Motorsport News Issue 186 - August 18-31, 2000 by V8 Sleuth

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ij^lDE: FAULKNER, HERBERT. MORRIS & MORE

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Garry & Warren Smith i

Craig lowndes

Craig Lowndes ‘Outback’ Print $140

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l Framed Team Shirt $555

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Action Shot Large Lowndes 0 Skaife ^ja j J $175 $

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Mark Skaife Large Print

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Mark Skaife Small Print

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Mark Skaife Medium Print

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Try our Web Site at www.gws.com.au. Please Note, all prices shown include GST.

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Get your Subaru Rally Gear Online If you're into rally action then the Subaru website can get you into top gear. Just log on and get into the Subaru VA/orld Rally Team and Team Suba ru merchandise. There's everything from Caps and T-shirts to Jackets and Collectables. But hurry, we're sure the merchandise will move as fast as our cars. Visit www.subaru.com.au and just click on shop.

SUB21 72/MSN

motorsport Issue 186 18-31 August 2000

INSIDE

News and Opinion

6 '6

9 29 30 84

Dick comes back! DJ steps back into #17 for '500 Bright Champ Car quest A Penske possibility Sporty Lowndes V8 hero steps into Panoz Motor Mouth Wills speaks on V8s, FHolden The Box Seat Hungary for more gypsies ... Talk Converter Readers' opinion

Features 32 36 38 42

Faulkner heads online We log on with JF A Skea Day at Le Mans Behind a Le Mans campaign Hot Chilli Morris The Dude speaks on f/?af crash Greener pastures Herbert heads for the 'States

Race Coverage

22 24 25 44

, 8

ANDRETTI: i WANT INDY 500 DRIVE

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INSIDE: FAULKNER. HERBERT, MORRIS £ MORE

Photos: Cover: Dirk Klynsmilh, Coventry Studios and Sutton-lmages. Contents: Klynsmith, Martin D Clark and Sutton-lmages.

Mid-Ohio Champ Cars Penske whitewash Hungary F30O0 Bruno's playground Mosport ALMS Audi by a nose Lakeside V8 Lites Besnard wins on debut Hungary F1 Nothing like a boring GP! Knoxville Nationals Mark Kinser goes back-to-back

Regular Departments 26 Motorcycles 56 (Rallying 60 Histories 62 Drag Racing 65 NASCAR 68 Speedway 72 National Scene 79

Marketplace 5

Dick returns to DICK Johnson will return to the cockpit of his famous number 17 Shell Helix Ford Falcon at the Queensland 500 on September 10. The Queensland legend, who retired from driving after the FAI 1000 last November, will step into the car because of the unavailability of Jason Bright, who will drive for the DJR team at Bathurst. Bright will be engaged in the Indy Lights round at Laguna Seca that weekend, meaning that Johnson will share the car with son Steven. But the five time Australian Touring Car champion has stressed that this will be a one-off return to the cockpit. “I’m just doing the guys a favour,” Johnson said this week. “Believe me, this is not something that I had planned to do.” Johnson will drive the middle stint of the two pitstop race. “Steven will qualify the car and

do the whole lot. I’ll just do the middle bit.” While Johnson has not raced the car this season he has kept his hand in, driving the car in some tests. “I’ve just jumped in and had a go at the end of the day. If you’re a junkie, it’s hard to go cold turkey.' “The car is much improved over what it was last season. The brakes are so much better and, hopefully, with the new aero kit we will be running from this weekend, we’ll be in a good position.” Johnson has kept himself close to his ‘fighting weight’ by swimming in his 25 metre pool and is also looking forward to racing after his sinus operation at the end of 1999. “It was such a shocking thing for me last year,” he said. “People who haven’t suffered from something like this would not believe what a difference it makes. I just wish I could have had it done years ago.” - PHIL BRANAGAN

Webber: no 2001 testing deal yet

1 Dad’s coming: Steven Johnson will be partnered by his legendary father in a (Photo by Dirk Klynsmith) one-off appearance in the Queensiand 500.

third Penske fi

MARK Webber has denied signing a test contract with Benetton for 2001. - The Formuia 3000 racer, who was testing with Benetton in France as Motorsport News went to press, countered reports on the British Autosport website that he had signed with the team for next season. "At the moment I have this test and the one in Estoril," he said. "The focus is one what I am doing at the moment. I don't want to get too carried away." While he was engaged in straightline testing at Miramas, Webber, currently third in the European F3000 championship, was impressed with the Benetton team. "They are just fantastic. Everything is being done so professionally, which is just what I expected from a team of Benetton's calibre. "The car is awesome. Even with less than full power, which is what I am doing today, it's great to feel the power of an FI car again. - PHIL BRANAGAN

JWns

by PHIL BRANAGAN

Win

Coming attraction: Did Jason Bright know something when he tried out Robby Gordon's Reynard Champ Car at Surfers in 1995?

JASON Bright may be seen in a third Penske Reynard-Honda in the Honda Indy 300 on October 15. The Queenslander will run the race under the banner of Hogan Racing but said this week that the opportunity was there to run with the team that dominated the Mid-Ohio round of the Champ Car series last weekend. “I have a contract with Carl Hogan and he is in control,” Bright said this week, “it is a possibility. There is an existing relationship between Carl and Roger ' Penske,from when Hogan Racing ran a Penske chassis a few years ago. There have been talks but they are still in the preliminary stage.” Bright’s Hogan drive had been expected to be run by Swift, which is currently

(Photo by Brisbano Motor»port Pfioiogrophy)

motarsport news

#17

NEWS

Besnard signsfor Stones ... will this mean retirementfor Longhurst?

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Indy?

without a front-line car in the Champ Car series. Talks have been held to arrange an engine supply for the car, which has been run with Ford and Honda engines. But talks have also been continuing to find Bright a third seat with an existing two-car team. Along with Penske, PPI Motorsports, which took its first win with Cristiano da Matta at Chicago, has been involved with discussions to run a third Reynard-Toyota for Bright at Surfers. “PPI is on the back burner at the moment,” Bright said on Tuesday. “I’m not certain which car I will be in but I am certain that I can do a good job in a good car.” Bright is currently in third place in the Indy Lights Championship after finishing third in the MidOhio round. IB August 2000

DAVID Besnard has signed “a multi-year” deal to race for Stone Brothers Racing. The Sydney youngster sealed the deal with an impressive debut in the Konica V8 Lites series at Lakeside Raceway last week. Besnard’s SBR/Caltex Ford Falcon won two races at Lakeside and finished third in the other, taking the overall win from Wayne Wakefield and series leader Dean Canto (see race report, page 44). After the races, Besnard confirmed that he had signed with the Stones and will race a Falcon in the Shell Series next season. “I’m rapt,” the 23-year-old said. “I’ve got everything I wanted. The car is great, the team is great and I’m looking for top six results straight away next season.” The emergence of Besnard leads to speculation that cun-ent Caltex driver Ibny Longhurst may retire. The 42-year-old Queenslander, who joined SBR from his own team at the stai-t of the 2000 season, last week hinted at retirement during Network lO’s ‘Trackside’ broadcast, on which he appeared as a guest commentator.

Longhurst has struggled with the Caltex AU during qualifying this season, but his race speed has been strong. He is cuiTently in seventh position in the SCS pointscore going into the Calder round this weekend. Besnard and Longhurst will share the Caltex AU in the Queensland 500 and FAI 1000 at Bathurst, while the Pirtek Ford will be driven by Craig Baird and Formula Holden star Simon Wills,(see Motor Mouth, page 29). Besnard and Wills both tested at Queensland Raceway this week, continuing to impress team owners Ross and Jimmy Stone with their pace and feedback. While no announcement has been forthcoming, MN believes that Baird has been told he will be released from the team at the end of the season and that Wills is in contention for a full-time ride with SBR next season. The team is also believed to be talking to a number of other drivers, but Ross Stone would not comment on the matter when contacted by Motorsport News on Tuesday. - PHIL BRANAGAN

Erv goes West While the 500cc GP rider front is looking fairly settled from the outside, MN hears that there is a possibility of a new Honda 'Super Team'for 2001. Talk abounds that Erv Kanemoto is setting up a twobike effort, with Max Biaggi and our own Ant West being mooted for the saddles. Like we said, it's only talk at this stage, but it sounds like a powerful combination... n Marcos Ambrose has matched the pace of the front runners on British F3 in the last official test before racing at Silverstone this weekend. Ambrose was third quickest, only 0.12s off Takuma Sato and Tomas Scheckter. Championship leader Antonio Pizzonia was sixth, though only three-tenths off the pace. n British FF championship leader James Courtney is rumoured to be in line for a drive with the Stewart/Jaguar F3 team next season. The only thing standing in the way of the two-time World Karting Champion and the seat is said to be budget. n It seems every top name driver is after a ride with the Castrol Perkins camp and Mark Skaife and Craig Lowndes are the latest to have been spotted with team owner Larry Perkins... But wait, before HRT fans worry about their two heroes negotiating to jump camp, it seems the ride everyone is after is in Larry's new Bell 47 helicopter! Skaife and Lowndes have both recently concluded negotiations that saw them go for a ride with Larry, the smiles apparently telling the tale of their enjoyment. n HRT has apparently scheduled a two-day test for its OS Bathurst . drivers, Jason Plato and Yvan Muller. The Euros, who will share a car at the Mountain, are likely to drive the red rockets at Phillip Island. n Former Formula Fordster and British F3 driver Phillip Scifleet has been signed as the Lansvafe team's fourth driver for the endurance races. Scifleet will team up with Geoff Full, who won last year's Privateer class of the FA1 1000.

Three into two: Longhurst, Ross Stone and Besnard discuss the latter’s V8 Supercar debut at Lakeside. (Photos by Dirk Klynsmlth and Marshall Cass)

n Ric Shaw has been disqualified from his two wins at the Oran'Park round of the GT-P championship for using an incorrect diff gear ratio. Shaw lost the 30 points he had earned as well as being fined $500 and his licence suspended for two months. He has appealed the severity of the penalty and CAMS hopes to conduct a further hearing after we go to press. The penalty cuts his lead to one point over Mark King's Mitsubishi Lancer. 1

Oh, what are you doing... Montoya?

Is the CART champ Williams-bound next year, or will he head to Toyota in 2002? by PHIL MORRIS

AFTER all the to-ing and fro-ing over the last few months,the futm-e of Juan Montoya may he announced this Friday - and it may be that the Colombian is staying where he is. Despite all the speculation some ofit portrayed as fact-that he was to drive for BMW.WiUiams in FI in 2001, Montoya is said to be in favour of a huge three-year deal which would keep him with Ganassi in 2001, before seeing him in FI with Toyota in 2002/3. Rumours in the USA say that Tbyota has made a US$20m ($34m) commitment to keep the 1999 CART Champion in their colours and to lead their assault in FI. Chip Ganassi said at Mid-Ohio that he had scheduled a press conference for tomorrow (Friday) and, with the news that he and long-time driver Jimmy Vasser were to split next season (see page 22), the media assumed that a replacement driver was to be the subject ofthat conference. Toyota signed a three-year deal with Ganassi’s team late last year and is said to be tipping $30m a year into the four-time CART champion team. Toyota committing the funding to ensure that Montoya stays with the company makes sense. With the rest ofthe CART circus, Montoya will race in both the UK and * Germany next year, raising his profile in Europe. Along with that, CART’S severe ‘no testing’rule will provide Montoya with the opportunity to become engaged with Toyota’s FI test program, which will be headed by Mika Salo and Allan McNish next season. And while Salo is considered a good driver, it is probable that Toyota does not see him as a team leader, and Montoya has already proven himselfin that capacity. There is also a question of longevity; Salo turns 34 at the end ofthis season, while Montoya is only 24. Wliile it has been widely believed that Montoya’s first option is controlled by Williams, there is also talk that it is, in fact, Ganassi which has first call on his services for next season. Three weeks ago in Germany, Sir Frank reportedly said that the decision whether Montoya drove in Fl “was not up to him”. Speculation suggests that 8

Ganassi is keen to have Formula 3000 Champion-elect and Williams test driver Bruno Junqueira in his team and, with a history of continuity as well as success, that leaves Montoya for Chip to provide both for Toyota... The other possibility for a Ganassi seat is Tora Takagi. The ex-Fl driver was present at the Hungarian race last weekend , and he confirmed that he has severed aU links with Honda and was looking for an opportunity in America. The Japanese is unquestionably fast but his lack of oval experience not to mention the fact that his Enghsh is marginal, at best- would appear to make him a long shot. But then, so was Montoya, and Alex Zanardi and,for that matter, Vasser in 1996. What does this mean for Jenson Button? More than likely he will also stay where he is. Both Williams and partner Patrick Head had voiced high expectations for the 20year-old throughout the season, and his performances, especially over the last few races, have been impressively close to his team leader Ealf Schumacher. While the young Briton is beheved to have signed an option with Benetton, his long-term Wdliams contract would take precedence. It’s a tangled web, stretching over three continents, but all may be revealed this weekend... Autosport’s who goes where: We’d like to know as well, Juan. What’re your predictions? (Photo by Sutton-lmages)

Panis si^ns f OLIVER Panis has agreed a two-year deal to drive for British American Racing for the 2001 and 2002 seasons. The move is a surprise in that it had been thought that the Frenchman would not be willing to accept the drive as it would mean that he would be a clear number two in the team to Jacques Villeneuve. Panis appears to have concluded that the second BAR is better than all the other drives on offer and that he needs to get

back into racing if he wishes to continue to have a long term career in FI. Having Panis will certainly strengthen BAR as Olivier is a highly-experienced FI driver and a former race winner. He also has up-todate experience of the Mercedes-Benz engine, which will be very useful as Honda tries to develop its new VI0. BAR management has been trying very hard in recent days to get McLaren boss Ron Dennis to release moiorsport news

NEWS n Current Formula Ford Championship leader Luke-^oulden is to represent Australia at the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Flatch later in the year. n Alan Jones will return to the Toll Racing Falcon for the enduros this season, AJ will partner regular driver Anthony Tratt in the OLD 500 and FAl 1000. n Wheel tethers will become a

- 7 -'1F5

Drive of the millennium: Lowndes has scored a seat alongside Mark Noske in a Panoz LMP-1.(Photobysimon-images)

Lowndes lands Panoz drive by PHIL. BRANAGAN

CRAIG Lowndes will drive a Panoz in the Race of 1000 Years at Adelaide. The Holden Racing Team star will share a third Panoz LMP-1 roadster in the December 31 six hour event with former HRT team-mate Mark Noske. It will be the three-time Australian Touring Car Champion’s first race in a sportscar. Lowndes, 26, was delighted to get the drive: “They were keen to run an all-Australian entry. Having David Brabham in the Panoz team helped us, obviously..”

Lowndes is looking forward to testing the 600hpplus car before the race but, as yet, he is unsure whether it will happen before the race in Austraha or in the USA. “We’re just not sure. If the car comes to Australia well before the race, it would be gi’eat to test it here. But I have commitments here with HRT and we’ll have to see how testing fits in with those and see what happens.” It will be Lowndes’first race in a Ford-powered car since he won the Fonnula Ford title in 1993. “I’ve spoken to Holden and, since this race falls out ofseason for my commitments with them, there’s no problem.”

... but he hasn't signed uirith HRT

or BAR

THE Silly Season for 2001 is still on hold, with ths news that Craig Lowndes is still to sign with Holden Racing Team for next season.

Panis with immediate effect, in order for Olivier to take over immediately from Ricardo Zonta, but that plan has, not unnaturally, been blocked by Dennis who wants to minimise the

Lowndes had been expected to ink a two-year deal by the end of July but the absence of HRT boss John Crennan (overseas on Holden Special Vehicles business) has delayed the deal. Despite the delay, Lowndes maintains that there are no problems; "We both want a two year deal and it’s just a matter of sitting down and sorting it out," he said on Monday. "It’s like anything else. We.say “X’, they say‘Y and, hopefully, we meet in the middle." Lowndes’s position means that several other teams, which hold hopes of signing the three-time

damage caused by Panis' departure. Dennis says that Panis will continue to test for McLaren until the end of the year although he admitted that' there may be 2001 parts which will be tested by other drivers. - JOE SAWARD 18 kugusi 2000 -

ATCC winner, are still endeavoming to get his name on a contract before HRT moves. While the 26-year-old is likely to be content to race in Holden re(l for another two seasons, there are some advantages to be had by signing for another team. At HRT Lowndes shares nominal team leader status with team-mate Mark Skaife and, with the two sharing a Commodore VT in the two endurance races of the season, he is unlikely to be able to beat Skaife for the 2000 title. At another team Lowndes would be an automatic choice for number one status and earn a retainer which would go along with that position. Crennan is expected to address the contract situation soon but there are quite a few people hoping to gi’ab Lowndes before he does ...

mandatory requirement for FHolden, FFord and F3 from 1 January 2001. The Motor Racing Committee Executive has requested categon/ managers to present appropriate fitment methods to the CAMS Technical Committee by the end of

September. The move comes in light of a wheel from Steve Owen's car catapulting off into the distance at Winton, narrowly missing trackside photographers. It is envisaged the rule will be introduced to all other open wheeler categories from the beginning of 2002. n Andrew Gillespie is soon to make his appearance in the Future Touring ranks. The former Sportsman driver has upgraded his Falcon to FT spec and is expecting to make his class debut in the car at Winton on 27 August. n Brock and Brock unite! The uncle/nephew team of Phil and James are to join forces in the Winton Three-Hour for HQs. n Former Jim RichardsA/oivo Super Tourer head mechanic, Donald Kington, has been appointed to the same position on Cameron McLean's Greenfield Mowers Falcon, H Stand aside on the Monday after the Mailala FHolden round. We hear that a challenge will see the fathers of FHolden drivers take the wheel in some good 'ol fashioned muckin' about in what the juniors are dubbing the 'Geriatric Cup'. Seniors Ramsay, Dumbrell,,Murchison, Brede, Wills and Abrahams are all keen to lap quicker than the other. Gentlemen, start your walking frames! n Yokohama has produced more of its Super Touring 'Winton' tyres. The control rubber, which is similar to the 1999 'specials' which were so successful last season, have*been imported for the Winton race on August 27- if it goes ahead, n David Auger has a new sponsor. International Security Supplies, which provides hardware for the police and security forces, will join Leatherman on the side of the Queenslander's Alfa Romeo 155TS for the rest of the BOC Gases series. 9

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home of

n [motorsport] shell Championship Series V8 Superears' ■Rd 10 Aug 20 ...Calder Park ... Sep 10 .. .Queensland 500 Oct8 .Sandown Oct 15

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Gold Coast . . .(Non Championship)

World Superbike Championship* Rdll Netherlands

.Rd12

Sep 10 . . .Germany .

.Rd13

Oct15 . . . .Italy

.Rd 14

Septa

FIA Formula One World Championship Aug 27 . . .Belgium

.Rd13

Sep 10 . . .Italy . . .

.Rd14

Sep 24 . . .USA . .

.Rd 15

FIA Formula 3000 International Championship Aug 26 . . .Spa

.Rd 10

FIA World Rally Championship* .Rd9 Aug 20 . . .Finland Sep 10 . . .China . Oct 1 France

.Rd 10 .Rd11

NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series Aug 20 . . .Minnesota .

■Rd 17

Sep 4

Indianapolis

.Rd 18

Sep 17 . . .Reading . .

.Rd19

FedEx CART Championship Series* Aug 30 . . .Road America

■ Rd 14

Sep 3 . . . .Vancouver . .

,Rd15

Sep 10 . . .Laguna Seca

■Rd 16

Australian Rally Championship* .Rd5 Aug 27 . . .Melbourne . . Oct 8

. . . .Tasmania . . .

Rd6

Nov 12 . . .Rally Australia

,Rd7

SOOec World Grand Prix Motorcycle Championship* ●Rd ll Aug 20 . . .Czech Rep. Sep 3 . . . .Portugal . .

.Rd 12

Sep 17 . . .Valencia . . Oct 7 . . . .Rio

.Rd 13 ●Rd 14

Holden Australian Drivers' Championship* Aug 27 . . .Mallala

,Rd8

American Le Mans Series* Sep 2 . . . .Texas

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Sep 10 . , .Portland . . .

,R d8

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by AARON NOONAN

●Rd 12

Nov 19 . . .FA11000 - Bathurst . . . .Rd 13

Aug 27 . . .TBA

NRC

marked with an aalerix. Chock your locol acraaning detalla. Ten aro Sarlos orguldaa ovonufor tolac.-ial on Network

ONE of Formula Holden’s top teams, NRC Racing, is making the step to V8 Supercar racing. NRC’s Arthur Abrahams confirmed to Motorsport News this week that he has purchased Chris Smerdon’s Level 2 franchise along with Smerdon’s Perkins-built VT Commodore and all of the spares and equipment required to run the car. Abrahams said that a driver and backer has been found to run next year’s V8 Lites championship - the identity of the driver is yet to be revealed - although addition funding would be sought to run the long distance races. NRC will continue to run a two-car assault on the Australian Drivers’ Championship. “We’re all pretty excited, Abrahams said this week. 6i The Lites series wiU give us a chance to learn about the car. n Abrahams feels the program NRC now has in place will greatly assist young drivers looking to step up from the open-wheelers: “We have the opportunity to draw a driver through Formula Holden and giv^ them somewhere to go on to. At the moment a lot of touring car teams are looking at Formula Holden drivers, but shying away because they’ve got no touring car experience. “With our association with ^ various suppliers, we’ve got the opportunity to do well. “The car will have its own crew chief and engineer. It’s no different really to running three Formula Holdens whi<m is something we’ve done in the psst* “We’ll need another full-time hand as weU as some weekend warriors to do it, but with the Shell Series, Lites Series and Formula Holden series on the same weekends, as is currently what seems to be going to happen, at least all of our people wiU be in the same place at once!” he joked. While NRC are f^panding to V8s, Abrahams said that the team is stiUve^ much committed to the FHoldens. a I feel it’s a very, very important training ^ not only for drivers but foi engineers and mechanics as well. ff

G^uto.com.ai. -.4

That’s NRC, not NDC; NRC have purchased Chris Smerdon’s outfit.

