Motorsport eNews Issue 70 - September 2-8, 2008 by V8 Sleuth

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e c a p S s i Th F O R SA L E

Issue No. 070 2 - 8 September 2008

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Davison UNFINISHED BUSINESS Sepang race winner loves the porsche life, but he has options ...

Editorial Editor: Grant Rowley grant@mnews.com.au Deputy Editor: Andrew van Leeuwen andrew@mnews.com.au Staff Journalist: Phillip Mahoney philm@mnews.com.au Executive Editor: Phil Branagan editor@mnews.com.au

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The ‘A’ Team

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MD / Publisher

Chris Lambden publisher@mnews.com.au

Contributing Writers F1: Will Buxton, Mark Glendenning, Paolo Filisetti Europe: Quentin Spurring, David Addison US: Martin D. Clark, Phil Morris Speedway: Greg Boscato, Geoff Rounds, Darren Sutton, Tony Millard (UK) Rally: Ryan Lahiff Drag Racing: Dave Ostaszewski (USA), Ken Ferguson, John Bosher National: Mark Jones, Aaron Shaw, Lachlan Mansell

Photographers Sutton Motorsport Images, Dirk Klynsmith, Marshall Cass, John Morris/Mpix, AF1 Images, James Smith, Peter Bury, Neil Blackbourn, Chris Carter, Coopers Photography, Geoff Gracie, Ash Budd, Paris Charles, Neil Hammond, Joel Strickland, Mike Patrick (UK) Motorsport eNews is published by Australasian Motorsport News ABN 55 125 120 702 Publisher: C Lambden Copyright: Material published in Motorsport eNews 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, Motorsport eNews does not accept responsibility for damage or loss of material submitted. Opinions expressed in Motorsport eNews are not necessarily those of Australasian Motorsport News or its staff.

Issue No. 070 | 02 - 08 Sept 2008

news 4 Position, position

7 The truth about JC 8 New tech bits 12 Speed Reed 14 Ah! That’s quieter! 18 More ARC Honda

chat 22 5 minutes with ... opinion 25 Bargwanna race 26 Shannons

Holden frees up some space Courtney and Frosty? No ... V8 Supercars get updates Sorenson on the move IndyCar returns to turbo Rick in frame for drive Alex Davison Under the knife, ready to go

Truck wars in Sydney 30 Australia Safari Plugger plugs on 32 Superleague Formula Pitched battle at Donington 34 I’ll be back! Johnson smokes’ em 38 Justin Time Wilson wins from guess who

trade 46 Classifieds

welcome Andrew Thompson, driver of the #50 PWR Commodore ...

International photos supplied by Sutton Images, www.sutton-images.com – click here to check out their exclusive poster deals

Friday looms as ‘P’ Day V8 SUPERCARS THE V8 Supercars Australia board will discuss the issue of parity this Friday after a week of to-ing and fro-ing in which V8 Supercars itself played a part. The issue, brought to a head last month when Holden Motorsport Manager Simon McNamara called for a parity adjustment in favour of Holden, looks set to be settled at the meeting but only after some recent controversy. Things took a slightly unusual twist last Wednesday, when a story headlined ‘There is no parity issue’ was posted on the official V8 Supercars website. But the following day, a story headed ‘There is definitiely a parity issue’ appeared on top of it, without the original story being modified or withdrawn. The initial story quoted an unnamed ‘V8 Supercar insider’ as saying that there was no aerodynamic advantage in favour of the Falcon BF. But McNamara called that an “absolutely unadulterated lie”. Predictably, and as has been the case until now, the ‘Insider’ – who appears to be wearing a Ford hat – pointed to the lack of performance from some of Holden’s teams and drivers rather than an inherent performance issue. Equally, McNamara repeated his view that the evidence that had been submitted to the V8SA board by Holden Racing Team was compelling, and pointed to a clear advantage that the Ford holds, in his opinion. In the meantime, eNews believes that there will be some discussion by the board of the method of examining the issue before any submissions are considered. As previously stated, the aerodynamic performance of the newfor-2009 Falcon FG has already been approved by all parties and it not under review. For the first story, click here For the Thursday story, click here

Holden has announced its support program for V8 Supercars post-2008. Is it like Ford’s new deal?

The Same. Just, Diff V8 SUPERCARS HOLDEN’S financial support of some of its V8 Supercar teams is set to be overhauled for 2009 onwards. A selection of The General’s second-level teams won’t be required to run the red windscreen sticker next season, indicating a reduced level of funding for those teams. eNews can reveal that Perkins Engineering, Tasman Motorsport, Garry Rogers Motorsport and Rod Nash Racing are all set to have more advertising space to sell, while keeping some (albeit reduced) level of funding from Holden. The news of Holden’s decreased support is no major surprise to the industry, given Ford’s funding decrease two months ago and the recent financial difficulties experienced by the world’s leading car manufacturers. Holden Motorsport manager Simon McNamara told eNews that freeing up the windscreen space is a benefit to the teams involved.

“What we’ve done is that we’ve allowed them to on-sell some space on the cars because the basic footprint of the vehicle is a Commodore anyway,” he said. “We’ve had an internal discussion about it, and in light of being able to assist these teams as much as we can, we’ve allowed them more space to sell to commercial partners. “We support all of the teams with a Holden badge, and we’re trying to help them as much as we can by freeing up a bit of space for them. “If we can help them as much as we can, then we will continue to do so.” While the windscreen look of Perkins, GRM and Tasman will change, Holden’s factory teams – the Holden Racing Team and the HSV Dealer Team – will continue on their current deals until they expire at the end of 2009. Also, expect to see Paul Morris Motorsport keep its Holden windscreen logos, as the team has continuing ties with Holden through the Holden Performance

Decision time ... V8 SUPERCARS

Phil Williams

fferent ...

For more with Alex Davison, click to page 22

No #17 for Johnson ... V8 SUPERCARS HISTORY will be made at the Supercheap Auto 1000 this year, when for the first time in 31 years, a Johnson will not be behind the wheel of a #17 DJR Falcon at Bathurst. Steven Johnson will drive with Will Davison in Davison’s regular #18 Jim Beam Falcon BF. The pair tested together

Dirk Klynsmith

Driving Centre in Norwell, Queensland. One of the teams up in the air is Brad Jones Racing. New to the Holden fold in 2008, McNamara said that BJR’s position is a little unclear at this stage. Windscreen advertising in V8 Supercar racing was started by Holden back in 1993. Since then, almost all of the teams have worn Holden or Ford logos, although that will change in 2009. A maximum of six Fords and a maximum of eight Holdens will carry the makes’ windscreen stickers. McNamara says that it will only make a small difference to the look and appeal of the V8 Supercars. “When you look at an overall photo, it’s good to see the ‘Holden’ across the windscreen, but the reality is that the teams need to be commercially viable,” he said. “We’ve made this conscious decision to make them that way and give them solid advertising space to sell. “It’s giving them a pretty significant area and that will help them out.” – GRANT ROWLEY

IS Alex Davison the wildcard in the V8 Supercar silly season? That’s the pitlane question being asked about the 28-year-old, who has been linked to a number of V8 teams for season 2009. After taking victory in last weekend’s Sepang 12 Hour, Davison told eNews that while he is happy racing in Europe, he has “unfinished business” in V8 Supercars. “From a personal point of view, I have some unfinished business in V8s,” he said. “I like the racing here and I love the category, and for sure with the right opportunity, I’d like to race V8 Supercars again. But at the moment, I’m not sure what the future holds. “There’s a lot to think about, but I’ve just got to see. I’m in the fortunate position to have choice and [I] have more than one option. I’ve just got to make a decision based on what’s on offer on the table at the time. “The deal I did with Porsche for this year is a one-year deal and the intent at the time is that it would move into the future.

