15 MeCqtivSIa 1:59:13.7709 1:23.5691 38 1:59:14.2581 1:22.9225 52 16 Macrow 17 1:59:14.7629 1:23.5477 71 18 Canto 1:59:22.1423 1:23.4049 29 19 Couitha^i „„ 77laps 1:23.2153 36 20 Dumbrell 77 laps 1:23.8975 54 21 B.Jones 76 laps 1:24.2410 36 22 Price " 75 laps 1:23.5612 33 DNF __ 67 laps 1:23.2799 34 59 laps 1:23.1431 35 DNF Murphy DNF AJonfe 57 laps 1:2iO095 32 DNF Bowe 44 laps 1:24.2255 17 DNF liWti'il'iU 44laps 1:23.6618 33 DNF Winterbottom 42 laps 1:22.9468 36 DNF Perking Zl Slaps 1:25.8657 8 DNF Gurr Olaps DNF Owen; ~ Olaps

<■.

●

f Points: T Kelly 66, R Kelly 58, Courtney 55, Whincup 45, Ingall 37, Johnson 31,Tander 30, S Richards 24, Skaife 21, Winterbottom 20, Bright 17, Murphy 16, Lowndes 15, Davison 13, Holdsworth 8, Canto 8, J Richards 6, McConville 3, Bargwanna 3.

www.mnews.com.au

one on

A bad start cost Courtney dear. above left Todd Kelly, top, went within a tiny mistake of wrapping up the weekend. Adam Macrow had a quiet yet effective run for

TKR, above, while Ingall put in a storming drive, below.

STEVEN Johnson should be proud, and thankful, that he finished sixth overall at Clipsal last weekend. The Jim Beam driver finished down in ninth in Race 1 after he had complained mid-race of a handling imbalance. The team tried to make an adjustment during his compulsory pit-stop, but the time to make the change took longer than intended and he lost track position. Without the assistance of a Safety Car period, the Queenslander couldn't make up the ground. Race 2 yielded more problems for Johnson, but a better result was a Just reward. The rear wheels on his Falcon were locking up intermittently, and a voltage drama with his battery meant he had to turn off the air vents to his helmet and the pump for his cool suit. A sweaty Steven survived for sixth place in Race 2, cementing a terrific start to his 2007 campaign. "Yeah, it was a good first up hit out," he said. "We are very happy with how it turned out. This year is a lot different. The whole car is different (referring to his Triple 8-spec Falcon). "We would have had fifth in Race 2 but I had a rear lock up drama. The rear wheels were locking up and it was happening at the point when (Jamie) Whincup was passing me. If I'd tried to cover I would have spun."

The Rat Race Paul Radisich looked a little fidgety in the unusual role of spectator at Clipsal, so we got his thoughts on the races from a drivers'point of view RACE 1: Well, for me, the

Kelly boys are probably the standout for the first race,

particularly Todd. He started with a car that

Gipsal 500 Notepad PROGRESS is progress but there was a drop-off in qualifying times from 2006 to 2007. Last year, Skaife set

doing the honours during each

thefastest-everVS Supercar

two mechanic on the car.

and every Steve Owen pitstop. When not lugging wheels around Janine is the number

lap around the track with a lm21.6102.

This time around, Courtney set the two fastest laps of the day, with his Q3 1 m22.3584 doing the honours. The general consensus was

■ Scott Wensley is going to

have to get a restraining order on John Bowe.

The photographer, whose leg was broken in (what we assumed was) a freak accident

that the drop-off in time was

at Pukekohe last year, found JB

rather more to do with the

coming right for him again in

ambient temperature than it

Race 1 when JB went off the

the aero reduction of the cars.

road.

■ It was Life in the Slow Lane forTom Walkinshaw.

unhurt but the PCR Falcon's excursion did chuck a stone or

The Scot's Melbourne stop on the way to the Adelaide

two at Wensley's lens ...

This time, Scotty emerged

500 turned into a marathon

●

M Speaking of JB, the elder

session when the city's

statesman of the field endured

Tullamarine Freeway was blocked on Friday morning

a tough round on debut for

when a semi trailer rolled.

It was a record-breaking

It seems that the trip from the airport to the city, usually one of around 30 minutes in

traffic, was around seven times

as long because of all the detours.

Paul Cruickshank.

weekend for Bowe, equalling the late Peter Brock's record of 212 starts. But it was car

RACE 2: After watching the second race, I think everybody

should change their name to Kelly! Rick had it by the horns. I

was pretty much unknown,

thought Todd was playing it

and to hold off Courtney towards the end makes him

very well, but when it came down to the end there, Rick

the standout in my mind ...

had the speed and the car to do the job. Iguess it is a bit of a monkey

although there were a lot of guys who had a bit of a shot at things during the race but had

off his back now that he has

mechanical things take away a result, like Lee Holdsworth.

finally won a round. All these

When you are in a situation like Todd was in, where you are

him 'Mr Consistency', but now he's not only consistent, he's

in a position to win the race

super-fast.

but you're driving a car that

people have been calling

There were a few other cars

is brand-new and a bit of an

out there that could have

unknown, you probably try to just press on and forget about

challenged them for pace

the new car.

HRTdid one day's testing,

and they probably did as many race runs as they possibly could in that time. But you

but didn't, for various reasons.

Courtney was certainly one of them, when he lost all those positions off the start.

It just shows you that you've got to stay out at the front all

never know how it is going to

day. You get a bad start, and

go.

that's the end of it. Garth Tander could have

Iwas watching it there and

to me, it sort of looked like

been up there too, buj; the

Todd was pacing himself. But

penalty for the contact in

probably felt, 'OK, it's time to

marginal... he should have

then as the laps clicked over he push on'.

And the lap times showed

that he was able to do that and

push a little bit harder, and get a gap to James Courtney.

pitlane ended that' It was

given way, but he didn't We all

know that in pitlane the guy in the fast lane has got right of

way, and if he is partially there, that's that

breaking as well, with Bowe slamming the wall in the first race, before being caught up with his former team-mate

■ Summer may be over but

and boss Brad Jones in the

the temperatures in Adelaide

second.

still had some bite in them.

But despite the carnage, JB had some pace, just missing

Dunlop reported that practice started with 31

out on some Q2 action with

degress ambient and 33 on-

21 St fastest time in qualifying.

track; the second outing was 34/36 at the start; Q1 was

■ Record crowds flocked

38/42, Q2 40/43 and the Top 10

to the world's best touring car

ran in 40/44.

race.

Race 1 started 34/38 and cooled down as the race

progressed, while Race 2 was 30/36,

The numbers tell the story;

Thursday was 42,800 (42,100 last year); Friday hosted 66,700 (65,300 in '06); on Saturday, 80,800 rolled in ('06; 79,100)

M Pitlane is not an all-male bastion.

The left-side tyre man on the Autobarn Commodore was no man at all, Janine Novarro

and on Sunday, 86,600 (last year, 83,800). The total was 276,900

(270,300 in '06) and yep, that's a record. moiorsportnews

V8 SUPERCARS

Teething problems? Not TKR THE folks at Team Kiwi Racing don't seem to have grasped the concept of teething problems. A swap of manufacturer during the off-season

and the hiring of a replacement for the recovering Paul Radisich - particularly a substitute who (you might want to whisper-thjs-bit) is an Australian, not a New Zealander - potentially gave the team

all sorts of excuses if Adelaide had proven to be a tough weekend. Instead, the Kiwis traded in their old PMM

Commodore for a'FPR Falcon, got reigning Fujitsu Champion Adarti:Macrow onthe.phpne, and

wound up postihphe secon|.7f#e'st4apM in the second race. '

WINNERS

today, and that is just fantastic. Ihad an absolute ''ball this weekend -1 could put up with more of this!"

I':

Macrow did not manage to find a full-time ride for the 2007 season, and he admits that he saw

his hired gun gig with TKR as an opportunity to remind pitlane that he was available.

But considering that the Kiwis spent the off season scramblirig to find the money for 2007, they would not havejappreciated a crumpled car. "Every time you are ih the car you are trying to

impress, but there ii'also the thing of not wanting

-to.puf it into the wall," Macrow said.

He may have missed out on scoring points by a

solitary position, having finishedT6th, but Macrow still had plenty to be happy about. . "iam rapt,"he grinned.

'"No^php wantsj bent car, but they also want you to aptually do something, There is no point getting

all the money together to go racing if you are -going to be-so scared of crashing that you come 31st."

"We were the second-fastest Ford on the track

-MARKGLENDENNING

WALKINSHAW PERFORMANCE: Does Tom own HRT? We don’t know. But the Cars that ate

Clayton owned Adelaide on the weekend. SBR:

Jake and Elwood they are not,

but Ross, Jimmy and the boys reminded everyone that the days of 2003,2004 and 2005 are not just history. LEE HOLDSWORTH:

Okay, not mega results. But any driver who thinks that GRM's

sophmore is a pushover is in for a rude shock. He looked great running in the top six. JIM BEAM RACING:

Dick and co knew that their

Close Call

cars looked hot before they hit the track. Turns out, they have the speed to go with the looks. Cheers!

PARITY used to be a hot issue

in the V8 Supercar paddock but

CLIPSAL 500 ORGANISERS:

over the last season or two, it has

Great weather, huge crowds, flawless organisation. Book now to avoid disappointment

barley had any pulse at all. It seems that the good old days of having a space to fill in the news pages and ringing a team owner and getting him to bark about

parity are well and truly over. On the evidence of what happened on the weekend, there is little to choose between the all-new Holden VE and the revised Falcon. Commodores were 1-2 in the

round but Courtney would have

won had he not started Skaife-style, and his BF's aero kit had little to do with that.

Of course, all this has emerged from some careful work from TEGA

(with valuable input from the teams) that involved chugging the cars up and down the infamous Woomera

runways under watchful eyes.

There were prophecies that

anything short of a full-size

windtunnel session would end

in tears, but so far, it seems that the ancient method of looking

for 2008.

What they said

●●●

TODD KELLY:

LOSERS ^ TEAM SIRROMET:

"I had to drive the car 11 -1 Oths from the first lap to the last. I

Much work to be done in

just could not get a balance and Iplayed with the bars to adjust it every two laps. We didn't do a good enough job

Queensland. For a team that

tuning the car." On his crash with pit-iane crash with Garth Tander: "I was past his B-pillar as he came across and it was a bit of

a mistake from the guys. Garth couldn't actually see me, so I went right over to the Armco and Iwas about to get pinned in there and let him through. The whole weekend we have been stressing about getting stuck in the pits."

has been around this long, being outperformed by Britek cannot feel good. And the cars look like cabs.

PAULDUMBRELL:

Not a loser through any fault of his own, but copping a penalty

On his mistake at Turn 7:

because of a misfire in Jack

"I am still buggered if Iknow! That was the first time I had done that all weekend, the car has been a little bit of a

Perkins'Commodore is pretty darned unlucky for Dummers.

handful through that section - a little bit turn-in oversteery. As soon as Iturned in, it stepped out. There are so many

SHANE PRICE:

marbles and stuff Ihad to let Rick in."

Crunch. That's one.

and learning works. And it saves,

potentially, a lot of money. "Maybe we do know something

JAMES COURTNEY:

ANYONE WHO THOUGHT

'We had a drama with the mapping on the engine, getting off the line and coming out from pitstops. It hasn't been happy leaving the mark. It is something that we shouldn't be having

SEVEN WERE LIGHTWEIGHTS:

Looked good, sounded good. A few opening-round slips but so

Yep. There may or may not be slight differences on the faster

at this level."

far, lads and lasses, love it.

tracks but for now, it appears that

"I was pushing at 11-1 Oths all race because Ihad to make up ground, so Ihad to push as hard as Icould. Ilocked up at

about this process after all," mused TEGA's Kelvin O'Reilly.

any hopes we may have held for fast and easy news stories are, at best, premature. Dammit.

www.mnews.com.aii

On his iockup at Turn 9:

(turn) nine and also at 14 once, so Ihad a 50 cent piece on

the front right for most of the race. Ihad to nurse and also push hard."

MURRAY WALKER:

Thanks for everything, Murray, and you are welcome here anytime. But step away from theV8 microphone... 55

FOJnjSO V8 SOPERCARS SERIES round 1 - Clipsal 500

Michael's

got talent The Ford Rising Stars squad more than lived up to its name at the Clipsal 500, thanks to Michael Caruso

MARKGLENDENNING

DELAIDE has long been known as a race

that can throw up a bit of everything, and last weekend's 2007 Fujitsu V8 Supercar Championship curtain-raiser

was no exception.

Extreme heat, a mix of some great driving at the front of the field and some dubious performances a bit further back, and a recovery from disaster for one of the championship favourites all featured as did a first-time winner.