(Photo by Dirk Klynsmilh)

Murcho's Mallala doubt

CHRISTIAN Murchison is in doubt for the final round of the Australian Driver's Championship at Mallala. Murchison, who has wrapped up the Rookie of the Year avvard as well as second place in the championship, couldn't confirm whether or not he would be racing; "We've run out of money basically," said Murchison, who now is being managed by father Rod, rather than NRC's Arthur Abrahams. "The championship is pretty unlikely so we might try saving our money for something else." Murchison said another F3000 test in Europe was one possibility, the 20-year-old having just returned from Hungary following a test with the Red Bull/Marko team. Despite the doubts, NRC is pressing ahead with its preparations for the round. "The deal I have is for the full season with the Murchisons. I'd dispel the rumours from NRC's side but I can't speak for Christian. I haven't spoken to him since he got back from Hungary," Abrahams said on Tuesday. Murchison said his test with Marko went well and he has now signed a five-year deal with Red Bull which allows for the /' possibility of a paid drive.

CAMS to fight on despite court ruling THE CAMS and AVESCO legal battle to settle the future ownership of the V8 Supercar category will continue, despite the fact that the Victorian Supreme Court struck out CAMS’s claim at a hearing last week. Mr Justice Mandie ordered the claim be struck out, but granted CAMS leave to filing an amended claim. “Today’s claim is not a surprise for us,” AVESCO Chairman Tony Cochrane said. “Justice Mandie's orders reflect what we have always said. CAMS and AMSC do not have a valid

claim against AVESCO. If they start again with a new claim, we will defend it and pursue our cross claims against them." The court awarded costs to AVESCO in the hearing, leaving CAMS with a legal bill reported to be in the order of $70,000. But CAMS will continue to pursue the matter in the Supreme Court next week. CAMS CEO, Peter Hansen said, “CAMS will respond with the necessary amendments in accordance with the directions given by the court today. This delay is a procedural matter and in no way diminishes our claim against AVESCO”. motorsport news

1 NEWS

round

1*3

Vandalism may force cancellation byPHILBRANAGAN THE Winton round of the BOC Gases Super Touring Championship is under threat because of vandalism of the track's toilets on the Shell Championship Series weekend. As Motorsport News went to press, there was a better than 50 percent possibility that the race meeting would be cancelled. ll The toilet blocks near the track's main gates was backed up twice on the week before and after the July 16 SCS round and a potential lack of useable facilities may force the Benalla Auto Club put off the meeting. Following the incident the Environmental Pollution Authority issued a pollution abatement notice to the BAG, requiring it to either fix the problem at once or provide temporary toilets for the August 27 meeting. Should the event go ahead, a second EPA notice carries a minimum penalty of a $50,000 fine, while a third would mean closure of the track. The cancellation of the event was "a high possibility," the BAG'S Mick Ronke said on Tuesday. "The council has tried to do everything that it can and we have used all of our resources to sort out the matter, but it appears we can't. "We're very disappointed about the fact that we've had a number of acts of vandalism. We are upset that we seem to be the target of dissidents who are determined to cause as much havoc as possible, with the ultimate aim of having the track closed." The recent vandalism comes soon after the track's old control ^tower was set alight in June, "destroying much of the BAG'S memorabilia. Benalla police are still investigating the incident. Ronke said that, while no firm 18 August 2000

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n Aussie Alex Davison has had his best finish of the season in the German Carrera Cup at the Sachsenring, finishing sixth. The race was red flagged for safety reasons after the hot and dry weather had caused excessive tyre wear and in some cases, delamination. "I'd been taking it easy on my tyres," said Davison. "The right-rear on my car was beginning to delaminate. I had one big moment when the rear end drifted out onto the grass, but by then everyone else's were the same or worse, so I was able to keep picking up places." n Neal Bates has discounted stories that his team may run a second Corolla WRC car in the Australian Rally Supersedes next . season. The Canberra-based star is still finalising his 2001 program, which is now likely to be a single car for himself and co-driver Coral Taylor. ■ Aussie Superbike rider Peter Goddard is continuing with Kawasaki. The Sydney racer, who filled in for the injured Gregorio Lavilla for two SBK raoes this season, will test this week with Harald Eckl's team at Most in the Czech Republic.

Just a memory: Will the Super Tourers be at Winton on the 27th? (Photo by Dirk Kiynsmith)

decision had yet been made about whether the meeting was to be cancelled, he said he had kept GAMS and series organiser TOGA advised of the situation. "I've asked TOGA what other dates are available. We've even looked at having other people come in and run the event, but that won't work either." Ronke said that the long-term alternatives to the problem were a new package waste treatment plant, pumping the effluent to Benalla and creating a new local 'wetlands' into which to pump waste water. TOGA Chief Executive Kelvin O'Reilly said that he was disappointed with the matter. "We have no current information form Winton about the matter. We were advised by them last week that they had some problems with the EPA over sewerage problems at the track during their recent V8 round. "We understand that the EPA has given them a set of guidelines to be followed over the future use of the circuit, which amount to little more than a management scheme that

ensures Winton does not breach the environmental laws. "We've investigated the matter with both the EPA and the local Shire and, while we don't intend to tell Winton how to manage their circuit, we believe that there are some simple, easily managed and affordable solutions to their immediate problem, "Council health officers have provided us with the applicable standards re the toilets at events and that reinforces TOCA's view that there are few, if any, real limitations to prevent the event from proceeding. "TOGA has invested considerable money in the championship and this specific event. If it were not to proceed and we lost any of those monies, w'e would look to Winton to recover all such monies. We would expect a similar approach from our suppliers, teams and support events. We would look to CAMS to enforce its own rules and ensure that the 100 percent penalty was applied. "They might sound like fighting words. That's exactly what they are."

■ Kiwi Superbike star Aaron Slight has been listed as the third-highest earner among New Zealand's sports stars. The Castrol Honda SBK racer was bumped down a spot on the 1999 estimates. The 2000 list was headed by All-Black Union star Jonah Lomu and Steve Williams, who is the caddy for golf world number one Tiger Woods (I). ■ Ford has established an undergraduate scholarship program for budding female engineers. Year 12 students will be able to apply to attend one of five universities: Queensland, RMIT (Melbourne), Sydney, Deakin and Melbourne. Applications must be in by September 14. ■ Spies inside the Champ Car pits say that Patrick Racing will switch to Toyota engines for next season. Roberto Moreno is almost certain to stay with the team while Adrian Fernandez has confirmed that he is exploring other possibilities, one being the establishment of his own team with Tecate and Quaker State money. ■ Bryan Herta will see out the rest of the CART season behind the wheel of Dale Coyne's #19 Lola/Ford vacated by Takuya Kurosawa after the Japanese driver returned home for surgery having crashed in qualifying at Michigan. ■ Rumours still persist as to Player's/Forsythe chasing Paul Tracy's signature for next season. 11

Benenon s I’m staying: Giancarlo is staying with Benetton for 2001.

(Photo by Sutton-lmages)

THE Benetton team has confirmed that Giancarlo Fisichella is to stay for a fourth season and that Alexander Wurz will, as expected, not be continuing next year. The /ivustrian has been a big disappointment this year but Ber etton team boss Flavio Briatore says that Wurz wiil see.' out the rest of the year. This is no guarantee that it will actually happen, but the team has no real alternative at the moment- unless Mark Webber tests very well in the course of the next few weeks. If that happens it is possto/e that the Australian could be put into the seat for the last couple of races... There is no likelihood of Webber driving for Benetton next year as the team is believed to have Jenson Button under option as equal number one with Fisichella. The decision to keep Fisichella will be a popular one with the engineers as it will provide continuity of development. In the longer term, however, there are still some doubts over Fisichella as he has been in a position to win races on several occasions and has thrown away victory. In the modern F1 world one can make one mistake, but to repeat it is not a good idea. -JOE SAWARD

Huge recall for Coke gearing up Bridgestone

THERE are likely to be big spending cuts at Bridgestone Firestone as a result of the company's problems in the United States, with the recall of an estimated 6.5m tyres after a series of fatal accidents resulting from tyre failures on light trucks and sports utility vehicles. Most of the accidents have involved cars built by the Ford Motor Company, notably the Ford Explorer. An investigation is currently being conducted by the US go\^rnment's Highways and Safety Administration into allegations that Firestone's 15inch tyres have been losing their

treads at high temperatures. The company has agreed to replace all 6.5m tyres and as each one costs in the region of US$40($67m), this will mean cost of around US$250m without taking into account any possible damages which could come from law suits from the families of people who have allegedly been killed in accidents caused by tyre failures. There are believed to be around 20 cases at the moment and several law suits have already been filed against Firestone and Ford. There are also suggestions that Firestone may have to recall 16-inch tyres as well which could add considerably to the costs. - JOE SAWARD

MORE has emerged In recent days about CocaCola's plans to enter Formula 1. We hear that rather than going for one big sponsorship of a team, the drinks company is planning to enter the sport with a blend of team sponsorship, driver backing, trackside signage and probably as the official supplier to the World Championship. Tens of thousands of drinks are sold at every FI event and if supplies are restricted to Coca-Cola company products, the company stands to gain considerable income from events. Coke remains the strongest brand in the world, although marketing experts say that

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the brand lost 13 percent of its brand value last year as a result of the health scare in Belgium which dented the company's image. We hear that the push to be involved in FI comes not from Coca-Cola in the United States, but rather from CocaCola's European subsidiaries and backing is currently being 'tried out' on Justin Wilson's Formula 3000 entry. Coca-Cola representatives who appeared in Hungary are talking about small deals on cars and are believed to be discussing possibilities with mid-ranking teams, notably Jordan, Benetton and Arrows. There were also talks with Ferrari, which has red cars ... - JOE SAWARD

By Allan Schofield

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moiorsport news

NEWS

IS the splitter

THIS - at last - is Ford’s new splitter which will be raced for the first time at Calder this weekend. Frantic work in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne will ensure that most of the Ford teams will have the new ‘TEGA’unit, and a spare, in Melbourne, Brad Jones Racing painted their new unit in Ozemail colours on Tuesday and took this pic with the paint still wet! While most of the Ford team managers we spoke to were optimistic about the splitter, they also admitted that, with Calder’s stop-tum-start layout, it may not make a big difference this week.

for FI

Hans Stuck wants DTM program

TIN-TOP and sportscar legend Hans Stuck wants to return to the new-look DTM touring car series before he hangs up his helmet. The American Le Mans Series regular with BMW says he wants to do one more year of the German championship, in which he was a winner with Audi in the early-'90s. “My target is to do at least one year in the DTM,but I know that time is running out for me,” said 49-year-old Stuck, who says he expects to finish his career with BMW. “They won't do it next year, but I'm sure that they will eventually have to join the series.”

Stuck looks likely to continue racing with the Prototype Technology Group BMW team in the ALMS next year and says he has no immediate thoughts of retirement.

“I enjoy racing out here in the United States and I'Ll keep on driving as long as I am competitive. It is my passion and, besides,I don't have anything else to do.” Stuck also scored two victories with Opel in the international successor of the DTM,the International Touring Car series, in 1996. He was a winner in the ETC and the German Super Touring Cup. -GARY WATKINS

Jordan gets ready to e-x-p-a-rrd

EDDIE Jordan has just acquired more land around his facility at Silverstone and is now planning a major expansion for the team factory. The team is now believed to be trying to get planning permission to increase the size of the factory which dates back to 1992 when Jordan had only 60 employees. Today the team has around 200 people and although the factory has already been expanded more space is needed. The team has its own windtunnel five miles from the factory, in the town of Brackley, but there is no plan for this facility to be altered at the moment as it is apparently a very effective tunnel, although it dates back nearly 12 years when it was built by March for its Formula 1 program. Planning permission should not be too much of a problem although Jordan Grand Prix has an unusual problem in that the factory is built on the border between Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire and so it may be that there will two planning applications necessary, depending on what Jordan decides to build. - JOE SAWARD 18 August 2000

n Bobby Rahal has re-signed both Max Papis and Kenny Brack for next season as well as Brack's Shell backing. As is his tradition, Rahal will make another major switch, this time to Lola chassis'. What's next. Van Diemen Formula Fords? n In order to accommodate 22 races next season, CART has removed in-season testing. In the off season, a maximum of 20 test days for a two car team are allowed, with a one car team allowed 14. At race weekends, Friday will now feature four hours of practice with all qualifying held on Saturday. Exceptions to the testing limits will be made for driver injuries or special tyre and/or engine tests. n Bryan Flerta is set to hold the track record at the Eurospeedway (Lausitzring) in Germany. The American will demonstrate one of Derrick Walker's Reynard/Flondas during the track's grand opening next i month while regular driver Shinji Nakano races at Road America. n Memo Gidley has been confirmed in the Della Penna Motorsport car for the rest of the CART FedEx Championship Series. n DIY DUi: IRL driver Scott Flarrington has lost his ride in the Mid-America Motorsports entn/ after being arrested last week for drink driving in Carmel, Indiana. It is reportedly his sixth arrest for the offence and Flarrington has been dumped from the drive. Jaques Lazier will replace him in the next IRL race at the new Kentucky Speedway on August 27. n Team manager for Team Menard, Thomas Knapp, has been fired from the team. Knapp, who came to the team along with driver Greg Ray, has been replaced by Mitch Davis, who has left the Dreyer & Reinbold team and driver Robbie Buhl. n Latest team to show interest in the Toyota Indy Car engine is V. PacWest. We hear that the team, which runs Mark Blundell and Mo Gugelmin in.the FedEx series, has had preliminary talks about running the units next season. PacWest currently runs Mercedes-Benz engines. n We are sad to report the passing of John Cleland Sr. The father of two-time BTCC Champion died last month after a brief illness. John Cleland has temporarily sidelined his British GT racing program to concentrate on the family's Volvo dealership in Galashiels, Scotland. 13

Perkins tests youth policy

FORMULA Ford series leader Luke Youlden and former karting gun Nick Agland tested Larry Perkins' VT Castrol Commodore at Calder Park last week, with both drivers earning praise from Perkins. Youlden and Agland were invited by the 6'ixtime Bathurst winner to take part in his evaluation of possible drivers to fill the seats in the second Castrol/Perkins car for the Queensland 500 and Bathurst FAI 1000 racesMarcos Ambrose and Christian Murchison also on the list and scheduled to test on August 28. Perkins said the pair had performed as he had hoped; "Both did an excellent, professional job, an impressed Perkins said. "They both drove carefully and with consistency, methodically bringing their times down into the low 59s in the 20 laps they had available to them. "I didn't want them to go out and try set a lap record and, all things considered, they did a tremendous job." Perkins said a decision would be made on who would earn a spot with the team after the Ambrose/Murchison test later this month. - GERALD McDORNAN

Do as I say, not as I do: Perkins was pleased with Nick Agland (above left) and Luke Youlden’s (above right) first efforts behind the wheel of the Castrol Perkins Commodore

CART announces 2001 dates 22 race series includes new oval races in both England and Germany CAB.T has announced a 22-race 2001 FedEx Series schedule for the 2001 season, which

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Making his mark: Interim CART CEO Bobby Rahal has announced a 22-race calendar for the FedEx Series next year. 14

features a trip not only to Germany, but also Britain. The season will begin a month earlier, in Rio, on February 11 with the new race in Mexico set for a month later, the first time CART has raced there since 1981. A new race has been set for Texas Motor Speedway which also will host two IRL races, making it the first venue to host both series. The Indianapolis 500 weekend has been left vacant as well as the first weekend (of two)of qualifying. If CART teams are to qualify they’ll have to do it on this weekend as the following weekend they race at Motegi - although this is a tentative date. CART will head to Europe for a pair of Saturday races in September, visiting Germany and then England. The season will likely see the last visits to the Belle Isle Park circuit in Detroit and Nazareth, while Gateway and Homestead have been dropped for 2001, and subsequently picked up by Tony George’s all-oval series.

Feb 11 Mar 11 Apr 8 Apr 29 May 6 May 19 Jun 3 Jun 17 Jun 24 Jul 1 Jul 15 Jul 22 Jul 29 Aug 12 Aug 19 Sep 2 Sep 15 Sep 22 Oct 7 Oct 14 Oct 28 Nov 4

Rio ^ oval Monterrey street Long Beach street oval Texas oval Nazareth oval Motegi oval Milwaukee street Detroit road Portland road Cleveland street Toronto oval Michigan oval Chicago road Mid-Ohio Elkhart Lake road Vancouver street Lausitzring oval Rockingham oval Houston street Laguna Seca road Gold Coast street California oval molorsport news

NMWS

Two-time Bathurst winner to face court over assault claims GOLD Coast policy have charged two-time Bathurst winner Allan Grice with ‘assault occasioning hodily harm’following an incident involving V8 privateer John Trimbole on August 2. In a statement to police, Trimbole complained he had been king-hit by Grice, the standing member for Broadwater in the Queensland Parliament,in the driveway of his Ashmore home.

n Jaguar racing is expected to run South African Tomas Scheckter and India's Narain Karthikeyan in this week's testing at Silverstone. The test will also see Eddie Irvine and Luciano Burti in action. The German racer Andre Lotterer is also due to test for the team before the end of the season. Jaguar Racing is still to decide who will replace Johnny Herbert next year. Herbert says that he has the chance to drive for four different teams in CART, two of which are front-running operations. Herbert is thought most likely to sign for either Patrick Racing or Team Rahal.

Grice, who won Bathurst in 1986 and 1990, told the local media that the incident was a personal family matter” and he was looking forward to “putting my side of events forward.”

Trimbole - the owner of the largest legal brothel in Melbourne,the Daily Planet - and Grice have been friends since before Grice was elected to State Parliament. Grice tested Ti-imbole’s Commodore at the test day for the 1993 Bathurst 1000 race but, despite speculation that he would, backed away from a race deal following some adverse reaction from his parliamentary colleagues. According to our Queensland sources Grice could,if convicted of a crime that includes imprisonment as a maximum penalty, be expelled from Parliament.

Fightback package: Grice is looking forward to telling his side of the story in court.

Larko and Morris back? Duo will return to V8s this weekend at Calder by PMIL BRANAGAN fVlARK Larkham and Paul IVIorris will make it to the grid for this weekend's 10th round of the Shell Championship Series at Calder Park. The two Queenslanders, who were involved in a fiery crash at Oran Park, were due to test their respective cars at Queensland Raceway yesterday (Wednesday). Morris will race the second of his two Big Kev Commodore VSs after a total refit over the last two weeks, while Larkham's Mitre 10 Falcon has been rebuilt around a brand new shell. Through the haze: Paul Morris could return to racing at Calder Park this weekend.(LynieyReu) 18 August 2000

n Superbike fans are in for a treat at the fourth round of the Shell Advance Championship at Eastern Creek on August 26/27. Legends of the fallen Mai Campbell, Andrew Johnson and Roger Heyes will be present at the races to meet their fans and hand out autographs. Tickets are also available to 'Lunch with a Legend' at $100.

