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SUPERCHEAP AUTO SUPPORTS FRASER FOR MAIN GAME DRIVE
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TRIPLE EIGHT young gun Declan Fraser is looking to turn his eighth-place finish at Bathurst into something more significant for 2023. And he will do so with the support of Supercheap Auto. Talking to Justin Murray, Sponsorship Manager for Supercheap Auto post a successful Bathurst 1000 ‘Wildcard’ performance, he was very positive and backed Fraser to step up to a full-time drive. “Our wildcard program has always had the objective of bringing a young driver into the team, as we saw last year with Broc and now again in 2022 with Declan,” he said. “Declan did a super job for us at Bathurst with Craig Lowndes. The on-track result was fantastic, and Declan equally impressed everyone off-track with his work ethic, fan interaction, training and media commitments. “The whole Wildcard program buildup over five months was immense, and
Declan handled it extremely well. “He is part of the Supercheap Auto family, and we will continue to support Declan in his efforts for a main game drive,” confirmed Murray. PremiAir Racing, Matt Stone Racing and Brad Jones Racing are all yet to announce a finalised driver line-up for 2023, meaning there are still doors open for Fraser to take the next step. He hopes his performance at Bathurst provides a bit more impetus for that to happen, especially after being paired with Supercars legend Craig Lowndes, from whom he learnt a heap. “We came away with the history-making P8, the highest-ever wildcard finisher at Bathurst,” he said after the Great Race. “It’s a special moment for me and Triple Eight and Craig. “The triple stint he did at the end was awesome. We had pretty good pace at the end; we made a little bit of a change which brought us back into the mix. We fell out of
the window halfway through the race, but at the end of the day, it’s all hindsight stuff. “To finish eighth on my debut, with Craig and everyone in the team, it’s a pretty special moment.” But whether it helps him get a drive for 2023 or not is up in the air. When asked about his plans for next season, he simply replied, “you tell me – I don’t know”. “There’s probably a couple of teams with some spots available. Hopefully, this weekend I put on a good enough show for them, and they can see what we can offer. I can’t thank Triple Eight enough for allowing me to showcase what I can do and for trusting in me. Who knows what the future may hold, whether I stick with Triple Eight or whatever. “I have taken every opportunity with both hands so far. They’ve given me an opportunity to be involved in the team this year. They’re the best team up and down pit lane, so if they’re going to allow me to be there, I’ll make sure I make the most
BATHURST’S MODERN BEHEMOTH THE RECORDS Keep tumbling for Craig Lowndes four years on from his retirement from a full-time Supercars gig. On the confirmation of his 29th start in the Great Race, Lowndes became the first driver to notch 300 ATCC/Supercars round starts, which would fittingly come at The Mountain. The seven-time Bathurst winner (equal second with Jim Richards) is one green flag away from equalling Bob Holdens 30 Bathurst starts, which will make him third of all-time. He holds the record for most podiums (14), and most race completions in a row (17, 2002-2019). And if the brilliant Garth Tander doesn’t start next year, he will also equal him for the third most Supercar Race starts (569). As night fell over the garages of the 2022 Bathurst 1000, AUTO ACTION had a word with Lowndes who was crossing the pits after talking with another group of doting fans. “It’s always great to be here, especially as a driver because it’s such a special place with a great history and tradition, every single time is more special than the last in a way,” Lowndes said. “To be able to bring up the 300 here, that’s the most special part of holding that record. And to be able to come back again next year for another go is very pleasing, so hopefully we can come back and have another really strong showing.”
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T8 marked the occasion with a unique collage Image: ROSS GIBB PHOTOGRAPHY Lowndes shared the car with a driver who is most likely to become a regular Supercars name in the categories new generation, who along with his rookie appearance, also got to head the field briefly in what may become a familiar sight in the years to come. The two-time series champion related his observations on sharing the #888 Make It Super Commodore with Declan Fraser, and how things evolved for them on the track.