Michael Caruso gave the newly-launched Ford Rising Star Racing something to remember its first race by taking his first-ever V8 Supercar win after clean-sweeping the two races.

"The car has been excellent," he said. "I couldn't have done it without the whole Ford Rising Star

Racing team, they have done an excellent job this weekend. It's always great to'start a year this way, but you still have to keep looking for ways to go better."

Second for the weekend was Tony D'All^rto,

giving Holden some hope for the season after several years of being pounded into submission by Ford. The result offered a good confidence-boost for the Victorian youngster. "We've always had good speed at Adelaide, but last year Imade a couple of errors," he said. "We didn't quite have the speed of Michael this weekend, so we're happy to be second in the championship and to have a straight car. Now, we can go and do a little bit of testing before Wakefield instead of repairing cars!"

Amongst the faces in D'Alberto's garage over

the weekend was veteran Glenn Seton, who has

Joined the team in a mentoring role for the season. "Glenn is going to help with my driving, and also with the technical side of things,'D'Alberto explained. "He has been really good, he's just been telling me to calm down and not get upset about things, like the problems we had on Thursday." Third could have gone to any number of drivers but in the end the man with his hands on the

trophy was V8 Lite graduate Damien White, who finished sixth and third in his ex-Paul Morris VZ

Commodore,

"You hear the main game drivers thank their

teams so often, and sometimes you think it might be a bit of a wank," he said.

"But Ihave to say, two events in, the intensity of

V8 Supercar racing is amazing, even at Fujitsu level. My team arrived at the hotel at 2am this morning moiorsporinews

FUJITSU V8s , %

According to the script

Fujitsu V8 Supercars Clipsal 500

●●●

THERE was no question of easing the Fujitsu-ites into the new season gently, with ambient temperatures in the high-30s awaiting for the opening two days of the weekend. But while the heat may have made things a little uncomfortable

Un Andrew

777

gii Latitude Developments Falcon BA Ford Rising Star Racing Falcon BA

Michael Caruso

1:24.3462* 1:24.3856

3 E Simor! Wills

in the cockpit, it didn't seem to bother Andrew Thompson, who took a fairly comfortable pole position in the Latitude

lUiMli^e Scott

m iftri Slade

Developments Falcon BA.

- The 19-year-old had been quick during Thursday - ominously

quicker than anyone else in the field. But things were a little closer-fought in qualifying, partly because a couple of trips down the escape road (courtesy of a flat-spotted tyre) meant that he never got a good run on his second set of green tyres. "I'm a bit disappointed that Imake a mistake/'Thompson said. "But I'm pretty happy with what Iwas able to do in my first run, and you can't go any further up the grid from pole. "We've got the car really well balanced and it's been very

' [T^ i - Smeg Commodore VZ

Tony D'Alberto Brett Hobson

11 [74

1:24.6655

1:24.8463

United Oil Australia Commodore VZ

M~arkMcNally jR"

17 [32

1:24.9950

GMAC Racing Commodore VZ

1:25.0322

Adam Wallis

to abort his best lap on green tyres because of a red flag, Caruso

was confident of finding more time for qualifying - only to have

exactly the same thing happen again.

Nevertheless, he was a lot close to Thompson than he had been on Thursday, with just 0.04s separating the cars on the front row. "I wasn't all that pleased about the red flag, but on the positive side there is still a bit left in the car, so that is always good," he said. Simon Wills, the 2001 series champion, made a comeback in the same Commodore (with a few updates) that took him to the title

25 [ni Aaron McGill

1:26.1451 1:26.1827

Warren Mining & Construction Commodore VZ 1:26.2S09

19 [in Mark Fiowarc KK' HOW Financial/Howard Racing Falcon BA

1:26.3997 1:26.4650

73 13

46 31

Marcus Zukanovic

Action Racing Commodore VZ

Clayton Pyne'jl ji,'

MW Motorsport Falcon BA

Colin Sieders

All-Trans Trucks and Spares Falcon AU

1:26.7094

Neil McFadyeij!|1j

V8 Race ExperienceWale Falcon AU

1:26.7344

Dale Wood

A & IHelicopter Services Commodore VZ

1:26.8399

jr ’HPM Racing Falcon AU

Damian Assaillit

Scott Loadsman

●ilB^rv Deane

●m^ggljiyTambn

Dean Neville

1:26.6837

1:27.1756

Dwyer Quality Homes Falcon AU

1:27.6652

27 [eP! Shane Beikoff' jfr' Turbo Brisbane Falcon AU

O'Brien.

1:25.4298 1:25.5965

six years ago and managed to qualify third alongside Shannon

1:25.4024

Andrew Walter Constructions Commodore VZ 1:25.9372

Daniel Elliot Ford Rising Star Racing Falcon BA Adam Sharpe Kr:’. Howard Racinq/ASM Falcon BA

consistent, so we'll just leave it alone for the race. Now, Ijust have to try to get a good start." Thompson's main threat came from Michael Caruso in the Ford Rising Star Racing BA. Having fallen short in practice after having

1:24.8896 1:24.8983

12 42 JayVerdnik GIO Racing Commodore VZ 13 |76:] LukeYoulden ^( 'HPM Racing Falcon AU 14 19 David Sieders All-Trans Trucks and Spares Falcon BA

15 RO Sam Walter ^;

1:24.6356 1:24.6541

GMAC Racing Commodore VZ ft.' Dexion Racing Falcon BA

●JJ Parplgn White 15. WPR Racing Commodore VZ 94 Jonathon Webb Tekno Autosport Falcon BA

so in the second session, when he managed to go a full 0.5s

- !>■ MW Motorsport Commodore VY 1:24.4127 Shannon O'Brien O'Brien Motorsport Falcon BA

1:27.7583

Tint-A-Car Commodore VY

1:27.7842

Custodian Wealth Builders Falcon BA

1:28.2759

Kitome Falcon AU

*»" Formula Group Falcon AU

1:29.4663 1:35.5420

Elsewhere in the field,Tim Slade was making his debut in the

series at the wheel of Dexion Racing's Falcon and did an excellent

job to finish the day eighth fastest. Things were a little less cheerful around Marcus Zukanovic's

:'5'

garage however. Zukanovic'was faced with the unpleasant prospect of starting from the 11th row in the Action Racing

Ia]

Commodore. His weekend had started on a sour note when he

ran into the back of Dale Wood, who was trying to get back to the pits after suffering tyre problems.

and got back to the track at 6am, so it was an amazing effort!". Away from the podium, the big story of the weekend was Andrew Thompson, who was forced to produce some race two heroics after dominating the early part of the weekend in

nar"

the startllne, when Caruso made a textbook-

perfect getaway from the outside of the front row and drove into turn one virtually on his

as'

But it wasn't to be. With six laps to go, Thompson was caught out by sun glare and

glanced the wall hard enough to break his left-

own, leaving Thompson to lead the chase.

front steering arm. We made it back to the pits

"I was really surprised!"Caruso said."I just

and clambered out of his Falcon to ponder

made a great start -1 definitely didn't expect to starts Ihave ever made."

what might have been. This should have made life easier for Caruso, but a few laps later Luke Youlden skidded into

As the laps ticked over, the leading trio of Caruso,Thompson and D'Alberto began to

the wall and triggered a Safety Car, which allowed D'Alberto to close right up onto Caruso's tail.

arrive in time to offer the Fujitsu field some relief from the heat went unanswered, and the

separate themselves from the pack. There was a bit of air between each car that grew or shrunk a little from lap to lap, but no-one could get close enough to the car ahead to actually turn the pursuit into a fight. That changed somewhat when the leaders began to encounter some fairly uncooperative

temperature was still in the high-30s when the cars began to grid up, despite the 6:30pm start

lapped traffic, which at one point allowed Thompson to take 0.5s out of Caruso's lead in a

time.

single corner. Suddenly, a gap that had earlier

really happy that it paid off." D'Alberto, meanwhile, was more than

had stretched out to almost 2.0s had now

satisfied with second after the early part of his

his Falcon and then nearly throwing it all away with a crash on Saturday. Even at Fujitsu level, driving from 21st to fourth, asThompson did in the final race, is not an easy task. Race 1

f24 laps

Prayers that an expected cool change would

Qualifying had hinted that the race was

be that far ahead. It's probably one of the best

going to boil down to a scrap between

been sliced down to just 0.3s, and the stage

Thompson and Caruso, but the first of many surprises for the evening was served up on

was set for what looked to be shaping up as a

www.mnews.com.au

tremendous scrap to the finish.

The restart came with two laps remaining,, setting up a sprint to the finish. The pair held station though, allowing Caruso to take his first V8 Supercar race win over D'Alberto by 0.8s. "I was really just focussing on my own race," Caruso said. "It's a long race and it was really hot, so Ijust wanted to stay focussed and I'm

weekend was plagued with an assortment of continued on page 58 57

FUJITSU V8s

continued from page 56

eiectricai problems. "This is a great result," he said. "We had an awful day yesterday -

sometimes you wonder why you even do this sport! But today, it

was great to be on the podium. That's what! was aiming for. At the end iwas quite happy to sit behind Michael and just finish second."

The occupant of third place changed constantly over the final four laps. Brett Flobson had inherited the final podium spot

when Thompson's exit promoted D'Aiberto to second, but he

dropped out of the race with two laps to go, handing the position to Jonathon Webb. But Webb's

grip was tenuous too, as Jose Fernandez was closing in and

actually got past on the final lap. It

was looking like a great recovery

"Tony had a bit of trouble going through turn 8; he just slowed up a little bit,"Caruso said. "That gave

me an opportunity to dive down the inside at turn 9."

The move pretty much decided the race. A Safety Car spell followed shortly afterwards while O'Brien's car was dug out of the wall, but Caruso was able to keep

D'Alberto at bay on the restart and eventually took the win by almost 3.0s.

Behind them, Damien White secured third for both the race and the round when he was

able to get past Webb on lap 9. It was a good effort, although overshadowed somewhat by the fact that right behind him was Thompson, who clambered back up to fourth after starting from way back on the 11th row, salvaging a good haul of points from what otherwise could have

Almost there:

Holden is getting closer to its first round win since 2004

thanks to the efforts

of Tony D'Alberto, who even led Race

2, above. Jonathon

for the former Britek driver, who

been a disastrous weekend.

was forced to start from the back

"I didn't get the start Iwanted, and the first laps were a bit crazy," Thompson reported."! just let things settle down and then

look at the barrier in

started picking cars off when it

Race 2.

of the grid after being found to have worn the wrong-spec gloves during qualifying! But contact between Fernandez

and Webb sent Jose spinning and lifted Webb back into third, and

this time he managed to hold on

Thompson saved his best for

last, taking fourth away from Webb at the final corner of the

"After quaiifying Iwasn't ail that happy, being 10th, but to be on

race.

he said.

"Jose was pushing me pretty hard, and we had a bit of rubbing and racing at the end there. Fie

while Shannon

O'Brien had a close

was safe."

to it until the finish.

the podium at the end is fantastic,"

Webb was impressive on debut, left above.

"The car was really fast at the

RE$g§FV8S RACE 2 (24 LAPS)

RESUIP3FV8SRACE1 (24 LAPS) POS DRIVER

TIME

F/LAP

POS DRIVER

TIME

F/LAP

end - Idid a 1 m24.8s while

Caruso

37:12.1455

1:25.8818 11

[Caruso

37:55,3276 1:24.3978 17

passing someone on the second last lap! So the last lap could have been a ripper." Kayne Scott finished sixth

D'Alberto

37:15.4180

1:25.8074

D'Alberto

^37:58.2116

1:24.6343

Webb Jrj7.22.0214 1:26.0067 15

Whiter

■T

38:06.3278

1:24.7603 13

Wood

37:28.3682

Thompson 38:06.7995 1:24.4219 17

White'

_37j30.3771 1:26.2^0 8

Webb'

1:27.3860

, 38:07.2417 T24^499 16

got around me on the second last

behind Webb, and then

Wallis

37:33.5587

1:27.0485 14

Scott

38:09.4189

lap, but we came up on a slower

immediately jumped on a plane

ipadkmai 37:37.0746

1:28.6678 11

Slade:: r

38:11.0659 1:25.0745 22

1:25.6793 11

Verdnik

38:12.7864

|[37:4A3707 1:26.4320 8

Hbfassn^ _J8:16J274 -1:24.6370 17

car and Igot a chance to come up beside him. Ithought he knew

I was there, but obviously not. I tried to puli out at the last minute

but sort of tagged him on the way through turn four." Race 2

’^,19 laps

Perhaps chaos of the openingthe race served as a bit of a reality check for some competitors; perhaps it was just the fact that the heat had

finally subsided after a scorching start to the weekend. Whatever

the reason, the final race of the

bound for New Zealand in order

Fernandez

to get home in time for a NZ V8 race on Sunday, while seventh for Slade was enough to give

Sharpe

1:26.2873

10 Wood

McFadyMii>y 37:21.6507 ll20519

Howard

12 13

Assaillit

Slade said.