Morris is suffering the after-effects of three cracked vertebrae in his

back while Larkham, who only sat in his 'new' car for a seat fitting on Monday, is likewise in some discomfort with injured cartilage in his rib cage. MORRIS is also in two minds as to whether he will race at Bathurst in November. The three-time Australian Super Touring Champion has an offer to race a works BMW in the Macau Guia race on the same November 18/19 weekend. If he skips Macau and' races at the Mountain, he will drive with Rodney Forbes in the Wynns Racing Commodore while his own NEMQ team runs his VS Commodore for Kevin Schwantz and Owen Kelly.

n Bernie Ecclestone was presented with the Golden Key of Budapest on Saturday by the Lord Mayor of the city Gabor Demszky for his services to the country. Hungary is still hoping to retain the event when the current contract runs out but will need to invest considerably at the facility if it is to match the standard of the new generation of tracks springing up around the world. B Benetton test driver Antonio Pizzonia ran into trouble at the recent n Marlboro Masters Formula 3 race at Zandvoort after an accident in the race. The Brazilian collided with another competitor while trying to fight his way up through the field after a bad qualifying session. Pizzonia could face disciplinary action from the Motor Sports Association in Britain. n Marlboro put out a press release in Hungary detailing the recent history of the Hungarian GP. Unfortunately the winner of the 2000 race was already filled in: Mika Hakkinen having been accorded the victory. How right they were... n The Canadian company Teleglobe Inc has withdrawn from Formula 1 after just one season. The company was expected to stay with British American Racing until the end of the 2003 season with annual ^ sponsorship of around US$12m. It decided to withdraw because of "evolving marketing and business objectives". There is little doubt that this means that the company was not happy with the performance of the team but that a settlement has been negotiated between the two companies. The loss of Teleglobe will add to BAR'S budgetary headaches. 15

I MANUFACTURERS participating in next year's American Le Mans Series and its new European equivalent iook set to be forced to supply identical machinery to privateer teams. I Series boss Don Panoz is investigating the plan in a bid to encourage more cars into the series, as well as closer competition. “Manufacturers need to understand that if they want to have a strong platform, they can't do it without privateers,” he said. “We're looking at a change to our charter, although we haven't fleshed out the details.” Panoz’s hopes that the manufacturers involved in the series will respond favourably to his plan appear well founded. Cadillac, a likely full-time participant in the ALMS next year, has already supplied its Northstar LMP to the French DAMS team this year. Chevrolet program manager Doug Fehan 'says it is the manufacturer's

‘■‘lei'll

eventual intention to leave racing of the Corvette C5-R to privateers to allow the factory to concentrate on research and development. Overall race winner Audi has also said that stressed that it favours selling versions of this year's R8 prototype (above, Sutton) to customers in 2001. Audi motorsport boss Dr Wolfgang Ullrich said: “I think it is an excellent idea, but the details have to be discussed. The only problem I see is defining what is an identical car.” Fie denied that the twin-turbo R8 would prove too complicated for a privateer to run. “We designed the car with easy of maintenance in mind.” The move has been welcomed by the privateer teams. Johansson-Matthews Racing team manager John '* Wickham said; “It's a good idea and it looks like it is going to happen.” - GARY WATKINS

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lot has happened since my last column, including the first Victory for Ford Tickford Racing back in the middle of July at Wintcn. For those of you who remember it, Winton was an exciting round with plenty of action throughout the field, not to mention myself spinning out of the lead along with a number of other competitors on some oil or coolant. I was leading at the time in race three and a good chance to take out the round win, which was a hard pill to swallow. We made it onto the podium again at Oran Park almost three weeks ago and this week we head to Calder for round 10 of the championship. The season is rushing by very fast, but we still have a chance to catch Mark Skaife. Atteams Calderwhich all of are the running Ford AU Falcons will debut the new TEGA Front Spoiler. It's a modified version of the current Ford spoiler designed to provide us with performance more in line with the opposition. FTR went testing early last week at Winton but unfortunately the test was cut short due to bad weather, so we didn't get a chance to give the spoiler a real test. What we did find though with our own 'in house' mock up of the TEGA Spoiler was positive and we hope the full TEGA model will produce the goods to help bridge the gap. From a technical point of view, the TEGA Front Spoiler is

Factory Rider unGlBHI Seion

just one step in the new Operation Blueprint programme being undertaken by TEGA to ensure all cars contesting the V8 Supercar events are equal. By ensuring that all Ford teams have the same or similar aerodynamic characteristics as the other cars in the field, we will be able to work towards the total equalisation of the category.

ust before I go, we will be launching the brand new Ford Tickford Racing website this Sunday (August 20) in . conjunction with the Calder Park round of the V8 Supercar series. It's packed with information on FTR including video interviews, car specs, photos, up to the minute practice session, qualifying and race results and more. Coming soon the FTR site will including the all new FTR Merchandise range that you will be able to purchase online. Check it out from this Sunday at www.fordtickfordracing.com

FORD TICKFORD RACING

FOR SALE

Ford Tickford Racing offers for sale the car cur rently driven by Neil Crompton in the SCS. This car can be purchased complete and ready to race or as a rolling chassis. Contact Jon Matthews for details: (03) 9706 8901 or 0418 880 851

motorsport news

NEWS

Lotus

n FI reporting on the web is colorful but rarely accurate as there are not many websites in a position to pay contributors. This was highlighted over the weekend by one report of Alexander Wurz's testing accident in Valencia which stated that "the impact forced the lower left wishbone to pierce the monocoque wall, severing Wurz's leg".

who are (or have been) talking to Prost. There are also stories circulating THE future of Prost about a bid for the team Grand Prix remains from David Hunt, who is -mii clouded with various trying to revive the old rumours circulating to Team Lotus. suggest that the team Even if Hunt does have will not now be sold the money, there are still because the company's questions over who owns new marketing the trademarks to the company HamburgLotus name, which was based UFA has come up founded in 1950 by Colin with a huge new Chapman and it should sponsor’. not be ruled out that the Prost is rumoured to be Chapman Family would staying on as a take legal action to stop figurehead but will have the name being revived. less of an active role in Things are further running the company. confused by the fact that Other stories suggest that Group Lotus, originally UFA, which is part of the the sister company of the massive Bertelsmann racing team, is now owned Group, will be acquiring by Malaysia's Proton car the majority shareholding company, which is itself in the team. owned by Petronas, a There continue to be sponsor of the Sauber 'stories about several Having more fun? What now for Prost? (Sutton-images) team. Group Lotus owns consortia which may or the rights to the name may not be buying the Lotus Racing. team. Whatever the case, It should also be added no hints as to who or what it Alain Prost was much that Formula 1 boss Bernie more relaxed in Hungary than may be although it is quite likely Ecclestone sees the sport as to be some form of he has been at recent races and having moved on from the old telecommunications or electronic so clearly some form of days and would prefer that the media company. Bertelsmann is agreement has been reached. Lotus and Brabham names are heavily involved in the electronic Our spies in the team suggest not revived. media business as the owner of that the most likely deal is one The question of Prost's engine AOL Europe and Lycos. These that will see a big new sponsor is still to be decided but we hear would not fit in with the team's coming in to replace Gauloises that the new sponsorship deal current sponsorship deal with (which is expected to go with will help Alain foot the massive Yahoo! Peugeot in the World Rally US$25m a year bill to get hold of In addition to this we have Championship). This sponsor a third supply of Ferrari VIO heard stories of Canadian, appears to have come from engines. UFA'S connections but there are American and Indonesian groups by JOE SAWARP

n Prost Grand Prix test driver Stephana Sarrazin was forced to miss a chance to make a comeback in Formula 3000 at the weekend because the French FI team wanted him to be available if Jean Alesi was not fit enough to race. Sarrazin had been in line to take over from Belgian Bas Leinders in the Kid Jenson Racing team. KRJ needs to score a good result in the final race of the year at Spa to avoid missing out on an automatic entry in Formula 3000 next year. n Former FI driver Toranosuke Takagi is keen to return to Grand Prix racing and is hoping to get a test drive next year with British American Racing. Takagi was a guest of Honda in Hungary. Since leaving FI he has been racing in the Formula Nippon Championship in Japan. He has scored five wins out of six races n Johnny Herbert will not do any more testing this year for Jaguar. Herbert has announced that he will follow a new career path in CART next year. Jaguar will use Luciano Burti. The team is also expected to test a number of youngsters in the month ahead, notably Germany's Andre Loiterer, South Africa's Tomas Scheckter and India's Narain Karthikeyan.

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Chevrolet serious for 2001 THE factory Chevrolet squad is aiming to contest the American Le Mans Series full-time in 2001. Program manager Ooug Fehan said: "Our goal is to do the full North American series. We are now at the point where we are ready to run for the championship. "We haven't got approval yet, but that's nothing unusual in our company, because we don't normally get that until September" This year, the 'Vettes are running only a limited schedule in the ALMS. The Pratt & Miller-run team returned to the series at Mosport last weekend for the first time since the first round at Sebring back in March and has three more outings planned. Ron Fellows and Andy Pilgrim finished an ultra close second to the unbeaten ORECA Chrysler squad at the Canadian track. Both drivers now believe the latest wide-track version of the C5-R is ready to beat the Viper. Fellows said of their defeat by three tenths of a second: "That's as close as you get without winning. It's only a matter of time. We were faster than them in the dry and when it was wet. We just got unlucky." Pilgrim described the revised car, which is three inches wider than its predecessor, as better balanced and more like "an old-style GT1 car". - GARY WATKINS

Young Guns

AUSTRALIA’S up and coming young drivers will be unleashed on the streets of Surfers Paradise in October when Honda present the Toimg Guns'. In identical Honda Integras TVpe Rs), the field will feature the best under-25 drivers from here and New Zealand. At the launch in Queensland last week, Leanne Ferrier and V8 Supercar series drivers Steve Johnson and Paid Weel were the first three drivers to be confirmed, along with British F3 driver Marcos Ambrose, New Zealand Indy Lights star Scott Dixon, Formula Holden aces Simon Wills, Christian Murchison and Tim Leahey and V8 Lights driver David Besnard. The category was initiated with the aim of supporting top young motorsport drivers in Australasia, according to Honda Indy 300 General Manager, Geoff Jones. “With the success of Jason Bright overseas in the Indy Lights series, it's obvious there is a wealth of talent in Australian motorsport. We are playing our part developing talent this is already blossoming, and giving drivers the chance to be noticed on the world stage,” Mr Jones said. A highly credentialed selection panel was chosen to evaluate the many young hopefuls wanting to be involved in the event. And with the major prize being a chance to test for Champ Car development series team, Dorricott Racing,interest has certainly been high. The selection panel included John Cowley, Chairman of the Honda Indy 300, Neal Robertson Deputy Managing Director of Honda Australia and David White from Network Ten. “We were honoured to have such a high profile selection committee, with every one in the group coimnitted to Australian motorsport. “In addition to the chance of winning an Indy Lights drive, we are hoping that the event will help lift the profile and raise public awareness of the individual drivers. There is little doubt Australia has generation of great yoimg drivers coming through the ranks at the moment,” he said. The cars will be supplied by Honda dealers and built by Honda Australia with the support of sponsors Yokohama and Conrad Jupiters.

Integra Aaarrgh: Hamming it up at the launch were Paui ‘Wagon' Weel, Leanne ‘Come up and Race Me Sometime’ Ferrier and Steven ‘Man with No Aim’Johnson.

Andrew Jones has gained sponsorship from Ozemail Internet and Hellafor this weekend’s Formula Ford round at Calder. The 19-year-old from Albury will run his Stealth in the same coloursfor the Honda Indy support events as well, sharing signage with long-time backer BOC Gases.

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INDY LIGHTS

Bright fight in Mid-Ohio Dixon extends title lead but Jason confident JASON Bright finished a strong third in the eighth round of the Indy Lights Championship at Mid-Ohio, despite being hampered by the back injury he sustained in his Chicago crash two weeks before. The Queenslander was

of tyres, on the second lap. Usually it takes four laps or so to get going but there was a red flag and I was on pole, but not as quick as I thought I could go. The data showed that the first

hampered by mechanical problems but, despite them, and a jumped

half of the lap was a little off.

start from team-mate Townsend Bell, he recovered for a podium finish. “We had gearbox problems in qualifying,” he said. “It wasjumping out of gear and we missed the first five minutes of the session, while everyone else was setting times on their first set oftyres. But we were confident; we were doing good times despite the gearbox problems. “I set the time on the second set

Race winner: Bright’s team mate Townsend Bell. (Photo by Sutton-lmages)

“Then, at the start of the race, I got ripped off! Townsend Bell jumped the start -vj big time. They usually give us one warning, a yellow and we go around and try again but they let it go and I was down to sixth. Not good... “I wasn’t Fighting on: Despite his back injury sustained at Chicago, Bright .stiil managed a expecting it. We were strong third. (Photo by Sutton-lmages) running a bit more coming up and downforce and that made the car one oval at St great in the corners, but I couldn’t Louis. We seem pass anyone on the straight. We to have a good had some good wheel-to-wheel package for the racing; Tony Renna got past and road courses and then I got him back, but Dixon got my back is through and, with the lower getting better, downforce he was running, that despite taking a was all I could do. bit of a battering “PacWest is struggling. They ^ at Mid-Ohio. My seem to have had a good set-up for biggest concern is this race, but I don’t think that that we have they are on top of it yet. We seem missed a bit of to have a better package. Dixon testing, which we qualified eighth and that was as can’t afford, but good as it was going to go in there’s still a lot qualifying.” ofraces we can Bell won from Dixon, the Kiwi win.” extending his championship lead Points: Dixon 93, to 21 points. But Bright remains Bell 80, Bright 72, confident. Mears 69, Giaffone Eyeing a title: Scott Dixon leads Beii by 13. “We have three road courses 65, Renna 56. (Photo by Sutton-lmages)

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DTM championship lead. While holding an easy third, the 1996 ITC winner flew off the road with a handful of corners to go, allowing his championship rival to take the last spot on the victory podium and give Mercedes-Benz a 1-2-3. It was a strong drive from Schneider, his move from 11th on the grid up to the podium made a little bit easier by the retirements of some of the Opels,in particular Joachim Winkelhock, who went off the road in exactly the same place as Reuter.

Beware of the elder statesman: Klaus Ludwig proved that age is no barrier with a DTM double at the Sachsenring over the weekend. tPhoto by Suttoi

Always bet on black

MERCEDES has bounced back in the seventh and eighth rounds of the DTM series, with veteran Klaus Ludwig winning his first DTM race of the new

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We have contact: Former F1ers Stefano Modena (Opel) and Pedro Lamy (Mercedes) contribute to the body work retirement fund. (Sutton-images)

era after just seven starts. The 50 year-old German proved that his comeback was certainly serious, turning his pole position at the Sachsenring into a pair of victories. Having shared the front row with younger team mate Peter Dumbreck, Ludwig took the lead from the start and lead all the way to the chequered flag, Dumbreck settling for second and his first DTM podium finish. Behind them, Opel’s Manual Reuter blew his chance of pegging back Bernd Schneider’s

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happened.” The best of the Opels was Frenchman Eric Helary in fourth ahead of Marcel Tiemann (Mercedes), Michael Bartels (Opel), Timo Scheider(Opel)and Darren Turner (Mercedes). The second race went the same way as the first. Despite the race distance being reduced from 30 laps to 24 due to the tyre problems suffered in the first race, Ludwig again belted them ... and then suffered a puncture on the slowdown lap! Again Dumbreck and Schneider filled the podium, but it was another Opel tyre failure, on Eric Helary’s car, to allow Schneider onto the podium. Michael Bartels was the best performing Opel driver in sixth, while Reuter and Winkelhock could only manage 11th and 10th respectively from the back of the field. Marcel Fassler was fourth ahead of Tiemann, Bartels and Scheider.

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Both cars, along with another Opel of Uwe Alzen, had right front punctures which had sent them off the road. “Everything was okay apart from the tyres,” said Winkelhock, “and there was no warning when it

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Let’s go shopping

Andretti and Vasser won’t be shopping at Kmart or Target though ... IF the CART Silly Season hasn’t been terribly active in recent weeks,it more than certainly is now with the news that both Michael Andretti and Jimmy Vasser wiU not be returning to the Kmart/Newman-Haas and Target/Ganassi teams respectively for 2001. Team co-owner Carl Haas has elected not to take up the option he has on Andretti, reportedly due to Andretti’s contract demanding money which he doesn’t have as Kmart are tipped to reduce their level of backing, while Chip Ganassi has bought out Vasser’s contract. Ganassi is expected to hold a press conference this weekend at Road America to confirm his 2001 drivers, including F3000 leader Bruno Junquiera. “Jimmy and I have become very close friends in the past six years, but it’s an unfortunate part of our business that friends have to deal with each other in this

Gold Coast in 1994 in Champ Car racing, and with Montoya seemingly heading to FI and Vasser out of the picture, a seat is open. Ganassi’s wilingness to run the Indy 500 as well is another major plus. What will weigh against Andretti is age. At 37, Andretti has only a handful of years to go in his career and whether a team picks him up or decides on a young gun,(as Ganassi has in the past) is another sticking point. In the IRL there are only two or three teams with the financial firepower to afford Andretti without any money coming from league founder Tony George, while wildcards in the Andretti chase include Team Green and Forsythe Championship Racing. However, Barry Green is unable to run at Indy with his existing cigarette sponsors - US Federal legislation restricts cigarettebacked teams to chosing between CART and IRL and Green wouldn’t compromise CART. Gerry Forsythe has threatened to run his currently dormant team in the IRL after a dispute with the CART board over the purchase of an additional franchise. Another possibility is a link with Toyota. Andretti and father Mario have Toyota dealerships and Andretti senior has in the past stated his intentions of starting a team.

In a spin: When things stop spinning, where will Michael Andretti and Jimmy Vasser end up? environment,” said Ganassi. “Chip said he wants to make a change,” said Vasser. “He thinks a change would be good for both the team and me. “I tend to agree. Maybe things have gotten a little

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stale. We have a lot of history together, and the timing gives me time to look at my options. It should be an amicable divorce.” Andretti spent much of his time at Mid-Ohio teasing the media with a possible jump to the IRL and therefore a shot at the Indy 500, a race he hasn’t won. “We didn’t agree on the numbers, and not necessarily for next year,” said Haas. “The costs keep going up, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to pay what he wants.” There are countless possibilities for Andretti, and Ganassi is one. The two brought Reynard their first victory on the

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CART

Penske piledriver at Mid-Ohio

Early running: de Ferran managed to run ahead of Castroneves in the early stages but the #3 pilot got through and charged away. (Photo by RaceAccoss)

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by PHIL MORRIS HELIO Castroneves has continued the recent return to form of Roger Penske’s CART team, with victory in the Miller Lite 200 at Mid-Ohio. The victory was a great achievement for the Brazilian, considering that all weekend he had been hooked up to an IV drip whenever out of the car to combat a virus . He started from the front row with team mate and polesitter Gil de Ferran, took the lead at the first round of pit stops, and never looked back. In fact, at one stage, the duo were 35 seconds ahead of the opposition, a handful of yellow flag periods bringing the opposition back to the tails of the red and white Reynard/Hondas. “Gil did a very good job on the start,” Castroneves said. “I kept pushing to make sure I was always following him since it’s so difficult to pass on this circuit. When we both went to the pits, my crew told me to put in full percent fuel and go for it.” “I didn’t say a word on the radio

the whole race -1 wanted to save my energy...” De Ferran never mounted a serious challenge on his countryman once he had lost the lead and settled for second. However the finish, coupled with his point earned for pole position, moves him within 19 points of championship leader Michael Andretti. “I could tell Helio would be tough,” said de Ferran. “He was able to deal with traffic very quickly and got away, and it took me forever to deal with it. By the time I got through the traffic, he was 15 seconds up the road. “On the last restart, we had two cars in between us. It was only eight laps to go and they were not going to stop in the middle of the track and let me by just to have a go at Helio. And that was it. From there on, I was just managing myself and maldng sure I didn’t make a mistake.” “I think I’ll have to tiy some of that IV myself next time. It’s rocket fuel...” joked de Feiuan. Christian Fittipaldi bounced back strongly from the practice

shunt which stopped him from competing at Chicago to score third, 5.9s behind de Ferran. “It’s either a third or a first, depending on how you look at it,” Fittipaldi said. “No one was going to catch those red and white cars today, so we are like the best of the rest. My hat’s off to Penske,they did a great job. I guess we have to get om- act together and go strong on the next race or next couple of races.” \' i!

“For the first time in my career, I got out of a race car by choice,” he said. “I did acupuncture, ultrasound, muscle stimrdators, everything we know about to help. My back feels much better and in fact has been getting better each day all weekend.” Max Papis led home team-mate Kenny Brack in fourth, while Adrian Fernandez was sixth ahead of Patrick Carpentier and Michael Andretti. Paul Tracy and Cristiano da Matta collided and both failed to finish while Dario Franchitti punted Jimmy Vasser off at the Keyhole, putting both into retirement and leaving the duo out of the top 10 in the points. Defending MidOhio champion Juan Montoya suffered with handling problems after starting 10th and eventually slid off into the gravel. Having restaided at the back of the field, he retired on lap 44 after running out of fuel. Points: Andretti 125, de

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Ferran 106, Moreno 100, Brack 88, Fernandez 87, da Matta 82, Tracy 80,

Red and white men can jump: Castroneves (Photo by RaceAccess) begins his celebrations.

Castroneves, Montoya 77, Carpentier 71.

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Formula 3000

Bruno almos home BRUNO Junqueira, Fernando Alonso and Ricardo Mauricio gave the Latin nations a clean sweep in the Formula 3000 race in Hungary.

It was not a classic event. In fact there was barely a change of position in the top 10 from the first comer to the finish as drivers were forced by circumstances to sit behind those ahead of them. They did not even get frastrated and fall off... The result means that Junqueira is seven points clear in the title chase as they head to Spa for the final race of the championship. Only Nicholas Minassian can now beat Junqueira to title honours, but he is going to have to win the race with Jimqueira out of contention. After finishing ninth at the Hungaroring, Mark Webber is now out of the picture but should be able to hold on to third place in the series. Junqueira has not done well in recent races, failing to score since Monaco but in Hungary the Brazilian driver put his Petrobras Junior Team entry firmly on pole position, nearly four-tenths of a second clear of the rest, led on this occasion by Justin Wilson in his Coca-Cola sponsored Nordic Racing entry. WUson has not won a Formula 3000 race but he is looking stronger and stronger. So too is the third-placed man on the grid, Spaniard Fernando Alonso,in his Telefonica-sponsored Team Astromega car. Astromega has not had a good season and was desperate to score a good result to secure a definite entry in the series for next year. This was Alonso's big chance. Fourth on the grid was Minassian in his Super Nova car, ahead of the two Red Bull Junior Team entries of Mauricio and Enrique Bemoldi, while seventh was a good effort from Bas Leinders of Kid Jenson Racing, another team which needs results. In the days before the race it was not clear whether Leinders would keep the drive. Stephane SaiTazin would have driven the car if Frost Grand Prix had not blocked the deal, because the team wanted to keep Sarrazin available in case .Jean Alesi was not feeling well 24

enough to race. The top 10 was completed by Arden Team Russia's Darren Manning, Fabrice Walfisch in a Coloni car and Hockenheim winner Tomas Enge in his Mysap.com entry. Walfisch, dropped by Astromega after a poor season, had been drafted in at Coloni to replace Soheil Ayari, who had gone off to help the World Racing Team in its efforts to score a much-needed point. It was not a good weekend for Webber in his European Arrows car, the Australian lining up 11th. Mark was second after the first session, but after putting on his final set offresh rubber for session two, the car turned into a dog... Saturday afternoon was baking hot and as the grid lined up there were problems for several runners. Indonesia's Ananda Mikola(World Racing Team)failed to take his place on the grid because of an electrical problem and Enge failed to get away from the pre-grid and so had to start the race from the back of the grid, leaving the 10th slot on the grid vacant. Junqueira made a good start and took the lead, to be followed into the first corner by Alonso and Mauricio, the three all taking advantage of being on the ‘clean’ side of the track. Wilson did not get away well and was overtaken for fourth by Minassian. Behind Wilson came Bernoldi, Leinders and the fast-starting Webber who again made a gi-eat start to demote both Manning and Walfisch.and gained another place thanks to Enge's disappearance.

