Motorsport News Issue 290 - August 18-31, 2004 by V8 Sleuth

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No. 290 August 18-31 2004

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i How Jenson got out of his BAR

deal to Join Webber at Williams T CRAIG LOWNDES: WHY I HAD TO LEAVE FPR

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Issue 290

18 — 31 August 2004

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features 28 Five Minutes With Simon Wills Kwik Kiwi Kleariy Konfldent Kome Kiassics 30 Five Minutes With Marcus Marshall Aussie battler wins maiden Brit F3 race 32 Lowndes Speaks With FPR about to become a closed chapter, The Kid has his say about why he is leaving, a Triple 8 future and why he won’t throw his helmet 36 Hungary for More Briscoe downloads after his maiden Friday GP run

race couerage

w'A38 Red and Blue back in the black Skaife strikes back to win Race 1 but Ambrose takes the round victory in Sydney. All the news from Oran Park 48 Oil Wake up and cheer! Michael (yawn!) wins again at the Slotcar-o-ring 'M'

55 Lambo Roast Stokell takes upper hand at Wakefield Park

inotOKPlirj 62 3-OW-7 Peugeot and Gronholm fight back in Rnland SABOTAGE? What next for championship leader ' ^ —

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How Jenson got out Ofllls BAR f deal COJoin Webber at Williams I TW

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Photos: Cover: Marshall Cass and sutton-images.com Contents: John Morris/Mpix, Klynsmith and redzoneimages.com

64 Rallying

48 «

regulars

66 Speedway 68 Drag Racing

70 National Scene

Marketplace 8

Bright V8 sabi PWR team principal Kees Weel has sent a jolt through the V8 Supercar paddock by claiming that his team may have been the victim of sabotage at Oran Park last weekend.

Weel claimed that foul play is the only possible explanation for tlie engine failure that sidelined Jason Bright at the start of practice on Friday. Bright \vas just a few comers into his out lap when the tlrrottle jammed open and pitched the car off the circuit. "The motor was locked solid," Weel explained.

Clouds on the horizon:

"Tliey brought tire car in and had a look,and took tlie airbox off,and they found a small plastic bag wrapped around the butterfly through the trumpet. "That was OK,they got that out. Then they went to turn the engine over and it still wouldn't go. They changed the engine to try to get Brighty back out,wliich didn't happen. "I.iiter that afternoon the aigine guy stuck the bore scope down the plug hole and there were a number of bolts and nuts and washers sitting on top of the piston tliat had jammed the engine.

"None of those bolts are used inside

the engine bay,or on the engine or airbox.So tliere's only one way that stuff can get into a trumpet,and that is to be putin there by someone. "Unless it was the Fairy Godmother who has come along and grabbed the plastic bag and put half a dozen bolts in-out of a tray- that had nothing to do with the engine, there's no other way it could have happened.I'm absolutely bewtideied." "IFs pretty disappointing," said Bright."To lose a session because of engine failure is one thing,but to see

'mmmm

the stuff that got pulled out of that engine ... you do a lot of thinking about how the bolts can get on that side of the trumpet. The bag is still on the outside- there'sjust no other way that it can add up. "If the bolts were left in the engine when it was assembled,how did the bag end up on the outside? When the engine comes across from the engine shop they've got tape across the trumpets, and when you pulled tlie tape off you'd soon see if anything was there. There was norvhere else that they could have come from.

i.-

Jason Bright back on track after one of the more bizarre t\ I

episodes in Australian motor racing history.

eton now the key to a

THE behind-the-scenes movements in the V8 Supercar driver market for 2005 and beyond have been busy in the last week as Ford Performance Racing considers a replacement driver for Triple 8-bound Craig Lowndes. A number of drivers are believed to have thrown tlieir helmets into tire ring to drive for the Melbourne team next season,but no decision regarding the future make-up of the team is expected prior to Bathurst. One of the matters yet to be determined is whether Glenn Seton will remain with the team next season. The two-time ATCC winner is out of contract at the end of the season and we believe that the parties are yet to materially discuss his future, despite the fact that sources close to FPR suggest that its first preference is to keep at least one experienced V8 Supercar driver in tire line-up, possibly alongside a promising younger driver. Seton would not comment on the matter on Monday,other tliat saying that he was "looking at what is available" for 2005. Among the other drivers connected with the team are Paul Radisich and Steven Johnson,botli out of contract at the end of the season with Triple 8 and DJR respectively. 4

father owns,he has considered moving in the past. MNews has been told that Johnson Jr was in line to move teams as long ago as 1999 and tliat Holden Motorsport considered supporting him for a season before he

He's right behind you! Glenn Seton could have a future with Dick Johnson. Radisich is close to Dave Ward, who starts as FPR's team manager next month. Both were involved in the British Touring Car Championship in the 1990s, Radisich with Ford and Ward with Audi before both men moved on to Peugeot. Radisich has dismissed nimours that he has an international deal in the works for next season,though there may be a plum vacancy coming up in England - with Triple 8 ... Reports indicate that current

Vauxhall factory driver James Thompson is close to signing a deal to race for Alfa Romeo in the new World Touring Car Championship and that Tlie Rat may be in line to replace him. We also hear that Alain Menu,who will race for FPR at Sandown and Bathurst,is under consideration for the drive and that seat may be enough to convince him that Australia is a nice place to visit, ratlier than relocate. Johnson's position is interesting in that, while he races for the team his

recommitted to DJR for the following season. Should Johnson decide to move, and should FPR decide to take him on, Seton could be an ideal replacement. Seto maintains a very liigh level of popularity among Ford fans and that would be a boon to DJR-but there are also enquiries about his future coming from Holden teams, we hear ... On the subject of FPR,we can confirm that the team will continue to be backed by Caterpillar next season. A CAT spokesman confirmed last week that tire company had a contract to continue with the Ford works team next season and that the #6 Barra would continue in the familiar colours of tlie team. However, the spokesman also said that tlie company was "delighted" with its association with Lowndes and that he could not rule out having some ongoing arrangement witli the driver, subject to agreement with his new team. -PHIL BRANAGAN motorsport news

NEWS

itage claim "I think the guys have learned a lesson from it. They normally put the car away or put a padlock on the bonnet; this time they didn't and we got bitten."

According to Weel,Bright's engine was not the only item in the garage to liave been tampered with. "There were a few other things that happened in that pit bay that were abnormal, which I really don't want to go into," he said. Weel admitted that he could not think of any likely motive or perpetrator,but said that he was not going to make any accusations. "We hope that we are working amongst honest people up and down pitlane," he said. "The only reason we are saying this is because we'd hate to see it happen to anybody else. "From now on we wfll certainly be pushing the cars back into the truck at the end of every day,or else have a 24

"Unless it was the Fairy Godmother who has come aiong... there's no other way it couid have happened"

-/fees Wee/

hour security guy there. Which is sad, but whoever did it knew what they were doing,and it makes you sick." Weel said that the team seriously considered contacting the police,but elected not to in an effort to prevent any further distractions from the race weekend. AVESCO launched an investigation into the incident on Friday and found no impropriety on the behalf of rival teams. "The moment this was brought to our attention,AVESCO technical director Paul Taylor commenced an

investigation into the circumstances and found absolutely notliing to suggest that this was a case of another team tampering witli the PWR car," said AVESCO Chief Executive Wayne Cattach. "It is not clear who the perpetrator is, but 1 can say with absolute confidence that our teams would never compromise the safety of any person, certiinly not in this fashion." AVESCO has called for an immediate upgrade to security for both teams and circuits. - MARK GLENDENNING

!005 silly season

It never stops IF you think things on the Holden driver merry-go-round have gone a bit quiet of late, think again. We hear that Jason Bright's plans to forge ahead with his own single car team are progressing slowly, but progressing nevertheless. And despite rumours that he was being targetted by FPR, we hear that Garth Tander is likely to stay on the red side of the fence ... rumours still suggest Kmart... n The decision by TEGA to change the pit stop window at last weekend's Oran Park V8 Supercar round (to a lap 20-30 timing) came as a surprise to a couple of interesting people - namely Mark Skaife and Garry Rogers. Both are TEGA Board members and couldn't recall making a decision on that topic ... n We have always wanted to get one of those ambassador's jobs ... you know, the dinner suits, the champagne, babes with cleavage. Steven Richards has got such a gig. The Castrol Perkins Motorsport ace will act as the Konica Minolta V8 Supercar Series' Ambassador for the sixth and final round of the Series at Mallala on August 21-22. Richo will put down the foie gras long enough to provide some expert commentary at the track over the weekend and will hand over the trophy to the eventual winner on Sunday afternoon. n All Aussie motorsport fans will have been shocked to hear of the death of popular Superbike rider Kirk McCarthy following a fall at Queensland Raceway on Sunday. 35-year-old McCarthy returned to Australia last year after running Superbikes in Germany, two years of Supersports in the UK (runner up in both 2000 and 2001) and the USA Buell Pro Thunder series in 2002, which he won. The '95 Aussie Superbike champ hit the world trail in 1996 and graduated to 500GPs for a single season in 1997. n Steven Ellery is a hard man to say no to. The Super Cheap Falcon steerer raised $1250 last week after being taken prisoner as part of national Lock Up Your Boss Day. From inside his race car, Steve used the dog and bone to put the squeeze on Super Cheap Auto, then Ford's Ben Beazley and dad Bruce Ellery. Hang on, that's only a grand. Ellery must have scored $250 off Steve Lenda from next door too ...

Sponsor stays in the CAThouse: Craig Lowndes may be moving on, but CAT will continue to back FPR. 18 lugus! 2004

n The seventh round of the PROCAR Series has been officially confirmed, and will be conducted at Mallala on September 17-19. Interim series manager Peter Boylan will again take on the role of event organiser. 5

Bathurst: This means \

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I wanna hear Richie call #2 and #22: Bathurst this year will have Steve Waugh as its Grand Marshal.

s All Relative

CRICKET legend Steve Waugh will be the Grand Marshall of the 42nd Bob Jane T-Marts 1000. The confirmation of the former test

captain's role at the Bathurst classic was the highlight of the launch of the race last Monday in Sydney. "As a proud Australian it's a great honour to be here among so many of the great sportspeople who have done themselves proud on the toughest stage of motorsport, Bathurst's famous Mount Panorama," said Waugh. "I have followed Bathurst ever since I was a little kid but have never been able to attend before due to my cricket commitments. I have followed it on television and I'm sure this year's Bob Jane T-Marts 1000 will be made even more exciting by just being there. "To be attending as Grand Marshal is a great honour and one which will allow me to get up close and personal with some of the superstars of the sport during their biggest racing assignment of the year."

YOU have heard of the racing Andrettis, Unsers and Brocks and now, with Ryan Briscoe making his Friday debut with Toyota at Hungary, we have another chapter to add. Briscoe is fol lowing in the footsteps of his Austrian grandfather Francis Lehner, who used to race in the 1920s and '30s. Strangely enough, Lehner also raced in Budapest, as a riding mechanic in a Daimler-Benz that was thought to be driven by a prince. "I'm sure my family got the racing bug in the blood from when he was racing," Briscoe said. "My father (Geoff) used to drive rally cars (as has an uncle, Doug, who is also a familiar face at speedway racing in Sydney in the company of dirt-track legend Garry Rush), while I'm on the doorstep of my big dream, becoming an FI driver." The link between Lehner and Briscoe was news last week in Budapest, with our Ryan becoming their Ryan in the build-up to the race. Lehner also helped prepare cars for French teams in the famous Le Mans 24hour sports car race in the 1920s. He emigrated to Australia and started a family but passed away before Briscoe was born in 1981. The pics show Lehner on the.right in the car with the unnamed driver. And before anyone gets on the phone . .. Tazio Nuvolari won the race in an Alfa. 6

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Sentim Kmart to update to

THE Holden Racing Team will have two new VY Commodores at their disposal after the endurance races this year. Although the cars are nearing completion already, MNews sources indicate that the all-new VYs will be ready to roll very soon. The two current HRT machines, featuring the

inotorspori news

NEWS

Cocko calls faugh! for changes The race has been described as the Ultimate Showdown by promoter IMG.

"It's our pleasure to play host to one of the greats of Australian sport and I'm certain the many thousands of motor racing fans will ensure a pleasant and fulfilling experience for this Australian icon," IMG Director of Motorsport James O'Brien said at the launch.

Waugh, who retired from cricket last year, is the current Austrahan of the Year and holds the record as Australia's top all-time century maker in Test cricket. In 168 tests, the 39-year-old scored 10,927 runs at an average of 51.06, with a highest score of 200. He hit 32 test centuries and 50 fifties, as well as taking 92 wickets as a bowler. He also played in 325 One Day Internationals, scoring 7569 runs and taking 195 wickets. He was named as Wisden's Cricketer of the Year in 1989 and Wisden's Australia Cricketer of the Year 2000-01 and won the Allan Border Medal in 2001.

AVESCO Chairman Tony Cochrane has fired a broadside at CAMS following a string of controversial judicial decisions. Cochrane's comments came after the cars of Marcos Ambrose and

Steven Richards failed post-race technical inspections (at Queensland Raceway and Winton respectively). In both cases, the teams were heavily fined and the drivers were stripped of their points from the meeting, only for both to have their fines reduced and points reinstated after successful appeals. "I don't particularly wish for either case to be reopened or looked at again," said Cochrane. "Tlris sport has come along in leaps and bounds over the last eight years in terms of its professionalism. But what really is dragging the chain is CAMS,^e ASN,who we pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to every year, is going to have to look at making the judiciary as professional as the rest of the sport. Because, and I totally understand, most of the teams up and down pitlane are saying,'so basically, if I pay $50001 don't have to follow the rulebook any longer'. "We're not going to sit on the sidelines any longer and keep copping very average decisions by the CAMS bureaucracy when they are just simply not following the rulebook that's been put in place." While keen to agitate for change, Cochrane admitted that he did not have a complete solution. "I don't have all the answers," he said. "But why do you need a panel? Why don't we have one guy, we pay him, he's a professional, this is his job, he studies it, he is involved in it, and he becomes the ruler of it. Maybe

intal? Not KRT

IS VYs SO it's so long to Mr Two-OhSix Holden Motor Sport engine, will be passed on to fellow Clayton-based team Kmart Racing, who will then sell their current crop of cars, including the record-breaking Greg Murphy and Rick Kelly Bathurst-winning machine from last year. According to team sources, the Kmart car, which set the 2m06.8594s at Bathurst last 18 August 2004

year, holds no real sentimental value to the team due to it not proving much different, performance-wise, to the other two cars in their shed. Murphy campaigned the car at Oran Park last weekend and admittedly struggled with set-up woes compared to the other top running Holdens. - GRANT ROWLEY

you'd need two of them. "But you can't expect every part of the sport to be professional when they are not. Many of you are not aware tliat AVESCO pays CAMS in the order of $600,000 a year for these services.

"When I write a cheque, I expect to get'some sort of professional attention at the other end of the cheque. And that's all I'm asking for back. I'm not asking for anything special here. I am just asking for some professional attention to the

job.

Cochrane said that he intends to discuss the situation with CAMS President Colin Osborne at the next AVESCO board meeting on September 2. Cochrane also accused CAMS of neglecting its main duties as Australia's motorsport regulator. "CAMS has spent the best part of the last three or four months trying to keep PROCAR together in some shape or form when the truth of the matter is, Australia can't sustain three or four levels of professional meetings," he stated. n "It's just impossible. The sponsors aren't there, the crowds aren't there, nothing is there to sustain it. And rather than CAMS concentrating on (trying to) make the inevitable sinker float, I think what they need to do is concentrate on saving the better categories in that championship, spreading them across the two or three championships that are very much alive - obviously our own, the Konica Minolta series, and this Power Tour (Ed: Premier Racing Series) - and getting on with the business of running Australian motorsport. Because at the moment, they are doing an appalling job." The AVESCO Chairman also fired a shot at the proliferation of new onemake series and called for a five-year moratorium to allow the racing scene to settle into a sustainable environment. "1 don't think anybody would argue that we don't have enough categories of motorsport in this country right now," Cochrane pointed out. "So let's have a five-year moratorium, no new categories, and let's concentrate and get the ones we've got right across the range healthy, and then in five years' time let's look at introducing something new." - MARK GLENDENNING

Rising Star A DECISION from CAMS regarding the future of the Gold Star is thought to be imminent. Formula 3 is currently lobbying hard for the prestigious award, which has been bestowed upon the winner of the F4000 title for the past few years. Australian Formula 3 spokesman Bill Maddocks had little to say about the state of play other than to confirm that negotiations with CAMS were in progress. Landing the Gold Star would be further good news for the Australian F3 series, which recently secured support slots at both Indy on the Gold Coast and, for the first time, the Australian Grand Prix. n One of the proposed costcutting changes for V8 Supercars looks destined for the scrapheap, with the suggested switch to 18 inch tyres looking increasingly impractical - and expensive. Dunlop had examples of alternatives to the current tyre on hand at Oran Park, where a variety of issues were raised concerning safety, handling, practicality and costs. While nothing has been signed off yet, our spies suggest that the current 17 inch tyres will remain, with attention perhaps being directed toward changes in the braking system instead. n Ford fans have come to the party and donated $22,500 to aid the National Breast Cancer Foundation after the Sydney Ford V8 Superbreakfast held at the Westin hotel in Sydney. One lucky breakfaster won a raffle and a ride aboard the Ford Falcon V8 Supercar of Shell Flelix Racing's Steven Johnson. Future Ford V8 Superbreakfasts will be held in Melbourne (Sandown), Surfers Paradise (Gold Coast Indy), Launceston (Symmons Plains) and Parramatta (Eastern Creek). n Will Davison was excluded from the results of the second race i at Oran Park last weekend after a problem stemming from an engine change. Davison, who was steering a third Team Dynamik Commodore, suffered engine problems during Sunday morning's warm-up, necessitating a quick change. "It was an oversight," said Team Dynami's Oscar Fiorinotto. "We were trying to get the engine change done so we could get Will out in time for the first race, but in the rush the team manager didn't tell the officials about the change," Adding insult to injury was the fact that despite the team's best efforts, the new donk wasn't installed in time for Davo to grid up tor the first race. 7

Buttongate

Jenson joins Webber at Williams THE Formula 1 fraternity was left stunned when BMW Williams announced that it had secured the services of Jenson Button for 2005 and and 2006. l It had been thought that Button was bound by a contract at BAR,but this does not appear to be the case. "It aU happened a few days before the German Grand Prh," Frank Williams explained to MNews. "We were approached by Button's management and told that he was available. Until tlien we had assumed tliat it was out of the question. "It was a great surprise. It was an opportumt}'and we went for it. "The BAR option was invalid and not exercised properly." Williams refused to go into details but we understand that his lawyers have checked the situation and are certain that E itton's option was not binding and thus he was free to leave the team. As we miderstand it. Button's contract was dependent on two clauses: tlie first was a performance clause, which the team had met; the second clause called for a commitment from Honda to provide BAR with competitive FI engines for a long-term

period.

It seems that the exact wording used did not offer sufficient guarantee to Button and so his manager John Byfield decided to take advantage of

Williams said that he had hoped to keep the whole business out of the public eye and rang David Richards just minutes after he was informed of the deal, but the team later heard that a British newspaper had got hold of the story and decided to pre-empt the story with a late-night press release. The following day, BAR issued a conflicting statement,saying that Button is under contract for 2005 as the team took up his option "last month". The team said that Button had not

I Buttoned up: Jenson and Mark could say little to the press in Hungary. the situation and offer Jenson to WUhams,which had a subsidiary option of first refusal on his services. Tlris has been in place since the end of 2000. The dispute appears to be one of wording, with the crux of the matter seeming to be the phrasing of Honda's engine commitment. Honda has reserved the right to withdraw from the arrangement if the FI rules cliange in a way which it does not believe is in its interest and it seems that the use of the words "wUl" and "intends to" have caused the problem. However,there appears to have

been an additional problem between BAR and Button over the question of bonuses, with neither side happy about the situation. We believe that when Button signed for BAR in July 2002, he was hired on a relatively modest salary because he could not ask more after two mediocre years at Renault. In order to offset this problem,there was a bonus scheme,worth US$50,000 a point. It seems that Button scoring 61 points has created a problem of around US$3m and,although BAR has paid a lot, it does not appear to have paid enough to satisfy Button and his management.

expressed anything other than his desire to continue working with BAR. "It is our intention to enforce our current contractual position with Jerrson," David Richards said. "Unfortunately this is now a matter for the lawyers and I have every confidence that the legal process will confirm that yesterday's announcement has not only been premature but also invalid." "One fact is incontestable," Williams said later the same day."Jenson wants and expects to drive for BMW Williams in 2005 and 2006." The matter will most hkely be resolved by the FI Contract Recognition Board, which has yet to sight a copy of Button's new Williams contract. It wUl decide which takes precedence, although the potential for a civil law suit remains. -JOE SAWARD

Richards dishes the dirt on Jenson -w —

Raising the BAR: There’s been plenty to celebrate this year, but now there Is a widening gap between Button and Richards.

“TO be treated like this is dumbfounding,” was BAR boss David Richards’ initiai public response to the news, saying he had not seen or taiked to Button since the German GP. “We are all utterly shaken,” Richards added. “I have got 400 people in this factory who have worked their socks off night and day and then the guy who gets all the credit and drinks the champagne turns around and ditches them. “I cannot believe that Jenson wants to leave. There is a hidden agenda here somewhere and we are determined this is not going to happen.

“Somebody has been looking for a get-out clause because there is absolutely no doubt Honda are committed. Honda only announced they were renewing and extending their contract with us before the race in Germany, so why should there be a doubt? “We believe we can make Jenson Button a World Champion and we, with Honda, have proved this year that we are going in the right direction and we thought we were all going together. Perhaps Jenson has been led in another direction - down the garden path. “I can only hope that I can talk to him and make sense of what is : going on.” moiorspori news

NEWS

Making Poms Look Good FORMER Vauxhall BTCC pilot Phil Bennett became the latest Pom to sample a Monaro when he joined Matt Griffin in the Emotional Engineering car at last weekend's Silverstone round of the British GT Championship.

champy -jensdiiiB

I must be crazy; No one held a gun to Jenson Button's bead. It was just a lucky strike by BMW-WiUiams.

Back to Jacques? THE loss of Jenson Button is a huge blow to BAR and Honda,not just in the longer term, but also for the rest of this season. David Richards admits the team feels betrayed by Button,but such defections are not new in FI. If BAR left open even a small opportunity for Button to defect, it has only itself to blame. The problem now is that there is no-one available with all the ingredients that Button offered the team,so finding a replacement is not going to be easy. David Coulthard is available and would be a safe pair of hands and may finally emerge as a strong World

BAR loses its appeal

BAR has lost its appeal against the decision of the German GP stewards to ban a software-controlled torquetransfer device that the team briefly tried out on Friday at Hockenheim. The team went to the FIA's International Court of Appeal in an effort to get clarification on what systems are allowed and why.

18 August 2004

Championship chaiienger if he was the undisputed number one in the team. But his image is rather more mainstream than Button and he is

significantiy oider, which is an important point. The same is true of choices such as Oiivier Panis or Mika Hakkinen. Jacques Viiieneuve may fit the image and might even be wiiling to swaiiow his pride and return to the team that dumped him at the end of iast year. Somehow a Viiieneuve deai does not seem very iikeiy - aithough Richards has acknowiedged contact between the two. Reserve driver Anthony Davidson has shown some speed this year and hiring him wouid be a seamiess change, but Davidson iacks a "cool" image. And Davidson has not raced single-seaters since 2002 when he did a couple of races with Minardi. One option to fit the image would be Jamo TruUi, but the sometimes brilliant Italian is thought to be on his way to Toyota and,in any case, is rather too inconsistent. Sato and Trulli would be an exciting driver line-up, but it might not be one that would be able to challenge for the World Championship, which is what BARHonda needs for next year. The other option could be to go for an exceptional younger driver such

}

Stranger things have happened: Team boss David Richards admits he has spoken to former world champ and BAR driver Jacques Viiieneuve. as Formula 3000 frontrurmer Vitantonio Liuzzi. He has very limited Formula 1 experience, but might be worth a risk given not only his impressive results in Formula 3000 but also the way he has been winning and the image that he has. Richards is known to have looked closely at Liuzzi and may now strike. -JOESAWARD

n The world is full of jobs that you probably never think about. For example, cast your mind to those polystyrene advertising signs on the infield at race circuits. Now, you probably think that they just grow there naturally, but in fact there is a person responsible for setting them up, and then packing them away again at the end of each race meeting. And last Sunday at Oran Park, the person in question was doing just that - until some beer-fuelled spectators pinched his truck, drove it a short distance away, and started destroying the signage. A skirmish ensued before the police arrived to bring the morons responsible back into line. n Terry Little Motorsport has signed 18-year-old steererTlm Slade in an effort to develop the former Australian CIK champion into a leading driver to "represent South Australia at national and international level." Slade participated in the National Fornnula Ford Championship iast year, and tested with leading outfit Sonic Motorsport with a view to joining the team this year but was unable to raise the necessary budget. He finished third in a one-off Kumho Tyres Lotus Series drive in Darwin earlier this year, and now looks set to make his wings and slicks debut in a one-off with Australian Formula 3 team BRM at Mallala next month. "There has been no support for young motorsport talent in SA," said Little. "In my mind this is shameful and we will be doing everything we can to change that." n Former Ford Australia president Geoff Polites, who is now the vice president of sales for Ford of Europe, was a VIP guest at the Rally of Finland last weekend, accompanying his chairman and CEO Lewis Booth. The pair were interested observers in the Ford service park as the deadline approaches for a decision on the future of Ford's rallying involvement. Polites is an unashamed motorsport fan and is also a strong supporter of the rally program, and is the man who initiated the moves in Australia to establish a Focus rally program in ARC, which may come to fruition in 2005. -JON THOMSON/STAFF 9

Courtney^ r

fOK!,mLA 7TTT

Austta^.H. |S!t .

LP cops $5K ●■e

and his rivals can^t believe it

THE $5000 fine handed down to Team Perkins, following the discovery that the lower control aim mountings on Steven Richards' car at Winton were outside the allowed tolerance, has left many of his rivals stunned. Perkins's "rules are rules" quotes when SBR was appealing a points loss imposed over an additional wirmg loom wire just last month, seemed to have been overlooked. It also prompted AVESCO chief Tony Cochrane to call a press conference on Sunday morning to criticise the professionalism of the judiciary overseeing V8 Supercar racing (see separate story). More than one team principal has told MNews that the fine provides a virtual cart blanche for technical breaches - as long as you're prepared to cough up $5,000 ... Two suggested they might just turn up to Batliurst with 6-litre engines installed and see how far it got them. "Let's face it," said one team manager, "we cop a $3000 fine if a

wheel-nut rolls across the pit lane. In that context, $5000 for this clear breaking of the rules seems appallingly light..." At the same time, and on a more serious note, others are criticising the hasty introduction of a 'mandatory disqualification' element to technical breaches, suggesting that - with a correctly functioning judiciary - flexibility needs to be maintained to punish differing degrees of technical breach. For his part, Perkins's case was based around the fact that the regs relating to the location of therelevant suspension parts were changed from the VX to VY Commodore, and then again in a regs revamp at the beginning of this year. That confusion, linked to the opinion of technical witness Ron Tauranac and TEGA's techinical manager Paul Taylor, that there would be no performance gain, was sufficient to sway the stewards. - CHRIS LAMBDEN

Auckland V8 Supc

AUCKLAND'S V8 Supercar street race for 2005 has met with opposition from a public utility, with NZ's national road agency Transit New Zealand warning that it would be impossible to operate the motorway system during the event. Transit NZ has threatened to block the race, should it deem that the event could hinder access to the city's motorways. One of the access ramps near the site of the race at Fanshawe St may be left open should Transit NZ take a stand. Transit's Auckland manager of strategy and traffic, Terry Brown, said last week that the closure of the ramp would mean that at least 45,000 cars a day would need an alternative route and that there would need to be a reduction of at least 52,000 vehicles a

Marshall is too slick for 'em

MARCUS Marshall has become the first Australian to win a British Formula 3 race in 2004. The UK-based Melbourne man claimed victory in the second race at Silverstone after qualifying 14th. He gambled on slick tyres after a heavy rain shower just before the start and he was the only one to grid up with drys. Portugal's Alvaro Parente and Brazilian Danilo Dirani pitted at the end of the two warm-up laps to g change to dry tyress and they fought I through the field to finish second i' and third respectively, three seconds ? behind Marshall. Brazil's Nelson Piquet Jr was the highest finisher on

niotorsporl news

NEWS

Surfers Chance JAMES Courtney could climb back onto the ladder to Formula One via the Gold Coast Indy event in October.

