Motorsport News Issue 386 - August 2009 by V8 Sleuth

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mnorspori No.386 AUGUST 2009

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WEBBER HOW IT ALL TURNED AROUND

FPR;WHAT'S WRONG,WHAT'S RIGHT? WHINCUP: WHY I'M STAYING PUT USF1: CONTENDERS OR PRETENDERS

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Issue 386 AUGUST 2009

www.mnews.com.au

NEWS 4

W'for 700 pts

Whincup,Lowndes, Vodafone re-signs

Mumm'sboy

Webber: Title challenger?

Pretty colours

Sprinting through the tyre Options

Millennium Win GTs favourite race is Bathurst'00

OPINION 13 MotorMouth

Yep, we are biased. And no apologies

20 Box Seat

Politics knocked offpage 7. Phew!

82 The Back Page

Webber and Champagne.Again

FEATURES 78 Five Minutes with Jamie Whincup 22 Ich bin ein Ringmeister! Webber tells how he did it, and why he can do it again 30 Performance Upgrade Plans, not Panic,inside FPR's think tank 38 Mom. Thanksgiving. And Formula 7? Who would you put in USFl's cars? 42 Australian's Got Talent Just quietly. Grant Denyer Is having a strong season 48 996,997, GT3,Mark II Why is the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge sho successful?

RACE 54 Townsville V8s: Three winners;JDub,JC and FNQ 56 Hidden Valley l/Ss; Caruso breaks through 58 Nurburgring FI:Aw,come on. You know who won 60 Silverstone FI: The Bastion ofSebastien

NATIONAL 64

Formula Ford

MINI Challenge

68 A ussie Racing Cars 69 V8Utes 70 71

Aussie GT/Commodore Cup Biante Series

72 F3/Manufacturers

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CIK Karting

Race Shop/Industry News/Classifieds

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we yeasatTtMVodatefw Jamie WhinCQp,but hesays Triple Eighttink could still lead toam overseasdrivelathefuture JAMIE Whincup is committed to race for TeamVodafone for the next three years - but he has intriguingly left the door open on his international ambitions. The current V8 Supercar Champion has agreed terms with the team and, with Craig Lowndes, has signed a deal to stay with the powerhouse quad for the next three years. At the announcement of the deal in Sydney last Thursday, it was also confirmed that Vodafone has extended its naming rights sponsorship of the team,and will also be involved until the end of 2012. "It was a big decision,"Whincup told Motorsport News."At the end of the day, it is one that 1 am really, really happy with, it is a fantastic opportunity, and what more could I ask for? It's the best team, and with Vodafone onboard for the same period of time, it points to strength in the future." Reports suggest that Whincup will become one of the best-paid drivers in pitlane, with suggestions that he would earn a minimum of $700,000 a year. But apart from confirming that he had received a big pay increase with his new deal ("I am not on apprentice's wages!"), he would not shed any further light on the numbers involved. Whincup did admit looking at overseas options before he re-signed, and there is a 4

suggestion that his new arrangements may allow him to take in some events outside V8 Supercar racing in the future. "Racing a car overseas remains an ambition of mine," he said,"and I believe that with Roland [Dane], and with Vodafone, being with those guys could give me the best opportunity to think outside the square - outside of V8s." As to what they may be, Whincup has expressed admiration for NASCAR racing in the past, and with a mid-season break likely to be a feature of future V8 calendars, there would also appear to be a possibility to take in some

races in series like the German DTM or Porsche Supercup - and that is where the reference to Vodafone may lead. On the other hand.Triple Eight's sister team in the UK has been involved in the British Touring Car Championship, above, for some years and unlike the local championship,that series allows drivers to race in some'wildcard' appearances. Whincup has no manufacturer links, so it would appear, the world awaits... For more on Whincup,see 5 Minutes, page 78

motorsport news

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MARK Webber has targeted more Grand Pri>c wins after his historic German GP victory. The Red Bull driver has stopped short of predicting a title in 2009 but,following his dramatic come-from-behind victory at the Nurburgring, says that the manner in which he won the race gives him increased confidence for more wins this season. "To finally win at this level is a big moment, and to do it, I suppose,the way I did, is what I was pretty keen for," he told Motorsport News. "There are a few key things to focus on,and we have been across some uncharted water in terms of what we did at the Nurburgring. We were being chased, not the chaser. 1 was comfortable with that. I have certainly not done my confidence any harm, in terms of that, and I am looking forward to delivering more of that in the future. I am looking forward to the next battle."

Webber's leg-breaking cycling accident left him with an extensive and ongoing rehabilitation program and forced him to miss most of the pre-season testing, which was particularly crucial this year because of the new in-season test ban. Despite this, and the form of his German team-mate Sebastian Vettel, the Aussie scored only 1.5 points less

than Vettel in the first half of the season,the pair taking three 1 -2 results. Webber said that the timing of his win was especially important, in terms of the team deciding to give priority to one driver of the other in its bid to chase down runaway leader, Jenson Button. "Had it gone 10-nil, I think that would have been a real rough result for me,in terms of things going that way.So, I think you are right. He would have had the momentum within the team. I am still in a very, very good position to hold my own in there." Some experienced FI observers are already predicating that this year's Drivers'title may go to the last race and replicate the 1986 season, when Williams pair Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet faced off with McLaren's Alain Prost - who ultimately snatched the title on the streets of Adelaide. Webber, who is expected to be confirmed as a Red Bull Racing man for the next two seasons within a few weeks,also came clean on how badly injured he was in that accident,and what ending the 28-year-long drought of Advance Australia Fair at GP venues means to him. For more on Webber,see page 22

In case you though it was easy

To get to his career high, Mark Webber has been through plenty of lows. Here's a collection 1999: Webber made international headlines when his Mercedes flipped not once, but twice, over the nil course ofthe Le Mans 24 Hour weekend. 2001:Driving for Super Nova, Webber tried to out do his Mercedes crash with a mega F3000shunt at nil Spa’s notorious Eau Rouge. 2004:A decison that, in hindsight, proved a set back. Webber's FI contract manager Fiavio Briatore wanted him to drive for Renault. Mark chose Williams. Renault went on to win two world titles in 05/06. Webber's best result was third at nil Monaco in 2005. 2006:On his way to a probable podium iiii^ perhaps a win - the exhaust gases burnt out the wiring loom on his Williams. Slamming the steering wheel into the cockpit has been replayed many, mant times... 2007:Another FI win went begging at a sodden Japananese Grand Prix. Sitting second under Safety Car conditions, he was collected by I Sebastian Vettel. Game Over. 2008: The Mark Webber Challenge fundraising adventure race in Tasmania turned into a disaster when he was hit by a car while on his bike, III! breaking his right leg.

<3iews www.mnews.com.au

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RGP E80310 THE Australian Grand Prix Corporation has announced the date for the 2010 Formula 1 GP at Albert Park. The race will take place from March 25-28, and three new teams will be making their first appearance in Melbourne - USF1, Manor and Campos Meta. Us usual, the date is subject to approval by the FIA.

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LOEB in RT ROSSO? HE'S won the World Rally Championship a handful of times, and raced competitively in the Le Mans 24 Hour race. And now, Sebastien Loeb wants a Toro Rosso FI seat. The multi-talented Frenchman has put his hand up to race for the Red Bull-owned team, but whether it will happen or not depends on negotiations with his current WRC team, Citroen. STR recently parted ways with Loeb's countryman, former Champ Car driver Sebastien Bourdais.

CHSeVSHflHBIIIH CASEY Stoner's mystery illness has been diagnosed as anaemia. Tests conducted while he was racing in the USA revealed that he suffered from a mild version of the blood disorder, as well as gastritis. The former MotoGP champion has been on the point of collapse after racing in several recent GPs.

FFTBOO + $X)h PSSST! Fancy winning 10 grand, for one race - in a Formula Ford? That is the enticing offer coming from the west, with plans to host a winner-take-all FF1600 event during the V8 Supercar round at Barbagallo in November. Plans are currently well underway to hold the race, which would likely attract a number of competitors from the Eastern states for such a bounty.

HERRV SURTEES BRITISH motor racing was dealt a tragic blow at Brands Hatch when Henry Surtees was fatally injured during a Formula 2 race. The 18-year-old son of former World champion John Surtees was struck by a wheel that had flown off another car during the second F2 race of the day, Surtees was treated at the scene but passed away later that evening. 6

Are Option or Sprint tyres the answer to overtaking?

Control Tyres, or Kaos?

IT'S mid-season, and we have seen the highs and lows of Option, or Sprint, tyres. The introduction of the softer, faster and shorter-lived tyre in the V8 Supercar Championship Series has shown Aussie fans what has been going on in other categories, like Formula 1, IndyCarand so on, for some years. So we asked some of the players involved what they thought of mixing up the racing by mixing up the tyres. Will Power races on both kinds of tyre, for Team Penske In IndyCar

'I think that they are a great idea. "They really mix things up and you need to make the right choice at the right time, as to when you run what tyres, particularly as there is a big different between the tyres. "The Option tyre creates better racing. Some people save their Options until the last stint, some don't and that creates passing opportunities. They are great for qualifying, because someone like ... well, me in the Penske, for example.

can think about getting into the final round with my normal tyres. People who are not quite as quick might use Option tyres to give them the time advantage. "So, in my mind, Option tyres are a great idea. I can't see any downers to them."

Todd Kelly uses the Coontrol and Sprint Dunlops on hisJDR VE 'The only issue I have with it is that you get artificial results. "Over the years, everyone who is in the record books for being on the podium has really earned it. Now with the Option tyre, you get a bloke who has used the tyre who gets a result that they, perhaps, might not have deserved. It's good for the category and all, but with all things being equal, they wouldn't have got that result. You can get lucky when you use the tyre - you might have no result in one race and then get on the podium the next. "I think that's a little wrong. Those results will go down in history... "Other than that, I don't mind

it. At some tracks, it's better than others, but the biggest thing is that it helps to create passing. I think, though, if everyone was on the soft tyre, you'd probably get a bit more passing anyway. I reckon we should either be on it or not at all, rather than all being mixed up. "There are also issues with the reliability of the cars. We broke an axle at Winton while on the tyre, and that was solely due to the tyre. That is a problem in itself." Tim Edwards has an unusuai

juggling act to perform at FPR 'With the soft tyre, you're only ever going to be on the podium in one race. Look at Darwin; the three people that were up there on Saturday, were nowhere on Sunday. "Unfortunately for us, we have two different liveried cars - for Triple Eight, Jamie [Whincup] wins one _ _ day, and Craig [Lowndes] is up there the next day, so Vodafone are happy either way. "We're in the unfortunate position where we can only keep each sponsor happy one day."

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'Paul Radisich is catching you a second a lap.'That was with about four or five laps to go, so I had to drive my arse off. And I mean that literally; I did a double stint at the end of the race - 60 laps, straight up - and I got a badly burnt backside from the exhaust. It was a tough race, even though the track had dried out by the end. It was a tough day at the office, and to have all those different emotions run through my head towards the, end of the race, and then to come out on top, was a childhood dream. It was only my third Bathurst, and the first time I had ever

finished the race - and we won it! Also, I'd been battling for the championship all year, and it was the final race of the championship as well. I had to win the race, and Mark Skaife had to finish 15th or worse, or something like that. He had a drama with a tyre exploding and at one point, I was leading and he was back in 18th. So-we nearly could have pulled both the Bathurst win and the championship off in one go. There was so much happening, and I was still quite young and didn't have the experience that I have now, so I learnt a lot that day. -GARTH TAN DER

IT has to be when we won Bathurst in 2000, for sure. The last 15-odd laps of that race were chaotic. I was second for a while, and Tony Longhurst was leading. We were catching him, and I thought we had the pace to catch him and pass him. Well, we had the pace to catch him, but whether we could get past him or not might have been a different story. Once he had his drama with a backmarker [Longhurst crashed into Adam Macrow late in the race], I thought'well that's a relief.' I guess I let my mind wander a bit, because the next thing I knew the team were on the radio saying

TCCWIU

( Would you give up the Le Mans victory for a Formula 1 race win? No!! What essential item do I you need to take on a long haul flight? —

Flying is really a chance for me to switch off- I'm usually asleep before we've even gotten off the ground. I usually wake up after they've served the meal and watch a film and just try to relax.

RNSUERS ON PRBE 82

TRIV OF VOUR TONGUE

Who's the craziest driver you've raced against? Back when I raced Ford Lasers, Mark Gibbs was a crazy mother. He was nuts!

Name all of Mark Webber s Formula 1 team-mates. Alan Jones was the last Aussie driver before Webber to win an FI Grand Prix. Where and when did he win it, and what was the milestone about his drive for Williams? Webber's race engineer has a link with a marque of racing car. What is that link? In 1999, Webber was in a Mercedes-Benz Sportscar at Le Mans when it flipped - twice. One other driver had the same thing happen in the race. Name him. In 2009, the Australian GP, the British GP and the German GP form an odd pattern. What is it? www.mnews.com.aM

What are the top five songs on your iPod? What I listen to most depends on my mood. I like Usher, John Farnham - You're the Voice, Nickelback, Elton John, Beyonce and, of course, recently I've been listening to a lot of Michael Jackson. What do you wish you were better at? Everything! Everything I do can be better. There's always room for improvement. 7

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MARK Webber - wow,what a victory! After taking pole, I knew he would be in for a chance of a win as his Red Bull team had put him on a good strategy for the race. I was over the moon to get to photograph him crossing the finish line and when he pointed to the Australian flag on the podium's top step, it brought a tear to my eye.

Following the press conference, all us photographers were positioned out front of Red Bull's energy station, waiting for Mark to arrive and have the customary team celebration photos. Once the group shots were taken, he immediately grabbed one of the bottles of bubbly and ran towards me, spraying the first stream directly at my lens, and then,in a wave of bubbles across all the

other photographers positioned around me. I managed to get several other images - through the champagne all over my lens! I particularly like this one, as it captures Mark's delight through the huge immediate burst of spray. Job well done, bring on the rest of the season. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! - DAN KALISZ

In 1994, Webber,#14, was chasing the leaders in the local FF championship.

taking a win in Round 4ofthe season.

TIMELINE :: MRRK LJEBBER’S RORD TO FORMULR1 2000-01:Formula 3000, with Eurobet Arrows I and Super Nova,Four wins in two seasons.

P 1998:Sportscars, Mercedes-Benz,fiights over Le Mans and a mid-season split.

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TOP 10 5H0DT-DUT BRNNED INNOVRTIONS TURBOCHRRGED GP ENGINES In the annals of motor racing history, engineers have always pushed the limits ofengineering, butfew things have had such a huge impact on Grand Prix racing as turbocharging. The engine ruies that came into effect in 1966 allowed 3-lltre engines, and all teams went that route, until Renault examined the other option - and started work on a 1.5-litre turbo motor in the mid-1970s. Renault's forced induction V6 made its debut in 1977, took its first win in 1979, and GROUND EFFECTS

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then all hell broke loose. Ferrari followed suit, then so did everyone else on the grid. Cosworth's 500 horsepower V8, which had been the mainstay ofFI, was left panting, as manufacturers developed more and more power from their small engineering masterpieces. When output topped lOOObhp, the FISA acted, first with fuel and boost restrictions, then a totai ban.Since the 1989 season, oniy normaliy aspirated engines have been permitted in FI.

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MOVHBLE LJINGS

RCTIVE SUSPENSION

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After a few false dawns, Lotus produced the first ground effects car, the 78, in 1977, and won the title with Its 79 a year later. Downforce grew and grew until drivers were in danger of blacking out with the G-forces. Banned for the 1983 season. PUSHRDD INDV ENGINES

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Lotus started it, Williams tried and failed, and then perfected it with the awesome FW14.It took feel away from the driver, and could occasionally have a mind ofits own, but it when it worked, it made the cars fast. Banned in 1993.

Jim Flail's Chaparrals were always Innovative, and his 2E and 2F changed the way cars were built. A movable rear wing flattened at speed to reduce drag, and when the 2F won at Brands Flatch In 1967,it was banned at once. □NE-PRD BRTHURSTS

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1 Pushrod motors could run more capacity and boost than 'race'engines at Indy, and in 1994, Team Penske exploited that loophole. Ilmor's Mercedes-Benz engine, with at a least 1 OOhp edge, dominated the race. Banned Immediately.

n Brabham's BT46B had a fan mounted in the rear, allegedly for cooling. But the fan also sucked all the air from under the car, giving it a huge grip advantage. Niki Lauda won in Sweden in 1978, and the team withdrew the car before it was banned.

With Russell Ingall alongside, Larry Perkins out played the opposition by using only one set of Endless brake pads to win the 1995 Bathurst 1000. The pads were not banned, but made redundant by mandatory pad changes.

10 trrction control

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Anti Lock Braking may be a valuable asset in a road car, but its use at the highest level in GP racing seemed superfluous, to say the least. Thrown out as part of the anti-driver aid revolution of 1993. 10

Only Tyrrell actually raced a six-wheel car, the P34,In a GP, but March and Williams(and,it is rumoured, Ferrari) started work on 'sixes' before the end was called. The March 2-4-0 and Williams FW07D both had four small wheels at the back.

Traction Control was banned in 1994, then allowed from 2001,largely, allowed In GP racing because there was no definitive way ofdetecting its use. The introduction ofa standard ECU in 2008 got rid ofit for good. Now,about MotoGP...

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□Pinion

Why Mark Webber isnbtmy Hero

MISSED the Tour de France this year. By "missed", I do not mean that I forgot itawas on TV, and tuned in late. I me|n that, for the second year in a rOw, I chose not to watch it - any ot it. I used to like sitfing in front of the set with a glass of wine, watching the tactics and the brave deeds unfold, and take in the three-week epic rollercoaster that is Le Tour. But too many times, it turned out that what appeared in the first instance to be a monumental athletic achievement was, after examination, a triumph for pharmacology. Cycling is a tainted sport, and its drugfuelled cheats broke my heart one time too many. So I turned off, for good. There are a few tainted sports. Every week, it seems, there is a new scandal, either on or off the park, that makes us shake our heads and wonder whether some spoiled, overpaid morons are competing among themselves to see who can behave in a manner further and further from what is otherwise considered acceptable. So, thanks goodness for Mark Webber. He won a Grand Prix, after 130 cracks at it, and deservedly so. His German GP win, and how he did it, is dissected elsewhere in this magazine. (See page 22 for some exclusive insights from the man himself.) Here at MNews, we have been accused of being biased towards Webber, for a long time. That is true. We have been. We could not

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help it. We try to support every Aussie driver who ventures onto the big stage of international racing but from Day One, Webber was different. He is so focused, so talented and so... normal, we could not help ourselves from going the extra 90 centimetres. Why? Webber has lived his life in the public arena for more than a decade. Seen any scandal? Any bad behaviour? Anything? No, me neither. There is nothing to report, unless you consider squealing like a girl after winning your first GP a negative. Antics in nightclubs? None. His relationship with partner Ann Neal, for more than a decade, has been quiet and solid. His parents are normal people; Alan Webber is no pushy pitlane dad, and I have seen enough of those over the years to recognise them. Also, in 15 years, I have

never heard Big A1 build his lad up by dragging anyone else down. Somehow, he remains enthusiastic and helpful, and is liked by everybody. So far as I can tell, Mark's win was met with thunderous applause by everyone. In England - and you may have noticed that while Webber has lived there for years, local heroes Lewis and Jenson have fled the place - nobody I know in the press has a single bad word to say against him. That is not to say that they rate him as a powder puff - Webber destroyed the FI ambitions of such as Justin Wilson and Antonio Pizzonia by blowing them away when team-mates - but they find him a likable and reasonable guy, with his feet on the ground, who is not afraid to speak his mind. Sure, there have been bad times. His stint at Williams must

Phil Branagan Executive Editor

have been frustrating, but even so, there were no histrionics, whining or toys lobbing out of prams. At the three teams for which he drove in GPs before he got to Red Bull, he overperformed in underperforming cars. No wonder he started winning when he got his paws on one capable of doing the job. Heroism is a finicky thing. Like the tag 'Genius', it can be applied too soon, too lightly, on people who have not yet earned it. How you act in the down times is Just as telling as how you do on the up, and 'Hero' is not a term often bestowed on someone in the middie of the grid. Mark Webber is a hero to a lot of people, and after his recent performances, i reckon a lot more will join the fray. Me? Nah. i don't need Mark Webber to he a hero. Mark Webber, the ordinary guy, will do me just fine.