of it. I’m not an employee or anything like that; I’m just there to learn as much as possible from the people around the team and their knowledge.” Like fellow wildcard drivers Richie Stanaway with Boost, Fraser looks to have impressed his sponsor for Bathurst in Supercheap, and he is hoping to continue that relationship. “I would love to continue the partnership with Justin (Murray) and everyone at Supercheap. It’s been a fantastic week, and I can’t thank them enough for the opportunity to come out here and showcase what we could do. Hopefully, we can move up next year and show what we can do in the main game. Fraser currently leads the Dunlop Super2 Series by 75 points over Zak Best, with only two races at the Valo Adelaide 500 meeting remaining. He needs a fourth and third-place finish or better in the two races to secure his maiden title. Bruce Williams
“Declan did a great job, he really took it under his wing with everything that was going on. The step up between Super2 and the main-game is quite big, especially because of all the stuff that goes on off the track, the corporate lists and the signing sessions and everything else. “I feel that he was a little blown away with that side of it at the start of the week, just with what we do and all the running around. But once we put that helmet on him, he was more-or-less faultless for a first-timer. “Getting to know the car around The Mountain is a big aspect of it, and we sort of struggled with it pace wise. But in the end, we both really didn’t do anything wrong, and that enabled us to have a good strong finish. “The thing that really hindered us was that we had to carry a bit more rear wing to get the balance across the top of the Mountain, more so than others. That lost us the straight line speed over the weekend. “That was the part that hurt us overall, and if we could’ve settled the car down a little better and run a bit less rear wing, we probably would have been a lot closer or thereabouts.” There’s always the chance that Lowndes could do anything on The Mountain, and his return next under the current Triple Eight contract, will again be a major fan-drawcard for Australia’s greatest racing spectacle. You’d be hard pressed to see another driver that takes in fan-admiration to the extent and patience that ‘The Kid’ does. Oh … and managed yet another Bathurst 1000 record this year. Since its formal 2009 inception, their P8 is the highest ever finish for a wildcard. TW Neal
TICKFORD AND EREBUS IN WAR OF WORDS OVER CUTTING CLASH
By THOMAS MILES Tickford Racing and Erebus Motorsport have entered a war of words following a clash at The Cutting between cars #6 and #99. Tickford’s main man Cam Waters stood on the Bathurst podium for third straight year, but was left to wonder what could have been after another missed shot at The Mountain. The big moment that defined car #6’s day involved the car being driven by Erebus rival Brodie Kostecki on lap 46, which sent the Monster Mustang spiralling down the order from the effective lead to 21st. Despite coming from behind to beat the #99 Erebus Commodore on track, both Waters and co-driver James Moffat (top right) did not hide their anger about the clash, especially after teammate Jake Kostecki received a 15-second penalty for spinning Boost Mobile wildcard Greg Murphy when the roles were reversed. “He (Brodie) tried to pass at a place you do not usually pass at and we lost 15 spots,” Waters said. “I was not sure why Jake got a penalty when he was up alongside Murph on the kerb and could not go anywhere else.” “It was all going okay for us until Brodie just drove like a dickhead at The Cutting,” Moffat said. “We were on the back foot for the rest
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of the day, so credit to the team for not giving up and Cam drove the wheels off it to get it back on the podium.” Despite the Monster Mustang fighting back to score P3, Tickford had little to celebrate after cars #55 and #5 were wiped out within the first four laps, and #56 struggled to P17 and team principal Tim Edwards said it was one of the toughest days he has ever experienced. “This place can really bruise you,” he said. “It was obviously a very rough start, three-fourths of our cars were either out of the race or out of contention by Lap 5. “We’re not happy with the referee today. We got turned around and it cost us the race with Cam and Moff. “The fact that we turned what could have been a disaster into a podium is something we can be proud of, but we’re only interested in the top step at Bathurst “To be honest, I haven’t had many races that were worse than today for us.” Crucially, Kostecki (right) was not awarded a penalty by the stewards, but this only fuelled Tickford’s frustrations. Erebus Motorsport CEO Barry Ryan went into bat for his driver, claiming Moffat’s actions caused the incident instead. “Brodie was left a gap at the Cutting,” Ryan said to Supercars.com. “As James Moffat does in everything he drives, he had tunnel vision or is just
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Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES stupid and turned in on Brodie – ask anyone he races. “For James and Tim to label Brodie a dickhead and imbecile publicly when it was clear Brodie made a racing move on an amateur driver is completely unfair. “The incident was also cleared by the stewards. “If Tickford want to blame someone for losing their shot at a Bathurst win, they need to look at their own co-driver and his actions. “Brodie and Dave drove the wheels off the 99 car and chose their fights like professional drivers do.” Cars #6 and #99 found themselves racing side by side once again later in the race after the final restart, but this
time it remained clean with Waters passing Kostecki at Griffin’s Bend to steal the podium position. Fans will be looking forward to how the Tickford v Erebus rivalry evolves when Supercars returns to the Gold Coast on October 28-30.