The former Jaguar test driver, who now races for Toyota in Japanese GT cars, is being touted as a potential starter in the Lexmark Indy 300. He could take over the drive that had been earmarked for young Queenslander Josh Hunt, whose difficult first season in the US Formula Atlantic series is leading tlie PKV Champ Car team to believe that this year may be too early for him to attempt the jump to CART - albeit on a one-off race basis at the Gold Coast Indy. The PKV team, which runs Jimmy Vasser, left, and will run an additional car at the Gold Coast race, has reportedly flagged its concerns to backers Wright Patton Shakespeare, the same Queensland conglomerate that has moved into V8 Supercar racing this year with Falcons for

rear Traffic Threat day on the Southern and Northwestern Motorways. "The modelling has not considered the particular issues of actually getting some 30,000 people to and from the Friday event and around 60,000 on both Saturday and Sunday," Brown said. He also said that the race would impact on traffic flow for eight weeks surrounding the event. But Mr Brown did concede that the event could be organised on a one-off basis, as opposed to the proposed seven-year tenure of the race. "My own experience in Wellington on the day proceeding what used to be the Nissan Mobile 500, was that traffic was chaotic as major routes were closed for set-up work," Brown stated. "Auckland has the potential to be exponentially worse."

David Besnard and Mark Noske. Hunt has moved into the US Atlantic series directly from karting and,in his debut season,is finding top ten results hard to come by. MNews understands that the team has used its international contacts to put together a short-list of possible Australian contenders and that Courtney, who is based in Noosa,is considered the man-most-hkely. The deal is now being massaged on both sides of the Pacific and, while playing down the state of play, Courtney admits he would like the chance in a Champ Car. "I haven't heard anything about it but it sounds like it could be good," Courtney says. "But it would need to be done properly, with plenty of testing and miles in the car before the race." Courtney is also working on a deal that could take him from Japan to Europe in 2005, to join the new GP2 open-wheel championship. Courtney is keen on the category, which takes over from Formula 3000 as the major Grand Prix supporting event in 2005 and is believed to have an Australian backer who is keen to fund a run in GP2.

at Silverstone wet tyres in fourth. "As soon as we got on the grid, it started pouring and everyone was panicking," said Marshall. "Everyone started to put wets on their cars on the grid. Even my team suggested we put wets on. I had nothing to loose and it paid off." The Australian, right, used the changing coinditions to his advantage, and as the circuit dried, he picked them off one by one. So far in 2004, three other Australians have tried their hand in the ultra competitive British series (Will Power, Will Davison and Barton Mawer), but up until Marshall's success, no one had been 18 August 2004

able to break through for a win this year. "We've been putting in a massive effort over here and trying my guts out everyday," he said. "I'm glad something has come along before I left." Marshall will contest the next round of the series at Thruxton in two weeks before heading home for the V8 endurance races where he'll team up with PWR Racing, partnering Matthew White. Will Power was also competing at Silverstone, finishing the two races in fourth and sixth and ensuring a healthy collection of points. - GRANT ROWLEY

Dyk’s Kooking AUSTRALIAN F3 frontrunner Ian Dyk sampled some Hankook rubber during a private test at Eastern Creek last week. Dyk, who swapped his regular AstutI Competition Dallara for one of Piccola Scuderia Corse's machines for the day, was called up to do some evaluation work for the Korean tyre manufacturer as they prepare a submission for the series tyre tender for next year. An official Australian Formula 3 test will be conducted at Oran Park on September 8, where all five of the tendering manufacturers Hankook, Avon, Michelin, Kumho and current supplier Yokohama - will be evaluated. n Our sources in the United States are reporting that the stability of Cosworth Racing has been bolstered in recent days by a new agreement to supply engines to the Champ Cars series in 2005. The Ford-badged engines will remain much as they have been for the last two seasons. The company will also be continuing its involvement with the Chevroletbadged engines which are used in the Indy Racing League. n Christjian Albers will test for the Jordan team at Silverstone in mid-September as he tries to find a way in which to get a fulltime drive in Formula 1 in 2005. The Dutchman is currently racing in the German DTM touring car series against Gary Paffett, who is also bidding for FI. Paffett was due to run with Sauber in Hungary but we hear that the agreement was cancelled because the team refused to give Paffett any assurances beyond the testing role. n Renault FI chief designer Mark Smith has stopped working at Enstone and it is anticipated that there will now be legal action to establish whether or not the Englishman can move to Jordan where he is expecting to take the role of technical director. Smith is claiming that his contract has been voided because he is not fulfilling the role that heJoined the team to do. Jordan is keen to have Smith design the 2005 car for them. n Formula Nippon champion Richard Lyons was doing the rounds of the Formula 1 teams in Budapest, trying to talk his way into Formula 1 in 2005. Lyons has done well this year with the DoCoMo Dandelion team and is leading the Nippon championship and after four years in Japan is looking to move onward and upward in the sport.

For more with Marcus Marshall, turn to page 30

n The Mexican-owned Fernandez Racing IndyCar race team is reported to be evaluating an expansion into the 2005 Rolex Sports Car Series, subject to Grand-Am confirming a new fixture on the Hermanns Rodriguez road circuit in Mexico City. - JOE SAWARD/STAFF 11

Newey? Williams? Nah

THERE does not appear to be much evidence to back up rumours in recent days that Adrian IMewey is to return to Williams in 2005. Newey's contract with McLaren ends next summer and Frank Williams has said that if Newey was available he might consider him - but this was a theoretical answer rather than a specific response to a direct question. Stories suggesting that Williams might be willing to give Newey shares in the team were greeted with amusement by Williams, who is well known for holding on to his shares. The team is making a few changes to the technical structure at the moment but Sam Michael remains the man in charge and has the full support of Williams and his partner Patrick Head. - JOE SAWARD

think I will travel to Rio RIO de Janeiro is bidding to regain the Brazilian Grand Prix,from 2006. There has been vague talk of a switch back to Rio for many years since the death of Paulista driver Ayrton Senna, below, but in recent years the Rio authorities have been more interested in bidding for the 2012 Olympic Games. In May that dream was destroyed when the International Olympic Committee ruled that Rio was no longer one of the candidate cities, citing crime and poor transportation as the major reasons for the rejection. The city is now hoping for a successful bid in 2016 but is still pushing ahead with its preparations for the 2007 Pan-American Games, which was to have been a prelude to the Olympics. Just a few days after the IOC decision in May the

mayor of Rio de Janeiro Cesar Maia approved a plan to build a National Aquatic Center, a velodrome and the Rio Olympic Arena on the Autodromo JacarepaguaNelson Piquet. The city, which continues to own and manage the circuit, has since asked for bids for the construction work, which must be finished in time for the Pan American Games but which must allow the venue to maintain "its main and essential function of car and motorcycle racing". The Brazilian GP has been held at the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo since 1990 although, of late, the city of Sao Paulo has only been paying for the basic upkeep, of the circuit. Interlagos is an expensive venue because the circuit was built on unstable ground and so subsidence is a big problem each year. - JOE SAWARD

A decade ago: In 1994, Adrian Newey and Damon Hill were the corner stones at Williams. Newey looks set to stay at McLaren for the time being.

No agreemer

1 s I

SURPRISE,surprise. FI's team bosses have again failed to agree on technical changes for 2005. The Formula 1 team principals met on Saturday in Budapest but, as always,the meeting was a complete waste of time as no agreements were possible. Our sources say that Bernie Ecclestone left the meeting telling team bosses that they would kill the sport if they do not agree on something soon. The biggest problem remains the technical regulations although the Technical Working Group is trying to reach an agreement.

Six teams have written to the FIA to say that they want to follow Max Mosley's proposals (even if a number of the teams have serious reservations about whether or not they will improve the sport). This is not enough for the FIA to consider the proposal unless it chooses to ignore the rules of the sport and simply accepts that the majority of the teams will follow Mosley, if only because they need stability. The engineers are already building their cars for next year, based on Mosley's rules because these are the most likely to happen. "We are nowhere near

moiorspon news

NEWS

Tt^ota swings The Axe Bi^coe gets Friday chance

Take a SEAT A

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DA MATTA out, Zorvta in, Briscoe promoted.There has been plenty happening at Toyota FI over the past fortnight. At the same time, although Toyota is still denying it, our sources suggest that Jarno TruUi signed a multi-year contract for 2005 and beyond early last week. The team said a few days ago that there was no intention to sign any deals in the near future with the replacement of Cristiano da Matta being justified because it offered the team &e opportunity to try out Ricardo Zonta. This seems to have been a little bit of creative public relations as the dispute with Da Matta appears to have come about because of the Brazilian's discontent with the team, which culminated in a high-speed tyre failure at Hockenheim. We understand that Da Matta made his thoughts known and the reaction from Toyota was somewhat negative.

While the immediate consequence was the promotion of Ricardo Zonta to the second race seat, there has also been good news for Aussie Ryan Briscoe. Briscoe, above, has been promoted to third driver, which includes the 'Friday' role at the remaining Grands Prix of 2004. At a time when he is working to both raise a budget for a potential Jordan seat and reconfirm his own value to Toyota (see our exclusive interview, page 36), the opporturdty is timely. There has been considerable additional pushing and shoving at Toyota in recent weeks with a fairly major restructuring going on inside the team. Team manager Ange Pasquali and chief engineer Norbert Kreyer have been sent in search of new career opportunities and their jobs have been handed over to others, with General Manager Richard Cregan becoming team manager, and

chief race engineer Dieter Gass being put in charge of the race and test organisation. There has also been consolidation in the research and development division with Loic David being put in charge. "We acknowledge that the action we have taken may be seen as severe, particularly in view of the significant contribution made by both Ange Pasquali and Norbert Kreyer, not only to the current Formula 1 program,but also to the World Rally and the Le Mans projects," said team principal Tsutomu Tomita. "However, the duplication of function and responsibility created by this previously complex organisation and the need to establish a simpler and more effective organisational structure, which is acutely focused on achieving our ambitious goals, has led us to make and implement this difficult decision." -JOE SAWARD

on F1 tech changes agreeing on any of this," said Minardi's Paul Stoddart. "We are not agreed on an engine for next year for two races - we have got one team principal saying he is not going to turn up if that's the case. We have got another manufacturer saying they are going to pull out if that's the case. We are nowhere near agreeing on the aerodynamics package." Stoddart also pointed out that the rule changes will, in his view, increase the gap between the big teams and the smaller operations. "We lose 30 percent with the aero package but the bigger teams have the 18 August 2004

SEAT Sport is expected to base its 2005 World Touring Car Championship programme on a new racecar based on the Leon model range. The current Toleda Cupra model, which is competing to good effect in the ETCC, will be dropped in 2005, when a new Leon will go on sale.

resources to gain that back. The ones who haven't got the money to run program after program after program chasing these rule changes are going to fall even further behind." Tyre decisions affect the design of the cars because they will dictate strategies and that will dictate fuel tank size and that cannot be changed during a season. "We need certainty now" said Eddie Jordan."Not in October. We need it yesterday. We know the big teams will always be strong and the little teams will always be weak. That has always been the way it has been in this business

and it's never going to change. But what it must do is give us all a fighting chance. It is just preposterous to think that a set of rules and regulations for next year's championship are not clear and defined at this moment." Pat Symonds made the point very clearly; "We are too damned democratic for our own good in this sport," he said. "It's a very strange situation where the competitor sets the rules, but that's the way Formula 1 is. There are a lot of vested interests and it does get very messy and it's certainly time for reform." -JOE SAWARD

n Proton, the Malaysian manufacturer, is to pull out of the British Touring Car Championship at the end of this season. The programme, based on Proton's Impian model, has been run by Team PSP since the company entered the series in 2002, but the car has not been competitive. n The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has closed down for the season and work has begun to resurface the 2.5-mile oval. This will cost US$2m and involve the replacement of the entire surface with 36,500 tons of new asphalt. The work is being carried out because the old surface was beginning to crack and problems were increasing as each winter water seeps into the cracks and freezes and the track becomes increasingly cracked and bumpy. The Formula 1 infield circuit is not being changed but as the Grand Prix cars use the oval for a good portion of each lap there will be an effect on the lap times for FI as well. n Toyota is getting really serious about its adventures in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and this weekend staged what it believed to be the biggest ever corporate hospitality event in motor racing with 10,000 VIP guests at Nashville. The company shipped in staff from Toyota manufacturing plants and facilities in Indiana, Kentucky, Alabama, Ohio and West Virginia and created a six acre hospitality village to cope with the crowd, including a series of tents and grandstands. n Money is clearly a problem for all concerned in Formula 3000 and even front-running Super Nova Racing seems to be willing to do deals to make ends meet. Last weekend in Hungary the team decided to drop Alan Van der Merwe to make way for Turkey's Can Artam, who was previously racing for Enzo Colon!. It is believed that the deai resulted in Super Nova Racing settling its account with engine supplier Zytek. Rumours in Formula 300 circles suggest that if Zytek calls in all of the money it is owed there would not be much left on the grid. Colon! incidentally took on 41-year-old Budapest-based Israeli driver Chanoch Nissany, a man who recently paid a large chunk of money to have a run in Jordan FI car at Silverstone. - JOE SAWARD /QUENTIN SPURRING 13

Walden by GRANT ROWLEY

ihrk klynsmith

A New Carrera for Washington

Monis/Mpix

FORMULA Ford contender Bryce Washington will step into a Carrera Cup GT3 in 2005. The South Australia, right, currently running seventh in the national open wheel championship, has bought a brand-new '04 model, originally designated as a spare for Greg Murphy Racing. Washington will conduct a couple of private tests in the Porsche this year before

beginning a full assault on the series, which will begin with a non-championship round at the Australian Grand Prix. At this stage, Washington does not have a team to run the car. He denied that he would prepare the car with his own outfit and has elected to find a team to run the car. Washington was the 2003 Australian Formula Ford Rookie of the Year. - GRANT ROWLEY

Bathurst Winner Sold

Brock’s ‘10th’ Monaro will live in a collector's shed

THE #05 Nations Cup Monaro that won last year's Bathurst 24 Hour race at the hands of Peter Brock, Greg Murphy, Todd Kelly and Jason Bright has been sold to a private buyer. Formerly owned by

WIN!

A hot lap with Allan Moffat or Peter Brock in an exquisite Historic Falcon or Monaro! See page 77 for details

fBIANTEl VMODEL CARSy 14

PROCAR founder Ross Palmer, the car has been bought by Rob Sherrard, a Queensland-based Virgin Blue executive and car collector. Sources suggest that Sherrard, whose collection includes a GT40, Lolas, and an array of other serious weaponry, plans to use the Monaro as a recreational 'practice car' to minimise the chance of damaging one of his museum pieces, many of which he enters in historic rallies and other events. But the Monaro will retain one link with its past -former PROCAR Technical Director Aaron Kelly has landed the job of overseeing the preparation and maintenance of the cars in Sherrard's collection. - MARK GLENDENNING

GARTH Walden will step into another ex-Ford Performance Racing Falcon in 2005. Walden, who made his main game Supercar debut in round six at Queensland Raceway in his ex-FPR AU,has agreed to terms with the factory Ford outfit to purchase the first BA they constructed early last year. The Falcon BA Walden Motorsport expect to take delivery of is the one tliat Craig Lowndes campained last year, and the car which Glenn Seton drove until Winton this year. Team manager Brian Walden said the reason they wanted to buy another FPR car was because of the fantastic relationship they already enjoy. "We've got a relationship you'd die for," B.Walden said. "1 could ring them at anytime and they'll help us to their absolute best ability. John Russell and his team have looked after us extremeUy well, why would I go anywhere else?" Walden has used Bap Romano's license to compete in the series this year and they are hopeful tliat the arragement can continue into 2005. The Walden's plan to sell or lease their current AU.The team will rebuild the urut after Bathurst and assess their options from there. Meanwhile, Walden's endurance team-mate is no closer to being decided. A bunch of young guns have been mooted, although no firm decision has yet been made.

24 Ho

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Bathurst winner off the track: Brock and Co's Monaro will be on display only duties soon. motorsport news

NEWS

5 New Weapon

I Belgian Pizza g

Another FPR mount for Sydney-based team

lone AU,! want a BA; Garth Walden easily made the qualifying cut at Oran Park. He will have an even better shot next year when he jumps in Lowndes'FPR BA, below.

THE VSBrute series has taken a small step towards selfdetermination after getting the green light from CAMS for the category to negotiate its own events for the latter part of 2004. Along with all of the former PROCAR categories, management rights and intellectual properties for the V8 BRutes were delivered to CAMS by PROCAR foimder Ross Palmer last month,severing Palmer's last ties with the production-based racing series that he created and supported. CAMS is currently preparing a tender for the categories, which could potentially remain together as a 'PROCAR Mk IIP or be split up and allocated on an individual basis.

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iir Cancelled ANY hope that the Bathurst 24 Hour Race would be run in November this year faded last week with the announcement from Bathurst Regional Council and the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport that the event would not be held this year. Rights to the event were handed over to CAMS from PROCAR's Palmer Group. The search for a new promoter has proved too difficult. "As we had suspected, the level of organisation required in an event of this scale.within three months is not really feasible," said Bathurst Council 18 August 2004

Administrator Kath Knowles. "With the news this week that it was unlikely that a television broadcast deal could be secured for the event and serious doubts about the sustainable viability of the current proposals it is no longer an economically viable option." CAMS President Colin Osborne is confident the event will resurface. "There was always going to be a marginal viability to an event of this kind in the short term but we are confident that in the long term the Bathurst 24 Hour Race or a revised version of this event will go ahead."

The popular ute racing series is the first category to have made a visible effort to break away,and License holder Craig Denyer said that they were already looking at new opportunities away from the PROCAR base. "We have written to AVESCO and AVESCO Events to regarding running with the V8 Supercars at Symmons Plains and Eastern Creek," said Denyer. "The position that the BRutes take is that we'd like to be able to negotiate with as many promoters as possible to try to find the best events that suit our category. That could be the Grand Prix, V8 Supercars, anything that would be to the benefit of the category." Denyer said that the category already had some ideas for self management in mind for when the time came to prepare the tender. "We are moving toward the foundation of a company with an independent chairman, and then nominating directors from existing franchise holders along with representatives from Ford and Holden." in the meantime, the next round of the V8 BRutes has been confirmed along with the rest of the PROCAR Champ Series for Mallala next month. -MARKGLENDENNING

ANTONIO Pizzonia replaced Ralf Schumacher once again in the Hungarian GP and will do the same at Spa next week. The German driver is unable to return to FI because he still needs more time to get over the injuries he received at Indianapolis. German doctors say that his spinal injuries need more time to heal properly and there is still a view thatt Ralf will be allowed to return too soon by the FIA doctors because of the concussion he received in his crash. We hear that a major insurance claim is being made by Schumacher's management at Lloyds in London. Contrary to the initial view, the team still has the option to employ another driver (it is permitted to use four drivers in a season), it has so far used Juan Pablo Montoya, Ralf Schumacher, Marc Gene and Antonio Pizzonia. However, Gene was used as a case of force majeure after Schumacher was injured and so he does not officially add to the count. n Ove Andersson, the former head of Toyota's FI team, has been in hospital in recent weeks in Cologne because of minor surgery. This meant that Andersson (66) was not able to take part in the Total Economy Run in South Africa at the end of July and has not been seen at a Grand Prix for some weeks. Andersson remains an advisor to the FI team although his calming influence is obviously waning given what was happened in recent days with Cristiano da Matta. n Mario Andretti will be Grand Marshal of New York City's 60th Columbus Day Parade on October 11. Columbus Day is a national holiday which remembers the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus in 1492. There will be a display of some of Andretti's famous cars in the central hall of Grand Central Station in the week before the parade while Mario will ride along Fifth Avenue in a new Lamborghini Murcielago Spyder. ■ Russian Vitaly Petrov is to race the second Euronova entry in the European Formula 3000 Championship. The 19-year-old Russian will be alongside Austria's Bernhard Auinger. Petrov made his debut in the series last year on the streets of Cagliari, having cut his teeth in 2003 in British Formula Renault. In 2002 Petrov won every round of the Russian Lada Cup series. ■ Alexandre Premat won the prestigious Marlboro F3 Masters at Zandvoort recently. Aussie Marcus Marshall finished in 24th place. - JOE SAWARD/STAFF 15

'fii . AA C(

Geoff honoured

Brabham inducted into US Motorsports Hall of Fame

Tundra, Fundra TOYOTA entered the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series his year, with four teams running racing versions of the Tundra truck.

GEOFF Brabham has always kept himself in good company - and what happened on July 29 was no different. The former Le Mans 24 Hour winner joined Indianapolis 500 winners Bobby Rahal(1986) and Johnnie Parsons (1950) as this year's inductees into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.

Also being inducted during ceremonies at the State Theatre in The company's first | Detroit were NASCAR executive Bill Craftsman victory fell to Travis I France Jr., NHRA Top Fuel champion j Kvapil, who took his Bang | Racing Line-X Tundra, afaove, | Joe Amato,driver-designer-builder ' to victory at the Michigan | Don Vesco and long-time Los Angeles Times motorsports writer I International Speedway. Kvapil j Shav Click. was the ninth driver to win this i Brabham,52, won four consecutive : year, indicating just how close i IMSA Sportscar crowns with Nissan the competition has been and started in 86 Champ Car races between the various between 1981 and '93. Tie has also companies involved. won the Bathurst 1000, sharing a Toyota now plans to attack BMW with brother David in 1997. the last bastion of US racing with an attempt being planned i for 2006 on the NASCAR I Three colours, one Aussie: Nextel Cup, probably with the Brabham leads the Peugeots to the Toyota Camry, which is built at its factory at Lexington in | flag at Le Mans 11 years ago. Now, Kentucky. ! the Queenslander has been JOE SAWARD honoured in the USA.

l S.Ara ' I H.Capello IKristensen I

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Win another(24 hr) Day

A NEW and extended lease of life has been handed to the dominant Audi R8 sportsprototype by the Le Mans 24 Hours race organiser. The ACO has decided not to insist on an underbody 'plank' to restrict the performance of the pid-generation LMP900 racecars when they race against the latest models in 2005, 16

,Merv-

but will instead implement a five percent power reduction by means of reduceddiameter air inlet restrictors and a 50kg increase in minimum weight. The move will allow Audi Sport to race at Le Mans with the R8 in 2005 pending the arrival of its all-new R9 in 2006. - QUENTIN SPURRING

IT is usually not that big a deal when an Andretti wins a championship - it has happened a few times before - but last week's deciding round of the Skip Barber National Championship at Road America was different. After following title rival Gerardo Bonilla home in the opening race, Marco Andretti only had to do the same in Race 2. That appeared to be a lost hope when the 17-year-old son of molorsport news

NEWS

Faiken Tyres Per^o'n

on the open road - in wet and dry conditions

Frosty goes Feral FORGET your V8 Supercars, Mark Winterbottom is driving this Bad Boy in the XXXX Variety Club True Blue Bash. The Orrcon Falcon driver was scheduled to take the wheel of the appropriatelyliveried XB Hardtop in the event, which started in Mackay on Monday. "It's going to be an interesting

change," said Frosty. "From what I have seen of the previous bash's everyone has a blast and It is something I have never done before and completely different to what I would normally be doing when I am involved in the race team, I am looking forward to the adventure."

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Michael and grandson of Mario spun from third to last but, on the following lap, BoniUa did the same thing in the same spot, leaving Andretti to take his first title in car racing. "I could see in my head my Mom crying," admitted Andretti later. "So, I gotta keep going, gotta hope for a miracle - and it happened. It was crazy, and it shows why you should never, never give up. It's bad for Bonilla, but this is great, fantastic, thanks Mom and Dad and Skip Barber Racing and the crew ... It's not really sunk in yet... The next move for the talented kid appears to be IB August 2004

Proud Dad: Michael wrestles Marco for the winner's cheque, left, while the famed silver helmet, far left, looks pretty good on the I kid, doesn't it?

Toyota Atlanhc, which is tied to the Champ Car Championsliip of which his grandad is a stalwart. Then again, dad Michael owns an Indy Car team ... There has been chat that the three generations of America's racing dynasty could get together for next year's Daytona 24 Hour in a Toyota-powered prototype. There is sure to be a lot of negotiation to allow that to happen (Michael's team is backed by Honda, for instance) but, in a country where open wheeler racing is fractured by politics, maybe Marco can pull off another miracle. -PHIL MORRIS

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MINARDI Formula 1 recently held its Flx2 Charity Grand Prix at South Africa's Kyalami circuit. The event featured Minardi's fleet of FI two seaters, with two 10 lap races conducted. Regular driver Gianmaria Bruni won the opening race after Johnny Herbert spun and Christian Fittipaldi lost time during his compulsory pit stop. Bas Leinders and Patrick Friesacher rounded out the top three. In Race 2, local hero Alan van der Merwe won from Herbert and Bruni. Over 60,000 spectators attended the meeting.

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HOT temperatures greeted DTM drivers at the latest round of the series at the MOTOPARK Oschersleben near Magdeburg, Germany last weekend. Danish Audi driver Tom Rristensen stayed cool in the heat and was rewarded with his maiden victory ahead of Audi A4 team-mate Martin Tomczyk. "It's amazing that 1 was able to win a race so early on in my DTM career," said Kristensen. "I'm over the moon with tliis win

because I don't know when I'll be able to repeat it. The first w'in is the nicest, but also the most important." A thrilling sprint to the finish between Brit Gary Paffett and Opel driver Manuel Reuter ended with Reuter taking the final podium spot on the penultimate lap after Paffett made a slight error. "Wlien I was behindPaffett at the end I saw that he was making a few small mistakes," said Rueter. "So I piled on the pressure in order to force him into a bigger

T® Pole-sitter and series leader Liuzzi was I *~ hussled by Freisacher and Toccocelo, 1 until a rare mistake by liuzzi allowed them through. PATRICK Freisacher became only the Coloni Motorsport team principaf third person to win a round of the 2004 Paolo Coloni was overjoyed with FI A International Formula 3000 Freisacher's win. Championship after taking last "This is just fantastic for Patrick and weekend's round in Hungary: for Coloni Motorsport," Coloni said. Freisacher repeated his "Patrick was like Michael Schumacher ■ ' win from 2003 at the same today and Coloni was ike Ferrari. 1 am * venue, beating home title so happy." fighters Witantonio Liu-zzi and Tomas Enge claimed fourth place. Inrieo Toccocelo after a The next round of the series is at Spa fierce dice early in the race. Francorchamps in two weeks. "'The race started! under Safety Car due to the Points: Liuzzi 68, lioccacelo 56, Freisacher 29, treacherous conditions. Robert Doornbos 28, Tomas Enge 25.

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liEinfS

MG Closes on VX

mistake. He then made one and I was there." Championship leader Mattias Ekstrom collected four vital series

INDEPENDENT MG home town hero Anthony Reid has closed the points gap to his Vauxhall rivals in the latest round of the British Touring Car Championship at Knockhill last weekend. The MGs have found a lot of pace of late. While VX Racing's Yvan Muller continues to lead the series by a mere one point over team-mate James Thompson, in the last six rounds, Reid and his team mate Colin Turkington, right with Reid, have been able to take points off the Vauxhalls and halve the gap to them.

points with fifth outright. It was a successful day for Opel, with Laurent Aiello, Timo Scheider and Marcel Fassler also collecting points. Christijan Albers missed out on points after being slapped with a time penalty but retains second in the series.