C. Seideri j 37:55.0655 1:2'8l0094

"I made a couple of mistakes when the tyres started to go off, but then Igot back into it and did

16 Walter

38:49.9607

my fastest lap right near the end.

The car was good straight out of the truck; it would just be nice to get some more miles!" Fernandez was on target for a good points haul until he was summoned into pitlane to serve a

Caruso was unable to replicate his perfect start of the previous

"I wanted to reddress it," he

fumed."But they didn't give me

day and allowed D'Alberto to get the jump and lead into the

time!"

with a clear road ahead before

Supercar Championship, but after

Caruso managed to find a way

Adelaide it seems that things may

past. 58

38:27.0426

the Melbourne-based local fifth

drive-through penalty for passing Webb under yellows.

first corner. The GMAC Racing Commodore enjoyed three laps

10 Siade

outright in the Dexion Falcon. "I had good pace at the start,"

weekend was reasonably sedate.

Despite starting from pole,

37:37.6775

Many pre-season predictions pointed to a Thompson whitewash in the 2007 Fujitsu V8

not be quite so black and white.

1:28.0643

Fernandez

38:29.2775

1:24.6500 15

1:28.4209

Walter V 38:36.1014

i-2r3065 12

'37:31.8320 1:28.3436 8

Elliott

1:26.2038 14

15 CB3HF~38:39.0191 1:26.0966 18

1:27.3880

16 Sharpe

.37:32.1484 1:26.2974

37:31.3769

WcGIIL_J 18:51.6627

38:40.3081

1:26.1582 21 1:26.9541 14

1:27.7283

CSieders

38:53.0660

1:26.8096 17

’37.58.7619 1:26~.9273

Assaillit ■ L 3817.4842

1:26.6442 15

20 Leadsman

Wills

DNF

37:56.3081 1:29.3133 11

Deane

DNI

Mcladyeia

DNF D.Sieders 16 DNF Wallis "

DNFj flliott —ily DNF D.Seiders

DNF Howard

Wills

DNF

6'Bflen „

DNF McNally

Exc

Zukanovic

Champien^

1:27.9331 10

DNF Neville

Deane

DNF Neville

DNF

39:09.6242

3138:25.3932 1:24.6697 14

22 Beikoff r

DNF Beikoff ' DNF

38:38.2139

DNF Thompson DNfj Scott

1:25.8145 20

^38:20.5409 1:25.0911 16

37:24.9031

Zukanovic

youldeh

1:25.4182 17

'●37:26.9401

DNF Hobson DNF

38:19.1177

1:24.9832 22

Points:

Caruso 72, D'Alberto 60, White 45, Webb 45, Wood 34, Slade 28, Fernandez 23,

Thompson 22, Scott 18, Wallis 18, Leadsman 16, Verdnik 15, Hobson 13, Sharpe 13, McNally 9, Pyne 9, McFadyen 9, Howard 8, Walter 6, Elliott 5, Assaillit 5, CSeiders 3. motorsDori news

UPToSkW OPPURE

CRUNTL y r/.

Cl »:■ ●

When the heat is on, Fujitsu air conditioners have the power to perform.

Thatswhytheyre ...AUSTRALI A’S FAVOURITE AIR

FUJITSU

"FEA’IVI WIP Petfoods driverCiiaigi Baird started his 2@0i7 Carrera

Baird was efiealen off the line by ©awison. Yet agtini> it was the case

Gu p ca rn paig h with vietOry in Round 1 of the eharnpionship at

where the leader from the start

the Clipsal 500. The reigning series cihampion showed great pace throughout

and thereforei ©avison went on to

the weekend with victories in two of the three races for the round.

it's a good way to start the season - two race wins and poie position - espeeialiy over a field with the likes of Alex and David who finished last Season off so

proved to©) chaliengi ng to pass take the irate win). Tihroughout the duration of the irate, Baird made

several challenges, but was unable to perform a successful pass. A great start in Race 3 for Baird enabled him to ieadi into furn I and for the rest of the race.

Davison showed great pace in a1li three races and) was rewarded)

strong," said Baird at the end of

with second in the round. Drivinfi

the finai race. The New Zealander started

the DAMPS Porsche, taking,

the round with a great guai%ing

over frorn Jim Richards, Davisoni recorded) one race win and two

performance taking poie position. amazingly his first for the category.

second positions. In Race 2, along with a victory, he recorded a new

A good start in Race I enabled Baird to iead into the first chicane,

previous time.

lap record; eight-tenths under the

ieading David Reynolds, Dean

A consistent weekend' for

at the top end) of the field; the

{Round) I Of the Carrerai Cup>

Fiore and Aiex Davison. Baird heid his iead from Turn 4 to the

Reynolds allowed him to take

ileading drivers found great

season wili be iheld at WntOn

third for the round.The Bob Jane

difficulty gaining: positions,

conclusion of the race, aided by

T-Mart Porsche driver scored' a

"it ail) comes down to the start

competing! as a support category

the difficulty presented in passing

third position in each race for the

here in Adeiaide,"said Baird.

on the Adelaide street circuit.

weekend.

at the Australian Grand'Prix at Albert Park.

Davison, pictured right, was showing great pace and soon passed Fiore, then Reynolds later in the race to take second place. Starting from pole in Race 2,

were obviously affected by the lack of passing opportunities presented by the Adelaide layout. Once positions were established

Drivers at the front of the field

"lit is more ilike a drag, meeting than a race meeting, "if lit was Aiex (iDavisOm) who led' to the first tu rn: then he wouid've

gone onto winiand'likewise with David i{ReynOld&r

■in 'May. They will however be

ANIiiUiRf ANi Pblhts: Baird 174; Davison HfiiS; Reynolds 444, Fiore 126, David Russell 1IQ|,

Aaron Cara'fti 93, Steve Ellery 84; Bryce Washington 66, Rlark Polnn.60i David

FORMULA FORD m

The French Revolution Mygale are back on top in Formula Ford - Just ask Tim Blanchard TIM Blanchard has shown that he will be an ominous contender in the 2007

conservative approach. Starting off pole,

Australian Formula Ford Championship with an impressive victory in Round 1 of

time the Safety Car was deployed. A sprint

Blanchard soon fell back to third, at which

the series at theClipsal 500.

to the finish allowed Moffat and Walsh to battle for the win with Walsh the eventual victor. Blanchard held on to third to take

great poise on the Adelaide street circuit

the round win by nine points over team

, The Sonic Motorsport driver displayed to record victory in two of the weekend's three races.

"I'm pretty happy with my efforts here this weekend, it's a great start to the

championship,"said Blanchard after Race 3.

"The car was really fast considering that

it was the first time that we had raced it."

Blanchard started the round with

a great qualifying session, driving his

Mygale to pole position and holding off late efforts from locally raised Nick Percat and Queenslander Ashley Walsh. In Race 1, Blanchard was able to get the

jump at the start over Percat and remain

there for the duration of the race. A battle for second between Percat and Walsh

enabled a relatively unchallenged run to the finish.

A set-up change in the Sonic car failed to make any improvement in the second race, allowing Blanchard to fall into the

clutches of the field. Percat took quick advantage of the loss in pace, but a

coolant leak soon after sent him to the pits,

ending his Race 2 campaign. This left the Sonic Motorsport drivers competing for the top three positions of the race. Blanchard managed to hold off

mate Moffat.

A consistent weekend by Moffat with two seconds positions and a third place was enough to secure second for the weekend. The second round of the 2007 Australian

Formula Ford Championship will be held at Barbagallo in two weeks time.

"I am really looking forward to the

next round in the championship,"said Blanchard.

"I am confident in the next round considering the pace of the car this

weekend. It interesting to see how the championship will pan out bearing in mind the winner of the first round last year went on to win the championship." After a dismal start to the meeting with a DNF in Race 1, Walsh impressed with fifth in Race 2 from the rear of the grid and a fantastic performance in the final race

to again work his way through the field to take victory. Walsh showed great pace throughout but most notably in the last lap of the third race where he improved on Tim Slade's 2006 lap record by 1.1 seconds. -DANIELJORDAN

late efforts from James Moffat, pictured above behind Blanchard, to take victory. Having only to finish fourth in the last

Points: Blanchard 55, Moffatt 46, Lindbom 38, Walsh 30, Grant Doulman 20, Glen Wood 20, Brad Lowe 16, Percat 16, Josh Scott 12, Luke Wood 10, Jonathon

race to win the round, Blanchard took a

Grant 5, Sam Reid 4,Taz Douglas 4.

www.mnews.com.au

Up and down: Ash Walsh's weekend cdnsisted of race wins and crashes, top. Lindbom was consist on his way to third

outright, above, while Blake Varney got serious air, below.

Tag teamed

V r

Montoya takes out Pruett as Ambrose races back to eighth

m V

Guess Who? Hulkenberg makes history with A1GP doubie in SA THE German steamroller continued in the A1 Grand Prix series on the streets of Durban,South Africa, as Nico Hulkenberg took two more races wiris to become the most successful driver in the relatively short history of A1 GP. An action-packed feature race saw his rivals trip over one another at the tight first hairpin, leaving the German rising star to rocket away for another victory and perennial runners-up Great Britain to take second. "After the pit stop the Netherlands were one or two seconds behind me and then they dropped off and the team told me that 1 had a 15 or 16 second advantage so I just looked after my tyres, was driving easy and keeping the gap to 15 second,"said Hulkenberg. Kerr finished clear of Kiwi Matt Halliday, making his first A1 appearance since the Beijing street race late last year. "I was a little bit rusty I guess is my excuse," he said. "It was very difficult today, when I knew France had dropped out (Loic Duval retired with driveshaft failure) and we were in third place I pushed hard to race Robbie but it was very difficult to pass.' Neel Jani took Switzerland to fourth ahead of the returning Portuguese car of Alvaro Parente. Team Netherlands'Jeroen Bleekemolen was sixth, after scoring a drive-through penaity for taking out Aussie Karl Reindler in the pits. The Dutchman was released from his pit box, didn't take note of the green and gold machine coming down the lane, and promptly smashed right into the West Aussie! "I got off to a great start, it was one of the better starts I'd done in the Feature race,"surmised Reindler. "I avoided the accidents at turn one and all the debris that was lying on the circuit and came in for our pit stop in the ninth lap. "Unfortunately I didn't count on the Dutch car coming out of his pit and driving straight into the side of me,so our race was ended quite early. We had the potential there for probably a top five finish."

WITH a rare weekend off for the Nextel Cup,all eyes were on the Busch Series race at Autodromo Hermanns Rodriguez circuit in Mexico City on Sunday and Juan Pablo Montoya came out the victor with his first NASCAR win. He beat home last year's winner Denny Hamlin, but the win was not without controversy as he spun out his Ganassi team-mate (and pole sitter) Scott Pruett. "It was a great day,"said Montoya. "He stayed wide and I went for the inside and when he was there he turned and I feel really sorry about it. "I want to win on an oval, that's where we need to be good." Montoya started third and moved to the lead in turn one of lap three, passing Pruett to dominate the event until what should have been his final pit stop on lap 45. His team did not get the fuel tank full following a vent hose problem, leaving Montoya to pit a third time and restart back in 21 st. With the aid of cautions he was able to muscle his way to the front, but with eight laps to run he dived under Pruett again in turn one,this time making contact. "I don't know if he needed to make a move like that so soon, obviously we don't like drivers of our own team getting involved like that," said boss Chip Ganassi. Pruett recovered to finish fifth but was not happy with Montoya. "I can't believe it,"said Pruett. "That was just no good, it was nasty, dirty driving, I can't even put it into words, it's just so disappointing.To take each other out is bad driving." Aussie Marcos Ambrose, below, was among an international

contingent that included drivers from six different nationalities. He started 12th and swiftly moved up to seventh by the end of lap one.The Ford driver held steady in sixth after the first caution and would have stayed there, but with 16 laps to run he was spun by J.J. Yeley exiting a corner and drop-kicked to 21 st on the restart. He recovered fantastically after the final caution to finish eighth. . "When we had clear track the worked nicely but when we went back into the pack after being spun the car couldn't quite do what I needed it to do," he said. "The Ganassi cars were fast this weekend so we have a little bit of work to do on our road course program but we can definitely be proud of what we achieved today.' A week earlier, California Speedway expert Matt Kenseth got by Jeff Burton to take the win. Ambrose, in a back-up Wood Bros JTG Ford,finished 25th after wrecking his primary car in qualifying. -MARTIN D CLARK Points: Edwards 495, Hamiin 455, Blaney 433, Biffie 397, Harvick/Ambrose 345.