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AUSSIES AMONG WORLD’S BEST IN A motorsport first, the WSC Group has launched a new driver rankings concept and two Australians feature inside the top 15 in the TCR world. The 2022 Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series title protagonists Tony D’Alberto and Jordan Cox are mixing it with the best in the globe, ranked 10th and 15th respectively. The rankings are based on results since January 2021 and series are divided into five categories with TCR Australia classified as a “national” category. The system has been used to rank the best TCR drivers in the world and the inaugural number one TCR Italy and Europe star Franco Girolami.
CAR #99 RAISE 10 GRAND IN GREAT RACE EREBUS MOTORSPORT’s Brodie Kostecki and David Russell have raised $10,000 to Charity Feel the Magic, as part of an incentive from the Geoff Booth Foundation. The Foundation pledged $10,000 if car #99 made the Top Ten Shootout, which it did, qualifying ninth for the 2022 Great Race. The Geoff Booth Foundation celebrates the lives of its founders Geoff Booth and Annie Tan, who passed away due to cancer, while Feel the Magic provide early intervention grief education programs for children aged 7 to 17 who have experienced the loss of a parent, guardian or sibling.
CROWDS FLOCK BACK TO GREAT RACE THE FIRST Bathurst 1000 without restrictions in a post COVID-19 world has been hailed as a big success. Supercars thanked its fans, with 195,578 braving some of the worst conditions ever faced at Mount Panorama, while TV figures also improved dramatically. It was the biggest crowd since COVID-19, being only 6000 short of the 2019 figure. The average Foxtel audience was up 9% on 2021, while Seven’s coverage averaged 1.36 million total viewers national and 38% more people watched the podium ceremony than last year.
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TODD’S ‘GUT WRENCHING’ FINISH TO FINAL BATHURST AT MSR by THOMAS MILES EMERGING SUPERCARS star Todd Hazelwood hit the headlines prior to the Bathurst 1000 announcing his move from Matt Stone Racing to Blanchard Racing Team for 2023. Although it is the third switch in his five-year career, it will be an emotional one as Hazelwood departs the team, which helped achieve his ambition. Hazelwood won the 2017 Super 2 Series driving a MSR Holden Commodore and also spent his first two years at the top level with the family-owned team. These connections meant the 27-year-old was desperate to give the team a strong result in their final Great Race together, and why he had a “gut wrenching” feeling when hopes for an impressive top-10 result were gone after meeting the Griffins Bend wall. “It was a tough day at the office and we did well to survive as long as we did because we had a front end issue from lap three where the front mounting system failed on us,” Hazelwood told Auto Action. “I was in a rhythm, driving to a number, but both front wheels just locked up out of nowhere and I was just a passenger.
“It is gut wrenching considering the day we had, knowing we had everything going against us and we almost got through to the other side with a decent finish. “I just feel for the team because they busted their guts all weekend, so it would have been nice, but it was not meant to be.” While there are still two big events left in 2022, including Hazelwood’s home race in Adelaide, the man with 155 race starts is already excited about the future. He will be jumping from a team that has struggled to progress outside of the top 15 to one that has regularly been in the mix for a top-10 result. Much like the early days at MSR, Hazelwood will be leading a one-car Ford team at BRT, which has similar personnel to when he last appeared in CoolDrive colours as a co-driver alongside Tim Blanchard for Brad Jones Racing in 2017. He sees the move as a big opportunity to take the next step in his short career. “There is no question that my stint in Supercars has been tough, but what does not kill you makes you stronger and I will keep fighting,” Hazelwood said.
“The team is in a unique position being a single car Gen 3 team and it is a great opportunity for me to start fresh with a clean slate. “They are family orientated which I love and are also a professional and well organised outfit. I did a brief stint with the team with the Brad Jones alliance back in 2017 and it is ironic how the worlds have combined once again. “I think the best thing about next year is that I can invest all of my time being a driver, so I seeing what I can get out of myself is an exciting prospect.” Despite leaving MSR for the second time in three years, Hazelwood said his relationship with Stone remains very strong and he hopes both parties enjoy lots of success in the future. “Everything has been very amicable between Matt and I,” he said. “We are still very good mates away from the race track and that was a key component as to why there was flexibility. “We had a chat and both understand what we needed to do, so there were not any issues. “It is not a case of leaving on bad terms, I wish Matt and the team all the best and I am sure they will do good things in the future.”