Reid won two of the heats, while SEATToldeo driver Jason Plato picked up the reverse grid race win. Plato has also emerged as a serious title contender. Thompson was involved in a major qualifying accident, but the car was repaired in time for the races. Points: Muller 193,Thompson 192, Reid 170, Plato 145, Matt Neal 129, Turkington 121. ring atii unco' ir.gCan

Cop That JIMMIE Johnson has been fined US$10,000 by NASCAR for a stunt he pulled in victory lane at Pocono three weeks ago where he placed a large sign baring his sponsors name on the roof of his car when he exited. During the drivers meeting at New Hampshire on July 24, NASCAR president Mike Helton issued a directive to drivers regarding victory lane conduct. In the past, drivers sponsored by Gatorade or its parent company Pepsi have knocked or thrown off a prop Powerade bottle, which is a Coca-Cola company and NASCAR official product sponsor. Helton warned that the bottles must not be touched and the practice must stop. Johnson's large Lowes sign blocked the view of the Powerade bottle, and although technically he did not touch the bottle he has felt NASCAR's wrath, no doubt setting an example to other drivers. n Jamie McMurray has extended his contract with Ganassi Racing and Texaco for 2005, and possibly beyond. The full extent of the deal is unknown as the team makes a habit of keeping such details heavily under wraps. - MARTIN D CLARK

Poinls; Ekstiom 51, Albers 42, Paffett 40, Kristensen 27.

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Bourdais extends series lead at Denver by PHIL MORRIS

NOT even a first comer spin could stop Sebastien Bourdais winning the Grand Prix of Denver last weekend in the 10th round of the Champ Car World Series. It was the Frenchman's fifth win

It's B Time: Bourdais grabbed his fifth win for 2004 at Denver.

Hoad America No More? WILL 2004 become known for the last Champ Car race at the famous Road America circuit? George Bruggenthies, president and general manager of RA does not have a contract for the open wheelers to return in 2005. Road America has been a part of the series since 1982, but dwindling attendances and spomsorship and revenue shortfalls, plus the fact that there is no contract for '05, has left the CART race in doubt. - PHIL MORRIS

for the year and he has now extended his lead in the series to 56 points over team-mate Bruno Junqueira. Bourdais qualified on pole, before being involved in a clash with championship rival Junqueira. He dropped down to 13th before seething through the field to take his eighth career win. "It is a beautiful win today," said the happy McDonalds driver. "It was difficult to work your way back to the top and win,it is a great feeling. I had to pass guys on the track and earn my way back to the top, and we were able to do that." At the first round of pit stops, reigning Champion Paul Tracy had saved enough fuel to get in front of Junqueira, and Mario Dominguez soon moved into second. Tracy looked set for victory until Ryan Hunter-Reay brought out a Safety Car. Bourdais banged wheels with Dominguez and grabbed second and slowly closed on Tracy'. Once he grabbed the lead from the Canadian, who had held the lead for 40 laps, Bourdais never looked back. Tracy consolidated second while Junqueira got back past Dominguez for third. Rookie points leader A.J. Allmendinger grabbed his third topfive result for the year. TWO weeks ago, Alex Tagliani gambled on a shrewd fuel strategy to score his first Champ Car race win after 85 career starts.

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First time winner: Alex Tagliani, above at Denver, grabbed his first career win at Road America two weeks ago. But in the motoring capital of the world, Sebastian Bourdais, left, was untouchable. The Canadian beat home an ever-improving Rodolfo Lavin and championship leader Bourdais. Lavin slowly worked his way into the lead after fast front runners encountered various problems, but the Mexican did not allocate his 'push to pass' quota very well, and Tagliani pounced with just six laps to go"I feel good," said Tagliaru. "I mean, this is a race that I really led in 2000. It was not easy. The last six laps after the restart, I was kind of worried a little bit. And I was not going to just think that it was going to be easy until I saw the white flag." Jimmy Vasser and Hunter-Reay were early retirees after tangling on the first lap. Points after round 10: Bourdais 248,)unqueira 192,Tracy 180, Tagliani 164, Carpentier 154, Dominguez 148, Hunter-Reay 144, Allmendinger 137, Vasser 131, Servia 125.

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VEAH! Ex-CART guru grabs maiden IRL IndyCar victory

IN only his 10th start in the IRL IndyCar series, Mexican Adrian Fernandez took his first victory at Kentucky Speedway last weekend. Fernandez, co-team owner of the Honda-powered Quaker State G Force beat home championship challengers Buddy Rice and Dan Wheldon. "It's a fantastic feeling," said Fernandez. "Some stretches of the race, I was a little loose in traffic but we never lost focus. We started working our way to the front, and once we found our way to the front in the last restart, then it was all ours." Fernandez qualified a careerbest fourth and was in the mix with the leaders the whole day. Pole-sitter Rice finished just behind Fernandez in the closest finish in the Kentucky's circuit history. Impressive rookie Kosuke Matsuura was fourth ahead of series leader Tony Kanaan. Rice has now closed within 50 points of Kanaan in the championship with five rounds to go. Points: Kanaan 433, Rice 383, Wheldon 346, Castroneves 298, Hornish Jr. 283, Franchitti 266, Meira 256, Herta 249, Fernandez 246, Dixon 243.

Dixon eats Wheaties TARGET Ganassi IndyCar drivers Scott Dixon and Darren Manning will feature on ceral boxes sold exclusively in American Target stores until mid-September. New Zealander and reigning Indy Car Champion Dixon will adorn the front of 'Wheaties' packets, while both Dixon and Manning will share the spotlight on Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereals. Inside the boxes, kiddies will receive a CD-Rom version of the IRL Indy Racing League video game. n Sportscar champion Guy Smith made an impressive debut in the Champ Car World Series with a topten finish with the Rocketsports team at the Grand Prix of Road America. The Englishman started 16th and worked his way up to finish 10th. "My first Champ Car race was ail and more than I expected," claimed Smith after his debut race. "It was a tremendous challenge and I'm pleased to have finished, but a little disappointed too. I wanted a better finish, but as it was really only our first weekend working together and as a team, we did reasonably well." Smith won the Le Mans 24 Hour with Bentley in 2003. 13 Maurice OtNunawadInftVIC 3131 Ph:0398724522 Itec0398725862;. Moblle:041751191TRodWUson f . Emaiksalestfmotorsporttyresxonrvau " n

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Doin' NASCAR adding a lap under the new green-white-checker ruling although officially, the race ended under another yellow when Gordon was exiting turn four as Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. both cut tyres, ruining potential top 10 results. The pair finished 25th and 27th respectively. Kasey Kahne twice battled from a lap down twice after cutting a tyre early (as did Martin) to finish an amazing fourth and Tony Stewart, who spun unaided,salvaged a fifth placing, equaling his best result at the Brickyard. Point leader Jimmie Johnson also spun after Ryan Newman messed with Johnson's rear aero. Johnson continued with handling issues before parking his Hendrick Chev

JEFF Gordon obliterated the field to claim a record fourth Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 8,leading 124 of the extended 161 laps during the 11th running of the event. "Tm proud to be a four-time winner, there is just no feeling in the world like winning at this speedway," said Gordon. Gordon almost saw victory slip away when he hit a piece of lead weight from another car, taking a chunk out of his front spoiler. The lead disappeared under his Hendrick Chev and hit Matt Kenseth's Taurus, causing the Roush driver to pit and salvage a 16th place. Two-time winner Dale Jarrett finished second aliead of Elliott Sadler, while the final caution had

with a rare blown engine. The first Brickyard was held in 1994 and it has to be said that this year'sevent was one of the more entertaining, with a record 13 caution laps - the previous was nine - and blown tyres. Sterling Marlin and Robby Gordon both suffered left front blow outs and subsequent fires after their teams elected to keep them circling the 2.5 mile track to keep track position. No one could understand the stupidity in that... except maybe the two crew chiefs concerned. - MARTIN D CLARK Final result;]. Gordon (Chevy),Jarrell (Ford),Sadler (Ford), Kahne(Dodge), Stewart(Chevy), Biffle (Ford), McMurray (Dodge), Flarvick (Chevy), Elliott(Dodge), Busch (Ford).

TONY Stewart held off circuit ace Ron Fellows at Watkins Glen on Sunday,Stewart heading 46 of the 90 laps and fighting off stomach and leg cramps that were severe enough to have Boris Said suited up in Stewart's Joe Gibbs pit to act as relief. Stewart held on, but exited his car in victory lane to recover in his motorhome, making the third week in succession that controversy struck Victory Lane. He had not returned before the TV and radio crews went off air. Stewart later commented to .the media, but looked very drained. Point leaders Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon both suffered gearbox woes, with Johnson then over-revving his engine and retiring to 40th position, while Gordon lost all but fourth gear with eight circuits remaining to finish 21st. Sophomore Casey Mears recorded a career-best fourth placing in his Ganassi Dodge, as Stewart and fifth-placed Dale Earnhardt Jr. moving toward

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front runners Johnson and Gordon in the standings with four races remaining until the slate gets wiped clean for the top 10 in the standings. Canadian Fellows started 43rd as the field was set via points due to the rain-out of qualifying and finished second for the second time in a Cup race after winning in the both the Truck and Busch Series at the New York track. Ryan Newman suffered brake issues from the time his Penske

Dodge was unloaded at The Glen and after changing everything in the brake system including manufacturers, he finished a dismal 26th. - MARTIN D CLARK Final result: Stewart (Chevy), Fellows (Chevy), Martin (Ford), Mears (Dodge), Earnhardt Jr.(Chevy), Harvick (Chevy), Mayfield (Dodge), Rudd (Ford), Kenseth (Ford), Busch (Ford). Point standings; Johnson 3143, J Gordon 3103, Earnhardt Jr. 3015,Stewart 2951, Kenseth 2876,Sadler 2792, Busch 2754, Harvick 2717, B Ubonte 2714, Mayfield 2656.

JEFF Burton has ended an eightyear tenure at Roush Racing to join Richard Childress Racing,effective immediately,in a multi-year contract. Burton,above, replaces Dave Blaney, who took over driving duties for rookie Johnny Sauter during June in the AOL-backed Chev. Burton will be replaced by Roush Truck Series stand-out Carl Edwards in the un sponsored #99 Taurus. Former team members have been vocal on the Roush pay structure for its drivers, which apparently locks their earned monies into a kind of retirement plan that they only receive if they finish their careers with Roush. It's assumed that as a sponsor could not be found for Burton's team, there could have been a loophole in him being able to leave the operation. - MARTIN D CLARK

FOR the first time in history the Busch series will hold a points race outside the USA, it has been confirmed that the Series will visit Autodromo Hermanos Rodriduez the circuit in Mexico City on March 6, 2005. Apparently NASCAR is helping with travel arrangements and costs for the always under-funded and under-pursed Busch Series teams. Currently there are no circuit races on the Busch schedule, but Watkins Glen has re-appeared on next year's roster to help off set the costs of building a circuit car for one specific track. n The North Carolina government passed a bill on August 12th that will put aside US$4 million of state monies to fund the planning and development of a NASCAR test track. n Robby Gordon could be ousted from RCR's Cingular-backed ride. An announcement is expected during October. n Jeff Green and Kyle Petty have new crew chiefs. Three crew members, including former No,45 crew chief Greg Steadman, moved to the No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge of Jeff Green last week. - MARTIN D CLARK

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OPINION

Power, Gators and a Bulldawg A recent string of events known as 'Bottlegate'has highlighted just how crazy the occasional sponsor conflicts in motor sport can get. After NASCAR switched its

'Official Sports Beverage of NASCAR'from Gatorade to Powerade in 2003,'Bottlegate' opened as drivers first started knocking the large NASCAR-sponsor bottles off their cars in victory lane if they had conflicting brand interests of their own to look out for. Now NASCAR is doing its best to put the top back on those bottles tlaat is, if the drivers remember where victory lane is! NASCAR President Mike Helton issued a strong statement at the drivers' meeting at New Hampshire on July 25 that winning drivers "must respect" NASCAR sponsor arrangem,ents,including the large bottle of Powerade (a Coca-Cola brand sport drink) placed on tlie winning car in victory lane. "Do not take it upon yourselves to remove sponsor products," Helton said."You can, however, move away from it or manoeuvre around them."

Jimmie Johnson(sponsored by Pepsi- whicli owns the Gatorade label) took Helton's remarks literally and,just like tire smart crew chiefs who find ways around the rule book, found a way around 'Bottlegate'. In victory lane the following weekend at Pocono, a large'Lowes' sign was placed on the roof of his car, blocking the view to the sacred Powerade bottle.

At one point, his sponsor's sign fell off the roof. It was actually put back by a NASCAR employee who conducts victory lane procedure week by week! No word on whether the employee was fined -likely not- but he should have known better... "I've got to find a new way to protect my sponsor when I get out of the race car," commented Johnson post-Pocono. NASCAR's'Bulldawg' Helton didn't take too kindly to the move that, heaven forbid, could affect NASCAR's wallet! Johnsoit was slapped with a US$10,000 fine during the following

week for the incident that Helton deemed "detrimental to stock car

racmg. We don't own the car," said Helton,"but we can take it and do whatever we want to with it when we feel its necessary. We're going to win this deal in the end. It's pretty simple to us..." Hie irony of it is that Daytona victory lane is still named 'Gatorade Victory Lane'- the facility is owned by NASCAR sister company ISC and the Powerade bottle even makes an appearance there! n 'ohnson's Hendrick teammate and co-car owner Jeff Gordon took ilottlegate' to the next level at Indianapolis on August 8 when he stopped his car on the yard of bricks after winning the Brickyard 400 for the fourth time and radioed his team to join liim on the track to celebrate. NASCAR was heard on the radio, ordering the team to take the car to victory lane so the proper sponsorship procedures could be 99

Too often these days we take so much away from these victories

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Motor Mouth followed. But no-one took any notice, not even team owner Rick Hendrick, who was quite rudely asked by an official to move while conducting a post-race celebration TV interview with his driver. "I know I'm going to get in some kind of trouble over it," remarked Gordon,"but right now 1 don't care. Emotions take over and this is a special win,I wanted to be on the bricks with my team out there. You don't always tliink about it- you just react sometimes." "Too often these days we take so much away from these victories," continued Gordon. "We pull into victory lane and it's all about getting tlie interviews and putting hats on and mentioning sponsors. I wanted to just jump up and down and hang out with tlie guys and enjoy the moment.I lose that feeling so often and I try to get it back. Today I did." Sure Jeff... Following his front stretch celebration, Gordon did in fact visit victory lane for the usual'hat dance', but it was rrunus his car and, of course, the troublesome Powerad'e bottle. Hendrick was called to the NASCAR mobile courtroom post-race. Gordon and many within the sport were expecting another fine to be handed down,but a deal was struck, Gordon apologised and the boys at the beach accepted his apology. "I plan to support NASCAR's victory lane protocol going forward," he stated. Yes, Gordon was wrapped up in his emotional fourth Brickyard victory, at his so-caUed 'home-town'and becoming part of an elite four drivers to have accomplished the feat, but did he do it to keep away from the NASCAR 'props'or just to plain celebrate? !g That's a question probably only one 11 person knows and if he wants to visit 'i' the politically correct victory lane in 5 the future,he'd better keep the top on

li it!

Purnell: One Smar cookie. The boss of the Tony Pumell is Formula a smart 1 Jaguar Racing team went to a variety of elevated places of education including the world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology;the University of Cambridge and the Sloan Business School. Having done that, he made a fortune by creating a successful software company called Pi Research, which he then sold to the Ford Motor Company for lots of money. And after that, he got himself promoted to be the man in charge of Ford's FI activities. Purnell, top right, has considerable intellectual ability, a blessing that he does not share with all of those currently running FI teams. This enables him to cut through the extraneous stuff that clogs up other less high-performing grey matter and get to the point. He is also full of creative ideas. And the most important thing is that he cares deeply about the sport. He loves it and he hates to see some of the things that have been happening in recent years. He recognises that the sport must attract an audience but he also understands that FI must also hold on to its heritage and present the right image. The other thing is that Tony is not afraid to speak his mind. Hallelujahl So the what Jenson did Purnell Button make business of with Williams? "It is a bit of bad news for Formula 1," he said. "We would like a cleaner image. It is a very unfortunate way to change teams. We are sad to see Mark Webber go but I think he has handled it beautifully. We have known the situation with Mark for many months. So, you can do it quite sweetly and ethically. I don't think the messages from the Jenson Button affair are quite what Formula 1 wants." There it is, in 67 words. Webber and Button are both leaving teams with which they had options for 2005. Webber is leaving with the team wishing 26

him well and hoping he does well at Williams. Meanwhile down at BAR,the atmosphere is tense and the QCs are rubbing their hands with glee in the knowledge that here is their a chance for a nice little earner in the High Court. Webber did everything right and Button did everything wrong. Webber uses common sense and the age-old sounding boards of friends and family. Button is surrounded by all kinds of managers. The interesting thing will be to see who will do the better job but we will have to wait and

see what happens. Although one way or another it is going to add an interesting new element to the sport. Adding is a big subjectinterest these days in FI circles, despite the fact that the viewing figures are up this year. "Yes," says Tony Purnell. "The figures are up except in qualifying. And that is a problem because qualifying has little relevance these days. No-one has been able to think of a good solution to the problem."

At least not until now. Purnell began to think about it all and his idea is one that is gaining ground in the paddock because it might actually work. Fridays, Purnell says, would have testing in the morning as usual and then at lunchtime, some celebrity or other would draws lots for the 20 cars in order to establish a grid for a 10-lap qualifying race. The finishing order of this would give a driver a qualifying score to carry over into Saturday. If you crash in the race you get zero but the winner would score 20, the molorspon news

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"Webber did everything right and Button did everything wrong. Webber uses commonsense and the age-old sounding boards of friends and family. rr Button is surrounded by all kinds of managers

second-placed man 19 and so on. On Saturday morning, there would be the usual preparation time and then a second 10-lap qualifying race with the original grid reversed. The man who started on pole on Friday would be last on the grid on Saturday, meaning that the luck involved in the draw would be even out. The same system of qualifying scores would be used and the total scores would then be used to establish the grid. If there are equal scores the man with the 18 August 2004

fastest lap would get the higher grid position. This would create a grid- favouring the best racers and would encourage drivers to overtake in the qualifying races. There would be a certain amount of disruption because there will inevitably be some who would be involved in incidents in the qualifying races or mechanical troubles and would be further back than expected. The cars would remain in pare ferme every evening to make sure that there are no qualifying cars and they would

be raced on Sunday afternoon with the tyres and the fuel that 'thatlhey used in final qualifying. It may sound complicated but it does not take long to grasp the idea. No-one is disadvantaged and the qualifying races will inevitably throw up some interesting results (providing smaller teams with the coverage they desire) but the grid will be based on performance; the crowds would be amused and the TV viewers satisfied. Think about it and you will conclude the same: Tony Purnell is a smart cookie.

The witi BoxJOB Seat Saward 21

Five minutes with

mmm

Simon Wills

Simon Wiiis simweS at Oran Park Uat Team DynamOiis getting its car right at the inwortant end of die season. MARK spoke to the timmer Q500 winner ahout his current term MOTORSPORT NEWS; Luck wasn't always on your side, but in terms of sheer pace you had a pretty outstanding weekend at Oran Park. SIMON WILLS: I think it was actually our strongest race yet as a team, pace-wise, because we did it amongst everyone else with the full field out there. At Sandown last year we were quick, but it was only us versus Skaife really in the end. Whereas at Oran Park, the car was pretty strong all weekend. I think I was in the top two or three all weekend, but unfortunately one thing let us down which stopped us from getting a podium. SVIN: Was the problem with the wheel nut in the pitstop caused by damage from another car, or was it just one of those freak things? SW: No, I hadn't touched anybody in the whole race at that point. It was just a freak thing. The safety jammed on, and they needed a hammer to bang it loose. Once it came loose, it was fine. It works perfectly now! It was exactly the wrong time. I would have much rather that it had happened during the second race, because at least we would have got a good result in the first one. We had a potential second place there, because of Todd Kelly going backwards. We were in third at that point, so with him falling back we could have had second easily. So I'd have liked to have gotten the second and then had the problem in the second race. MN: You got fastest lap in Race 2 though, which must be a consolation of sorts? SW: Yeah, that was good. We were pretty happy with that. The race didn't go fantastically well, because just before our stop we had a couple of near-moments with another car that was due to 28

I trend going. We seem to be I building more and more I momentum at the moment. 5

come in at the same time, so we had a few mistakes and stuff like that. So it all got a bit hairy. But when I got back out and had a bit of clear air, the car had really strong pace and it seemed like that whenever 1 caught up with somebody, it would only be a lap or two before I could get past them. And around Oran Park, it is quite difficult to pass. So it shows that we had a really good strong car. MN: Was there something about the track that particularly suited you, or did everything just come together? SW: I think it that trying to get everything to come together at one time is a hard thing for us as a team, just because we are still quite new - we are only a yearand-a-half old, and we are going against teams that know the ins and outs of the series pretty well. So we've been let down over the last couple of race meetings by stupid errors from ... well, just from all of us. . We've had ail sorts of problems. Like, for instance, at Queensland Raceway, for the second practice session, we didn't get out in time on better rubber and we had a car that was capable of finishing in the top three. But because in the practice

session we didn't manage to get the better rubber on, we only made it into the bottom 50 percent in qualifying and that meant that we had to use all our tyres up to make sure that we were in the Shootout. Then, once we were in the Shootout, we had no good rubber left to get into the top three, so I think we ended up sixth or seventh. So that ruined our weekend. And then unfortunately I had an engine problem or something during the race when we had a potential fourth. So that was quite a strong race in a sense. At Winton we were quick, but when it rains my car is an absolute mess. We don't know what is wrong with it, it just doesn't have any grip in the wet. And unfortunately, the whole of qualifying was held in the wet, so we went nowhere. As soon as it dried up in the race, we had a problem - I went into the gravel, and came back out in front of the leading pack. And I actually pulled out four or five seoonds on them. We just know that if we get everything right, we're going to have a pretty quick car. At Oran Park, we got everything right. It was just that one thing in the pitstop that let us down. If we can eliminate that at the next race meeting, there's no reason why we can't keep this

MN; It must be a nice confidence booster to have this kind of result on the eve of the enduros? SW: It is. It has taken a while for us to get this car going. We debuted it at Bathurst last year, and I have finally got it going up to speed. It's the same sort of feeling as last year - it took near-on a year to get the cars up to a pretty good pace going into Sandown, and then we had a pretty good race. So it's sort of feeling a bit deja-vuAsh coming into Sandown. I just hope we have the same sort of weekend as last year .,. without the last couple of laps. MN: In terms of results this year, things have been pretty one-sided within the team. Is there any specific area that needs to be worked on to get Dale (Brede) up to speed? SW: He's the first to admit that his qualifying is not up to speed at all. He's just got no real feel of how to get a new tyre gain he's never been taught how to do that during his career. There's no doubt that that's the one thing that is letting him down, and we've been tn/ing to work on getting him a bit better on new rubber. But unfortunately, you can't get new tyres to keep throwing at him until it comes to qualifying, and it's a pretty highpressure thing. So we've just got to let him go and do as much as he can by himself. But the rest of it, his race pace and all that, isn't too bad. It's just his qualifying, and when you are running down the back you sort of stay there in this category. You get caught up in accidents and all sorts of things. moiorsport news

Five minutes with

mmm

Marcus Marshall

Cannena Cup in Austraiia one year, British Formuia 3race winner the next. Amt now for Samiown and Bathurst. White MM came down from cioud nine, GBANT BOWLEY spoke to him MOTORSPORT NEWS: You've just scored a win in the toughest and most prestigious Formula 3 championship in the world. You must be pretty darn happy? MARCUS MARSHALL: Yeah, big result. I'm absolutely ecstatic (laughs). We knew something was coming. We've been putting in a massive effort over here and I've been trying my guts out every day. I'm glad something has come along before I left. There's only three rounds left in the series and I'm only doing the next one at Thruxton. MN: The weather in the event obviously played some part. Talk us through the actual race. MM: We were all on dry set-up but it was really dark and overcast and it was threatening rain and just as we got in the car and gridded up, it started raining. We did an out-lap and everyone was on slicks and I noticed the back half of the circuit was fairly dry. I basically just watched where the weather was coming from and thought that there could be a chance that it wouldn't rain anymore, As soon as we got on the grid, it started pouring and everyone was panicking. Everyone started to put wets on their cars on the grid. Even my team suggested we put wets on. I said, 'no, let's just leave it and wait'. We stuck with slicks, I had nothing to lose and it paid off. MN: When you're on the grid, it's not a time to start to panic. What were you thinking at the time? MM: Everyone was panicking. I just stayed as calm as I possibly could because it's such a pressure time. You've only got three to four minutes to make a 30

decision and you can't touch the cars after that. We just did a couple of things like disconnecting the rear bar and left the slicks on and just went for it. MN: This would have to be a huge confidence boost for your career? MM: Yeah, personally, 1 knew I was capable of it. I came over here to win races, as I'm sure everyone in the British F3 series does. A couple of times throughout the year, the same sort of thing happened. I ran into the back of someone and broke my front wing off and at that time, I was the fastest on the circuit and moving through the field. I had to.pit for a new wing and still got back up to eighth but we could have maybe won that race as well. It's just a matter of everything coming together. MN:This would undoubtably be a career highlight? MM: For sure! It's a tough series, even to finish in the top five would be a highlight. To win a race is even better. We've been 100 percent focused on getting a result this year. We've had a bit of tough luck and I certainly jumped in at the deep end, but you've got to

want a result like this to get it. The team have been fantastic so it feels great. MN: Do you think the experience you've had in the series has made you a better driver? MM: Yeah, for sure. It's a massive learning curve I've been on. Setting up a car, working on the balance for the race and getting the most out of the new tyre and race situations as well. I've learnt a huge amount. I don't know how long it would have taken me to learn. It probably would have taken me five to six years to learn all that at home. The experience will help you in all categories. When you're up against some of the people in V8 Supercar that have done a lot of good things overseas, you really need experience in a category like this to get you up to speed and onto their pace. I'm not saying I'm going to come back and be right on it because they are very difficult cars to drive for someone who hasn't been driving regularly in the series. You need miles, but the endurance races are good to find your feet and get a rhythm. As long as you keep it on the lead lap, you never know what might happen.

MN: So only one more race in the UK before you come back down home for the endurance races with PWR Racing with Matthew White. Are you looking forward to that? MM: Yes, that's obviously another kettle of fish. It's a tough series and a car I haven't been driving this year. It's throwing myself into the deep end again which I've seemed to do a lot this year! But you've got to throw yourself into a hard series to try and prove yourself. It makes you a better driver. I'm really looking forward to it. Obviously the team are going great guns at the moment and Matthew (White) is no stranger to the cars so I'm looking forward to teaming with him. It's a great car and looking forward to a good result. Matthew's a real sensible guy and that's what the team's looking for. He's had plenty of experience and I'm looking forward to it. MN: Are you bold enough to predict where you guys will run in the pack? MM: Sandown in tough because it's a shorter circuit. I'd like to think we can finish in the top 10 and I think if we did that against the regulars, we would be doing a good job. motorsport news

Httit l?

. 'I

f'. l>

MOTORSPORT NEWS;First things first; whv? CRAIG LOWNDES: Well, a big part of it was family reasons. I want to .spend more time at home. Levi is 20 months old now and every time I head down to Melbourne, it is generally for two or three days. That will be a big change for us next year, whether it is a trip for testing purposes or something else. Being able to test at Willowbank will mean just a day trip, so I will be able to get home that night. That side of it will be a big bonus- to be able to spend more time at home and watch Levi grow up and be home more often. MN:The question that emerges from that is, number one, with six days of testing over a season,is it that much of a change? And number two,FPR has not tested that much this season anyway. CL: True. But there are a lot of other things, like sponsor requirements for the team in Melbourne. So the big push is to be home more often. We will be able to structure things better next year. The other side of it is to be able to go and be with the team whenever 1 32

want. I like to be able to go into the team and you carmot do that much if you are interstate. I will be able to go and have a face-to-face conversation with anyone in the team. For me,that is something I have not been able to do since [I left] HRT. We want to be able to live in Queensland. That is a factor. Now I can drive down to the workshop, walk in and find out what is going on. I can be a lot closer to the race team tlian I probably have been. MN; As a driver, is that a priority? CL: I think that it is. You can have as much communication you like over the phone but to be actually walk into the workshop,see the morale ... Every time I am in Melbourne,I try to do that as much as I can,just to be with the boys, to see what they are working on, new parts for the car, developments. If you can spend a couple of hours in the workshop and talk to everyone,instead of physically ringing up every day, you do not have to try to figure out what is happening. It is valuable that a driver is able to do that. I moved to Queensland some time ago and, since then,I have been driving for Victorian-based teams.