“We’re only just starting to get to that now and there’s been nothing specific spoken about, so I’m exploring a little bit. I’m open to everything at the moment. “If I left again and came home, I probably wouldn’t get that opportunity again.” Davison, who’ll drive for Paul Cruickshank Racing at Bathurst with Fabian Coulthard, is no stranger to V8s, having driven for a variety of teams in the endurance races, including a disappointing 2005 season in a Perkinsprepared Commodore. With the silly season hotting up, there could be space for Davison to slot in. One well-placed source suggested that Dick Johnson Racing could save some of its sticker funds by replacing Will Davison (widely rumoured to be moving to a factory-supported team) with his older brother ... Stranger things have happened ... Davison led a charge of Australians at the Petronas Primax 3 Merdeka Millennium Endurance, with Barton Mawer and David Wall finishing third outright. Karl Reindler took sixth, Mal Rose and his team eighth and Dean Fiore was 10th outright. – GRANT ROWLEY

in the #18 Ford at Queensland Raceway today (Monday). The last time that Dick Johnson did not compete with the famous #17 at Bathurst was in 1977 when he drove the #13 Falcon XB with Vern Schuppan. Dick Johnson has taken #17 to victory in The Great Race on three occasions – 1981, 1989 and 1994. – GRANT ROWLEY

BRIEFLY... V8 Supercar teams have been granted an extra set of practice tyres for the L&H 500 at Phillip Island in two weeks time. The V8 Technical Board has agreed to allow each car the use of four additional used tyres in practice only at the Phillip Island event. n American Boris Said will have his first taste of a V8 Supercar this Friday when he jumps behind the wheel of the second Supercheap Auto Commodore at Queensland Raceway. Said may be a V8 virgin but he has plenty of prior success in endurance racing; he has won the Daytona 24 Hour twice (1997, 98), the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1998, and the Nurburgring 24 Hour in 2005.

MOTOCYCLES

BARBAGALLO Raceway will play host to some of the best motorcycle racers in the world this November for the ‘Kings of Wanneroo International’ meeting. While the ‘Kings of Wanneroo’ has long been a regular fixture of West Australian motorcycle racing, the addition of some overseas superstars adds new weight to the event. And there are some genuine overseas talents on the wish list, with Tom Sykes leading the ‘almost confirmed’ entry list. Sykes, a 23-year-old Brit, races for Rizla Suzuki in the British Superbike Championship, in which he is currently lying second. This season has also seen him test a MotoGP bike, and qualify sixth at the British round of the World Superbike Championship. Fellow British Superbike Championship frontrunner Karl Harris is also on the likely list, as is Jonathon Rae. The confirmed riders list also sports some

big names, with Aussie Cameron Donald undoubtedly hoping to add to his 2008 win tally, which also includes two victories at this year’s Isle of Mann TT. Northern Irish rider Michael Laverty is also a confirmed starter, and comes in as 2007 British Supersport Championship. The meeting is scheduled to run on November 7-9. More confirmed riders are expected to be named soon. – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

Irony Strikes Bargs V8 SUPERCARS IT will be a lightweight Jason Bargwanna who tackles the L&H 500 at Phillip Island after an emergency appendectomy in Sydney last week. The former Bathurst winner felt unwell while working on the MINIs he will race at Phillip Island. A trip to the Sutherland Hospital confirmed his condition and he was admitted for swift surgery.

Bargwanna confirmed this week that he would be 100 percent fit for the first of the season’s enduros, where he will share the Rod Nash Racing Commodore VE with Tony D’Alberto. Ironically, Bargs’s operation comes almost exactly a year after Mark Skaife was forced out of the Sandown 500 with appendicitis. For Bargwanna’s view on his appendix, see page 25

Dirk Klynsmith

n Andretti Green Racing reached a multi-year, renewal agreement with Tony Kanaan’s sponsor, 7-Eleven. Two weeks ago Kanaan signed a five-year extension with the team through 2013. 7Eleven, which has sponsored the Brazilian since the team entered the IndyCar series in 2003, is the largest franchisor with more than 34,600 convenience stores worldwide. Since entering the series 2003, Kanaan has earned 13 victories and the 2004 IndyCar championship with AGR and 7-Eleven.

International Kings

news

FPR yes, but ... V8 SUPERCARS

Dirk Klynsmith

YOU can safely ignore reports of a major reorganisation at Ford Performance Racing to accommodate James Courtney. FPR boss Tim Edwards has told eNews that weekend media reports of Courtney joining Mark Winterbottom in the team’s lead cars were “a load of rubbish”. The report suggested that Steven Richards would stand aside and race for a ‘satellite’ team next season. “Richo will be in the car six and Frosty will be in car five,” Edward affirmed today [Monday].

“We are still in the process of sorting through some things with a couple of our partners, but that is quite normal for this time of year. They seem keen to stay on though …” Edwards would not comment further on what exact makeup the team would carry into 2009 but eNews sources continue to point to Courtney reuniting with long-time confidant Jim Morton to take over the ride currently filled my Michael Patrizi. However, we also continue to hear noises that there could be a fourth car – first reported in eNews as a Ford Dealer Team entry – somewhere in the mix, driver and sponsors permitting.

Longer, safer endurance stops V8 SUPERCARS

Peter Bury

LOOK for slower pit stops at Phillip Island and Bathurst this year. A new fuel restrictor will be distributed to all teams for the endurance races, dropping the size of the restrictors from 36mm to 32mm. The effect will be approximately an extra 10 seconds to fill the V8 Supercar’s 120 litre fuel cell. Erik Pender, HSV Dealer Team team manager told eNews that the introduction is a safety initiative. “As far as safety goes, it’s a good idea,” he said.

“It slows everything down and it’s the same for everyone. It gives everyone a bit more time to get things done in the stops, especially where there are brake pad changes. “It’s a safety thing. I can’t see any reason for implementing such a change. Everyone’s rigs flow at basically the same rate. “If you look at Le Mans, they have heavily controlled stops where the cars have to be stationary for a minute. It’s all based around safety.” – GRANT ROWLEY

news

Dirk Klynsmith

Technical changes mooted and confirmed V8 SUPERCARS A RAFT of technical changes are set to be introduced to V8 Supercars in 2009. Motorsport eNews can reveal that over 10 technical items are likely to be revised for the new season. These changes will be implemented for a variety of reasons, mainly involving safety, cost reduction, parity and entertainment. Some of the main changes that teams have been advised on include the likely introduction of Accident Data Recorders. Subject to V8 Supercar Board approval, all cars competing in 2009 will be fitted with an FIAapproved accident unit. The recorders, used primarily in

fatal accidents, document the speed of the car at the time of an accident, as well as engine RPMs, how far the accelerator pedal was pressed, if the brakes were applied, plus many other readings that would assist authorities in deciphering exactly what happened during any given accident. Another safety change will be the introduction of new seat specification. V8 Supercars intend to implement the new FIA seat specification, which will be ratified in December 2008. It is envisaged that all DVS and VCS cars will be required to be fitted with the new specification seat for Round 1 in 2009.

Along with the introduction of the new specification seat, V8SA is also planning to introduce driver helmet restraint nets. The nets work in conjunction with the new seat to provide additional driver protection. A control wheel has also been discussed for 2009. V8 Supercars is making enquires into the production of a control wheel or bulk purchase of wheels at a substantially reduced cost to the teams. In the cost cutting department, engine cylinder blocks and cylinder heads will have a minimum weight, and any of these components found to be below the minimum weight will be slugged with additional ballast

in a position nominated by V8 Supercars. Also, to reduce the development of radiator and air intake ducting and design, V8 Supercars will introduce a common radiator position for VE Commodores and FG Falcons. This is likely to be implemented for next year. Other changes that are confirmed for 2009 is the introduction of Ethanol 85 fuel, with V8 teams receiving a subsidy to help with the change over costs. And as reported last issue, testing has begun on an ‘option’ soft tyre and Detroit Locker differentials, which were both tested at Queensland Raceway two weeks ago. – GRANT ROWLEY

How the west will be won ... V8 SUPERCARS

John Morris/Mpix

THE future of V8 Supercar racing in Western Australia is about to take a step forward, with a full circle of recent meetings amongst the key players almost complete. Representatives from CAMS headed west last week to meet with GHD, the international consulting company hired to conduct a feasibility study on both the existing facilities at Barbagallo Raceway, and the development of a greenfields site. And the WA Sporting Car Club, which currently promotes Barbagallo Raceway, will also meet with GHD tomorrow

(Tuesday), in a bid to get “an update of where we are, and where they are at,” according to club spokesman Rob Janney. There was also a rough and unofficial drawing of a circuit extension on display during last weekend’s Clem Dwyer historic race meeting at Barbagallo Raceway, intensifying the theory that the track will be lengthened, perhaps to allow it to keep operating while new pit facilities are constructed in the future. However the drawings were merely “an idea,” and, given that the feasibility is only half-completed, aren’t likely to be an official indication of the facility’s future. – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

In this issue of GPWEEK

By And

Honda makes shock switch How did

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Sato coming back?

SEBASTIEN Loeb almost threw away any chance of victory at the Repco Rally New Zealand, but in the end, he was leading team-mate Dani Sordo. It was almost a Ford 1-2. Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala both had their time at the front of the field, and were first and second, in Latvala’s favour (or Hirvonen’s, considering the

sutton-images.com

THE news of the week is that the Repsol Honda will switch to Bridgestone tyres for Dani Pedrosa, in the wake of two poor Grands Prix from Michelin. The change will only apply to Pedrosa’s bike, meaning Nicky Hayden will stay on Michelins, splitting the team like Yamaha’s factory outfit. “The reason is we think there is not a good match between Dani and Michelin,” said HRC managing director Kosuke Yasutake. “We’re not talking about the performance of the tyres, but the matching of the rider and tyres.” The news is the latest development in the ongoing tyre saga, which is likely to end in a sole tyre supplier.