-V,

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ifiM^ The Townsville street circuit had everything,inclduing a bridge. There is something unnatural,yet beautiful, about watching a racecar going over water... But as serene as that partofthe circuit was,there was nothing relaxing about the five-way fights into Turn 2. Good luck, boys. Nandi Kiss worked out that the old Bump and Run was the way to go during the V8 Lite races,so Michael Patrizi tried it out on Steve Richards during the V8Supercar races.

f Street Fighter Whincup has won so often that he knows exactly where to stand for the rightlightfor a victory photo. The question is, was anyone watching? The photo above suggests not, but the one below speaks 1000 words... or should that 168,052 words? Just to make sure the hoards ofspectators weren't bored. GrantSherrin got into some aerobatics during the MINI Challenge races.

Jean Claude Nose Best The 2009 double diffuser controversy brought to mind some ofthe past breakthroughs in aerodynamics. MARKGLENDENNING Almost two decades ago,it was Tyrrell that showed the bigger teams the way

0 here's the scenario. You're an FI

aerodynamicist, and you've just come up with a tweak that will not only turn around the fortunes of your relatively small team for the coming season, but will revolutionise Formula 1 design for the next two decades - and counting. How would you expect your team boss to respond? A pay rise? A Christmas bonus in the form of a yacht? An extra floor on the house? Not if you're Jean Claude MIgeot. It was the English winter before the 1990 season, and the Frenchman had spent the past few weeks holed up inside a portakabin in a woodyard in Surrey, working on a radical idea that had been five years in gestation, but which he was only attempting to bring to reality to the first time.

All was going well, until Ken Tyrrell happened to walk through 16

realised that he had nothing to worry about.The Tyrrell 019 proved unexpectedly competitive, qualifying third and racing to second in Monaco in the hands of a youthful Jean Alesi. And with its distinctive raised nose - a dramatic departure from the conventional wisdom of the time - it introduced a concept that now leaves every car on the current grid carrying a tiny piece of Tyrrell DNA. The ground effect era that ended a few years earlier meant that teams were acutely aware of how much downforce could

the office one weekend and uncover the windtunnel model in the patent shop. Migeot was collared as soon as he reported for work on Monday morning. "Ken was very angry at me for wasting his windtunnel time on such things," Migeot recalls. "He said to me,'Surely you are

not serious'. He was a bit stuck, because of course, he was trying to be on the safe side, but at the same time, Ken had always been fascinated by innovation. So he was sort of having mixed feelings. Try it - but don't go too far." As with all things, history was the final judge, and Tyrrell quickly

be created by generating a lowpressure air mass underneath the car, but Migeot suspected that the effect was being hamstrung by the low-slung noses that diverted air over the body rather than underneath it. Raise the nose, he reasoned, and you'll force more air beneath the car.The more air that gets channeled underneath, the faster that air will move, and the faster the air moves,the lower

motorsportiiiiews

the pressure, and the better your downforce figures start looking. "Basically, the reasoning up untii then was that this part of the monocoque needs to be as low as possible," Migeot explains. "When i did it, the first question was, what's going to happen with the guy with his legs up in the air? What is going to happen with the blood [in the legs]?" "The raised nose certainly helps aerodynamically. It's not working only on its own, but it enables a number of other systems to work much, better downstream. Its real advantage is its potential - the potential it opens to many, many devices, whether that is the front wing itself, or the front wing endplates, or the barge board. Even now, it's a good thing to have a powerful flow in the middle of the car underneath the chassis, which was not the case before." Migeot and chief designer Harvey Postlethwaite had discussed the idea when they worked together at Ferrari, but while Migeot's preliminary experiments were successful enough to convince him that the idea was sound,there was never an opportunity at Maranello to put it into practice. "It stayed on paper for many years, and yes, on paper I thought it was a good feature," he says. "But I couldn't clarify that before 019. And it didn't come from just dreaming at night, it came out of a [scientific] idea." There was one complication though - in downforce terms, you needed the front wings to be close to the ground, rather than up in the air. Migeot attempted to

get around this with an anhedral front wing profile that became one of the car's visual calling cards, although in design terms, it was a step too far. "Really,the first and last problem we had [with the raised nose] was with the funny gullwing," Migeot admits."When we did the original model, we used a simple solution with two vertical pylons, like everyone else did after that. 1 don't remember exactly, but at some stage I tested this gullwing, thinking that if there was nothing in the middle,then I can keep more potential for the future. "The look is quite characteristic, but structurally, of course, it made things a little bit harder. The first one, I think, did half a lap at Silverstone and broke.That brought us back to the factory, it was reinforced, and after that it was OK. So it was just a more tricky, and in the end heavy, solution." Raised noses have been the norm in FI for so long now that it's difficult to appreciate just how radical theTyrrell 019 was when it first appeared. Migeot's account of McLaren's Ron Dennis's reaction to the car after Tyrrell invited him to a season launch photo shoot due to marketing links that existed between the teams at the time helps put things into perspective. "I remember Ron driving his Honda Legend down the lane, parking it, walking slowly towards the car with his eyes getting wider and wider," Migeot recounts. "He finally turns back to us and saidt'lf this car is going to work,it will take us(McLaren)two years to do the same.'He was actually almost right!"

THETyrrell 019 was an important FI car in technical terms, but it was equally significant for other reasons. As well as giving Jean Alesi a canvas to work with, it also proved to be a high point in the relationship between Migeot and Postlethwaite. Their paths first crossed five years earlier when the closure of the Renault team had left Migeot in search of a new job. In Postlethwaite,then at Ferrari, he found a kindred spirit. "Harvey was extraordinary, both because he had such long experience and was very open book," Migeot says. "That's why I remember him. All these Formula 1 technicians tend

Man's death," he says. "[John] Barnard was coming back,so we became the bad guys and we ran away.We said, 'Where are we going -Tyrrell? OK, Let's meet there'. And then we started there from nothing, did a car which was very much in our minds but with a few risks - not many, but a few - and it worked so well it was amazing." That was the 018, which served as the testing ground which gave Migeot and Postlethwaite the confidence to push ahead with the 019 12 months later.

to be very protective of what they know and why they are doing this and that, and he was exactly the opposite." A scramble for power in the immediate aftermath of team

'The'89Tyrrell was[important]/' Migeot says."The 1990 was really a case of, yog have everything loaded, working and then you only have to shoot." -MARKGLENDENNING

patriach Enzo Ferrari's death left both men frozen out. "We were basically thrown out of Ferrari because of the Old

5 minUTES UJITH l ll

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The reigning V8 Supercar Champion and Bathurst winner is not going anywhere for the next three years, PHILBRANAGAN after inking a new deal with TeamVodafone MOTORSPORT NEWS:This appears to be good news;three more years of JW and Lowndes at the House of Tones. JAMIE WHINCUP;Yeah, it does, it's fantastic news for me and, hopefully,the team will stay in the same form. Which I am sure n they will. It was a big decision. At the end of the day, it is one that I am really, really happy with, it is a fantastic opportunity, and what more could 1 ask for? It's the best team,and with Vodafone onboard for the same period of time, it points to strength in the future.

happened - but is on the rise. Which,considering what is going on, is a big plus. From the inside, what does “ stability mean to a driver? We see it as being the'status quo', but is that unrealistic? Things change all the time. Stability does not mean that. I might need to think about that... [Pause]. If a race team wants you,they will take you. If they do not, they will find some way of “* getting rid of you. Saying,"! have a three-year deal"does not mean a huge amount. What it does tell me is that the best team in the category wants me to drive for them, long-term.They are showing commitment to me,and that is the big deal.

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This is the prime of your career, isn't it - this year, and the next three? Without a doubt, yes.

Look, I have done a lot of learning, and come a long way since 2006. But I feel like I am in the prime of my career but, of course, you neve stop learning. These next couple of years, though, I believe will be when I peak as a racing driver. Does this mean that there are no surprises coming up? You are familiar with the team environment,the category. Not really. 1 like to keep everyone on their toes, and I do want to keep doing what I have been doing over the last couple of years. I have set myself new goals and new plans, and some of those, I am not sure about yet. Everyone has to do that, but I do know what my short-term future will be, up until I am 30.That is a number that people seem to talk about quite a bit. But knowing exactly what I will be doing, I could not be happier. It is one of the best teams,and I have security. I could not ask for much more. Racing drivers in your position nearly always have a good look around at option. How hard did you look? I looked, relatively seriously. I was never'down the line'with anything overseas, that is an ambition and I still have that. 18

AT TOWNSVILLE, JAMES COURTNEY BEAT US. AND THAT WAS A MASSIVE EYE-OPENER WHINCUP AS AN UNDERDOG? SOUNDS A DANGEROUS COMBO TO US without doubt. When you are given an opportunity to continue with a team like TeamVodafone, with the situation with the economy at the moment,[and with] less money being spent by manufacturers, it was not a huge decision to make. I would have a fool, and I did not want to regret any decisions I make. The decision I have made is the best of both worlds. I can do exactly what I want, but I still have ambition. Whatever comes next can still come, after the next few years in Australia.

to do other races. Racing is in my blood and it is all I want to do. Whether it is in a Supercar, or just racing my mates out on a motorbike, it is something that I am not sure I could do without. Racing a car overseas remains an ambition of mine, and I believe that with Roland [Dane], and with Vodafone, being with those guys could give me the best opportunity to think outside the square - outside ofVSs.That was another reason why I am happy to continue with the team for three more years.

Is it something that might also fit in around what you are doing now? Particularly if the mid-season break is successful and becomes a feature on the calendar?

You spoke about the world economy. People are looking at the Big Picture, and tightening their belts. Do V8 Supercar Champions do that too? Yes, it is the same! I have come a long way in a short period of time, and if this scenario had happened two or three years ago, I might have seen it as more of dramatic climb in, let's say, my personal'economy'.That has not

I think so.That is a good thought. I cannot say that I have discounted that, I have gone through all the scenarios and looked at what is best. There are possibilities for me

There is a feel-good factor in that, isn't there? Yes there is, and that is what that is all about for me.They want to commit to me and ask me to drive their piece of art, that they have spent ail their time developing into an amazing racing car.That is a greatest feeling. Stability? If I don't do a good job next year, I will not be there. That never changes, but this is not the time to even talk about those things. It is all good and happy feeling about continuing a partnership. Do you ever think about the fact that you have won Bathurst races with the team,a championship with the team - and you are realistic. You must understand that nothing stays the same forever. Nothing lasts forever.Things have an end. It is just human nature to push that line back as far as you can. At the moment, we are on a roll. We are finding new ways to get to that next peak. At Townsville, we were beaten. James Courtney beat us, and that is a massive eye-opener.That's a good experience, I took a lot out of that. I know I can improve all the better, and raise the bar to set a new standard.

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BOH 5ERT Will Buxton Formula 1 Correspondent

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fjn'the tar'it was like a different man had ^fclim'be'd lifto the Red Bull, too. But the 2009^●S^spec Mark Webber hasn't been held back ^Sî^nrai^tsBfhiffiSFl^^liusiWiReîl^felv JT,'by the i'njiiiries he sustained over the winter. Man%k1defshjpWHisW^ . _ '"^^^jpcf^^jyiy thgy'ygataost seemed to have (ipmssed a rekart button.Sure, he's always been k iikTOle, and fnestifike6l,if?^'li'i«lfd'i , ■ '‘ a good racer,ibut IhiS season, he's driving like i€ffi%raoffhe'Sp(ft.^Fi1§*riiSmf^tehse 'Ihe's 18 years old,fuelled up with testosterone rSach ifsd a^dsptHi'iif’y^fffijBnty of Fr'*ahd racing, in #2.He's driving, on his nerves. êrs*jl!gth'g^î^'iliaswiMividua'l, a's-;5|^withihis balls inhis hands, and with a do-orown;5f|''V'^” - ,^se|m|i%^^p^lity. “ ● die attitude to overtaking that ihas left us with e'eirifpirnjhdb|(l|f!^|iM ■ j^pur hearts in our mouths and o ur adrenalin !^lsOn has'beeh , at tirnes,!îteînful , j||gpum;ping ion numerous occasio ns this season. ^tph;|5ne WondfeVed if tRatoge'|’ccident' '?^,';The calrnman put of the car, the ever CoOl, ft'isWsTnaniah'^lll&h’gepVeTlhe wfter, ! \ 'chilled out,typical Aussie, is a different man l|;nbtked him'more^han he''vyaiTOTihg ,'..jnside the car. And Jhis was never more in êftainiy,heôwfejrriits |)'’e|;‘ame^l'ck‘tOo tifevidenee'th&n bn his slowing d own lap after ty'^but had the' InCidl'htKa^d a ÎfwrTehtai ta'king victory at Vh e German Grand Prix. The Iggetltidn to'sayipt'fSiWrlfisSe?©^^'’, if. ^ ict on'h'is fitnessrife'didlh't looklÔ^rcent ., screams pfadulationtandthey really were ' screams)’seemed Ibrhewhat out of place ..‘i ji ' ' for Mark. The raw elfib'tioh 'of aiuy who we f v'Ajif" ,r-'1 have come to know as®}ftffiEfled and about as horizontally laid back as it is possible to be, juSt didn't sound quite right.' * "Ah, no Wonder he was so fast today," a h . . ■ ■ Corieaguequipped,,Cheekily. "They've jUstput ’ Webber's helmet on Vettel. fhat's'hbw Td' sound ' if Td just rorhped to aWin at my home race too." ."'.I' I . it was a bit of a haughty ’eomfnent, but it iTfA'-r , t 'summed up aVmifI minofitydf.Opinion lin the ^,|media cent#).; that theipbfforma'nee Webber ^had but ln was at odds tb thf one they'd L - * expected. Th'at opinion was in theiminorly, jir as the vasi majority of the media centre and îndeed the paddock had felt this day was / ^

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^pming for some timb. A Mafk'Webber win BMeally was orily a mitter Of time‘‘Ahdii't ihfd y ^^^j^Keme not before time.'(● j n some Ways, the aOtual mfnn er of his HfcU^ictofy was perhaps the most iittingi aspect of the win. Marl's never ihad' ihings easy, and 'he's ^PBH^Gever wanted ilife handed'to'him on a plate, m TWniv^yercominga'dlrive-through penalty, !his victory was a perfect Reflection of his entire career.

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"Throw what you want at me,”it said. n "Because I'll beat it." It was the ultimate two-fingered salute to the nay-sayers,to the doubters,and to every obstacle that had ever stood in his way. It was a wonderful moment. And perhaps what was even better was that it came on a weekend when the sport seemed to sort itself out a bit. CVC and FOTA made a pact to say that if Max continued to run the FIA through his own ego-drive,then they'd split and do their own thing. Everyone quickly forgot that Bernie had said that old Adolf had been a bit of a genius and that Saddam hadn't been all that bad either, and despite rumours Starting to circulate that he might only be kept on in Formula 1 as a figurehead under the new regime,the world of FI politics looked to have a level of recently unseen clarity. An agreement was around the corner.The war was coming to an end. Perhaps the greatest moment of all however came as a Rally Champion listened to the will of the fans,and an idea which had begun as a little bit offun on the Facebook social networking site,suddenly became a political reality. Ari Vatanen was running for FlA President.You couldn't have made it up. Vatanen's standing for the Presidency is one ofthe single most important things to have ihappened to this sport in the last 20 years. Even if he doesn't win the election,the very fact that somebody has had the guts to stand up to Mosley Is a hugely symbolic moment. Mis reign of uncontested leadership is at an end.Vatanen has shown that there is an alternative. The German Grand Prix was thus a wonderful weekend.The sport started to sort itself out, the future started to look a 'little brighter, and to top it all Off,the new and hopeful future of the sport was kicked off by one ofthe most popular victories in recent memory. All in ail, a lotto smile about. And after the last few months, you have no idea how happy it makes me to be able to commit those words to print.

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ince the German Grand Prix, does it feel different? Yes, it does, actually. To finally win at this level is a big moment, and to do it, i suppose, the way I did, is what I was pretty keen for. And it did happen, i wanted to make sure that when I did it, I did it from the front, and not because of someone blowing up in front of me. I won it fair and square. There was no, "well, he did it because of this happening, and someone else blowing up, rah-rah".Those things can happen in Grand Prix racing, in terms of winning things, as we all know. But, I was a deserved winner, so I was happy with that. Racing drivers invariably say that, no matter where they are running in a race, they always give their maximum. But if you have a sniff of first or second in a Grand Prix, it has to be a little bit of extra incentive, isn't it? This year has been a bit different, I think. When you know that you are fighting for podiums, for the bigger rewards, there is a lot more at stake and the pressure is higher. But when I have been fighting for other positions, like I have been fora fair bit of my time in Formula 1, you give it everything but, obviously, there is a little bit less at stake. There is a bit more intensity about your job, and that is because the rewards you are getting for you and your team brings confidence. It brings happy faces, and a sense of feeling that you have turned up and actually competed. You have done a lot more than just taking part, you have been a reai force within that race. Does it also make the pain-in-thebackside factor higher? There is

more attention from the press, the sponsors want more appearances, so on. This year has been different in that regard, there is no question about that. The pressu re on the whole team this year, from the European press in particular, has been full-on. It is reasonable to write a story about where Red Bull has been this year, in general, so that has been a bit busy. On Thursday at the tracks, a lot of that falls on Sebastian and myself, and there has been a bit more intensity recently - a lot more one-on-one interviews, and so on. It is all planned, obviously, we have good people handling us on the front. We need to focus on what we need to do. Germany was a bit different, quite obviously.There was a massive amount of media afterwards, in terms of me, and on that front, the team could only do so much because people wanted to talk to me. In the end, you just need to get on with it and talk to people. That had to happen, that is a part of getting a result. The other change that has happened this year has been a lack of testing. That places a premium on each lap on Friday. How have you managed that? Has it upset what was your rhythm over a weekend? We knew that once we arrived in Melbourne, we had no more testing. We tried to introduce parts and rriade sure that there was no problem. It is all calculated very closely, and we try to make sure that we get all the miles we need to get the job done. Obviously, we do not get the mileage that we used to in testing, and we try to make sure that I til wo stay sharp in between

nil

races, on a personal level. The drivers try to get some laps in, in go karts, and so on,some of them went off to have some fun today, with Michael [Schumacher]! Particularly in the first part of the championship this year, I was focusing on my leg, and getting that right. But overall, it has not been too dissimilar to seasons gone by. We could have a bit more time, but I have always enjoyed driving the car. Testing is good, it is a part of the job of developing the car but

sometimes,it can get very boring. I much prefer it when the lap times are there to be had,the screen is in front of you and you go out to do it and deliver when the rubber is going down.There are always things to be gained, and I enjoy that part of it. It there a potential advantage Red Bull has over the Brawns oyer the rest of the season? In theory anyway,there are four identical chassis - with different engines in the Toro Rossos - that

might give you a wider database. The Toro Rossos have been quite a long way behind our cars, in terms of specification.There is not really real data we can draw from their car.There is some, but it is mainly 'reliability'stuff, not'performance'. Generally, we get on with our show and they get on with theirs. Different drivers want different things, and you can try to grind it across, a little bit, but we generally find that we might as well be a million miles away, but it is not quite the same. In that regard, we

are painting our own wagon. You mentioned your leg.You said at the start of the season it was fine for driving,and now Uhave seen a picture of it, I thinliyou told me a fib! How on earft did you drive with that? " [Laughs]. My modelling career is over because of my legs... Look; it is fine for driving. It was fine for driving. Really, it is fine but it went through a pretty bad phase in February and March. I was pretty sore in Melbourne and Malaysia, it was tender and my leg was not healing that fast! It has been able to do a little rnore, I can do more with it, with every day that goes by. Honestly, it looks worse than it is. Good,glad to hear it. The next few races are nearly here. Do you feel like you have ticked that'First Win'box and that your have been'released'to go and win some more races this season? I have just proven that I can be quick enough to do the job. We need to make sure that we repeat the process in the future and work hard from each Friday onwards. We need good practices and fantastic qualifying sessions and that is one of the toughest parts of the weekend. It will be crucial to get that right. There are a few key things to focus on,and we have been across some uncharted waters, in terms of what we did at the Nurburgring. We were being chased, not the chaser. I was comfortable with that. I have certainly not done my confidence any harm, in terms of that, and I am looking forward to delivering more of that in the