That side of it will be a big plus. MN:Has that fact caused compromises, on both your side and the team's side? CL:I think so. When I started doing it, I did not think that it would affect us. I am not a huge believer that I need to be there every day but... as often as possible. You can have team meetings and team briefings and interact with the team a lot more than I have been able to do. MN:Let me play Devil's Advocate. You are in a position where, obviously, you are being very well paid. If that was a priority for the team, why didn't they just tell you to move to Melbourne? CL: For the lifestyle, we choose to live in Queensland ... MN:I understand that, Craig. But if a company was paying me,say, $500,000 a year, they would expect me to be there. You have been living in Queensland, that is your decision. But the team has not insisted otherwise, has it? CL: No. That has never been insisted on by any party. I guess we have been lucky to be able to do what we

have done. I would like to be able to walk into the workshop when we want to. MN:Okay. There are other Ford teams based in Queensland. Let's exclude Stone Brothers Racing, because both its drivers are contracted for next year. Was DJR ever a solid option? CL; It was,definitely. We had a good look at it in its whole and we decided Triple 8 was a better option - its structure, the way they operate, the way I operate as a driver. I think Triple 8 was the best option for me. MN:It is interesting you say that because, as a team. Triple 8 is still in its formative stages; it has not completed a full season yet under the ownership of Triple 8 UK.So why them over DJR? CL: A couple of factors. They build their own racecars; it is one of only two Ford teams in Australia that does that from scratch. Triple 8 does that. Stones is the other. Everyone else gets a Beehag chassis, in most cases, fairly developed. I think that there are definitely some tilings in the chassis that need to be done. That side of it impresses me. molorsport news

INTERUIEW

Two weeks ago,Craig Lowndes dropped abombshellwhenhe confirmed thathe wasleaving Ford Performance Racingto race for Triple8 Racingin 2005/06. Hetold PHIL BRANAGANwhy, whatis wrong with FPRand why he doesn’t wantto be ateam owner

The way that the team is able to turn cars around and build them is a

Tliere are a lot of questions stiil to be answereii.Forme,itwas a tivd tfeeision to make

plus. They can do that quickly. I have never had a team-mate in Ford-land that has had an absolutely identical car to me. To me,that is a big issue when you try to overlay data. MN:What about the attraction of working with Campbell Little? Was that a factor? CL: Definitely. 1 have known Campbell for a long time, even when 1 was doing my apprenticeship in Melbourne. He has obviously been with successful teams,like the Stone Brothers, and 1 am looking forward to working with him next year. Again,I think that the structure of Triple 8 and the way that they work is what 1 am looking for. MN:You are a professional racing driver and you have been for a long time now. Do you recognise that it is unusual for a driver to switch teams for any reason other than money or the chance of a faster car? CL: Do you think that it is strange? MN:No,I think that it is unusual. CL: Everyone has their own reasons. Whether it is a personal thing or a 18 August 2004

-Lowndes on why he decided to decamp from FPR to 888 o

financial [matter], or mechanical, it is up to the individual. It is their decision. 1 guess it is a combination of a few things. For us, the personal thing is very good. MN:The last alternative 1 might ask about is this; was it ever an option that you might start your own team? CL: No.It has never interested me. Over the course of my career I have gained a lot of knowledge of what goes on behind the scenes of a race team and that definitely does not interest me.It is a full-time job today and it is becoming a lot harder to be an owner/driver. I think that there is only one team out there that does that. In this competition, I think you

really need to focus on one or the other. You can't distract yourself. MN:You have been with FPR now for almost two years. What are their strengths? CL: Tlieir strategy. We have had great results through strategy. I think that part of it has been great. There is also the fact that they are based not far from the head office of Ford. I think that is a big plus. They will definitely get their act together and the cars will become championship-winners. It just will not happen within the time frame that 1 am looking for. This will be my fourth year with Ford and 1 have not been able to

deliver anywhere near what 1 had hoped to deliver by this stage, so it is important that 1 can give something back to Ford that they deserve. 1 think the Ford product is a winning car, the Stone and Marcos[Ambrose] combination shows that. We know that the product has it within it to win races and championships. 1 think that it is up to teams and drivers to lift their game and get more cars up there. MN:So what are FPR's weaknesses? CL: Reliability! We have been ... disorganised this season and that has really hurt us.

continued on page 34 33

continued from page 33 The way that the series and the championship layout is, you can't afford to be behind the eight-ball at the start of the season. We were. We didn't have time to catch up. We went through half the season without a test day and that is something that really does hurt, not only a driver getting the best out of a car, but engineers understanding the driver's behaviour and what they want out of a car, and understanding what changes to the car makes what difference. We hurt ourselves at the start of the season. ^

This will be my fourth year with Ford and I have not been abie to deliver anywhere near what I had hoped to deliver by this stage" key people into place. It is changing the way we work. We have a new team manager coming in prior to Sandown,so what he does and how he operates, no-one

pumped up and keen to make sure that we do a good job for Sandown and Bathurst. MN:You finished fifth in the championship last year in your first year with FPR in its first year. What were your real expectations for this season? CL: To get the same result or better. You always want to go forward in the championship,even if it is very hard to keep a number one. But, we finished fifth and ended 2003 on positive note. 1 had high hopes of being in the top three but 1 was not expecting to be worse than

Dig a hole, it's still alive: FPR's appalling reliability, above, has outweighed any assurances that Prodrive MD Nick Fry, below, could have made at Winton last month to get Lowndes to stay.

Rain, glorious rain: When the conditions have allowed, Lowndes can still fly, like at Eastern Creek, above. But for much oftbe rest of the time, it has been a tough 2004 season. MN; At the end of last year, FPR had three cars. All qualified in the top 10 at Eastern Creek. The team moved straight back into the new HQ and the team pared down from three cars to two. Yet, for the early races this year, it was obvious that the team was not ready to go racing. Why? CL: We were disorganised. MN;Has that changed? CL: The organisation of the team has definitely changed. Tlrey are changing personnel and putting new,

●* Tamsc

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST SOUGHT BY CAMS and AMSC

The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport Ltd and the Australian Motor Sports Commission Ltd are seeking expressions of interest for the professional management and promotion of the Production based motor racing car classes formerly managed by PROCAR (Australia) Pty Ltd. Promotion and commercial rights relate to the conduct of the following Australian Motor Racing Championships and/or Series:

knows. We all believe that, with his history, there will be a structure he is looking for. Whether that is a racewinning structure, whether that means more changes,I don't know. We will have to wait and find out when he gets to Australia. Rob Benson in the engine department will fix up the main reason we have struggled this year, which is reliability. You can't afford to have one DNF;we have had more than one ... Both Glenn [Seton] and I are pretty l Australian Production Car Championship (for Group 3E Production Cars as defined by CAMS) l Australian GT Performance Car Championship (for Group 3E GT Performance Cars as defined by CAMS) l Australian GT Championship (for Nations Cup Cars as defined by CAMS) l Australian V8 BRutes Series (for Holden and Ford V8 Utility vehicles generally complying with Group 3E Production Car regulations as defined by CAMS) The successful organisation(s) will act as Series Promoter and/or Commercial Rights Holder to: l organise and promote the championships in conjunction with circuit operators; l arrange sponsorship and media coverage for the championships;

skth in the championship. That got blown out the window after the first weekend m Adelaide. We had an engine problem and then we had more, which have hurt us. MN:You and Glenn Seton have CVs that show the most experience in the team,in terms of V8 Supercar racing ... CL: Yes, but he is an old bugger! MN: Nice! Do the drivers play a leadership role within the team? l act as co-ordinator of the individual racing classes; l provide administrative services to the various competitor groups; and l through its member competitors assist CAMS in the development of sporting and technical regulations for the championships. The preference is to appoint a single organisation as Series Promoter and Commercial Rights Holder for all four Championships/Series and vehicle classes, but submissions relating to individual Championships/Series and/or Vehicle Classes will be considered. Expressions of interest must be accompanied by a non-refundable fee of $500 payable to the Australian Motor Sports Commission Ltd and directed to: Dr R. G. Nethercote

Chief Executive Officer, Confederation of Australian Motor Sport Ltd, PO Box 147 Caulfield East VIC 3145. An information dossier, upon which respondents detailed proposals must be based, will be available from 20 August 2004 and will be distributed to registered parties only. A briefing session for registered interested parties will be held in Sydney on Wednesday 1 September 2004 to provide clarification on the specific requirements, documentation and the criteria against which submissions will be assessed. The deadline for submission of detailed proposals is C.O.B. Friday 30 September 2004. (E.S.T.).

motorsport news

INTERUIEIAf CL: No. Not too late. Nick came out and made some changes but, for me,the issues we face today are going to take some time to get over. I need to be winning races or, if not, being competitive at the front of the field. We all want to do that. The time frame I have in front of me is probably different to that of the team.

MN: Nick obviously explained to you what the changes were going to be - but it wasn't enough? CL: No. You are right. There are a lot of questions still to be answered. For me,it was a hard decision to make. I am very passionate about the guys in the team; I have worked with some of them ever since I have been with Ford - four years. It was a hard decision to make but it was the right decision. It is also the first time I have made a decision like this so early in the season. There are a few firsts for me.

"We have been... disorganised this season and that has really hurt us

-Lowndes still talks straight

V %

ELECTRICAL

OFFICIAL rtACE TEAM MEMC34ANaiSE

MN:In a recent interview [FPR principal] David Flint said that he had not spoken to you about 2005 and that he saw no need to do so in the middle of a season. Did you find that puzzling? CL: If you have a driver that is contracted only until the end of the season, I am sure you would be trying to secure them as quickly as possible. The reason why it did not happen before? I don't know. MN:Just to be clear; was there any discussion about you staying at FPR in 2005 prior to Fry coming to Australia? CL: We started some discussion with David Flint about what the team was going to look like in 2005 ... MN: Were those discussion initiated by you? CL: Yes they were. We have quarterly meetmgs with the race team management and we wanted to know what the team structure was going to look like in the future. There were definitely discussions. MN:Do you feel that you are under a lot of pressure to deliver? CL: Only the pressure that I put on myself. I know that we can do far better than we have done. If I did not think that I could win

CL: Glenn and I feed off each other very well and work together well. We are different as individuals and we are looking forward to driving together at Sandown and Bathurst but we strive to be fast...

championships, I would not be driving racecars. It is a matter of getting ourselves in a position where I get support. I am no different to any driver.

MN:Are you aware that there are a lot of people who have been waiting for you to throw your helmet this season?

MN:I spoke to Mark Skaife a while ago and when he talks about the actual racing, he is visibly passionate about it. You are a bit more laid back than he is. He said his fire was still burning in the belly. Is it still burning in Craig Lowndes's belly? CL: Definitely. There is unfinished business to contend with. There were six successful years with Holden and four years of small success [with Ford]. That is something that annoys me. I would love to deliver the results that Ford deserves.

CL:[Laughs]That will never happen! That is not me. Well, it was me. In my junior ranks,I might have done it once or twice but my father would pack me up and head me home before the weekend was over. I learned quickly that my dummy spits were no good and that the effort to throw a helmet should go into something more constructive towards the team. The last thing I would want is for someone to have a dummy spit. Everyone makes mistakes. It is not the end of the world. MN:I take your point. But Michael Schumacher has the odd throw ... CL: He might have a different make-up to me! MN:[Prodrive MD]Nick Fry spoke to the press at Winton and said one of his priorities was to re sign both drivers. Was it too late by then? 18 August 2004

Ford has put a huge push back into motorsport. I still thoroughly enjoy driving a racecar and I want to deliver the results I think I am capable to delivering. MN:With what you already know about Triple 8, can Craig Lowndes win another championship next year? CL: Definitely. If I did not think that, I would not have made the decision.

ToWINaFASUapwith Team Betta Electrical, look for entryforms in stores! Available atselected Betta Stores,Ford Dealerships andgoodspecialitystores.

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Bpscoe Racer in Waiting

Substantial and sudden changes at Toyota FI have seen Ryan Briscoe promoted to third driver, at a time when his 2005 plans are on a razor's edge. CHRIS LAMBDEN spoke with Briscoe after his first Friday at the ‘office'

motorsport news

INTERVIEW

The other shock news, undoubtedly affecting the driver development programme,came in the lead-up to last weekend when it was announced that FI team manager Ange Pasquali was being moved on. Pasquali was the originator and co ordinator of the driver programme and as such, Briscoe's main mentor. His demise could be a downer for Briscoe. How timely, then, that the young Aussie has a number of opportmiities to show exactly what he can do in the pressure-cooker of Grand Prix Fridays.

YAN Briscoe was on a plane home for a few days with his parents when the brown stuff hit the fan back at Toyota's FI base in Cologne. By the next morning, when he undertook a scheduled chat with a group of Aussie journalists, the rumours from Europe were red hotCristiano da Matta was out. Ricardo Zonta was likely to be in and that meant that, in theory, Briscoe would step up to the plate for the Friday gig at Grands Prix. Wouldn't it?

Faced witli the speculation, Ryan played a straight bat. "I'm not sure ... I haven't heard anything yet..." When you're a young bloke literally on the brink of getting there, you have to play that game ... allow the factory to make the announcement. Within 24 hours,it was confirmed. Ryan's trip home would be shortened, and he'd be heading straight to Hungary for his debut on a Grand Prix Friday. For Briscoe,the timing couldn't be better. The other news from his trip home is confirmation that he has serious hopes of being farmed out for a race seat in 2005 - most likely at Jordan, or Minardi. However - and tliis has surprised a number of people - Ryan and his management have been told they need to find a slice of the budget to make it happen. Now Toyota is a company which last year made a trillion dollar world-wide profit; which has already spent $1 billion on Formula 1. Money isn't necessarily a problem. So what's it aU about? Is it some form of a 'test' for Briscoe? As the first member of Toyota's driver development programme,Briscoe has had Iris career to date ftmded totally by Toyota. Finding backing hasn't been necessary.

the first session was,in my case, basically getting a feel for the car and circuit. Grip was very low to begin with,so it was pointless doing too much work on the car during the first session. "So it was a case of running around, learning the track and waiting for the grip to buUd up.I did 'prepare' a couple of sets of tyres during that session for the second one. "We made a few set-up changes between the sessions and my job was then to do a couple of long runs on those two, different sets. Then,at the

"We've only got two hours to get through everything,so its important to get maximum track time" - Briscoe describes Friday pressure "It's a great feeling being a part of the race team. It is certainly different from normal, day-to-day testing," Ryan told MNews on Saturday. "It makes you feel a lot more involved. It's absolutely imperative that I don't make any mistakes, that we really get the job done. We've only got two hours to get through everything,so it's important to get maximum track time. "At the same time, you've got to perform, to go fast, to provide valid data. So the main difference between Friday and a normal test is that pressure to go fast - but without any mistakes. There are more cars on the track at any one time,so you have to make sure you find some space to get a clear run." Briscoe's debut came at a track which gets little use and is thus fairly slippery at the start of the GP weekend: "This is quite a unique circuit because, when we get here, the circuit is absolutely filthy to begin with, so

end,I was supposed to do a new tyre comparison as well. "In the end, we had a radiator problem wliich cut tlie second session short,so I didn't get to do the new tyre runs. That was unfortimate,from the point of view of trying to get a lap time in, but the overall result was very positive and the team were

happy.

All our cars were on a medium to heavy fuel load throughout Friday,so I was quite happy with how it went. I'd had to learn the track, and so on, but at the end of that first session I was just a couple of tenths off Olivier (Panis). "I still wasn't pushing a hundred percent. It would have been interesting to see how far I could have got up the field in the second session if we'd had the opportunity to run fresh tyres. But that's not the most important thing for Friday." A good first day, then, but tinged with the uncertainty of Pasquali's departure. All of a sudden, there is a

great deal of change happenmg at Toyota: "Ange has been fantastic. He's the one who picked me up from karts and put me into Formula Renault as part of the TDA programme.I'm really sorry to see him go. More so on the eve of my first genuine involvement in a Grand Prix weekend." Will his departure have any detrimental effect on what happens now to Briscoe? "I don't think it should have any impact on my future within Toyota. It may have a bigger effect on the future of the TDA programme,in respect of the young drivers who are currently part of it. "At the moment, the plan is to con tinue the programme, with someone else -I'm not sure who - taking charge of it. For the balance of tliis year, Richard Cregan, tire General Manager of the FI team, will oversee it." Would the 'Friday'job be a good option for 2005 if that's how it parmed out? "Maybe. Possibly. But after one year out of actual racing,I think it's preferable to be racing, most likely with one of the two 'private' teams. Even though it is down at the back of the grid, it is the opportmiity to show what you can do in a race environment. "We're working very, very hard at that possibility at the moment. If I can find the budget, I know I've got a drive..." An FI seat is now so close for Ryan Briscoe that he must be able to smell it. There's only one step left, but it may be a difficult one. Anyone in the corporate world will confirm just how' unsettled things can be when long term management goes and a new broom comes in. There are casualties. For now, Briscoe must make the most of his Fridays. It is his

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BIEP

I ri A

1^. Marcos Ambrose snuffed out an HRT revival to get his championship challenge - ^ back on course at Oran Park, as MARK GLENDENNING reports I

EASON 2004 has been a mixed bag for most of the V8 Supercar Championship contenders thus far- as illustrated by the fact that, on the eve of the enduros, we can still write things like 'most of the Championship contenders'rather than 'the guy who has won the past seven races'. But after a couple of rounds that have seen some of the heavyweights KO'd, Oran Park hosted a straightout, nose-to-nose fight between the Stone Brothers Falcon of Marcos Ambrose and HRT's Mark Skaife. Skaife had the edge in outright speed all weekend,taking pole position and an assertive win in the opening race. He only put a foot wrong once over the entire weekend, but it was enough to hand the second race, and round win (due to the extra points on offer in Race 2)to Ambrose. "It's been a great day," said Ambrose-after his second Oran Park win in as many years. "We've been fighting this weekend -it seems that we made it pretty hard for ourselves on the Friday and Saturday before in ^

LJi f ,

t n

qualifying. But we've bounced back and given ourselves a great day." "The whole weekend was a good sign for us," said Skaife. "I made two bad starts, but the car speed was good enough to come back." And right behind them was Jason Bright, who overcame one of the most bizarrely sinister beginnings to a race weekend in V8 Supercar history to again score a bundle of points and retain his lead in the Championship. "This certainly wasn't an easy track for us to come to after we struggled here last year," said Bright. "It's not a surface that our car likes. To go w'ell here, we were going to work pretty hard to try a lot of things, and as it turned out we still bagged some good points." On paper, it was a weekend with it all- acts of sabotage, an experimental new pitstop window,an unusual 2 x 140km race format,a Championship contender taking to the track after having had virtually no sleep the night before, and herds of drivers misjudging grip levels with sometimes costly results. In fact, about the only things missing were decent racing at the front of the field - a bUght that, historically, has been an imfortimate characteristic of the circuit on Sydney's south-western outskirtsand the crowd, which was 10,000 down on last year's three-day figure. But hey, you can't have everything.

Race 1(54 laps) After the freezing had blasted down thewinds main that straight over the preceding two days, the gods turned on a reasonably pleasant backdrop for the serious part of the weekend. The field tootled out first thing in the morning for the regular Sunday warm-up session, and aside from the occasional car-meets-gravel incident, things were proceeding uneventfully ... until Glenn Seton's FPR Falcon got out of shape and whacked some tyres. "It was totally my fault," Seton shrugged. "If it had just hit the tyres, I would have been OK. There would have been some panel damage,but I could have driven back to the pits and we could have sorted it out. But here, the tyre barriers are attached really strongly to the ground,and when I hit them they brought up a drain cover that ripped out the underneath of the car." Seton's car was rushed back to the garage, where the team set about some marathon repair work.In just 35 minutes,the #5 Falcon was fitted out with a new front-right upright, upper and lower control arms,gearbox and engine coolers, the driver's door,the

continued on page 42

'●

{^brose

►i

BIGP%MD' Qualifying

All Red and Al

ITH the exception of 2003,the Holden Racing Team have all but owned and operated Oran Park. Whether in qualifying or on race day. Team Red have enjoyed a glorious era at the Sydney circuit, and last weekend, Mark Skaife and Todd Kelly added another marvellous statistic to the team's impressive OP scorecard. It's not a strange sight to see both the HRT Commodores on the front row of the grid there, and in 2004, it isn't uncommon to hear Skaife talk about his team's tough fortunes, but at a place that has treated them kindly since the mid-90s, Skaife absolutely revelled. "We've been fortunate to be at the front of the grid quite regularly this year but haven't got a result yet," he said after his 34th career pole. "We've had a great record here in terms of making the car look after it's rear tyres and probably have been the benchmark team in that respect over the last five years." As good as Skaife and Kelly's 1-2 was, no one could begrudge the efforts of Simon Wills. The Team Dynamik star qualified third, his highest ever V8 starting position and after an up and down season. Wills was understandably chuffed.

"I'm rapt," glowed the former Konica Minolta champion. "It's been a fantastic weekend for us. This year has been a bit of a struggle, we usually have one good session followed by two or three bad ones. This weekend has been far more consistent." Another Kiwi to score Saturday glory was Jason Richards. The Tasman Motorsport driver finished the shoot out in fourth place, and at his home track, was confident that he could turn his career best qualifying into a career best race result.

Practice/Quaiifying Grip levels vary from yearattoOran year, Park day to day, or even in the most extreme cases, hour to hour. These scenarios make it very difficult to ensure you have a

balanced car under your butt when it's time to set a quick lap The consensus was that grip levels have somewhat decreased in the past year, and the consistency of fast lap times reflected their views. New tyres could mask the problem initially, but worn rubber made the words 'understeer' and 'oversteer' popular at team debriefs. Not many squads were able to wheel out their cars and instantly find speed. But there were the lucky few, and all of them were Holden outfits. Paul Morris claimed initial bragging rights in the first session on Friday by setting quickest time. Morris struck set-up gold immediately and it paid great dividends. In every session, the black and orange Commodore was inside the top 10 and he never looked like

missing the Shootout. By the end of qualifying he was sitting comfortably in the top five. "Horsepower isn't vital here like some of the other places we run at," he said. "That's why I think we've been good here in the past." Wills was another of very few to hit the set-up nail on the head early. The #44 car ran faultlessly at the front of the field in every session, and he even went as far as saying that it was the best time he has had in the car. Marcos Ambrose set the first benchmark time in qualifying proper and held the top spot until the Holden trend at the top of the time sheets continued. Rick Kelly, who hovered at the top all weekend, banged his Kmart machine to provisional pole with little over a minute to go. His first sector was unbeatable, and even a late rollcentre change and a new set of boots for Skaife were not enough to knock Rick from the top. Skaife finished the session third behind Ambrose, who with Ingall, were the only other Ford runners in the top 10. In fact, by the end of qualifying, there were only four Falcons in the first 15. Jason Bright completed no laps on Friday after a jammed throttle sidelined the championship leader. The team elected to change the engine, fearing that some damage had been sustained to their number one donk. But beside the lack of track time. Bright was quickly on the pace and ended qualifying in fourth place. A recent test day for Tasman helped Jason Richards claim eighth on their home-turf. The team and Richards were rapt, but their best was yet to come .. . Todd Kelly was perhaps the most fortunate of the top 10 qualifiers. The HRT driver

Early Flyer; Morris topped Friday and proved it was no fluke with fifth in qualifying. g Quick Rick's Slick Trick: I Kelly led the way in the regular f session but fell all the way back to 3.' eighth in the shoot-out. motorspoit news

I Black I'

VBSCS Round 8 Pds/Nd

SUPERCARS

Oran Park, NSW

Dr i ve r

j c

15 1 2

Rick Kelly Marcos Ambrose Mark Skaife

'Kniart Racing Team Commodore VY Pirtak Store Brothers Racing Falcon BA

4 5 6 7

50 29 44 9 3

Jason Bright Paul Morris Simon Wills

9 10

51 22

11 12 13 14

34 33 23

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 EXC

31 6 5 21 16 021 20 7 43 14” 18 45 48 75 24 12

a ir/team | T i me

iHolden ?tecinegTeam Commodore VY PV/R Pepforrmance Products Commodore VY SIrrmnet Life^^Style, Wine Commodore VY Roadshtps/Aitphawest/World Ind Commodore VY Caltax Havoiine Stone Brothers Falcon BA

Russell Ingall Jason Richards

Tasman 'Mctorrsport Commodore VY ●Knuit Racing Team Commodore VY

Greg Murphy Todd Kelly Garth Tander Cameron McConville David Besnard Max Wilson Steven Richards

Holden Racing Team Commodore VY "Repoo ValvoliimeCummins GRM Commodore VY Pepco Vaivoilire Cummins GRM Commodore VY WPSFa(con BtA

Jason Bargwanna Steven Johnson

Betta Electri&al Triple 8 Falcor^BA_ Castro! Perkir^s Motorsport Commodore VY Larkkom Oircrcn Racing Falcon BA Shell Helix Ratcing Falcon BA

Steve Ellery Craig Lowndes Glenn Seton

Super Cheap ;Muto Racing Falcon BA CAT Ford Psrfx)rmance Racing Falcon BA rordPerfomaanca Racing Falcon BA

Brad Jones Paul Weel

OzEmoil -RaciragTeam Falcon BA PWR Per-^rmaanca Products Commodore VY

Craig Baird Paul Radisich Mark WInterbottom

Team Kiwi Racing Commodore VY Betta Electrical Triple 8 Falcon BA Larkhum Ornxon Racing Falcon BA Castroi Perkiras Motorsport Commodore VX

Tony Longhurst Fabian Coulthard ^WllJOavison Warren Luff Dale Brede Mark Noske Paul Dumbrell Anthony Tratt Garth Walden John Bowe

TOP TEN

Tasman Mctoirsport Commodore VX Team Dynamic Commodore VY

1:08J205 1:00.8269 1:08.9250 1:08.9880 1:09.0533 1:09.0538 1:09.0645 1:09.1197 1:09.1616 1:09.1640 1:09.1807 1:09.2391 1:09.2607

(

^9.2641 1:09.2981 1:09.3148 1:09.3518 1:09.5242 1:09.6125 j:0;M583 2:09.6983 1:09.7014 1:09.7189 1:09.7480 1:09.7879 1:09.9444 1;09.9467~ 1:09.9765

Shell Helix Ra'cing Falcon BA

1:10^110 Roadships/ALphawest/World Ind Commodore VY _210.1043 WPS Falcon 1:1o!2073 1:10.2349 Castroi Perkiras Motorsport Commodore VY 1:10.5559 Toll RaclTig Ca mmodore VY 1:10.8383 Romano ‘Racintg Falcon AU OzEmoil Racir*BgT3am Falcon BA

SHODTOUT RESULTS

. 1

Skaife

2 3

Kelly T Wills

33.1926 33.3153

53.9984

lm09.3785

33.2440

53.9621

4 5

Richards] Ambrose

33.4809

54.0125

1m09.4380 1m09.3785

33.0960

6 7

Bright' ~ Morris

33.4262 33.5427

54.0771 54.2262

Kelly R

Ingall

Murphy

53.8237

1m09.5286

1m09.5286 1rn09.5902

54.5185

1m09.5902

33.4070

54.2558

1m09.8503

33.6302

54.4349

1m09.8594

33.7069

54.5185

1m10.0653

BIB P%M D

encountered clutch and set up dramas in the opening practice sessions but found impressive gain after a productive debrief. "We all sat down and had a think about where we were with the car," he mused, "and we made some really good changes and it was enough to make it better balanced." The hard luck stories though 18 August 2004

1 2 3

Number 2 follows number 1: Not this time. Skaife was red-hot in the shoot-out to plant the HRT Commodore alongside bis team-mate. Inspector Gadget: Wills led an all-Kiwi Row 2. Bledisloe Cup revenge?

r U ALIFYIN G J

that his car was finally fast, but was kicking himself for his own mistakes. He would start 13th, "We should have been in the top 10 but I was making silly mistakes," Bezzy said. "It's been a while since I've had a good car and I've been used to overdriving. I didn't need to overdrive it, the car I was spot-on." I Craig Lowndes had some I 'not-so kind' words for Anthony' Tratt. Lowndes struggled to came from below the top 10. piece together a quick time all The Winton-winning team of session and was left with one Garry Rogers Motorsport last shot, but Tratt (who was finished qualifying 11th and also out to improve on his time).: 12th, both drivers ruing their clearly slowed him. Craig was chance at a shoot out berth. not impressed. McConville set his quickest Supercar debutant Fabian time early in his session before Coulthard used the practice being caught out with wrong sessions to find his feet in the tyre pressures on his second V8 ranks and did a sound job. set of tyres. Even after a clash with Greg David Besnard was thrilled Murphy, which restricted botih

www.bigpond.com.au caf their track time, Coulthard cjualified 27th. Not great on paper, but ahead of some established regulars .. . John Bowe's major gripe was locked brakes but he would htave started the race from 18th until the Tasmanian accidentally drove past the compulsory weighbridge in pit lane. He was si.ummoned to start Race 1 from the back of the grid.