Williams Number 4 driver? Junqueira put himself in position to take the championship. Allan Webber to Mark: It says here the nearest newsagent to stock Motorsport News is a day’s drive away if we leave now.’ (Photos by Suttorvimages)

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...after putting on his final set of fresh rubber, the car turned into a dog. ff

There was no trouble on the first lap and the order at the front remained unchanged for most of the race, although the battle for 10th place between Walfisch and Saelens provided some excitement, with the Belgian getting ahead of the Frenchman. Junqueira gradually edged away at the front and built up a lead of four seconds, but on lap 20 Goosens(Team Astromega) and Tomas Scheckter(Mysap.com) collided at the chicane as the young South African tried to force his way ahead. Both spun and the incident resulted in a large amount of gravel being spread across the road. Soon afterwards Kiistian Kolby (DAMS)spun at the first comer, his car coming to rest in a dangerous place and it was decided to send out a Safety Car while the mess was cleared up and Kolby's car taken away.

After three laps, the race restarted and Alonso tried to challenge Junqueira for the lead, but the attack was repulsed and once again Junqueira began to edge away from the Spanish youngster. Further back Walfisch was able to reclaim 10th from Saelens but otherwise the order was set again. It was not until lap 42 that there was another change in the top 10. Webber, struggling without instrumentation - which meant that he had to change gears by listening to the engine - went wide at the last corner and lost eighth place to Manning. In the closing laps Alonso closed right up on the leader, but Junqueira responded and was able to cross the line half a second ahead to give himself a seven point lead in the championship over Minassian. To lose the title Junqueira needs to have a disaster at Spa. Webber's disappointing showing means that he cannot now win the title but will probably hold on to third in the series as he has,a healthy lead over his challengers. Alonso's performance was a great boost for Astromega after a dreadful season and the team is now no longer in danger of losing its entry for next year. At the moment,the World Racing Team is in the deepest trouble, having failed to score a point this year while both Witmeur KTR and Kid Jensen Racing need a good result to avoid problems. Points: Junqueira 48, Minassian 41, Webber 21, Enge and Wilson 14, Saelens 12.

-JOESAWARD motorsport news

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SPORTSCAR races are usually &ai»i ^ long, drawn-out affairs, with the winner usually a lap or more ahead of a pack of if r.c-5 walking wounded. But that wasn’t the case in the I American Le Mans Series’latest shed o f" round at Mosport International tv Raceway in Canada. it Audi’s Rinaldo Capello held off BMW’s Jorg Muller by just 0.148s in a race which featured five safety -fjfV f . ( car periods and a trecherously t slippery circuit. Australia’s David Brabham, partnered by Dane Jan Hands up if you have smelly armpits after a six hour race! Magnussen,failed to finish after (Sutton-lmages) The BMW drivers flank race winners McNish and Capello. Magnussen hit a bump and was catapulted into the barriers, the slicks on Muller’s machine. taking a stop-go penalty for V8 Panoz too badly damaged to go “Perhaps, in hindsight, we overtaking under yellows! “I saw the rate that Muller was any further. Magnussen had been should have changed the tyres in the battle for the lead but the catching us, and the ti'affic that earlier,” said team manager Charly impact destroyed the left-front. Dindo’would have to deal with,” said Lamm.“But we had a podium 'The result all boiled down to tyre the Scot. “I had half-resigned myself position already, and our first goal strategy. Muller was on slicks and to finishing second, but Dindo did was to stay on the track. To change gaining fom- seconds a lap on well. I was terrified over the last lap, was a very aggressive move.” The team car of American Bill Capello’s wets-shod Audi, but the and 1 am really proud of him.” Muller had taken the wheel of Auberlen and Frenchman Jeanlatter held on to win - even though the V12 BMW from JJ Lehto at his co-driver Allan McNish thought Marc Gounon finished third, a lap the race had been thrown away. down on the leaders, while the the last pit stop and actually Somehow he had handed over to rejoined ahead of Capello, Reynard/Judd 2KQ of Stefan Capello still in the lead, even although the Italian soon got past Johansson and Guy Smith was fourth, but Smith crashed on the in the wet conditions, only for the despite spinning behind the safety track to diy and therefore suit the last lap and dropped to seventh. car, making two tyi’e stops, and

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The other Audi of Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro failed to finish after colliding with a backmarker Porsche, while Team Rafanelli withdrew their Lola before the race - Didier de Radigues suffering a minor fi-acture of a lumbar vertebra in a qualifying shunt. Rather than find a replacement driver to partner Mimmo Schiattarella, the team elected to withdraw. The ORECA Dodge Vipers again won the GTS class, Karl Wendlinger and Olivier Beretta sharing the winning car, which was placed fourth overall. Wendlinger had to push hard in the dying stages to catch, pass and defend from Andy Pilgrim’s Chevrolet Corvette. Randy Pobst and Bruno Lambert shared the winning Porsche 911 GT3R in the GT class, while the Rohan Skea-owned Porsche driven by Johnny Mowlem and Da^'id Mmny was 16th overall and seventh in class, while the team car of BundyAVillingham/ Skea wa'S;classified 18th. The series moves to the newly combined ovaPinfield circuit at Texas Motor Speedway on September 2.

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Brands Hatch

Bayliss heads Ducati double

...but Corser frustrated P

Duke double: While Troy Bayliss and Neil Hodgson did all the winning at Brands Hatch, Troy Corser was out of luck, tumbling in Race 2. (Main photo by Phil Cole/Allsport)

DUCATI recorded its first clean-sweep in a World Superbike Championship round in 2000 after Troy Bayliss and local Neil Hodgson shared the spoils at Brands Hatch,England on August 6. Backing up from his first and somewhat lucky SWC win at Bonington in May, pole-sitter Hodgson(INS Ducati)had the huge home crowd in raptures after his second race win. Earlier, the 26-year-old stuck it right to Bayliss in the first leg after fighting his through the field following a poor getaway from the re-start. Hodgson had been the catalyst for a major pile-up at Paddock Hill Bend when he shot down the inside, making contact with championship leader Colin Edwards(Castrol Honda). Having nowhere to go, the Texan went down,taking Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha)and Steve Hislop (Yamaha) with him. Hislop was 26

unconscious for three hours after the crash. Bayliss controlled the re-started race from the front, but Hodgson took the lead at the Surtees with two laps to go to the roar of the 102,000-strong crowd. But utilising the extra power from his Infostrada Ducati 996 and a superior drive out of Clearways, Bayliss stormed down the inside into Paddock at the start of the last lap and went on to a jubilant victory, his second in SWC. Hodgson was able to turn the tables in leg two, the former INS/GSE team-mates dominating the meeting in the absence of the injured Carl Fogarty, who had earlier targeted Brands as his comeback race. “I'm really pleased about today's result,” said Bayliss. “Even though in race two I had a bit of a vibration in the bike, which made things a bit more difficult. It was difficult to keep up with the

pace in race t^o set by Neil. After the race two re-start, I had to concentrate really hard on getting a good start.” The re-start was brought about by Troy Corser,(Aprilia) who highsided out at Surtees on lap one, taking Akira Yanagawa (Kawasaki) with him. Corser, who finished a disappointing sixth in race one, was furious that track medical staff prevented him from taking his place for the re-start: “It's been a crazy day and I'm pretty fed up really,” said Corser. “When I tried to get up, a marshal was holding me down. “He said I'd had 'a big one' and that I should stay still. I told him I was fine, but then as I tried to get up some more marshals came along and they all held me down and stopped me getting up. “I was okay! I didn't have any concussion, but I heard them telling each other that I did!

I wanted to get back to the pits and get on my spare bike for the re-start, but I was prevented from doing it! I was taken to the medical centre and our series doctor said I was okay, but the Brands Hatch doctor pushed him aside and stopped me from leaving. While Corser was prevented from making any inroads into Edwards' points lead, the American had another forgettable meeting after earlier leading the opening race. After experiencing clutch and down-shifting problems he finished a distant 10th, then could manage no better than sixth in race two after experiencing a mysterious front tyre problem. Team-mate Aaron Slight also experienced gearbox problems in race one, in which he finished seventh, then crashed out at Druids in race two, Ijter rueing that he should've pitted because of a clutch problem. Local Suzuki rider Chris Walker stormed to a fine third in race one, but it was Frankie Chili(Corona Suzuki) who won the crowd with a well-deserved third in the second leg. “My rear tyre was sliding r around a lot in the first race and it was a difficult just to maintain my position,” the Italian veteran said, who claimed eighth. “But, I just kept going and grabbed as many points as I could. The second race was better! It was wonderful to get back onto the podium after what felt like a long time. It was good to do it at Brands Hatch where I have so many loyal fans. I needed a podium again and I got it.” Points: Edwards 281, Corser 257, Haga 256, Chili 214, Bayliss 187,Yanagawa 169, Bostrom 154, Fujiwara 116, Slight 107, Hodgson 86.

- DAREYL FLACK motorsport news

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The end of the road? Have wG seen Iho i last of Carl Fogarty— if we have, will Troy Bayliss| sand him a retirement card?:

TROY Bayliss has slammed World Superbike Champion Carl Fogarty, saying it is time that the Briton quit racing. The Australian, who has filled in for Fogarty since April, has questioned whether the four-time Champion will be seen on his famous red Ducati again. “I think it is the right time for him to retire,” he said to Melbourne’s Herald Sun. “Personally, I don’t think he’s going to come hack.” Fogarty had been slated to return to SBK action at the European round of the series but, with the broken arm he suffered at Phillip Island on April 23 taking longer to heal that he has anticipated, he was restricted to riding demonstration laps only. Afterwards, Foggy’s lack of race fitness meant that he was exhausted. Bayliss, who is Ducati’s points leader in the series with 187, spoke to Fogarty about the subject at Brands. “We’re not mates, that’s for sure,” he said. He also said that, as soon as he saw Fogarty fall off at PI, he was confident of getting the ride. “I knew how fast that corner is and as soon as I saw it I thought, ‘I’m in with a ride here’”. Bayliss, who at 31 is three years Fogarty’s junior, also said that he had secured an SBK ride for next year. After starting the season with Ducati’s AMA team in the US he transferred to the SBK Infostrada outfit and, while he has not said that is where he will stay for 2001, it seems likely. MEANWHILE,Brands Hatch has secured a second SBK round for October 15. The FIM has confirmed the race, which will replace the Imola date which has been transfeiTed to England. More than 100,000 spectators attended the Brands round last week.

[Waldmann considers Benz DTM drive GRAND Prix ace Ralf Waldmann is to test a DTM Mercedes CLK - and is looking to make a full-time switch to four wheels. The works Aprilia rider will test the car at the end of the DTM season, but says he would consider a drive in any major touring car series, including the British Touring Car Championship. “I’m definitely nearer the end of my bike career than the beginning,” said the 34-year-old German,“and touring cars are something 1 would like to do in the future. I love the racing and I think 18 lUBUSi 2000

Merc man; Ralf Waldmann iRaceAccess)

it’s great that guys like Klaus Ludwig are still competitive at 50. “I have an offer on the table to do World Superbikes with Honda, which I’m very interested in, but I think that maybe I have two years left at the top. “Most of the guys I’m racing against now are 10 years younger than me...” Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug said: “Ralf approached us and we were happy to do it. He’s a sporting hero in Germany and it’s now just a case of fixing a date that fits in with everybody.”

Changing teams: Will Russell and H-D join Vance & Hines?

Vance & Hines & Harley & Davidson? AMERICAN Superbike powerhouse Vance & Hines is to split with Ducati - and may run Hariey Davidson’s factory AMA program from next season. Ducati is in the midst of restructuring its American effort, with future funding originating from its North American arm rather than Ducati Corse. Finance has been secured for the AMA series, for at least two bikes and, possibly, a third. This season Vance & Hines has run two 996s for John Kocinski and Steve Rapp, the former world champion being drafted in to replace Aussie Troy Bayliss, who shifted to the SBK after Carl Fogarty was injured at Phillip Island in April. For the past three seasons, Harley Davidson has run a works program in the US without major success. Its VR1000 V-twin, ridden by five-time Daytona 200 winner Scott Russell and Canadian Pascal Picotte, has struggled for reliability against the Ducatis and Japanese fours, as well as Honda’s new RC51 V-twin. Vance & Hines were staying quiet about developments and rumours suggest that the firm has spoken to other manufacturers but, it appears, an all-American Harley effort seems the most likely solution. Stay tuned ... 27

NEWS Fiorio says Ciao to Minardi CESARE Fiorio,the sporting director of the Telefonica Minardi team,has left the team as the result of Tack of agreement"relating to the future ofthe team. The dispute appears to be with Fondmetal boss Gabriele Rumi who is still negotiating to sell the team to a consortium led by the venture capital firm Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst. The firm is involved ill the sponsorship of the team via the Panamerican Sports Network, owner of the digital TV rights to FI in South America. The company has links with UnitedGlobalCom, the parent company of the Arrows team's sponsor Chello. Fiorio has been with the team since January 1999. He will be replaced as sporting director by the team's chief engineer, Gabriele Tredozzi.

Fire one,fire two,fire three: Holden drivers have been getting into the spirit of the Oiympics by carrying the torch. Larry Perkins (ieft, in ‘stylish’ running shoes), Jason Bargwanna (above, in the big pants) and Greg Murphy (you’re hoiding it backwards. Murf) ail have had their turns. Other touring car people to join in the fun have been Dick Johnson and Shell’s

While the negotiations over the sale of the team continue there is still some doubt as to whether or not the team's relationship with the Spanish telephone company Telefonica will continue next year. The replacement of the company's chairman Juan Villalonga has led to a wholesale change in the top management in recent days with a new chief executive being brought in by the new chairman Cesar Alierta. The new chiefexecutive is 39-year-old Fernando AbrilMartorell, a former banker who left the company last year after falling out with \nialonga. Marc Gene could end up with Fernando Alonso as his team mate next year. The 19-year-old Formula 3000 driver, who finished second in Hungary,impressed the Minardi team in a recent test at Fibraho, lapping within a tenth of regular driver Gaston Mazzacane after only a few laps. -JOESAWABD

Motorsport Manager, Ross Brodie.

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OPINION

It’s now or never

Wills talks on Stones, FHoMsn and life in Oz IT'S a the pretty exciting timecertainly for me at moment. As I write I have just finished another test in the Stone Brothers Racing AU Falcon in Queensland prior to the two enduros and nearly have the Formula Flolden title wrapped up, with one round to go at Mallala next weekend. I spoke a lot to Ross Stone last year about trying to get a drive but Craig (Baird) ended up getting it. He said that he would keep the door open and he's given me a good opportunity in the role of co-driver for the enduros. We'll do one more test prior to the Queensland 500 to give me a good go and get a grip on what it feels like with full tanks of fuel. Now that I've driven a current model Falcon in addition to the current model Commodore of John Faulkner's (which I drove last year), I can say that there's not much difference between the cars. The VT probably has a bit better handling compared with the AU. There's nothing much in it, but the Ford has a bit more power. However, it's hard for me to judge because I haven't had loads of laps. really want to pick up a V8 drive next year and, after all, the first round is on my home track at Pukekohe, which I know like'the back of my hand! Last year I put all my eggs in the one basket trying to get a V8 drive and it was all looking ^promising but then it fell over and 1 felt 1 had to drive something, rather than be out of the scene and be forgotten. Look at Adam Macrow and Stephen White. They're both capable drivers but they haven't been in the scene this year and people have forgotten about them. With Birrana Racing and Malcolm Ramsey, I still had a good option, though, in defending the title, and we've all but done that this season. It's actually been a good thing. I've been able to hone my skills on using the data acquistion and the like. Basically for next year I need to have a V8 drive orTm out of the sport. There's no more money left. My parents have 18 Mugusi 2000

Motor Mouth

with SlHon Wlllt

J Pirtek pilots; Wills will partner Craig Baird in the Pirtek Falcon at Queensland at Bathurst. (Photo by Dirk Klynsmith) H

Basically for next year I need to have a V8 drive er I'm out of the spert" -Simon Wills

been really great but they've spent all their money so that's it unless I can get a V8 drive. 've had a little bit of a problem with'taking bad habits from the FHolden to the V8 and viceversa. I tested David Besnard's EL at Queensland Raceway a while back and turning through turns one and two it was a completely different style. I finally adapted my style but then it came to the FHolden race meeting and I was a lot slower than everybody through that section! My Birrana Racing team mate Leroy Stevenson was a whole eight-tenths faster... 1 had to look at the data and adjust my style back again. It's clear that you have to be mindful of the things that you're doing in one car or the other and what is more suitable for each.

make it to the top - I got a bit more realistic about things! The scene here in Australia is really great. I like the lifestyle and the V8 category is really good. Living in Qz has been quite easy,^ actually. When I first went over to England, I was 17 and had never been away from my parents. I didn't know anybody over there except one person, and I really didn't like him! That was the person I was driving for... Here in Australia, though, it's full of Kiwis anyway!

Last was easy me year to goitout and doenough the job for I needed to do because nobody else could really get close. This year the competition has stepped up. We've made a few little errors that haven't really helped and, in the long run, have made Christian (Murchison) look a little bit better that what I think he is. He's doing a very good job but

Tim Leahey deserves to be right up there too. We.'ve won eight races so far and Christian's won three. A little bit of luck helps win championships and that's what I've had lately. Let's hope it keeps going! ~itness is vital for the V8 enduros and I must admit I've slacked off a bit this year. There've been a few races where I've been puffing a bit, but I've lost three kilos and getting out of the V8 after my most recent test, I felt a lot better than after the first. I think I need to load my computer up with some weights to give me some exercise while I'm playing Grand Prix 3 ... 've heard that there might be a couple of Formula Holden regulars missing from the grid at Mallala. It's a bit of a shame for the category because it's given them a lot and allowed them to get out there and be noticed. To leave it in the lurch at the last round is a bit of a bummer really. But I've just got to keep it on the road and there'll be a big party on Sunday night at Mallala. Maybe on Monday morning as well!

Australia really is now my central focus. I've pretty much decided that I'm going to stay in Australia. I did three years over in Britain racing openwheelers but it's so hard to Around the streets: Wills has again been the class of the Formula Holden field - but only by a slim margin. (Photo by Phil Willia ms)

BIRflANfi

Gipsy bands and the d capitalism wmand comm

he final test to discover whether or not you can make it as an international

payments only be made if you are making money out of a tune? And what is the difference between a

traveller is to be in a foreign hotel and to eat dinner by yourself without a book and without feeling uncomfortable, or worrying that people will think you are a sad and lonely person. From time to time I quite like doing it. Too often in Formula 1 we visit nice restaurants and pay no attention to the things we shovel into our mouths because we are too busy discussing the Concorde Agreement or the relative merits of Giancarlo Fisichella and Alexander Wurz or some other suitably obscure subject. It is nice to be able to savour the flavours of good goose liver washed down with a Muscat without any prattle to interrupt the thought process. Of course there are distractions. No Hungarian restaurant is complete without a gipsy band. The modern equivalent of this seems to consist of two men in black suits who look like extras from The Godfather movies. One plays the piano and the other the violin and they produce what can only be described as ‘Cat and Mouse Music’ which is always vaguely threatening. Like the soundtrack from The Godfather. When the mood takes them, they can launch into a romantic ballad to assist those in the restaurant in their attempts to seduce members of the opposite sex (which is a popular activity in Budapest). And thus it was that I found myself happily eating alone and listening to the men in black playing ‘Tonight’ from West Side Story and I found myself drifting into a philosophical argument about the question of ownership. Would these men be sending a cheque to Leonard Bernstein for playing his song, I wondered? He has been dead these last 10 years, but i expect somebody somewhere is collecting the money on his behalf. But then again, who owns a tune? If you walk down the road whistling a song, should you be paying someone for it? Or should

tune and a sport? Nobody owns a song nor can they own a sport. Such things belong to everybody.

t is a nice idea, but reality is not like that. Such Utopian ideas have existed for centuries before the word Utopia was dreamed up SCHUMl by Thomas More in 1516. DNF, In modern times some Utopian FERRARI theories have been tried and have IP failed. People are people and will Goon ECILES always try to make a quick buck if the opportunity presents itself. And so it is not the people who ION end up owning things, it is The State. The State can, if it chooses to do so, own whatever it likes. It can claim water and air and oil So that’s what FIA stands for: Finns do have a sense of humour, while and gas. It can even claim (Photos by Sutton-images) the local girls make the FI circus most welcome... intangible things such as invisible radio frequencies. The best example of this at the moment is the ongoing auctions around Europe for radio frequencies which mobile telephone companies want to use to make vast sums of money. Governments are raising ob^pene amounts of money by leasing out radio frequencies. As a means of printing money it is hard to beat, although one has to say that privatisation is an amazing scam, because under it The State sells companies to the. people who already own them... All this may sound rather airyfairy and philosophical but there is no question that a lot of the important people in the Formula 1 paddock have been pondering this sort of stuff in recent months. In the case of the sport. The State is the international automobile federation. The FIA cannot claim that it owns motor racing. It merely governs the sport. It makes the rules and sanctions the running of races. owned by Bernie Ecclestone. In consideration of this, Mr Somewhere along the way it «« * Ecclestone pays the FIA annual has laid claim to the ownership of The fTA cannot claim fees. all the promotional rights to the that it owns motor The FIA cannot stop someone World Championships and as nofrom writing down a new formula, one has successfully challenged racing. It merely this claim it stands. building a series of racing circuits In the case of Formula 1 the governs the sporr and starting a championship by convincing teams, drivers and commercial rights have been officials to become involved, leased to a private company motorsport news

f FORMULA ONE

metween f

unism In effect this would be a bit like a political revolution. But it will not happen because, as any historian will tell you, all revolutions fail because the people who take over become as bad if not worse than the people they replace. This does not mean that there cannot be change because there are always political and commercial ways to be in control of situations. The FIA President Max Mosley was once a rebel but he built a credible political alliance and toppled the old regime. The same could happen again.

t the same time Ecclestone is not immune to commercial issues. He has sold a percentage - of his company and so does not fully control the profits of the company. If the shareholdings of his partners pass on to others he must accept what happens because he has taken the money. The sport has developed so much that it is now just like big business. We wander about in the paddock talking in millions and discussing consortia and takeover bids. At the same time F1 is busy exploiting everything it possibly can. Race tracks are so keen to hold races that they agree to hand over commercial rights<of venues and so all manner of licences can be sold, official 'suppliers are appointed, signage rights are handed over. This has made Ecclestone a wealthy man and has made others jealous. It has resulted in a lot of criticism. The European Competition authorities are even suggesting that some of it is illegal. Who knows? This is all the stuff for lawyers to quibble over in the years ahead.