Champ Car ace Bruno Junqueira made his A1 GP debut for Brazil with seventh place while Team USA's Jonathon Summerton made the headlines for the wrong reasons as he clipped the turn seven wall and fired into the turn eight barrier. X-rays revealed a suspected fracture in his left hand. The series now moves Huikenberg-less to Mexico on March 25 as the German busies himself with F3 Euroseries commitments. Points; Germany 99, New Zealand 69, France 57, Great Britain 46,Switzeriand 45, Netheriand 43,(Austraiia 18).

motorsporl Slews

INTERNATIONAL.

Island Sharing for Bayliss

FOUR races into the World

Superbike Championship,three riders on three different makes have won race - and Troy Bayliss is one of them. The World Champion starred in qualifying and took Superpole in Race 1, but JamesToseland ran him down in Race 2.The pair pulled away from Noriyuki Haga, who got the best of team-mate Troy Corser, right. "Eventually when James put the hammer down we cleared off quite fast, the last three laps we were on the limit and my fastest lap was the last one,"said Bayliss. I threw everything at James but he still beat me in the second race, so congratulations to him and his team. Max Biaggi was third in the opening race but dropped to fourth on the last lap of Race 2, the Italian riding the only Suzuki after Yukio Kagayama fell heavily on Saturday. He is expected to be cleared to race at Donington in two weeks' time. The previous week at Qatar, Biaggi made an impact by winning on WSBK debut from JamesToseland and Lorenzo Lanzi in the first race. www.mnews.com.aii

' ./ V'

Toseland came back in Race 2 after Biaggi had led the field into the first corner, only to lose the lead to the Brit by the end of the opening lap. Biaggi couldn't run him down and was second clear of Corser, Haga and Fonsi Nieto. Points;Toseland 90, Biaggi 74, Bayliss 64, Haga 50, Corser 45, Lanzi 44, Xaus 32.

P0R the second year In succession. Matt Kenseth took the speils at Galifornia Speedway oh February 25, however this tiiine iongrtime friends and crew chief Robbie Reiser wasn't there to make the calls. Reiser was at home,serving the second of a four^race suspension | after a rule violation at Paytona. "This team was built by Fobbie and it hurts to be without him,"said j Kenseth, who led a race high 133 laps and held off Jeff Gordon and 1 Jimmie Johnson to take the win. Daytona winner Kevin Marvick had been hunting down Kenseth, j though he picked up a puncture after running over debris when i Greg Biffleand David Reutimann collided with seven laps to run. Me managed to finish 17th. , fifth place was enough to move Mark Martin into the series lead, I however the Ginn Racing driver Is only running a 23^race schedule | and!Isn't In title contention. i ^MA’RflNt CLARK Points:Martin 335,J.Burton 330,Gordon 309, Marvick 307, Ragan 270,Bowyer 264. 63

Lines wins in the Heartland

Murcott king ofthe south

STEVEN Lines Has won the latest round of the SRA Sprintcar series at Heartland Raceway. Lines had a tough fight on his hands, with regular front-runners John Vogels and Matthew Reed pushing him hard throughout the race. An early scramble put Lines in position for the win, coming from position seven to take the lead on Lap 12. He continued to forge ahead, building a steady margin only to have the yellow flag come out a couple of laps before the finish. He held on to take victory. "The last two laps were the longest I have ever faced, I thought it would never end, because there were a number of restarts over the final two laps," he said. "I just wanted to see the chequered flag. "I just kept my focus and although John [Vogels] grabbed the lead for a brief moment on the final restart, I managed to gained back the lead and take the win.[But] they both kept me honest well and truly." n Joey Saldana has won the latest round of the World of Outlaws series in the United States. Jac Haudenschild started the Tulare A Main from pole position and built a lead early, however his race came to and end of lap 2i v/hen he suffered from a deflated tyre. Saldana took over at the front and was never headed, taking the win from Haudenschild and Tim Shaffer. Jason Meyers and Terry McCarl rounded out the top five. Australian Brooke Tatnell finished the night in seventh place. 64

THE 2006/07 Protec Paints South Australian Sprintcar Championship was one event that will be talked about for a long time as the thriller that went down to the wire. David Murcott returned to Adelaide's Speedway City a fortnight ago determined to prove that his Nationals victory was no fluke. Once again, Murcott lined up aboard the Downing Bros Moore Engineering Cool and overcame the odds and beat Max Dumesny and Robbie Farr to the finish. "I'm rapt for the team,"said Murcott.

"The guys gave me an awesome car to drive and the track was the

best I have ever experienced in Adelaide." Murcott lead the field away at the start and from that point on was not headed,although Dumesny and Farr nipped at his heels over the entire distance. At one critical point late in the race, Farr was able to stick the nose of the 1A Toyota Genuine Parts Cool up the inside but Murcott responded effectivey. The race for second proved an exciting affair as the two former national champions ran side by side for numerous laps. In the end Dumesny poked the nose of his Valvoline Maxim to the front, edging out Farr by a mere 0.005s. Northern Territorian

Warrenne Ekins turned in a solid performance to claim fourth ahead of local aces Mark Reuter and Luke Dillon. American star Shane Stewart charged through the field, making the most of the highline to advance from 16th to seventh. Rounding outtheTop 10 was Steven Lines, Matt Egel and Brooke David. On a track that proved a driver's delight it was Dumesny that claimed the Camden Neon Signs QuickTime Award. Heat race wins went to Philip March, Ricky Mitchell, Egel, Dumesny, Farr and Reuter. Craig Vanderstelt claimed the B-Main event. -PARIS CHARLES

Oliver'sfull 360 SOUTH Australia's Clinton Oliver survived a hard fought 30-lap affair to claim the South Australian 360ci Sprintcar Championship last Saturday night at Speedway City. Oliver blasted his 66s Ising Auto Brokers Twister to Victory Lane as many of the more fancied rivals fell by the way side. "Wow I can't believe it, I'm really stoked," grinned Oliver. Second to cross the finish line was Michael Burford, next was young rookie driver Shannon Barry, surprising many as he fended off the experienced Chris Evans and Dennis Burford for the final spot on the podium. Steven Lovegrove and early race leader Darryl Guerin rounded out the finishers from the 17 starters. Heat race wins went to Ryan Jones, Guerin, Darryl Wright and newly crowed SA Champion Oliver. -PARIS CHARLES

motorsporinews

SPEEDWAY

Max winsthe battle of Bunbury THE 10th running of the Krikke Boys Shootout has been won in fantastic style by Max Dumesney in front of a lock-out crowd at the Bunbury City Speedway in Western Australia. As always, Dumesney rose to the occasion, bringing the crowd to there feet as he greeted the chequered flag. "Last night we didn't quite have it right and Mark [Welis] and Ryan [Farrell] did a good Job up front, but tonight the car was great and we did got the Job done,"said Dumesny. "This Krikke boys race is Just so special and it's a great event to win." The'Geraldton Jet' Wells finished in second spot after starting from pole alongside feilow West Aussie Jamie Maiolo, Wells had an outstanding weekend, winning the preliminary A-Main on Saturday night. "Thanks to my team for setting up an awesome car, we hardly had to touch it," he said.

"We set ourselves up nicely for tonight's main race but we didn't quite get it done". Wells's effort was even more impressive due to the fact that he is a very occasional racer. Robbie Farr put in a great drive in the Krikke Motorsports mount. Farr had timetrialed poorly by his standards on Night 1, and starting from a lowly sixteenth in the preliminary A-Main, raced his way to seventh. Following on from there Farr backed it up on Night 2 with a heat win and third in the ADash, giving him fifth starting spot for the allimportant $20 000 main event. Farr was able to make up two spots finishing behind Welis. "We didn't start out that well, time-trialing that low, but this is a quality field here and it's tough, I would have loved to have one it for the team, but it wasn't to be tonight," he lamented. Jamie Maiolo and Luche Monte finished fourth and Fifth respectively with Northern

Territory driver Danny Reidy coming come sixth. After a second place on Night 1, local ace Ryan Farrell looked as though he again was going to be a major contender. But a seventh place was all he managed, moving up one place by races'end. There were a number of standout drivers over the weekend,including Ben Element, the newcomer who took quick time with a 13.500s lap from American Shane Stewart. Unfortunateiy for Ellement he leaned off an engine, destroying any hope of a good run over the weekend. "We have had a torrid time with our engine program this season,"remarked a frustrated Element. The two Americans in the field didn't fare very well either with Brock Mayes not progressing past the B-Main and Shane Stewart winning the B-Main and not finishing the main event. - DARREN SUTTON

Hoosier Tire Australia WORLD SERIES SPRINTCARS \Australian Diitributors for

2006/07 CHAMPIONSHIP

FinalStandings

hrmoKlnfoonHoosierDragStSpeedwayTyrescalk

2 Jason Johnson 3 OavidMurcott 4 Danny Reidy S Robbie Farr 6 Daniel Morton

NSW: 0296791990 VIC: 0393316477 SA: 0883320800

7 Allan Haynes 8 David Muir 9 Garry Brazier 10 Paul McMahan

racing tire

wwwf.mnews.com.au

Fmm9im

F0393mM44 F0883640296

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Mitchell Dumesny Ricky Maiolo ToddWanless Shane Steward Brooke Tatnell Luke Dillon Steven Lines Dean Jacobs

Brock Mayes

Tuning talents FOLLOWING a second-consecutive DNQ

performance, six-time NHRA champion Kenny Bernstein has acquired the tuning talents of Jimmy Walsh. Walsh will assume the duties as

crew chief of the Monster Energy/Lucas

Oil Dodge Charger Funny Car. He will be accompanied by Danny DeGennaro.

With the acquisition of Walsh, both Ray Alley and Johnny West have been released immediately.

Walsh spent 20 seasons with Joe Amato's race team before joining Dexter Tuttle's organisation as

Fuller repeats '06 Phoenix win ROD Fuller defeated Melanie Troxel in a repeat of 2006's Houston Top Fuel final in the second NHRA event this year.

Walsh tuned Todd to three Top Fuel

Fuller's 4.49s/327mph pass in the final round vaulted him to the top of the standings for the first time in his brief professional career. Troxel, in her

victories as well as a win at the 2007

Vietnam Veterans/POW-MIA dragster, clocked a

season-opener. The remainder of the Monster

4.53s/325mph. "The Valvoline deal was just for the first two races, so

Energy/Lucas Oil team will remain under the guidance of Walsh.

we're going into Gainesville in the points lead with no

■ Kate Marker qualified for the

didn't even know if I'd be racing at all to be honest. But David Powers said he's committed to running the

crew chiefforJ.R. Todd. In 2006,

Lucas Oil Division 4 event in Houston,

Texas, taking Tom Conway's A/Fuel Dragster through the timers at 5.83s

at 233mph. The car improved to a 5.44s/263mph in the opening frame, but it wasn't enough to hold off Spencer Massey's 5.35s/263mph. Steve Marker qualified third in his Alcohol Funny Car at 5.76s/232mph, and took his opening round match against Will Hanna with a 5.72s/254mph, but couldn't win his second frame against Kebin Kinsley. Morgan Lucas and Von Smith were the respective winners in the Dragster and Funny Car classes. ■ John and Ashley Force both

qualified for the Phoenix show, and

were both spectators following the opening round. John was once again

primary sponsor," Fuller said. "We knew this in the off-season, and for a while I whole year." After qualifying second. Fuller and his Rob Flynn-

car in the class."

Pedregon stopped Scott Kalitta in the opening round, then scored 4.92/254, and 5.07/233 wins over

Jim Head, and Gary Densham. The win moved him up to second place, just six points behind Hight, who took over the top spot from Pomona winner Gary Sceizi with his second straight runner-up finish. Hight had top qualified his Jimmy Prock-tuned Auto Club Mustang with the quickest pass in Funny Car history at 4.635s, making it the second event in a row that he bettered the existing record and failed to back it up. He advanced during eliminations with victories over Jeff Arend, Eric Medlen and Ron Capps. Kurt Johnson scored the 36th win of his Pro Stock

tuned dragster recorded 4.46s/329mph, 4.47s/328mph, and 4.52s/326mph passes to get around David Grubnic,

career on a holeshot. Johnson's 0.016s light against Line's 0.051 s spelled the difference at the finish line

Bob Vandergriff and Whit Bazemore.

as his ACDelco Chevrolet Cobalt clocked a winning

Troxel's best pass of the day, a 4.49s/330mph, came in an opening round against new team-mate Morgan Lucas. A pedaling job in the quarterfinals gave her

6.69s at 206mph to stop Line's.Summit Racing Pontiac GTO's quicker 6.67s at 207 mph. After defeating Jeg Coughlin and Richie Stevens,

a 6.71 s to 6.81 s win over Brandon Bernstein, and a

who both had problems early, Johnson beat Erica Enders to face reigning world champ Line in the final.