Top 10 Shootout

he first sector won and lost many of the drivers their spot an the first few rows of the grid. With the high speed approach to the dust-plagued turn one and two, time could be won if you g.ot it right or lost if you didn't. Skaife pulled it off brilliantly by bf-eing the only man to better his fi.Tst sector time from qualifying. continued on page 42 41

continued from page 41 Even though the rest of his lap wasn't as flash, his smooth first sector and a pair of green rear tyres ensured his place on PI. T. Kelly has made a habit of qualifying at the bottom of the top 10 and starting the race at the front of the grid. A clean lap, despite a big understeer mid way through secured HRT's one-two. Wills scored his best qualifying position (third), while fellow Kiwi Jason Richards made it a great day all around for the Nevy Zealand folk. JR had a small lock up at turn one, but pressed on undeterred for fourth. Bright encountered a spectacular sideways moment through turn one, but recovered for sixth. Morris was unable to reproduce his practice heroics, but like Skaife, opted for two new rear tyres. Both Bright and Morris's main thoughts were on race day. Rick Kelly was the big loser, dropping from first to eighth after a below-average run through the first two sectors. All things considered though, his lap was night and day better than his team-mate Murphy, whose lap would have been terrific if he was competing at Parramatta Speedway. He caught the curb on the exit of turn two and survived a major slid at turn eight. The Kiwi's efforts were hampered by the fact that he used the best of his tyres to make the shoot out. It wasn't pretty. But as they say in the classics, pay day is on Sunday. ? - GRANT ROWLEY

1 g Line astern: Todd Kelly jumped the boss at the start on race one, but it I wasn't long before Skaife slipped past with little resistance. Unhappy camper: Murph had a weekend he would rather forget.

continued from page 38 j

rotor, the right sideskirt, and the front guard ... only to have pitlane close for the start of the first race less than two minutes before they were finished. Seton gritted his teeth and took up the role of unhappy spectator. Joining him in the grandstand for the first race was Will Davison, whose Team Dynamik Commodore was having a new engine installed after being pitched into the sand by a sudden power steering problem during the warm-up.Two races into his V8 Supercar career, Davo was still yet to complete race lap at speed after previously suffering clutch problems on the startline at Winton. Skaife bogged down and spun his Dunlops on the startline, putting him under immediate threat from the fast¬ starting Todd Kelly and even fasterstarting Jason Richards as the field aimed at turn one. Todd got the better of his boss and assumed the lead. while Richards ran side-by-side with Skaife through the first comer before finally settling into third place. Miraculously, everybody beliind them made it through tlie initial

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motorspori news

Kiss on the lip: Garth Tander lets Russell Ingall know he's there ... Powering back: After a bizarre start to the weekend, Jason Bright came back strongly to finish third and retain his championship lead.

couple of bends in one piece and. although a few cars(such as those of Max Wilson, Cameron McConville and Paul Morris) were already showing varying degrees of battle damage,nobody's machinery had been mortally wounded. Yet. Out at the front, it was like 2002 all over again. Two red cars had a clear track stretching out before them,and within a couple of laps they had already driven away and left Richards to worry about what was behind him rather than what was aliead. He had good cause for concern. Despite his pre-race optimism about tire Tasman Motorsport VY's chances. continued on page 45

MOTORSPORT

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DZ02G

m .11^ c

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continued from page 43 the Commodore was obviously lacking a bit of mumbo down the straight and before long he was heading a queue tliat included Simon Wills, Ambrose and Bright. Wills forced the door open on lap five,leaving Richards stranded on the outside of the racing line through turn three. Before he knew what had hit him,Ambrose and Bright had also fired past, and in the blink of an eye the likeable Kiwi had been demoted to sixth. The balance of power in HRT's grip on tire race lead swung in favour of the guy who signs the cheques when Skaife passed Kelly for PI at turn 2 of lap 12,but other than that there was precious little movement among the top handful until Rick Kelly spun and beached himself on tire 15th lap, prompting what would remarkably be tire oiily Safety Car period for the whole day. Rick, who had been in lltlr place after running inside the top 10 for the early part of the race, had started the day in substantially less than tip-top form after an illness had kept him up virtually aU of the previous evening. "This is not the day that you want to be crook," he understated. The new pitstop window between laps 20 and 30 effectively neutralised any real strategic aspect to the race, but for what it was worth it was Todd who steered in for some new boots at the first opportunity, heading a train made up of almost a third of the field and including the likes of Ambrose, Steve Richards and Garth Tander. Skaife made his stop a couple of laps later and rejoined just ahead of his teammate,who was already weathering intense pressure from Ambrose. The reigning Champion took advantage of a minor slip from Todd on the 39th lap to relieve him of second place, but the horse had effectively bolted. Skaife was never more than a few seconds ahead,but it might as well have been half an hour. The red car had the edge in speed, and the leading pair tip-toed through the traffic to greet the chequered flag with a shade under 3.0s separating them. The battle for third was a little more eventful. Having lost out to Ambrose,Todd now had his hands full trying to do sometlnng about RusseU Ingall(who had marched through the field from 10th)and Bright. And to make matters worse,Kelly was also battUng with some flat-spotted rubber. With just tliree laps remaining, IngaU managed to pick his way past Kelly for P3 at turn two,leaving Bright to rub a little salt into Todd's wound by opportunistically sliding past as well, dumping the #22 car back to fifth. The trio finished in that order,just ahead of Jason Bargwanna, who had a 18 August 2004

Costly nudge: Steve Richards was penalised 25 seconds for tapping Bargwanna's Orrcon Falcon into a spin, dropping the title contender from sixth to 11th. Lucky this time: John Bowe escaped without sanction for this incident with David Besnard although he did apologise! cracking race in the LMS Orrcon Falcon, with Jason Richards, Cameron McConviUe,Paul Weel and Steve Richards. "We're struggling with grip," said Richo after the race."Front and rear. It was a tough outing by Richo's recent standards,but there was a crowd of people behind him who were far worse off. Pitstop dramas killed the chances of Greg Murphy,Simon Wills and Paul Morris, who had all shown flashes of speed during the race, while the similarly quick Gartlr Tander's race was knocked on its head when he was called in for a drive-through after tapping Jason Richards in pitlane. Promising performances from John Bowe and David Besnard came to nought when the former thwacked the latter. Craig Lowndes'hopes of a top 10 finish were dashed when the FPR CAT Falcon tripped down the steep drop inside the last comer while chasing Besnard. Lowndes recovered from his half-spin and pressed on, only to make a hard stop by the side of the track half a lap later to dislodge a chunk of polystyrene from a sponsor's sign that had wedged into his grille.

Wilson would still have traded places with him. After overcoming a smoking tyre caused by a tap at turn one, the Brazilian endured aU sorts of adventures in the Triple 8 Team Betta Electrical BA before the Falcon finally cried 'enough' and he pulled into the garage on lap 20. Steve Johnson, meanwhile,croaked out of pitlane in a DJR Falcon that was suffering from a broken universal joint for the final lap to salvage some points after pulling in for a spell in the garage when the problem was first detected.

Race 2(54 laps) with the morning's Compared dramas,the t 'main'race was a relatively straightforward affaironce the first couple of laps were out of the way. Starting from pole, Skaife was again slow off the line and fell victim to a great start from Ambrose, who swept into the lead. From Skaife's perspective,it could have been worse.

as he was very nearly overhauled by Ingall and Todd as well. With Ambrose and Skaife having established themselves at the front, the pair predictably skipped away into the distance and set the tone for the afternoon. There was little more than a cigarette paper between them right through the first stint, and they were still nose-to-tail when the pit window opened on lap 20 and Ambrose pointed his car towards pitlane. It was here that the race was won and lost when Skaife overcooked it trying to chase Marcos into the pit entry and just managed to pull the Commodore up and avert a disaster. It was a significant moment,not only in terms of the race result, but also because, once again, HRT's hopes had been scuppered by a driving error. "I was keen to gain some ground,' Skaife explained. continued on page 46 45

●'i

VBSCS Round B □ ran Park, Race

NSW

LAPS

Pos 1 Driver | Race Time | Fastest | Lap 1

Skaife

1:05:46.1497

1:09.5756’

Ambrose

1:05:48.9403 1:06:02.9077

1:10.3048 ^ 9 1:10.3026 25

4 5

Bright T. Kelly

1:06:03.8073

1:10.1281

1:06:17.7831

1:09.8462

Bargwanna

1:06:18.3546

1:10.74 6 6

7 8

J. Richards _ McConville

Weel

1:06:18.5848_1:10.3663 3 1:06:18.8168 1:10.6228 _3 1:06:19.1287 " 1:10.5606' 3o'

10 S. Wchards

1:06:19.2505

1:10.3014

11 Morphy 12 Bowe

1:06:23.6623 1;06:25.9858 "

1:10.6294 J 1:10.3418" 29

13 Morris

1:06:29.0930'" 1:10.4679

14 Radisich

1:06:30.1285

1:10.7181

32'

15 Wills

1:06:32.8780

1:10.3262

16 LonghufSt

1:06:37.7651

1:11.0215

17 Ellery 18 Dumbrell

l:06j38.2811 ^ 1:10.2494 24 1:06:39.0805 1:10.6026 33

19 Lowndes

1:06:39.0912

1:10.4981

20_ J^s 21 Tander

1:06:39.3169

1:10.7584 23

1:06:39.9005

1:10.3499 25

22 Tran

1:06:45.2581

1:10.9908 29

23 Winterbotiom

1:06:45.9143 1:06:46.2123

1:11.1253 30 1:10.8187 28

25 Brede

1:06:46.7973

1:10.6945 28

26 Besnard

#1:06:57.7964

1:10.6297 31

27 Noske 28 Walden

^5Jlaps 53 laps

1:10.^75 32 1:11.8930 33

29 Coulthard

53 laps

1:11.0486 28

30 R. Kelly 31 Baird

52 laps

1:10.5532

52 laps

1:11.1317 35

24 Luff

32 Johnson DNFWilson

43 laps

1:11.2311

20 laps

1:11.3758

RACiE; .2

LARS

PQS 1 DRIVER [ RACE TIME | FASTEST

Ambrose

2 3 4 5

Skaife _ Bright Ingall Weel

Wills

7 8

T. Kelly J. Richards

9 R. Kelly” 10 Morris 11

S. Richards

12 Murphy 13 Radisich 14

Bargwanna

15_Baird 16 Longhurst 17 Johnson 18 Bowe 19 Coulthard 20 Luff ^ Seton 22 McConville 23 Dumbrell 24 Tratt 25 Brede _ 26 Lowndes ^ Noske 28 Tander 29 Ellery 30 Besnard 31 Jones DNFWilson DNFWinwrbottom DNF Walden EXC Davison

| LAP

1:04:39.5906 1:04:43.9622 1:05:06.7731

1:10.1559 1:10.0677 1:10.2362

28 30 31

1:05:12.3330

1:10.6022

1:05:14.8564 1:05:18.9040

1:10.6685 ^-28 1:09.9280 30*

Jj05:22.8737 1:05:23.4263 1:05:33.6495 1:05:38.7786 #1:05:41.0767

1:10.7378 1:10.2712 1:10.5162 1:10.6690 1:10.3453

5 29 31 27 26

1:05:42.3215 53 laps 53 laps 53 laps 53 laps

1:10.9_109 1:11.5841 1:10.7445 1:10.4980 1:10.8854

7 31 26 29 29

53 laps 53 laps 53 laps

1:11.3891 1:11,2557 1:11.0274

29 23 25

53 laps 53 laps

1:11.3531 1:10.5830

29 38

53 laps 53 laps

1^0.94J0 1:11.5783

28 32

53 laps

1:10.9670

52 laps 52 laps 52 laps

1:10.9351 1:10.6912 1:12.0612

52 laps

1:10,9440

51 laps 51 laps

1:10.4713 1:11.4416

30 40

47 laps

1:10.8079

38 laps 11 laps 1 lap 51 laps

1:10.3^2 1:11.9732 1:36.4729 1:11.7328

32 5

25 39 29

# Race times include 25s time p^alties

BI G P%Nl D

www.bigpond.com.au

Life's not so good; Max Wilson pushed hard but came away from the weekend with two DNFs. continued from page 45 "It's always an advantage to be the second guy into pitlane behind the lead guy. I was keen to gain some ground, and I was just gaining a bit too much I was going to spear the botir of us into the pit (wall). And that was the end of it When Skaife retiu-ned to the buck after making his stop a lap later, the sHp-up had handed Ambrose an advantage of aroimd 3.0s. Tire thing about champions is they usually make tire most of a bonus like that it - which Ambrose did. Lapped traffic prevented the gap from seriously blowing out, but nothing short of a Safety Car was going to get Skaife back onto Ambrose's rear wing, and the SBR car duly greeted the chequered flag at the end of the race with a cusliion of around 4s on its rival. The battle for the final podium spot was similarly one-sided. After dislodging IngaU from fourth early on. Bright spent the first half of the race chasing Todd aromid before making the only real attempt to squeeze some tactical advantage out of tire pitstop window by leaving it late-ish to throw on some new rubber. VBSCS POINTS Points: Bright 1308, Ambrose 1295, S. Richards 1261, R. Kelly 1197, Ingall 1159, Murphy 1108, T. Kelly 1059, Tander 975, Bowe 836, Bargwanna 790, Radisich 763, Skaife 759, Morris 733, Weel 725, McConville 680, Dumbrell 680, Baird 670, Longhurst 662, Seton 659, Johnson 648, J. Richards 628, Jones 621, Winterbotiom 592. Trail 572, Luff 552, Lowndes 513, Wilson 504, Wills 499, Ellery 482, Besnard 428, Noske 304, Brede 292, McFadyen 90. Walden 81, Porter 58, Coulthard 54.

"We were basically just trying to get some better tyres towards the end," Bright said. "The car wasn't looking after its tyres as weU as we would have liked, so we drought we'd give them an extra six laps grace. We were hoping for a Safety Car because we knew that our tyres were still at their best and the guys at the front had stopped a few laps earlier, and that was going to be our only clrance." Bright's surge coincided with an increasmg battle that Todd was having with balance problems in the #22 car. The PWR Commodore took care of Kelly to secure third on lap 33, and drove on alone to dre finish line. It was a remarkable reversal of fortune for Bright, who had lost 90 minutes of track time on Friday due to an engine failure that the team later blamed on sabotage, much to the consternation of the paddock. (See news pages). IngaU secured a bundle of points for an assertive fourtii place ahead of Weel and Wills, who also claimed fastest lap as confirmation of the pace that the Dynamik cat had been carrying all weekend. Todd Kelly was seventh ahead of Jason Richai'ds and Rick Kelly, who had driven superbly in light of his earlier condition (and grid position), with tire final spot in the top 10 going to Paul Morris. Also worthy of note was debutante Fabian Coultiiard, who pushed the #43 Commodore being prepared by Tasman Motorsports up to 19th. As always, tirere were plenty left to rue what might have been.

Jason Bargwanna was convinced that a top five position would have been on the cards had be not been donged from behind by Steve Richards on lap 3. The dash spun Bargs right back through the field and, while Richo was able to motor on unharmed, he was later handed a 25s penalty that dropped Irim from eighth to 11th. Compounding an unhappy race for Larkham Motor Sport, Mark Winterbotiom was a DNF after sustaining tyre and rim damage on lap 11. Elsewhere, Lowndes and Tander were both on the back foot early on when they were forced to pit after contact on the first lap, wlrile Wilson again battled an array of dramas before parking the #888 Falcon on lap 38 with broken left-front suspension. "It's a weekend I'd prefer to forget," he rued later. "My worst result ever, I tiiink." Paul Radisich kept Betia's flag flying with a busy weekend that kept him within sight of the top 10 despite the Rat losing his power steering in the second race. And so we find ourselves staring dowm the barrel of the endurance races and wondering where the first half of the year has gone. Tlie only real pattern that has been set for the season so far is a vague sense that just about anytiring can happen, and never is that more true than at the long-distance races. Sandown has the potential to turn the Championship battle on its head in any nmnber of ways. Come September, is there anyw'here other than Melbomne that you really want to be? motorspcrl news

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HEN one thinks of great races, you tend to think of great race tracks. Visions of Monza,SpaFrancochamps or Indianapolis spring to mind. That is not hard to understand. It is easier to be inspired by flat-out sweeps than stop-go corners; better yet if such visions include changes in elevation, such as Spa's daunting Eau Rouge,where the hairs on the back of the neck stand on end and one clearly sees what it is that makes Grand Prix drivers different to us mortal men. None of these thoughts occur at the Hungaroring. Budapest might be a grand city (or, rather, parts of it are grand-ish) but the dinky little track on the outskirts of town inspires one to think of what time the plane leaves and how long it will take to exit the car park, rather than generating memories to last a lifetime. In 2003, that changed somewhat when Fernando Alonso became the youngest GP winner of the modern era and, in the process, humiliated Michael Schumacher by lapping him on the way to victory. 48

This time around, Schumacher extracted cruel revenge. In cooler than normal conditions, and abetted by a track washed clean by heavy overnight rain, Michael won the start, blasted off into the distance and won his 82nd career GP. As if to back up Ferrari's and Bridgestone's supremacy, Rubens Barrichello took:second place in an efficient yet unobtrusive manner, leaving Alonso to win the Michelin 'class' in third place. It was by no means a memorable race, but one likely to be blurred in the future as just another Schumacher crush. The grid wasthe pretty team by team, apart from poormuch performances of Jarno Trulli and Felipe Massa's problems and the fact that the Jaguars and Toyotas were mixed up. No-one had any big illusions about Sunday. Schumacher should walk it. And he duly did ... It would be nice to be able to write an eloquent race report about the Hungarian Grand Prix but there really was not a whole lot that can be said. For Formula 1,

it wasn't pretty. At the end of the first lap the order was Schumacher, Barrichello, Alonso, Juan Montoya,Jenson Button, Jarno Trulli, Kimi Raikkonen, Takuma Sato, Giancarlo Fisichella and Antonio Pizzonia. The race took 94 minutes and the order at the finish was Schumacher, Barrichello, Alonso, Montoya, Button, Sato, Pizzonia and Fisichella. The story was very simple. Nothing happened after the first lap sorting out, Trulli and Raikkonen retired from the race with mechanical troubles and Pizzonia's overtaking of Fisichella was done when the two cars were on different pit stops and no-one really noticed. And that was it. The Ferrari mechanics fiddled with a refuelling machine that was not apparently working - but that did not affect the race. Ross Brawn ate a banana but even his brain was not being taxed. Michael was on his mission to destroy the opposition and he did it. There were no prisoners and no time being wasted. Michael was ruthlessly efficient. Alonso might have lapped him last year but he was very focussed on turning the tables motorsport news

FORMULA ONE

- ’I

l-i.

this year. By the end of the race, the massacre was complete. This is all fine and dandy but as a show it was utterly hopeless. It was Ferrari's seventh 1-2s in 13 races. It was Schumacher's 12th win in 13th races (a new record) but perhaps the most telling of them all was that Michael ended the day with 82 Grand Prix victories, twice as many as the late Ayrton Senna achieved in his lifetime. You cannot blame Michael for being good and abusing the other teams is a waste of time. They are just not competent at the moment up against the machine that is Ferrari. The problem is that records in FI are now meaningless because the numbers are all skewed. Schumacher has won all these races but is he really better than Jim Clark once was? Little Jean Todt says that he is employed 18 mgBst 2004

to do the best job he possibly can and he does not care about the damage he does to the sport. He gets rich and he makes Ferrari richer. And just as Todt will not compromise, nor will the others and so nothing happens; nothing changes. What no-one seems to understand is that Formula 1 is being gradually pushed back in the list of glamorous sports because it is not willing to adapt and grow. Ferrari says no to a change in testing; McLaren blocks this; the small teams block that. It is all just a horrible mess because of all the lack of understanding of what is important. Formula 1 needs to have a makeover. The complete lack of understanding and acceptance is such that the FI bosses do not even understand that the opposition to them is not other teams but the other sports and entertainments that are

available to the couch potatoes out in the real world. It did not help that the track makes passing almost impossible. The track has never been good in this respect. The action we saw at Hockenheim recently could not be repeated because the track and the cars would not allow it. But the Hungarians have no money to upgrade the track because they have given it all to Bernie. What is needed most of all is a complete change in attitude to the demands of FI. And so Ferrari took the world title in a world of discontent. For the sixth consecutive year. There was little to add to that. All the other teams could manage were poor excuses. "Ferrari was unbeatable today," said Flavio Briatore. Just as Renault was last year. But that is of small comfort,just now ... 49

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Just another coo T

HERE was nothing wrong with the show that Formula 1 produced on Saturday in Budapest. One lap qualifying may go wrong sometimes but the run off in Hungary was great stuff, with rain clouds threatening and everyone very aware that qualifying is vital as overtaking is almost impossible at the Hungaroring. There were no second chances. The pre-qualifying session had produced some rather odd times and it looked as though some of the drivers had been going deliberately less-thanquicklyto position themselves at the start of the final one lap dashes. This was a great deal more subtle than some of the tactics we saw at Silverstone and seemed to be evidence that drivers have been told not to make a big fuss about such situations because of the detrimental effect it had on the sport. People want to know that they are getting what they are paying for. To start with, it looked as

though the new Bridgestone tyres had made all the difference but seeing Saubers up with Ferraris looked too odd to be real. Tyres are probably the single most important element in Formula 1 these days and the wrong choice of rubber or a wrong weather forecast can destroy a weekend. And, as has seemed to be the case so far in 2004, the weather gods came to the party. While we were prepared for high temperatures, as usual, the ambient hit only around 23 for the session, about 10 shy of what usually happens in Budapest at this time of year. Where is the heat when you want it? I am sure that the Michelin-shod drivers would have gladly swapped their weather for that which the cyclists endured in Athens ...

going to be hot) backfired badly. The temperatures in qualifying were low and the cars refused to handle. McLaren was out of the picture not just for the qualifying but for the race as well. The team admitted that its tyre choice had been incorrect. But the thing that is most important these days is not outright speed over one lap but rather the consistent ability of the tyres to produce lap times. When on Saturday morning the Ferraris started doing longer runs,the other teams knew that they were all wasting their time. "Ferrari is going win this by

a mile," said one top engineer. "We cannot get near them in race trim. They are just too consistent." The writing was on the wall. Hungary is a race which has a rather special meaning to Michael Schumacher. Last year he was beaten at the Hungaroring - not just beaten but destroyed. He was lapped by Fernando Alonso, humiliated. And Michael was going to set the record straight. The gloves were coming off. Michael was going to be ruthless. There would be no let up. No cruising to the finish. Ferrari was going to murder the opposition to

cLaren had high hopes of a good showing but the decision to go on harder rubber (because Sunday was

Some good news for BAR:Sato and Button put the team's recent troubles behind them with an all-Honda row fMO but no-one beat Schumacher...

t' >

FORMULA

irnn

Grand Prix of

\ Hungary

day in 2004

August 14 2004 1 M Schumacher(D) Scuderia Ferrari Maribofo j , 1:19.146 2 R Barrlchelto(BRA) Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 1:19.323 +0.177

I 1-1

ri:I

Lucky Strike BAR Honda 1:19.693 + 0.547 9 J Button (GB) , Lucky Strike BAR Honda : 1:19.700 +0.554 8 F Alonso(E) Mild Seven Renault FI Team 1:19.996 + 0.850

E A Plzzonla (BRA1

BMW WiliiamsFI Team 1:20.170 + 1.024

oj w

wm [HW

3JPMontoya (CO) BMW WiliiamsFI Team 1:20.199 + 1.053 11 GFIslchella(l)

.■ ;

Sauber Petrpnas,, 1:20.324 + 1.178 7 J Trulli (1) Mild Seven Renault F1 Team. 1:20.411 + 1.265 6KRalkk6non(FIN) West McLaren Mercedes ■ 1:20.570 + 1.424 14 M Webber (AUS) Jaguar Racing 1:20.730 + 1.584

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5 D CouUhard (GB) West McLaren Mercedes 1:20.897 ' +1.751

We miss Ralf (really): Pizzonia came through in qualifying, taking a row three spot from team-mate Montoya. to beat him but was twoalthough he set the heartbeats tenths behind. The Ferraris haywire in the BAR garage when he stuck a wheel on the were clearly in a class of the ir own. dirt at very high speed. He The other performance of held the lap together. note was that of Antonio He admitted later that he Pizzonia. After failing to set the might have gone faster but track alight in Germany, the was quite clear on one matter: Brazilian impressed everyone there was no way he was except Juan Montoya, who going to beat the Ferraris. With almost nonchalant ease found himself one spot behind his team-mate... Michael took pole position by - JOE SAWA RD half a second. Barrichello tried

expunge the bad memories. The Ferraris were the last to run and so the mark was set by Fernando Alonso, who beat Mark Webber's early session best by eight-tenths of a second. Alonso's time lasted only until Jenson Button went to work in his BAR-Honda and took two-tenths off the Renault time. Takuma Sato then beat Button's best by a tiny margin

J-

17QPanis (F) Panasonic Toyota Racing 1:21.068 + 1.922 ISCKlIen (A) Jaguar Racing ■ 1:2l'.il8 + 1.972

iSRZonta (BRA) Panasonic Toyota Raong + 1.989 L._. 1:21.135

( I

18 N Heidfold (D) Jordan Ford 1:22.160 +3.034 19GPantano (I) Jordan Ford 1:22.356 +3.210

21 Z Baumgartner (HUN] Minardi Coswprlh 1:24.329 + 5.183 20GBruni(l) Minardi Cpswqrth 1:24.679 + 5.533 12FMassa (BR; Sauber Petronas No time

Hungary for Changes

PAOLO FILISETTI looks at the new Williams nose -and other new FI tweaks

I :

EVEN if Budapest is nothing like Monte Carlo, the H ungaroring places the same kind of demands on an FI car as does Monaco. Both tracks have short straights and twisting corners so many cars feature additional profiles to the rear wing and, due to the usual high temperatures, wide air vents to improve the engine cooling. Even more than usual, fuel loads are critical, with each 10 kilos of fuel increasing the lap times by about 0.4s, instead of the usual 0.3s. Many of the manufacturers introduced a new specification of their engines, with an emphasis on increasing torque to add punch out of the tight corners. In the aero stakes, most interest lay with former championship partners Williams and Renault. Williams completely revised its nose radically, dumping its famed walrus nose, above right, for a higher, more traditional one. fitted with a traditional front wing, right. This was introduced to reduce the pitch sensitivity and therefore improve its dynamic behaviour, especially on braking and entry to the corners. It also reduces the 'old' design's sensitivity to side winds, which made the car even less stable at the front. Renault introduced an additional small profile connected to the centre of the rear wing’s main profile, below.

It has a maximum width of 20cm and this allows the positioning of an additional profile on the top of the main one in an advanced layout. The change adds downforce but slightly increases drag. After testing on Friday, both Renault drivers decided not to use this option in the race. BAR continued its endless development of the 006. The top of the sidepods sported new winglets, bottom right, an evolution of the ones tried briefly in Silverstone. This time. the new winglets are really new chimneys featuring a shape that allows better air flow management, as well as hot air venting. In this way, the efficiency of the engine cooling is increased, which is very important in relation to he usually very high temperatures in Hungary,

mam

Budapest statistics

Average fuel consumption 2.4kg/lap Aerodynamic figures and load Cz(downforce coeff.) 2.460 Cx (drag coeff) 0.878 Theorical. top Speed 330kmh Max downforce 1590 Kg Efficiency(Cz/Cx) 2.801

On this track are present 11 braking points.