THE TORO ROSSOS HAVE BEEN QUITE A BIT BEHIND OUR CARS,IN TERMS OF SPECHFICATDN,IN THAT REGARD,WE ARE PAINTING OUR OWN WAGON I i

FORmULR 1 future. I am looking forward to the next battle. Mark, was the timing^ of the win also important? If Vettel had corne out ofthe German GP with a double d@it points lead over you,ahyoni would not have blamed the team had it decided to put him in a prioritised position -Just as Brawn might do with Jenson Button.Was this almost th? Last Stand? I don't thirJk it was the Last Stand, in those t#ms. Any decision about that would have probably not come for several races yet. But, hadit gone 10-nil (Ed: had Vettel won and Webber scored a zero), I think that would have been a real rough result for me,in terms of things going that way. So, I think you are right. He would have had the momentum within the team. I am still in a very. very good position to hold my own in there. We have the form car at the moment;in terms of the last four races, we have scored the most points. The other factor in play, in terms of the championship,is that other teams are starting to take points off the Brawns. That is interesting. So long as they keep slotting in there nicely, that is nice for us - so long as they don't takeany off us! The whole first stint of the races. with the KERS cars on the way to Turn 1,for example,shows that they could potentially be a factor. We need to be careful with how the first corners go, we know that row three - and sometimes'now. maybe row two - could be loaded with KERS cars. The first stint of the race could

be one where we get held up. We are aware of that, and we are trying to manage it as best we can to make sure that we get maximum points against the Brawns. Is it possible that a KERS car could win,at somewhere like Monza? Yes,they could. We don't know how much their performances will continue to improve,so we need to get into the car and look forward,and work hard on

improving the rest of our package. Monza and Spa, obviously, are the two tracks that stand out, and possibly in Brazil, they will be strong. We have done a lot of races this year where we have been behind a KERB car and,obviously, they will be working hard on their cars. Good, because they need to get a move on! The German race was funny. We are used to seeing you get bottled up behind slower cars, we are used to seeing you

delayed in pitlane.This time,all those things got out of your way. Have you thought about that? I knew that I had the drivethrough and that was not planned. We didn't really have a strategy for doing three stops! It was interesting. Heikki [Kovalainen] did a little bit of a job on Sebastian in the first stint.Then in the second stint, Sebastian was released and Rubens [Barrichello] got stuck behind [Felipe] Massa. They were phenomenally

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WEBBER'S rehabiUtaion from a broken leg, suffered in a collision in Tasmania in November, has taken hard work and dedication. The fracture required a pin and two screws, see X-ray, to hold it together. Webber's personal trainer-torturer Roger Cleary, above, has been a key man in the rehab process, and Webber underwent regular sessions in a cryogenic chamber at temperatures as low as -I30°C. He could drive by the start of the season but, as this picture from Monaco in May shows, his leg was still misshapen. By the way, the other fella in the pic with Webber and Vettel is music star, James Blunt.

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Make sure you re at Albert Park for the 2010 FORMULA 1 Australian Grand Prix to see the world's best drivers and witness all the excitement of Formula OneT“. V8 Supercars and a host of the best support categories in the country. There's also plenty of off-track action including music, displays. Go Karts and loads more. The best way to experience the event is as a GP Advantage member. Not only will you get priority access to the best Grandstand seats, if you sign up between August 11 and September 27 2009. you'll also be entitled to a host of other GP Advantage benefits like:

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TO SECURE YOUR SEAT OR FIND OUT MORE. VISIT GRANDPRIX.COM AU OR CAI_I_ 131 931 ●Subject to FIA confirmation. Conditions of Sate and Conditions of Entry to the 2010 FORMULA 1™ Australian Grand Prix apply. Visit www.grandprix.com.au for details, or request a copy by contacting the above.

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There’s no hiding the fact that Ford Performance Racing isn’t having a golden year. But is it as bad as it really seems? And how is the team going to turn it around? ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN investigates iRiiHa igntii B^ B^

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season since joining V8 Supercars. But, there's no doubt that hPR isn't the force to be reckoned with that it was 12 months md the i between em and 'ripie Eight clearly widened over the break. Car speed the team still has, but a

ustrating f mistakes, h the team ated the somewhat misleading perception that something has gone terribly, terribly wrong at Broadmeadows. It's not that bad, but as Edwards

the regulations are such that you're splitting hairs between who is good and bad.There are tenths of a second between top 10s, so nobody is doing a bad job. You can get the driver to take his watch off to find that." Of course, it's not quite that easy.True,the team is only chasing tenths - perhaps even hundredths - of a second to be running with The'Fones, but as the old saying goes, those are the hardest to find. Phil Keed,chief engineer on Mark Winterbottom's Falcon and one of the team's most prominent tech men, is only too aware of how long it can take for the hard work to show up on the results sheet. "We're talking about the basic areas of the car," he says, when quizzed on where the team is looking for improvement. "We need to find a bit in the drivability, we need to find a bit in the braking. We have quite a big list, and we've been working hard at it all this season. When you drop that little bit behind, there is a lag of six months before you

and ran Jamie Whincup to the line harder than anyone in the fight for the title. The team aren't a million miles of the pace, but something has definitely changed ... "What's changed is that we've got new cars, and some of the regulation changes have taken us longer to get on top of,"says Edwards. "And we've had mistakes; we've had mistakes from the drivers, we've had mistakes from the team. In Tasmania, we had four mistakes. Two of them were drivers - each of the guys made a mistake each. And the other two were team we had a crossed wheel nut in one race, and then we didn't get enough fuel in [Steven Richards'] car. He was on for third or fourth in that race where we made that mistake, and Frosty was on for winning the race when he made the mistake and hit [Greg Murphy]. Had we not been making those mistakes, people wouldn't be saying that we've lost our speed." Keed agrees that mistakes not speed - is the team's biggest issue as the IIDH^ 31

f € Triple Eight have got friends n "out there on track.We don’t have friends; we’re Johnny No Mates. -Tim Edwards,left. nil

moment. "It is frustrating, because on average, when things go well, we're not finishing any further back than we should," he says. "We have a little bit of a step to make right at th.e moment,and the problem with that is it makes you push a little harder than you're able to, and that's when the mistakes and the incidents come. It's a double whammy,and it's not just the drivers, it's the whole team that feels that. "But sometimes you just need

to slow down." The concept of slowing down to speed up is a strange one, but Edwards agrees. "Every time we make a mistake as a team, we analyse what happened so we don't have a repeat occurrence. And fortunately this year, we haven't had a repeat occurrence of a mistake-there's just been different things going wrong. "But I like to think that we won't have another crossed wheel nut this year, because we do a lot of pit-stop practice back at the

factory. We're actually working on slowing it down, because i'd rather we did a 12s stop all the time, then 1 Os stops most the time with a 25s blip in there. "We're also looking at strategy during the races, because we've made some poor strategy decisions, so we've gone away and analysed that, and when we look at strategy now we say'well, what mistakes have we made already? Right, we're not going to do that'. We've got a different system for fuelling the car now that indicates when enough fuel

has gone in, to deal with the slow fuel fill we had In Tasmania."

The success of any raceon team is largely dependent two things - the drivers, and the mouse traps they play with. Both have been a factor for FPR in n 2009, with Winterbottom so far failing to get the big result, Steve Richards failing to get the best out of qualifying, and the FPRbuilt FG Falcons failing to match the pace of theTriple Eight-built equivalents. Starting with drivers, neither

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Winterbottom or Richards are having \what you, or indeed they, w/ould describe as a vintage year, something that isn't lost on Edwards. "We've spoken to the drivers and about our expectations of them, and we've said if you're in a compromised position, and you might lose a spot but you'll keep it out of the wall, then lose the spot," he says. "I'd rather they finished third, instead of maybe second, or maybe 23rd because the car ends up in the wall. Yes, we've had an up and down year, there's no doubt about that. And it's either Frosty is on the podium, or he's down the back somewhere because we've crashed, or had a pit-stop problem, or whatever. "Probably the biggest issue is that Steve has been struggling to qualify the car this year, so we haven't had two cars up there." Winterbottom is still genuinely one of the fastest blokes in the series, but says the game has lifted from last year, and the team need more things to go their way to get results in 2009 than they did in 08. "We've shown speed, we've had a couple of pole positions and a couple of podiums, and it's a compliment that people expect us to be winning every race like we were last year for a while. "It's just a new challenge. I've got a new engineer this year [in Keed], and we're starting to make

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steps in the right direction. We haven't missed many of the top 1 Os this year, and the speed is still there, TeamVodafone is just doing a good job, with Jamie [Whincup] in particular. We've ou.t-qualified [Craig] Lowndes more times than not, but Jamie's just on top of his game. So is Will [Davison]. "These guys havejust got their act together, but on our day we can still beat them. We need to sort out the car a bit more. We're not looking for a lot, and hopefully when we get a few updates and improvements, it will make up that little bit we're looking for." As Edwards has already pointed ° out, Richards'weak point this year has been qualifying. And that inability to regularly start near the front has led to crashes, mistakes, a lack of results and, harshly, some people wondering whether Richards deserves what is still one of the best seats in the sport. Richards, however, has been around long enough to know how to identify and fix a weakness, and how to worry about his own game, not the paddock chatter. "We had the anticipation of being able to fight for the championship from the getgo, and there's absolutely no question that we've fallen belowexpectations,"he says. "[Qualifying] has been my weak area; I think I'm racing as well as I ever have, but when IISI you get caught back

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in the pack, it makes it difficult. But the reason I'm qualifying that way is because the car's not up to speed as well.The best gauge is the guy next door, and Frosty has been qualifying quite well, but he's missed the top 10 a couple of times,so it's reflective of where we are at the moment. "I always look at the situation like this - if the guy next to you in the shed can do it, you should be able to do It too. I came Into

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f f When you drop that little * * bit behind,there is a lag of six months before you start to see that.When you start working hard to make back that ground,it takes six months to catch back up again. -Phil Keed,above.

the start of the year guns blazing after the test, thinking'mate, this is going to be a great year'. I've been incredibly disappointed, but there's no point crying in your beer, you've just got to get on with it. One thing Richards isn't lacking, is quick to point out, is motivation - no matter how tough things get. "When you come out of the first test with such high expectations.

to not realise those is frustrating and its tough and its difficult. But there is the motivation there to turn it around, I'm putting in the work that's required, and at the moment there hasn't been much reward, but I'm one of 45 people at FPR and we're all working as hard as each other to get a result. It's not a singling-out process, we've just to get together and work on turning it around. "The thing is a total package, and I don't believe our chassis is working the way we want it to, and I feel our engines are a little bit down.We're working on that, and we had a really good gain at Townsville, although it might not appear that way. "I've been around a while, and there's no instant fix for these sorts of things. What tends to happen is you work like a mongrel for months,then It slowly turns,then you get on 1..^

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It s a compliment that people expect us to be winning every race. - Mark Winterbottom,left. nil

top of it and it comes in a rush.There's no doubt the second half of the year is going to be better than the first half, we're just going through a bit of a lean period now, and we're all accountable." Then there is the FG. While there are only two TeamVodafone cars in any given V8 Supercar race, there is five Triple Eight-built FGs ... and that's data eolation that is tough to match when you're running just two cars, like FPR. "You get more data and share more ideas with more cars,"says Edwards,"and there's no doubt

about it, [Triple Eight] have got friends out there on track,friends who do the right thing when they know they're being lapped or they haven't pitted. We don't have friends; we're Johnny No Mates, so we have to fend for ourselves. Possibly we need more friends, but we're not going to go and buy them ..." Winterbottom agrees that it is the on track presence that matters as much as the shared R&D. "When you're racing, you're always racing fast cars," he says. 'They share development, but that doesn't guarantee speed, they're

just doing a good job. Look at New Zealand; we were on pole and next was Jamie, but after that the nextTriple Eight car was sixth or seventh,so they're not all right up there." The problem is, one of those cars, the one with a big #1 on the window, is up there - and up there consistently. Flow does FPR, the genuine two-car squad, get back to beating Jamie,just like they were in the early part of the 2008 season? "The answer to that isn't just going to come quickly,"says Edwards.

"We've got a test coming up on August 10, and we've got a lot of things we want to try, and they're not the sort of things that we can try during short sessions at a race. They are time consuming." So is finding form, something that the key players at FPR completely understand. Fiowever, with a good commercial structure, a good engineering team,two quality drivers, and a renewed interest in avoiding those pesky mistakes,the blue brigade have all the right ingredients to make a title winning cake. It might just take sometime ...

I came into the start of the year guns blazing after the test, thinking‘mate,this is going to be a great year’. - Steven Richards,left

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O you've got a Formula 1 entry for 2010,and you've got the whole world talking about you. You're going to be an American Formula 1 team,and represent one of the single most important nations on earth. It's a country with seemingly limitless resources, some of the biggest players in the corporate world, and an enviable reputation for success in nearly every conceivable field. No pressure,then. You've got a car to build, a team to create, sponsors to pull in ... and then there's the small matter of drivers. You've already laid out your stall that, in time, you want this team to be a route for young American drivers to make their way to Formula 1. But as an American FI team, you've got to start off your life in FI with an American driver. Otherwise, what's the point? So who do you pick? And who do you team that driver with? There are a bunch of options. From the likes of Marco Andretti, Graham Rahal, Ryan Hunter Reay, Jonathan Summerton, Kyle Busch and of course Danica Patrick, there are a host of exciting Americans ' out there. But none of them have ' FI experience. , Forthat,there's an almighty i list of candidates. Gene,de la Rosa, Wurz, Davidson, Sato, Liuzzi, Klien, Pantano,di Grassi, Viileneuve ... hell, even Juan Pablo ' Montoya. And that's where it gets interesting. If you wanted to appeal to the US market, why i not take a hot single-seater driver 1 from IRL and place him in FI? Ryan Briscoe, the formerToyota tester, is an obvious choice. So too Dario Franchitti, Will Power, Helio Castroneves ... the list is long. But what does the FI paddock think USF1 and its team chiefs Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor, should do? Who should they pick? i We asked a number of wise I paddock sages for their ideas. If I they ran USF1, who would they I choose? I The conditions? Only that their I choices had to be realistic (ie, not I a Hamilton and Alonso-type lineI up, as we know who is already [ under contract for 2010) and that I at least one of the two race drivers had to be an American. IIDH^ 39

Button,so the concentration has been on the car and the feedback has been calculated and based

KmKEUOSBKKC; 1982 WORIJ) CHfliMPIOlV Well, Villeneuve's already signed for them hasn't he? I don't know. But it's a new team,so you need to have somebody who's already done Formula 1, because for somebody who hasn't been in Formula 1, it's a very big step.You don't have a lot of testing anymore, so it's very very difficult for young drivers, i'm sure they already have someone who is established and experienced. I don't know who it is. I don't know which American you could put in. With the list as it stands, you'd have to take Danica but that's not going to happen. They're going to have to take a punt on a young American as a second driver. Marco [Andretti] isn't going to go because Michael doesn't want him to go. Graham Rahai has to come here and do GP2 if he wants to do FI. Danica isn't going to go. She's a big name in America, so she's not going to takp the risk to come here ... but she shouldn't take the risk to goto NASCAR,either. So you know, how long is the list? But I don't know who else you could put on it.

FURlllJORRyllV FX-Fl niMi BOSS I still think that you need some experience, and somebody like Anthony Davidson or Tonio Liuzzi, who knows the tracks, is important. Now there is no testing, it'll be very important that the team leader would need to have experience of Formula 1 and preferably, one who has driven. This is not a kindergarten, it is a very tough school. When I started Jordan, I started with one young driver in Bertrand Gachot and the experience of Andrea de Cesaris. For me,that was the best option, and one of the key things about Brawn this year is that they didn't go with young Senna but with the experience of Barrichello and 40

on experience. People remember your first year, so it's not worth taking risks. There is no room for errors. The American side is quite difficult, because we don't see so many of their young drivers over here. Scott Speed has been around for a long time, he's been good, he knows about European racing, i don't know too much about what is going on with young drivers, but Scott Speed wouldn't be a bad choice. He knows the language, he's been in F3, GP2, FI. He'd be fine, no problem.

underrated, drivers that i have ever had the pleasure to watch and photograph over the course of my career. Having supported Liuzzi from his days of winning the Karting World Championship in 2001, beating the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg to the title and beating Michael Schumacher in the final round in Kerpen,that he was never allowed to show his true potential in Formula 1 would allow me to give him a well deserved second chance.

imiicozfiiXMtixi imniuRmivAGPR ULUlTIISRRIJXDIJi; FI COMMFXTATOR It's a no-brainer. Danica Patrick and bring Michael Schumacher back out of retirement. Easy. Danica is obviously pretty good, she'd be a big story, which would help with the sponsorship in the early phases of the team,and then you'd need to put somebody with experience alongside her. It needs to be somebody like Michael. I might even put somebody like de la Rosa, who has a workmanlike approach with a realistic expectation, but who knows which way is up and can bring with him a load of experience and knowledge from somewhere like McLaren. Alex Wurz lost his mojo a bit when he came back. Or you could get a big name - if you could afford them.

I'd bring Scott Speed back, but I don't think he wants to come back. Speed is the one that has the most experience in FI and has recently shown something in the States. Andretti is a no. Hunter-Reay is possible but he doesn't know the circuits. So, Scott Speed. For the other driver, I would think that there's people like Barrichello maybe who would be interested to continue in FI. It really depends on if Alonso goes to Ferrari, and it depends what the market will offer. I'd wait to see who is a good experienced driver and who is marketable in America. I guess for that reason, Bourdais would be perfect.

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For a young American racer, I would vote for Marco Andretti. Lower profile than Danica Patrick, so he wouldn't dwarf the team, but still with'the name'.

First of all, I would have to go for Scott Speed - great name, great guy! Speed is, in my opinion, hugely talented but unfortunately wasn't given the due respect by Red Bull when he was driving the Toro Rosso in 2006 and 2007.

Not many American drivers could be described as glamorous. Marco is - and has lots of celebrity mates he can bring to races. Plus, to come second in the Indy 500 at his first attempt - one better than his granddad's debut - he must have talent. At 22, he's the right age, has some FI testing experience, and will come with

Secondly, I'd opt for young Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi. Liuzzi is one of the most talented, yet

good people around him. A chap who could be marketed well to a US audience, i think, is Tonio Liuzzi. He'll be available next year, he's experienced, he's hungry. You just need to see his F3000 record to know he has sublime talent. He never really got the chance to show what he could do at Red Bull. He also has the valuable experience of having raced for start-up teams, so he understands the development process and how to drive around problems.

]mfy)SPijRG]i;ox IJSJ01JRXMJ8T XEWYORK mnis Danica Patrick... it's simple, it's stupid, it's unoriginal, but I'm saying that because I think they should have a strategy whereby they've got a driver who may have potential but who also has marketing potential - and Danica obviously has extraordinary marketing potential. It would be an amazing coup. She, on paper, has what it takes because she's raced in Europe and takes her racing seriously. But the only problem Is, we'd have to be sure she would be more committed than someone like Michael Andretti was to living in Europe and living the FI lifestyle. But if they could get her, and if she'd be committed, it would bring so much attention to the team by the fans. It would be huge. Then I think they could go for a non-American driver who could be the workhorse and the stable one to bring in the points if it's possible. Now they wouldn't have much of a budget, and as unpopular as this might be to say and as mad under the circumstances... but why not Bourdais? My reasoning for that is that while the second driver can bring in the publicity, Bourdais is technically proficient, good at giving feedback and he's also well known in the US. He was huge over there and highly respected. He may have done himself damage over here [Europe] but I think that it would give a little bit of everything to the team and a driver who is still hungry to show what he can do.

motorsporinews

Coming to America: No,not Eddie Murphy(or even,Eddie Irvine). But Danica Patrick, top left. and Scott Speed,above in Toro Rosso,seem to be the favourites among our panel ofexperts. Marco Andretti,far left, also found favour, as did 'wildcards', like Tonio Liuzzi, Sebastien Bourdais and Juan Pablo Montoya,left.