18 August 2000 I,.

"Between the hours of 8pm and Sam on ail five nights of the event(and I though there were only three nights) FI fans could visit some rather horrid-looking plywood structures in 'Erotic Camping'(I saw the pictures in the paper!)

The with BoxloeSeat Sawam

All that normal folk can say is whether or not it makes them like the sport or dislike the sport. The people will vote with their feet and with their TV remote control boxes. If it all becomes too much, the sport will suffer. Outside the circuits free enterprise operates. Hotel and restaurant prices are hiked outrageously when the F1 circus comes to town. Hey, that's capitalism. You may not be allowed to sell Michael Schumacher-branded underpants from your front garden without commercial lawyers parachuting in, but you can market hotdogs and lemonade.

Hungary this year marked a new first for Formula 1. The village of Mogyorod, which is next to the Hungaroring, decided that it was going to set up ‘a temporary red light district’ on land close to the track. Between the hours of 8pm and Sam on all five nights of the event (and I though there were only three nights) FI fans could visit some rather horrid-looking plywood structures in ‘Erotic Camping’(I saw the pictures in the paper!) and there be entertained by the Happy Hookers of Hungary. This extraordinary situation came about because the village was fed up with the neighbourhood being filled with transit vans in

which ladies of the night would entertain ‘gentlemen callers’. One has to laugh at it all but then one must also ask whether this is the kind of things with which Formula 1 wishes to be associated. It is hardly the jetset image that FI has tried so hard to promote but there is not much the sport can do to stop it. The funny thing, of course, is that it has happened first in what was a Communist country. Years ago I was taught political science by someone or other who explained the difference between capitalism and communism; "One is the exploitation of man by man," he said. "And the other is the opposite." If Formula 1 has lived by the sword of capitalism. Now we must suffer from it as well.

Another brilliant Bernie idea: “It’s a new board game. You own England, you own Italy and I own the rest. It's called Ronopoly and we play with real money." 31

John Fnulknor

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^'^£SMranUI||||||i|||^'. - l||||p package within three days, HBflMNIIHr ^''JIHIil were up against some opposition, including Toyota's Rally program, but we targeted a couple of key messages and it all came off. The finer details took a long time to come through - we actually practiced at the Grand Prix event with a plain car and ran the signage in the races. The year itself has been different, but the sponsorship has lifted the morale within the team, which was pretty low following a lean 1999. I was even considering putting a driver in the car and playing team manager. I'm glad I didn't.

1S39 wasn't great for John Faulkner. He lost his long-flme m^or sponsors and, wltti little budget to speak of, most of Ms team. M morale at an all-flme low. It was hard to keep going. But 2000 has seen the rebirfli of Ukner and JFR. A new sponsor, new look, new crew ITS aH looking up.69ALD IVIcDORNAiy spoke wUi him last week. m B B

mm.s and wera asked» make a

eiltl! presentation of a sponsorship

MIM: You had great long-term relationships with your previous sponsors,so getting your foot in the door of another company must have been difficult? JF: I'd never had to do any real legwork before, Fisher & Paykel and Betta Electrical were your dream sponsors. They both joined me in the AUSCAR, along with Cummins, in 1990/91 and we basically walked through that period with low-key budgets. We entered '96 with the exBrock VS Commodore and we put the deal together with all three companies. But they weren't hard work as we'd been together for so long. It was an awful shame to lose them. It was like life came to an end. All of a sudden I had to put a suit on and go out and start talking to people. Quite honestly, I didn't have a clue on where to go or who to 'approach. We tried several marketing companies but nothir/g came of those ... V8 Supercars was also IVSOTORSPORT NEWS: After a a long way from where it is now. I had a lot of sleepless nights year of doubt for John Faulkner, you are now threetrying to put together a presentation that could quarters of the way through command $1.5 million... your first season with a new sponsor, Asia Online, who are A year is a long time and an awful lot has happened... providing substantial funding. The other worrying thing that How has it been, especially was happening for me was here when you consider that your at the shop. Staff were walking season looked in doubt right out because morale was low up until the last minute when and we didn't have a budget. Asia Online signed? JOHN FAULKNER: We weren't' Why didn't a Level One team that regularly ran in the top 10 destitute before the beginning of the season - Cummins were have a budget? We had lots of people wanting very supportive, like they've been for many years, and the to prostitute the deal, offering a Make-A-yVish Foundation couple of hundred grand and, to be honest, 1 almost looked at a scheme looked as though it would take off... couple of them. motofspori news

INTERVIEW We stuck by our principles and it was words from Tony Cochrane who said 'Just hang in there, you will get that sponsor. You deserve it' and Asia Online arrived!

decision that we would only secure skilled staff that had the £ same goals as myself. Q Now I've got Barry Ryan as my engineer and he's as competitive as myself. He hates it when we don't get a result or MN: Your season hasn't been don't do well... What that has done is that we as solid as the previous few, but was the wait for 'that' have created a band of guys sponsor the reason? Have the who work and think like Barry. If frustrations carried over into they don't, they don't work here. the racing season? Because of that, and a lot of JF: The point new faces, you need to we've had a I had a lot of sleepless understand is disruptive season. Our that, when you nights trying to put don't have reliability hasn't together a presentation support like last been there, year, we still we've been that could command rushed ... too had to open the $1.5 million" doors at John quick to obtain -John Faulkner on his a result. Faulkner Racing sponsor search to maintain the Asia Online isn't results operation. We sourced outside work driven but there is a carrot there built cars, supplied leased cars if we do perform and we've been so near to take a bite out and that took its toll on our input of the carrot... it's been a bit of into securing new sponsors and the running of our car. My car a nightmare. ran on componentry that was With a couple of good results the bad luck would feel as high mileage... When you get an influx of though it never happened. money, shall we say 'late into Darwin fifth, Oran Park sixth the season', you can't go to the we got some great coverage 50 horsepower shop and buy 50 and people say we're back horses. You can't go down and although we've been back all instantly get a set of four-way year. If you look at the practice adjustable shocks that will work. sheets all year we've been right With Asia Online's arrival, we there, although we've tripped up had money burning a hole in our in qualifying. pockets but couldn't find the development because, in the MN: Is that you? You're known to have a bit of a interim of not having funding, a fiddle... lot of the key components at JFR walked. When we obtained sponsorship, I made the continued next page

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"I find it hard. The fitness level is not what it used to he. The enthusiasm is not as great as what it was. But the level of competition and competitiveness within me hasn't diminished, so I find it rewarding to go out and do the joh. It

- Faulkner on his driving

continued from previous page JF: Of course it's not me [laughing]. I'm a fiddler. When the guys go at night, I get the creeper out and get under the car. I'm the boss and I can do that if I like. It's not that I don't trust them but I come from classes where I won lots and lots of races and set lap records. I bounced into V8 Supercars with a sixth qualifying lap at Bathurst... When you're floundering you start to ask the questions: "Is it me? Is it the car? Is it the crew?" When we were fourth at Oran Park, fourth at Winton in practice and then to go out and qualify 15th ... funnily enough, every time I've had a reasonable excuse! > I give 110 percent in qualifying - we just don't get any gain with new tyres. We've done very little testing - we need new tyres to go testing to learn howto get a gain with them... We just presume we'll gain half a second like other teams, but we don't get it. It can't be me 'cause we're on the pace in practice and we've got race pace. We've been accused of changing the car and I have changed set-ups but, if you're fourth, why not think "hey, if we make some changes we could be first.” When you're talking hundredths and tenths, the difference between a good gear change and a shitty one can be 15 spots. MN: You say Asia Online aren't results orientated. But 39

do they see this year as a character-building one for themselves in the sport and the team, while looking for something better over the next two years? JF: I hope not because I haven't made any of those sorts of promises. I haven't said "this year we'll be shitty, but next year with more money, we'll be better." Yes, we do have a carrot dangling - it is performance based - but Asia Online were advised to come into motor racing by a marketing agency to help promote their products and services. It's a marketing plan. They've come in very wideeyed. I could have been,JVIario Andretti or just a club racer. They've invested a lot of money in JFR and John Faulkner the person without really seeing the infrastructure. They were very surprised at some of the early results ancf the speed of the team. It's the old story - you get half a result and they'd like more ... that's natural. They like the television exposure but that's not the pinnacle. They are more into entertaining their corporate clients and exposing their name to the fan base. We are a very open team and we enjoy having them in our pits and doing the tours ... it had been a while since we'd had a major sponsor to share all that with. Asia Online's marketing man. Dale Britten, has lifted the image of the team. He's demanding we're spotless and given us a new look. Out with the old and in with the new. It's all improving all the time...

It takes more than money and MN:So this is the building of good looks... a team, working with Asia Online,that will have a solid MN: Talking of Adam Macrow, foundation for many years. he's out in the workshop Even when you are out of the getting his hands dirty. He car... obviously wants to be a part JF: That's everyone's dream. I'm of the operation. approaching an age, like Larry JF: Adam is a paid driver, is on a [Perkins] and John [Bowe] contract and is paid a weekly where it is just hard work. I find wage. We've taken him through it hard. The fitness level is not every aspect of the car so, when what it used to be. The he's not driving it, he should enthusiasm is not as great as know what's going on. what it was. But the level of We've now taken Adam off competition and getting his hands dirty and he's competitiveness within me doing PR work with Asia Online, hasn't diminished, so I find it doing all the things I can't do. rewarding to go out and do the He's great to have around - as job. keen as anything. It's hard to Racing is just the ideal life. I stop him from helping. He's love coming to work. I want my doing anything he can here guys to get up in the morning washing the truck, sweeping and ask how we can go faster. floors, working on the car ... he's The minute it becomes just a sitting in the car at every job, and that happens when you opportunity he can. lose sponsors and have I've had to pull him out from restraints, then it's not where -underneath the car by his ankles you want to be. and tell him to go dust off and I push the point that Asia do some other thingsy! Online aren't pushing us to get Christian D'Agostin is another results. The dot-com business is young driver that we tuned into very competitive, like racing, but a testing contract at the they're using it as a tool to get beginning of the year. That what they want and [their hasn't quite panned out the way involvement] has to be as good we wanted at this stage. for them as it is for me. JFR has to be competitive so, when I retire, I put in two young, MN: Will there be the opportunities for (Vlacrow, fit, hotshots who we can turn D'Agostin or a young driver into Garth Tenders. I'd be real next year with a second car? proud to run those sorts of JF: Definitely. The contract is people - we've got some real drawn up now - it's not inked great talent out there. but it's there. There is a budget We have Adam Macrow who for one and three-quarter cars not many people in V8s have and the rest of the budget will heard of but I have a lot of faith come from an individual driver or in him. sponsors to top that up. Whether Adam is the right With the trend of AVESCO to go person to progress with JFR, towards two-car teams in 2001, we'll probably know after that will be the way we head, Bathurst, moiorsport news

INTERVIEW It would be nice to bring the second car on at Bathurst this year but that's starting to look as though it won't happen. Finding the right driver with the top-up budget could be the problem. Adam's flat out trying to secure money - it will only be a modest amount, but it certainly is the ingredient needed to be on the grid,,. Having said that, it's probably the same situation with two or three other Level One teams. Two cars is not just double the budget... MN: The second car will provide you with many more benefits, though. JF: I tested four cars in testing at Calder yesterday - my car, our Lites car, Mike Imrie's car and Ed Aitken's GTP car - and I was trying to get my head around them all! Unfortunately when you have two cars, there is always an A car and a B car, a number one and a number two. When we ran two AUSCARS, they were both as identical as we could get them. But one was always better in one area than the other was and viceversa. As a driver, I'd hate to think I was getting in the number two car... We're building everything the same so, hopefully, the only variables will be engine performance. It's difficult. I don't know how HRTdoit... Larry and Russell obviously run a split show - one car will be at the front one week while the other's down the back, then it's the opposite the next. I'd hate that to happen to me... MN: We're talking two cars, young guns ... and you're now in your mid-late 40s. How long until you decide to

18 August 2000

do the team manager thing? JF; Two years. That's the end of the current three-year arrangement with Asia Online. Their deal is with me, John Faulkner, not JFR. They hired my services and my team.

I'd like to see JFR in the position in two years where I won't have to run around the block and ride the bike trying to keep fit to race. I can handle the work but I can't handle the associated stress. I get pissed off when I don't qualify well. I get pissed off when I'm punted off. I get pissed off when I'm pissed off! I'm just very competitive and I punish the hell out of myself if I'm not competitive. I probably can stand another two years of that as a driver. It's not an age thing. | just don't want to grow old and be an uncompetitive driver. I think, after seeing the different winners in the last couple of years, that winning some races isn't out of the equation. The sooner we get the reverse grids the better It's not that I can't pass cars -1

can I'm just not good at following. MN: If you say two years, _ what are your goals for that period. You've won in karts, AUSCAR,IMASCAR, with

Toyota's small tourers and last year you led Bathurst... JF: Let's not forget that 1 won a lot of privateer dashes in V8s... But I wanted to race with \ Peter Brock and Dick Johnson and that's why I went to Level One. -■

When you see Dick sitting on the front row when he was 50, there was obviously nothing wrong with his ability. I want to be that good when I'm his age. I don't get too negative about my age. Everything's on track to give us far better harmony at JFR, so next year there are no excuses. We've got all the ingredients, like Garry Rogers' team. You will see the differences. By then. I'll start looking for another driver. . . ! I thoroughly enjoy watching my car running anpund with

Adam in the seat. I'm like the proud father watching Adam and Ryan McLeod [in JFR's V8 Lites car]. It makes me feel good and sometimes me driving in the Shell Series doesn't make me feel good. MN: Did leading Bathurst make you feel good last year? JF: The pinnacle is Bathurst. It's a bloody hard race to win. We had a good budget to run last year's race and the car had new components. There were no excuses. We had, I thought, the right situation, the right attitude, right co-driver. To watch it go down the toilet was hard to take. Had 1 been in the car, I would have reacted different. I realize now, when Larry and Russell win the race, they are a team. We weren't. We had the ingredients, but... To be fair, Simon [Wills] didn't have enough laps in the car. I thought he might have been quicker, but he might have been playing to get a result he wanted. MN: It all gets back to earlier in the year - no budget and lack of morale. JF: Absolutely... This year we did it entirely differently - contracted a driver, put things in place. If Adam does what he's doing in testing now... MN: All in all, things are looking up though. JF: Definitely. I'm really enjoying coming to work. The new car is looking great. We've made a lot of positive changes. I'm really excited about the whole deal. It's all just terrific. We're on target and online. ..

Skea Raeing

'j/

Advance Australia Fair: While there was no Australian presence behind the wheel of Skea’s 996 GT3-R, the team left no doubt about its origins. (Photo by Tony Glynn)

aving burst upon the international racing scene with a second in class at Sebring and then shocked the establishment with a stunning Le Mans runner-up result in his first six months of competition, enigmatic Western Australian » driver and team owner Rohan Skea has proven to be one of the fastest rising stars on the Porsche factory’s world motorsport map. No stranger to success in the corporate corridors of power, the 46 year-old Perth-based law firm principal focused upon offshore GT racing to make his mark and has put together a hugely effective team that has quickly developed a taste for podium finishes. But Skea was at pains to preserve his anonymity when he took the giant step to mount a serious full-time assault on the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), his staggeringly highdollar endurance racing schedule also embracing selected rounds of the European FIA GT Championship and a tilt at the sports car fraternity’s holy grail, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. “I was fully aware that the media in Australia would have delighted in putting me down if the team had made all the usual 36

pre-season promises and then failed to come through with the goods,” Skea explained. “WMe it’s true that this is the first serious Australian team to compete on the world stage in recent memory,I didn’t really want to be involved in any beat-ups about about what successes were going to be coming our way. “So I chose to adopt an extremely low profile and just get on with the business of striving „ for success in an extremely competitive class of international racing, preferring instead to let any worthwhile results we might achieve speak for themselves.” Overseeing the Skea Racing International operation is John Pollard, another low-key Australian who rose to prominence in the eighties vAth a succession of all-conquering Porsche Sports Sedans. A multiple championship winner, Pollard has maintained his Porsche links and was insti-umental in the fledgling team obtaining its highly sought-after factory-backed privateer status. Now based Stateside in Charlotte, the ever-expanding team divides its time between American and European events and currently ranks second in both the driver’s and manufacturer’s ALMS pointscores.

Around the around the

,' 4-

Australians Rohan Skea andJohn Pollard have quietly put together a Porsche-backed ALMS/European GT Series operation that is nothing short ofimpressive. At Le Mans the Skea Racing 996 GT3-R came home second in class, highlightingjust how good the team really is. TONY QLYNN was there a a 'o

moiorsport news

SPORTS CARS

Round black rubber: Skea’s team has a close involvement in (Photo by Tony Glynn) development of the Pirelli rubb.er.

support you can’t buy and it was fantastic to be a part of it. “And, as things turned out,if the car hadn’t clipped the wall we would have won the class!” Immediately following Le Mans was the 1000km race at the Nurburgring, which saw the team rack up another second placing, Pollard viewing the six-hour endurance race as “merely a sprint compared to Le Mans, “l^at’s really interesting about the season so far is that the Le Mans car has actually done two 24-hour races this season, including its run at Daytona, along with 12 hours at Sebring, six hours at the Nurburgring and a host of three-ho\ir races. “That car has done more miles in a few weeks than most cars do in a lifetime and it’s been so reliable. What an incredible achievement.”

research progi’am based around the Skea operation,“development rubber being tested on the Monday in England,for example, before being dehvered to us on the Wednesday for racing on the following weekend,” said Pollard. Similarly, direct support from Penske saw a shock and spring technician on hand for each event, though Pollard has made a move to the Porsche spring/shock package since the Le Mans outing in June,“which has completely transformed the car for the better.” A brake development program is also ongoing with sponsor Performance Friction, the Skea Porsches featuring exclusive discs and brake pad material that proved their worth in the gruelling 24 hour enduro, all three drivers of the Informix GT3-R enjoying a rockhai’d pedal with plenty of bite and feel and, amazingly, not expecting to make a pad or disc change for the duration ofthe event. Interestingly, in the dying stages of the enduro,the decision was made to pull the car in for a pad change to verify the rate of wear,it being subsequently determined that the highly classified brake ' material would happily have been good for 28 to 30 hours of racing! “To go there for the first time and walk away with second place was pretty emotional stuff. I’ve got to tell you,” said Pollard. “People have been going there for thirty years and still haven’t finished the race, but our car could probably have turned around and done the race again, as there was no problem with the car whatsoever - and that comes'back to two things, the effort and quality of the work put iii by the team and by the factory itself. “We had a drama in the first hour or so when the car hit the wall and the factory response via its people at the track was instantaneous - that’s the sort of

Development is the considering catch-cry for the team, Pollard the fields in the ALMS GT class to now be extremely competitive and thus posing a threat to the dominance of the Australians. “At Mosport last weekend,the first 10 cars were within a second of each other during qualifying, which should give you an idea how things have closed up,” he explained. “Our car is in the order of seven seconds a lap quicker than when we originally got it, due to our continuous development. “If you bought one of these cars today and went racing next weekend, you’d come home stonecold motherless last, because development is what it’s aU about and you would be so fai- offthe pace. “We’ve got three weeks before Texas and all we’re doing is testing and development- we have a huge program ahead of us, but that’s what’s required to remain on the pace now. “For example, we’re about to embark upon a wind tumiel development program that should see a change in the shape of the car at the front and a finiher increase in our level of competitiveness.” As far as the Australian team’s long-term futuin in GT racing is concerned, Pollard noted that “there’s been plenty of talk in the European press about Rohan and the team wanting to spread its wings and move up into the Prototype class. “But we’re heavily committed to the Porsche program and haven’t realised om- fidl potential yet, so Fd prefer not.to comment on that topic, as it’s an unnecessary distraction. ‘Yes,this is hai-d work and the budgetary inquirements are beyond belief, but it’s just so stimulating and personally rewarding for all ofus that it’s viituaJly impossible to look beyond tins category for the foreseeable fiiture -1 mean,this is what everyone back home dreams about.”

clock, world Attention to detail: Team manager Ian Pollard and owner Rohan Skea keep an eye on proceedings at Le Mans

(Photo by Tony Glynn)