Total percentage of time per lap spent on braking 18 percent The heaviest deceleration is from 305kmhto 85kmh at Turn 1 The braking distance at Turn 1 is 158 metres The heaviest deceleration in G is 3.0 G The heaviest load on the brake pedal is 78kg The maximum temperatures of brakes reaches 895°c

motorsRort news

FORMULA ONE

Willy’s ‘other’ driver

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MICHAEL Schumacher's 82nd win came in Budapest and this means that the Ferrari driver has now score exactly twice as many wins in Formula 1 as the great Ayrton Senna. The achievement is such that Michael's success has rendered most of the records in FI meaningless. Jean Todt may talk of "an extraordinary page in the history of the Ferrari company" but there was no hint that this was

somehow a special day in FI. Ferrari has been too successful. In Belgium, the team will take part in its 700th Grand Prix (there are arguments about the number because of Indianapolis in the 1950s) but in that time the team has picked up 179 wins and 14 Constructors' titles, the latest being the sixth in a row. And the team is planning to go on doing the same in 2005. - JOE SAWARD

Victorian Motor Racing ChompionsKips

I a Williams post-prima donna: Webber and the lads are getting on already ... MARK Webber had hoped for good things but at the first corner he got a hefty punt up the rear from Ricardo Zonta's Toyota, which was hit from behind by Giorgio Pantano's Jordan. Webber got away with it while Zonta spun to the back. "I was lucky only to lose one place by the end of the lap," Webber said. "It was really then a case of knuckling down and making it to the end. I was surprised to see how many people retired given the fact that usually by the 13th race reliability is so high. I was suffering slightly from tyres issue and that was what caused me to have a spin. "It was frustrating because I lost time and that meant I could not keep up with David Coulthard but I didn't lose any places and I don't think I could have overtaken David anyway." -JOE SAWARD 1

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Affordable, enjoyable grass roots motor racing at its best. Further info call 03 9217 880a Round 4 - Winton Motor Raceway October S3rd - S4th

IB August 2004

Rd 3 Colder Pork 21-22 August 2004

Friday Free Practice | Sam to 2pm f

Most categories 4 to 5 races

A total of 40 plus laps each PlC6 courtosy Neil Hnmmond

I a.

The sights of Budapest: Clockwise, from top right. 2003 Hungarian CP winner Alonso was the best of the rest in third place. Coultbard spent much of the race fighting off Webber. Zonta's CP return started badly

with a spin at the first corner. And who says that the curves of

the Hungaroring are boring?

Hungarian Grand Prix

Grand Prix of Hungary

Results 70 laps/306.670km

August 15 2004

PQS I Driver|Race Time|Fastest j Lap . 1 _ Schumacher 1:35:26.131 '2 Barrichello 1:35:30.827 3

Alonso

Montoya

1:19.071 1:19.213

_1:36:10.730 1:36:28.744

1:20.275 1:20.715

49 49

1:36:33.570

1:20.425

47 10

^ 6

Button Sato

69 laps

1:21.030

Pizzonia

69 laps

1:20.501

Fisichell^ Coulthard

69 laps

1:21.022

69 laps

1:21.134 _

67^

Webber

69 laps

45 50

Panis

69 laps

1:20.825 _ 1:21.310

Grid

29 29

MS 2

APPjf

7 JM 8 GF

Heidfeld

6813^ 68 laps

1:21.310

1:22.530

Bruni

66 laps

1;24.601

10 KR

15 DNF

Baumgartner Pantano

66 laps

1:24.855

11 MW

48 laps

1:22.927

DNF

Trulli

41 laps

^20.705

DNF

Zonta

DNF

_13 14

Raikkonen

13 laps

1:21.678

Drivers' Championship: M. Schumacher 120, Barrichello 82, Button 65, Trulli 46, Alonso 45. Montoya 38, Coulthard 19, Raikkonen 18, Sato 18. Fisichella 14. R. Schumgcher 12. Webber 7, Massa and Panis 5, Pizzonia 4, da Matta and Heidfeld 3. Clock 2. Baumgarnter 1.

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Constructors' Championsbip: Ferrari 202 Renault 91. BARSauber-Petronas 19, Toyota 8, Jaguar 7, Jordan-Ford 5, Minardi-Cosworth 1.

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motorsport news

FORMULA ONE

long weekend like Hungary with nothing to show for a great deal of work makes for a frustrating flight home. it was one of those occasions where we did the work, thought we had a reasonable package for Sunday, but it didn't quite click. Throw in a below-par first lap and, at a place like Hungary where, let's face it. overtaking isn't big, and you're set for a long and ultimately disappointing day in the office.

e knew we'd qualified with more fuel than anybody and would be the last to stop. In retrospect, it might have been better to go a bit lighter and potentially get a bit further up the grid, but that's retrospect for you. A reasonable start would have made a difference too, but on this occasion it wasn't. The initial launch was fine but then I had a bit of clutch slip. That allowed DC to jump past and I ended up going into Turn 1 behind Antonio Pizzonia, who had been a bit slow off the line. I was looking to get a strong run out of the corner to have a go at him at Turn 2, but copped a whack from behind from Ricardo Zonta. It was a pretty reasonable hit but.

to be any performanceaffecting damage. Nick Heidfeld slipped past as I got it all together. 1 was desperate to get back past him as soon as possible, or my race strategy was going to be shot to pieces, so took a plunge at Turn 2. It worked out fine and so we set off for the first stint in behind Coulthard. As I said, we'd set up for a long first stint, which was going to be hard on the tyres. On Friday's long runs, everything had been fine, but a pointer to the rest of race day came when the rears

magyars.for.webber@hungary.com: Are these guys 1. Enthusiastic locals. 2. Aussies living in Hungary or 3. Ian Thorpe fans who cannot spell..

good to have it out there and not constantly be facing the "whafs going on" questions! tt

- Webber is ‘out of the closet’about his Williams drive

started to blister. Early on with the second set, I was able to close on DC and even had a bit of a run onto the straight at one stage. But he had good straightline speed and that was that. This set started to blister the rears quite badly. In the end, the left-rear was shot to pieces and I eventually spun, losing 10 or 12 seconds, although we were far enough ahead of the others by then not to lose a place. Tyre preparation is an interesting thing. For the third

stint, we put on a set that had been prepared differently (in terms of bedding in/heat cycle) and they were substantially better. By this time, I was well out of contact with DC, but started to string together a series of my fastest laps of the race. With one more stop, the race was fairly uneventful from this point on. Given our resources at Jaguar, we need to perform perfectly all weekend if we're to be able to get in amongst the big boys, as we did at

Hockenheim. This wasn't one of those weekends. So,for me, it's a case of looking forward immediately to Spa.

his was our first race since the Williams announcement. It's good to have it out there and not constantly be facing the "what's going on" questions! For now,though. I'm really pleased that the guys at Jaguar understand and support my decision. We're going to push on just as hard as we can until the very last lap in Brazil. I know I've said it before, but there are some very good and clever people | at Jag. With a little more resource commitment, they can do a very good job. S5

RJ V

Paul Stokell's Nations Cup title defence is alive and well after a strong outing at Wakefield Park. MARK GLENDENNING braved the cold to see how the battle unfolded

HE combination of a rural NSW circuit in the middle of winter and a PROCAR series that is some way short of full strength may not, on paper,seem like the most inviting way to spend a weekend. Goulburn folk are a hardy bunch however,and a decent-sized crowd lined the fence when the sixth roimd of tlie Nations Cup Championsliip landed at Wakefield Park two weeks ago. Paul Stokell continued his tUt towards back-to-back

ballast always knocks everybody around - each car reacts to it

Championships with the round win in the Team Lamborghini Australia Lamborghini Diablo GTR,with Nathan Pretty chasing him for most of the weekend to secure second overall in the #427 Holden Monaro. A consistent weekend in the ominously quick Porsche 911 GT2 was enough to secure the final podium position for David Stevens. "We thought that we were going to struggle here," said a satisfied Stokell at the end of the weekend. "We kept our better set of tyres for the last race. But that last bit of

laps, and the only real interest from there on was in observing the mildly terrifying difference in closing speeds between the front-running Nations Cup cars and the Porsche Challenge cars that were helping bolster the small seven-car NC field. Stokell brought proceedings to an end when he greeted the chequer after 15 laps, leaving Pretty to settle for second place just imder Is in arrears. James Brock was a further 16s back in third place after stuggling with intermittent power steering problems.

differently." The Lambo laid down the markers m qualifying and was clearly going to be the car that everybody else had to beat. And for the first race, that was pretty much how things panned out. When the flag dropped, the field bustled safely through the first corner and proceeded to spread out almost immediately. The race was more or less over after the first handful of

It was OK for the first three laps but after that the power steering kept turning on and off," said Brock. "It's disappointing, because the car was handling well and we had pretty good speed. It was just a bit hard to drive." Team Brock switched pumps prior to the second race, only to have the new pump blow up as James was driving out onto the circuit to join the grid. The team pulled another quick change, but the race was five laps old by the time Brock managed to get back out onto the circuit. Up at the front, Stokell was also having a rough time of things. The Lambo had been marginally beaten to the first corner by Pretty, but Stokell held the inside line and forced the Monaro to concede the position. But the battle continued up the liill until the pair banged panels at turn three, sending Stokell wide onto the grass. He gathered himself up reasonably quickly, but not before he had dropped a couple of positions and given the Monaro some breathing space.

Stokell had slugged his way back up to second by the end of the third lap, but by then the horse had pretty much bolted. The Lamborghini managed to make a dent in the Monaro's lead, but Pretty never looked under serious threat and drove on to square the ledger at one win each witlr one race to go. "There was a bit of rubbing going on," said Pretty. "Paul was fighting pretty hard and was squeezing me pretty hard, and he ended up coming off second best. "After that I got held up (by traffic) a few times, but it was generally OK. The Porsches did a good job and tried to get out of the way as soon as they could." "Natlian tapped my rear wheel and knocked me sideways," Stokell shrugged after the race. "I caught it, but it still went into the dirt." Stevens was third after hauling some decent speed out of his Porsche GT2 to finish some way ahead of Allan Simonsen, who was making a one-off appearance in the Trophy Class motorsport news

'TV

■'4

Shared Glory: Pretty and the Porsche Challenge GTS of Anthony Skinner took simultaneous Race 2 wins, above.

Civil War: Once Brock got his car sorted, there was no more heated battle on the track than the Race 3 showdown between the two Monaros, left.

. 1 > rIC LHrt

Consolidated Chemical Company Ferrari 360 Modena Challenge. Elsewhere in the field, fan Palmer slugged his way back up to fifth after starting from rear of grid courtesy of a last-lap electrical problem that parked the Honda NSX in the first race. The start day's of another final outing nose-to-nose signalled the skirmish between StokeU and Pretty, while just behind them a resurgent Brock was causing some headaches for Stevens. The battle for the lead was settled at the end of the first lap, when StokeU, who had been beaten away by the Monaro, dived underneath #427 and set about trying to make the Diablo as wide as he could. On top of having to do something about StokeU, Pretty also needed to keep an eye in his mirrors because Brock had dealt with Stevens to take third place, and was rapidly gaming on the yeUow Holden. After aborting a couple of half attempts, Brock finally made a move stick under braking for turn one a 18 AUBUSt 2004

few laps later. But Pretty was not about to give up without a fight, and the two Monaros sped all the way up the hill side by side before Nathan was finally obliged to sit back and wait for another opportunity. Shortly afterwards, it was handed to him on a plate. Brock overcooked it under brakes for turn five, ran wide, and was left muttering under his helmet as Pretty swept past to reclaim a second place that he would maintain to the end. Stevens finished some 10s further back in fourth place, but it was enough to secure third outright for the weekend. "It wasn't too bad," he said. "We built the car from a shell, but we still have a lot of work to do. We're getting slaughtered under brakes, and you can't win races like that." Meanwhile, Simonsen hosed the opposition throughout the weekend to claim Trophy Class honours. The series moves on to Mallala in the middle of next month, and all signs point towards something worth

Hot Danish: With his regular 550 still on the sidelines, Simonsen came, jumped into a Trophy Class 360 at the last minute and conquered, below.

}ohn

■Idhn Morrh

waiting for. Several of the cars that faUed to show up at Wakefield are expected to be ready for round seven, and the fact that PROCAR has not visited the South Australian circuit before throws the doors wide open for a surprise result. "I'm not sure what to expect from Mallala," StokeU confirmed. "But I know that it is hard on brakes - and our car is stopping well.

"It's what's keeping us ahead of Nathan at the moment, even though he has a bit more speed." Those in the Adelaide area can find out for themselves whether Stokell's confidence is justified when the circus hits town on September 17-19. POINTS; GT Class: StokeU 509, Pretty 415, Stevens 247, J. Brock 160, P. Brock 156, Palmer 141.5. Trophy Class: T. Koundouris 291, J. Koundouris 266, Teulan 240, Simonsen 186.

The Golfing Guru IT may have been bitterly cold at Wakfield Park two weeks ago, but the GT Performance field did its bit to heat things up with three cracking races in the sixth round of the series. But things got off to a nervous start after a brake problem in Paul Stokell's VW Golf R32 pitched him into the side of Ric Shaw's Mazda RX-7 during qualifying late on Saturday. Both drivers were sore but escaped serious injury, however the accident put Shaw's car out of the meeting on the spot. Stokell also withdrew his car from the weekend, leaving the sister car of Kmart Racing enduro driver Tim Leahey to fly the flag for the Volkswagen team.

Sunday dawned to a classic Mitsubishi EVO versus Subaru WRX battle that saw things fall very much in favour of the three diamonds. Garry Holt's EVO VIII launched away from pole position and was never seriously challenged, going on to take the win from Justin Hemmes in the Merivale WRX and Steve Knight's Mitsubishi Electric EVO VIII. But behind them there had been all kinds of dramas. Chris Alajajian (WRX), Bob Pearson (RX-7), Warren Millet (Holden GTS) and John Falk (Falcon GT) were among several cars who had to pit for repairs, while Beric Lynton (BMW M3) and Bob Hughes(EVO VII I) made

their mark on the race with a thoroughly respectable shunt on lap 15. A broken driveshaft put paid to Holt's hopes early in the second race, paving the way for Leahey to take a strong win over Gary Young (EVO VIII) and Graham Alexander (EVO VII). The win put Leahey in the plum seat for the last race, and he made the most of it. The Vodafone VW took off at the start with Young in hot pursuit, and crossed the finish line in the same order, respectively securing first and second outright for the weekend. But the battle for third was something to behold. Starting from the back. Holt went on a charge.

Things were derailed somewhat by a collision with Alajajian on lap four, but he recovered to finish a remarkable third - only to be derailed again when he was penalised 30s for the accident, and relegated back to 10th. This promoted Hemmes to third, giving him the final outright podium place for the weekend - and with Stokell on the sidelines, building the NSW driver a handly points buffer in the Championship battle. - MARK GLEIMDENNING POINTS; Hemmes 379, Stokell 304, Shaw 270, Holt 237, Knight 217, Lynton 216, Young 213, Floyd 201, Leahey 186, King 176.

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A 50 cent part might have helped decide the 2004 Australian Formula 3 Championship at Wakefield Park two weeks ago as Karl Reindler soared to two wins while arch-rival Ian Dyk was left watching from the sidelines after a mechanical failure in Race 2. Virtually nothing separated the pair all weekend. Dyk had the better of Reindler by just 0.06s in the first qualifying session to take pole for the first race, and while the Sydney driver again had the wood on Reindler in the second qualifying, the gap between them was down to just 0.03s. Game on. But Reindler was next to draw blood when he beat Dyk away from the start in the first race. Dyk gave chase, and within a couple of laps the leading pair were out on their own. Dyk pulled out all stops in his efforts to find a way past the 19-yearold Western Australian, but Reindler was having none of it and controlled the race all the way to the flag. "That was awesome," grimied Reindler later. "I finally nailed the start -1 was stoked with that. It's the first decent start I have had all year. It got me to turn one first, and that was the most important thing." Dyk at least had the satisfaction of re-setting the lap record previously held by Peter Hackett with a 55.0245s. Aaron Caratti was a lonely third place ahead of Chris Gilmour. 18 August 2004

Dyk evened the ledger against Reindler by winning the start in Race 2. Reindler was locked firmly onto liis tail, but Dyk was able to shrug off the pressure - until, at around half distance, his Dallara suddenly slowed. He pulled into the pits and out of the race, with the problem later being traced to a broked accelerator bracket. While admitting that his title hopes are now depending upon a miracle, Dyk resisted the urge to punch something after the race. "It's a good learning curve," he said philosophically, "It's one of those things that happen in racing, but we'll just bounce back and move on to bigger and better things. "At least I got a good start- Karl beat me off the line this morning,so I was able to get him back!" With Dyk out of the picture, Reindler was free to motor serenely on and take the win. Beliind him, a flat spot in the engine put paid to Caratti's hopes for a good result, which paved the way for the consistent Gilmour to notch up a second place. Just behind him was the alwaysimpressive Kiwi teen Nic Jordan, who finished third and once again managed to get his BRM Trophy Class car into places that it should have no right to be. - MARK GLENDENNING POINTS: Reindler 188, Gilmour 184, Dyk 156, Pettit 119, Pappas 70, Hackett 43.

! (

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Get set for a Macrow and Reynolds Formula Ford title showdown. GRANT ROWLEY watched with interest at a windy Oran Park TIM Macrow stood up and got counted at Oran Park Raceway in round six of the Australian Formula Ford championship last weekend. The Mctorian scored two hardfought vi'lns and a second place at the Sydney circuit, wliich has secured his spot at the top of the points table with just two rounds to go. The slippery and windy Oran Park conditions played havoc with the nimble FFords, with almost the entire 25 strong field complaining of the lack of grip. "It was one-way traffic for tlie first few laps of each race," said round wimier Macrow. "I couldn't believe the size of some of the marbles out there!" Macrow's toughest challenge came from Sonic Motorsport driver David Reynolds. The Melbourne lad scored a win in Race 2 and finished behind Macrow in the otlier two heats. Not that he actually finished very far behind though ... Reynolds has now cemented second in the championship,just 15 points behind rival Macrow. Local Cronulla racer Anthony . Preston again impressed the racing fraternity in only his second national round in 2004. The Sydneysider was one of the fastest throughout the weekend where he qualified second and raced with his head to score third overall. 60

Race 1 on Saturday saw Preston launch off the line, before Macrow asserted the inside authority into turn one. Reynolds pulled off a bold move around the outside of David Sieders for third, before catching Preston napping to take second. Sieders scored a career-best third

Get ready for a battle royale: David Reynolds, above, took tbe fight up to round winner Tim Macrow, top. Career-best: Sydneysider David Sieders, below, qualified third and scored the fastest lap of Race 3. He finished sixth.

place in qualifying and was running well in third before being caught out on water and glycol dumped by Donut King driver Rachael Smeaton. He dropped to 13th. Macrow's championship contending team-mate Steve Owen fired into the scenery at the first corner and played catch up for the rest of the race. He was lucky to finish the race in 11th after a clash later that saw his front wheels pointing in three different directions ... With cars spearing off in all directions on the unsuitable track surface, the race was red-flagged. Macrow won from Reynolds,Preston and New South Wales state Champion Joel Spychala. Reynolds struck when Macrow made a mistake on the marbles on the first lap of Race 2. The pair stayed nose-to-tail for the entire event, but Reynolds held his nerve. Owen fought back from his R1 mishap to finish third,followed by Preston, the impressive Clayton Pyne

and 'Mr Consistent' Brett Francis, who was happier with his Race 2 package compared to his gripless Race 1. James Small damaged an engine after an over-rev and clashed on the last corner with team-mate Michael Trimble. It was not a happy day for Team Small.

incident. Luckily, he was unhurt. Macrow sealed the last race by using superior defensive tactics against Reynolds. Owen was again third from Preston, Francis, Sieders and Pyne. The next round of the

Bryce Washington endured a disastrous end to the weekend when his car launched off a rival and flipped into the sand trap in Race 3. He described it as a "strange"

penultimate round in South Australia.

championship heads across to MaUala this weekend for the

Points: Macrow 205, Reynolds 190, Francis 188, Owen 153, Fiore 149, Small 113, Washington 108, Liefting 101, Trimble 77, Sieders 61.

motorsport news

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AIN started to fall in Jyvaskala as Marcus Gronholm wheeled his

Peugeot 307 WRC across the Rally of Finland finish ramp,signalling an end to the French team's drought of wins in the World Championship. After 14 months without joy, Peugeot had finally clinched a WRC victory and not even the scrutineers could take this one off them. For Gronholm,it was a triumphant win,not orUy giving the 307 its first genuine win but also returning him to the winners'circle after capturing a hat-trick of wins on his home event between 2000 and 2002. Groirhohn dominated much of the

running despite the fact that team mate Harri Rovanpera led early before crashing. It may also have been very different had reigning World Champion Petter Solberg not crashed on the first day,but with the Norwegian ace out of the running. Gronhohn's route to victory was relatively straightforward. The lanky Finn came home 40 seconds ahead of Markko Martin's Ford, with Carlos Sainz on the podium again in his Citroen after his win in Argentina a few weeks ago. "Not for the first time in its young life the 307 is a rally winner but this time we can rest easy that we are the winners," said an elated Peugeot team manger Corrado Provera. After 14 months of struggling. Marcus is back on the top step of the podium and we are absolutely delighted. The 307 is back,Peugeot is back and the taste of victory is extremely sweet in our mouths.

While the 307 has been able to match the speed of the other front runners, poor luck and reliability have weighed against it until now. However like all champion teams, Peugeot has redoubled its efforts in recent rallies to ensure a return to the

winners'circle, particularly after the disqualification in C5q)rus. If the significance of the moment impacted on the winner,it wasn't showing. "It's not the best win here because the first and second [wins] were very good," said Gronhokn. "It was not easy because we had so many troubles but Markko was not in the best form. It would have been different if Haai and the others had kept going." Martin found the going much tougher than he expected. Still feeling the effects of his horrific crash in

favourite surface.

"It's good for me for the Championship," confirmed Loeb. "We've got 22 points in hand,the set up wasn't ideal here and when it comes to driving the Finns are more used to the conditions." Solberg's departure on Day 1 was due to a sUly error and may not have proved terminal had it not been for a large rock in the undergrowth that tore a bolt out of the lower control arm.The Subaru made it back the next day under the SupeRaUy rules but was not eligible for points and, although Solberg is stiU second in the series, his title defence is coming under pressure. Solberg was suffering badly from the flu so at least he had an excuse, which is more than can be said for team-mate Mikko Hin'onen who went off early on Day 1, putting

further pressure on his place in the Subaru team.

Rovanpera led early on Day 1 from Solberg until the Subaru went off on SS4. It then looked set to be a threeway Peugeot battle with Rovanpera leading Sebastien Lindhohn and Gronholm. Then Rovanpera went off tlie road on SS6,landing too far to the right over a jump and rolling the Peugeot out of the rally. Gronholm assumed the lead from his cousin Lindhohn, who was doing a great job in the only 307 equipped with the new five-speed gearbox. Lindhohn went out in a spectacular crash late on Day 2, leaving Gronholm as the leader and lone remaining Peugeot. While Martin was punching well above expectations, his young Finnish team-mate Janne Tuohino was also doing a fine job in the second

Argentina, the Estonian had foggy vision in one eye but still posted an outstanding drive to second. Citroen may have hoped for a better result but its drivers struggled on the first leg with set-up. Sainz's third was one place better than last year and proved that he is still very much competitive on this rally 14 years after he became the first nonScandinavian to win in Finland. The rally is not one of Sebastien Loeb's strongest events so fourth place was a bonus, particularly given his discomfort with the car's set-up on the roller coaster Finrtish roads. The young Frenchman's performance means he maintains his lead in the driver's title heading to a brace of rallies on tarmac, his

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Markkmg time: Martin leaped his way to second, ^ above, one spot short of his 2003 result. I Who says I am old? When it comes to getting some air, Sainz, left, can still hang with the big boys ... I'm the king of the world! Not quite but Paasonen, above, was pretty chuffed with sixth in his Skoda.

Back in DniHn

After a season of struggle Marcus Gronholm and Peugeot finally put the 307 back on top with a polished win in Finland. JON THOMSON reports

nominated Ford, bagging fourth. Francois Duval, normally the second pointscorer, had been relegated in favour of Tuohino's superior point scoring ability on home soil, a wise move considering the Belgian finished seventh. The surprise package of the rally was Skoda, which showed that its Fabia has potential, particularly in the hands of Finns Jani Paasonen and Toni Gardermeister. For Paasonen, the little Czech car was a revelation after a handful of troubled outings with Mitsubishi. A

sixth place for Paasonen and eighth for Gardermeister was a strong reward. Gardermeister could have claimed seventh but for a last stage attack from Duval, who edged him out in the dosing kilometres. Skoda's performance only served to underline just how dreadful things are at Mitsubishi. While Kristian Solrlberg gave the Mitsubishi Lancer a good run until he went off towards the end of

but finishing 11th was hardly anything to get excited about. The Junior WRC battle raged until the last stage with Swede Per-Gunnar Andersson taking the honours in a fight to the finish with Finn Kosta Kalajmaki both in Suzukis. Renault driver Nicolas Bernard! salvaged third place for the French marque, nearly three minutes behind the leading pair Gronholm cantered to victory over the closing leg driving within himself to post a result that opens up the Championship and puts him back in contention heading to Germany.

Day 2, the truth was that he was battling for eighth and on the very limit doing it. Gilles Panizzi picked up manufacturer's points for the team I

WORLD RALLY *● \» .

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Drivers’ Points; Loeb 66, Solberg 44, Martin 42, Gronholm 42, Sainz 40, Duval 31, Hirvonen 18, Tuohino 16, Rovanpera 14, Carlsson and Panizzi 6, Loix and Solberg 4, Paasonen. Manufacturers' Points: Citroen 109, Ford 83, Subaru 64, Peugeot 61, Mitsubishi 17. ■ i

Laso by DANIEL POWELL

Tactical error forces early exit for Aussies - Sweden win controversial World Cup SWEDEN retained Speedway's World Cup in controversial circumstances in front of a 7,500 sell-out crowd at Poole last week. Peter Karlsson won his fourth successive race when he took the final heat to give his team a single point victory over Great Britain, who had led for most of the meeting. But British skipper Scott Nicholls was baulked by Denmark's Hans Andersen, who appeared to assist Karlsson in his quest for victory. The Dane virtually stopped on the back straight and forced Nicholls to throttle back when making his challenge. Australia suffered a shock elimination when they finished third behind Sweden and Poland in the race-off for the places alongside finalists Great Britain and Denmark. ? The Aussies - Ryan Sullivan, Steve Johnston, Leigh Adams, Jason Crump and Craig Boyce accumulated 42 points in the 25heat event, just one in arrears of Poland (43), with Sweden the clear winner on 49. The Czech Republic was a distant last on 17pts. "It was a very disappointing way to finish the 2004

campaign," said long-time Australian team manager Neil Street, who has been at the helm of Australia's three SWC victories since 1999. "It's a tough cup to win, and the depth of the teams in this year's event is phenomenal. "We gave it our best shot in the last chance, but it wasn't to be. Now we'll look ahead to the 2005 event to gain some redemption." Ironically, it was the experienced Street who was seen by many to have made a major tactical error which could have cost the Aussies their place in the final. With his team more than six points down going into heat 15, he could have opted for a double point 'joker' when Adams came out. Adams won the race to

reduce the deficit but his three point return still left his team more than six behind the leader. With Adams again out in the next race. Street still refrained from the 'joker'. Again, Adams won. With disappointing rides for Boyce and Johnston, the deficit going into the final race was again six points.. Crump was the entrusted 'joker' and only needed to finish second to ensure a 'race-off' with Poland for a finals berth. But Crump's third place behind Peter Karlsson and Tomasz Gollob was not enough and the hopes of the bookies favourites ended in acute disappointment and post meeting inquests as to their tactics. - TONY MILLARD

Stewart Confirmed

“From the minute he was in the car, you could see he was going to give the Aussie drivers all they could handle. “We didn’t start with Shane as a team until halfway through the WSS championship, but this time around it’s different. This time we’re right to go from the first night, I think we’re going to be a real force to be reckoned with."