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OTORSPORT NEWS:You've won a handful of reverse top 10 Race 2 events now in the Fujitsu V8 Series - including the last round at Townsville.You're becoming a bit of a specialist in that race... ** GRANT DENYER: It's probably just more due to the fact that... there's nothing wrong with my race pace, it's just that my qualifying has always traditionally let me down. Myself and team are now starting to understand what I need and being a little bit more intelligent about how we go about it. It's funny. Whenever I get near the front, I'm fine, but it's obviously a problem that I'm starting too far behind at the start of a weekend. So you've identified qualifying as a weakness? Yeah definitely. I'm also a bit slow at the start of a weekend as well. It might be something to do with the fact that I lead a busy life and it takes me a couple of sessions to get in the groove in a race weekend. Qualifying is definitely a flaw that we're working on.We're getting around it slowly and moving further forward,trying to make it easier. Come Race 2, whenever I get a sniff of a chance at the front, you tend to rise above it and show better pace than you thought you could, because you don't ever want anyone to take a vyin off you. Be it reverse grid race or whatever,once you're out in front, you seem quite good at being able to hold your nerve. Do you notice that? All my starts this year have been fantastic so I've been able to get myself back up to the front of the field, even after a poor

which is really good. Even in Race 3 at Townsville, I got a little extra wheelspin and made contact with Jonathon Webb at the start on my way past. So my starts are good,the race pace is good,it's just a matter of making it all work. Would you like to spend more time on racing? You're television career obviously goes hand-in-hand with your racing on a commercial level, but if you had your own way in life, would you like a couple of years where all you could dedicate yourself to motorsport? I'd love that opportunity.The reality is that I got into television purely to fund my motorsport and to be able to offer a commercial package. What has ended up happening is that it's divided my attention. But this year, after having my accident, I've been able to focus more on my racing and I think those results are showing. My times are better, my racecraft is a lot better and just in shifting my priorities a little bit, it's turning big results. For me,it begs the question that"lf I did this wholly and solely, how good could I be? The thing is, i've got a fantastic television career that I couldn't possibly let go of, so I don't think I'm ever going to know. So there's not going to be a permanent change in the priority shift, that you mentioned? Not really.The best I can hope for is that I get them to work well alongside one and other. I've spent about 12 years of my television career to get where I am and I'm probably one of the lucky five in the industry that hosts live television shows

qualifying.

and has good long term future prospects. You don't just beat that off with a stick whenever

At Winton, we did a 3.6s O-IOOkmh off the line, which is better than anyone at Dick Johnson racing has done this year. And our starts have been averaging around that as well

you want to go play. I've got to be mindful is that when I stop in television, you start to get overlooked.That career is too good an lIBi^ opportunity to let go. 1

Grant Denyer is having his mostcompetitive N'tsuVS Seriesseason to date-and part »fthe reason behind thatis thanksto his neardebilMating incidentiast year. GRANT ROWLEYspoke to the racer/televisien star

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Unfortunately, I have

to divide my attention between the two, but that's a nice problem to have. As part of this feature, I spoke to a few people about you as a race driver and the familiar theme was that you're"under rated"as a race driver. Would you agree with that? We knew that was always going to be the case.The moment I took on television as a career, that would always be the brush that I was tarred with. I've never really had a problem with it because I pretty much expected it anyway. How I'm perceived doesn't really affect me. My main reward is just going out and doing the best with what I've got. Commercially, I've had weak packages in the past few seasons. There's a million and one reasons why a driver doesn't do well, and I think now that I've placed more attention on my racing, and that I'm with a better team this year, a better deal, I'm hoping to show what I always knew I could. Every time I tested with (Michael) Caruso (ED: when the pair drove at Bathurst in 2007), I'd be a tenth or two faster. That year, I didn't have much to bring to the table. I only had a half-priced drive and when you have a half-priced driver, you have a half-priced product. You can't whinge and complain about that-it is what it is. I always knew that once I had a good budget and a car as good as anyone else's, I'd be able to cut the mustard. It's really only now that I have that.

What's the plan from here then? With TV,the Fujitsu V8 Series is the highest full-time level you'd probably be able to compete at. Is it a matter of staying with DJR and building on that relationship or do you still seek more. I still seek more,there's no doubt about it. Last year with DJR's cars, they were the oldest in the field and while they are a polished product with good support, we still probably have to work a little harder than someone like (James) Moffat, who is driving Craig Lowndes's car from last year. DJR's cars were dinosaurs last year, so they're not any better this year! But with good expertise and a large amount of data and experience with the cars, they are developing me as a driver, helping me understand it. I feel my learning curve has increased

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Back to where he started:Denyer began his V8 career with Dick Johnson Racing in 2005,above. After a season with Matthew White Racing, he returned to the DJR foid this year, beiow.

this year. I'm a lot more intelligent about how I go about how I drive the car and why.That's what's giving us good car speed and the results to match. It's just been a hobby in the past and I've fitted in where I could, but now, it's a semi profession. I'm proud that I'm still around,even though it's taken a season or two longer to get these results that I'd hoped for. Is there something in motorsport that you'd like to tick off- race in an event, win a certain event - before you can no longer do it any more? What's the one thing in this sport that you need to achieve? Doing the Nurburgring 24 Hour was pretty special. It was the place of places when it comes to ballistic circuits. Finishing ninth there was great fun. Domestically? I'd like to take out an Aussie endurance race. Something like the 12 Hour would be fanastic, but at the moment I'm focused on the Fujitsu Series. We're only three rounds down, in the first round, I wasn't quite well enough. I'm only going to get better and we're sitting in a nice position in the championship so I'm just going to chase down the big one. How are your injuries going? (ED: Denyer was involved in a freak monster car accident that

broke his back) Are you still affected by it? I still have to manage it, which is a good thing. I can't run or anything high impact like that. It doesn't affect me too much in the car - nothing that a little bit of physio doesn't tweak afterwards. It's really no huge problem at the moment considering how bad it was at the start. I can't train as hard or do as much as anybody else because it can't quite tolerate that yet. And MINI Challenge.You fit that into your program. From the outside,the Fujitsu Series is your focus and the MINI keeps your eye in. Is that how you see it? Yeah, definitely. I just have the time of my life in the MINI.They are really good fun to race it, good for your racecraft. I won the round in Tassie and pulled off some crazy manoeuvres to do it. It's really, really good fun and it's brought the'fun'factor back to motorsport. It helps me enjoy it a lot more. Last year, it was going great things for me and to bow out of the championship with my injury was a pretty painful thing to do. But to comeback this year and have another run is awesome. It's a very fun form of motorsport. If you're not having fun, then I don't think you're ever going to do any good ...

motorsport news

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Is mntDenyer"under-rated'as a race driver? Michael Caruso

DenVei^2007endure team-mate(WPS)

"EVEN the fact that he's got a good career in both television and motor racing is a credit to him. "It can't be easy for him. It's obviously quite demanding doing TV but I think if he concentrated on just his racing, there's no doubt he'd have a good chance at ' moving up to the Championship Series. "This year has proven that he can do the job behind the wheel. He's up against some good drivers and cars in the Fujitsu Series at the moment. "We only did Bathurst together, but it was quite good because we were both driving against each other in the Development Series. We weren't too far apart which was good, that's exactly what you need as a Bathurst team.You need drivers who are evenly matched. "Grant is also extremely good to get along with and gives good feedback for the car as

well."

Accotilinq to these three wholmowhhiiwelUicis Matthew White Grant Denver'sfather

Denver's 2098 Fujitsu Seriesteam owner

'I THINK Grant in his own mind knows that he's not a Lowndes or a Rick Kelly or a James Courtney, but when you consider it's not his profession, and considering his demands with television and the time he has to devote to that, I think he's a credible driver. "He's fast when he needs to be fast. He's extremely safe. He very rarely gets into a situation which causes damage to the car or turns people around - and most importantly he's quick. "His time in the Bathurst 12 Hour in the

"WE got involved with Grant in 2008. It was all a last minute decision and it made the season very hard for us. "Even with that. Grant managed to achieve his bestever qualifying position and his first couple of race wins with us. "To be honest, I don't think we've seen the best of him.This year was a good step up for him, going back to Dick Johnson Racing, but he's also had his set-back with his injuries. "It's probably only fair to say that Grant will be at his peak next year. "Working with him,sometimes we found him to be a little hot and cold. He's got that much going on in his life and a lot of distractions, but one thing you can say is that when he gets out in front, he's like a dog with a bone. "He has off times.There were a couple of times when he wasn't as fast as he should have been, but then the next day, he'd be like a new man and be right on it."

past few years have really proved around The Mountain in a production car, he's as quick as anyone on the track. "I guess the question really is that if it was his profession and if he had time to dedicate to his fitness, then I think he'd be even faster. Not trying to sound like a father who is biased, but I do think that for the time he devotes to it, he does a very good job."

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HE Townsville round of the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series proved two things; one, James Moffat is a clear favourite for the title, despite only being third in the series, and two. Grant Denyer is driving V8 Supercars better than he ever has before. The pair split the wins, with Moffat winning the two important ones (Races 1 and 3), and Denyer winning the inverted top 10 grid Race 2. For Moffat, it was all about positioning himself for a crack at the title after a disappointing outing last time at Winton. And he found every bit of retribution he needed, looking better - significantly better - than everyone else in the field on his way to his two wins (and third in Race 2). When people say that Moffat's ex-Triple Eight Falcon is the best in the FV8 field, they're probably right, but you can't hide the fact that Moffat has very few V8 miles, and that it is Sonic's first year in the category. Weekends like Townsville highlight what a great job team and driver are doing. "With it being a new circuit, and us all starting with a clean slate, I thought we could look pretty good," he said. "As it turned out the car was good, and that's how you want to do it. The car speed is the most important, and we had plenty. "But with a reverse grid race, there's always a challenge. You don't even have to do anything wrong to end up in someone else's crash, so I was a bit worried about that. And then in Race 3 the car wasn't as consistent as it was in Race 1, so it wasn't as easy as it might have looked." Jonathon Webb was second for the round, took two second places, and left FNQ leading the points. Quite remarkable, given he is yet to win a race this year, but points win titles, and Webb is yet to have an outing where he's really dropped the ball, even if he hasn't stood up for the big victory. His biggest challenge will come in the next few rounds, if Moffat really throws down the gauntlet. Will Webb be able to respond? Well, it will be good to watch, let's put It that way ... Denyer was third for the round and, like Winton, looked fast and smooth. He won the reverse grid race, finished third for the meeting, and kept himself in with what now has to be considered a reasonably realistic shot at the titie. Former title rival David Russell was fast, but a shocker in Race 2 lost him the title lead. He still heads Moffat in the standings, still has pace In the Howard Racing Falcon, and will still make it a three-way fight with Moffat and Webb for the remainder of the season.

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Contenders, or pretenders? Grant Denyer looked pretty good in Townsville, winning a race, above, while Jono Webb, right, stiil couldn't crack a win, but left FNQ with the series iead...

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Grant Denyer Daniel Gaunt David Russell

Dick Johnson Racing Falcon BF The Mad Butcher Falcon BF Sherrin Rentals Falcon BA

Taz Douglas Rodney Jane Todd Wanless Shane Price Brad Lowe Sam Walter

Fastaz Motorsport Commodore VZ Sonic Motor Racing Falcon BF Flobson Motorsport Falcon BA Sip 'N' Save Commodore VZ Flaines Bros Earthmoving Falcon BF AWL Motorsport Commodore VZ NDD Commodore VZ

1 2 7 5 4 8 12 15 9 6 10 11 14 3 13

1 2 7 4 3 6 12 15 8 5 14 11 13 9 10

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1 4 6 2 3 5

999 26 777 50 27 92 20 96 42 28 47 36 49 29 72

Geoff Emery Ben McCashney Damian Assaillit Paul Morris

Playstation Falcon BA Fujitsu Racing Falcon BA Dudes Raceshop Commodore VE

9 DNF DNF DNF 7 DNF 10 DNF

Points: Webb 774, Russell 754, Moffat 689, Denyer 642, Price 561, Douglas 546, Gaunt 526,

- ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN Walter 489, Lowe 438, Emery 409, Assaillit 408, Drew Russell 295, Ben Eggleston 236.

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VER past 12 months, tough times have hit our world's

economy and motor racing has become one of the first items to be crossed off the 'things to do this weekend' list, but there is one Australian class that is defying the global cutbacks. GT3 Cup Challenge has emerged .as one of the flourishing categories on our local racing scene, with healthy Porsche grids competing in its six round national series. GT3 Cup Challenge, one of four'core' Shannons Nationals categories, is run all around the world, including New Zealand and America. Essentially, it's a place for superseded Carrera Cup cars to compete as a'second-level'class. In 2008, Australia's version was instigated by Porsche drivers Sven Burcartz and JonTrende, and after the demise ofthe car company's flagship title - the Australian Carrera Cup Championship - the GT3 league has come to greater prominence and importance this season.

With close to 100'Cup Car'996 and 997 models in Australia and New Zealand, this area of the world is certainly not lacking for eligible vehicles. With this in mind, the GT3 Cup Challenge filled a gaping whole in the market. Jodi Zylstra, a former operations manager at Carrera Cup, is entrusted with the role of GT3 series administrator. Initial talks of its emergence came in December 2007 when Burcartz and Trende felt that the Australian GT class - the home of local Sportscar racing - wasn't catering for their exact needs. At the time, Porsche was happy with the plans, as it had always envisaged a GTS Cup class in Australia anyway. By March 2008, CAMS gave the class the green light to proceed and Zylstra was immediately given the role as administrator. Sven and Trendy came up with the idea and approached Porsche.That's when Porsche suggested and recommended that I do it," she says. nil "I thought it was fantastic. I 49

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worked with Carrera Cup, and the GT3 Cup Challenge was something that was spoken about while I was working at Carrera Cup. At that time, we knew we'd need somewhere stable for these cars to run. I was very much a supporter of the idea to give the old cars a place to race." Using the word 'old'for these cars might be a bit far fetched.The 996 model was brought to Australia en mass for Carrera Cup's local debut in 2003. Now,there are over 40 of those models in Australia. And with 30 997s (that were first raced in Australian Carrera Cup in 2006),there is no shortage of eligible Porsche Sportscars. But these aren't the only cars allowed to race in GT3 Cup Challenge. Older, normally aspirated models are allowed to play as well and encouraged. According to series director Burcartz, diversity is one of the key attractions of the class. "GT3 is about diversity," he says. "It's about getting hold of the guy who competes in higher-level club stuff or state racing and bringing them across to our class. "That's what we're looking for. It gives an opportunity to get those guys some race miles under their belt in an environment which isn't so pressured. "We want them to then look at it and say'hey.

I want to go a bit faster, I'll buy another car.' "We want to create an internal market for those who want to change their rides. "We don't aspire to getting 40 car grids every meeting.That will happen from time to time, but that can also have its own problems as well. "At tracks like Bathurst, large fields work. Cars don't trip over one and other too much, but the ideal number for us is between 25-30, both from race management and a financial point of view." Fellow series directorTrende agrees. "We'd like to see the fields grow a bit," he says. "I'm sure that's the same as any motor sport category that's running around at the moment. If we can get a stable field of 25-30 cars at any event, we'd be pretty pleased." This year, GT3 Cup Challenge entry lists have traditionally sat around the 20-car mark - so it isn't far from where they really want to be.The only exception is at rounds like Bathurst and Phillip Island which have been recognised as 'must-race'circuits by the GT3 competitors. At those events, Porsche race car owners around the country make an extra effort to dust off their cars and race with their mates. And that's precisely what the series was originally established for - to race with your mates. Without GT3 Cup Challenge on the scene, Porsche owners were limited to competing

either Carrera Cup or Australian GT. Both operate at a more'professional'level and Zylstra says that GT3 Cup Challenge has filled a small but obvious whole in the market. "We are very much aware that we're for the amateur person who just wants a place to race their Porsche and we're focused on that market," he says. "A lot of guys referred to it as a Rugby weekend away.They're all mates,they get out of the cars and pat each other on the back at every park ferme. "Accidents happen, and thankfully I can say that not once has there been an intentional ontrack incident. We've had probably one major, unintentional car-to-car crash. Generally, the guys give each other racing room, and they talk about giving each other that room. I've seen guys go up to each other and say'look, if you're quicker than me and you've got a run, there's no use exchanging paint.' "I often say at a driver's briefing, we all respect our own machinery, let's respect your competitors as well and let's get them home on the back of the trailers straight at the end of the weekend." While GT3 might be marketed towards the'wealthy weekend warrior,'the class still maintains a professional look. AN the cars are presented at the highest order and have attracted some corporate support.

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"People are doing it at a pretty professionai level,"Trende says. "They are doing it properly.They are out there looking for sponsorship and trying to deiiver a commercial outcome for the sponsors on their car. "You've got to remember that the guys who are our competitors, racing isn't their primary source of income. "We're here for tRe value-for-money motor sport participant who typically is a successful business person who is pretty time-poor, who wants to race in an affordable category but wants to do it at a decent level." As far as the future of the category is concerned, that is in the hands of Zylstra and the directors. "To a degree, we're in partnership with Porsche, but at the end of the day, it's up to us,"she says. "As long as we meet our requirements as far as Porsche is concerned, it's really up to us to drive it to where we want it to go. "Where I see it going in the next five years, I think we've got a fantastic recipe now,and we understand what our customers are after. Therefore, in two years time, we need grids of 25 cars on a consistent basis. I'd also like to see some of the older. Class B model cars come out and people being able to realise that this is a chance for them to join like-minded Porsche nuts to race for the weekend."

www.miiews.eom.au

One make, many models: According to series directors, diversity will be the key to attracting larger grids, like Graeme Cook's 1971 Porsche 911 RS example,left. Above, Jon Trende's 996 Cup Car leads Keith Wong's GT3 R. Below,2009 title leader Matt Kingsley(996, background), 1 sits alongside Mark Krashos'997 at ' Mallala. Opposite left, Bathurst has I j proved popular with Porsche lovers ^ all across Australia.

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THE MOTDRSPaRT MANAGER: L JAMEY BLAIKIE JAMEY Blaikie is the Motorsport Development Manager of Porsche Cars Australia and is the former boss of Carrera Cup Australia. He has seen the best and worst of Porsche racing on a local and international front and says that GTS Cup Challenge has been tailored specifically to the competitors needs. "GTS Cup doesn't require the level of management or control like we had in Carrera le say^."lt's meant to be a more fun, geable, relaxed category where you enjoy your racing with your mates. "We deliberately did that because there was a hole in the market

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"The class was always envisaged from a Porsche point of view anyway, regardless of whether Carrera Cup continued or not," he says. "It was always a progression after Carrera Cup went to the new model of car which we'd planned to do in 2010. After that, we'd planned to create GTS Cup Challenge to sell the old cars into - that was always the plan. It's been part of Porsche's five-year plan for a long time. It just happened 12 months earlier the 997 was allowed to be eligible 12 months earlier."

Despite the Carrera Cup drama at the start of 2009, Blaikie is confident that the top ievei Porsche series will return to Australian shores which wasn't being catered for - one day. by anyone else. It was just a "We've got plans to relaunch Carrera Cup whole bunch of guys who wanted to go and do it." in the future. It will be a couple of years. You From a Porsche have to be realistic," he says. point of view, Blaikie "Just look at any category - they're all struggling at the moment. All of them, doesn't says that with matter who it is. We'll wait a while for the the demise of economy to recover. We've got plans in place. Carrera Cup, it We're already working on it now, discussing was important to things internally, but it's still early days.' k eep these cars - GRANT ROWLEY competing.