4.53s/328mph stopped her former teammate Tony

Johnson's win moved him to third in the POWERade

Schumacher.

After going winless since last June, 2003 champ Tony Pedregon established a new national elapsed time record en route to his 33rd career victory in

points while Line moved around team-mate Greg

Anderson to take the top spot by one point. The tour continues at Gainesville Raceway for the

Funny Car. Pedregon's opening-round pass of 4.701 s

38th annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals, March

backed up his 4.659s qualifying run, making it an

15-18.

official NHRA record, worth an additional 20 points.

He then took out Robert Hight in the final round, recording a 4.80s/326mph for the win after Might's

the final qualifying session. A 4.81s

Auto Club Ford Mustang got out of shape early. "We did a lot over the winter to step up our power,"

landed him 13th, but a broken blower

he said.

on the outside of the field heading into

guys worked hard to get us to this point. Now we're right there within a hundredth or two of the quickest

belt in the first round enabled Ron

"We saw so many 4.60s last year that we knew we

Capps the win. force has not opened

needed to do something. Dickie Venables and the

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

PointsiTop Fuel: Fuller 194, Bernstein 151, J.RTodd 147, Bazemore 127, Troxel 126.

Funny Car: Flight 195, Pedregon 189, Sceizi 154, Capps, Ashley 106.

Pro Stock: Line 174, Anderson 173, Johnson 146, Connoliy 127, Stanfieid 126.

the season with two first round losses since 1989.

Ashley Force appeared to be on her v/ay to her first victory, running away from Bob Gilbertson, but the car

drifted out of the groove, crossed the centre line and she v/as disqualified ■ Ron Capps lost on a red-light start for the first time in his 13-year

career as a pro class driver. Capps lit

the red biilb during his semifinal loss to Robert Hight. Capps has competed in 496 elimination rounds. -DAVID OSTASZEWSKI 66

Hadman-built dragsters ready

SCOTT Griffin has parked his Top Fuel operation due to a

to go in his Wilmington, North

lack of available quality crew

Carolina, shop, Griffin claims

chiefs.

that losing veteran tuner

Griffin had recently announced that he would field a car in 2007 for driver Scott Weis. With two brand-new Brad

Lance Larsen this past week to

Morgan Lucas Racing, and a lack of available crew chiefs played a major role in the decision. - DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

X ● V.

All change: Andrew Cowin drove for Griffin in 2006.

motorsportnews

DRAG RACING

Nothing but Stevens Brett and Kim made it a Stevens double at the Kwinana Motorplex IT was all-Stevens in the Winners Circle of the 36th annual Westernationals at Perth

Packman for qualifying for the field for the first time and reaching the semi-finals in the

Motorplex on March 3 and 4 with Brett

Glenfords BA Falcon.

Stevens going to victory in Top Doorsiammer

Phillips was just content to leave with the points lead as he chases his elusive first championship in Top Doorsiammer.

and Kim Stevens taking the win in Top Bike, both in the fifth round of their respective series.

Brett Stevens, no relation to Kim, defeating

West Australian John Zappia top-qualified in the field with a 6.06s time, but in eliminations

his fellow Queenslander Gary Phillips in the

it all went wrong when the Striker Monaro

Points leader Jay Upton top qualified with a 6.31s time but was one of the shock first

round exits with his SprintexTriumph losing power, leaving Upton watch Syd Standring fly by. In an otherwise fairly incident-free weekend there was a dramatic end to the

final of sportsman class Super Stock when Queensland's Phil Taylor crashed into the wall and rolled his stunning AU Falcon race car. Taylor actually clipped opponent Graeme

final with a better reaction time letting a 6.64s

stalled after reversing from his burnout against

time defeat a 6.53s.

Phillips in the semi final.

It was Stevens's second event win in a row in his Jack Daniel's BA Falcon. It was also his

Simms as they crossed the finish line at 250kmh, but fortunately Simms was able

"It was great to be able to take a win, you

The field was the quickest in Australian history, with a 6.22s bump spot. Meanwhile, Kim Stevens finally overcame the bugs in his nitro Harley to turn in a winning performance

could tell by how pumped up the fans were

in Top Bike.

It was an unfortunate end forTaylor's otherwise excellent event, during which he

second defeat of Phillips in the final in a row.

how great the racing was," he said after the

race.

While happy with victory, Stevens was

disappointed he could not get his wife Kath

Stevens's Top Doorsiammer running properly after discovering a magneto problem. "I keep giving Kath a car she can't drive and it's nothing to do with her," he said. He also congratulated his team-mate Steve

In an unusual first round, the top four

to retain control and both drivers escaped unscathed.

qualifiers were all defeated and it was all West

won the ANDRA Best Engineered Award and, of

Australians in the semi finals. Stevens raced Mark Ashelford's Attitude

course took runner up.

Racing nitro Harley in the final and a 7.15s proved too quick for a 7.44s time in the other lane.

While looking to run quicker, Stevens was happy to have a return to consistency.

-LUKENIEUWHOF

Points: Top Doorsiammer: Phillips 460, Zappia 371, Stevens 363, Victor Bray 360.

Top Bike: Upton 526,Troy McLean 390, Mark Drew 340, Brett Stevens 278.

Drag racer dies atWillowbank A NOBBIEST drag racer passed away atWillowbank Raceway last weekend.

Ken Smith, 60, from Mackay, Queensland, died last Saturday night after a testing accident at the Ipswich circuit. iff

Smith was testing his frontengine rails dragster vehicle when the incident occurred at

approximatly 8.45pm on Saturday night. The incident came as a massive

shock to Willowbank Raceway staff. The track has an impeccable safety

record, with just two fatalities prior to last weekend's incident, the last

being 17 years ago with the passing of well-known drag racing identity Louis Rapisarda in July 1990. "Our deepest sympathies go out to all associated families involved

Firsts and seconds:

Brett Stevens, above, took the Top Doorsiammer win, while Cary Phillips and Mark Ashelford took the runner-up

with this tragedy and Willowbank Raceway is assisting in every way possible by providing counseling services,"General Manager Steve Bettes said.

MNews passes its heartfelt sympathies to the friends and

family of Smith.

spots in their respective classes. www.mnews.com.au

NATIONAL SCENE Edited by Andrew van Leeuwen

'V.

Davo almost a classic starter ■

WITH more than 500 entries for this

weekend's Shannons Phillip Island Classic, the range of cars from the Porsche Museum will also feature the

1998 Le Mans 24 Hour-winning 911 GT1.

Porsche Carrera Cup speedster Alex Davison will take the wheel of one of

the cars brought to Australia by former Porsche Motorsport guru Klaus Bischof, and was to have driven a Formula 5000

Lola T332, however the car won't be

ready in time. The car - driven by Alan Jones for Teddy Yip's Theodore Racing squad in the 1970s - is owned by Alex's father Richard and was raced by his uncle Jon and will be on display this weekend at the event.

"Dad bought it about 15 years ago and it had a nice paint job but it was in pretty terrible condition by that stage," said Alex.

"It had bolts from Runnings holding it together!

"We're still waiting on a few bits and pieces for it and it would be too rushed to get it onto the track. With

most things like that, if you rush things they generally turn out to be a

Nationals get sponsored Shannons back CAMS National Series for 2007 /

THE CAMS National Series has

do to lift the profile of the series

350km at Sandown in November.

secured a major sponsor.

is good."

Likewise, the Production Car class

Shannons Insurance will be the backer of the national series. The new official name for the series is the Shannons National Motor

Shannons is also the major sponsor of Australian Production

is set to have a 250km enduro at

Mallala later this year.

Car Championship, above. One of the changes that you

The Shannons Nationals team

Racing Championships. "We're pretty excited," said series director Rob Curkpatrick.

will see at the Shannons Nationals

is working on hallmark events for the Formula 3, Sport Sedans and

throughout this year and beyond

the other categories that feature

is the establishment of signature

at the Shannons Nationals.

"Shannons's support is going to make a lot of difference. It gives us

rounds for each category. For example, the Australian GT

new website, www.thenationals.

a bit of help to establish the series and its profile. Anything we can

class will have its hallmark round at the end of the season - the GT

You can visit the championship's com.au.

-GRANT ROWLEY

disaster. It's better to finish it properly and do it in the future."

The car had spent time in Adelaide

being re-built by the late Jon Porter

«««

and so do the Saloon Cars

and after he passed away it has had

work continue by K&A Engineering to finish off.

H Bob Pearson has won the first race of the CUE Endurance Series for

Production Sports Cars. The series kicked off at Eastern

Creek a fortnight ago, and pole-sitter Pearson made a tardy getaway. That mistake handed the lead to lain Pretty, who continued to lead until there was

just two minutes remaining in the onehour race.

An empty fuel tank handed the lead and the v/in back to Pearson. 68

SUPALOC has re-signed with the Australian Saloon Car Championship as the category's major sponsor. The Saloon Car Championship went through a year of change in 2006, with the category being granted CAMS Championship status, and the introduction of new model cars (Falcon AUs and Commodore VTs).

Over 30 cars are expected to compete at each round of the national championship, while the

state-level 'TASCCO Challenge'continues to grow. Older model cars (Falcon EAs and Commodore

VPs) will be permitted to contest the national championship for one more season. motorsport mews

NATIONAL SCENE

James Ward wins the round but Paul Kemal stars at Aussie Racers opener at Adelaide he may have missed out on the round victory at the Clipsal 500, but VIP Pet Foods driver Paul Kemal cemented his reputation as one

of the quickest guys on the Aussie Racing Cars grid with a brilliant display on the streets of Adelaide.

From pole position, Kemal stormed into the lead, building a 2.5s advantage at the end of

the opening lap of Race 1. James Manderson,

the former Australian F3 champion who impressed with a front row start on debut, collided with Phil Ward, taking the latter out of the race.

James Ward emerged from the pack and hunted down Kemal before the pair exchanged the lead several times in a thrilling dice, leaving

22nd by mid-race. The race ended in spectacular manner for

the pack in their wake. That was until the

Richie Rappa when the rookie carried too

Safety Car intervened and the leading pair's

much corner speed into Turn 4, rebounding violently off the tyre wall. Thankfully he was uninjured.

advantage was gone. The track was cleared

just in time for a final lap sprint with Ward out-

braking Kemal at the end of Brabham straight

and holding on in a drag race to the line to

take the win by 0.05 seconds.

Behind the dominant pair Kyle Clews held

off Ben McCashney for third as Manderson recovered to seventh.

Ward repeated his victory in Race 2, withholding sustained pressure from McCashney, Clews and Manderson behind. Kemal had led early, but was slowed by mechanical gremlins, which dropped him to www.mnews.com.au

Kemal recovered to seventh having overcome his mechanical dramas.

with a spin on Lap 5 having climbed as high as eighth. In Race 4 Kemal led from pole followed closely by Ward and Mandersdn. Kemal

survived a massive lock up on Lap 1 at the end of Brabham straight as the pair exchanged the lead several times before the Safety Car intervened. The Safety Car came in with one lap to go with Kemal overcoming Ward and escaping to a clear victory.

His recovery was complete with victory in Race 3, rising to second after an amazing getaway. He and Ward exchanged the lead on Lap 3 before Kemal edged Ward into the Senna

set to make their debut on the Australian

chicane on Lap 4 and pulled away to win by

Formula 1 Grand Prix support program.

The Aussie Racers now head to Albert Park,

over 3s.

Behind the leading pair Manderson was third, pushing Ward to the flag. Phil Ward's disastrous weekend continued

- ADRIAN MUSOLINO

Points: Ward 252, Kemal 248, Manderson 240, Sheridan Phillips 238, Clews 237. 69

The rookie and the footballer Layton Crambrook had a stunning debut in the V8 Utes, but round honours were all Elsegood's ROOKIE Layton Crambrook took over where defending V8 Utes

Champion Marcus Zukanovic left off in the Action Racing

Falcon XR8 by winning his debut race, but the round belonged to former NRL star Jack Elsegood.

Ryal Harris led from pole in the first race. Behind the leader

Crambrook edged Chris Pither out of second at the end of Brabham

straight with an aggressive move, allowing Grant Johnson to fight

his way through to third. But Harris' lead didn't last long, losing a wheel on the exit of the Senna chicane.

Crambrook inherited the lead as

Johnson and Gary Baxter fought for second before the latter's

campaign came to an end with a spluttering engine. Johnson pressured Crambrook into the final turn but couldn't overcome the rookie.