AMERICAN Shane Stewart will contest the entire 2004/05 World Series Sprintcar championship,teaming up with the Biii Mann-owned Performance Wholesale team. Once Stewart finishes his WoO commitments, he will fly over In 66

early November in a bid to become the second American driver to claim the WSS trail after Daryn Pittman became the first in season 2002/03. “Shane was fantastic to work with last season,” said team owner Bill Mann.

THE 44th annual Knoxville Nationals was claimed by defending champion Danny Lasoski last Saturday night in sensational style which saw him pocket a $125,000 US winner's cheque and the fourth Nationals crown of his career. Lasoski's 2004 Knoxville Nationals campaign wasn't all beer and skittles though. After finishing fifth in the Ascramble which assured pole position, he failed to go to the post-race scales and was disqualified from that position. This incident saw Lasoski start from fourth in the decider the following night, instead of pole. This left defending Knoxville track Champion Terry McCarl to start from pole. For the 30-lap A-main, Kenny Jacobs was alongside McCarl. Chad Kemenah shared the second-row with Lasoski, and Steve Kinser started from position 23 after transferring via the B and C mains. At the drop of the green

In other Shane Stewart news it was confirmed last week that he will be hitting the 2005 World of Outlaws championship full-time after Shane’s current car owner Scott Chilcutt from MLN Motorsports management team formed a joint venture with Washington-based Rudeen Racing. - DANIEL POWELL moiorsport news

SPEEDWAY

ki goes the double

flag, pole sitter McCarl got off to a good start which saw him hit the lead, only to have proceedings halted on the second lap after Randy Hannagan flipped. On the restart, McCarl led from Kemenah, Lasoski and a slow-starting Kenny Jacobs, with Lasoski getting 'by Kemenah for second \ ^sbon after the restart, only -4-rl "~^ii|ioments later further back in'the field, defending WoO champi ! brough after he Ther of the r McCarl

out front, with Kemenah moving by Lasoski for second. He actually took command briefly from McCarl, before the latter moved back into the lead. After that little wake up call from Kemenah, McCarl built up a strong lead, but that all turned to nothing when Chad

Meyer stopped on lap eight. At that time, Kemenah had slipped back to sixth, but McCarl still held the front running over Lasoski, Jason Meyers and Schatz. Lasoski made his move for the lead on McCarl and once in front, Lasoski was never headed and scored his fourth Nationals event in sixth years, ahead of Kemenah, a fast finishing Jeff Shepard, who came from a 14th starting position. Outside the podium finishers were Meyers, McCarl, Dollansky, Shane Stewart, Steve Kinser, Mark Kinser and John Vandenberg completed the top 10. In terms of Australian drivers, there wasn't any representation in the

positions. During that B-nnain event, Kerry Madsen had a transfer place all but sewn up with second, but lost a right-rear wheel with only three laps remaining which saw him hit the wall in turn four and put ! an end to his qualifying hopes. Of the remaining Aussies; Brooke Tatnell [12th B-main after transferring from the Cmain], Troy Little [13th Cmain after transferring from the D-main], Max Dumesny [Failed to start C-main], Lynton Jeffrey [6th D-main], Jaymie Moyle [8th D-main], and Sydneysiders Peter Attard and Marty Perovich both failed to take their place in the D-main.

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18 August 2004

1 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

.. Danny Lasoski. . . Chad Kemenah .... Jeff Shepard . . . Jason Meyers .... Terry McCarl .. Craig Dollansky ... Shane Stewart .... Steve Kinser Mark Kinser John VanDenBerg

11. 12. 13. 14, 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

.. Fred Rahmer, .. Donny Schatz Wayne Johnson . Kenny Jacobs. .... Tim Shaffer .. . Brian Paulus .. Jesse Hockett ... Tim Kaeding .... Brent Antill ... Jason Sides

2004 STANDINGS TO 14/8/04

1. Steve Kinser . . 2. Danny Lasoski . 3. Donny Schatz . , 4. Jason Meyers . . 5. Craig Dollansky 6. Joey Saldana . 7. Paul McMahan 8. Tim Shaffer .. 9. Kraig Kinser .. 10. Daryn Pittman

6109 6027 5827 5808 . 5743 .5659 5577 5537 .5502 5415

11. Jason Sides .... 12. Brian Paulus ... . 13. Erin Crocker ... 14. Brandon Wimmer 15. Jonathan Aliard . 16. Mark Kinser .... 17. Bob Bennett ... 18. Brian Carlson .. 19. Brian Brown ... 20. Brooke Tatneli ..

5374 5092 .4820 3939 3260 3021 2800 .2755 .2722 2490

Underdogs Rule! FUNNY Car rookie Eric Medlen and second year Pro Stock driver Dave Connolly both captured their first career NHRA POWERade wins at the 23rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway last weekend. Top Fuel winner Tony Schumacher, and Pro Stock Bike victor Craig Treble joined the duo in the Winners' Circle celebration. Medlen, in his second final round as a driver for John Force, defeated Gary Sceizi in . the final rpund, posting a .-winning 4.99s pass at 302mph to stop Sceizi, who took a big lead at the start only to lose 'traction at mid-track and alow to a 5.28/247. "Ildidn't see him for a while, then I saw way too much of : him," said Medlen, below. "Then we started catching him and by the time I got to the lights I didn't know who had won. know it was close. If hope had anything to do with it, Tmight have edged him right there. "Winning my first race didn't really hit rne until the guys got , to the other end. We've been through the wars for nine years and they're the closest people to my heart." The Cast'rol Syntec Mustang, tuned by Medlen's father John, had defeated; Jim Flead and the :"Skoal team of Tommy Johnson Jr. and Ron Capps earlier in the day. Sceizi and the Oakley Flemi Dodge advanced into his sixth career flopper finale by taking wins earlier in the day from Tony Bartone, Cruz Pedregon and John Force.

David Oslaszewsfd i

It took Connolly, above, four final rounds against opponent Greg Anderson, but he finally defeated the points leader in the money round to snare his first 'Wally'. Connolly trailed Anderson at the start, but Anderson's car wiggled through second gear, giving Connolly the break he needed to take a 6.79/203 to 6.81/202 victory. "I've always dreamed of this day but I never really thought it would happen," Connolly said. Connolly's Bullet Motorsports Chevrolet Cavalier, with Bill 'Grumpy' Jenkins horsepower, used a string of good reaction times and 6.79/203, 6.78/203, and 6.80/203 passes to advance past Vieri Gaines, Larry Morgan and Jason Line. It was the third consecutive final round for Connolly. Anderson and the Summit Racing Pontiac took round wins over Jim Yates, Jeg Coughlin and Bruce Allen. Schumacher padded his point lead to 122 in the standings with his final round defeat of Australia's David Grubnic.

round win over T.J. Zizzo at 4.85/242 when he lost the blower belt and was able to hold off Zizzo's 4.76 thanks to a huge 0.109 to 0.199 starting line advantage. Fie stepped up in the following rounds to take a pair of 4.64/316 and 4.60/320 victories over Cory McClenathan and Brandon Bernstein. Grubnic, racing to his fourth final round in five events, piloted the Red Line Oil/Kalitta Air dragster to earlier wins over Scott Weis, John Smith, and Doug Flerbert. Treble stopped Angelle Savoie in the Pro Stock Bike final, 7.19/183 to 7.39/150, to capture his first win of the year. The Mateo Tools Suzuki recorded victories earlier in the day over over Mike Berry, Shawn Gann, and Andrew FHines. Savoie's second straight final and 52nd of her career came with wins over Chip Flunter, GT Tonglet, and U.S. Army team mate Antron Brown. - DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

The U.S. Army dragster recorded a winning 4.61s pass at 321 mph to narrowly hold off Grubnic's quicker 4.60 at 317. The margin of victory was a scant .0036s. Schumacher coasted to a first

POINTS: Top Fuel: Schumacher 1213, D. Kalitta 1147, Bernstein 1079, Grubnic 908, S. Kalitta 873. Funny Car: Force 1132, Baszemore 986, Worsham 972, Sceizi 951, Medlen 876. Pro Stock: Anderson 1625, Line 1057, K. Johnson 998, Pro Stock Bike: Hines 809, Gann 640, Savoie 595.

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ANDREW Cowin will make a return to the NHRA POWERade

Drag Racing Series next month. Andrew and the Cowin Family Racing team wUl contest the final six events of the season, beginning with the 50th anniversary Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP)in Indianapolis,Indiana on 1-6 September. The announcement marks Andrew's return to NITRA competition for the first time since March 2003 when he suffered serious and life-threatening head injuries in a non-racing related fall in Tennessee. Cowin,who resigned his position with Carrier Boyz Racing following the accident to return to Australia and fully recover from the injuries, said he believed the family team had been able to put together a stronger program than the one that took them to two NHRA final rounds in three part-time seasons on the tour from 1999-2001,including the U.S. Nationals on debut in '99. "We have a brand new McKinney chassis, all of the latest parts, and our team, which is a mixture of Americans and Australians, is yoimg, keen and full of enthusiasm," he said. "Keith Stewart has joined us from Kalitta Motorsport and he is in charge of the crew and responsible for day-to-day operations. His appointment has freed up my dad to concentrate on tuning the racecar, and we have already seen other benefits with the team doing such an outstanding job preparing for our return." Cowin Family Racing has joined witli veteran NHRA team owner Bill

David

Blomgren,of Geronimo fame,for this year and has its base at his race shop in Santa Clarita, California, while it is also using Blomgren's tractor-traUer. motorsport news

DRAG RACING

Grubnic in the Red RED Line Oil has expanded its primary sponsorship for David Grubnic's Team Kalitta entry to include this past weekend's NHRA national event in Brainerd, Minnesota, the event in Memphis, Tennessee, and, as originally planned, the Chicago event in late September. n Don Schumacher has announced he will add a third Funny Car to the Schumacher Racing stable as a research and development vehicle for the remainder of the 2004 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series season, beginning with the NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals September. 1-6. Johnny Gray has been named as the driver of the Dodge Stratus Funny Car.

Clay Has Left The Building DOES it get any cooler than this? In 1954, Elvis Presley did his bit to revolutionise popular music by recording his first single ‘That's Alright’. 50 years on, Mephis area native (and IHRA/NHRATop Fuel pilot) Clay Millican did his bit to mark the occasion by running a special Elvisthemed paint scheme on his Lehman Racing,dragster. But what really tipped the scales on the -cool-o-meter’ was the unveiling of the livery, which was marked by a burnout down Elvis Presley Blvd in Memphis, just outside theThe King’s Graceland mansion. Now that rocks.

Be Like AAike

2001 IHRA Pro Mod champion Mike Janis took a convincing victory at the 23rd Annual Torco Racing Fuels Northern Nationals at the historic U.S. 131 Dragway in Michigan last weekend. In the Pro Mod final, Janis, right powered to a 6.22/228 victory over Glen Kerunsky, who trailed at the other end with a 6.32/225. Janis was non-quaiified going into the final session, and was able to put his Eaton Automotive/Jan-Cen Racing Engines '63 Corvette in with a 6.215s, landing him into the fourth spot in the program. In Top Fuel, Clay Millican defeated Bobby Lagana Jr. in the final round with a 4.72/311 when Lagana's clutch let go early in the 18 August 2004

David OslJ^^e^^’Skl

run. The Werner Enterprises dragster top qualified at a track record 4.685s and defeated Rick Cooper and Louie Allison in the previous rounds. Frank Gugliotta outlasted the quickest Sunoco Pro Stock field in IFIRA history by posting his first national event win. In the final.

Gugliotta posted a winning 6.47/215 to defeat Rick Jones, who was right behind at 6.51/213 after taking a slight advantage at the start. Rob Atchison defeated Jim Sickles in the Alcohol Funny Car final, 5.82/239 to 6.01/238. - DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

n Pro Mod driver Von Smith has undergone successful quintuple IBway) heart bypass surgery. He is currently resting comfortably in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit of the hospital, where post-operative prognosis by doctors indicate a full recovery. The 41-year-old, who drives the Tommy Lipar Racing 2004 Pro Mod Ford Mustang GT on both the NHRA and IHRA circuits, will be out of action for the foreseeable future and will be temporarily replaced by veteran Pro Mod driver Tommy Gray. n Three Pro Stock drivers joined the Rick Jones/Quartermax 6.40's Club for Sunoco Pro Stocks in Martin as Robert Patrick became the eighth member with his 6.481 in qualifying, Steve Spiess became the ninth member as he low qualified for the event with his 6.474. Event winner Frank Gugliotta also joined the exclusive group with his 6.479 in the final round. n The rumour buzzing around the pits in Martin finds IHRA Pro Mod racer Paul Athey, moving up into Top Fuel. The Mohegan Sun-sponsored driver is planning to team up with Grant Flowers to field a Top Fueler in two weeks at the IHRA Sunoco World Nationals in Norwalk. He's also making plans to compete in Top Fuel at the IHRA North American Nationals at Epping, pulling double duty at both events. n Gary Ormsby Jr., son of 1989 Top Fuel NHRA champion Gary Ormsby, will make his Top Fuel debut when he takes the seat of the Menards/ColorFast Top Fuel dragster at the upcoming U.S. Nationals. Ormsby Jr. will pilot a brand-new Brad Hadman chassis for team owner Dexter Tuttle, who has competed in drag boats and the Busch Series in the past. The group plans to run five of the last six races on the POWERade schedule. - DAVID OSTASZEWSKI 69

national Action for All scene

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Rowley

White closes in on V4 V8 BRute crown

THE Poolrite V8 BRutes Series turned on the entertainment for round 6 at Wakefield Park. Team Brock Holden driver Damien White won the round and extended his lead m the drivers' standings. White, plus Ford Falcon steerers Grant Denyer and Marcus Zukanovic, claimed a win each over the three spectacular events. Allan Grice wrote off his Falcon on the third lap of Race 1, smashing into the wall at the comer on to the main

straight after a collision with Holden driver Glen Barnes. White topped the qualifying sheets and then amazingly won the postqualifying draw for grid positions. From pole position, he went on to convincingly win the first race from team-mate Berm Wilson and SAGE Racing's Gary Baxter. Barnes started from the front row for Race 2, but a tussle with Denyer on lap three saw the Ford duck through and into the lead. Barnes

held on to take second place while Marcus Zukanovic(Ford) had a great battle with fellow blue oval pilot Jack Elsegood for third place. Zukanovic charged past Elsegood down the back straight on the last lap. It was an all-Ford front row for the final race, and Zukanovic stormed into the first corner ahead of Denyer. Mid-way through the race. White's Holden passed Denyer on the main straight for second place. Baxter did not finish after coming together with Holden's Charlie Kovacs mid-way through the race. Kovacs served a drive through penalty for the incident. Elsegood is now second in the series standings,followed by Dave Griffin. The points have really closed up for the top 10, with the remainder of the top 10 drivers spread over a mere 80 points. -ERIN McCOWATT Points: While 439, Elsegood 353, Griffin 262, Baxter 240, Wilson 222,Kovacs 221, Jane 215.

Three's a crowd; Marcus Zukanovic, above, championship leader Damien White and weather wizard Grant Denyer each won a Ute race.

Alaiajian: The New King

17-YEAR-OLD Sydney student Chris Alajajian clinched the 2004 Australian Production Car Championship at Wakefield Park with one round to spare. Alajajian's current margin of 82 points cannot be sufficiently reduced by his closest challenger Scott Loadsman, who effectively surrendered his 2003 title.

Lfl/r/c

Alajajian started the vt'eekend from pole and went on to win both races in his Subaru Liberty GT, and set a new lap record of 1m09.837s. His lap smashed the old record by 1.5s. n lass D Champion David Russell again proved his Proton Satria to be mightier than the bigger cars, taking away two outright second places. David Ryan brought his XR6

Turbo Falcon home for third on the day. Sydney driving instructor Ian Luff has jumped into the lead of the Class B championship ahead of Celica driver David Ratcliff after a consistent performance. Leanne Ferrier has a firm grip on the Class C championship, as does David Russell in Class D. - ERIN McCOWATT

Calder Countdown Q

ROUND three of the Victorian Motor Racing Championships will be held at Calder Park Raceway this weekend and fans and competitors are urged to enjoy the spirit of grass-roots motor racing. Nine categories will compete in seven classes, and entry numbers are the strongest they've been all season. Expect to see a healthy grid of HQ Holdens and Improved Production, example above, line up at the Calder facility. Competitors will compete in free practice this Friday between 9am and 2pm. See you there! moiorsgon news

gtjammooa cars NATIONAL SCENE

I i^id ^ Luithi

fBIANTEl VMODEL CARSj

Same ^Old' story

■notorspon

PAUL Stubber was again the brute

force in the Historic Touring Cars at Oran Park last weekend. The perennial crowd favourite had his Camaro on the edge with a spectacular display of driving. But he didn't quite dominate the whole weekend.

Australia’s number 1 fortnightly motorsport magazine

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Stubber took pole position but was out-raced in the firsts event. Brad

Tilley in his Mustang scooted away from the pack to record the win in front of the Camaro duel between

each race in eighth until the final, when he came home seventh.

Garry Treloar and Steve Mason.

Trevor Talbot and Drew Margot were regular top five contenders, but they didn't quite have the front running pace, Peter Brock did not compete due to his mentor commitments at the

Overnight accommodation is included, plus air travel for non-NSW winners.

Olympic Games in Athens. Hie next round of the Historic

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Stubber got one back on the pack with a fine win in Race 2 from Brad and Jason Tilley. Race 3 saw more of the same, but this time the Tilley's reversed their positions. Mason was ever-present in their rearview mirrors. Stubber finished the weekend off in great style by taking another win from J.Tilley and Treloar.

McGood: joe McGinnes finished

Touring Car series heads to Victoria in a month to support the Sandown 500.

on!

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How’s this for a prize; a high-speed ride around the Eastern Creek circuit in a 1971 racing Falcon XY GTHO, driven by Allan Moffat, or a 1972 Holden Torana XU1 with Peter Brock at the wheel at the final BIANTE Model Cars Touring Car Series round of the season (at the December 4/5 V8 Supercar finale).

prize after each round of the series - a full set of 2004 BIANTE Model Cars Touring Car Series apparel (value $250). All entries in hand at the interim closing dates are eligible and all entries go back into the draw for the two final, magnificent prizes. There are two ways to enter this great competition: 1.

Mail the BIANTE Model Cars logo in this entry form (below), along with your details (name, address, phone, email) to: Motorsport News BIANTE Competition PO Box 7072 Gardenvale VIC 3186; OR

Mail us one of the promotional leaflets distributed at any one of the BIANTE Models Touring Car Series rounds (listed below).

Ward cements lead JAMES Ward stole the round victory at Oran Park last weekend in round five of the Aussie Racing Cars. Ward only scored victory in the double point Race 4, but it was enough to secure the round glory. Paul Kemal finished second overall, followed by Yokohama driver Brad Ward, Tim Monte and James Harrigan. Chance of a Lifetime driver David Sieders won the opening three races, but a clutch drama meant he could not start the final race. His ambition of being the first driver to score an entire clean-sweep was cut short. Race 4 was a highlight ot the meeting. Paul Kemal, Ward and Monte all had a taste of the lead, before the City Ford car of Ward took the lead off Monte on the final tour. Kemal led earlier, but over cooked in into turn three with only a handful ot laps remaining. The trio swapped places more times than worth counting ... “That was easily the best race of the meeting," said a happy Ward after the race. - GRANT ROWLEY Points: J.Ward 250, Monte 237, Colin Siders 218, B.Ward 214, Jeff Davey 213, Harrigan 209. 18 August 2004

April 2-4 Eastern Creek, NSW June 11-13 Barbagallo, WA July 23-25 Winton, VIC August 13-15 Oran Park, NSW September 10-12 Sandown, VIC October 7-10 Bathurst, NSW

Thursday June 3 Thursday July 15 Thursday August 12 Thursday September 2 Thursday September 30 Thursday November 4

dosing date for main prize draw: Thursday 4 November 2004 Third draw winner: Brian Nunan, Benaiia VIC - a Ford fan! Name: Address:

Phone: I

Email:

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IM fani

MODEL CARS For more information about Historic Touring Car Racing, check out the website:

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{Full competition terms a conditions available by email at mnews®mnews.com.au. Winners will be notified by phone/mail/email)

T 1

O be classed as a race car driver, you need to drive a car on a racetrack with your surname on the rear side windows. It's been a life ambition of mine to tick both of these boxes, so I entered the Alphera Dutton Rally. Not only do you get some laps at Winton Raceway,but you can throw as many stickers as you like on your vehicle. But by the time I was on the way home,neither of my ambitions had been fulfilled. ;I was asked recently if I'd like to compete in the Victorian leg of the Dutton Rally. Without a second thought,I said yes. The fourth annual event crosses through different sections of rural Mexico,including Winton and Heathcote Raceway,

DECA (Driving Education Centre Australia), Shepparton and Avalon Airport and various other sites along the way. You can enter any make or model of motor vehicle - as an individual or with a co-driver. In my case,I grabbed Konica Minolta V8 Supercar hot-shoe Tony D'Alberto to share the weekend duties with me in a Holden Vectra CDXi.

rustle up some cash from sponsors, considering I could offer them guaranteed coverage in Australia's number one racing rag. I was mistaken, and I now have a lot more respect for individuals and corporations chasing support for themselves and others to do what

Part ofwas the process entering rally ensuringofwe had the enough funds to get us through the weekend. Allowing for the cost as entry fee, accommodation,fuel and food were our priorities. Late night parties and strippers were optional extras. I thought it would be fairly easy to

"We don't support such events," said one mob. "We need more time to think about this," said another. "We would really like to," said joeblow.com,"but we'll have to say 'no' this time." One well-known Aussie racing supplier was even willing to hand over thousands of dollars worth of

Winners: Andrew and Ernie Fuller in their '95 model Mitsubishi Evo III won the outright team award in the 2004 Alphera Dutton Rally Victoria.

they love most- racing. For every positive, I received at least four negatives with varying reasons.

product. Which was nice of them,but unforttmately useless in our instance. In the end, Biante Model Cars, RDA Brakes and Rotors, DynoLog Dynamometer and Stand 21 Racegear supported our worthy cause. Their kind help was enough to ensure our place on the starting blocks. So, on to the rally. An oversubscribed grid of 86 entered the 2004 Dutton Rally, including the likes of V8 drivers Steven Richards, Warren Luff, former motorcycle ace Kevin Magee and TV presenter Glenn Ridge,just to name a few. The man behind the rally, Sam Beck, has his tight-knit team of

officials working diligently and hard. It was difficult to find a fault in his massive operation that ran like clockwork. Teams and crews were based in Shepparton, where everyone met each morning for breakfast before a hard day of time-trialing. To speed up the rally process, the field was divided into two groups. Half tire field would compete at one facility, while the other half would terrorise another venue. At midday,the groups met for lunch before swapping over. Our first stop was DECA,a driving education facility at Shepparton. There were three courses. A motorkhana,a fast circuit sprint and an auto course. Neither myself or D'Alberto had ever entered one of these events,but being young,eager bucks, we were keen to give it a real go without risking the equipment, our own lives or anyone else's. The anticipation before our first timed run was enormous. Nerves weren't an issue, but the excitement of the whole deal was very overwhelming. Once the starter gave the 'go' though,smooth and accurate driving coupled with maximum concentration lends little time to think of anything else. Even D'Alberto, who is more accustomed to driving a V8 Supercar around Australia's best race circuits, niotorsport news

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All in the name of fun: Tony D'Alberto, left, negotiates his way through the traffic lights and signal box, above, which Rowley would soon redesign ...

The Alphera Dutton Rally is a fun event with fun stages and a fun atmosphere.' But GRANT ROWLEY explains how quickly the sport can suck you in, and spit you right back out was feeUng the pinch before his first timed run. But once he was out there, he looked right at home swerving between a bunch of witch's hats. Our initial reaction to the Vectra's performance was also quite encouraging. Our little silver bolter was a pleasure to drive and for a front-wheel-drive V6,the ability to accurately steer the jigger was surprising. The traction control and brake assist did just about everything bar guide the car between the cones. Our early times indicated that our chances for a decent class result looked promising ... D'Alberto and I completed the

three stages swiftly and successfully. We then got another crack at each stage. And this is where it all turned pear-shaped. Tire last stage is a 35-second auto course in a figure-eight configuration. It's mainly left-handers with two right-hand bends through a set of traffic lights on a pot hole-ridden and dirty surface. I thought to myseU with two comers to go that I could have pushed harder, but at such an early stage of the rally, there was no need. A respectable time and a straight car was all that was on my mind as I turned in to the last left hander. But a flat front right tyre, see

How to make a grown man weep: Rowley was committed to the right hander, but a cut a tyre meant he was a passenger on the muddy grass ... 18 Augast 2004

Hey, that's Richo in a FORD! Castrol V8 Supercar driver Steven Richards teamed up with CRM engine chief Mike Exell in Richo's 1971 Escort, main picture above left, sent our Vectra understeering wide and onto the wet grass. Then came the painful silence. The traffic light signal box dissipated most of the impact, but the traffic light pole itself burnt the biggest hole in my wallet. At approximately 30kmh,the impact was light but just like the signal box,our rally was instantly destroyed. Was I injured? No. Was I red faced? Yes. Costly? Don't ask. The car was drivable, and we probably could have kept competing but without any replacement parts and no spare tyre, our rally was run.

Despite the unforeseeable incident, both D'Alberto and I agreed that we'd love to come back and do this rally again. For amateurs, it's the ideal, cost effective racing fix. And even for career-focussed Supercar drivers, it's a great relief from the cut throat world of professional racing. A local Shepparton signwriter was set to meet us in town during a lunditime street parade to add our surnames to the window. But by then, we were halfway home. I stUl harbour the ambition to have my name on a race car, but for now. I'll be safer in the seat behind my computer.