THE TERRY KNIGHT PORSCHE dealer by day, racer on days that start with an'S'. Terry Knight started his racing career only a couple of years ago in Queensland, winning the Porsche Car Club's championship in 2006. From there, he was looking for the next step, and GTS Cup Challenge was the ideal fit. "I took it up a) for fun, and b) because i'm too old to play rugby any more," he says. "I started just doing Sprints with the Porsche Car-Club. We've got a very strong club up here in Queensland and it is very motorsport orientated. It's not uncommon for us to get 70 competitors at a Sprint at Queensland Raceway or Morgan Park. "I managed to jag being the club champion in 2006, so this is sort of a progression from there. A Cup Car became available and I went halves with a mate - so here I am now. "My wife Jodi was asked to be the category manager, so I went out and got my licence. Last year I ran around on a P Plate, this year I've got my Nc licence, and it's just a heap of fun. "I sell and service a lot of cars to the guys who I race with, so it's a bit of a mix of business and pleasure. "Qur mantra is 'race with your mates.' Like-minded guys who are businessmen by the week and then go away racing on the weekend. You race during the day and go away and have a few beers later." Racing against your mates is one thing, but beating them is another. "The email piss-taking and winding blokes up before and after the events is hilarious. We spend most our time laughing, to be honest!" 52

THE BUSINESSMAN: Lago, director of Lago Coldstores, races a 997 that he bought from Asia with the idea of using it in club-tyre events, including the Pirelli Gran Turismo Series (that eventually folded before the start of this season). When that model became eligible for the 2009 GTS Cup season, he jumped at the chance to race with his like-minded racing rivals. "Luckily, the class threw us a lifeline to allow the 997 to go race with them," he says. "I wasn't a pro or seeded driver. I'm just an amateur, so they accepted my entry so I can race with my mates from the club. "There are some fairly good tracks in the series - Phillip Island, Bathurst and Eastern Creek - that was the big drawcard. But mainly being able to run my car in the series was the key. The only other class I could have run in was Australia GT, but they only allow eight cars from any manufacturer into their series. They had picked who they wanted to join them. "The class has got a good amount of cars - up to 20 cars each meeting with a good bunch of guys and clean racing. Obviously the 997 will be eligible for outright contention next year. Hopefully I'll be strong for next year, having already used it this year and developed it. "The entry fees are very economical. Obviously, you go through fuel and tyres etc, but there's a common theme within that while we're keen to beat each other, were mindful that no one wants to go home with a bent car. There's a lot of respect on the track that you may not have found in other categories."

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^HE LEADER: MATT KINGSLEY $ROM the outside, it would seem that Matt Kingsley is in a different position to other GT3 Cup Challenge competitors. For the others,the general feeling is that racing in GTS is their round of golf, of the thing to do while their not taking their family for a weekend trip to the snow. ‘Kingsley, on the other hand, had aspirations to be a professional racing driver. And that was all going to plan. He was a contender in the V8 Utes Series a couple of seasons until being involved in a horrific V8 Utes accident at the Clipsal 500 in 2008. The Gold Coaster was confined to the sidelines with serious injuries last year, and decided that the best way for him to return to racing was in a lowpressure class- and GTS Cup was his first Choice. "I was racing in the Utes,and it got to the stage where I wasn't having fun any more/'he says.

"It is a good ciass, but after i had my accident, i wanted to step into a iowerkey category. My crash was pretty horrific so i didn't want to go back out andmakeafooiofmyseif.Ithought l about Fujitsu V8s, but in the Porsches, there's no pressure on me to perform at the moment. "So now i'm out there racing with my Porsche friends from the Goid Coast. There's about seven of us and we race against each other and it's a bunch of fun. "There's a great atmosphere in the ciass and something that I get a iot of enjoyment out of instead of coming back with a bent car. Everyone herehasasmiieonI their face and we finish the Ijeer in our hands. It brings the

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The boss and the brains:JodiZylstra,ieft, is the GT3 Cup Chaiienge'S administrator.Sven Burcartz, middie and Jon Irene,right, are the category directors and founders offthe track and team-mates on the track. www.mnews.Gom.am

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U8 SUPERCRR CHRmPIOnSHIP SERIES

The Curse ofCourtney

James Courtney seems destined to never have a smooth run in his V8 Supercar career. But despite a few ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN bumps in the road atTownsville, he did break through to win his first round

OOR James Courtney can't take a trick. AtTownsville,the Jim Beam Racer finally broke through and won a round of the V8 Supercar Championship Series. For a driver as well credentialed as

anyone in the field, but without a major win to his name, it was an important occurrence, and one that should have been a really big deal in a lot of people's eyes. Problem was, most people were so blown away by the quality of the race track, the enormity of the event and the sheer volume of people that wandered through the gates over three days(168,057 to be exact), that, to quote an old sporting cliche, motor racing was the winner. Of course, in a far more accurate way, Courtney was the winner, although maybe it was a little lost. To make matters even worse for JC, Mark Webber went and 54

won the German Grand Prix a few hours later,further ushering Courtney's breakthrough win into the shadows... However,the fact of the matter is that Courtney donged them in Townsville. A brand new circuit, with plenty of technical nuances, was always likely to suit the former FI tester, but as the last three years have proven, things have a way of transpiring against Courtney. Even on this occasion. Lady Luck didn't give him a troublefree run to the chequered flag. Courtney sat on top of the timesheets for hours in practice, but was bundled back to seventh in the last few minutes of the third session. Then, he was fastest in Q2 on Saturday, only be edged from pole by Lee Holdsworth. But that was nothing - the real bad luck was to come.When Race 11 started, Courtney jumped into

the lead, and bolted ... only to have to radio back to the pits to say something was \wrong with the engine. He suggested the car was on seven cylinders, but that fact that he was still sprinting away from the pack suggested otherwise. Maybe everything was going to be okay? Then,on lap 5,the Jim Beam Falcon started to rumble like a diesel locomotive,slowed dramatically, and pulled straight into the garage.There was nothing mythical about the engine problem, but there was something nightmarish about its timing ... Since joining the championship, Courtney has been called many things - overrated, unlucky, inconsistent - but afterTownsville, you can't say he lacks ticker. After the disappointment of Saturday, he dusted himself off, mustered every bit of character he had, and took a fairly straightforward win

from fourth on the grid on Sunday. I say straightforward, because while he got a good break with jumping Jamie Whincup during a Safety Car-induced sprint for the pits, he really won the day on speed. Like Webber's heroics in Germany, Courtney had decided he was going to win Race 12 at Townsville,come hell or high water. "It's been a tough start to the year," he said."Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, and it's just great to be able to reward the guys with a win. "It's been a long time coming. We came straight off the back of the truck this weekend and the car was electric; it was on fire and makes my job so much easier through the weekend.The teams had a bit of a race in the pits as well, so everyone was involved and it made for a great race." Whincup was second in Race 12, but still left far north Queensland

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JAMES COURTNEY: When JC arrived in V8s, he did so with a lot of promise. Finally, at Townsville, he showed it. TOWNSVILLE: What an event. Massive support from the crowd,glorious weather,and every TV station, radio station, and shop front featured V8-related advertising. Looks a lot like the early days of Adelaide, and we don't mean Clipsal, we mean the FI race... V8 SUPERCARS AUSTRALIA: See above. For 10 years Motorsport News has been reporting that a race would happen in Townsville, and it lived up to the hype. Well played,V8SA. JAMIE WHINCUP: Any time you can blatantly punt someone out the way,and escape penalty, is good news. GRM: Lee Holdsworth will have to go in the Losers column as well, but the team look more and more like contenders.

All you need is love... I mean luck:Jamie Whincup probably should have copped a drivethrough for this hit on Jack Perkins, above right, but didn't, and won the race. Lee Holdsworth,right, would have if his engine had held on. with more points that anyone thanks to an extraordinarily lucky win on Saturday. Why was it so lucky? Well first there was Courtney's demise, and then Holdsworth, who instantly became the fastest man on the circuit and the likely winner, lost oil pressure and had to hit the kill switch on his GRM Commodore. That put Whincup, who had gone like a busted backside in the shoot-out, started ninth, and fluffed the start, in the box seat. But even then he tried to lose the race by nerfing a lapped Jack Perkins out of the way after a restart, seemingly tempting race officials to give #1 a drive through. For whatever reason, they resisted the temptation, and Whincup went on to win from Garth Tander and Will Davison. But when you're on a roll ... www.mnews.com.au

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UB 5UPERCRR51 RACES 11-1S, TOlUnSUILLE Pos # 1 1 2 2 3 22 4 888 5 5 6 34 7 17 8 10 9 14 10 18 11 12 12 25 13 111 14 15 333 24 16 39 17 33 18 15 19 11 20 6 21 7 22 16 23 24 9 25 67 26 3 27 55 28 51 29 4 30 77

Driver Jamie Whincup Garth Tander Will Davison Craig Lowndes Mark Winterbottom Michael Caruso Steven Johnson Paul Dumbrell Cameron McConville James Courtney Dean Fiore Jason Bright Fabian Coulthard Jason Richards Michael Patrizi David Reynolds Russell Ingall Lee Holdsworth Rick Kelly Jack Perkins Steven Richards Todd Kelly Mark McNally Shane Van Gisbergen Tim Slade Jason Bargwanna Tony D'Alberto Greg Murphy Alex Davison Marcus Marshall

Team/Car TeamVodafone Falcon FG Toll HRT Commodore VE Toll HRT Commodore VE TeamVodafone Falcon FG FPR Falcon FG GRM Commodore VE Jim Beam Racing Falcon FG Team Autobarn Commodore VE

Q1 9 3 5 15 16 4 8 12

R7 1 3 2 4 8 5 13 11

Q2 3 1 2 9 5 6 22 19

R8 2 3 4 9 6 10 S

LEE HOLDSWORTH: Also would have won Race 11 if his engine didn't give up.

WOW Racing Commodore VE Jim Beam Racing Falcon FG Triple F Racing Commodore VE Fujitsu Racing.Falcon FG Wilson Security Racing Falcon FG Team BOC Commodore VE

13 2

9 DNF

14 4

11 1

28 27

17 16

28 8

16 18

10 6

15 23

10 21

19 12

Wilson Security Racing Falcon BF Bundaberg Red Commodore VE Supercheap Auto Commodore VE GRM Commodore VE Jack Daniel's Commodore VE

18 11 14 1 19

20 22 6 DNF 7

27 11 17 13 12

15 14 DNF 7 DNF

Dodo Racing Team Commodore VE 25 FPR Falcon FG 21 17 Jack Daniel's Commodore VE

18 21 10

26 24 20

22 20 DN F

Hi-Tec Oils Racing Commodore VE SP Tools Racing Falcon FG Supercheap Auto Commodore VE Sprint Gas Racing Commodore VE The Bottle-0 Commodore VE Sprint Gas Racing Commodore VE Irwin Racing Falcon FG Team Intaracing Falcon BF

24 12

29 7

DNF 14 DNF 19 DNF

25 15 16 23 18

21 DN F 13 DNF 17 DNF DN F

29 7 23 20 22 26 24

JAMES COURTNEY: Would have won Race 11 if his engine didn't give up.

Championship points: Whincup 1560, W Davison 1386,Tander 1212, Lowndes 1110, Johnson 1050, Holdsworth 993, Winterbottom 957, R Kelly 903, Ingall 830, Caruso 828, Coulthard 828, van Gisbergen 798, Dumbrell 789, McConville 786, J Richards 777, S Richards 711, Courtney 698, A Davison 666, Bright 633, Reynolds 591,T Kelly 573, Patrizi 522, Murphy 513, D'Alberto417.

STEVEN RICHARDS: 'Richo'turned 37 during the Townsville weekend, but it was anything but a happy birthday. Not looking too flash at the moment... HEALTH FREAKS: Despite the warmth, everyone was sick in Townsville. Steve Johnson, Paul Dumbrell, Michael Patrizi and Mark McNally were the worst hit, Dumbrell with a serious appendix problem. MARCUS MARSHALL: Didn't turn a single lap, and now has a big job to get back on track and avoid further fines for the licence. 55

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Silver Medallists: Jamie Whincup and Michael Caruso, above,split the wins at Hidden Valley. Alex Davison,left, charged into second on Sunday and was cheered home by his SBR troops and the FPR rvals next door. Garth Tander and Craig Lowndes, right,led the way in Race 2 and ended the weekend with the biggest points haul.

motorsport news

UB SUPERCRRS HERE is not a lot of comment needed on Jamie Whincup winning the ninth V8 Supercar Championship Series race at Hidden Valley. After all, he Is the defending Champion,the 2009 points leader and has had a great opening half to the season. Such things are not unexpected. But things were different on Sunday - much different. A Holden won, but it was not a red one,or a black one. It was a GRM car, but it was not Lee Hoidsworth's. Michael Caruso joined the list of winners by starting the race on'green' (unused) Sprint tyres, which allowed him to move through to the lead by lap 8. By the time he pitted to switch to control tyres 11 laps later, he had built what looked to be a race winning lead. In the heat of Darwin,those drivers who started the race on 'roaded'yellow tyres, such as Craig Lowndes,found themselves in trouble, while the sticker tyres worked a treat. Such are the vagaries of the new slant on the 2009 season. But the reverse strategy almost worked as well. Alex Davison and Russell Ingall found themselves on their Sprint tyres for the end of Sunday's race, but they were too far back to make any impression on the leaders unless they got a Safety Car. On lap 58,they got one,and that gave Alex nine laps of clean running to mount a challenge. He did Just that; he was under the leader's wing at the flag. Had the race been 70 laps and not 69, he would have probably won, but Caruso took a well-judged victory. "To stand on the top step in V8 Supercars, a sport that is so big in this country and even in the

ua 5UPERCHR51BRCE510-n,HIDDEn UBLLEV Pos # 1 2 2 888 3 1 4 34 5 5 6 4 7 22 8 15 9 33 10 11 10 12 18 13 39 14 7 15 9 16 14 17 17 18 111 19 6 20 25 21 333 22 77 23 51 24 24 25 16 26 67 27 12 28 3 29 11 30 55

Driver Garth Tender Craig Lowndes Jamie Whincup Michael Caruso MarkWinterbottom Alex Davison Will Davison Rick Kelly Lee Holdsworth Jason Richards Paul Dumbrell James Courtney Russell Ingall Todd Kelly Shane Van Gisbergen Cameron McConville Steven Johnson n Fabian Coulthard Steven Richards Jason Bright Michael Patrizi Marcus Marshall Greg Murphy David Reynolds Dale Wood Tim Slade Dean Fiore Jason Bargwanna Jack Perkins Tony D'Alberto

Teatn/Car Toll HRT Commodore VE Team Vodafone Falcon FG Team Vodafone Falcon FG GRM Commodore VE FPR Falcon FG Irwin Racing Falcon FG Toll FIRT Commodore VE Jack Daniel's Commodore VE GRM Commodore VE Team BOC Commodore VE Autobarn Commodore VE Jim Beam Racing Falcon FG Supercheap Auto VE Jack Daniel's Commodore VE 5P Tools Racing Falcon FG WOW Racing Commodore VE Jim Beam Racing Falcon FG Wilson Security Falcon FG FPR Falcon FG Fujitsu Racing Falcon BF Wilson Security Falcon BF Team Intaracing Falcon BF Sprint Gas Commodore VE Bunderberg Commodore VE Hi-Tec Oils Commodore VE Supercheap Commodore VE Triple F Commodore VE Sprint Gas Commodore VE Dodo Commodore VE Bottle-0 Commodore VE

Q9 3 4 2 17 6 30 9 18 7 1 8 13 12 5 23 10 15 14 22 11 27 26 19 16 28 24 29 20 21 25

R9 4 6 1 11 2 19 3 8 15 7 14 8 13 5 20 9 17 12 21 16 24 28 23 18 25 27 29 22 DNF 26

Q10 1 2 13 6 3 10 7 9 5 14 12 8 17 4 21 11 22 20 23 16 26 19 25 18 27 29 30 15 28 24

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

UB SUPERCRRS I CHRmPIDHSHIP POIRTS Whincup 1272, W. Davison 1128,Tander 954, Lowndes 906, Holdsworth 897,Johnson 873, R. Kelly 807,Winterbottom 765, Van Gisbergen 729, Ingall 728, Coulthard 720, J. Richards 672, A. Davison 666, Caruso 639, McConville 630, Dumbrell 627,S. Richards 624,Courtney 548, Bright 525, Kelly 495, Reynolds 489, Murphy 465, Patrizi 417, D'Alberto 363, Marshall 351,Wood 333, Bargwanna 327’, Perkins 315, Fiore 276, Slade 255.

world it's very, very special," he said after the race. "It's not like I haven't been in this position before, outside of V8 Supercars anyway. I've raced at the top right from go-karts to V8 Supercars and you carry that composure all the way through." For Davison, the result appeared to mean as much almost- as a win. "I was written off and it's a hard deal to get back into when you get booted out once," he said. "It's a little bit emotional. It took half a lap before I realised.Today was just a great day." There was not much

unexpected about Saturday's race. Whincup led home Mark Winterbottom,from Will Davison and Garth Tander, which is a quadrella some may have picked. They might not have expected Steven Richards to qualify and finish outside the top 20,the 2008 Darwin winner having all sorts of understeer problems in his FG. On Sunday,Whincup suffered the gremlins with throttle and brake problems, restricting him to Q13-PI 0.The Jim Beam cars were also in the wars, Steven Johnson struggling mid-grid and James Courtney looking good for a result until a late clash with Will Davison.

WINNERS X MICHAEL CARUSO: It was not down to strategy, tyres or anything else. Caruso took his first win by driving quickly and calmly,and not making an error. TANDER/LOWNDES: Tied for the top score over the course of the weekend. JAMIEWHINCUP: Not a great Sunday outing, but a heap more points. ALEX DAVISON: One race does not make this a great season - but he looked more comfortable than he has n all season. Not bad after a Q30 for Race 9. STONE BROTHERS RACING: Could this be a turning point for the former champions? Both cars looked fast. V8 SUPERCAR RELIABILITY: In hot conditions, over more than 100 laps of Hidden Valley, there were a total of three DNFs in the two races. Some finishers had problems, like Tim Slade's wacky fuel-boiling situation, but in context,that kind of reliability is outstanding.