Originally dedicatedstaffed crew of by Western a Australians, the Aussie factor has noticeably diminished as the 2000 season has worn on and the team’s current line-up now includes Formula One professionals from Stewart Grand Prix. “It was inevitable that we would go down this route,” said Pollard,“as the financial commitment is so huge. “This is no amateur operation and the costs involved in competing at this level are beyond belief So, to predictably achieve results and better service our sponsors, it was apparent that a truly professional crew was the key to success. “Consideiing our relationship with the Porsche factory and the status attached to such an involvement, there’s now a real pressure on us to succeed eveiy

18 lueusl 2000

time we go out, so we need the appropriate level ofexperience and dedication from every member of the team to maintain that level of competitiveness,” PoUard continued. “Six months ago,this team didn’t exist and there has been huge pressme on the team to build the infrastructure - and to then go to a meeting and be billed as one ofthe favourites adds even more pressure.” In terms of race hardware, Skea and Pollard have made absolutely certain that they want for nothing. Their weapon of choice in the GT category is the Porsche 996 GT3-R,the team fielding two cars which enjoy the full attention of the factory itself The team’s flagship is from the first batch of eight which were hand-built by the factory for its exclusive use and the other is a production-line model. Engines are routinely replaced after qualifying, the old unit being immediately shipped straight back to the factory for a rebuild, while transmissions are also swapped prior to race day and rebuilt in-house. All engines are specifically designated for the team and there are at least six powerplants in the pipeline at any one time. Naturally, there is no suspect componentry on either car, the arrangement with the factory regarding replacement intervals guaranteeing unparalleled levels of reliability for the marque. One of only three teams running under the factory’s designated privateer umbrella since Porsche stepped back from a direct involvement in motorsport, Skea Racing is also heavily supported by Pirelli, which is maldng a concerted effort to break the Michelin stranglehold in endurance racing. As such,the tyre giant’s competition aim is involved in a

i Even before his Oran Park blaze, Paul Morris was having an eventful season, combining a Shell Series program with a defence of his BOG Gases Super Touring crown. PHIL BRANAGAN caught up with The Dude to talk about his season. Motorsport News: Oran Park is not a bad place to start; what do you remember? Paul Morris: Everything, I got a good start - like always! - and I was running right up onto the back of Craig Baird, He moved right and 1 thought, There's no * room because the wall's there', so I went left and, next thing, I saw Larry sitting there, parked in the middle of the track! I hit him pretty hard. Straight away, I was worried about getting hit in the rear. A fair few cars went past before Mark, who was going pretty quick, had the same problem I did. But he was travelling at a fairly high speed. He hit me in the back and I had immediate pain in the back. It felt like someone had hit me in the back with a bowling ball. I couldn't feel my legs or anything. I was pretty concerned about that: 1 got onto the guys on the radio and said, 'I'm in a fair bit of trouble. I'm going to wait in the car for the Safety Crew to arrive MN:The TV footage was pretty graphic. We could see the trail of fire heading from Larko's car towards yours. Did 3B

you have any idea what was happening? PM: None. I was more worried about whether I was going to be able to walk. That was my. immediate fear. MN: Any fears about whether your legs were going to walk would have been erased by the fact that you had to get out pretty quickly. PM: Right. If that door hadn't opened, I would have been barbecued inside the thing until they got me out. I was lucky; when we got back into the workshop, every other door had been smashed in and wouldn't open. I had my window up at the time as well, so I was fortunate that the door opened, otherwise I would have been in real strife. MN;That has to be your biggest accident in, how long have you been racing, 12 years? PM: It wasn't as big as the one in America. I went in head-first at Michigan when Chris Simmons was in front on the last lap of practice. Going into turn three, we were hard on it at probably 200 mph

You can learn from all accidents and I don't think we should have a knee-jerk reaction.rr - Morris on his OP shunt and the crew jumped on the radio and said, 'the session's over'. Chris lifted off and I went straight over the top of him and banged head-first into the wall, probably . three or four feet in the air. But this one wasn't as bad because I wasn't going anywhere. If it hadn't have been for the fire extinguisher bottle going through the seat, I probably would have walked away pretty easily.

MN; There's been talk of having fire bombs banned or, at least, banished from the inside of cars. Is that something you agree with? PM: If you had an accident and the fire bomb saved your life, you would be saying something else. You can learn from all accidents and I don't think we should have a knee-jerk reaction. I think we should go through it and see what we can learn out of it. On the positive side of things there is still a need for some sort of fire protection in the cars. If I couldn't have got out of the car, that could have been the only thing that saved me. motorsport news

r i;:

I -if:

INTERVIBW *r

fViiM: What was salvageable from the car? PM: Engine, gearbox. Pi system. Apart from that, not much. It's cost a few bucks ... We have the other car and there's a fair bit of work being done to that.

●(

MN: With hindsight, people often say you recall accidents in slow motion. Did that happen this time around? PM: It did. I was pretty aware of what was going on. MN: Up to this race, how do your rate your V8 Supercar season? PM: Our expectations were that,

if we could run in the top 10, we were doing all right. With the car we’ve got, I think that we are

Where there’s smoke: Morris’s his third V8 Supercar race at Oran Park went up in flames - literally - three weeks ago.

(Photo by Lindsay Ross)

BMW’s secret weapon: Morris is undefeated in five Super Touring races at Oran Park this year. The Mount Cotton Estates 320i may be a little long in the tooth but it’s still fast, as Audi’s Michael Bartels found out in Macau ... (Photos by Dirk Klynsmilh)

doing a pretty good job. The biggest problem is that, when you unload the car, you are on used tyres and you have to try and make the car into a race car. You get two sessions to do that on Saturday and, really, every race we go into is like a test session. The car becomes pretty good by Sunday afternoon. It's all about all the knowledge that the others teams have got that we haven't. It would be the same if 20 teams showed up at a track with BMW Super Tourers; we would have the wood on them. MN: It's an interesting comparison; at the Oran Park round you virtually sat out

practice because you'd been there and done it before. PM: You're right. We've been doing it for six years and we know exactly what we want. .. HRT and the other teams have that bank of knowledge. Apart from that problem we are doing pretty well. We were down on horsepower at the start of the year and we've fixed that problem. We're ticking along all right. We just need to get a newer car and go from there.

"tf you leave a race meeting with two flatspotted tyres where you have driven flie arse off your car, you

have no rubber to go testing on. Stupid...

- Morris on the tyre testing rule

MN: When does that happen? PM: The end of the season. We'll bide our time and do it right, put the car together and have it for the start of next year. MN: There's been talk about the 12 day testing limit. Would you like to see that waived or modified for newcomers in V8 Supercars? PM: The 12 days itself is probably all right, but where you

Ctrm

are able to test is ridiculous. It's the most unfair thing I have heard in my life. We live in Queensland, where there is one track you race at Queensland Raceway. If you live in Adelaide there are no tracks that you race on at which you can test. In Victoria you have a choice of three where you can test and on which you actually race. That needs to be addressed. Queensland Raceway; you test your car there and set it up with something that doesn't apply to anywhere else. Lakeside is a different ballgame again. For us to pack up our truck and go and test at Oran Park would not cost a lot - two thousand bucks? We could accomplish something that way. Then there's the tyre situation.

You find yourself going into a race conserving your tyres so that you have something to test on. The amount of money that a team would spend on a set of tyres when they want to go testing is not a big deal. Unless you let people do that you will never be able to bridge the gap to the teams that have the informational already. MN: Is it false economy? Would that save you money? PM: It's not about saving money, it's about making the most of the money you are already spending. Now, you are spending $30,000 to go to a racetrack to go and compete'for 15th. You have no information about the car and you are on shit tyres. If you spend $35,000 to go to a race meeting you would be able to compete, maybe, for fifth. The little bit of extra money that you need to find to go and do some proper testing is not a big deal on the overall scale of what you are spending. If you leave a race meeting with two flat-spotted tyres where you have driven, the arse off your car, you have no rubber to go testing on. Stupid ... MW: What little quirks have you found most hard to some to'grips with? PM: Probably the way the cars push into a corner. That, and how soft you have to run the

car.

(VlIM: How does that translate to how you like the BMW? PM: Different thing altogether. I don't care, as long as the car

continued on page 40 39

Pmul M&ms continued from page 39 goes fast. You end up liking whatever looks good on the data and fast on the stopwatch. I've never been a great believer in not being able to drive fast because I don't like the way a car is set up. If it's fast enough and you're smart enough, you can look at the data, set the car up

and do it.

MINI: You and your team took on two projects this year running the V8 Supercar and the Super Tourer. Does the experience of running the BMW translate to the Commodore? PM: As fas as having the systems in place to run a team, yes, they are similar. That's not a problem; it's a matter of adapting to the things you have to do at the race track. WHM: Has it been hard,from an organisational point of view? PM: It has been hard work. The biggest thing is the amount of information we have for the Super Tourer. We can set it and forget it. When it leaves the workshop, that's as good as it's going to get. But we have been developing engines as we go and trying to make the Commodore go faster. That's hard, especially when having more track time to test would short-cut the whole situation.

Man of many colours; Morris has been seen in BMW white and Big Kev yellow this season while NEMO Racing runs two parallel programs in Super Touring and V8 Supercars. He even has red and yellow flowered helmets for each car. Late last season he was even red, when he drove for Holden Racing Team at Queensland and Bathurst. (Photos by Lynley Redi and AFI-lmages)

and our tyre supply disappeared! We ended up doing the races on tyres we'd half-stolen from one of the Honda teams! We ended up winning a race on second hand tyres. The whoie team showed a lot of fighting spirit. MN; How do you feel about that reception? Michael Bartels is a good driver, but he's no Frank Biela? PM: When we got there Bartels and Max Angelleli said at the press conference that they were going to come first and second. Everyone else was a wanker! ! just shut my mouth. By Saturday afternoon they were starting to get a bit worried!

MN: You spoke about your aims for the SCS this year. ^ What about for the BOC Gases Series? Did you go into the year aiming to clean-sheet the championship? PM: We've go to. We obviously have the best team and the best car. If we did anything less it would look pretty silly, wouldn't it? The BMW is probably one of the fastest Super Tourers around. We took it to Macau last year and beat the factory Audi team in one of the races. We've developed it into a pretty good car.

MN:That's hardly fair. Bathurst 1997 - pole position,first n across the line ... PM: True. But they thought that because it wasn't a factory team ... I don't know... BMW Motorsport in Germany certainly have a lot of respect for what we have done with the car. When we beat the Volvo last year with what'we had, they couldn't really believe it.

WIN: Would Macau stand as one of the high points in your career? PM: Definitely. It's probably the best track I've ever driven on and the races I did were probably the two best races I have ever driven. It was really a David and Goliath thing. When we got there they thought we were just a bunch of idiots from Australia then we started going quickly

MN: Do you wish you had raced more overseas at the height of Super Touring? PM: Yes. I reckon that I could have done really well there, but it never happened. The decline of the Super Touring class in Australia has hit us, but BMW have been in contact about Macau, to drive one of their two Super Production cars. But it clashes with Bathurst. It's a hard decision.

motorsport news

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO ...

Johnny Dumfries r

The Scot raced in 15 GPs for Lotus and won Le Mans, but that’s not what made him one of Britain’s wealthiest men. The first in an occasional series by AARON NOONAN

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M i\

X'. FORMULA 1,for all its glitz and elegance, has always been a revolving door for the “nearlymen’of world motorsport. Whether it be through circumstance, bad luck or sheer stupidity, a list of drivers longer than a Murray Walker syllable have come and gone without as much registering a blip on the FI radar. A blip’is how one would summarise Johnny Dumfries’FI career. The Scotsman began racing in karts auid Formula Fords, all the while trying to pass himself off as a painter and decorator from London. He was neither a painter nor a decorator, but there was a reason behind his attempted deceit. He just happens to be John Crichton Stuart, the seventh Marquess of Bute, a hereditary title, and one ofthe wealthiest landowners in Britain. Nevertheless, Dumfries(bom on 26 April 1958) worked his way though karting(which came to a

close with two broken ankles) and Formula Ford before winning the British F3 title in 1984, driving for Dave Price, with a thumping 15 victories in his VW-powered Ralt. '^he man with the title was no Gentleman Racer’; he could drive. An aborted season with Onyx in F3000 in 1985 put Dumfries on the back foot but then the headstrong ways of one man,Ayrton Serma, indirectly put Dumfries into a Grand Prix car- and notjust any car, but a JPS Lotus at the height of the turbo era. Senna had one season at Lotus under his belt(as well as one at Tbleman)and, as part of his contract, had the right of veto over any team-mate the team picked. The brilliant Brazilian exercised that privelege when Derek Warwick was mooted to join him.'The likable Brit was turned away amid much furore, starting his own dechne which would see him end a 147 GP career with zero wins. So it was that Dumfries found

himselfin the seat for the 1986 season after Elio de Angehs had left for Brabham,and he turned in some strong drives in the Renaultpowered machine, with a best of fifth in the Hungarian Grand Prix. Dumfries rounded out the season with a sixth place on the streets of Adelaide, having finished six races out ofthe 15 for which he qualified (he failed to qualify at Monaco)and scored three points. The perfect number two. Just what Senna had wanted ... Butjust as quickly as luck had had placed him into the seat,it promptly turfed him back out for 1987. Lotus picked up the use ofthe powerful Honda engines and Japanese driver Satoru Nakajima came as part ofthe deal to take over the seat. It must be said, though, that Nakajima did provide us with some good in-car shimts .., While he did test for Benetton, Dumfries was never seen in a GP again.

His Grace Dumfries may have been a gentleman but he was a fine driver scorina three points with Lotus and racing at Le Mans with Toyota {inset) and Jaguar, winning in 1988. mus photos by«

Dumfries didn’t fade away into total obhvion though, bobbing up as a regular in the World Sports Prototype Championship (Sportscars)in the late 1980s driving Porsches and Ibyotas. He was in fact one-third ofthe Le Mans-winning combination which won for Jaguar in 1988(Jan Lammers and Andy Wallace the others) and was a TOMS Toyota driver in 1989. He bobbed back up both this year and last at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, this yesu turning some times in a Lotus 79 and the TWR Jaguar XJR in which he won Le Mans. While it wasn’t a complete waste of talent, it was a damn shame. Now how many times have motorsportjournos typed those words ..,

Johnny Herberi

Coming to Amorica Motorsport Mews: What does the future hold for you? Johnny Herbert: I've accepted that my FI career will probably finish at the end of this year, and I'm now looking towards America. I've been lucky enough to have 10 years of it, so from that point of view it's okay. The last two years have been difficult, with all the reliability problems I've had. You lose that enjoyment of it, because it's something that's completely out of your control. Having things go wrong and break is not what FI is about; FI is about having everything working perfectly, being in harmony with the team, and everything gelling - and doing it on the track. It's just frustrating, and now 1 can accept that it's time for a change.

MM:There's been a lot of talk about CART. Is that where we are going to see you next year? JH: Oh yes, for sure. That's what I want to do. I think it's time now.

MM: How far along the road I've always wanted to win the are you to getting a deal? World Championship, and I don't JH: I went out to Michigan the think that's realistic any more. If other week. It was very positive, I it's not realistic, I may as well go have to say. The reception was and do something different. very, very good, and 1 had some The Indianapolis 500 is always good talks with some of the teams. one of the goals that I set myself So from that point of view it when I was younger, so if I can looks very positive, it looks as do the CART series and interlink though in the it with.the Indy next month 500 I-think it will something "Maybe in the next life I be great. should come can have perfect feetout of it. MM; Why and Michael Schumacher CART and not ff something MM: Are you can have mine! else? attracted by - Herbert on his feet, injured in JH: I don't like the possibility a 1988 Farmuia 3000 crash of sportscars, and don't enjoy immediately setting into a sportscars as winning car? much as single-seaters. I've always wanted to do JH: In CART there is always the opportunity of a different team Indianapolis. I'm not afraid of winning. doing it. A lot of people have said The difference in Fl is that to me,'Oh, those walls', and when you're a young driver stuff like that. But it looks enjoyable. getting into it, the challenge is to move from a smaller team up to It is dangerous, but driving a big team. here is dangerous as well; I don't By doing that you've got to see Indianapolis as any more dangerous than FI, because it impress at the right time in a car that is maybe not as competitive can happen anywhere. I know CART more because of Although Benetton was my most the people in it, and it's on the TV successful time, it was probably more. not the most enjoyable. I'm glad I did it, and I'd There are not as many young famous names in the IRL, but I'm probably still do the same thing if I was in the same situation. not discarding that at all. I'm Before I went there I knew it looking at CART but I'd like to do would be difficult. Indianapolis as well, and if that ends up being next year, then MM: What did you make of the all's well and good. We'll see racing in Michigan? what happens.

Winner; Herbert has three GP wins, at Silverstone and Monza (below. Allsport photo) in 1995 and at the Nurburgring last season (All other photos by Ford Racinp) (left).

JH; I was on the inside. I've heard that from the outside that's where you really see the difference, but on the inside it didn't seem anything at all quick, but quite normal. When I was racing with Alex Zanardi at Lotus I was competitive against him and he went out there and did what he did. Then you see what Max Papis has done, and what Kenny Brack has done, and what Montoya has done, and Mansell when he went there. I think I could do equally as well as they've done, and I look forward to that type of challenge.

MM: Did you enjoy the atmosphere in CART? JH: It was very nice. I went to’ see Dario Franchitti, and sat down"with him, and then Paul Tracy came over, and I haven't seen him for about 14 years, since we raced FFZOOOs together. We had a bit of a chat about how our careers have gone different ways. Then Paul took me to find Mark Blundell, and we sat down with him. It was so different. It was nice that you can have a rapport with your fellow drivers. Plus the teams are very, very nice. It's a very different type of racing, but it's looks very enjoyable. MM: What’s gone wrong at Jaguar this year? JH: I think it's just been a series of things. It started very badly in Australia, and it was veiy, very hard even after that to get things consistent enough. We had a lot of engine problems early on, which have now been fixed. We also had a lot of gearbox problems as well. It's just been a bit of everything that has always interfered with trying to get up and go to the next race. I've been someone who always seems to have got these technical problems, and it's always, 'It'll be alright next race, next race.' Now I thought tfiis could be a good o[.ipoitLinily for me, t^lus a chance to win a championship It's time for a change. MM; Is it ospncially frustrating because Stewart was so strong last season? iiQftriHn Rtwi

ADAIVI COOPER spoke to Mm. JH: It's frustrating, but the main thing really is to give the right information so we can get the structure of the team stronger over the next couple of years. That's what's got to happen, and I'm sure will happen for next year, and if I can give them help in that direction then I can be happy that at least I've helped. I want to help out. There are a lot of good guys here, who work very, very hard, and they do deserve a lot more than what they're getting at the moment. It will be okay. Neil Ressler's very aware of what needs to be done. MIM: What needs to be done? JH: I think all these things will be ironed out when everyone gets together and the team grows, so the future will be brighter. There are things I've heard that are on the way that will make a big difference. It's not something where you just come in and do it and throw away what you've got, because it takes time to fit those particular things together. That's something that Neil is on top of, and he's a very capable person. So the future of Jaguar Racing is very good, whatever people might think at the present time. We've sort of accepted where we are at the moment, and now we're looking to the next couple of years, when everything's going to be hooked up, It's a question of expanding the team and making it a team that has the same facilities that the big teams have. Then maybe people can criticise the team, because we'll have the same as everybody else. At the present time, we don't. It's still a very small team, and the base of it is still very similar to Stewart GR But we've got Neil in now and I'm sure it's going to change the structure of how things work. MN: What are you going to miss most about FI? JH: Driving the cars is probably not as good as fivo yoars ago, but they still are difficult things to drive, and that challenge is always the mam thing about it The pitlane politics and so on is something that I probably won't II tawiil IMO

miss, but that's something that is part of FI and always has been. It's a very, very big business and very, very competitive. It's not just FI but other sports have changed enormously in the last 10 years. That's what will probably be very refreshing when I get out to America next year, and it's something I look forward to. IVIIM: Looking back on your career, at least you can be happy about winning three GPs - something a lot of drivers don't managed ... JH: Sure, that's the nice thing about it. But the thing that I obviously wish hadn't happened was the accident back in 1988, and maybe if that hadn't happened things would have been completely different. Who knows what would have happened without that? Maybe in the next life I can have perfect feet - and Michael Schumacher can have mine! Unfortunately that wasn't the way things went. But I'm glad I did what I did when I came back in '89. I was probably not in the right situation physically, but I think it was one of the best choices I ever made. If I'd gone away for two years, got fit, and come back strong, no one would have really remembered me and given me a chance. So I was very fortunate that from that accident I was able to get back into racing, and especially into FI, and to win three GPs. What I want to do now is finish off this year and who knows, maybe get a shock result and win another one by the end of the year! MUM: Realistically, what are you hopes for the rest of this year? JH: Hopefully now I'll have a run where everything goes well and I can finish on a high that I feel happy with. I want to get some points. Hungary and Monza have been good for me in the past, and Suzuka is not so bad. So I think it will be OK. Malaysia is the last race, and it was good for me last year. Hopefully I can have a race like that.