BATHURST 1000 WINNER INSPECTS NEW ADELAIDE 500 DECK SHANE VAN Gisbergen has visited the newly resurfaced track that will host the Supercars return to Adelaide, with the state’s treasurer also announcing free travel for ticket holders. With more than 70% of the track so far finished, from the braking zone at Turn 9 through to the entry of Turn 7, the new surface is expected to produce the fastest lap times in the event’s history. The two-time Bathurst 1000 winner was on hand last week to be shown around the track with South Australian Treasurer Stephen Mulligan (above) as he announced the free travel for fans. “We have had some past experiences at this track but it will be completely different now, there are no bumps and hopefully more grip,” said the 2022 series leader. “It is a completely new surface, it looks beautiful and we can’t wait to race here in a couple of months.” Van Gisbergen said that he was looking forward to the Supercars/Holden finale, with it being a welcome return to an old street circuit driver favourite. “It will be a different feeling being the Championship finale, the drivers will be more race fit, but the biggest thing for us is seeing the enthusiasm in town already, seeing how much the people of Adelaide have missed the race and how excited they are for it to return.
“This was one of my favourite races of the year and to be back here again is going to be great. We haven’t done many street circuits in recent years and we can come race here again with the people and see so many fans around on the street.” The event returns to SA on the back of a state labour government – run by the Hon Peter Malinauskas – that has pushed the agenda of Motorsport into the public eye. Mullighan expressed to fans that they wanted to make it as affordable as possible for everyone to attend the event. “We want to make it as easy and affordable to attend as possible, we’ve already dialled back ticket prices 10 years, and providing free public transport is another great incentive,” the Treasurer said. “The event shuttle service will make it even more convenient for fans to get around and take in all the action of the best touring car race in the world.” All VALO Adelaide 500 ticket holders can travel for free on any Adelaide Metro bus, train or tram from first to last service, by showing a valid VALO Adelaide 500 ticket for that day to catch a free ride. Those aged under 12 years that receive free entry to the track will not need to present a ticket when boarding. The VALO Adelaide 500 will take place on December 1-4. Tickets for the Supercars Championship season finale are now on sale via Ticketek.
FORMULA 5000s THUNDER AT ROSE CITY TRIBUTE THE ROSE City 10,000 tribute race for Formula 5000 cars has been completed, in memorable fashion, at Winton Raceway. The main event, sponsored by Auto Action, was a 12-lap affair featuring some pristine classic V8 powered open wheel racers, with 13 cars eventually making the grid for Sunday’s race, with all participating cars ranging from between 1969 and 1977. Many of the cars on the grid have major histories, but the appearance of the Elfin MR8 Chev that 1976 Formula 1 world champion James Hunt drove to victory at Winton 44 years ago, completed the event. Chas Talbot – the only driver in the field to have actually raced in the 1978 Rose City 10,000 – also took part, taking to the track in a similar Lola T332 to that raced then. It was the biggest field of Australian domiciled Formula 5000 cars that the category had seen for many years. Saturday and Sunday featured a pair of sprint races, which were taken out by one of the pre-event favourite’s in Tom Tweedie, with Tim Berryman playing second fiddle to Tweedie in those morning showings. On Sunday, It was the sprint race winner in Tweedie who would take the early lead in the Chevron B24/28 to be in control for the first half of the race, until gearbox issues forced his early retirement.
His misfortune allowed Berryman in his beautifully prepared ex-Alan Jones/Theodore Racing Lola T332 Chev to take the lead. Berryman (right) had been pushing hard and had been shadowing Tweedie until the sixth lap, and once he assumed the lead, took control proceedings for a resounding win. Paul Zazryn (above) was Berryman’s closest challenger, also in a Lola T332, doing enough to take out second place. Regular TCR Australia front-runner Josh Buchan was piloting the ex John GossAustralian Grand Prix winning MatichRepco Holden, making a good start and charging through the field to be running as high as P3. He was on the tail of the leading pair, but brake issues hampered
Images: PETER ELLENBOGEN his efforts, and he failed to make the chequered flag. The battle for third was an engrossing encounter, with Dean Camm in his Chevron B24 filling the podium spot with a last lap overtake. Camm overtook David Crabtree in a March 73a for P3 after initially starting at the rear of the field.