Iss

TAKUMA Sato’s dry spell is soon to be over. The likeable Japanese F1 ace has been without a drive since the Super Aguri team ceased to exist earlier this season, but is set to test for Toro Rosso later this month in Spain. The development has led to some interesting speculation regarding next season. Toro Rosso will have at least one seat free next year when Sebastien Vettel heads to Red Bull Racing, meaning Sato could well be in line for a full-time race return …

drew van leeuwen

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d Loeb win? disadvantage of being first on the road), heading into the last day. But, despite Loeb spinning early on the last day and dropping well behind, the Fords both struck trouble on the penultimate stage of the rally, allowing the wiley Frenchman through for the win. As usual on gravel rallies, tactics were paramount. For the full analysis, check out GPWeek.

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w e nro sue #26 onlClin ick he e

BRIEFLY... n Following their bump and grind session after the chequers were dropped at the Bristol night race, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards have been placed on probation by NASCAR for the next six races. Edwards said that it would be “no problem” racing against his arch-rvial while on probation ...

GEM signs Sorenson: Carpentier out? NASCAR SPRINT CUP

GILLETT Evernham Motorsports has hired Reed Sorenson to drive alongside Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler next season in the Sprint Cup Series. However it’s unclear at this time whether he will replace Patrick Carpentier or run a fourth GEMS car, as the team is currently seeking backing for Carpentier to remain with them for 2009. Sorenson leaves Ganassi Racing without a driver for its #41 Dodge next season. It is possible that Dario Franchitti could fill the 22-year-old’s shoes and, although Target was rumoured not to be returning, the retail chain has just signed a contract extension with the team. – MARTIN D CLARK

NASCAR Media

n As reported last issue, Joe Gibbs Racing made it official last Monday that Joey Logano will replace Tony Stewart at the wheel of the Home Depot Toyota in 2009. Logano,18, will begin his Cup career this Saturday night at Richmond in the #02 Camry. He will run the same car in Atlanta and add five events at New Hampshire, Kansas, Lowes, Martinsville and Texas with the Hall of Fame team, which gets engines and chassis from JGR. Logano will also run an ARCA race at Talladega to gain approval from NASCAR for him to be eligible for February’s 51st running of the Daytona 500.

THE NEED FOR REED

n Even before it goes near a racetrack, Stewart Haas Motorsports has had a number change. Ryan Newman will run alongside Stewart in the #29 Chevrolet, not number four as previously announced by the team. n AJ Allmendinger still has no seat confirmed for 2009. The former Champ Car race winner, who has made great progress this season with Red Bull Racing, wants to stay with the team but scenedaily.com reports that he said: “[The] phone is silent as can be from their end. I’ve stated I’d like to be back next year, but I just want an answer. I need to know I’m racing somewhere next year.” The Californian went into the weekend flirting with 35th in owner’s points.

Coors and Effect at Shoot Out NASCAR SPRINT CUP A BEER battle has prompted NASCAR to change the format for the season-opening non-points Shoot Out held at Daytona. Next year, the top six cars of each of the four vehicle manufacturers in the final 2008 car owner standings will qualify for the race. Previously, a driver gained entry into the race

by qualifying on pole the preceding year. The change comes after rival brew Coors replaced Budweiser as the pole award sponsor for races this season. The February 7 event will be 75 laps (up from 70) and there will be a 10-minute interval after the first 25 laps and again at 50 laps, during which changes to the cars can be made. – MARTIN D CLARK

Final lap for Newman INDYCAR

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USUALLY, the sight of Paul Newman driving at Lime Rock would be a happy one but, last week, the occasion was met with watery eyes and heavy hearts. The Oscar-winning actor, turned professional race car driver, turned team owner drove the very Corvette in which he earned so many victories around the Connecticut track last week to say goodbye to many of his friends. Newman, 83, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and was reunited with many of his old mechanics and family as they watched. Newman left a New York hospital last month to return home after chemotherapy treatment. Apart from his many accomplishments on the stage, screen and tracks, perhaps his greatest legacy will be his charitable Hole in the Wall Gang camps for ill children. Anyone wishing to send cards can do so, to; Paul Newman, c/o Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, 500 Tower Parkway, Lincolnshire, IL 60069, USA. – MARY MENDEZ

Is Junqueira eyin’ R

Indy brings back the Turbo Honda may face three other makes in future series INDYCAR INDYCAR fans will finally be able to talk to each other when the series changes to a new turbocharged engine formula. After input from a number of engine manufacturers, the IndyCar series plans to change to a small displacement turbo engine, either four or six cylinders, producing 750 hp. At least two and possibly three manufacturers are hoped to compete against Honda with

the new engine specification. “Since the round table engine manufacturers’ meeting last June, we’ve had individual meetings with each of those companies to find out what formula they prefer,” confirmed John Griffin, the Indy Racing League’s VP of Public Relations. “We are hearing that a turbocharged formula is what most manufacturers want. We will be having another round table meeting at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on September 16th. We will

probably know the engine specifications by the end of this year, which will give the manufacturers two years to prepare for the 2011 season.” The normally aspirated engine has been used in the Indy Racing League since 1997. But the current 650 hp, 3.5-L, V-8 Honda engine, designated H17R, above, is so obnoxiously loud, rendering even noisecanceling devices ineffective, that mufflers are being tested for use next season. – MARY MENDEZ

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The Return of Tag

Ryan’s seat? INDYCAR

ALEX Tagliani’s heart is in open wheel racing. That’s why when Conquest Racing team owner Eric Bachelart called him at 4pm last Friday, he didn’t hesitate to bow out of his Canadian NASCAR Saturday race at Cayuga International Speedway in Hamilton, Ontario, just over an hour from Toronto.

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INDYCAR’S Silly Season is in full swing, and Ryan Briscoe looks to be in the midst of it. The rumour mill now has Bruno Junqueira being eyed by Roger Penske for Briscoe’s seat. But Briscoe has essentially done everything Penske has asked of him, having worked extremely well with Helio Castroneves, not to mention two wins and four front row starts. Until recently, Graham Rahal was connected to the seat but Newman-Haas-Lanigan confirmed both Rahal and Justin Wilson have additional years on their contracts.

Dario Franchitti was in Detroit to watch his brother Marino compete in ALMS and took advantage of the opportunity to meet with his Target Chip Ganassi team owner. Speculation in the paddock is that Dario might prefer a return to the unified IndyCar series instead of struggling in NASCAR. Dan Wheldon’s seat could be open, as the Brit admits he has hasn’t met with Ganassi. But that doesn’t mean Wheldon wasn’t made a renewal offer. Perhaps Ganassi used Franchitti’s appearance as an incentive for Wheldon to sign a less lucrative contract ... – MARY MENDEZ

INDYCAR

Instead, he made his way to Detroit’s Belle Isle Grand Prix to replace Enrique Bernoldi, who injured his left thumb in a spin during qualifying last week at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. “I can’t explain how happy I am to be helping Conquest Racing this weekend and to get my first start in the IndyCar Series,” said Tagliani, who looked to be heading to a top-six finish until a gearbox problem struck. “This will be a great opportunity for me to show what I can do. My goal is to get the best out of the car and give as much information as I can to the team.” – MARY MENDEZ

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Legends lining up for final Tweed SPEED ON TWEED WITH the final Festival of Speed on Tweed just three weeks away, confirmation of special guests are coming thick and fast for the popular event at Murwillumbah, NSW. Twelve legends of Australian motorsport have been confirmed to be part of the historic motoring event, including Colin Bond, John Bowe, Murray Carter, John

French, Denis Geary, Fred Gibson, John Goss, Bob Holden, Jim Richards, Charlie Smith, Max Stahl and Ron Tauranac. Jim Richards will be a notable attendee at this year’s Festival of Speed on Tweed. The seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner will compete in his 1964 Ford Falcon Sprint. “I’ve been to the Festival of Speed on Tweed once before and thought it was a fantastic event – in fact, it is the only event of its kind in the country,” he said.

“It is great to be involved in something which takes in the past in a social atmosphere where you get to meet nice new people and catch up with old friends.” “I’m bringing my 1964 Ford Falcon Sprint to display at this year’s event and may even have a run in it to see how it goes around the Murwillumbah street circuit.” The final Festival of Speed on Tweed will be held on September 19-21.