IWICIVIAC

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Lakeside

If you bu he will u Report by MARK JONES

DAVID Besnard made a triumphant return to Australian circuit racing, winning the fourth round of the Konica V8 Lites series held at Lakeside Raceway on August 6. It was not without drama though, as several incidents marred the day's proceedings. After qualifying on pole Besnard won the first race at the second attempt after the first start was red-flagged following a chaotic opening lap. With a second chance at a start Besnard gradually pulled away from local hero Wayne Wakefield in what was effectively a race in two. The second, reverse grid, race saw a win for Dean Canto after a close race between Canto, Wakefield and Besnard while the third race was

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Coming soon? Besnard arrived in V8 Supercar racing with an impact, but oniy after an intense battle with local hero Wayne Wakefield. A preview of a Level 1 battles in the future, perhaps? (Photos by Dirk Ktynsmith)

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won by Besnard after some torrid early laps with Wakefield. Two seconds and a fourth allowed Wakefield to take second for the day after some at times desperate driving. > Third was the ever consistent Matthew White, again chmbing on to the podium with a consistent run. White was however only able to peg

/Qualifying POS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

DRIVIR David Besnard Wayne Wakefield Mai Rose Dean Canto Mathew White Ryan McLeod Rod Salmon Craig Harris Luke Sieders Gary Holt Terry Wyhoon Daniel Miller Neil SchembrI Bill Sieders Craig Bastian Richard Mork Ross Halliday Daniel Natoli Tim Rowse Shane Howison

GAR Caltex Falcon EL Graphic Skills Commodore VS Mai Rose Commodore VS Dean Canto Falcon EL Terry Wyhoon Commodore VS JFR Commodore VS The Race Centre Falcon EL Harris Racing Falcon EL Mkll All-Trans Trucks Falcon EL Mkll Eastern Creek Karts Falcon EL Terry Wyhoon Racing Commodore VS Miller Racing Commodore VS Gearbox Motorsport Falcon EL All-Trans Trucks Falcon EL Mkll Harris Racing Falcon EL V8 Racing Commodore VS Halliday Motorsport Falcon EL Trevor Crittenden Motorsport Commodore VS Rowse Motorsport Commodore VP South Pacific Motor Commodore VS

TIME 51,6585 51,8338 52.3436 52.3628 52.4229 52.5054 52,6979 53.0444 53.1958 53.5889 53.7291 53.7786 54.2515 54.4183 54.4413 54.5635 54,6026 55,1699 55,6638 55.8947

V8 Liles Round 4 Lakesifle Racewair 44

moiortport news

Cleanup, aisle 6: McLeod blotted his copybook with a late Race 2 off. (Photo by Dirk Kiynsmith)

Avis back three points on Canto's championship lead. Canto travels to Mallala with a 23 point lead and the box seat for the first V8 Lites title.

Qualifying

Afield of21 cars arrived at Lakeside afler a two year V8 Supercar absence. Wakefield laid down the gauntlet in qualifying vrith a 51.90 early in the session. Besnard was only a tenth away early before nailing down pole with a 51.6585, only two tenths fiom Glenn Seton's 1997 lap record.

Dean in the hotseat: Canto won Race 2 and leads the championship into the final round at Mallala. (Photo by Marshall Cass)

18 iugosi 2000

Wakefield responded with a 51.83 to secure the other fiont row spot then promptly ended the session in the Karrussel sand. The next two rows were separated by less than two-tenths. Mai Rose only made it to Lakeside by conducting 25 to 30 passengers around Oran Park in corporate drive days and put his Commodore third,just two hrmdredths clear ofCanto, who was a tittle disappointed not to pick up more pace with new tyres. Halfa tenth back was White in the Challenge Recruitment Commodore. Ryan McLeod was another tenth behind White in the K-Mart Commodore. Rod Salmon was comfoitable with the One World Hotel Falcon in seventh. Craig Harris' miserable year continued.After setting testing times which would have been good enough for third, qualifying yielded only eighth. Craig Bastian debuted the team's second Falcon but was having no end ofproblems to be 15th. In the other two-car team,Luke Siedera qualified 9th on his V8 Supercar debut in the AU-Trans Falcon, with father Bill down in 14th, both cars getting plenfy oflaps. The final spot in the top 10 went to Gaiy Holt. Ibrry llifyhoon was next, although chassis flex was proving a problem, the cai- cracking a windsca-een. Woree was to come in the wet raceday warm up, his Commodore turning hard into the wall and the Victorian missing the first race while repaii-s were made. Daniel Miller had missed the fast

Besnard was only a tenth away early before nailing down pole with a 51.6585, only two tenths from Glenn Seton's 1997 lap record qualifying group due to the car breaking fifth gear.A borrowed fivespeed gearbox went in for quahfymg, yielding 12th spot. Ned Schembri was having problems in 13th, with fuel getting into the cabin ofthe Bettagrow Falcon. Richard Mork was 16th, ahead ofa drive-hampered Ross Halliday, Daniel Natoli and Tim Rowse with Shane Howison. Roger Hurd missed qualifying,the Xerox Shop Commodore earher rolling gently onto its roof at the Karrussel.

Race1(23 laps)

Besnard had been practicing for his first grid start in almost four years, but bogged it down,so Wakefield was off, with Canto sneaking into second before the Kan-usseU. Through the long comer Salmon and Hai-ris came together, spinning Hanis around. Bill Sieders, Schembri and Bastian were aU damaged faying to avoid. There was some pushing between White and McLeod as they tried thi-ee abreast with Canto into the final farm. Howison got a rear wheel onto the ripple strip on the outside of the final tm-n and spun around and parked across the sfa’aight, where Rowse impacted the Commodore in ■the right rear quarter. Both cars were out for the day and the red flag came out. At the second stait Besnard was better and Wakefield was worse. Canto got a screamer but was boxed

in on the narrow straight. Over the line the first time Besnard led Wakefield, Canto,Rose,McLeod, White and the rest. At the Karrussel for the third time there was contact between Rose and McLeod,leaving the black Commodore to spin off and rejoin in 15th. Wakefield was trying hard to stay with Besnard,but the Ford seemed to have something in reserve and the gap grew slowly. By half distance the race had gone static and from there Besnard kept Wakefield at bay to win. Canto came in a lonely third. White was close behind McLeod all race but could do nothing to pass the faster car. The Falcons ofSalmon and Holt were next, while Miller worked his way up to ninth, with Rose recovering to take the final point. Late in the race Hurd moved out of Wakefield's path only for Wakefield to do the same thing,the two touching and Hurd sliding towards Hungry,just missing the walls.

Race 2 (23 laps)

Wyhoon rejoined the field with a borrowed front air dam, while McLeod was sent to the back of the giid for his incident with Rose at the Karrussel, to be joined by Salmon, penahsed for his part in the aborted opening lap. With both these drivera in the 'Reverse Six' it became a 'Reverse Fom-', putting Wakefield and Besnard on the second row behind White and Canto. Canto again got the best start but this time there was no-one to box him in. Besnai'd got a decent start and was quickly past the wheel spinning White. _ continued on page 46 4S

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m liles Round 4

continued from page 45

Besnard closed in on Canto, while Wakefield gobbled up White,taking third into the kink on lap two with wheels airborne before setting off after the two leaders in spectacular fashion. Besnard was looking for a way through coining out of Hungry and touched Canto but backed off, allowing Wakefield to force his way through. Besnard was straggling with a sticking throttle but closed in again anyway. The three cars finished that way. White was fourth ahead ofRose. McLeod had one last look at Rose on the last lap and lost the rear ofthe caisliding backwards into the outside wall at the last comer. MiUer claimed sixth fi"om Holt and Harris, who had driven through the field.

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Baee 1 - n iws Pos Driver Race time 1 20:31.0105 David Besnard 2 Wayne Wakefield 20:33.6439 20:38.9671 3 Dean Canto 20:48.5178 4 Ryan McLeod 20:48.9086 5 Mathew White 21:09.7476 6 Rod Salmon 21:10.2809 7 Gary Holt 21:12.0784 8 Daniel Miller 21:28.1821 9 Mai Rose 10 Neil Schembri 22 laps 22 laps 11 Craig Bastian 22 laps 12 Ross Halliday 13 Daniel Natoli 22 laps 21 laps 14 Roger Hurd ONF Bill Sieders 13 laps DNF Luke Sieders 6 laps DNF Richard Mork 3 laps DNS Craig Harris DNS Shane Howison DNS Tim Rowse DNS Terry Wyhoon

Raw 2- 1J laps

20:34.2871 1 Dean Canto 2 Wayne Wakefield 26:35.0097 3 David Besnard 20:35.8373 20:43.9862 4 Mathew White 20:49.7779 5 Mai Rose 20:58.0609 6 Daniel Miller 21:02.4967 7 Gary Holt 21:15.3648 8 Craig Harris ' 21:16.8003 9 Terry Wyhoon 21:27.3396 10 Richard Mork 21:29.3873 11 Luke Sieders 12 Neil Schembri 22 laps 13 Bill Sieders 22 laps 22 laps 14 Roger Hurd 22 laps 15 Ross Halliday .16 Rod Salmon 22 laps 22 laps DNF Ryan McLeod DNF Daniel Natoli 13 laps 3 laps ONF Craig Bastian DNS Shane Howison DNS Tim Rowse Race 3-17 laps 20:45.5587 1 David Besnard 20:47.7104 2 Mathew White 20:51.9107 3 Mai Rose 4 Wayne Wakefield 20:56.8468 20:57.6796 5 Ryan McLeod 6 Daniel Miller 21:00.9925 21:02.0789 7 Terry Wyhoon 21:09.4782 8 Gary Holt 21:16.3863 9 Rod Salmon 21:16.6061 10 Dean Canto 21:26.7575 11 Luke Sieders 21:28.0105 12 Bill Sieders 13 Richard Mork 22 laps 22 laps 14 Roger Hurd 22 laps 15 Ross Halliday ONF Daniel Natoli 14 laps DNF Neil Schembri 1 laps ONF Craig Harris DNS Shane Howison DNS Tim Rowse DNS Craig Bastian

F. lap 52.7738 52.8845 52.9010 53.3958 53.5265 54.0736 54.3026 53.9276 53.7703 55.1974 54.2656 55.7602 56.1804 56.9879 55.1764 54.5482 59.4548

52.9822 52.9947 52.8160 53.2367 53.4740 53.6342 53.8591 53.9000 54.0774 54.4366 54.3845 54.9598 54.5923 55.0715 55.3101 53.5803 53.3333 55.7188 56.2787

52.7967 53.3847 53.4505 52.8270 53.2936 53.7327 53.5111 53.6317 53.3198 53.6953 54.2042 54.7029 54.5194 54.9596 55.1653 55.8087 1:09.56

PGiNTS; CANTO in, WHIH 1S4. MGUOO 136. WAMEraiO 132. HOIT 68. MllUR 66, HARRIS 57. BISNARO a ROSE S$. S6NEMBRI 43. WYHOON 37. MOAN 38. SALMON 26, BUTUR 20. KEHDRIBK 16. RASTIAN a ROWSE 10. HALilQAV 7. ATTIRO 6. SMITH 4, FAU a B. 8S0ERS 2. HOWISON a nElD 1.

lie and Harris broke a throttle parked on the formation lap, while Wakefield laimched away with Canto in pursuit. Besnard was close behind but, ctimbmg through the Kamissel on the second lap, there was contact and Canto was offinto the boonies, recovering last but stUl running. Prom there a breathtaking duel took place between Besnard and Wakefield;four laps in a row Besnard lunged at Wakefield into the kink, one time nudging Wakefield sideways at 240kph. Besnard backed offfor a couple of laps then attacked again,finally muscling inside Wakefield at turn

This is gonna Hurd, er, Hurt: Roger Hurd gets upside down. (Photos by Marshall Cass)

three on lap 11. Afterwards Wakefield was, well, philosophical... Driving Standards Observer Cohn Bond studied the tapes after the sun had set and decided no action was necessaiy for either turn 3 incidents. Besnard drew away and won as he pleased. White finished second ahead of Rose, who couldn't match White for grunt. Wakefield scythed through the field to take fourth on the last lap in a forceful move on McLeod. Further back,the recovering

Canto(with a car full of dust!)chpped Miller, spinning the car around and hitting the wall in a slower version of Tbmas Mezera's 1994 shunt. Canto continued through to 10th place on seven cylinders. It was an impressive debut for Besnard, who confirmed his 2001 Shell Series SBR program on raceday. The bad news for the other competitors is that Dave has one more Lites start, at MaUala, before hejoins The Show ...

If it’s good enough for Glenn... MATTHEW White's debut season of V8 racing in the Konica Lites Series has mirrored Glenn Seton's run into second in the 'older brother' Shell Series. The former AUSCAR champion is yet to take a round win in the series but with consistent runs in each of the first four rounds - White being the only driver to have reached the podium at every round now finds himself second in the points with just one round remaining. "The goal was to go out at each round and try and be consistent and we are extremely pleased with the progress we've made," White said. "Reaching the podium in each round is a great achievement and, by being around at the finish, we've been able to keep our points ticking over nicely." Funding for White's operation - the Melbourne racer sharing costs in transportation and preparation in a 'semi' two-car team with fellow former AUSCAR champion Terry Wyhoon - has come largely from his own pocket, although a small band of sponsors have helped the cause. "Jayco, Mobil and Challenge Recruitment have helped us along and that's been a saviour but, like everyone else, we'd be more than happy to welcome a major sponsor on board." Funding does present some problems for White and Wyhoon for the upcoming endurance races, the

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duo hoping to compete either tdgether, or with other teams. '' "We're working towards running at Bathurst and Queensland with one of our cars, but there's no point going unless the car is prepared to the level we expect. "We've both won AUSCAR championships and we know the level of preparation required to produce results.''’ White said that, if the opportunity came along where another ride presented itself for either himself or Wyhoon, it would be looked at. "Both Terry and myself are in the business of racing and if an opportunity came along to run with a level one operation, then we'd make the decision. But, until then, we're working on being ready," motorsport news

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15th - 17th September 2000

Brisbane Convention Centre

3RD ANNUAL

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Hungarian GP

FORMULA 1

^Marlboro (

ichael Schumacher is looking for a new pair of socks after Mika Hakkinen’s McLaren hlew off his old ones in Budapest last weekend. In fact Michael was lucky because if David Coxdthard had not stumbled with errant Minardis, he would have taken second place. Michael got it and he was right to be happy with it. After the race Michael tried to tell the world that he was not worried by the pace of the McLarens in race trim but the fact is that the moment the cameras looked the other way, he looked deeply glum.

Qualifying

The Hungarians aredeals. famous for their ability to do It is always surprising to discover how many successful Hungarian businessmen there are around the world. They are right up there with the Lebanese. They have all the energy of the Marx Brothers, which is half the battle. The Hungarian Grand Prix is a classic example ofthe country’s ability to duck and dive, wheel and deal. Tb begin with, there was talk of a Grand Prix many years before it ever happened. In the early 1930s there was a Hungarian Grand Prix listed on the international calendar years before it ever happened. In 1936, however, the deals were done and that year the Auto Union, Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari teams all turned up and a vast crowd watched them whizzing about in one of Budapest’s parks. Tazio Nuvolari won. And then the war came followed by Communism and the Cold War. It was not until the early 1980s that Hungary came back into the vision of those involved with GP racing. Hungarians were easier to make a deal with than were the Russians and so Bernie Ecclestone gave up trying to convince the Soviets to let him run cars around Red Square in Moscow and settled for a race in a valley outside Budapest. It was a groundbreaking event at the time - the first crowd was an estimated 200,000, making it the biggest Pi crowd in recent history. It has been a popular race ever since, with tens of thousands of Germans,Austrians, Italians and Finns flocking to town. It is all a bit antiquated compared to the modern race tracks in Malaysia or Melbourne but every time the race comes under threat, the Hungarians do another deal and everyone is happy. The fact is that Formula 1 would miss Budapest because the city races are always more fun than

From Start to Finnish 'f

inotorsDon news

118 August 2000

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Capitalist block: After qualifying on the second row. Hakkinen made Hungary his by storming into the lead by the first turn. The Finn celebrated his win and the lead in the championship on the podium. (Photos by Race Access/Sutton-lmages)

Qualifying is one thing. The race is another. I want to get a good result"

- Fermi’s Mkhael BGhumaeher after ijualifying m the pale those which take place in remote tracks out in the country. The town is buzzing with FI activity and you cannot go anywhere without bumping into someone you know. Bumping into people you know happens quite a lot on the track as well, because the Hungaroring is traditionally narrow and tight. Overtaking is difficult and often, in trying to pass those ahead, the drivers bump into one another and damage their pristine cars. This

doing things which the Ferrari really did not want to do. The result was a lap which was nearly fourtenths faster than Coulthard’s best. “We didn’t exactly achieve what we wanted,” admitted MercedesBenz’s FI boss Norbert Haug. ‘What is good is the fact that we have the same situation as we experienced at Barcelona and Magny Cours where we won with well-balanced cars.” Coulthard looked very strong, even if Schumacher had beaten

means that the emphasis is on qualifying well and on having a good strategy. It is also about tyre wear and temperatures. A driver can take pole position with some fireworks but the question is whether or not he can him in qualil^ng. keep that pace up lap after lap. Schumacher said he was The battle this year between delighted but he didn’t look it. McLaren and Ferrari has often V “Qualifying is one thing,” he been a question of that because said. “The race is another. I want while Michael Schumacher is often to get a good result.” able to pull a rabbit out of his hat Having gone out at the first in qualiftdng, the McLaren men corner in the last two races, have, on several occasions, been Michael needed to get some points able t6 wear him down and beat him. The McLaren is probably the , on the board if he was to hold back thp McLarens in the battle for the better car, not because it is out and title. He had a lead of more than out faster but rather because it ■ 20 points a few races ago and that uses the tyres slightly less than gap was now down to just two the Feirari. points - the McLarens were Qualifying confirmed that looking better and better... pattern, with Michael pulling out one of his ready special qualifying laps, dancing the car around and

continued on next page... 49

Hungarian GP

FORMULA 1

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Qualifying

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118 August 2000

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Qualifying is one thing. The race is another. I want to get a good result"

continued on next page... 49

FORMULA I

Hungarian OP

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Yeah, right... no problem; Bernie shares a laugh with the three biggest names in F1 today. Perhaps they were asking for discount tickets for family members ...

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All sixes and, er, sixes ... H-HF qualified sixth and stayed put during the race, the Jordan-Mugan-Flonda again beating home the works Flondaengined BARs of Villeneuve and Zonta. (Photos by Sutton-lmages)

Not quite up to the same standard: Michael Schumacher qualified brilliantly in the Ferrari but he didn’t quite do the job in the race as (Photo by Sutton-lmages) expected by Hakkinen’s fellow countrymen, right. continued from previous page... Rubens Barrichello was not really in the hunt on this occasion, setting the fifth fastest time eight-tenths slower than Schumacher. Rubens blamed traffic and caij balance. Schumacher had the same problems but just extracted more from the car. Coulthard may only be equal on points to Hakkinen but nowadays he is the fastest man in the McLaren. In the last seven races David has out-qualified Mika on six occasions and, on the seventh, Coulthard made a bad mistake on his best lap. Hakkinen said here that he was struggling with balance and this was why he was slower again... The big surprise of qualifying was the performance of the Williams-BMW of Ralf Schumacher. He qualified fourth, eight-tenths off pole but at the front of the gaggle ofsecond level cars, which were separated by just hundredths. Ralf was only fourtenths ahead of Jenson Button but the difference between the two was four places. Ralf said that the result was a surprise to him and due to the team having developed a stronger

engine and new aerodynamics. Button’s performance was impressive considering that it was his first visit to the track. “This is a very technical circuit,” he said,“very twisty and not easy to memorise. It has a couple of comers where you cannot see the apex clearly, so I am very pleased with the result.” In amongst the quarrelling bunch was Jordan’s Heinz-Harald Frentzen, sixth fastest with a time that was just a blip slower than Barrichello. On the other hand, Jamo Trulli found he struggled throughout qualifying, emerging a very disappointed 12th. His progress was not aided by damage sustained when he ran heavily over a kerb on Saturday morning. “One small mistake and you pay the penalty,” said Eddie Jordan. Seventh was pretty much what was expected from Benetton’s Giancarlo Fisichella, while Alexander Wurz’s 11th, six-tenths slower, was also seen as normal. The team said that it had expected better but it is hard to imagine why. Fisichella made a lot offuss, about being held up by Michael Schumacher on his final flying lap. “The appalling driving of the so-

QUAIIFYING Himgary/Hungaroriiig POS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 18 17 18 19 20 21 22

DRIVER Michael Schumacher David Coulthard Mika Hakkinen Ralf Schumacher Rubens Barrichello Heinz-Harald Frentzen Giancarlo Fisichella Jenson Button Mika Salo Eddie Irvine Alexander Wurz Jarno Trulli Pedro Diniz Jean Alesi Pedro de la Rosa Jacques Villeneuve Johnny Herbert Ricardo Zonta Nick Heidfeld Jos Verstappen Marc Gene Gaston Mazzacane

CAR Marlboro Scuderia Ferrari West McLaren-Mercedes West McLaren-Mercedes Compaq Williams-BMW Marlboro Scuderia Ferrari B&H Jordan/Mugen-Honda Mild Seven Benetton-Playlife Compaq Williams-BMW Red Bull Sauber-Petronas Jaguar-Cosworth Mild Seven Benetton-Playlife B&H Jordan/Mugen-Honda . Red Bull Sauber-Petronas Gauloises Prost-Peugeot Orange Arrows-Supertec Lucky Strike BAR-Honda Jaguar-Cosworth Lucky Strike BAR-Honda Gauloises Prost-Peugeot Orange Arrows-Supertec Telefonica Minardi-Fondmetal Telefonica Minardi-Fondmetal

TIME lm17.514s 1mI7.866s lmt7.922s rml8.321s 1ml8.330s 1m18.523s 1m18.607s lm18.699s 1ml 8.748s lml9.008s 1ml 9.269s lml9.266s lml9.451s lml9.626s lml9.897s lml9,937s lml9.956s lm20,272s lm20.481s lm20.609s lm20.654s 1m20.905s motorspori news

called championship contenders cost us dearly,” said Pat Symonds, Benetton’s technical director. “I am pleased to say that our team is sportihg enough to call our drivers in and not spoil other people’s laps. And to think that back in the days when Michael was winning the 1994 World Championship in controversial circumstances, Symonds and he were close collaborators... The cynics in the paddock suggested that Michael’s blocking might have been related to their Hockenheim incident, but surely a man . of his high moral calibre would never do such a thing... Also in the top 10 was Mika Salo in his Sauber in ninth. This was a good effort for the Finn, and evidence that Sauber is making progress after a poor start to the year. Pedro Diniz was 13th, which is pretty much where you would expect to find him. The gap between the two was seven-tenths. “For the sake of two-tenths of a second I could have been sixth,” he said. “But ninth is a good place.” Eddie Irvine completed the top 10. It was the fourth time this that he has started in 10th year . pretty much about where everyone expects to see him nowdays. “We did all we could today,” he said. “We were out at the right time. I was out on a quick lap at the same time as Michael.” This shows that Jaguar is getting its act together, but at the same time, reflects the size of the job in hand. Eddie was 1.5secs off Michael’s pace^Allowing for the fact that Michael is a faster driver than Eddie is, the Jaguar is still around a second off the pace. Johnny Herbert was down in 17th 18 August 2000

and complaining of understeer. Johnny was confused. It was not a great weekend for Alain Frost’s less than happy equip. Jean Alesi has recovered from his astronaut training-like accident at Hockenheim and is once again clear in his mind about which way is forwards; Alesi qualifying 14th. Nick Heidfeld was so unhappy with the handling of his car that he decided to switch to the spare, ending up 19th. Arrows had Pedro de la Rosa 15th and Jos Verstappen 20th. This was rather strange given that de la Rosa was the only man in the field to choose to run on the harder tyre compound and he should have been slower than Jos. The team said that it had expected to struggle at the Hungaroring, which was a curious justification. The only good thing one could say about it was that in 1997 Heinz-Harald Frentzen vei-y nearly won a race because he chose hard tyres. He was only deprived of success by a mechanical failure, so de la Rosa’s decision might pay off on Sunday. But that would depend on the temperature. It was not a good day for BAR. Qualifying 16th and 18th when you have factory Honda engines while the men running Mugens are sixth and 12th would seem to suggest that perhaps the BAR chassis could use a little bit of redesign. You could only conclude that the car is really not that good. “We are running maximum downforce,” explained Jacques Villeneuve,“and it is not enough.” At the back as usual were the two Minardis with Marc Gene ahead of Gaston Mazzacane. continued next page

feutsche Post lA/orld Net*

20 out of 10: Without a doubt, the best thing about the Hungarian GP was the presence of supermodels Naomi and Claudia. The race needed a bit of help for it to retain some interest...