Matt Kingsley and Darren Palmer finished third and fourth

respectively. In Race 2, with the top 16

places inverted and the race televised live, chaos was

predicted. But the boys were relatively well behaved, with Robert Jarvis getting the perfect start from second, a little too

perfect for the officials who penalised him with a drivethe Senna chicane.

the lead but was slowed by

fought back to fifth, with back of the grid starter Baxter racing into the Top 10.

gearbox gremlins, leaving Elsegood, racing with a broken

excluded following a breach of

But incidents would bring

the tyre rules. The chaos predicted for Race

proceedings to an end as both

halted with Elsegood taking the round victory ahead of Johnson

Harris and Scott Fleming both

and Palmer.

2 came to fruition in Race 3 as

clouted the infamousTurn 8

Colin Corkery raced steadily to

Warren Millet, Denis Cribbin and

sweeper.

second and third. Grant Johnson

Charlie Kovacs weekend ended at

through for an early getaway. Local Charlie Kovacs inherited

foot, into a lead he would not lose.

Behind Kim Jane and rookie

Race 1 winner Crambrook was

After an extensive Safety Car period, Elsegood led as Johnson and Palmer fought for second.

Fleming's crash caused

extensive damage to his Falcon XR8, but thankfully he was uninjured. The race was immediately

- ADRIAN MUSOLINO

Points; Elsegood 104, Johnson, 98, Palmer 89, Pither 84, Kingsley 82.

motorsportmews

NATIONAL SCENE ,

'f‘4

ALLAN Simonsen and David Wall fought tooth and nail for the second round of the

Wall scored a strong pole position in his

flag. In a thriller, Simonsen held on to win by

Porsche and was able to convert it into a Race

Australian GT Championship at the Clipsal

1 victory ahead of his Ferrari rival, while Bryce

just 0.06s, with Washington recovering well to third place.

500, but in the end it was the Danish driver

Washington's new Lamborghini Gallardo struggled with gearshift problems and finished a lowly 14th.

ahead of Wall and Washington to make it two wins from two rounds in an impressive start

who got the points and the trophy. Simonsen won two of the three races to

but Wall's solid points haul thanks to second place means that he will take championship ascendency when the series heads to Bathurst

The second race was a stunner, featuring a close battle between the two leading protagonists. As Wall and Simonsen closed on the line, a lapped car balked the leading Ferrari,

this Easter without Simonsen.

enabling Wall to get a run on the Dane to the

score his second successive victory in the series,

Simonsen won the third and final race

to 2007.

Quiet achiever John Teulan took his

borrowed Ferrari F430 to third place overall and a fistful of championship points. - RICHARD CRAILL

Three from three Honours were split at the first round of the new Biante Series, but Steve Mason took the points THE revamped Biante Touring Car Masters, with

new regulations'^imed at creating a level playing

Bullas fought his way from the back of the grid to sixth, ahead of a recovering Tilley. Mason got the jump

the Clipsal 500 with three

from second in Race 3 with Bullas and MacLean in

different winners from as

close company before the

field, seemed to work at

many races.

latter retired on lap 3 with

In Race 1 Brad Tilley in his Falcon XY GT out-dragged

mechanical failure. Bullas rounded Mason on the final

pole-man Gavin Bullas

lap at Turn 4 on his way to

off the line. The latter's

victory.

challenge ended on Lap 3 with an overheating engine. Tilley held on for the victory

spectacularly for local

from Alistair MacLean with Steve Mason third.

Tilley held the lead early

The race ended Porsche 911 driver Mark

Forgie, who crossed the line

on three wheels following

in Race 2 until Mason tipped

an incident on the final turn. Round honours went to

him into a spin on Lap 2,

Mason from Tilley and Treloar.

later apologising for his error.

-ADRIAN MUSOLINO

MacLean moved into a lead

he would not relinquish ahead of Mason.

www.mnews.com.au

Points: Mason 101, Tilley 96, Treloar 86, Marget 81, MacLean 75.

Records tumble at Morgan Park THE first Queensland state championship round for the season was held at Morgan Park on February 24-25 on a brand new track surface. Despite thin fields and late summer heat, new lap records were recorded by Scott Nicholas (Saloon Cars), Shane Hart (Formula Vee), Kevin Heffernan (HistoricTouring Cars) and Gary Bonwick (Geminis). Even better was Carlo Chermaz (Superkart), who recorded a new outright lap record of 59.7940, breaking the magic one-minute berrier. Benn Wilson won all four races in the Gemini field, resisting pressure from Gary Bonwick and Brett Phillips, with Dan Bowden sneaking onto

the podium late in the day. Chermaz (PVP) took all four wins over Chryss Jamieson (AndersonHonda) and debutant Vince Livaditis (Stockman-Honda) in Superkarts, while Russell Jamieson (Stockman-Honda) broke the 125cc lap record in fourth.

Hart (Bee Cee Jabiru) dominated Formula Vee ahead ofTim Hamilton

(Jacer F2K2), with Paul Kellaway (Bee Cee Jabiru) and Grant Bromley (Jacer F2K4) taking thirds. TheToranas of Hefernan and Dumment led home the first Historic

Touring Car race while in the second race Tim Whitten (Capri V6) improved from third to win ahead of Bob Sudall (RX2) and Harvey Black (Escort).

James Peck (RX3) lead homeTroy Marinelli (EscortTurbo) in-all three Improved Production battles with David Waldon (RX3) and Graeme Wilkinson (Escort) filling the podium.

Laracy (Commodore VN) and Tim Young (Falcon EA), then from Young and Tony Shanks (Falcon AU). Grant Watson (Prosport Mulsanne) won the Sports Car races ahead of lain Sherrin (Porsche GT3 Cup) and Paul Antonieff (Westfield SEi). Yianni Cassimatis (Van Diemen RF02) and Trent Usher (Van Diemen RF97) took wins in a slim Formula Ford field while Garry Aston (Sports Sedan Commodore) lead home a small group of HQs in a field of leftovers.

Nicholas (Falcon AU) won both Saloon Car races, first from Nicholas prtr.

■»

-MARK JONES

■ Hanger out to dry WHO says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? Ty Hanger proved the glory

promoting Amaduzzi to second. He also retired, with

days of the ageing Ralt RT4

Proctor and Sam Dale.

chassis are far from over at

Wakefield Park a fortnight ago, winning all three OzBOSS races

Giant killing effort BRAD Lowe has dominated

the opening round of the

The Production Touring Car races were a BMW benefit, with

team-mates Peter Kelly and

ahead of the similar RT4 of Chris Farrell.

Luke Searle sharing honours.

The two Ralts occupied the front row of the grid after qualifying, and at the start of

wins to Searle's one. Phil Wilshaw won the first

Race 1 pulled away from the newly-named Formula 3000 V6 cars with ease. Davide Amaduzzi was the best of the F3000V6cars. The start of Race 2 saw the

Ralts pull away again, however Farrell was an early retirement.

2007 Australian Touring Car Challenge, winning all three

Hanger leading home Adam

Kelly came out on top with two

Thundersports hit-out, before being bested by Geoff Boyd and Jeff Davy in the next two. Robert McGrath and John

PredI shared the 3.3 Holden wins, while Paul Whitmarsh

dominated Sportscars. Michael Ballantyne took out Super TT.

races at Wakefield Park a

fortnight ago. I Driving an e/-V8 Supercar AU Falcon under the new V8 Giants rules, Lowe, oOove, was

Salliard enjoyed a successful

simply unstoppable. He took ' a cruising lights-to-flag win

return to the tarmac, taking

in the opening scratch race, t^eforr:* a last ditch effort to win

the first of the handicap races. In the final handicap race he overcame Peter Vicary latr.' in the race to make it three wins from three starts.

E/_-j()rintcar driver Darren

his EL Falcon to second place in the scratch race ahead of

Sitelton Loughery. Peter Kelly, above, took second ahead Darren Formosa

in the first handicap race, wtiile Armin Chahda and Phillip Groenveld rounded out the

podium in Race 3.

molorsportinews

NATIONAL SCENE ,

Timaru Motors 0mazoa

, TME IeadoftheiN?i& NZ¥8 Championship has changed again, with a round win at timaru last weekend

launching Ford driwer Jghn McIntyre to the top of the Standings.

McIntyre set up the round'win early in the weekend; taking his first pole position

before skipping away from Andy Booth and David Besnard in opening race.

McIntyre looked' like he was going to repeat

the lead, and McIntyre let him through. "Andy had the edge and as I'm racing for

the championship and he's further down the table,! backed off and let him take the lead" McIntyre said after the race.

Booth went on to win, with McIntyre

holding off Angus Fogg for second.

McIntyre sealed the round win with 11th

place in the final reverse grid race. Winner of Race 3 was Kayne Scott who,

the feat in Race 2, however comrhoh sense

along with Luke Youlden, did a mad dash

won out when Booth began to challenge for

from Fujitsu Series duties at the Ciipsai 500

to finish the NZV8 meeting. Along with eighth from the back of the grid in Race 2, Scott well and truly kept his championship hopes alive, winding out the weekend Just 10 points adrift of McIntyre. Besnard was on the pace early, complimenting his Race 1 podium with fourth in Race 2. He was on a charge in Race 3

before clashing with Fogg and finishing 23rd. Points: McIntyre 771, Scott 761, Fogg 706, Besnard 668, Clark Proctor 580, Dean Perkins 476, Booth 474, Youlden 448, Mark Pedersen 443.

Halliday takes the lead MATT Halliday has taken the lead of the Battery Town Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge with a round v\4fn at Timaru last weekend, however

it wasn't all smooth sailing. Having dominated

proceedings in the opening two races, Halliday had a scare in the third race when his Porsche

broke an axle on the warm-up lap. His team worked swiftly enough to repair the car in time to finish the race, however Jono Lester took the win, his first in the category. Points: Halliday 911, Jody Vincent 783, Craig Baird 746, Fabian Coulthard 732, Lester 634.

Gaunt on the double THE Toyota Racing Series had its final hit-out before next weekend's New Zealand Grand Prix, with Daniel Gaunt looking

the goods at Timaru. The Auckland driver took a comfortable pole position away from qualifying, buttangled with Ben Harford in Race 1, dropping him

to sixth at the finish. There were no such problems in Races 2 and 3 though. Gaunt

leading home his team-mate Shane Van Gisbergen in Race 2 and Andy Knight in Race 3. LeanneTander was back in action, finishing the weekend with a

best of seventh in Race 2.

Points: Gaunt 1099, Van Gisbergen 932, Knight 863, Harford 863, Christina Orr 587.

«inAfw.mnews.com.au

More Aussie karters heading OS /

Guiliana, Holmes and Cantanese to join Sera and McBride in Europe Kartprix gets set WITH the allocation of the 16 exclusive

Team Licences for the Kartprix National series set to happen in the coming weeks, series organisers have had to make some clarifications regarding the support classes. A Teams Licence is only required for the headline senior feature class (for 2007 this is Clubman Yamaha).

"The Kartprix series is based around the Kartprix senior-pro category" promoter Ian Salvestrin said. "This is the category which will have the 16 'licensed' professional racing teams. (However) the 125cc KZ2 gearbox is open to any eligible senior driver and the junior Kartprix classes of Junior Clubman, Junior A1

and Rookies are open to any eligible junior/rookie driver as per any AKA open meeting."

Drivers in these support classes are able to compete in a single round, or the entire series.

■ The Queensland ProKart

Endurance Championship kicked off at Willowbank last month with a six-hour

under-lights evening race. Having battled with Armstrong

Racing for much of the event, reigning national champions Team Civic Video took a close win ahead of Team PDS.

THE number of Australians competing in Europe this year has swelled with confirmation that Steel Guiliana, Matthew Holmes and Luigi Cantanese will be competing in the European Rotax Championships.

championship.

Having struggled financially in 2006, Guiliana, below, has landed himself a fully supported drive as the Junior Rotax pilot for Italian manufacturer Intrepid Kart Technology. The 15-year old will be based in Austria with Intrepid Team V, which is now the official'Intrepid Force Rotax'Team.

"It's a great experience for me to come and race with a team that's very professional and have

complete factory support where everything

Ineed is provided (including) a full-on test program", Guiliana said. "I raced with PCR Italy last year and know the importance of having that direct link to a manufacturer, especially if you want to be competitive racing in Europe. Ireally believe this year'Intrepid Force Rotax'will give me an edge." Along with competing at the Euro Challenge, Guiliana will also race in various other

championship rounds throughout Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Great Britain.

Ironically, Victorian Cantanese will take over Guiliana's vacated seat in PCR's Junior Rotax line up.

The 15-year-old will visit the PCR factory next week ahead of two days of testing. Although he hasn't raced overseas, Cantanese journeyed to Macau at the end of last year to assist Glenn Powles. "Macau was a real eye-opener for me, it was a

great experience and provided me with an insight into what to expect when Iget over to Europe

Round 2 is another six-hour, at Lismore

next month," he said.