Losipi FPR: A good result for Frosty does not hide the fact that there are still some mice in the FPR machinery. JASON RICHARDS: Speed to burn, and a great pole, but a result went begging by belting the kerbs too hard. DALE WOOD: IsTander being too hard in his criticism? Maybe, maybe not, but at this level, you should be able to race without disrupting the leaders. KELLY RACING: Signs of speed over the course of the weekend but the results - only Rick made the overall top 10 - did not reflect that as accurately as they otherwise might have.

www.mnews.com.au

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N Germany,the problem Mark Webber faced in his first 130 Grand Prix starts, and the reason he did not win any of them,came into sharp focus - they were too easy. Where is the challenge in starting beside Michael Schumacher or Fernando Alonso on the front row of the grid? Where is the challenge in plotting a way past Lewis Hamilton in a Japanese monsoon? Or in trying to outfox Sebastian Vettel at Shanghai or Silverstone? Pah!That is nothing. What you really need is a medium-tounimpressive start from pole position {your first), car contact before the’first corner - no, make that two contacts - and then a drive-through penalty to ruin your race plan. And to ice the cake, do all that in front of the homeboys of your team-mate, who is being hailed as the next Schumacher, Rossi and Mandela, rolled into one. Stand up Mark Webber(mind that gammy leg, though).Take a bow. This was a win from the heavens. One to be replayed over and over, one that demanded he put his head down and drive like he had never driven before - like few people ever had. And there was no panicked reaction. Even before he told his driver about the penalty for the first contact, with Rubens Barrichello, Webber's race engineer Ciaran Pilbeam had plotted a new strategy to move his driver through the traffic and back to the front.The cause was aided by the fact that Heikki Kovalainen and Felipe Massa once again demonstrated a talent for turning GP cars into moving roadblocks. Webber had clean air and made hay while his only real threats, Vettel and Barrichello, dealt with the scary world of being snookered behind KERS cars. But that version sells Webber short.The real reason he won the race was because he was the fastest man on the track when it counted, even when he was on a heavier fuel load than Barrichello - and even when the Brazilian was on the supposedly faster option tyre. Car 14 was back in the lead before half-distance, and Webber cruised home from there. Rubens grizzled after the race that his hopes of being switched from a three-stop plan to a twostopper, and a late-race position change with Jenson Button, were scuppered by his team's Big Picture preferences.The reality was that a fuel hose malfunction occurred during his second stop,

www.mnews.coni.au

FDRmULR 11 Round S nURBURGRIHG Pos # 1 14 2 15 3 3 4 16 5 22 6 23 7 7 8 2 9 10 10 6 11 21 12 17 13 8 14 5 15 20 16 12 17 9 18 1 Ret 4 Ret 11

Driver Mark Webber Sebastian Vettel Felipe Massa Nico Rosberg Jenson Button Rubens Barrichello Fernando Alonso Heikki Kovalainen Timo Glock NickHeidfeld Giancarlo Fisichella Kazuki Nakajima Nelson Piquet Robert Kubica Adrian Sutil Sebastien Buemi JarnoTrulli Lewis Hamilton Kimi Raikkbnen Sebastien Bourdais

Team RBR-Renault RBR-Renault Ferrari

TimeGrid Laps 60 1:36:43.310s 1 60 +9.2S 4 60 +15.9S 8 60 +21.0S 15 Williams-Toyota 60 +23.6S 3 Brawn-Mercedes 60 +24.4S 2 Brawn-Mercedes 60 +24.8S 12 Renault 60 +58.6S 6 McLaren-Mercedes 60 +61.4s 20 Toyota 60 +61.9s 11 BMW Sauber 60 +62.3S 18 Force India-Mercedes 60 +62.8S 13 Williams-Toyota 60 +68.3S 10 Renault 60 +69.5S 16 BMW Sauber 60 +71.9s 7 Force India-Mercedes 60 +90.2S 17 STR-Ferrari 60 +90.9S 14 Toyota 59 McLaren-Mercedes +1 Lap 5 Radiator 9 34 laps Ferrari 18 laps Hydraulics 19 STR-Ferrari

WINNERS^ MARK WEBBER: We are trying not to be biased or nationalistic but, genuinely, this was a great performance. Not just a deserved result, but an epic drive back from an early setback. FELIPE MASSA: The Ferrari is a renewed beast and, genuinely, Massa looks like the team's number one driver at present.

Drivers'Points; Button 68,Vettel 47,Webber 45.5, Barrichello 44, Massa 22,Trulli 21.5, Rosberg 20.5, Glock and Alonso 13, Raikkonen 10, Hamilton 9, Heidfeld 6, Kovalainen 5, Buemi 3, Kubica and Bourdais 2.

NICO ROSBERG: With a fuel system problem that required him to carry 15kg of extra fuel, Rosberg went from 15th to fourth, 21s behind the winner, in a race with no Safety Cars. Did a podium go begging?

Manufacturers’Points; Brawn 112, Red Bull 92.5,Toyota 34.5, Ferrari 32,Williams-Toyota 20.5, McLaren 14, Renault 13, BMW Sauber 8,Toro Rosso 5.

FERNANDO ALONSO:

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and really, why would a team with ambitions of two titles not prefer Button to gain a point, even if it is at Rubens's expense? Felipe Massa was a solid third, ahead of Nico Rosberg. Ferrari found some form in Germany but the Williams result was a genuine surprise, given that the German struggled in qualifying and the car was hampered in the race. Fifth and fourth in successive races suggests that Keke's lad may be the next first-time winner, now that Webber has ticked that box. The other notable point of the weekend was the speed of Alonso in the second half of the race. Twelfth in qualifying is not that notable, until you throw in the fact that Nelson Piquet was 10th, but come the race, the Spaniard got faster and faster, and logged the fastest lap of the race.

Rumours swirled in Germany that the younger Renault driver was - finally - on his way out (to be Joined by Toro Rosso's Sebastien Bourdais), but the car appears to have turned the corner. And we know what Alonso is capable of doing. But,the reality is that the rest were cannon fodder at the Nurburgring. Webber topped practice and qualifying and, bumps aside, was in a class of his own in the race. His performance suggested that he will not go down in history as a man with a single GP win. Three Aussies have now won Grands Prix. Jack Brabham and Alan Jones parlayed GP wins into World Championships. Really, truly, after this, is it even vaguely wise to bet that Webber cannot do the same?

-■■A Santander

The Tale of the Race: Barichello leads Hamilton, with Webber in between and already tagged for the incident with Rubens. Vettel is eighth after a bad start; that trapped him behind Kovalainen, far right.

Okay, he was'only'seventh. But that Renault flew over the second half of the race. Last year, Nando went on a tear after the mid-point of the season, is history repeating itself?

LOSERS

SEBASTIAN VETTEL: Seems harsh to say a man in second'lost', but on his home turf, in front of his fans and friends, in an identical car, Vettel had his backside handed to him by Webber. BRAWN: They are still in the hunt, in both championships, but they are starting to lose points to teams other than Red Bull. RUBENS BARRICHELLO: Turning on the team that saved you from a year on the sofa is unkind, to put it mildly. Doing it on the BBC is Just plain vulgar. ... and FANS OF REAL RACING: FI may have rediscovered its soul in Germany.This was a win of heroic proportions, by a driver whose off-season accident (while raising money for charity, remember) threatened his very career. After a month of relentless and draining FI politicking, Mark Webber provided a feel good story, and put the sport back into'Motorsport'. 59

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a FQRmULH 11 Round B SlUERSTOTIE Pos # 1 n 15 2 14 3 23 4 3 5 16 6 22 7 9 8 4 9 10 10 21 11 17 12 8 13 5 14 7 15 6 16 1 17 20 18 12 Ret 11 Ret 2

Driver Sebastian Vettel Mark Webber Rubens Barricheilo Felipe Massa Nico Rosberg Jenson Button JarnoTrulli Kimi Raikkbnen Timo Clock Giancarlo Fisichella Kazuki Nakajima Nelson Piquet Robert Kubica Fernando Alonso Nick Heidfeld Lewis Hamilton Adrian Sutil Sebastien Buemi Sebastien Bourdais Heikki Kovalainen

Team RBR-Renault RBR-Renauit Brawn-Mercedes Ferrari Williams-Toyota Brawn-Mercedes Toyota Ferrari Toyota Force India-Mercedes Williams-Toyota Renault BMWSauber Renault BMWSauber McLaren-Mercedes Force India-Mercedes STR-Ferrari STR-Ferrari McLaren-Mercedes

Laps 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 59 59 59 59 59 59 59 37 36

TimeGrid 1:22:49.328s 1 +15.1S 3 +41.Is 2 +45.Os 11 +45.9S 7 +46.2S 6 +68.3S 4 +69.6S 9 +69.8S 9 +71.5s 16 +74.0S 5 +1 lap 14 +l lap 12 +1 lap 10 +1 lap 15 +1 lap 18 +1 lap 20 +1 lap 19 Accident 17 Accident 13

FORdlULR 1UJORLD CHRmPIDRSHIP Drivers'Points: Button 64, Barricheilo 41,Vettel 39, Webber 35.5, Trulli 21.5, Massa 16, Rosberg 15.5, Glock 13, Alonso 11, Raikkonen 10, Hamilton 9, Heidfeld 6, Kovalainen 4, Buemi 3, Kubica/Bourdais 2. Manufacturers'Points; Brawn 105, Red Bull 74.5,Toyota 34.5, Ferrari 26, Williams-Toyota 15.5, McLaren 13, Renault 11, BMWSauber 8,Toro Rosso 5.

Bullseye!Sebastian Vettel won by a mile,left, and caught up with team-mate Mark Webber in pitlane (or rather, the other way around). While the Ferraris went drifting, above,Rubens Barricheilo took second, which evolved into third at the flag. Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso flogged around,finishing 16th and 14th, respectively.

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SEBASTIAN VETTEL: The German marked himself as Button's biggest title threat with an apparently easy win. MARK WEBBER: Another podium. Maybe,this one should have been a win. RUBENS BARRICHELLO: Grey Power. WILLIAMS: Great car, and Rosberg is driving it well. Now,the team needs to stop beating itself in the pits. GIANCARLO FISICHELLA: He drove a really good race. Maybe McLaren should get a couple of Forces, and paint them silver and red ... FI ENGINEERS: Not long ago cars and motors would wilt under Sllverstone's high-speed demands.This year - two retirements, both crashes, not mechanicai. Amazing.

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WINNERS^

LOSERS^ JENSON BUTTON: On a weekend when the Brawns were blown away by the Bulls, he was blown away by his team-mate. Ouch. FERNANDO ALONSO: If you wanna run cool, you got to run,on heavy, heavy fuel. Please, stop letting Dire Straits write your race strategy. MCLAREN: Of all places to look like heck, they surely did not want it to happen at Silverstone, where Lewis won barely a year ago. ...and BRITISH GP FANS: Coming so soon after the spot-the-spectator competition in Istanbul, it was genuinely gratifying to witness a packed Silverstone. We do not subscribe to the 'Donington will be a Disaster' brand ofjournalism. But we lament the demise to the grand old track, where the modern era of GP racing started in 1950. We hope FOTA can,somehow, bring it back. And Imola and Indy, and... 6i

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Somehow, Hirv is on the Pole l ll

IT took Sebastien Loeb five rounds to build what looked to be an unassailable lead in the World Rally Championship - and just three rounds to find himself training Mikko Hirvonen in the points! That's right; by the time the WRC circus left it's first visit to Poland since 1973 - the eighth round of this year's championship - Ford and Hirvonen had taken control. It all came from a three rally losing streak by Loeb, during which he failed to show the same consistency that Hirvonen did during Loeb's early season dominance. Poland was the turning point. On roads fast enough to be mistaken for Finland, Hirvonen was the class of the field, stomping his way to the win.To make matters better, Loeb was out of the running on Day 1 after clipping a stump, only some Citroen shuffling helping him recover to seventh by the rally's end. It could, and should, have been even better for Ford. Hirvonen's team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala was running a clear second up until the final stage - a superspecial when he clouted a barrier and retired. It was another mistake from the firey young Finn - and another test of Ford's faith ...

1 Mikko Hirvonen Jarmo Lehtinen

Ford 3:07:27.5s

2 Dani Sordo

Citroen

Marc Marti

+l:10.3s

3 Henning Solberg Cato Menkerud

Ford +2:05.7s Citroen

4 Fetter Solberg Phil Mills 5 Matthew Wilson

+2:24.3s Ford

Scott Martin

+4:17.5s

6 K. Holowczyc Lukasz Ktirzeja 7 Sebastien Loeb

+4:33.9s

Daniel Elena

+19:15.1s

8 Conrad Rautenbach Daniel Barritt

Ford Citroen Citroen +19:20.6s

Points: Hirvonen 58, Loeb 57,Sordo 39, H Solberg 27, Latvala 25,P Solberg 25. 62

Back in 6 For the first time in three years, Australia is on the WRC schedule. ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN spoke to Garry Connelly, the man responsible for getting World Rallying back to Oz

T'S been three long years since the Australian bush heard the unique exhaust note of a World Rally Car echoing through the trees, but with the reborn Repco Rally Australia Just weeks away from kicking off in New South Wales' Northern Rivers area,the noise drought is about to be broken. The fact that the World Rally Championship has come back to the Australia is in no small part thanks to Garry Connelly. As well as being Australia's FIA delegate, Connelly was one of the key men responsible for building the Perth-based Rally Australia into a world-leading event. He parted company with the event in 2002, before becoming involved again when the West Australian government gave up on World Rallying at the end of 2005,and CAMS needed to find a replacement. As Connelly says, he was just"someone who CAMS asked to help retain the event in Australia, and put together a structure that can make it run into the future." That's exactly what Connelly

has done, playing a big part in building a new Rally Australia, this time based in NSW, near the Queensland border. It's a long way from WA, but according to Connelly, it's an ideal place to be holding a WRC event. "The local areas have been fantastic," he says. "The shire councils,the mayors,the general managers ofthe shires and the local people in general have been overwhelmingly supportive, notwithstanding a very small minority of anti-motorsport activists. "It has great road structure, and despite a few logistical layout problems, it's very close to South East Queensland, which gives you the opportunity to tap into a large population." It was originally expected that the new-look Rally Qz would be based in Queensland, but as Connelly is quick to point out,the event might be on the Maroon's doorstep, but it is blue through and through. "It's very much a New South Wales event;the event is

supported financially by New South Wales Events, and the government has even passed a special act of parliament called the Motorsport World Rally Championship Act 2009." The fact that the event isn't tied to a capital city also opens the door for it to canvas even more of regional NSW ... "That would be a decision for the NSW government, but if it works well in Northern Rivers, then there's no reason why it wouldn't stay there,"adds Connelly. "However, having said that, you probably noticed that at the recent World Motor Sport Council meeting, we passed a whole raft of changes in the way you can lay out a rally, going back to the style of the old days. So there might be the opportunity to keep the rally base where it is, but spread the event a bit further a field." Innovation like that is something you expect from Connelly. After all, the idea of crowd-friendly superspecial stages was something that

lUORLD RflLLVinG

to be blown . u ®*"^y3bout how different the roads ate in NSW compared to WA. The roads in general are incredibly smooth very much driver's roads.Som^^ of them are very, very fast- som e are very, very twisty.The teams will be shocked at how differe tit it will be to Perth.' And the superspecial will have it's differences as well "It's the Speed on Tweed course. done twice,three cars at a time on 15s intervals. In Other Words, it will be a pursuit race.They'll haU to run gravel tyres on a gravel surface." So much for a diminished sense of innovation. With all that said

an event every two years.That makes continuity in the sporting and management team difficult. It's very, very difficult,"adds Connelly. We need to run events in the off-year - it may not be a traditional rally, it may not be

an international rally, it could be some other motorsport event. It could be some other event that has nothing to do with motorsport. Keeping the team together is a very important thing. At the moment we're focussing on putting together a good event on

September 3-6, but straight after that we'll be looking at options. We have a list of options, but at the moment that's confidential.' On to the sporting side of things, and Connelly expects the teams, most of which are used to the compact nature of Europe,

the first Rally Australia? "You know, we could get a surprise winner here. If I had to put money on an outside cha nee. I'd put money on Petter Solberg. Cunning and experience will play a part, because the last day h as over 120km of special stage with no full service, only remote service. and it's got two of the toughest stages of the rally in it.

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EDITED BY GRANT ROWLEY

COVERAGE OF AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL MOTOR RACING CHAMPIONSHIPS & SERIES

StealtK Bomber

>]t FQRinULR FORD

AT 1.82 metres, Jenson Button is remarkably tall. That's not to say that a shade under two metres is gigantic, because in real terms it isn't, but for a Formuia 1 driver, Jenson is enormous. There's a reason for that. From the moment a young driver emerges from a kart and hops into a relatively under-powered single-seater, height and weight become an issue. Generally the two are intertwined, because tall people have a large and heavy frame. That means that minimum weights are hard to keep to, drive comfort is impossibie, and, should the guy or girl in question have large feet, pedal control can be a genuine issue as well. Brett Lupton, boss of Perth-based Formula Ford team Fastlane Racing, has had this problem before. Back in 1997 he had to cram a 192cm monster named Garth Tander into an RF95 Van Diemen, and while Fastlane and Tander won the title, Lupton recognised that it was an issue. Fast forward to 2009, and Lupton has two new young guns on the books - brothers Rhys and Jake McNally - and he is faced with the same old problem. But there's a new solution - Lupton built a brand new car. 64

ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN takes a close look at the newest Aussie-built Formula Ford on the block

suitable for tall people. Enter the Stealth S3. "Basically, I've got two drivers, and one is 6"5' and one is 6"4',"says Lupton. "It was either build them a new car, or go and buy a Touring Car. I thought'hey, there's got to be a market for tall guys with big feet'." The Stealth name is no stranger to Australian Formula Ford. Lupton has been using the moniker on his own updated version of 199495 Van Diemens for years, a practice he started, ironically, forTander's now-wife Leanne when she was Formula Fording back in the late 90s. But this is the first time Lupton and the Fastlane crew have built a car from the ground up, complete with a trick Stealth chassis plate. "It's the same group of people. Peter Davies is the brains behind the computer side of it, Brett Burvill does the bodywork, and we have an absolute genius building the cars, a guy by the name of Mark Bourne. "At the moment we're still working on it; there is still bodywork to be finished, there are still rear uprights to be built,. . But it came down to the point where we had to get the car on track to see how it went, so we've borrowed a few bits here and there and got it going. When the actual product comes out in the next couple of months, it will be the first time that we've built a car from the ground up."

As for seeing "how it went", the early signs are good. Rhys McNaliy has finished second in state rounds in both WA and New South Wales in the prototype, which will soon be fitted with a Duratec engine to evaluate how suitable the car will be for the 2010 Genuine Ford Parts Australian Formula Ford Championship. "The front suspension is a little different [to the old Stealths], and we've made it lighter, stronger and more compact in a few areas," says Lupton. "But we're still working on our old philosophy - the car needs to be user friendly and easy to drive. "At the moment, out of the box, it shows a lot of promise, so we'il keep trundling along and see where we end up." So how does the car cater for the larger, longer race driver? For starters, the foot well is wider and the front part of the chassis is longer. The car features a Formula 3-inspired step-up steering rack, so no part of the steering column is near the driver's feet. And should a more typically-sized driver want to race an S3, the pedals are easily moveable. It's one size fits all. Tander himself is suitably impressed with the product, and plans to join forces with Lupton in 2010 to run two of the cars in the AFFC, under the TanderSport banner, from the team's Melbourne base.

motorsport news

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Making the 'step up': The Stealth S3 features a trick 'step up'steering rack, creating more room for the driver's feet in the foot well, main pic. For the first time, the Stealth features its own chassis plate, below, while Garth Tander is likely to run a couple of cars in 2010, bottom.

FORMULA FORD, RD 4 HIDDEN VALLEY, NT

Manufactured by FasUane Racing (yVA)

Model S3 Make Stealth Chassis Number 001

1 drove [the S3] back from Parc Ferme at Eastern Creek recently and I couldn't reach the pedals, and that's a first for me in an open-wheeler,"Tander says. "From a packaging point of view you could put a 4 d river in it, or a /"driver in it, and they would fit. In a Formula Ford, the engine's air intake is behind your head, so the taller you are, the less horsepower you have. I was always squashed in the car as much as I could be so that my head didn't restrict the airflow. and for someone like young Rhys, he's got the same concerns. This car fixes that. "Formula Ford is gaining legs again, and it makes sense for Brett to hook up with us. Just from a logistics point of view. We've got the equipment, we've got the truck, and we've got the personnel, so Brett would be the factory and we'd be the racing team." Lupton is equally excited about the opportunity to break back into the AFFC, having won the title twice before, once with Tander in 97, and again with Daniel Elliott in 2005. "If we do something it will be the national series, and we'll tie in here with Garth and Tandersport. Obviously that narrows the gap of coming across the desert, so we'll be doing it differently to how we've done it in the past. 'But we need people to be interested for us to be able to do it. It all boils down to whether we can get customers, and whether people have got the faith in us to do it again." www.mnews.Gom.au

DESPITE a couple of "dodgy' starts, Nick Percat took three wins from three races in the recent round of the Australian Formula Ford Championship at Flidden Valley. Percat and the Sonic Motor Racing team were in a league of their own, with Percat's young Kiwi team-mate Mitch Evans finishing second to Percat in all three races. Evans actually beat Percat off the line and led some laps in Races 2 and 3, but the experience of the championship leader came to the fore, cementing his place at the head of the title queue. Ryan Simpson had a stand out weekend with a third place in Race 2, along with a new circuit lap record. Rising Star driver Scott Pye didn't have the pace of the front-runners, but was consistent with fifth, fourth and fourth. He now sits equal econd in teh title with Evans. The next round of the series will be held at Sandown Raceway on August 1-2. Points: Percat 205, Pye 136, Evans 136, Mostert 125, Stanaway 108, Richie Stanaway 108, Simpson 92. 65

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MINI CHALLENGE,RD 3 TOWNSVILLE,QUEENSLAND PAUL Stokell won the inaugural MINI Challenge round of the new Townsville street circuit. Stokell won Race 2 and took

Paul Stokell spoke to GRANT ROWLEY about heading the MINI field mini CHRLLEnGE

OTORSPORT NEWS:You have a

pretty handy lead now, heading into the second half of the MINI Challenge Series.. PAUL STOKELL:Yeah, we've had a pretty strong start to the year. We had a lot of bad luck last year, to be honest. If you look at it, realistically, if you took out the mechanical failures we had, we would have won it quite easily. Going into this year, I was fairly confident that if we had reliability, we'd be OK.We haven't had any problems this year. BMW has worked really hard to fix the little issues on the cars and they're all starting to behave themselves. It's been a good start. So this is a year of redemption? Yeah, I guess you could call it that.. Bill Gremos and the DecoRug people put their heart and soul into the team. As far as myself and [team mate] Grant Denyer are concerned, it was a bit frustrating last year. We had,on average, the best results and between both of us, we're trying to go one better this year and go one better for him.