More Muscle than ever before MUSCLE CARS

John Morris/ Mpix

HISTORY will be made at the Muscle Car Masters this weekend at Eastern Creek Raceway. For the first time ever, all of Australian motorsport’s ‘Fantastic Five’ muscle cars will be together at the same race meeting – Norm Beechey’s Holden Monaro, right, Allan Moffat’s Ford Mustang, Ian ‘Pete’ Geoghegan’s Mustang and Super Falcon, and Bob Jane’s Chev Camaro. Touring Car legends Dick Johnson and Allan Grice will be

making their first appearance at the third-annual meeting. They will be joined by Moffat, Jane, Colin Bond, John Harvey, John Goss, Kevin Bartlett, John French, John Bowe, Glenn Seton and Garry Rogers. On track racing includes the Biante Touring Car Masters, the Shannons V8 Touring Car class (for AU Falcons and VT/VX Commodores), Historic Sports Sedans, Group A and C Touring Cars, Group N Touring Cars plus more. The one-day meeting is set for Father’s Day this Sunday (September 7).

Bates to Honda ARC? ARC

Joel Strickland

COULD the Bates name be on the side of a Honda in the Australian Rally Championship next year? Rumours surfaced at last weekend’s Repco Rally New Zealand that Rick Bates, twin brother of three-time Australian champion (and Toyota factory driver) Neal Bates, is in line to spearhead Honda’s ARC campaign when it enters the series in 2009. But despite the paddock chatter on the other side of the Tasman, Bates denied any serious discussions with the Japanese brand. “I haven’t had any talks,” Bates told eNews. “But I’d be delighted to do it. It’s

something I think I could do a good job of as well.” Honda itself was also quick to point out there was no talent signed at this stage, but confirmed that an ARC berth was well and truly on the cards. “At this stage we’re going to run at Coffs Harbour, and we’re going to run in the championship next year,” said Honda spokesman Mark Higgins. “As for the driver and co-driver, that hasn’t been decided yet. We’ve had lots of applications, but there are a lot of things to consider. “But the plan certainly is to enter the championship.” Honda has had a limited ARC campaign this season, Brit Guy Wilks competing

at Rally of Canberra in a Super-1600 spec Civic Type R. He will also race at the upcoming Coffs Harbour round of the ARC, before Honda launches its full one-car team program for next year. – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

Suncoast Rally confirmed SUNCOAST RALLY

Redline Photographics

THE second Suncoast Classic tarmac rally has been confirmed for July 2009, to be run, with Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Maserati, Lamborghini, Lotus and many other exotic thoroughbreds expected to grace the entry list. The cars and their two-person crews entered in Competition or Touring classes will tackle more than 1000 kilometres of roads through the hills and valleys of the Sunshine Coast hinterland, around 100 kms north of Brisbane. They will return at the end of each day to rally headquarters at the coast’s resort, the Hyatt Regency at Coolum Beach.

Organiser Silverstone Events plans to include Brisbane in the Suncoast Classic, with crews visiting the historic Lakeside motor racing circuit for the Prologue. Expressions of interest from potential entrants in the 2009 Suncoast Classic are being accepted and already the king of Australian tarmac rallying, Jim Richards, has said he wants to run his Porsche GT2 in the outright Competition class. “I thoroughly enjoyed the Suncoast Classic last time. It’s a fantastic event and we hope to be there with the Porsche GT2 in 2009,” Richards said. The event is scheduled to run from July 22-26, a day longer than 2007’s inaugural event.

New Board for Sprintcar Racing SPEEDWAY SPRINTCAR Racing has announced a new management board ahead of the 2008/2009 season. Sprintcar Racing is a new entity acting as a Sprintcar Owners and Entrants Group. It currently has 26 financial members and many of Australia’s Sprintcar teams

and owners. Sprintcar Racing spokesman Shane Krikke announced a new board to guide the fortunes of the company of the next 12 months. The new board will consist of Krikke, Tony Noske, Robbie Farr, Noel Gessner, John Farrell and CEO Dale Rodgers. “As a group we were

determined not to go off halfcocked” said Krikke. “We now represent the major Sprintcar teams in the country as a properly structured entrants group. “Furthermore, we can and will fill the void in the sport by focusing our energies on the marketing and enhancement of the category.”

“All of our members support 100 percent the direction we are taking and having being able to appoint Dale Rodgers as CEO has already opened doors to our company.’” “I am really delighted by the mix of business and motor sport expertise we have on the new board as well as a truly national representation.”

news

Pye remains a Rising Star FORMULA FORD SCOTT Pye has been confirmed by the Australian Motorsport Foundation (AMSF) for the 2009 CAMS Rising Star Program. Pye, who is currently part of the program this year, will continue to race the Genuine Ford Parts Formula Ford Championship with Borland Racing Developments (BRD). As part of the program in 2009, Pye is planning to travel

to various races in England to compete in the British Formula Ford Championship to gain experience ahead of 2010. “Scott is an immensely gifted driver, and we are very pleased that he will form part of our line-up for 2009,” said AMSF General Manager Quentin Crombie. “His presence in the squad will be a benefit to the Team [BRD] and his less experienced team-mates.

“Given Scott’s age it certainly won’t hurt him to do another year in Australia and if he keeps developing at the rate that he is, there is every chance that he’ll end up in our AMSF International Rising Star Program in 2010.” Pye was equally pleased with the decision after deciding not to head overseas next year. “It is a great honour to be chosen to be part of this fantastic program for the

third consecutive year, and I’m also very grateful that the AMSF has been able to accommodate my change in circumstances,” said Pye. “While I’m still focussed on the remainder of this season, I’m really looking forward to next year and the new learning experiences it is sure to bring.” Pye will be back racing in Round 6 of the Formula Ford Championship on September 12-14 at Phillip Island.

Italy on the line for Rotax drivers KARTING THIS weekend’s Sparco Rotax Nationals to be held at Melbourne’s VACC Park will decide the line up of Australia’s contingent at October’s World Rotax Challenge at La Conca, Italy. The leader in the national Rotax standings for both the Rotax Light and

Ash Budd

Heavy categories, as well as the top two in Formula JMA, and the winner of Rotax Light at this weekend’s event will form the Australian team. New South Wales driver Tom Williamson, pictured, has been the dominant driver in the Rotax Light category so far in 2008 and holds a commanding lead at the top of the National rankings. However, his trip to Italy is far from secure. With 4100 points on offer at the Nationals, Williamson can drop out of the lead should he finish outside the top 10 in the 41-kart field this weekend but the standings are something that Williamson is trying not to think about too much. “I’m trying to put the points to the back of my mind and do the same thing I have been doing all year, which is being competitive near the front of the field,”

said Wiliamson. “I had some good pace at the recent City of Melbourne Titles but just got caught up in a couple of incidents. If I can stay out of trouble I think I’ll be fine.” Williamson will face some tough opposition this weekend with the favourites for the Rotax Light crown including defending Champion David Sera, the Lindstrom brothers – Jace and Jordie, Bart Price, James Sera and 2006 champion Hayden McBride. In the chase for the top spot in Rotax Heavy, the winner is likely to come from the top six in the standings. Andrew Torville currently leads on 5404 points ahead of Rick Pringle, Simon Meyer and Matt Greenbury. Luc Price and William Yarwood are currently fifth and sixth in the standings.

news

A1GP

FOLLOWING the disappointing postponing of the first race of the season at Mugello, A1GP has been quick to announce a new race for the series in Indonesia. The race will take place on February 6-8 in Lippo, near Jakarta and will be the only street race of the season. “A1GP is glad to be back in Indonesia once again,” said David Clare, CEO – Asia

Pacific, A1GP World Cup of Motorsport “Season Four will mark our third visit to the country which always draws a strong and passionate fan base in support of A1Team Indonesia.” Lippo Village was founded in 1993 and is just west of the capital, Jakarta. “The track is being designed by Tilke Gmbh, the company responsible for circuits in Shanghai and Sepang where A1GP has also raced,” said Gordon Benton, Senior

Executive from PT. Lippo Karawaci Tbk. “The track designers have conducted the initial site visit, and are currently completing the final design.” In another boost for the series, A1 Team Monaco has announced that it will join the series and compete this year in season four. The driver for the team will be Clivio Piccione, a former F3 and GP2 race winner. For only the second time in the series Piccione will also

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A1GP Indonesian street race

be a seat holder along with Hubertus Bahisen. “I am very proud to have been able to put this project together and I believe this new enterprise will bring a lot of excitement and glory to our country,” said Piccione. “It is a unique situation to be able to take on these two roles. “I believe it is a great asset for me not just to be the driver, but to also have a real involvement within the team structure.”