Planning is also under way for a

Hayden McBride and David Sera have already confirmed their participation in the

Midnight Avengers won Division B. on March 24.

Tasmanian Holmes, pictured above, will race the 2-speed DD2 class aboard a German M-Tec

chassis for the Kartshop HocKhuaser team. This is

the same organisation for \^hich the 21-year-old

raced at the opening French round last year (but driving a Tibi Kart) before aborting his campaign due to university commitments. "I've been looking forward to racing at the Euro Challenge again for ages now and Ican't wait to get back over there" he said. The opening round is in France on March 25. -MARK WICKS

Queensland 24 hourr enduro, thus

opening the possibility of having a three round 24-hour endurance

championship. ■ The date for the Tasmanian

Sprint Kart Titles has changed. The three day Launceston event will now take place on October 19- 21

instead of the previously advertised November slot. "We believe the new date and

scheduling will allow more drivers to come from the mainland to compete at the Championships" sponsorship and transport co-ordinator Ross Crack said.

lit'

"It will enable (mainland) people to catch the Sunday night boat and be able to return to work on Monday."

■ This year's Australian Masters Games, the country's largest multisport festival catering for 30-f year olds, will be held in Adelaide in

October and karting is back on the schedule of events. 74

motorsport news

sees Red Clubman Champ jumps shiptoRedSpeed CURRENT Clubman Super Heavy National Champion Scott Simpson has made the switch to Redspeed.

A long-time member of the CRG Race Team - with which he won

two national championships and a swag of state titles - Simpson will now suit up with Jason Burns' Team Redspeed Australia. "I would like to express my great appreciation to Chris Dell and Ken Schroeder from the CRG

Race Team for all their support, dedication & most of all their

friendships," he said. -MARK WICKS

Looking good. Rusty! RUSSELL Ingall relived the past when he visited the kart track where he competed in his first

the now dormant circuit for TV crews and

The V8 veteran dropped into the Pines Kart Raceway in Oakbank, South Australia, prior to the

lot of memories for me."

ever race - way back in 1976.

photographers. "Coming back to places like this brings back a

Originally born in England, Ingall grew up

Clipsal 500.

in Adelaide and cut his craft on the local kart

"I watched my first go-kart race here in late 1975 and then started my career at the age of 12 in the Sub-Junior category early the following yea,r" he

tracks before establishing himself as one of the

said.

"I must say the track certainly looks a lot smaller than I remember it."

Ingall punted a modern day Arrow around

Big field for new-gen CIK in Europe 37 KFl @ Garda

country's standout karters. In that time he won

GILLARD and lAME have drawn first blood at the

five national karting championships. He also went into the kart building business, founding

inaugural race meeting for the new generation KF CIK

Excell Racing Karts with Colin Moat.The sale of

classes.

his share in the business assisted his jump into Formula Ford and a professional car racing career.

The season launching Winter Cup at Garda (Italy)

boasted a healthy entry. Concern that just a handful of teams would show proved unfounded, with 37 KFl

drivers clocking qualifying times, 86 in KF2 and 87 kids in KF3.

In KFl, Denmark's Michael Christensen (Gillard/IAME/

Vega) took out the final ahead of Antonio Piccioni

(Tony KartA/ortex/Dunlop the only driver in the field noton Vega) and Alban Varutti (Swiss Hutless/IAME/

Vega) with Davide Fore 4th

(Maranello/IAMEA/ega). lAME's engine proved versatile winning KF2, Yannick De Brabander

(Maranello/IAMEA/ega)

taking the win. Viktor Oberg was Gillard's other winner

(using MRC engines) winning KF3 ahead of a swag of Tony Kart/Vortex entries. -MARK WICKS

www.mnems.com.au

INDUSTRY NEWS

2006 IVtOTORSPOKT Yi^iiOOKl hit

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■

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CLASSIFIEDS ^

RACE AND PERFORMANCE CLASSIFIEDS

////!

Parts

/)>

online classifieds Find hundreds more race vehicles and parts for sale at www.my105.com V8 Supercar Transporter

Open Wheelers

Brake Calipers

Optima Sport offer the ultimate V8 Supercar 3 car race transporter, complete with Iveco 520hp prime mover (will split). Transporter includes tri-axle, alloys, Tail Lift, 6x BAG cabinets, s/steel bench, air-cond lounge, genset, compressor, fridge, mwave, 4.3m high, new brakes & dampers. FSH & all rego till Jan

Selling a pair of Wilwood GT III series racing calipers, these are BIG calipers and would suit a sports sedan or similar, they are in perfect condition & unused since full overhaul with

new bleed nipples & crossover pipes. $650. Rama 0408 608 318.

www.myl05.com/57446

2008. $260,000-rGST. David 0409988438.

f www.my105.com/17511

357

Formula Ford Van Diemen 92

Speedcar motor

VAN DIEMEN RF92: (Stealth Modified), ex-

scat

Fastlane Racing Car. Comes with only 2 meeting old set of tyres, spare set of rims. PI Dash. A reluctant sale. Very competitive car. $23,000 Neg. Brett 0412 947 742.

radiator.exhust .all pumps,magneto and coil

www.myl05.com/46234

357

complate

engine

oil

tank

10,000 ONO, Paul 0413382802 / 0409911663

WWW.my105.com/37491

357

Drive through car trailer

Nissan Racecar Transporter

Fold up alloy ramps, side door w/steps, tyre

Tri axle drive through enclosed car trailer.(Roller rocker springs, axles & 6x wheel electric brakes under 3000km old.) Checker plate floor. Tows great. Was used behind

1200 Formula Vee

racks. 8,000 lbs. elecrtic Ramsay winch, only 289, 000 km & is totally reliable, inspected

small car carrier, set up to drive cars through to truck. $6600 inc gts. Calvin (03) 5248 8845.

Engine 2 meetings old. Qualified 2 sec faster

for RWC. $9,500, ONO Neg. 0414927320 /

www.myl05.eom/66046

6 cylinder turbo diesel, 6 speed gearbox. A/C. 3 Recaro seats. Long range tanks, toolboxes.

93231960.

VS V8 Supercar for Lease

last meeting @ sandown. comes with trailer 12mths rego. Belts valid til '08, Cut off momo

quick release wheel. 2 sets of wheels, heaps of spares, & really cool car cover. Definatly 1 of the quickest 1200's. $9,750. Lee 0409 858

www.my105.com/91963 357

949/9802 8252.

Capable of winning Touring Car Challenge series, & has already won many races & pole positions. This is a turn up & drive arrangement, all transport, crew, preperation etc are inc run by a 1st class team, stepping stone for the Development Series. Matthew 0422660959.

www.myl 05.com/31247

www.myl05.com/92668

357

Collectable/Memorabilia

20ft Race Car Transporter Will suit Sprintcar or similar.Truck is fitted out with toolboxes, benches, fuel cabinets, tyre rack, front & rear end mounts & overhead storage. $28,000 ONO. 0417 823866.

Transporter- Ford Louisville

Fantastic 1st semi trailer for any rising team. Easy to drive first rig. Prime mover is reliable

www.myl05.eom/36820

357

& economical V6 Detroit engine, 13 speed road ranger with reyco suspension.Trailer has external tail lift, kitchen, workbench, plenty

(Collingrove) 34 sec Cams^Log Book New

Both resprayed black last June. $49, 500 ini,

car. As in RACE Magazine issue 4. $7990 Neg

GST ono. 0438 444 119

357

"REDUCED* was $10,990 Race car Engineer Purpose built hill climb special. (Built by Keith Rilstone.) Aust. Flill climb championships.

harness, spare Motor, tilt trailer incl. Fully adj. suspension. New Brakes, plans to build spare

of cupboards, belly lockers and tyre racking. www.myl05.com/34776

Rilstone Special

Jono Finnis 08 82761933 / 08 83398284. Enclosed Tandem Trailer

www.myl 05.com/20035

to 11 Feb 2008. Contact David 0400505178.

357

Ralt RT4 1986

Inclosed Tandam Trailer

Professionally

Excellent Trailer for most forms of motorsport,

restored

Fastlane

maintained by Spectrum & Peter Lamer.

currently used for Gokarts, Tows Excellent, Disc Brakes, 12 months rego. Very light for its size, would be excellent for speedway or

96 Vortec and MRT 32 Foot Triaxle Trailer.

Avon

formula Racing. Also has full power box with

240/12

cover. Original & current log book. All

Rebuilt strong Atlantic BDD engine. Fox

Chev Silverardo

volt.

Wheel

shocks plus Bilsteins. Spares: wheels with Elec

Brakes.

Full

wets,

painted

nose,

fitted

vinyl

4 power points, & 2 fluos inside, $6400.00

Length Annex. Both in Excellent Condition.

ONO. Brett 0418 887 616 / 03 56 253 672.

data & support given. $75,000. Not Neg

60000+GST. Ian 0408103815.

Richard 0409 993606..

www.mnews.com.au

357

Driver/Crew Apparel

$5000 ONO.

www.myl05.com/49474

Elastic waist in rear. Velcro fastening belt at

the front for adj. Great for the junior racer & to collect autographs, a lifetime keep-sake. Small (3-5 yrs) Medium (6-8 yrs) Large (9-11

www.myl 05.com/10030

Greattowing trailer has been used for Formula ford. Tyre Racks, Storage racks, registered

www.myl 05.com/2820

highest quality 100% cotton, fully lined with a poly cotten blend. Full stitch detail with badges inc Rob Roy Historic Garage logo.

yrs). $59.95 each plus P&H. 0433831186.

357

jji'lrp*, J

Child's Race Suit

357

www.myl05.eom/82025

357

www.myl05.com/85166

Helmet MQ3 Open Face, Carbon Kevlar, Nomex Lined, Ready for Ear Cups. Brand New Used Once.

Size Large. $450.00 Or Best Offer, anthony 0421 380616.

www.my105.com/42143

357

RACE AND PERFORMANCE CLASSIFIEDS

53227

online classifieds Find hundreds more race vehicles and parts for sale at www.my105.com

SELL yoik^rts,

motorsport vehicle or

Worlds Fastest 1 st Generation Civic

anything to do with

motorsport via our

t-, '

internet classified

s fdb eni

■©

partners myl OS.cqm -

for as little as $35!

EB saloon car fi

Yes, 3 months on myl05.com,

A turn the key sale, new rowse engine 1 race old, new 2 pack paint, comes with 4 spare rims & 8 tyres, price includes tandem trailer with tool box & tyre rack, 2 way radios & dorian

plus an insertion here in AANews,

all for as little as $35.

■

'w.myl 05.com/53661

*(if directly entered onto myl 05.com)

timer, nothing to buy to go racing, a host of

HOW?

/0397589431,

spares Inc panels. $14,000 ONO. 0418378198

Either log on to myl05.com and follow the prompts (photo must be digital, if required) OR you can still advertise via

Ex Webb 996 Cup Car

www.myl05.com/69498 For Sale Complete. As is ready to Race,TrackTime

or Club

Events Ex

Webb 996 Cup Car Prepared and maintained by Paul Cruickshank Racing since new This is the freshest 996 Cup Car currently for sale. Gary

mail/fax ($10 surcharge applies) and

send us your car photo if you require one ($10 pic processing fee).

Williams

0412

520

167

gary@GT3TrackTime.com.au

Type/write your advertisement clearly

FOR SALE

www.my105.com/13057 357

(no more than 50 words), nominate your

Good hp engine, microtech Itx8 lap top engine managment, 71/4ap twin plate clutch, 5:1 Lsd mazda speed diff 4 spot willwood calipers front & rear & adjustable pedal box. Sparco seat & steering wheel. Consistant top 5 finisher. 22 500 Neg. Mark 0419640933.

category and include your pic(s). Mail or email (include credit card and your details) - see addresses below.

Sedans/Sports Cars

Ads without pics may be faxed, along with your details/contact and credit

www.myl05.com/93160 357

card details.

Categories imidude:

MITSUBISHI EVO VI

Sedans/Sports Cars; Open Wheelers; Speedway; Drag; Engines; Parts; Transporters/Trailers; Employment; Photographs; Wanted.

Competed Targa Tassie 2006, Bond Cage, Ralliart adjustable suspension, Ralliart air

Standard ad (no pic)

- my105.com &MNews $45

Additional options:

cleaner,

cat

back exhaust,

sparko

seats,

standard engine, 10 months rego. Bought new house, reluctantly car must go. Contact Carey (02)49659202. $33,000.00 Neg..