And now you'll pay for it: Things could have been a lot worse, but these are the lessons life will teach us. 73

The Zukanovic and Emery Show

Moffat V French

THEY may be old names, but the drivers have new faces. James Moffat claimed round honours at Oran Park in the latest round of the Kumho Tyres Lotus Trophy last weekend. Moffat snatched two dominant race wins, while French just edged out Moffat in the final race. Richard Buttrose, series contender Djan Ley, Colin Harper

and Konica Minolta driver Kevin Mundy had their stints in the top five at some point, but were unable to threaten Moffat or French for an outright position. But the battle for position was intense, as seen by the picture below ... Andrew Fisher continued his steady improve in the championship with second place in Race 1. - GRANT ROWLEY

Giugni and Skinner share j

DAVID Giugni still leads both the outright and Class A championships in the Australian Porsche Drivers Challenge after round five at Wakefield Park. The Porsches may have shared the racetrack with Nations Cup, but it didn't stop them putting on their own solid show. Giugni and Anthony Skinner shared the spoils, taking home a first and second each. Andrew Luxton remains at the head of Class B after bringing his 993 RS Touring Porsche home for two class wins. Despite a DNF .in the first race, Greg Doyle stills leads the points for Class C. - ERIN McCOWATT

o 0

THE Victorian State series headed to Sandown with nine categories bathed in beautiful weather recently. Formula Vees saw an early battle between Tony Bocquet, David Frith, Jason Kerr, Nicolas Jones and Andy Nethercote but mechanical gremlins and incidents plagued the leading group,leaving Bocquet to clinch victory from Frith, Stephen McFarland and George Panagiotidis. Mort Fitzgerald won the MGs from a gallant Robin Bailey. Rosemary Edgar ripped through the field to finish a distant third. Historic Touring Cars saw Jervis Ward,pictured above right, in his Ford Mustang come through to win after a slow start. Rob Burns was second while Chris Ralph finished third. Troy Woolston took an unlikely victory in the final Formula Ford race. Woolston was sitting 74

KONICA Minolta V8 Supercar series runner Marcus Zukanovic put on a fantastic driving dispiay in round four of the RDA Rotors and Drums Commodore Cup series. Zukanovic put his VH Commodore on pole position, just ahead of championship rival Geoff Emery and Brett Holdsworth. Race 1 saw Zukanovic and Emery put on one hell of battle and the race was only decided on the final lap when a patient Emery drove passed the long-time leader at turn 10 and took the win by the slimmest of margins. Holdsworth

claimed third. Regular front runner Christian D’Agostin made his first appearance in a new VS Commodore but battled all weekend to find speed. He failed to finish the opening race after he was black flagged. Zukanovic bolted at the start and he made every post a winner and claimed an easy victory over Emery and Andrew Mclnnes, with D’Agostin clawing his way from the back to finish ninth. His championship hopes have all but ended. - DANIEL POWELL

Cantrell

Claiins TCG ANDY Cantrell, aboard his exGlenn Seton EL Falcon V8 Supercar,claimed the latest round of the Touring Car Challenge despite only registering a win in Race 1. Cantrel claimed pole position but Garry Willmington jumped to the lead in the five lap Race 1. A clutch drama slowed WiUmington, which saw Cantrell capitalise and take the win. Willmington and Richard Mork were second and tliird. In the first of two handicapped races, the VL Commodore of Jolm Vergotis took a surprise win, defeating Neil Byers and BMW driver David Towe. Controversy followed Race 2

fourth on the final lap before leaders Shane Price and Shannon O'Brien came together up the back straight. Then after the race, James Davison was given a one minute time penalty, handing the victory to Woolston. This left Nathan Caratti in second and Daniel Reinhardt third. Kane Rose led all the way in the Porsche 944 point score race despite a Safety Car interruption. Jolm Morris held off Brent Rose and Steve Canny, who slowed late in the race. Paul Rule and Graeme McPherson set the track alight in the Improved Production and they finished in that order, well ahead of the rest. Craig Kroonstuiver had third all rapped up until a last lap pitstop gave the podium honours to John Zourkas. Keven Stoopman was able to seal a narrow victory in HQs over Andrew Williams after a last lap dash. Travis Lindorf beat Gavin Ross and Ken

Falcon force: Willmington holds off Cantrell... but not for long. when it was found that the chequered flag was brought out one lap too early, which left a number of drivers unhappy, most notably Towe, who was reaUy on a charge. Race 3 saw Matthew Himt blitz the field in an upset victory after he had suffered a number of unlucky breaks during the weekend. Mork and Cantrell rounded out the top three. -DANIEL POWELL ? s-

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Wright for the final podium position. Lee Ulhorn showed what his Mazda RX7 is capable of, scoring victory by more than 12s. Paul Thomson dropped back as far as ninth, but flew through the field to steal second place on the last lap from David Skilton. In Sportscars, Brett Bedggood got off to a flying start, leading Lyndon Punshon and Mort Fitzgerald for half the race, until he retired. Punshon pushed on to take a gripping win from Fitzgerald. Perry Spiridis finished tliird. -AARON SHAW notorsport news

350 kw CommodoreFi CROW Cams have released a new

camshaft and computer package for the Commodore LSI V8. This new package is aimed to increase the power output to 350 kw. The LSI CNC head package utilises a unique combination of cam design, advanced programming and cylinder improvements. The end result is a smooth delivery of power and excellent fuel economy. Crow Cams worked closely with Kostecki CNC products in Perth to

design CNC ported heads produce this quality package. The fully CNC ported heads are supplied assembled with double valve springs to suit the high lift Crow Cam and larger diameter chrome moly retainers. The heads are available now on

an exchange basis from Crow Cams under part no. CHLS1350 for around $3400 a pair. A deposit of $1500 a pair is payable and then refunded when your original.

Gettin Betta THERE'S no need to compromise fashion for speed with the new Team Betta Electrical Speedline polo shirts. These pique polo shirts feature all embroidered logos, silicone badge and reflective 888 prints and come in youth, adult and larger ^

keys on isn't it. The new Tearri Betta Electrical headwear range features the

Lightning Bolt Team Cap,the ^ latest in 1 fashion with the trucker

functional rubber backed bar mat is the perfect accessory for the home bar and has even been known to double as dash board cover or bath mat. The can holder is an absolute must to keep the bevvy cold and the cool metal helmet

style cap and the bucket hat

with sponsor logos and woven taping, you'll have no problems keeping ahead of the pace. Caps are adjustable and bucket hat liable in small/ medium and fie '411

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shaped key chain well it's a key chain for keeping your

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Rising Stars

THE Alpine Star brand is now available exclusively from Australia's largest motor sport equipment and apparel supplier Revolution Racegear. Revolution has been appointed the official Australian and New Zealand Distributor for the Alpine Star range of motor sport products. From a motorcycle heritage the 18 August 2004

Alpinestars Motorsport range became one of the fastest growing brands in the world of motor sport in 2003.

Alpinestars has launched with a range of gloves and boots for both racing and karting. The 2004 product range is set to expand later in the year. Alpinestars launched onto the

>'i

m complete and unmodified heads are returned to Crow Cams. For more information on the LSI

heads and camshaft packages contact Crow Cams on 03 9357 0469 or email sales@crowcams.com.au

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CLASSIFIEDS

Classifieds online classifieds 7

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Find hundreds more race vehicles and parts for sale at www.my105.com

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your motorsport vehicle, parts, memorabilia with our all-new combined magazine/ internet classified service. Courtesy of an agreement between Motorsport News and internet classified service my105.com, your advertising will appear in both for as little as $25. Yes 3 months on my105.com AND one insertion in Motorsport News for just $25! HOW? Just log on to www.my105.com and follow the prompts! Alternately, you can still use the classified form on these pages (surcharge applies for the service of entering the ad onto my105.com)

LOG ON NOW

Lotus Eiise

IT’S THE SMART WAY TO SELL YOUR EQUIPMENT! Formula Atlantic

Fresh engine, dose ratio gearbox, adjustable front and rear shock absorbers, full roll cage, 1 sport 190 engine spec, just rebuilt, 1 set of i spare wheels, terratrip, ready for Targa, j excellent buy. Priced to sell. $55,000. Mark J 9838 8374 (bh) / 0408 976 958. f; 292

Fully retored by professionals, Fresh Lamer n engine. Historic Log booked Cof D. Good I Australian History. Very fast and well sorted B (fastest Atlantic times where raced) Plenty of i good quality spares, car currently resides in Melbourne. Call Ray Stubber 0413 124 222. 292 $85,000

www.mylO5.eom/55980

www.myl05.com/2948 'a

Jumbo van with Smetre drop floor 4.3 high, double doors on side approx 500mm off ground, needs rear door as a ramp as it has barn doors. BPW axies and low profile tubeless tyres. $16,500. Allan 0412731608. 291

www.myl05.com/76557 Sedans/Sports Cars y

VB/VC V8VC/VB Commodore, Commodore V8, fresh engine, Aussi 4 speed, custom exhuast system, full rollcage, 5 point harness, Dunlop Formula R DOJ1 race/sprint tyres. Ideal club sprint car, also with 4 wheel car trailer and ramps. All in good condition $8000 neg or will seperate. 291 Call Tony on 46254565. www.myl05.com/25878

EA Falcon Saloon Car, This car was built new for the 2003 National Series, and ran in the top 10 in the final 2 rounds. Chris Milton Engine only 4 race meetings old. Price includes spare set of wheels with tyres, race. spare gearbox and panels. Ready to Priced well below cost to build. $16000. Mark 0419817874 / (08) 83252454, 291 www.my105.com/73128

18 August 2004

Mitsubishi Evo 6, 550hp engine, 8 pot brembo's, cusco diffs, new HKS/Garret Turbo, Improved Production National Championship winning car (late model class). Heaps of spares including engine. $45,000. Aaron 0409 298 108. 291 www.myl05.eom/60367

Current Marque Sports Champion Robnell 302SCR, Vic Champion '99 & '03. 2nd '00. Current Champ leader. 540bhp Ford 302. Motec Injection. Stack dash. Dyno sheets and other info available. New Tex Racing Jerico box. Tilton 7 1/4" Triple Plate Carbon clutch & spare. Ford 9" Rearend. Two sets wheels. Maintained by K&A. More development left. $150,000 Or Best Offer. Lyn 08 82179100 / 0417 826284. 291 www.myl05.eom/97420

Porsche GT3 Cup, 3,600km. Maintained by Porsche trained race crew. Includes 10 spare wheels, Motec logger & dash, spare bumper and valuable track data. This car is ready to race and we can also set you up completely with transporter (ex Jim Richards) and extensive array of equipment to join Carrera Cup,$230,000 Or Best Offer. 0418 835300 / 81320541. 293 www.myl05.eom/80397

Renault Clio Sport, unbelievably quick car, unfinished project, only done one track day, full comprehensive bond weld in roll cage, eibach springs, cotton green intake system, ideal targa or track car I Finance available Mil. $40000 Neg. Darren 0413 727 886. 291 www.myl05.eom/54540

Mazda Famila 1987 Turbo 4WD, Almost ready for Rally rego. Cams Log Book, Cage, Bilsteins, Helia 1000 light pod, terratrip, velo seat, lots of spares, needs finishing touches, must sell going overseas. $6000 ONO. David 0438563419 / 03 93322550. 290 www.myl05.com/22191

KB Laser S, 3J Logbook, extensively modified, quad throttle bodies. Wolf management (94rwkws @8000rpm), Koni's, Kings, adjustable camber, cage. A032r's(50%), spares. Ideal club/hillclimb car. 1st in class 2xVCH rounds, Winton s/t 1.14s & l/t 1.45s, Caider 73s, Sandown 96s, Geelong S/trials 14.71s, Mt Leura 36.79s Consistant front runner. $4000 ONO. Warren 0409 934 058. 290 www.myl05.com/63295

Lotus Cortina Mk-ll, Log book for historic touring car racing. Group NC, ready to race. Raced last two years Barbagello Raceway, lap time long circuit 1.12.5000, 150BHP rear wheels, close ratio bullet box, watts linkage, 45.DCOE Carburettors, only two meetings on fresh engine. $25,000 ONO. Greg call Greg 0416 235 353 / (08) 9342 4400. 290 www.my105.com/97713

SuperSports 1300, Suzuki G13B Engine, Corolla C/R 4 speed G/Box (Nedham Gears),Pushrod suspension, Konis, Alloy 3 piece wheels, 1 season new, includes single axle trailer, $28000. Phone 02 6288 8179. $20 000. 02 6288 8179 / 02 6288 8179. 291 www.myl05.com/2241

1977 Gemini Sedan (Auto), 1 Owner 94287 km. Blue slip if required. $3,000 including GST Not Neg. Ray P 026331 29 5991. www.myl05.eom/40224

Mazda 808 coupe, 1600 piston engine, side draft Webber, 5 speed, 4.4 LSD, 14" alloys, suspension set up for circut racing, half cage, race seat, harness, phone for more details. 0422 475 008 Lindsay, $5000 Neg. www.myl05.com/22843

Mazda RX7 Sports Sedan, mid mount 20B peripheral port, engineered from ground up, supra 5 speed Willwood discs, all round Tilton clutch, new 16inch slicks, bargain. $19,000 Not Neg. Darrell 0413 383 102. 290 www.myl05.com/78353

historic lotus 23 replica, Renault running gear ready to race historic, sprints, hillciimb, top unit. $15,000 ONO. justin 07 38482614 291 a/h. www,my105,com/76340

Formula Ford Spectrum 06- for sale or lease. Great 1 st car, competitive in all state and National events, great history with many poles, fastest laps and wins, finished 4th Bathurst 02, 5th AGP 04, Penske shockers all round, dash and logger, set up equip, full set ratios, 3 sets wheels and tyres, ready to race. Spare top horse power engine for $6,500. $27,000. Daniel (03) 291 9725 5366 / 0411 029 561. www.myl O5.com/18142

I Group C A9X, Torana Hatchback eligible to race Group C Histories (has logbook submitted to CAMS) with Certificate of Description 90% complete. Fresh 308 engine, super T10 gearbox and diff. 4 Spot calipers all round, plus some spares. Currently painted in Bill Patterson livery, very straight car. Near new tyres, $65,000 Neg. Tony 0414 557 903. 291 www.my105.com/41335

Clubman 1300, Slicks mounted wets trailer, Corolla Motor, convert back to 1969. Group M Histories. $7,500. Russell 03 5261 6044 293 (work). www.my105.com/36707

V8 Supercar, Ex-Kmart Greg Murphy.The last Gibson-built car.Only 6 races from new.Complete less engine.lncludes spares package with 4 sets of wheels. $110,000. 289 Eddie Abeinlea 0418 360 058. www.my105.com/41985

Open Wheelers

GROUP D MG MIDGET, Last raced 1981. (Winton 70secs) Suitable for parts or historic racing project. Plus lots of spares. 292 0439323741. Desmond www.myl05.com/81334 V8 Supercar VX or VY, brand new Motorsport lightweight body shell on set up. Jig frame plus spare doors, guards, panels, special light weight hand built shell. 294 $11,500, Gavin 03 9543 4280. www.my105.com/43441

Formula Ford, Chassis/engine for sale/lease. Maintained by Troy Dunstan Racing, Speedtech engine. 4x3 way Penske shocks, MoTec Dash, large inventory of spares. Package can be adjusted to meet your budget, lincludes delivery to lOOOkIms. Great opportunity to get a FF with all the 'bits' that makes a front running car, 292 $47,500 Neg. 0419 777 977. www.myl05.com/79793

Ralt RT4, Ralt RT4 Atlantic 87,fresh Jennings Cosworth BDD.all steel,crank tire ignition,FT200 0/Hauled by Taylor Eng,New Tilton clutch,many new parts.Factory ID Tags and #'s. Group R ,COD,Spare wheels.suspension,gears,absolute front runner.Race ready.inventory and pic's available. $70,000 Neg. peter 0418 556934 291 / 03 9890 6586. www.myl05.com/37763

CRD Motorsport offers for sale, 1980 Hardman F2, No 2 of 3 built Winner 1998 F2 Champ (Sportsman Div) comes with spare engine, ratios, original ground effects pods, suspension and wheels. Eligible Group R. $46000 Neg. Rohan Carrig 291 0400836856. www.my105.com/9174

Historic Group 0 1967, GWG F3, full cams, COFD plus log books. $20,000 ONO. Bob 291 2583. 5428 (03) www.myl05.com/73711

Nissan Clubman 2002, RWC, 12m reg. S/Charged SR 20 IRS all adjustable LSD polished alloy over spaceframe ultra reliable multiple hillciimb trophy winner 46 sec at Mt Cotton on road tyres! $28,000 ONO. Bill 02 6677 7230 or 0438 543 349. 290 www.myl05.com/52299

1983 Ralt RT4 Roller, Ex American Pro Atlantic History. Suspension 06/box rebuilt in '03', Penske shocks and spares. Phone John or Tony. $28,000. Tony 0418 736 869 290 4222. 3359 07 / www.myl05.com/2673

filFwayto sell your gear! From lust$25* lustlog on

(’‘$25 applies to ads entered directly onto my105.com) Advertising can also be supplied using thisform ($10/$15 surchagetotext only/text+ pic advertisements) Advertisements will appearin next possible issue of.Motorsport ievjs PLUS the ;..y iOS.cgr;:websiteforthree months. Please read & cross the desired services and calculate the total. 8 Standard ad and one inlusion into Motorsport News = $35 n Plus Photo Processing fee $5 =— C8t690IV: □ Sedans □ Open Wheelers □ Speedway DDrag DJobs ADDITIONAL OPTIDNS:□ Parts □ Engines □ Trailers □ Wanted □ Photographs □ Other □ Extra issues X $25 per issue □ Feature ad on Motorsport News and my105.com Please keep adsto no more than 50 words, plus up to 6 photos if desired. homepage for $75 per issue

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motorsport news

CLASSIFIEDS Speedway

miucci hOR SALE, 2003 Alach/Gaerte, complete roller with best available gear, only 4 meetings old. Dash 12 Gaerte, weldtech cylinder head, rodeck block, new rods, pistons, cam, valve train, new Joe Hunt magneto, will possibly split! NZ$40,000 Neg. Ray 025-908-335. 269 www.myl05.com/6278 Sprinfcar, complete roller, 96 j+j,chassis only 6 races old.winters diff with new franklin housing,Lee p/steering,max/weld wheels(3)fronts,(1 )R/rear,(1 )Urear,top+front wings.new nerfs,seat,belts,guages.Spares inolude.compiete front end, arms, stops, bars, panels+more. Ph 040733678s! $12,500 ONO. adrian 0394609588 / 0407336785. 290 www.myl O5.com/18259

TOW TRUCK, 1988 Isuzu Till Tray & Cradle. Rego 12th July 2005. $30,000 including GST Not Nag. Ray P 026331 5991. 291 www.my105.com/27060

Toploader C/R Bull Nose, Close Ratio 'Bull Nose" Toploader. 1 3/8" big input shaft. 27" long. Originally from big block Mustang, just rebuilt, had new DKTT input shaft installed, can now be used for big or small block applications, Hurst shifter on custom centre mount, Inc's brass button clutch plate and new tail shaft $2700.00 ONO. Delian 290 0418 221 353. www.my105.com/22409

Driver/Crew Apparel

Engines Sprlntcar Engine, -12 Brodix, -2 7/16 Kinsler inj, Donovan Block, 6 meetings on full rebuild, sprint Mag III, Moroso sump. $2,400 ONO. Tim (03) 6435 7997. 291 www.myl05.com/83261 Lotus TwIncam, Set of Lotus 125 Rods, 85mm High comp pistons and long stroke crank-makes cap 1761cc- out of race motor. All exl cond. $1000 Or Best Offer. Malcolm 0418835206 291 www.myl05.com/91956 COSWORTH YBB ENGINE & GEARBOX, Cosworth Sierra YBB DOHC 2L complete turbocharged engine and T5 gearbox, engine professionally rebuilt, balanced etc. turbo also rebuilt with HPC coated manifold. A reliable performance engine, complete with clutch and gearbox. The engine is standard specification, standard bore, the head and block are in exeilent condition, no corrosion etc. $15,000 AUD. 0401 473643 290 / 07 3425 1269 www.my105.com/57607

v8 Trader & Gooseneck trailer, TRUCK 351 Windsor 5 speed + splitter 180lt fuel .3 bunks, stove .water tank .sink, storage, stainless esky. 12v lights, insulated walls.TRAILER elec tail gate, warn winch for car.water & hose, generator, wired, fit sprinter/super/saloon or 2 x small cars, elec brakes, tyre rack, need car licence only, $38,000.00 ONO. Jamie 0409017684. 269 www.my105.com/74031

Sprlntcar Parts, 2 3/16 Hilborn fuel injection & pump with knife edged butterflys & shafts $2500, KSE Power Steering Box $1500, Neilds Power Steering Box $1700, Halibrand Diff $1200, Franklin Diff $1500, Complete front axle$ , Magneto & Coil $850 plus other sprlntcar parts, $2500. Dennis 0408 844 841. 290 www.myl05.com/94331

Jobs Competitive Experienced Drivers, Positions are available in a first-class team for national/state series in F/Ford. Highly competitive vehicles with excellent infrastructure. Compete at all Australian tracks. Professional attitude and budget to achieve objectives essential. Please contact cated@clockwork.com.au or 0419 777 977. 292 www.myl05.com/99385

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Wanted, WANTED DORIAN LAP TIMER.INTERCOMP ONBOARD LAP TIMER,MICROTECH MTX8 DASH 0409929426. 291 www.myl05.com/24687 Wanted, Terratrip 303 plus, intercom with headsets, smart level Caster Camber guage, turn plate, suspension spring tester, scale system. Gerry 02 9653 2208 or 0418 255 739. 289 www.myl05.com/31672 Wanted Formula Ford or Formula V, suitable for restoration project, consider any condition. Warren 0439 777 627. 289 www.my105.com/91851

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Daniel Natoli Lotus Championship, Racing currently seek support to compete in the Kumho Tyre Lotus Champisonship, supporting the V8's around Australia. Exposure will be offered direct to specters, at various events, with crowds ranging from 45-100,000. Sponsors would also receive exposure through various print and television media. DANIEL NATOLI 0755 746 777 / 0419 257 921. 289 www.sponsorseek.com.au/40

Parts

SPORTS SEDAN BODY SHELL, 2002 4LT CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING CAR. COMPLETE BODY SHELL INCLUDING FLARES & SPOILER WITH 14 POINT CHROME MOLLY ROLL CAGE WITH CAMS R.O.P.S CERTIFICATE. FIBREGLASS BONNET & LIGHTENED PANELS INCLUDES LEXAN WINDOWS. $5000.00 Neg. Paul 0414898761. 290 www.my105.com/49587

For sale Bargain, 1992 Honda CBR 600f. Staintune. exhaust, 84500klm, Tinted screen. Unreg just needs front shock seal done for rego. Good tyres. $2,900 Not Neg. Tralee 0427450442. 292 www.myl05.eom/40522

Transporters/Trailers / am very happy with the service I received. AH three of the enquiries you forwarded were firm buyers and it ivas sold on a first come first served basis. Again thanks. I. Hills

Twin Cam MK 1 Escort front guards, genuine Ford parts never used. $625 each. 291 Des 0428 164 215. www.my105.com/24692 Torana L34 Bancro Diff, Detroit Locker new 3.08, crown wheel and pinion, new Titicker axles to suit. David (03) 5428 3916 2B9 www.my105.com/41130 (BH). Competition tyres, 2205x60x15 Yoke A32R ex Targa. Call Bradley or Steve 03 9583 4493, $80 each. 0419 381 270. 287 www.myl05.com/30425

18 August 2004

DUCATI SUPERBIKE, I would like to present your organisation with a highly viable sponsorship opportunity one that will not only provide a substantial return on your investment, but In addition, will be most beneficial to you from a total marketing perspective. Stuart Fripp 0242958120 / 0438951622. 289 www.sponsorseek.com.au/30

Enclosed Trailer, fits large sedan, tyre rack, work bench, with vice, 240v/12v lights, aluminium floor and sides, long ramps, selling cheap for quick sale. $3,500 ONO, Scott 02 4982 6834, 292 www.my105.com/36289

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Toymax Racing Seeks Financial Support, It is in the general mentality of motor sport fans, that the support of sponsors is crucial, and that this support should be returned by people buying and using the products and services provided by sponsors. Andrew McKellar 0439 753 033 / 0439 753 033. 289 www.sponsorseek.com.au/38

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motorsport

news

EDITORIAL STAFF Editor: Phil Branagan l editor@mnew5.com.au Deputy Editor: Mark Glendenning l mark@mnews.com.au News Editor: Aaron Noonan l noonz@mnews.com.au National Editor: Grant Rowley l grant@mnews.com.au

PRODUCTION Adv & Graphics Co-ordinator: Viv Brumby l viv@mnews.com.au

ADVERTISING Brendon Sheridan - PR Driven Tel: 03 9877 7271 Fax; 03 9877 7207 mobile: 0407 007 286 l ads@mnews.com.au

ADMINISTRATION Managing Director/Publisher; Chris Lambden » publisher@mnews.com.au

CONTACTS 357 Nepean Highway, Brighton East Vic 3187 (PO Box 7072, Gardenvale, VIC 3186) Ph: 03 9596 5555 Fax: 03 9596 5030 Email: mnews@mnews.com.au

CONTRIRUTORS FI: Joe Saward, Adam Cooper, Paolo Filisetti Europe: Quentin Spurring, Gary Watkins, David Addison US: Phil Morris, Martin D. Clark Speedway: Brett Swanson, Julie Pearce, Geoff Rounds, Tony Millard (UK), Greg Boscato, Daniel Powell Rally; Jon Thomson Histories; Brian Reed Drag Racing: Greg Ward, Jon Asher (USA), Dave Ostaszewski (USA), Nick Nicholas, Steven White, Ken Ferguson National: Mark Wicks, Sean Henshelwood, Mark Jones, Dave Conole, Chris Jordan Photographers: Sutton Motorsport Images, Dirk Klynsmith, Bothwell Photographic, Marshall Cass, Nigel Snowdon & Diana Burnett, AF1 Images, Neil Hammond, Slipstream Photographic, Allsport, John Morris/Mpix, Frank Midgley, Peter Bury, Mike Patrick (UK), Chris Carter, James Smith, Paris Charles, Bob Potts - Motorsport News is published by Australasian Motorsport News - ABN 55 125 120 702 Publisher: C Lambden Printed by: Offset Alpine Printing Pty Ltd, Lidcombe, NSW. Distributed by: NDD Ltd Material published by MOTORSPORT NEWS is copyright and may not be reproduced in full or in part without the written permission of the publisher. Freelance contributions are welcome, and while all care will be taken, Australasian Motorsport News does not accept responsibility for damage or loss of material submitted. ●Opinions expressed in Motorsport News are not necessarily those of Australasian Motorsport News or its staff.

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Don't kill the goose that laid the golden egg. Scott Mnckmj Cardross, Victoria

Brocky still the King So some 'nit wit'from Roxburgh Park in Victoria(MNews #288) can't believe Peter Brock is returning to V8 Supercars and Bathurst again because the 'washed-up has-been' has been the King of the Moimtain - but not anymore... Listen, turkey, who gives a stuff what you think? With nine victories up his sleeve, Brocky will forever be the King. Here's some stats for you. Ambrose,Ingall, Lowndes,Seton, Ellery, Besnard,Johnson and Jones are eight of your best Ford drivers, but have yet to notch up one Ford win at Bathurst between them. If you think Brock isn't wanted at Bathurst, peek behind the pits and look at the line-up for autographs between Ambrose and Brock. You'll soon see who's king. PB probably won't win Bathurst, but neither will most of the other drivers. PS. A special thanks to John Bowe for punting Ambrose off at Winton and just about guaranteeing Holden yet another touring car championship. Eddie May Cambridge Park NSW

More cars for Bathurst

Told you so

converter Send us your thoughts: mail: PO Box 7072, Gardenvale.VIC 3186 fax: 03 9596 5030 email: mnews@mnews.com.au

Hate to say I told you so - but I told you so (refer to Talk Converter column in July 2003 edition). The majority of motorsport fans are not idiots. We want to watch V8 Falcons and Holdens race. But we also want to watch production car racing where we can associate with the products on the race track and draw direct comparisons between the various manufacturers and models. What we don't want is a parity based fomula dressed up as production car racing. And what we also don't want is a a contrived race/category which is really designed 5 to be a marketing tool for one of the manufacturers. Give us what we want and we will flock to the race circuits of Australia. Simon Dale Endeavour Hills, Victoria

What a Wayne Kerr

I hear Mr Perkins' race team was found to have an illegal suspension component after the Winton round. I am wondering why he won't get a judgment on his team until the Oran Park meeting, when SBR got their judgment right after the meeting? I am a Holden fan, but the silence from other teams and the media about Mr Perkins is so silent you can hear a pin drop. Mr Perkins states it was an oversight on the suspension component, but he seems to read the rule book real close when it comes to OTHER teams' 'oversights'. Everyone is calling for 'consistency' in the judgments handed down, so why not 'consistency' in the time frame to hand out the

I am writing to add my support to the recent letter regarding the small grid limit of only 35 cars at Bathurst. I agree with this limit KOA-OEM for all the other tracks around Australia, but Bathurst should be allowed to have around 45 cars. Up until and including 2000,55 cars started at Bathurst and some years saw up to 63 cars start (1984). I recall hearing after 2000 the grid limit was 48, wliich then became 42 and now 35 cars. Another few years and it Eye for detail? Reader Kerr reckons Larry Perkins only will be down to 20 cars! reads the rule book really close when it comes to No matter what the oversights of opposition teams. AVESCO does, Bathurst judgment? will always be a stand Wayne Kerr the main race at Bathurst. alone event and, like Le Phillip Island, Victoria It would also be nice if AVESCO Mans m France, have more cars and ED; Gee, where do I start? SBR's case once in a while used its "special drivers. was handled by the VS Supercar Court discretionary powers" to allow the Back in the early days, Bathurst likes of Garth Walden to start afterof Appeal, which was convened in had four or five classes, 60 starters Melbourne following the Q300. The and more than a minute between missing the 110 percent cut-off, but Perkins case luas heard by the stezvards those powers appear to be for the pole and 60th (in qualifying). I and at the next available opportunity (ie big teams only. AVESCO could many others feel that the race could Oran Park). have cut a bit of slack to David still handle 45 cars and it would be And that IS your real name, isn 't it? Thexton occasionally in the past. good to see some Konica teams in molorsporl netMS

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