(Photo by Sutton-lmage*)

FORMULA I

Hungarian OP

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Yeah, right... no problem; Bernie shares a laugh with the three biggest names in F1 today. Perhaps they were asking for discount tickets for family members ...

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QUAIIFYING Himgary/Hungaroriiig POS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 18 17 18 19 20 21 22

feutsche Post lA/orld Net*

20 out of 10: Without a doubt, the best thing about the Hungarian GP was the presence of supermodels Naomi and Claudia. The race needed a bit of help for it to retain some interest...

(Photo by Sutton-lmage*)

FORMULA I

Hvnttarian OP continued from previous page...

Race - 77 laps

In formation: Salo and Diniz qualified ninth and 13th respectively. Salo finished 10th, Diniz DNF’d. (Photo by Sutton-lmages)

Cl /interest ome Sunday centred morning not onthe the we ather, but rather on what would happen in the first 15 seconds of the race. Would the dirty side of the track make as a big difference as it had in the F3000 race on Saturday? Obviously some drivers were worried, because in the warm-up they were running down beside the pit-wall to try and clear some of the dust from the track. At the start Coulthard did not get away well. “There is definitely a disadvantage here although my start was not as good as Ralf’s who was also on the dirty side of the track behind me.” On the other side of the road Michael Schumacher did all right but behind him Hakkinen did better. He closed up on the Ferrari and then jinked to the right, where Coulthard should have been.

1A#||AT TUPY SAID Highlights of the postn race press conference

Mika Hakkinen; I knew that the start would be crucial because ' it's almost impossible to overtake on this circuit. Normally the perfect start doesn't happen more than once a year, and after my getaway two weeks ago at Hockenheim, I thought that my quota had been used up. Once I took the lead I was comfortable throughout the race and the entire team has done a fantastic job the whole weekend to op^mise the car. I am extremely happy to win, and also to take the lead in the World Championship. Ron Dennis: An almost perfect race. A tremendous start and drive from Mika with David maintaining the pressure on Michael through the race to claim a solid third place. We are pleased to leave Hungary leading both championships and are even more committed to provide both drivers with an opportunity to win the World Championship. Michael Schumacher: All . things considered, I am happy with second place. I was just not fast enough in the race. I , had problems with wheelspin at the start in Hockenheim and so this time I was perhaps a bit too careful and that lost me some momentum. S2

Jean Todt: Today's result is.a bit disappointing because after claiming pole position yesterday, we thought we could win. But Hakkinen was the quickest man on the track. However, it was very important to get both drivers to the flag, especially Michael who had ' “ retired from the last three races. For tffe first time this season we have lost the lead in the Constructors' Championship and Michael is now two points behind the leader in the Drivers' classification. We can say that the championship will start again at Spa-Francorchamps. It was not such a bad start, but I could see Mika behind me and then he came inside me. I kept it tight, but he was there and in the end I had to open the door. Even if I had kept the lead, I think he would have passed me later on in the pit stops. Also with David it was a close fight, but we timed the pit stops well and so I was able to drive carefully to second place. Although we were quick on the first days, we did not pull out enough for the race. We will have to look into that. We have some good ideas on how to improve, but I am sure our rivals also have. We will see at the end of the season who has done the best job.

David Coulthard: I didn't get a perfect getaway today and was unhappy with the balance until after my first pit stop when I felt i really could join the race. I was so close to Michael and was really putting on the pressure, but unfortunately on a couple of occasions i was struggling to lap some of my competitors. Rubens Barrichello: I think I lost my chance of a better result on Saturday when I didn't qualify well. After that, it was impossible for me to overtake Ralf Schumacher and so I paid the price. The pit crew did a fantastic job to put me ahead of him. I

was too far behind the others and although I tried to catch them I could not. To finish fourth after winning the last race is not fantastic but it was the best I could do. It was a tough race in the heat. I ran out of water halfway through the race and I lost about one and a half kilos.

Hakldnen was alongside Schumacher as they went into the first corner; Michael not giving much room, but what he did was enough... “That’s what racing should be,” Hakkinen said. “We came round that corner in one piece. We went through the corner at 100 percent. That is what happens when both drivers do the right thing.” Hakkinen was ahead. It was a blow for Fei-rari. Behind them there was an even better duel between Coulthard and Ralf. “I had a good battle with Ralf,” David said. “Although he was on the inside, I gave him room all the way round Turn 1. He didn’t squeeze me off the circuit and it meant that we could battle into Turn 2 as well. It shows that you can have close racing while fighting for a corner, without having to run into each other.” As Hakkinen set off in the lead with Schumacher trying to keep up, Coulthard realised very quickly that all was not well with the handling of the car. The balance was wrong. Perhaps, he said, it was something to do with t}ue pressures. Hejust did not know. Whatever it was, it meant that he could not attack the Ferrari and he soon began to drop away,just as Schumacher dropped away from Hakkinen. By the time the first round of stops appi'oached Hakkinen had a lead of 10 seconds and Schumacher had seven seconds in hand over Coulthard.

The rest of the field, led by Ralf Schumacher was soon left behind. Michael was the first to stop on lap 27 while the two McLarens went on until laps 31 and 32. For one brief lap, Coulthard led the race but then Hakkinen was ahead again and Michael was back in second. David’s second set of tyres worked well and he quickly closed the gap to Schmnacher. It was ' down to l.Ssecs on when he came up to lap Mazzacane for the second time. This cost him time. He closed up again on lap 46 and 47 and then encountered Gene in the other Minardi and lost another second. It may not seem much, but when it came to the second round of pit stops on lap 51 he emerged a fraction behind Schumacher. That fraction had been lost behind the Minardi. Gene was later given a stop-go for ignoring blue flags... David did not want to be seen to be complaining after the event but he was annoyed at what had happened. “I don’t wish to be disrespectful to Minardi but they are in Formula 1 in name only. Noi-mally there is not a problem, but this time they were not looking in their mirrors.” It may have been due to the fact that the httle Italian team hasjust lost its sporting director Cesare Fiorio and his replacement was not keeping the drivers as well informed. Whatever the case, David was stuck behind Schumacher and stayed there all the way to the flag, hoping that the FeiTari star

would make a mistake. It was a vain hope. Neither man, however, could touch Hakkinen and he duly came home to win his third victory of the year to move into the lead in the World Championship. “All the way through the season people seem to have been saying so many different things: they have been saying who is going to win it or who is going to lose it, who has the motivation or who has lost the motivation,” Hakkinen said. “I have been keeping my head all the time and concentrating on my work in order to try to win the races. That’s what I am going to do

for the rest of the season.” Schumacher was rather subdued. He had been beaten and beaten well and he knew it. The trend is going against him now. “Today we were not fast enough to win the race,” Michael admitted. “When you see his pace you have to say that if he hadn’t overtaken me at the start, he would probably have done it later during the pit stops, because he was simply the fastest man on the circuit today. That’s why I am not too unhappy to be in second position, because it continued next page...

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Ralf Schumacher; I am pleased with my fifth place, of course, even if I have lost one position to Barrichello, because i I was delayed in my first pit stop due to a problem with a wheel, which didn't engage i immediately. | Anyway, i am not sure I ; could have kept him behind. I I must say that our car was very : good on this track, which i helped me throughout this j entire very demanding race,, mostly because of the extremely high temperature. | Heinz-Harald Frentzen: Today's result was good and probably the maximum we could achieve. Everything worked without-any problems and I was able to hold my qualifying position and win a point. This was without doubt one of the toughest races physically so it is good to come away having earned something. moiursport news

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Luft balloons; The Hungarian fans turned out in force, although their choice of balloons was certainly interesting for a motor racing event. Flickering stars: Looking the ‘gun’ for Benetton recently, Fisichella had a shocker and was out after just 39 laps. Zonta’s race wasn’t a whole lot better, although he did make it to the finish in the BAR-Honda (Photos by Sutton-lmages)

"I have been keeping my head all the time and concentrating on my work in order to try to win the races. That's what I'm going to do for the rest of the season.

- ma Hakkinen

18 August 2000

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FORMULA I

Hvnttarian OP continued from previous page...

Race - 77 laps

In formation: Salo and Diniz qualified ninth and 13th respectively. Salo finished 10th, Diniz DNF’d. (Photo by Sutton-lmages)

1A#||AT TUPY SAID Highlights of the postn race press conference

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"I have been keeping my head all the time and concentrating on my work in order to try to win the races. That's what I'm going to do for the rest of the season.

- ma Hakkinen

18 August 2000

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FORMULA f

Hvn^arimn &P continued from previous page... was a tight battle with David. “We have some good ideas on how to improve our situation.” Michael is going to need all the good ideas he can get because right now life is tough for Ferrari. The cars are evenly matched but the McLarens seem to be less hard on their tyres. Barrichello came home fourth which was pretty much what was expected of him. He was fifth early on but took advantage of a slow first stop for Ralf Schumacher to get ahead. “I am not sure I could have kept him behind,” Ralf admitted. “I must say our car was very good on this track and that helped me.” Fifth was his reward for a good solid race. Button would probably have finished in the points as well because he was pressuring Frentzen for sixth mid-race but then his engine lost power. It was not a consistent problem but came and went and his top speed was badly affected. His lap times reflected this and gradually his chasers closed in - Button eventually dropping to ninth. “I drove as hard as I could,” said Jenson,“but there was nothing I could do.” “He drove like a tiger,” said Frank Williams. Button’s problems meant that Frentzen was left unchallenged in sixth. It was a tough race but he came away with a point. » Trulh drove a much more impressive race having taken the risky decision to go for a one-stop strategy. This worked in his favour. Early on his Jordan was heavy and slow but Jamo drove it carefully, looking after the tyres. He ran 12th and did ?lot seem to be going anywhere. His plan only became obvious when those around him stopped for the first time. Trulli stayed out in ninth.

then dropped back to 12th when he finally pitted on lap 43. He rose through the order again when everyone else stopped again, finally slipping into seventh wdth just three laps to go. Irvine finished eighth, passing Button on the last lap. He was irate because he too had lost a lot of time mid-race stuck behind Gene’s Minardi. Eddie felt it had cost him two places. The lap-by-lap data suggested that one place might have changed hands. Still the comments did no harm given that Ford Motor Company President Jac Nasser was there to watch. “I feel we are getting there,” Irvine said. “If we package up a good qualifying session, a good start and a good race, there is ho question we can challenge for points.” It all sounds a little bit too much like ‘Alice in Wonderland’for my tastes. The reality is that Jaguar is behind eight other teams in the Constructors’ points. It has collected just three points while McLaren has 112 and Ferrari 111. There is a little more development needed from the men in green... Johnny Herbert’s race was spoiled by gearbox glitches, which caused him to spin twice while trying to hold off attacks from others. The problem eventually caused him to retire. “Not very enjoyable,” said Johnny.

Salo finished 10th in his Sauber and given that he had started ninth, it was hardly the dream result. Mika had started well but was slowed in the first corner, dropping him to 11th. He too complained about the Minardis. Pedro Diniz made a better start and ran 12th early on. He was up to ninth in the closing laps when his car stopped. Benetton had a similarly bad day. FisicheUa ran seventh until he went for a spin on lap eight when he hit trouble with the brake balance. He rejoined and then ran wide again on lap 12. By the time he was back on the track again he was down in 14th, and on lap 15 headed for the pits to have his bargeboards changed. He messed around at the back for a while and then decided to give up. “The car was too hard to drive,” he said. Wurz came home 11th, having started in the same position. “A tough and disappointing race,” he said. BAR did not have a day to write home about. On the first lap Villeneuve had a bingle with de la Rosa and, in doing so, left his front wing assembly at the chicane. A pit stop followed for repairs. The BAR looked quite quick after that and he soon retook the Arrows. Jacques zipped past the fading

FisicheUa and twice overtook Zonta but finishing 12th two laps down is not really the way to make headlines. Zonta ran'without any extra pit stops or any incidents and one must questioi why he ended up 14th. Versoappen’s Arrows ended up between the two BARs and de la Rosa ended up dead last. This was not the stuff of legend... Pi'ost’s adventures in Hungary were dismal and you must wonder whether next year will be any better. Alesi retired after 11 laps because there was no point in going on after a series of pit stops to cure a steering problem while Heidfeld retired after 22 laps when he came in and the car stopped as he tried to power away fi-om the pit. The car was pushed to the end of the pit lane, where it left a sad puddle of liquid on the tarmac. The story of the adventures of Minardi could fill several pages. There were radio problems, handling problems and, really, the cars should have been towing caravans with Dutch numberplates... Oh weU, as they say in FI “for sure things will be better in the morning.”

RiSUillS HiUfigairiaii G l^ August 13 2G0G. II laps/30>6ikm

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Tiger in the tank:Williams said Button “drove like a tiger”. (Photo by Sutlon-lmages)

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PCS DRIVER 1 Hakkinen 2 M Schumacher 3 Coulthard 4 Barrichello 5 R Schumacher 6 Frentzen 7 Trulli 8 Irvine 9 Button 10 Salo 11 Wurz 12 Villeneuve 13 Verstappen 14 Zonta 15 Gene 16 de la Rosa

race TIME h45m33.869s h45m41.786s h45m42.324s h«ml8.026s .In46m24.306s Iti46m41.958s 76 laps 76 laps 76 laps 76 laps 76 laps 75 laps 75 laps 75 laps 74 laps 73 laps

FASTEST LAP Hakkinen 1m20.028s (178.743kph avg) on lap 33 RETIREMENTS 17 Mazzacane 18 Herbert 19 Diniz 20 Rsichella 21 Heidfeld 22 Alesi

68 laps(engine) 67 laps (gearbox) 62 laps (enginej 31 laps (handling) 22 laps (electrics) 11 laps (suspension) j

DRIVERS POINTS Hakkinen 64, M.Schumacher 62, Coulthard 58, Barrichello 49, FisicheUa 18, R.Schumacher Is) Villeneuve 11, Button 8, Frentzen/Trulli/Salo 6,’ Irvine 3, Verstappen/de la Rosa, 2, Zonta 1.

Behind from the start: de la Rosa had a coming together with Villeneuve on the first lap. (Phoiobysuiton-imagcs) 54

CONSTRUCTORS POINTS McLaren-Mercedes 112, Ferrari 111, BMWWilliams 24, Benetton 18, Jordan-MugenHonda/BAR-Honda, 12, Sauber-Petronas 6, Arrows-Supertec 4, Jaguar-Cosworth 3, molorsporl news

Man s silver lining After the Hungarian GP McLaren is back on top, leading both the Drivers' and Constructors' World Championships. For team boss Ron Dennis,the current situation comes as a huge relief after Michael Schumacher and Ferrari dominated the first part of the season. But it's not over yet, and there's the small matter of keeping tabs on the Hakkinen/Coulthard rivalry...

MN: It's been a long, hard fight, but now you're leading both championships after 12 races you must be reasonably pleased? RD; It's not just leading the championships - it's the way we had to climb the mountain. It was a pretty steep mountain at some stages. But it's worked out alright. We work very hard on running the team well, and I think you can see from the way the races have gone in the last few Grands Prix that by and large we get it right. There's a long way to go. There'll be a little bit of short-lived euphoria, and then back to work tomorrow. The next two tracks are going to play to our strengths, so hopefully we'll get good results there. MM: What about Mika's start? RD: Very good. When you have that sort of grid formation, it does put Michael in a slightly difficult position, because effectively he's got two contenders to watch in his mirrors. I think both drivers did a good job. MN: Why wasn't David able to et by Michael at the pit stop? D' We tried to optimise the pit stops with the help of David, and really the only reason we weren't able to take second was we hit backmarkers. The backmarkers were going to slow us enough that overtaking Michael in the pitlane was going to be difficult. We called for him to stop, and it was pretty tight. MN: How critical were the tyres today? RD: We were pretty comfortable that we'd got it right. In hindsight some of our efforts that we put into optimising the race set-up hurt us a little bit in qualifying. In the end it seemed to be the right thing to do. We knew what we had to do, and overall even though we were struggling to find 18 AuBUSi 2000

the right set-up, at the end of the day it was still clear that Mika was extremely dominant and clearly capable of going quicker if necessary.

MN: Are you confident about the rest of the season? RD: Not at all. Anything can happen and there's a long way to go. Confidence is a weakness not a strength.

our control that do present themselves during a GP weekend, that require them to take a view on what it is in the interest of the team, what is in the interest of myself? And the thing that I'm pleased about is that the drivers do not have to be asked. The moment that they realise, through logical interpretation of the situation, if it's a balanced call between selfish behaviour and what's in the

MN: Are you pleased with the continued good reliability? RD: It's going well at the moment, but we've had our periods of unreliability. There are still five races to go, so we'll have to see how it goes. Race by race, that's the approach.

interest of.the team, they take the interest of the team first and selfinterest second. And that just comes from the environment you create where everybody's the same, everybody is equal. It's also fundamental in the philosophy of the team as a whole.

MN:To what extent will the upcoming circuits suit you? RD: I think Spa, Monza and Suzuka are actually circuits that should compliment the car. It's not that we're concerned about the other two; it's just that we feel that those types of circuits tend to favour the small advantage, if any, that we have.

MN: Does Olivier Panis's future affect your testing program? RD: No, not all. Olivier is totally committed, whole-heartedly committed, to contributing to the outcome of this year's World Championship, and he will be testing right through to after the last GR and he's expressed no desire for it to be any different. Whatever opportunity he has, and he has several, whatever he chooses to take, we'll be supportive. But importantly, he will appreciate then, as he does now, that we put him into that position.

MN: Ross Brawn said in the Friday press conference that he believed that you'd already decided to take a position of favouritism with Mika over David. Have you had to reassure David to some extent now? RD: We anticipate that sort of verbal garbage coming out of our competition. The reality is that we are very committed to both drivers. They know exactly what's expected of them, they know that we are scrupulously fair. Every scenario that could have unfolded in this race was discussed and dealt with, as to how we would react to it. At no stage during the course of this race did we have to look to the sort of team rule book We're functioning as a team, but inot to the detrinient of either of the drivers. Its a misconception that because we don't favour one driver over another, that that has a derogatory affect on our ability to function as a team. It's completely the opposite. If you're functioning as a team that requires the drivers not to be selfish. It requires the drivers to understand that, whilst we are giving them an equal opportunity, there are circumstances beyond'

He's a very balanced and nice person, and he has no intentions of following some sort of selfish path. He's as focussed on winning this World Championship for us as we are.

MN:Isn't there a problem that he might take information with him? RD: It's all about integrity, and I think he has a great deal of that. Obviously things that relate to next year's car will probably not be evaluated by him. But the fact it is we've got a lot to do to win this year, and he's got a lot to contribute. MN: What about a replacement for Olivier? RD: First of all we're waiting to see what shakes out of the current driver situation, who is and who isn't going to have a drive next year. We favour maturity. I think that Olivier's maturity has been a very positive thing, so we'll almost certainly have the most experienced, mature driver available to us, and we'll almost certainly compliment that with a young driver. But we haven't got into the selection process - we're still looking at yvhat options are likely to emerge. -ADAM COOPER