64 Mustang Race Car

www.myl05.eom/89308

Nb Logbook Left H& Drive New Roller Engine

BP 1800 turbo engine & box with LSD. Koni

adjustable shocks with adjustable platforms front & rear. Willwood 4 spot brakes. To many modifications to list. QuickC Tidy car. 54.8sec lap times at Barbagallo Raceway (short circuit). Suitable for Sports Car or Sports Sedans. $24,000 ono. Steve 0893716786/

Twin Plate Button Clutch Top Loader Gearbox

$10 $35 $20

Photo

Extra issues (per issue) 'Colour'block ad (per issue)

*^eatu*’l^ews& my105.com $75 CHECKLIST - have you supplied: Typed/written advertisement; category,

31 Spline 9"Moser Axles Alloy Roll Cage Kelsey Hayes 4 Spot Calipers Koni Shocks Top Nb Car QLD 06 Spares Inc Must sell new project started. Entered & can be bought at Philip IslandHistories10/03/07.$48,000o.n.o.Shane 0411 755 377 or (07) 3392 6699. 357 ,7”

Ji IC

0421606072.

FPV GT-P 2005

www.myl O5.com/14888

KB Laser Turbo

www.myl05.com/19042

357

Velocity blue, 4spd auto, 290kw boss eng, leather/suede interior, a/c, alloys, 6 airbags, climate control, abs, trac control, colour

■

photo; credit card details (number, expiry, name); your details (name, address, phone, email)?

coded

car

bra,

brembo

brakes,!6900km

only, build no. 354. QLD $54,500 Ono. Scott 0419653529,

www.myl05.com/34564

SEND TO:

357

Mail: My105, Suite 8,11-21 Underwood Rd, Homebush, NSW, 2140

Email: mnews®my10S.com Fax:

02 9746 2100

■/

WRX StiJDM

Historic Austin Cooper S Nc

Lightened, homoligated chrome moly cage tower to tower, seam welded Velo seats, foot plates, 3" harnesses, velour dash, Sti competition engine mounts, flywheel

Matt McGraths outstanding Historic Austin Cooper S Nc as run in the Biante Series.This car

& clutch, plated centre diff & rear LSD, 3" exhaust, braided brake lines. Endless pads. Extras, log booked, ready for rego. import approvals. $70,000 ONO. Tony 0409 900 771.

www.myl05.eom/39803 80

357

Aussie Racing Car Ready to Race 2007, Spare wheels & tyres, custom made trailer. $48,000 Not Neg. Mike 0414816001,

www.myl05.com/22110

357

has records from Albert Park to QLD Raceway. Fitted with all the trick bits including Alloy Panels, Magnesium Wheels. The Fastest Mini at Bathurst 2.48. Extremely reliable & cheap to race. Spare Motor etc Available at extra cost. $22,000.Matt 0428 480 899.

www.myl O5.com/1924

357

motorsport mews

RACE AND PERFORMANCE CLASSIFIEDS

/TTPPTTTT^mn

online classifieds

EVO 4 RS

Find hundreds more race vehicles and parts for sale at www.my105.com

Rallye Burnie 2006 outright winning vehicle. Rally Tasmania 07 8th outright & class winner.

Aussie Race Car & Trailer

Total engine rebuild for Rally Tas, Fresh turbo, gearbox. Sparco seats & harness. SOmm DMS suspension. Motec with data logging. Ready for Targa 07. Four new Dunlop DZ02G hard tyres. $33500 ONO. David 0415257470.

AUSSIE RACING CAR, Can be raced at: Clipsall 500, Aust. Grand Prix, Mt Panorama,

Eastern

Creek, Oran

Park,

Baskerville & Indy. Car in

Excellent

Condition,

$37,000

Fresh

Motor

www.myl05.com/89134

(Includes Category Agreement). AUSSIE RACECAR TRAILER, also available. Excellent Condition $6,750. John BH (02)4421 5055/0417 489 130

www.my105.com/12533 357 l)P

XU-1 Torana

3S7

296 HP Andrew Blackwell Engine,Triple Webers, Engine and Gearbox Just Rebuilt for 2007 season, Cobra Seats, Bilstein Shocks, Brake Balance Bar, Philip Island time 1.52.0943 Sandown 1,25.8159, Has just been Autited. This is the Best Torana for Sale. $ 40,000. Geoff 039792 3270/0418 304 668.

● V

www.myl05.com/54198

lancer evolution 6

i./x

Casuol

B?W

SKYLINE R32 GTR

Lotue Exige )5 Ex Lotus Trophy car. New engine refresh, full detail & all bodywork in great order. Comes with all interior parts to return back to road car. Road reg to 7/07, Eligible for Bathurst 12 I

Hr, GTP Championship, Targa events or Prod Sports. Very cost effective to run. Easy on

brakes, tyres & components, Rory 0414 646

Nissan Skyline R32 GTR.white 2,6 twin turbo 4WD, Extensively rebuilt engine only 1000km

ago. Forged pistons tein suspension nismo exhaust 18" wheels & new tyres registered untill November looks & goes great. $23,500 Or Best Offer. Stewart Wilkins 4577 2400.

www.myl05.com/98898

357

●'

●3

^ tbahs ●nsB**-' VK Group A Race Car

Drives great. Awesome potential to make very quick race car Chris 02 43889059. $19800 Neg.

Graeme Crosby & Wayne Wilkinson 1986 Bathurst Group A Race car elligible for Group C & A Histories. Car has had full mechanical rebuild by current V8 Supercar

team all relevant history available car will not dissapoint. $125 000 Or Best Offer. Stuart

663 rory@classicthrottleshop.com. Neg 357 www.myl O5.com/1740

Mitsubishi evo6. Extras inciude, a/market radiator, turbo, manifold, syspension, clutch, diffs, exhaust, wheels, ecu, brembo brakes.

0407 737 145.

www.myl O5.com/15144

357

Wanted J RACING PARTS WANTED

Wanted Halibrand quick change rear end, able to handle up to 250 HP. Fair to good reconditionable condition. Must be complete, no missing parts & usable.The housing needs

www.myl05.eom/92380

to be unblemished, no cracks or repairs.

Needed urgently for competition/show car.

Thomas 02 6723 2305

www.my105.com/35431

357

BA GT-P Falcon

V8 Supercar Immaculately prepared and campaigned

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formula or lotus cortina, escort etc. footage of

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357

TALK CONVERTER vs

*fY

Rotary Wrong? I'm disappointed to see some loose use of English in the Bishop

Seven done good

Well, like a lot of avid V8 Supercar

fans, Iwas a bit worried about the ■ Editorial

Editor: Phil Branagan editor@mnews.com.au

Deputy Editor: Mark Glendenning

mark@mnews.com.au

News Editor: Grant Rowley grant@mnews.com.au

National Editor: Andrew van Leeuwen andrew@mnews.com.au

tak over of coverage by Network

FI Engine Story including the

Seven.

banner: 'THEYHAD BANNED.'

But Iwould like to congratulate them on a excellent telecast of the Clipsal 500. How good was it to see some

$e^d usygurtfiough^:

But Ithought the project was super-secret. And tell me, who are

the day it happened, not a week

PO Box 7072, Brighton, VIG, 3i|!86

'THEY?'

to fortnight later. Its about time

they got some recognition, as

they are an integral part of the

Graphic Design & Web: Jayne Uthmeyer

whole weekend.

Unfortunately, Seven hasn't

got rid of one of the problems

n Advertising P0395965555 FOB95965030

Channel Ten had, which is those

bloody commercials at the wrong

National Sales Manager: Calvin Wood n Administration

times. But Iguess they are a necessary evil for the sport. The extra coverage on the

357 Nepean Highway,

whole weekend of racing is very

Brighton East, VIC, 3187 (PO Box 7072, Brighton, VIC, 3186)

that I'm unable to get to.

cwood@mnews.com.au

M 0439 566 265

much appreciated for the rounds The new points system is also

P 03 9596 5555 F 03 9596 5030

■ Contributors

going to be great. Hopefully no more consistently second or third placing Champions like the last two years, and hopefully the start

FI: Joe Saward, Adam Cooper, Paolo Filisetti

of another dominant period by

Europe: Quentin Spurring, David Addison

the mighty Holdens.

admin@mnews.com.au

Managing Director/Publisher: Chris Lambden

publisher@mnews.com.au

action to ban the idea.

of the support race categories on

■ Production

design@mnews.com.au

Sounds like-someone knew

what was going on and took

Could not have been the ,

FI Techos in Paris as they

presumably did not know they were about to stop the project. support races. Yes that's right, we got to watch support races. Iremember when growing up we always got the supports on the same day, so congratulations Seven, and keep on punching. Shayne Andrew Shayne.andrews@bigpond.com Not happy, Tom Iam a long-standing HRT supporter, and have attended

many rounds V8 Supercar rounds. The HRT ownership controversy is damaging to the sport. Iam not in favour of any team getting special, treatment, be it to

Moreso, as you state that Rule 5.1

of the engine regs declared only engines with reciprocating valves were permitted. If so, that's quite different to banning rotary valves, even if the effect is the same.

You finally let real loose within the actual article when you state, 'Had a sudden ruling by the FIA in 2004 not led to the technology being banned in FI, these engines would have been powering Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton around Albert Park this

year.' Ithink Fern and Lew may have

had such engines.

John Hanchard

their benefit or their detriment.

Colin Walsh

Ratster01@hotmail.com

The current ownership inquiry needs to be wrapped up and

colin@clctech.com.au

US: Martin D. Clark, Phil Morris

Speedway: Greg Boscato, Geoff Rounds,

itinews@mnewsxdrn:aM

Darren Sutton, Tony Millard (UK) Rally: Ryan Lahiff

Seven done good #2

disposed of once and for all. I

MG: Much of the Bishop rotary

Drag Racing: Dave Ostaszewski (USA),

Alright, Iwas one of the sceptics

thought that had been done four years ago. Now it is on again, and it must be extremely unsettling for the team, as well as supporters.

valve's life remained under a

Ken Ferguson, John Bosher

when Iheard that Network Seven

National: Mark Wicks, Mark Jones,

had won the rights to televise the V8 Supercars from this year

Daniel Jordan

Photographers: Sutton Motorsport Images, Dirk Klynsmith, Marshall Cass, John Morris/

onwards.

Mpix, AFl Images, James Smith, Peter Bury, Neil

Blackbourn, Chris Carter, Coopers Photography, CBR Photographies, Paris Charles, Bob Potts, Neil Hammond, Joel Strickland, Mike Patrick (UK)

Motorsport News is published by Australasian Motorsport News ABN 55 125 120 702 Publisher: C Lambden

Yes, Channel Ten has done an

excellent job, so Ithought how could Seven improve on that and raise the bar?

Well, after watching the Clipsal 500,1 was more than impressed. Well done Network Seven.

Printed by: Webstar Printing Distributed by: NDD Ltd

The highlight for me was the

Material published by MOTORSPORT NEWS Is copyright and may not be reproduced in full or in part without the vrritten permission of the publisher, freelance contributions are welcome, and while all tare will be taken, Australasian Motorsport News does not accept

responsibility for damage or loss of material submitted. 'Opinions expressed in Motorsport Hews are not necessarily

fact that for the two hours before

the race started, we didn't have to

watch commentators just prattle on about anything. Instead we got informative commentary and

If the HRT is expelled from the competition, even for one round, it would be highly prejudicial to their prospects for the season. On a personal note, if that were to happen Iwould no longer follow this sport, which is a pity because I have no other sporting interests. If anyone thinks that's a bad case of taking my bat and ball, ask yourself,'how would Ifeel if it was my team facing expulsion?' Mark James

1 year

2 years

$148.50

$285

A$210

A$390

A$270

A$495

4n influence upon the engine's fate. Parts of the story are still

subject to confidentiality clauses,' so I'll leave it to you to guess the specifics.

But this answers your second question - the new engine rule was worded the way it was

for the very reason that, by extension, it excluded rotary valves. Had the rules not

changed, the engines would have raced.

„

c.mnews

pimmytfit poll results

Overseas (airmail):

New Zealand & Asia Rest of the World

have deduced, word did leak out towards the end and this had

marjames@au1 .ibm.com

those of Australasian Motorsport News or Its staff.

Australia (incGST)

veil of secrecy, however as you

What are your thoughts on Seton

joining HRT? If he can finally win Bathurst good

POST cheque/ffloney order to the address above FAX credit card details (VISA or Mastercard) to 03 9596 5030 (int'l +613 9596 5030) EMAlLto subs®mnev/s.com.au or

on him; 53%

He should have stayed Ford: 23%

m .w\W...nrin e ws.c«sm»a

I'm a Ford fan, but I want HRT to 8 WEEK TRIAL SUBSCRIPTION AVAILABLE NOW

win Bathurst: 12%

from as little as $25 (online payment only). See website for full details.

Is that your car, Skaifey? Reader Mark James wants to know.

Just happy to see him race: 12% motorsport news

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