Race ready R8 for 2009 GT RACING

Audi Motorsport

AUDI has announced that a race ready version of the popular R8 will be on sale as early as Spring 2009. The R8 will be produced in a 500hp GT3 version, allowing it to compete in a range of national and international championships. “The R8 is the first production Audi bearing the name and genes of a successful racing sportscar and is therefore an excellent base from which to build up our first big customer sport programme,” explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. “Ever since the R8 was unveiled we’ve been inundated with enquiries about a

race version. With the Audi R8, we will offer customers a racing Sportscar equipped with highcalibre technology and the typical Audi qualities, but which is nevertheless easy to handle.” The R8 GT3 will feature a standard GT rear-wheel-drive setup with a sixspeed sequential gearbox. A large rear wing and modified front end will produce downforce for the race ready car. The car is scheduled to do race tests during the 2009 season with the first

prototype, pictured, completing a successful rollout in the hands of Audi factory driver Frank Biela. As the car is being produced as a GT3 machine, there is every chance we could see it on a GT Championship grid at some point in the future.

5 Minutes with ...

ALEX DAVISON

The Porsche driver won the Sepang 12 Hour and has a real chance at winning Bathurst this year with Fabian Coulthard and Glenfords Racing GRANT ROWLEY

The race certainly isn’t one of the glamour endurance races, is it? It’s a very different sort of race. There wasn’t that much competition in our class. It’s such a big mix of cars and drivers. It opened my eyes a bit. I had no idea that we were sharing the track with 100 horsepower hatchbacks with road tyres and number plates! There were 77 cars in the field and there were, maybe, six cars at a reasonable speed, compared to the times we were lapping. The majority of them were 20 or 30 seconds a lap slower. What that means is that you are weaving your

John Morris/Mpix

After a reasonable season overseas, victory in the Sepang 12 Hour is your first win for the year … Yeah, it was good, but I would have rather won one of the LMS races that we’ve been competing in all championship. I’m mainly really happy for Weng Sun Mok (car owner). It’s his big race for his team and they put a massive amount of effort into it, and a significant effort into doing that one big race. It’s a big deal for them and I’m happy to help them achieve exactly what they wanted to do. You’ve got to remember that motor racing isn’t quite at the level that it is here or in Europe, so the set-up and infrastructure for a race like that, and to be competitive is no small feat. I’m just happy I could help them out. I got a trophy too, so winning a race is always great.

I HAD NO IDEA THAT WE WERE SHARING THE TRACK WITH 100 horsepower hatchbacks ... ALEX DAVISON had an eye opener at the sepang 12 hour way through traffic. In 12 Hours, none of us ever got a clear lap. Basically, as soon as practice started on Thursday, you never got a clear lap. The closing speed was quite enormous sometimes … You’ve tested the Glenfords Falcon today (Monday) in preparation for your drive with Fabian Coulthard at Bathurst. Is this your only test before the 1000? More than likely, it depends on if I do Petit Le Mans in Atlanta. I’m not 100 percent sure if I’m doing that yet. If I’m not in America, I’ll be here, but we’ll see. Is it in any way uncomfortable that this could be the last time you drive a V8 Supercar before you get to Bathurst? To be honest, not really. There’s only so much you can achieve running around Queensland Raceway.

Even today, I felt pretty comfortable straight away. The times I was doing were similar to Fabian by the end. I could come back and run around Queensland Raceway and not improve. Saying that, it would obviously be good to do more test days, but I don’t think that it’s the end of the world. I’m not that worried. You’ve got a different job at Bathurst this year. In the past, you’ve been the lead driver of the second car. This year, you’re the #2 for what is potentially a podium contender … Yeah, it will be the first time I’m going as the second driver and not qualifying the car and doing all that stuff. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really change the way you go about it. You just sit in the car and go as fast as possible. For me, being a lead driver or

co-driver or whatever, you try and work as well as you can with your team-mate. Things like seat position and seat belts, I always make a compromise to make sure we can get the best result possible. Nothing really changes, except I’ll have less stuff to do over the weekend! Also, every other year I’ve been there bar one, I’ve also had Carrera Cup to do. That always made life a little more difficult, especially the last two years. I can swap back and forth quite well, but it does take away from the performance that tiny bit. But I’m really looking forward to it. The car is as close to as good as anything out there (ED: the Glenfords Falcon is Craig Lowndes’s T8 chassis from last year). Fabian has been going well this year, so all things going well, we should be a chance for a podium.

chat

Gotta love holidays ... opinion Phil Branagan Executive Editor HOLIDAYS are good. In fact, I have decided that they are so good, I am going to have one myself. Some day. The winter break, brought about because of the six-week, Olympics-inspired hole in the calendar, has seen all kinds of things happen. Far from there being a lack of news, there has been plenty; Holden’s arrangements with its teams,

Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch starting WWIII, silly season rumours. Some people do not handle holidays well. I once had a phonecall from a V8 Supercar team owner, while he was on holiday, while I was on holiday. Once we had established that neither of us were working, he proceeded to grill me about something I had written a month before. The fact that neither of us were supposed to be working, obviously, did not compute with him. I was thinking about that

earlier today. While any number of drivers, engineers and other personnel have been flung to the corners of the globe, the inactivity has been too much for at least one. One team principal reported today that one of his drivers, who he believed to be restfully taking in the sights on the other side of the world, suddenly cut short his break, without warning and apparent reason. Seems that while Mr Driver knew that his car was going to be pedalled by his team-mate and the team’s endurance

drivers, and he was initially comfortable with that, as the day drew closer, he started to squirm more and more. In the end, he leapt on an early flight and will have a steer of the car this week. I wonder what Mrs Driver said about that? Moral of the story? There isn’t one, really. For some, the dawn of spring is a time for renewal, and time to leap into action. For some, it is a time to wake up from hibernation. And for at least one, it is time to get his hands on a racing car again …

No rest for these guys: Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordan discussing why

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Letters

Have your say, email us at mail@mnews.com.au. Keep letters to the point! Parity, Parity, Parity After reading what Matt Giles had to say in Motorsport News Issue 375 and in other publications about Holden wanting Parity adjustments, I just had to write and voice my thoughts. I totally agree with what Matt said about Holden winning everything last year and now wanting Fords nobbled. If their main concern is the VE having a larger frontal area than the

BF, shouldn’t the teams be whinging to the design team at Fishermans Bend – you know, the guys that drew up the shape in the first place? Instead of Holden bringing up the ‘P’ word, maybe they should mention the ‘T’ word, as in Tom Walkinshaw. Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t it he that split up the dual championship winning team, HSVDT, so that Holden’s main team could have the

number 1 on its doors? Also, if Tom had sideways shifted Mr Skaife to another team and teamed Todd with Garth, HRT might have both cars up top of the points table. Enough of me ranting about parity, and onto another subject. This goes to John Stevens, who wrote in suggest that Chevrolet, Buick and Pontiac join the V8 series. The last time I checked

Holden, Chevrolet, Buick and Pontiac were all owned by GM. So, inviting these manufacturers into our sport wouldn’t change a thing, except having more Holdens on the grid and that would mean more teams for Tom to get his fingers in and stuff up. Steve Wells via email Parity The only reason Holden has

opinion

opinion Jason Bargwanna V8 Supercar Driver JUST when I thought that I had everything ready for the trip to Phillip Island, there was something I forgot. My appendix. I was in Sydney playing with the MINIs, getting everything ship-shape for the Phillip Island weekend and getting my hands dirty when I started to feel a little strange. I thought it was gas from something I had eaten but, when it got worse not

a problem is because they destroyed their championshipwinning team so they could have #1 on a HRT car. There was no parity problem last year when they were winning the championship. Even Ingall and Supercheap are doing a better job than HRT at some tracks. Holden should be trying to give Tander a better car than trying to slow down Ford. FPR and 888 and DJR are just doing a better job than HRT. Tander has been let down by an inferior team than he had [sic] last year. Lindsay Merkel Wagga, NSW

better, I thought that I better drive myself to the hospital. At midnight. For those reading this, don’t do that! I got to the Sutherland hospital and they said that I needed to lie down a bit. I thought that was a great idea. Next thing I knew, they were wheeling me into surgery … There’s not a lot of negotiating with an appendix, so out it came. I stayed in hospital for as long as they said I had to, and when they said, “How are you feeling?” I said, “Fantastic!” Which I wasn’t. They told me to get plenty of rest, so I went straight to airport and flew back home.