You’ve raced in some pretty important championships in the past. Does this one mean as much as those? Do you put as much effort into this compared to say Formula Holden or

Nations Cup? Yeah, probably.The only difference is the fitness aspects of it. Some of those other championships I'd competed in like Formula Holden and that kind of thing, you had to work quite hard to drive the car properly. MINI Challenge isn't quite so demanding physically, but other than that, I put just as much effort into everything I do. It's still my reputation on the line. Some people say to me"why do you do MINI Challenge?" After what I've done, I think some people look at it as a bit of a risk. I back myself in everything I do, and if someone beats me fair and square, good on them,fantastic. I think it's a good thing for the series, in a lot of respects, but also, it's been quite rewarding for me. So you take it as serious as anything you've done in the past? Yeah. We've got some good drivers here. Up against my team mate Grant, who is always you're biggest opposition and the one you want to beat. Grant is a very good steerer - probably a bit underrated for his driving ability. He does a fantastic Job - so there's no slacking off. In your opinion, if you could pinpoint MINI Challenges biggest strengths and weaknesses, what would they be? The strength is that it's backed by a manufacturer. We've actually got

strong support, as opposed to a lot of one-make championships that have been out there that haven't had the full backing to kick it on. BMW and MINI put a lot of effort into this to ensure that it is successful. I think it's a great class for young people coming into the sport. I'd recommend they have a go. It's competitive, it's close racing and you're on a national stage so it's good from a recognition point of view, especially f you do well. On the downside, it's hard to say, but we're struggling with the economy,like every other class. MINI is struggling to get big grid numbers.That's the biggest issue. Also, when the cars have hits, they are a little bit vunerable, in the fact that they are frontwheel-drive and everything is up the front of the car. We lose cars regularly because they hit the wail and they can't be fixed quickly. That's one of the biggest downsides.That's probably the only downside of the actually car. Personally, where to for yourself from here? That's a good question. I'm working quite hard on my business at the moment. At the end of the day, I've still got to make a living out of the whole thing. I run a driver training company up in Queensland now, and that's going really well, but like any new business, there's a lot of work involved to get it started up. I'm focusing a lot on that as well as the racing.

a convincing victory in the first MINI'mini'enduro - a 35 minute race where two drivers were allowed to compete, including a compulsory pit stop. Nathan Caratti won Race 1 and teamed with his older brother Aaron to finish fourth in the enduro. Uber Star driver Chris Atkinson teamed with Steve Owen to finish second in the long race, ahead of Chris Alajajian/Paul Morris. Grant Denyer and Warren Luff were fifth. Points:Stokell 468,Alajajian 345, Denyer 318,Scott Bargwanna 291, N Carrati 207,BJ Cook 157.5, Morris 138,Gary Young 129,A Carrati 126.

I'd still love to go and do overseas GT racing. That's where my heart's always iied, but opportunities to do that are pretty slim with bring a lot of money to it. I'll just take that day-by-day and see what happens. I did a little bit in the China round of the FIA GT a couple of years ago but that didn't open any doors, not without bag fulls of money.Japanese GT is probably a little bit out of reach for me, economically, and I'd still like to do one-off races like Le Mans or something like that. If that could come off, I'd be really keen. I'm also to keen to do Targa Tasmania again. I've got unfinished business there and I want to find the right opportunity and the right car to try and win that.

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Adam's Aussie Aunon

LACHLAN MANSELL spoke to Adam Gowans about his Aussie fortunes to have had a career in Formula Ford as a 16>] RU55IE RRCIHG CRRS year-old, but obviously that requires a huge THE Aussie Racing Car series was boosted with the arrival of the miniature Toyota Aurion race car late last year, and the Aurion has attracted a lot of publicity so far in the 2009 series, with the likes of Australian Rally champion Neal Bates contesting a one-off round of the series at Winton in the factory Toyota entry. However,the driver who has had the most success in the Aurion so far has been Adam Gowans, who has taken a race win this season at Winton, and is currently third in the points behind Kyle Clews and David Lawrence.The Aurion is certainly an appropriate car for Gowans tc after all, he's the dealer princi Gowans Toyota in Tasmania... "We only got the new car ju; the start of the season, so we' pleased with our results so fa Gowans said. "We didn't have time to do any testing, so we had to find the set-up very quickly. Mechanically, the Aussie Race Cars are all pretty much identical, but we still had to find the right brake bias and suspension settings I to get the car running I properly." 1 Gowans has previously I raced go-karts,finishing I in the top-three in the I national titles as a junior. 1 "I would have loved '

THE fourth round of the Aussie Racing Car Series at Eastern Creek will feature the return of the popular'two plus four'programming. The pint-sized racers will join the Australian Suferbike Championship - the first time since 1993 that two aifd four wheeled race vehiclefehave shared the same billin'g. Aussie Racing Car boss Phil Ward says that he's excited about getting onto the track with them.

financial commitment. I'm very happy to have the opportunity to run in Aussie Race Cars, because the racing is always close and exciting. It's been really close between me, Kyle Clews and David Lawrence all season." Gowans also recognises the cross-pollination, benefits his motorsport activities can have for his business. "It's really good to be running in an Aurion, with support from Eagle One," he said."Although it's not actually a full-sized Aurion, it's still great exposure for the Toyota product.'

m delighted dealing with the Superbike guys and support them in whatever way we can," he says. (CAMS CEO)Graham Fountain and Motorcycling Australia have worked pretty close to make it happen and to ensure that this develops successfully." Aussie Racing Cars use 1200cc motorcycle engines, and Ward sees this as a major connection for the two. Tm confident welll fit in," he says. "We run motorcycle engines, and all the bike people know about these. I get a lot of emails from bike people asking technical questions about them. It will be a perfect fit, and it's uniquely different. We'll put on a good show."

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Rubbin"and Racin'

6ary Baxter has dodged this year's Utes carnage and has a title chance.LACHLAN MANSELL reports UB UTES

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i.r-

UBBING is racing." // It has become something of a motorsport commentator's cliche, but there's one series it applies to more than any other - the V8 Ute Series. The driving standards in V8 Utes have unquestionably improved since the early days, when it was pretty much impossible to emerge from a race with every panel still intact. However, the V8 Ute Series has still been the scene of some big crashes in the recent past, with the latest round of the series in Townsville taking its toll on the drivers and their vehicles. Gary Baxter is one driver who has survived the carnage so far. Baxter currently runs third on the points table behind Jack Elsegood and Layton Crambrook. Baxter won the opening round at Adelaide, and the fourth round at Hidden Valley, but a poor result at Symmons Plains cost him dearly. "The timing chain failure at Symmons Plains probably ended up costing me about 60 points, so if that hadn't happened, I would probably be leading the series," he said. "I haven't dusted off a place on the mantelpiece for the championship trophy just yet, but I still have a chance of winning the series. I just need to keep finishing on the podium at every round, and hope that some of the other Holden drivers firiish between me and the two fast Fords. "The next round is at SandOwn, andthink the high top-end speeds at Sandowni shouM really suit the Holdens. Last time the Utes were at Sandown, twon, so .I'miilooking forward tOi it."

L'ltll

. iir:

11 .

rJOlKSS

Keep Clean: Gary Baxter is currently third. highlighted by two victories in the Commodore Cup national series, and V8 Supercar racing in the Bathurst 1000. After a successful career, Baxter hung up the helmet -but not for long. "I was approached by my current sponsor, SAGE Automation," he recalled. "They wanted a driver to get them to the front of the field in V8 Utes, so they asked me to race for them, and I've been there ever since. "I really enjoy the popularity of the V8 Ute Series, and the exposure. When you tell people that you race in the utes, everyone knows what you're talking about" _ Baxter's racing experience makes him an ideal driver to provide expert cDmrnents on the new Townsville street circuit, and_even after only one weekend of racing at the venue, he is definitely a fan. ^ The layout is fantastic,"he said. Its not like some street circuits where all

corners are the same.There's rightangle corners , constant radius corners, a fast chicane and a slow chicane. It's very enjoyable to race on, and the section where you come into the stadium, there's heaps of people and the atmosphere is awesome." One aspect of the V8 Ute Series that Gary Baxter is not so thrilled about is the reversegrid format.The V8 Ute Series organisers have tried to make the reverse-grid race less of an issue by awarding points for qualifying as well as the races, but Baxter's view is that the reverse-grid race should carry less points than the other races. The carnage in Townsville also prompted some industry insiders to suggest that reverse-grid races are too dangerous for street circuits. "I don't know if dangerous is the right word, but there is definitely a greater chance of becoming an innocent victim in someone else's incident in a reverse-grid race," Baxter said. It's not very good that you can finish 15th or 16th in Race 1 and be on the front row for Race 2, but at the end of the day, we're in the entertainment industry, and fans like to see crashes, and if that helps us get more sponsors, then I suppose it can work that way. V8 Utes points; Jack Elsegood, 567, Layton Grambrook 562, Baxter 537, Grant Johnson 526, Stephen Robinson 484, Glenn McNally 482, George Miedecke 474, Kim Jane 464, Charlie Kpvacs 434, Craig Dontas 415. ...^A

Baxter's entry in, the V8 Ute Seriests^ a fascinating story in itself. The South Australian driver raced in a variety of motorsport categories in the 1990s,

www.mnews.Gom.aii

AUSTRALIAN GT,RD 4 EASTERN CREEK,NSW

Age won't weary Jim

ANOTHER round.anotJ|er chance for David Wall tear apart the Australian GT^eld. Wall won two of the’three races at Eastern Creek,only beaten by an impressive run from Dean Grant's Lamborghini in Race 1,.

Still up the front,still as strong as ever. LACHLAN MANSELL spoke to Jim Richards about getting the most out of Australian GT

► >:

HUSTRHLinnGT

JIM Richards is the best-ever Australian Touring Car driver. That may be a bold statement (considering he's actually a Kiwi!), but to be as competitive as he has been, in so many different racing disciplines, for over four decades, it could not have been achieved without pure talent, commitment and a sheer love of motorsport. This season,'Gentleman Jim'is racing in the Australian GT Championship, driving his Porsche 997 GT3 Cup car. Richards has been mixing it with the front-runners, scoring regular podium finishes against much younger drivers in technically superior machinery. "Originally, David Wall was going to race the car in Carrera Cup, but then the series was cancelled," Richards said. "Because the regulations are more open in the GT Championship, David decided to drive the GT3 Cup S to have a better chance of winning races, so I decided to drive the car instead. "I'm really enjoying driving as much as I ever have. It's interesting racing in the GT Championship

compared to Carrera Cup. The GT Championship is a parity class, and some of the cars have restrictions to make the competition as even as possible. "The ideal scenario would be to have all the cars equal, but at the moment, you still have different cars doing the same lap times, but achieving those times in different ways. For example, the Porsche might be stronger under brakes and in slow corners, whereas a Dodge Viper would be quicker in a straight line and through fast corners." Richards'motor racing experience makes him an ideal person to comment on how motorsport has evolved over the last few decades. "The sport is a lot more professional now," he said. ^ "In fact, it's probably become too professional, with everything revolving around sponsorship and lots of different classes all competing for sponsorship dollars. It's detrimental for young drivers, because they now have to find a lot of money to go racing."

Wall's efforts extenc|ed his series lead and has puj him in a very comfortable position with two rounds remaining. Grant was second for the round ahead of Jim Richards and Mark Eddy. Points:Wall 406,James Kbundouris 337.5,Eddy 334.5, Richards 319, Grant 314.5, Ross Lilley 312.5.

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-'●I'ShAHMONS ●

commoDORi gup RACING driver or rock star? These are two occupations high on the wish list for many teenagers, but few actually have the commitment, dedication or talent to choose between either of these. Commodore Cup driver Scott Andrews is the exception. He was a passionate guitar player, and also a karter, and had to choose between his two hobbies "I used to be obsessed with playing electric guitar," Andrews says. "I started racing karts in 2001, but it was 70

only an activity on the side at the stage, and I had no intention of becoming serious. "Then, one day, I picked up my guitar and it just didn't feel right. It was then that I realised I loved racing, so I decided to get into it more seriously." Scott took out the Geelong karting club championship in 2005 and 2006, before spending most of 2007 on the sidelines. The following year, he competed in the senior karting division, qualifying third on a track he had never seen before. "At that stage, I realised I had the potential to make a career out of racing. I had done a lot of racing against Josh Hughes in karts, and I saw him move up to Commodore Cup,

so I talked to Dad about the possibility of racing cars. "Last year, we bought a Commodore Cup car from Geoff Emery and here I am now, racing in the category and loving it!" Andrews's results in Commodore Cup so far have been impressive. In the second round of the 2009 series at Phillip Island, he qualified and raced in the top five, despite having never been to the track before. "We still have a lot of work to do on the car, but it's encouraging that we're already competitive," Andrews said. "The plan at this stage is to spend the rest of this season getting the car right, then aim for race wins and hopefully go for the title next year."

motorsport news

l.*

Stacks on!

Bernie Stack hasjoined the fun and games ofthe Biante Touring Car Masters Series.

PHIL BRANAGAN spoke^t^m a^out^^j|^ack into the racing game system and the whole bit.The car is a lot more powerful and we made it more'tracky', to make it a better race car."

^ BIRPTi iiFilii moDEi-Oa^

T'S always the stars in the Big Fast Cars that get the attention of the racefans — and the media. But maybe,that means that we are missing out on some of the best racing, and the most mouth watering machinery, in the sport. Take the Biante Touring Car Masters,for instance. Yes, we admit, we are among the ones who go'Oooohhh'and 'Aaaahhhhh' when Jim Richards and John Bowe face off against Gavin Bullas and Steve Mason. Big shouty cars with V8 engines and no grip are what make the series one of the mustsee attractions of the season. But there is more to it than that. Ask Bernie Stack. The South Australian veteran, who has raced everything from Formula Vees to V8 Supercars over the last four decades, is now in the BTCM Seres, but he is not in a V8. He is part of that state's Porsche Mafia - which includes Greg Keene, Rory O'Neill and Graham Cooke,and they fight it out for Group 2 honours.

www.mnews.Gom.au

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Stack arrived in the series for a good reason - his 911 RS was getting a bit fast for its previous life. "Before we raced it, our car was used for tarmac rallying," he explains. "We also had a Group N car, and we thought that the Porsche was getting a bit dangerous for the tarmac events. It was still pretty fast, but it has no [air] bags and so on, so we decided to turn the Porsche into a Biante Series car." At first, that was a relatively straightforward process. "The initial changeover was hot too bad, the 2.8 [litre engine] allowed used to get on the track. But then, we were able to use the 3.2 motor. The biggest cost was going from a 2.8 to 3.2, and that meant a new engine, a new fuel

Stack took in one race last year atWinton, with the smaller engine, before he upgraded the car for 2009. Since then,the car has come on strong, and at Hidden Valley, Stack took out all three wins in the Group 2 class, which caters for cars with engines smaller than 5.0-litres. "The best thing about the series is the cars of the era when I started motor racing," he says."I always admired those guys, back when I started racing at Mallala.There are a lot of blokes in the category who I have known and raced against for years, so we wanted to do that." Stack takes a back seat with the team for the next round at Queensland Raceway, where Mark Forgie will take over the driving duties. Stack will complete the season after that, so when you seeTrevorTalbot'sTorana and the Valiant Charger of Mick Wilson racing like they are living in the 70s, keep an eye out for the #36 Porsche. Chances are. Stack will not be far away...

BIANTE TOURING CARS,RD 3 HIDDEN VALLEY, NT THE Biante Touring Car Masters produced some of the best racing of the season - and the same winner. Gavin Bullas took three commanding victories, but it was the battles that he was in that made it very entertaining viewing. Brad Tilley, Jim Richards and John Bowe all did their level best to knock Bullas' Mustang off the top perch, but all of the ultimately had no answer. Richards had a number of problems,including a jump start in Race 1, accidentally knocking the fuel switch in Race 2 and then a plug lead dropped offin Race 3. Even worse for Bowe, whose Camaro broke a camshaft in practice, switching to Tony Hunter's HQ for the round. Points; Bullas 528,Bowe 420,Drew Marget 373,Tilley 347,Rod Wilson 342,Steve Mason 305.

Localised International Kiwi Ben Crighton is starting to threaten the leading Australian F3 contenders. By LACHLAN MANSELL F >:

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FORMULA 3,RD 5 EASTERN CREEK,NSW

THE Austraiian Formuia 3 Championship has been invaded by international racing stars over the last few years. Two of the last three championships have been won by British drivers Ben Clucas and James Winslow. A British driver, Joey Foster, also leads this year's series. And another international driver, Ben Crighton, is taking the fight up to the front-runners, although he's arguably not as'international'as the others, coming from just across the ditch in New Zealand. But what makes our series, the Australian Formula 3 series, so attractive that drivers are prepared to come from overseas to compete in it? "I was racing in the Formula Toyota Series in New Zealand, and Australian Formula 3 seemed like a good step in the'Formula'direction," Crighton said. "I did the Australian Formula 4000 series in 2005, and 1 was very impressed with what I saw in the Australian F3 Championship.The cars are a lot more advanced and a lot faster than the Formula Toyotas, and they are a lot of fun not only to race, but also from a technical point of view." Crighton is driving for one of the most successful teams in F3 over the last few seasons -Tandersport. Crighton explained that the relationship with Leanne and Garth Tander happened by chance. "One of my mechanics. Ash, I knew from Formula Toyota," he explained. "Ash introduced my dad to Garth here in Australia, at the Melbourne Grand Prix, and my involvement from

SYDNEY driver M|thew Sofi waited until tie right moment to ensurl that his first Australian FSiwin came in

the team rapidly progressed from there" Crighton has battled with Mat Sofi, Joey Foster and Tim Macrow all throughout the season, and enjoyed some really competitive racing. "It would be good to have more cars on the grid," he admits."The field is certainly not lacking in quality, but hopefully the numbers start to pick up again soon." As a 26-going-on-27-year-old, Crighton concedes he's probably too old to go overseas to have a crack at the international openwheeler scene. "I think V8 Supercars is probably where I would be aiming for," he said. "I would go to the Fujitsu Series but it's very expensive. Formula 3 is certainly not cheap either but when you consider how good the cars are to drive, it's great value for money."

appropriate style.^After 51 attem(j:s, Sofi finally climbed the top step of the podium,winning'Race 1 in stunning fashion,-making a perfect start from second on the grid to dominate race, leading championship frontrunners Joey Foster and Tim Macrow to the line. In Race 2, Macrow made up for a slow start earlier in the day by launching perfectly to take a light-to-flag win and cut the championship lead to Foster from 20 points to just 11 with six races remaining in the 2009 season. Points: Foster 165,Macrow 154,Sofi 120,Crighton 114,Ray Chamberlain 30, Matthew Radisich 25. National:Tom Tweedie 169,Jesse Wakeman 116,Chris Gilmour 58, Maher Algadrie 52.