Then there was some TV stuff to do back in Sydney, so I have not had a lot of time off, but I feel better now. By next week, I will be 100 percent percent fit, all fine and ready to go racing. Last year, I heard about Mark Skaife’s appendix and thought maybe he still could have driven in the race. Which shows how much I knew at the time. What I know now is that there is no way he should have even driven to the circuit, let alone be allowed anywhere near a racing car. It is seriously painful. I will be in the MINI Challenge events and the L&H 500 at Phillip Island and I think

James Smith

A pain in the guts

that things are looking quite good for the big race. Tony D’Alberto and I sit in the same position with the seat and pedals, and we are on the same page as far as speed are concerned. Tomorrow’s run at Winton is more of a shakedown than a test, as such. I reckon that there might be some eyebrows raised at the Island. This is the best car I have raced there for some years, and we don’t have the problems of worrying about driver points on Saturday, so we can have a decent crack. It will be good to tune up in the MINIs and give it a big go in the 500. See you there.

eLETTER OF THE WEEK eNews I am intrigued with the debate in relation to V8 Supercars. I am talking about parity, other manufacturers, and whinging about the CAMS judiciary. My comment, and this is sneaking over the horizon, is the problems with our automotive manufacturers in general, which others seem to be ignoring.

Especially as Ford seems to be heading down the same path as what Mitsubishi was. With the new Ford FG Falcon failing to ignite showroom traffic, redundancies, and Bill Osborne resigning, could it be the end of the two-horse field in our most popular category? John Miller Sandgate, Qld

Send your creative letters to mail@mnews.com.au, or Motorsport News PO Box 7072, Brighton, Vic 3186 25

SHANNONS NATIONALS ROUND 6 – ORAN PARK

Truckin’ Life

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With one round to go, the Supertruck Series will go down to the wire between Bob Middleton and John Falk. LACHLAN MANSELL reports

Marshall Cass

OB Middleton and John Falk continued their season-long Supertruck battle at Oran Park, in the Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships last weekend. Middleton eventually took the round win, reducing Falk’s series lead to 10 points with one round remaining. While Falk and Middleton won the first two races, Frank Amoroso won the reverse grid race (Race 3), and Light Truck class competitor Steve Coulter took outright victory in the final, notching up his 14th consecutive Light Truck round win. Tony Ricciardello reduced Darren Hossack’s Kerrick Sports Sedan Series lead to just eight points by winning the round. Ricciardello was pipped for pole by Hossack, but won a wet opening race before Hossack took the ascendancy in Race 2. Engine problems forced Hossack’s retirement in Race 3, although he still gathered enough points to finish second for the round, just ahead of Scott Butler. The NSW state-level competitor made

a guest appearance in the national series and took the fight right up to the regular front-runners, and was rewarded with an overall podium result. Fellow NSW driver Chris Jackson didn’t fare so well, spearing sideways into the wall on the main straight in Race 1 after a tap from another competitor. Mazda 3 MPS driver Jake Camilleri took his first round win in the Australian Manufacturers Championship, capitalising on some well-timed Safety Cars in the final handicap race to finish in front. Bob Pearson won the first race after a close battle with the experienced Andrew Miedecke, and Andrew’s son George Miedecke won the second race in his Hyundai Tiburon. Lauren Gray won Class E in her Toyota Echo, allowing Toyota to leapfrog Hyundai in the Manufacturers Championship. Jeff Bobik took a surprise round win in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge. Bobik finished fourth in Race 1 and third in Race 2, while Bill Pye and Sven Burchartz finished first and second in both the opening races.

The surprise happened in Race 3, when Pye and Burchartz clashed in the second corner, resulting in the retirement of both drivers. Bobik pounced and held off a hardcharging Terry Knight to win the race and the round. Pye finished second overall despite his Race 3 DNF, and Brad Rankin scored the final podium position. The Victoria-based Porsche 944 series shared the grid with the GT3 Cup Challenge cars, and produced intense racing, with series leader Robert Lange eventually winning the round with two race wins ahead of Chris Lewis-Williams. John Morriss, second in the series entering the round, copped two drive-through penalties in the first race and played catch-up for the other two races, finishing the final in second. Ben Porter won the Formula Vee round with two race wins, with Ryan Simpson winning the other race in his return to the category. Michael Kinsella rounded out the podium. In the HQ Holden class, Keven Stoopman won all four races.

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Dirk Klynsmith

Maiden win: Former Saloon Car driver Jake Camilleri won his first Australian Manufacturers Championship round win.

Marshall Cass

Dirk Klynsmith

Red hot stuff: Tony Ricciardello narrowed the gap to Darren Hossack in the Kerrick Sports Sedan Series.

GT3 advantage: Jeff Bobik took advantage of an incident between Bill Pye and Sven Burchartz in Race 3.

Dirk Klynsmith

John Morris/Mpix

Joy jumper: Healey got some air underneath his HQ, above, while Keven Stoopman, right, was a class above the rest.

AUSTRALASIAN SAFARI KALGOORLIE – PERTH

Four-thousan Grabham. The Safari in 2009

True Test

nd kilometres is a long way, just ask Ben e Bathurst local took his second consecutive 9 in dominant fashion

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SAFARI AFTER over 4000 kilometres the Australasian Safari arrived in Perth last weekend and was greeted by an abundance of fans. Ben Grabham (Honda) won his second straight Safari on the bike and led every kilometre of the event from Kalgoorlie to Perth, finishing almost 22 minutes ahead of his closest rival. “It’s great to take back-toback wins, and a big relief,” Grabham said. “It’s also good to finish the event with no injuries. “That fourth leg was really hard, particularly the first two stages that were both over 220 kilometres in length.” “It’s especially hard to retain your concentration on stages

that are that long – and we then had to back up with another two stages after that.” Rod Faggotter finished second after crashing on the third day, while Damian Grabham was third. Former AFL player Tony Lockett finished his first-ever Safari aboard his Honda in 26th place in a field of 51. In the Auto division, Steve Riley and John Doble took victory by just under 20 minutes in their Mitsubishi Pajero, ahead of Des Harrington and Sue McCready in a Nissan Patrol. Bruce Garland and Harry Suzuki finished third in their Isuzu D-MAX, while in the Quad division John Maragozidis beat home Darrell Knight aboard his Polaris Outlaw IRS.

SUPERLEAGUE FORMULA ROUND 1 – DONINGTON PARK

Sports combined, worlds collide The first-ever Superleague Formula race gave the world a taste of footy and racing – together FOOTBALL and motor racing combined as one for the first time at Donington Park last weekend with the inaugural round of the Superleague Formula at the British circuit. The controlled cars, backed by various football clubs from all around the world, were met with typical wet conditions, with Beijing Guoan and Sevilla FC taking the first two wins in the burgeoning series. Beijing Guoan took the opening victory in the first ever Superleague Formula event – turning pole position into a victory over AS Roma and Tottenham Hotspur. Beijing driver Davide Rigon beat fellow front-row starter Borja Garcia (Sevilla FC) to

turn one off the rolling start and edged out a gap over his Spanish rival. “The race was very difficult because the Safety Car destroyed a bit of my advantage and it was difficult on the restart to extend the gap again,” Rigon said. “I’m delighted to take the first Superleague Formula victory for my club – it is a great start.” Garcia ended the race 10th after being involved in an incident while AS Roma’s Enrico Toccacelo finished second ahead of Duncan Tappy for Tottenham Hotspur. In Race 2’s reverse grid event, Sevilla FC driver Borja Garcia executed a stunning performance to claim victory in the pouring

rain. Starting from position seven, Sevilla had moved up to fifth when the race was disrupted by a Safety Car period on the opening lap when FC Porto (Tristan Gommendy) and Al Ain (Andreas Zuber) made contact. More Safety Car periods followed as Garcia moved up to take the win. “I think this has been a really good debut for Superleague Formula,” Garcia said. “The series has changed a lot of things from what we are normally used to. It has really been amazing to merge football with these great cars.” The championship battle will resume in three weeks time when the series heads to Germany at the Nurburgring.

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All pics: Superleague Formula

First-up success: Sevilla FC driver Borja Garcia, below, won the wet Race 2. Left, Liverpool FC had an off, and the 17 original Superleague Formula drivers posed for the group picture, below left.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP ROUND 25 – PEPSI 500, FONTANA, CA

No driver had ever won a Cup race at Fontana from pole position. So, when Jimmie Johnson opened the floodgates, he did it in style. By MARTIN D CLARK

Ford Racing Media

Strong Foundations

NASCAR Media

IMMIE Johnson is a tough man to beat at Fontana, and proved it when he totally dominated the 500mile race on Sunday night at Auto Club Speedway. The double NASCAR Cup Champion led a whopping 227 of the 250 laps, taking the lead for the final time from Greg Biffle with 28 laps to run after a final pit stop for his third win of the year. “This racecar was unbelievable”, grinned Johnson, who held an 8s lead at points during the race and became the first to win from the pole at the two-mile oval. “We’ve been working really hard to get our stuff right and the reason we dominated like we did tonight is the hard work from this Hendrick Motorsports team. We’ve been burning the midnight oil and it’s paying off, so I’m very proud of where we are.” Biffle held on for second ahead of Denny Hamlin (11th in points), Kevin Harvick,

who is on a roll of late, and Matt Kenseth, all drivers in contention to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup. “The #48 (Johnson) was phenomenal,” said Biffle. “We see that every once in a while where a guy gets a set-up right and runs good. I feel bad I let my guys down, they we’re the fastest on pit road tonight and I’ve never had that before in my life. He wasn’t beating me on engine, he was just beating me around the corners.” The sixth caution on lap 160 was pivotal in the race. Five cars took two tyres each, leaving Johnson sixth on the restart after taking four. It took Johnson just three laps to catch and pass Biffle for the lead and show that he had made the right decision. After performing flawlessly all race long, on the next stop Johnson’s crew made a rare mistake, an air hose getting caught in the jack man’s foot on the right side. Again, Johnson had to restart sixth but this time,

the cars in front were kitted with four fresh tyres. Again, within a few laps, Johnson was around Biffle for the lead, which he kept for good. Two of the eight yellow flags were caused by the fence-mounted track caution lights, the first when a complete light unit fell on the track, the second when part of a light came off. Turbulence from cars caused both incidents. With one more race to make the top 12 for the Chase, Clint Bowyer holds 12th by 17 points after finishing 10th, David Ragan is 13th after finishing 13th and Kasey Kahne, who finished eighth, is 14th. The teams head to Richmond for this Saturday’s event, knowing Bowyer won there in the spring. Marcos Ambrose started 40th and came home in a solid 32nd place in the Wood Bros Ford, although he did scrape the wall with 33 laps to run, airing the final yellow flag, finishing one lap off the pace.

California Dreamin’ Busch made it 18 wins on Saturday NATIONWIDE NASCAR Media NASCAR Media

Green to chequers: Jimmie Johnson led away at the start, left, and was still there when the race ended. Greg Biffle, top with crew chief Greg Erwin, was second, Jeff Burton, above, had an emotional moment before he started his 500th Cup race and Marcos Ambrose, below, ended the night with plenty of battle scars on the #21 Ford.

BAM Media

KYLE Busch dominated the Nationwide race in, leading all but six of the 150 laps from the pole and heading home his Sprint Cup Series points rival Carl Edwards after a late race restart and as the caution flew for a wrecking Josh Wise on the final lap. Busch’s seventh Nationwide win came the hard way, with crew chief Jason Ratcliff and six other Joe Gibbs Toyota team members on the sidelines after NASCAR placed them on indefinite suspension over the team’s tampering with two cars at Michigan’s postrace inspection. “These guys (crew) have suffered a lot of adversity the last few weeks and they don’t deserve the bad rap they’ve got,” commented Busch in Victory Lane. “I don’t care about my bad rap, but these guys that do all the hard work. This car was flawless, just amazing, that was really cool. My biggest challenge was being good on the restarts and being able to get away.”

Brian Vickers in a Braun Racing Toyota came home third, with Jeff Burton, Jamie McMurray and super rookie Joey Logano filling out the top six. Clint Bowyer continues to head the point table after a seventh place result, but after finishing on the lead lap the last 14 races, second placed Brad Keselowski suffered a broken distributor rotor on lap 107 and came home 33rd after repairs. He is now 204 points in arrears and just 18 in front of Edwards. Marcos Ambrose qualified 12th and brought the JTG Daugherty Racing Ford home 15th to maintain his 10th place in the points standings after 27 of 35 races. After falling back in the early laps Ambrose rallied into the top 20 as the track cooled during the evening and eventually into the 15th place, the first of the lapped cars. Point standings; Bowyer 3913, Keselowski 3709, Edwards 3691, Reutimann 3503, Bliss 3474, (10th Ambrose 3082).

NASCAR | PEPSI 500, FONTANA, CALIFORNIA 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 32

48 16 11 29 17 99 18 9 44 07 21

Jimmie Johnson Chevy Greg Biffle Ford Denny Hamlin Toyota Kevin Harvick Chevy Matt Kenseth Ford Carl Edwards Ford Kyle Busch Toyota Kasey Kahne Dodge David Reutimann Toyota Clint Bowyer Chevy Marcos Ambrose Ford

Hendrick/Johnson Foundation 1 Roush Fenway/3M 15 Joe Gibbs/FedEx 21 RCR/Shell-Pennzoil 33 Roush Fenway/R&L Carriers 37 Roush Fenway/Aflac 27 Gibbs/M&Ms 11 Budweiser/GEM 4 Waltrip/UPS 12 RCR/Jack Daniel’s 31 Wood Bros/Little Debbie 40

Busch 3755, Edwards 3547, Johnson 3386, Earnhardt 3323, Burton 3234, Biffle 3159, Harvick 3132, Stewart 3110, Kenseth 3081, Gordon 3074.

NASCAR Media

SPRINT CUP | DRIVER’S points

INDYCAR ROUND 16 – BELLE ISLE, DETROIT

A Smile for Paul

Justin Wilson gave Newman Haas Lanigan a welcome boost during a tough time with a win on the streets of Detroit

Honda Racing Media

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HERE are no team orders in motor racing, officially. But, when officials issue an order, that is different. So, after Helio Castroneves threw two blatant blocks on Justin Wilson late in the penultimate IndyCar race of the season, there was no choice. At the Drivers’ briefing, there had been a clear warning; no blatant blocking. The teams were told to redress the situation, and Wilson was waved past the Team Penske car to take his first IndyCar win. “I was so desperate to get a victory this year in, my first one in IndyCar (Series) and my first one with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing,” said Wilson in Victory Lane. “This means a lot. It’s the most important win of my career.

IndyCar Media

“Helio was racing hard. The first yellow, I was right behind him and that’s how it goes. It was just hard racing. The second time I got a good run out of [Turn] 12 and started to overlap and I had the inside for the next corner. Before we got halfway down the straight, he started to come across and I had to lift or we both were going to crash. I was a little upset at the time, but I was relieved when the officials put it right.” The win was also a timely boost for the team, with the news that co-owner Paul Newman is seriously ill [see news pages]. With the race running to a time limit and finishing three laps early, Castroneves could be excused for being mad at being second for the eighth time this year. But the fact is, the points he claimed take the title fight to Chicagoland for the series finale this weekend.

Tony Kanaan, last year’s race winner, finished third and Oriol Servia fourth. Points leader Scott Dixon was sixth, and the mathematicians will be hard at work on the oval this weekend. While Wilson was becoming the ninth different race winner this season – tying IndyCar’s record – both Australian drivers finished in the top 10. Will Power was eighth and Ryan Briscoe ninth, the Team Australia driver blotting his weekend with a qualifying crash that put him only 12th, when it looked likely that he would qualify on the front two rows. He suffered aother setback when he lost a front wing in an early-race clash with Ryan Hunter-Reay. Briscoe started fifth, one spot behind Wilson, but he fell foul of pit strategy and lost track position that he was never able to recover.

INDYCAR | DETROIT INDY GRAND PRIX

IndyCar Media

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

02 3 11 5 9 17 18 12 6 2

Justin Wilson GB Helio Castroneves Br Tony Kanaan Bra Oriol Servia Bra Scott Dixon NZ Ryan Hunter-Reay USA Bruno Junqueira Bra Will Power Aus Ryan Briscoe Aus AJ Foyt IV USA

Newman Haas Lanigan 87 laps Team Penske +4.4058s Andretti Green +17.6805s KV Racing +26.5468s Target Ganassi +27.7185s Rahal Letterman +28.2688s Z-Line Designs +28.6815s KV Racing +28.8776s Team Penske +35.5224s Vision +38.1040s

Fastest lap: Wilson on lap 85, 1m13.057s (164.16kmh).

INDYCAR | DRIVER’S points Dixon 606, Castroneves 576, Kanaan 481, Wheldon 464, Briscoe 412, Patrick 359, Servia 345, Andretti 339, Hunter-Reay 338, Mutoh 334.

IndyCar Media Honda Media

Motown Lowdown: Will Power looked a threat until a Saturday crash, top. Helio Castroneves, above, was forced to give way when officials deemed he had blocked too much. Tony Kanaan continued his strong late-season form with third place, right. But no-one could deny Justin Wilson his maiden IndyCar win, left.