Big cars can also be giant-killers

going counterparts, but there are still modifications that can be made to extract more performance and improve the handling. "The exhaust is free, and we've blueprinted the engine and the computer, and also made all the safety modifications for racing," Briffa explained. With Holden Motorsport sponsorship on board, and a Bathurst 12 Hour campaign coming up early in 2010, Briffa and his team face a busy period developing the car throughout the remainder of the season.

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STEVE Briffa has been a regular in the Australian Manufacturers Championship for several years now,and has become something of a giant-killer, using his Holden machinery to take the fight right up to the more agile all-wheeldrive cars and nimble BMWs. Last year, the Briffa Smash Repairs team built an HSV Clubsport R8 as they looked for more pace and better performance, but the upgrade to the car has not yielded the immediate results that some members of the team were hoping for. "It's taking a lot of set-up adjustments to get the car right," Briffa said. "At the moment,the front of the car is good, but we still have a lot 72

of work to do to get the rear of the car keeping up with the front. There are a lot more adjustments compared to the VZ we were running previously, so it's taking a lot of time to figure everything

out.The straight-line speed is really good, but you have to be able to go around corners as well! Production car racing is all about keeping the race cars as close as possible to their road-

"Garry Holt's BMW 3351 twinturbo is our main competition," Briffa said."The BMW is fast in a straight line and it's agile as well, It basically does everything right, and we're a long way behind at the moment." - LACHLAN MANSELL

motorsport news

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MOTORSPORT NEWS:You had a break from karting - what got you back into the sport? TYSON PEARCE: My old man (ED; Kym)didn't have anybody racing for him locally, and I wanted to have a pedal, but not every weekend how I used to. I agreed to come back, do major meetings and anything else that I could do when I wasn't busy working, it went from there. I did the South Australian state titles, then did some Clubman stuff, and then CIK came up this year, i said "I wouldn't mind doing this!" Dad agreed it was organised pretty late but we built a kart and we got into it. CIK is the best racing you can do. Lots of laps, quick motors and sticky tyres. And as it turns out, you're leading the CIK title after two rounds over Hayden McBride. Is he your stiffest competition? Yeah, pretty much. He's been the pace guy. He got his motor early and did a fair bit of testing. In www.ninews.com.au

motor a week before the first round. We had to play it by ear as the meeting went along but we sorted out a few things for the second round and we had no problems. Everything went to plan. You race you family's locally built Omega chassis. Some people see you as one of the underdogs in the sport. Do you agree with that? I suppose you could put it that way. We're only a small company. We only do a low volume of chassis. Back when karting was fairly big in the 90s, we pumped out quite a few chassis but since then,the market is just flooded with Drew Price Engineering and Remo Racing gear. It's hard for us to compete on their level with he money that they have. We're happy doing what we do and proving that we still make a good kart, even though we might not get recognised as much. People take note of marketing ploys and advertising ...

out of the sport and putting yourself back into major karting championships driving a kart that bears the name of your family business? I wouldn't say there's pressure. We've always known that we make a good chassis. There's never been a problem with converting to CIK/Gearbox. It's all based on the same kart, and we know what we're doing. There's no pressure there. We've been doing it long enough now that we know how to set it up and we know what works and what doesn't. You always want to get a good result to show what the kart can do. At the Todd Road round, we were the only Omega at the whole race meeting, not just in our class but in all the Rotax classes as well - and we dominated. There are so many different makers out there, but i don't think you need to go and by a kart from Europe because you think they're better because they're made in Italy.

So what do you do from here? How do you get the message out there that Omegas are a competitive package? You can only do as much as you can - you can only keep winning. You can only lead the horse to the water, you can't make it drink. It's up to peopie to decided on i their own. We've got a pretty good following in South Australia. We've got a really good customer base. I think that people in eastern states still think that you need to be in an Arrow, Monaco or a European brand to be able to go fast. It's a pity, but we're happy. We build our own kart, we get results at big meetings. 73

The threat otaLbreakaway Sprintcar series in Australia was more realltharr most would know earliei^^his yearj but as Dal^Rodgers1bM^^“ ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN,the Aus^<^spei^dway seencrfe^bacifto^^ n nn

All for one,an

PUTTING motor racing series in two doesn't work. Open-wheeler racing in America proved that; a brief period of two Bathurst 1000s every year didn't work; more recently, the reality of having two Formula 1 s caused some of the biggest egos in world motorsport to back down,compromise,and make friends ... sort of. The fact of the matter is that split series never work, and that's something not lost on Dale Rodgers,the man in charge of Sprintcar Racing Pty Ltd - the new commercial backbone of professional Sprintcar racing in Australia, and the group of people that will attempt to develop its premier category World Series - into something bigger and better than it's ever been before. Of course, no political changeover is likely to be completely smooth. SR follows Speedway Promotions Australia as promoters of the WSS, with the latter having handed the job back to the National Association of Speedway Racing a year earlier than its contract stipulated. SR saw that as its chance to grab the job, but NASR wasn't immediately sweet on the plan, and SR were left with no choice but to threaten a breakaway series, FIA versus FOTA style. Thankfully, common sense prevailed. "Over many years. Speedway has seen a lot of swaying between the promoters and the competitor rjrou|)s, and it hasn't matured the way that we've seen circuit racing, or even 74

drag racing, mature, where promoters and competitors have been harmonious,"says Rodgers. "Last year,the feeling within the competitor group led to them forming a company called Sprintcar Racing Pty Ltd, in very much the same way the V8 Lite franchise system works, where you have a strong competitor group, with investments in the company,looking to take a much stronger stake in the running of the sport. "This company has 24 of the leading teams in Australia signed up to it, and we put to NASR about November last year that if SPA did in fact want to hand the rights back two years into their three year contract, we'd put our hands up to run it as the commercial rights holder. "That's the position we took, but that didn't occur. SPA did hand the rights back to NASR in March this year, but the outcome of that was that there was going to be a committee-based management,and we said 'no, that's not what

we're looking for'. "We had, ready to go, a package called the National Sprintcar Championship, which we launched in March. Now,if you know your American motorsport history, you'll know about the IRL/Champ Car war - it never works. We've almost seen it now in Formula 1. We didn't want to do it, but we just didn't see enough commercial change in the series. By doing our own thing,the key competitors would have gone with it. In saying that, history says that any two racing series in any country - particularly in a country this size - will end in failure, because it is unsustainable. No one wanted that, but it was a peg in the sand to say that things couldn't keep going the way they were. "What we negotiated with the group is that we'd have two seats on the group, as well as NASR and the race director. We pitched to take over from that group the full commercial rights package - the marketing, media,the whole

SPEEDWAY HAS SEEN A LOT OF SWAYING BETWEEN THE PROMOTERS AND THE COMPETITOR GROUPS,AND IT HASN’T MATURED THE WAY THAT WE’VE SEEN CIRCUIT RACING, OR EVEN DRAG RACING, MATURE DALE RODGERS

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ttie faithful; Crowd numbers have always been Speedway's strength, but Sprlntcar Pty ftd plans to grow the sport in other areas, namely media and commercial backing.

"The series runs a concept where there are a number of contracts issued to the key teams, where they are effectively guaranteeing their participation at every round. To show the confidence in where we're going, last year there were six teams that actually committed to the series, this year we've had 14 applications for 12 places, which have already been filled.

"We've got 14 teams committed to doing the whole series, plus the people who just do the east coast rounds, or whatever. We've doubled the amount of contracts that are issued, so at every round there will be at least 12 top teams on the ground, and up to 30 entries at local level, so the quality of cars will be fantastic." One notable difference is the calendar. While the venues stay mostly the same, more thought has gone into planning the route across this wide brown land, making the travel as cheap as possible for teams.

thing - and we'd be a consultant to NASR. That was accepted in April, and we've been working since then towards putting together a new look, and more vibrant, World Series Sprintcars.The threat of a new series has been put aside, and we have a very strong position www.mnews.com.au

representing the competitor group." Already, the chance is noticeable. Rodgers and his team are implementing various ways of making WSS more attractive to competitors, sponsors and fans, and the maths is speaking for itself

’

"When you have a short, sharp season run over a few months, we've had teams criss crossing the country four or five times, with rriassive fuel bills," says Rodgers. Effectively what will happen now is that we'll start in Brisbane, work down the east coast, run bpeed Week from Adelaide to Avalon, then back across the Adelaide, and on to Perth for the final In the first step, there's been some sense involved, because teams don't have to budget to go to Adelaide, then Brisbane, then Perth." Common sense, again. It's going to be one heck of a season of World Series ...

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Looking back, moving forward

Debbie and Steve Reed finished second and third in the 2008/09 Pro Stock title. Not a bad feat, but it could have been so much better. GRANT ROWLEY spoke to Debbie about losing, the future and home life MOTORSPORT NEWS: Let's get the difficult question out of the way first, and it's something you've had time to reflect on now. You must have been gutted to come so close to winning the championship and for it all to be over in a matter of seconds ... DEBBIE REED: Yeah, at the time, it was a huge disappointment. When I think of it now, it was probably a good thing, in a way.There was a little bit of controversy over some of the points and I don't know if I would have liked to have won it with the controversy that was around at the time. There was a bit of disappointment because I was so close to winning the meeting as well, so yes, in reality, it was close, it was the closest I've ever been to winning. I haven't been in that many championships, but hopefully I get the chance to do it again in a couple of years and I've shown what our cars are capable of You've committed to the first Willowbank round of the season. Is that the only race plans you have at this stage? With the way the business is and the recession, it's taken a lot out of the business to do what 76

we did last year to do what we did on our own. It's now a matter of making tough decisions and sit out, unless we could get sponsorship for the rest of the season. So we're just taking it one meeting at a time. At this stage, we're just doing the Willowbank meetings for the time being. That must be extremely frustrating, given that you went so close to being the champion? Yeah, it is. It is frustrating, but it is one of those tough decisions that you have to make. I love drag racing but I love my home too and I'm not about to give any of that up. It is frustrating and disappointing - probably more so for Steven (Debbie's husband) and Daniel (Debbie's son and race engineer). Daniel has really got the car going well and I think he'd love to go back out there and try and win the title this season. What there any positives you could draw out of not winning the title? I think there was a lot of positives. We showed as a team that we could do it and that we are a pretty big forces, coming second and third.

We showed a good level of sportsmanship through the season, and that was very important to us. I had a lot of people barracking for me and I had a lot of good feedback from the meeting. Disappointed, but it could have been worse. It was good. Our car has a lot more in it, I think. Now we've just got to get it down the track. When you look back at the 2008/09 season, it's obviously going to have mixed emotions for you. Not only did you go within a whisker of the title, but Steve had his massive accident in January... Yes. It was one hell of a year and it's one to put behind us and move onto the next season. Considering what happened with Steve, for him to be up there, both of us, being five or 10 points from the lead where the title could have been anybody's it was really a good thing for

him.

What's Steve's plans for the year? Is he on the sidelines with you? At this stage, he'll miss out as well. It's a hard decision that we had to make but we had to do it.

motorsport news

So it's just been a case of not having any luck on the commercial side of things... Basically, yeah. A lot of people out there at the moment \A/ith the economic position, a lot of people are holding back on their sponsorships and their assistance and involvement in different things and I can understand that. I think it's all going to continue to change in the future as well, especially if the alcohol advertising is knocked on the head as well. It's going to be very hard for all sports. I know the V8s are finding it increasingly difficult as well. There's a big market out there to compete vvith, so it's a very hard thing. What about your home life? This is very much a family sport for the Reed household. How does racing fit into the picture? Yeah, it's definitely a family thing for us. We've got other interests too. We still do the normal stuff. We play golf a couple of times a week, work, we've got the transport business, which takes up a lot of time. Daniel is involved with Triple Eight's V8 Supercar team.That's his full time job. He spends a lot of time with that. He's always got something on his mind. When he comes over to work on the dragster, I don't know how it sleeps at night - he's always got so much on his mind! It's probably easier for me,compared to the rest of my family. I'm just the driver, and my job is organising the money, paying the bills, getting things together and doing the flights, food, all the background stuff that someone has to do. www.mnews.Gom.aii

/ feel the need, the need for Reed:Debbie, above left with daughter Sally. Above right,Steve Reed's Pro Stocker, which finished third last season. Above main, Debbie Reed came within a few hundred metres of winning the championship. Being a mother in drag racing isn't anything new.There are lots out there, but perhaps not so much at the Group 1 level. Do you feel accepted within the ranks? Yeah, I think so. I've got quite a few friends on the female racing side. Deb O'Rourke and I get along really well and regularly speak. We'd love to one day match race each other. Katherine Sichter is another great friend of mine who is coming into the Alcohol championship this year and quite a few other women racers. Kelly Corbett, my son's partner Fiona Keating - she's got my old car. Yeah, there's quite a number of.women that I do know and that I often follow when I'm not racing myself. I guess drag racing isn't really looked at as an all-male sport anymore, it used to be. I think it's showing now that it's a good overall sport. You

don't have to be a male to run at the front. It's not about strength. What about balancing home life and time at the race track. Do you have to separate them? It's can a little bit hard. At the moment, it's been nice because we've had such a big break from the Winternationals. When you get meetings all in a row which we'll have next year when they get closer, that makes it hard to get a balance. You've still got a home to take care of, and a business. Sometimes it can get too much but I like to think that 1 can get through it, knowing that sooner rather than later, things settle down. There's a balance that you tend to find and I like to make sure we get that - catching up with other friends and keep in touch with our other interests. I suppose that's just to keep us sane. 77

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THE 'R' TERm

TRLh COnUERTOR HERE IS A COLLECTION OF THE BEST SNIPPETS PUBLISHED IN ENEWS OVER THE PAST MONTH

n Editorial Executive Editor: Phil Branagan editor@mnews.com.au Deputy Editor: Grant Rowley grant@mnews.com.au National Editor: Andrew van Leeuwen andrew@mnews.com.au n Production Graphic Design & Web:Jayne Uthmeyer design@mnews.com.au n Advertising National Sales Manager: Ghana Ruffini P 03 9596 5555 F 03 9596 5030 M0422 624349 oriana@mnews.com.au n Administration ●’ 357 Nepean Highway, Brighton East, VIC, 3187 (PO Box 7072, Brighton, VIC, 3186) P 03 9596 5555 F 03 9596 5030 admin@mnews.com.au Managing Director/Publisher: Chris Lambden publisher@mnews.com.au ■ Contributors FI: Will Buxton, Mark Glendenning, Paolo Filisetti Europe: David Addison US: Martin D. Clark, Phil Morris, Mary Bignotti Mendez Speedway: Greg Boscato, Geoff Rounds, Darren Sutton, Tony Millard (UK), Geoff Grade /fa//y; Joel Strickland Drag Racing: Dave Ostaszewski (USJ), Ken Ferguson, John Bosher National: Lachlan Mansell, Mark Wicks, Mark Jones, Daniel Powell Photographers: Sutton Motorsport Images, Dirk Klynsmith, Marshall Cass, John Morris/ Mpix, AF11mages, James Smith, Peter Bury, Neil Blackbourn, Chris Carter, Coopers Photography, CBR Photographies, Paris Charles, Bob Potts, Neil Hammond, Mike Patrick (UK) Motorsport News is published by Australasian Motorsport News ABN S5125120 702 Publisher: C Lambden Printed by: Webstar Printing Distributed by: NDD Ltd Material published by MOTORSPORT NEWS is copyright and may not be reproduced in full or in part without the written permission of the publisher. Freelance contributions are welcome, and while all care will be taken, Australasian ■ Motorsport News does not accept responsibility for damage or loss of material submitted. ●Opinions expressed in Motorsport News are not necessarily those of Australasian Motorsport News or its staff.

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mail@mnews.com.au

SEND US YOUR THOUGHTS: PO BOX 7072, BRIGHTON,VIC, 3186 Long shot a low blow Every week I read with growing interest about the Carl Long penalty that is being imposed by the NASCAR big wigs. Are they kidding? Would Tony Cochrane permit an injustice of this nature if, say. Dean Fiore was found to be using a SOSOcc engine provided by Walkinshaw Racing? Dean is nowhere in the V8 championship hunt, but is valuable to the race viewing. Scott Whale is a big fan ofcommon sense - and underdogsl

Too much four-play At 1.30 p.m. Sunday(South Aus sie time), the voiceover casually announced that Adelaide viewers would now go to the football. No problem, I thought,they have four digital channels, surely they won't broadcast the same thing across all of them. How wrong was I? Surely it is obvious. If you have conflicting programs,transmit different coverage on some of your four digital channels. Ross Dickie doesn't quite understand why he needed four

channels ofAFL. Fair enough. Jamie versus Jack is Tomas Mezera on the Triple Eight Racing payroll or what? He cannot honestly think the Jamie Whincup incident in Townsville did not warrant a drivethrough penalty. Use your bloody brains Jamie, you have a championship to.defend, you would think you might be driving a little smarter than that. Darren Short thinks Jack Perkins was hard done by up north...

® TRIV OF VOUR TONGUE 1. Webber's team-mates are Alex Yoong, Justin Wilson, Ant Davidson, Antonio Pizzonia, Christian Klien, Nick Heidfeld, Nico Rosberg, David Coulthard, Sebastian Vettel. 2. Alan Jones's FI win was at Las Vegas in 1981 - in his final drive for Williams. 3. Engineer Ciaran Pilbeam is the son of ex-FI designer Mike Pilbeam, who started Pilbeam Racing Designs in the UK in 1975. 4. Peter Dumbreck was the other man to fly in a Mercedes-Benz. 5. The three races form a 'triangle'; the Australian GP was won by a British driver; the British GP by a German driver; and the German GP by an Australian driver.

9 years ago

victorious lAlebberl

Issue178 - 28April-llJune,2000

THE German Grand Prix might have been Mark Webber's first win in a Formula 1 car, but this issue of Motorsport News isn't the first to feature a champagnesodden Webber on the cover. Back in late April 2000, our Mark was on page 1, tipping sparkling all over his face. Why? He'd just won a wet and wild Formula 3000 race at Silverstone, and taken the lead in the championship. As the cover asked, what now for victorious Webber? In an exclusive interview, Webber, who was driving for Arrows'junior team, talks about how happy Tom Walkinshaw was with the result, and indicated that a test in the FI car was likely to be forthcoming. Surely, Pedro de la Rosa and Jos Verstappen were a little nervous, especially given the aggressive way in which Webber brushed aside the terrible weather conditions and ran Darren Manning off the track to take his first F3000 win. But, as history shows, the big chance

with Arrows never came. Webber would have to wait another 18 months or so for that first race seat, and nine years for the first race win! Webber wasn't the only Aussie in winning form back in 2000. James Courtney (whose first V8 round win is in this issue) won the second round of the British Formula Ford Championship at Donington the same weekend, Anthony Gobert and Troy Corser won on Superbikes at Phillip Island, and Jason Bright finished second in the Long Beach Indy Lights round, on debut, beaten only by Aussieborn Scott Dixon. Marcos Ambrose was also in action overseas, but trying to beat the Dallaras in the French Formula 3 Championship driving a Martini was, well, proving difficult... By now you've probably seen our insightful feature on the new Stealth S3 Formula Ford back on page 64, but it's not the first time MNews has looked at one of the

«SI Courtney, GdJjert

'Sjnai

^inlweniatioij^ * success clelugeV

● COULTHARD^S BRmSHGP WORLD SUPERBIKES

●BATHURSTTT ^ ● EASTtRTtWl

SSSee ovM Forfl/Hutten BUrifiT * couLffM West Aussie Weapons. Back in 2000, Brett Lupton from Fastlane Racing was busy modifying older Van Diemens into what was essentially a new car, but lacking the $ 100,000 price tag. Phil Branagan took a detailed look at the Stealth, because seven races into 2000 Australian Formula Ford Championship, they had won all seven races, shared between LeanneTander, Christian Murchison and Stuart Kostera Junior.

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