GLOBE TROTTER Getting Green

Scheider wins DTM THE DTM Series took to Brands Hatch for the latest round of the championship with Timo Scheider taking victory in an exciting feature. Scheider, who took pole for the race, took his second victory for the season ahead of Paul di Resta and fellow Audi driver Mattias Ekstrom. The narrow win extends Scheider’s championship lead as the season heads to a climax. “It was a fantastic day for us,” said Scheider. “I am very happy with my win.” “That was a really important

day in the battle for the title. Now, I am nine points clear with three rounds to go. That is a good margin. “I am very happy with my second win, especially as I never scored a good result here in previous years.” Di Resta pushed Scheider all the way to the flag over the 82 lap race eventually missing out by only 0.7s, while Ekstrom made a clever pit strategy work for him after initially starting down in seventh. The next round of the series will be in Barcelona on September 21.

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ANDRETTI Green Racing scored its first ALMS victory of the season with James Rossiter and Franck Montagny crossing the line first in Detroit. Australian David Brabham finished second by only 4s, while Gil de Ferran and former Champ Car driver Simon Pagenaud came home in third place. Penske IndyCar driver Ryan Briscoe teamed up with Patrick Long for a weekend of double duties and managed to finish just off the podium in fifth position, driving a Penske Porsche RS Spyder. Oliver Gavin and Olivier Monaco won GT1 in a Corvette C6.R and Wolf Henzler and Jorg Bergmeister finished first in GT2 in a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner claimed the LMP1 title with two rounds remaining despite crashing out, after the other Audi R10 of Emanuele Pirro and Marcel Fassler was eliminated from a podium position after failing to meet the minimum weight requirements postrace, that ended their championship fight.

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On the campaign trail

WTCC

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FELIX Porteiro helped BMW complete the double in last weekend’s round of the World Touring Car Championship at Oschersleben. Porteiro gained the lead at the start and managed to skip away initially after a number of the front-runners ran into trouble in the first turn. Tom Coronel shadowed Porteiro all race in the hope of taking advantage of a mistake and although one did come, it was not big enough to let

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Double the trouble

BTCC THE British Touring Car Championship headed to Silverstone and saw three different winners in three races in typical British weather. It was a decisive round for the championship as contenders Jason Plato and Fabrizio Giovanardi traded wins in the first two races. Plato won Race 1 while Giovanardi battled though from 11th to finish in fifth but turned his fortunes around with a Race 2 victory to get his title campaign back on track. Giovanardi consolidated with third place in the final race and with Plato only finishing down in fifth, extended his championship lead to 44 points. Mat Jackson came through to win the third race after a disappointing Race 2.

the Dutchman past. In an exciting Race 2 many of the championship contenders, including Yvan Muller and Gabriele Tarquini, failed to score points, leaving the door open for others to shine. BMW driver Angusto Farfus lead home Robert Huff to take victory in Race 1 by over seven seconds in a relatively straight forward race. It was a good weekend for Huff, who also finished on the podium in Race 2 giving Chevrolet something to smile about after Alain Menu also scored a podium in Race 1.

GLOBE TROTTER

Tougher Days EUROCUP

Mike Patrick

Crump Wins

Valtteri Bottas finished just ahead of the young Aussie in second place. Race 2 was not as kind to the Aussie, finishing down in fifth position, while Bottas went one better to claim the win and Merhi finished second. The results see Bottas and Merhi both close the gap on Ricciardo in the standings heading into the next round at Le Mans in a week’s time.

Renault Sport

JASON Crump collected his second Speedway GP win of the season by taking out the Latvian GP last weekend. Crump, who is currently second in the series behind Nicki Pedersen, only managed to pull one point back on the Dane’s advantage after he finished in second place. Crump was running third in the final behind Pedersen and Tomas Gollob, but came up with a brilliant move to slice between the pair of them to take the victory. The victory is the 18th for Crump since he began his career. Fellow Aussie Leigh Adams finished down in seventh and is in a big fight to finish third overall in the series.

IT was a tough weekend in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 championship for Daniel Ricciardo at the Nurburgring last weekend. Ricciardo still leads the championship following the weekend but didn’t enjoy the same level of dominance he has shown throughout the year thus far. Ricciardo finished third in

Race 1, which was taken out by Roberto Merhi from pole position. “I did badly in qualifying, and started from the fourth row,” said Ricciardo, “so I knew it was going to be tough. “I took risks at the start, as it’s always more difficult overtaking later on. You need to know how to score points, and this third place is important for the Championship.”

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Controversy at the Nurburgring RENAULT WORLD SERIES A controversial round of the World Series by Renault at the Nurburgring last weekend saw drivers being disqualified from both races. Race 1 was taken out by Fabio Carbone with Fairuz Fauzy in second,

but Fauzy was later disqualified due to a technical non-compliance. That saw Geido Van der Garde and Esteban Guerrieri move up one spot each to take the remaining spots on the podium. The second race was just as controversial with race winner Salvador Duran also being disqualified after the race for a

technical non-compliance. The disqualification left Miguel Molina to take the victory ahead of Julien Jousse and Alvaro Barba. “I got off to a good start,” said Molina. “The car was running very well and I found a good rhythm straight away. “I took advantage of Van der Garde’s problems in the pits to take second position and at the end of the race I just held on.” It wasn’t to be Van der Garde’s race after he lost a spot at the start to Duran with far too much wheel spin. However he maintains his lead in the series standings after six rounds.

Renault Sport

The Hulk wins

F3 EURO SERIES

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NICO Hulkenberg grabbed his fifth F3 Euro Series victory of the season on the Indy circuit at Brands Hatch last weekend. The ART Grand Prix driver took out an eventful first race beating home Japanese driver Koudai Tsukakoshi and Yann Clairay. “Winning is always great and therefore I am very happy with this result,” said Hulkenberg. “Initially, Jules Bianchi was too fast for me, I couldn’t follow him. Later on,

I benefited from his drive-through penalty and took over first place. “Once in front, I could drive victory home in a controlled way.” Race 2 saw Signature Motorsport take a 1-2, with Franck Mailleux taking his first win of the year ahead of JeanKarl Vernay and Renger van der Zande. Race 1 winner Hulkenberg came home in fifth position just one place behind his championship rival Edoardo Mortara. Hulkenberg now leads the championship by 13 points with four rounds still to come.

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Odd Spot

Phil Hill

NASCAR Media

IT is with great sadness that we mark the passing of Phil Hill, the only American-born driver to win the World championship for Drivers. The American, the 1961 World champion, passed away in Salinas, California, last week. Our sister publication GPWeek has a full appreciation here: http://mag.gpweek.com Hill was most closely associated with the Ferrari marque, with which he won the 1961 title in tragic circumstances when his team-mate, Wolfgang von Trips, perished in a crash. He only ever raced a Lotus in three GPs but we like this image of him, driving a Lotus 25 fitted with movie cameras for filming of the movie Grand Prix in 1965. He also spent time driving update cars on American track to help the producers with production of the movie, still a Motorsport News favourite four decades on. Following his retirement from racing, Hill became an accomplished writer and maintained his strong links with, and many fans in, the sport. An American gentleman who will be greatly missed.

NASCAR Media

Do you know who I am: Dave Blaney spreads the NASCAR word with Ron Perlman, top, while Drew Carey finds Jeff Burton’s joke about looking like an Australian PR man hilarious, above.

Ron, er, Drew, um ...

Dirk Klynsmith

HOLLYWOOD is about 120km from the Auto Club Speedway but that distance does not stop the talented and beautiful gathering when the NASCAR circus is in town. Such was the case on the weekend (well, maybe ‘beautiful’ is a stretch). Actor Ron Perlman and comic Drew Carey were honoured at the track, both men being asked to utter the four immortal words prior to the two main races. No, not “Edwards Has Hit Busch!” but, “Gentlemen, Start your Engines!”. So, on Saturday, Perlman was introduced to the crowd prior to the Nationwide race. Problem was, when the MC got out the words, “… and star of the new television series …” he went

blank. There was nothing else there. Without a second’s hesitation, he hit the ‘pause’ button on the microphone and asked, “What is the name of your series, again?” Like a true pro, Perlman fired up his own mike and announced, “Sons of Anarchy!” We cannot wonder what Hellboy, Perlman’s other alter-ego, would have done … Trivia note: Auto Club Speedway is a movie star in its own right. Y’see, before Roger Penske and the other investors came up with the plan to build what was called California Speedway, the old Kaiser Steel Mill was on the site. And that was where the final scenes in Terminator II were filmed in 1991.