Talbot couldn’t match his effort of P5 in 1978, with plenty of backfiring coming from the historic T332. Paul Zazryn took out the ‘Spirit of the meeting award’ which was awarded by AA Publisher Bruce Williams, while Geoff Walters driving in a Lola T330 was awarded the Hoosier prize. TW Neal
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BATHURST 12 HOUR SET TO GO BACK TO ITS BEST THE BEST GT3 teams and drivers are expected to return to the LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour next year as the race rebounds from COVID restrictions. The race reverted to a Pro-Am format in 2022 to account for the effects of the pandemic, but next year will revert back to the fully professional outright class, with teams featuring all-pro line ups to be welcomed back for the first time since 2020. The field will be split across three classes, while the Top 10 Shootout will also make a comeback for the race held between February 3-5 2023.
NEW WETS TO IMPROVE GEN3 HANDLING DUNLOP AUSTRALIA has developed and tested a new and improved wet tyre to be used for the Supercars 2023 championship season with the Gen3 Ford and Chevrolet cars. The tyre’s are now in production in Japan with the first batch said to be arriving in Australia ahead of the Newcastle 500 on March 10-13 next year. The design is said to be capable of dispersing impressive quantities of water for effective use in heavy wet weather conditions, and will feature white lettering on its sidewall for both the Dunlop and SP Sport maxx brands. The current 2022 wets will be allocated for use in the Super2 and Super3 rounds for its 2023 season. The tyre compound was first used on the Gen3 prototype that was seen in the wet-conditions at the Sandown SuperSprint, and also at
last week’s Bathurst 1000. “Our rigorous testing and development program has resulted in a brand new rubber compound which delivers reduced lap times due to improved grip levels compared with the 2022 wet tyre,” said Tony Kiernan, Dunlop’s brand manager. “We are gratified that Supercar drivers in rigorous test conditions immediately expressed increased confidence in the handling and braking performance of the new Dunlop Wet Control tyre. “The softer rubber employed will deliver slightly increased wear rates which we are confident will add yet another element to Supercar Team strategy decisions on wet race days. Supercars CEO Shane Howard has said that the new compound tyres will enhance the racing in
adverse conditions. “This is a great outcome for drivers and particularly the fans who want to see racing in any condition,” Howard said. “It will provide drivers with more control under wet conditions which in turn will provide a greater spectacle for fans. “Following testing we’re very pleased with the outcomes of the new compound that will be used on the new wet tyre. The softer compound has been designed to handle wet conditions much better than the current tyre on the Gen3 Camaro and Mustang, given the reduced downforce the new cars will create. “Both Dunlop and Supercars believe this new wet tyre will add to the racing spectacle in harsh/wet conditions with the new cars.”
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COURTNEY NEEDS NEW CHASSIS JAMES COURTNEY’S chassis received such a battering at The Chase he will be racing in a different car on the Gold Coast. Courtney’s co-driver Zane Goddard went off at The Chase, and struggled to regain control in the mud before receiving big front and rear impact from cars #8 and #26 when rejoining. The damage sustained was so significant, the Bathurst chassis will be parked for repairs, while the Snowy River Caravans livery will be seen on the chassis Tom Randle piloted in the massive starting line crash at The Bend last July.
DARWIN TRIPLE CROWN BACK TO ITS BEST THE MERLIN Darwin Triple Crown entered a new era in 2022 being the first offical Indigenous Round of the Supercars Championship, and independent research confirmed this year was one of the best ever. The 2022 trip to the Top End was the 25th in Supercars history, but first as an Indigenous Round, culminating as a huge success. A total of 40,448 people attended the event across the three days of action, with almost half of them interstate visitors, creating a significant economic boost for the Territory, generating $28.4 million, of which more than 75% was new money.
GROVE RACING REBUILD ON TRACK FOR GOLD COAST
GROVE RACING is in a race against time to get David Reynolds’ #26 Penrite Ford GT Mustang ready for the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500. Reynolds did not get to drive a single racing lap in the 2022 Bathurst 1000 after his co-driver Matt Campbell was caught up in the three-car incident at The Chase, which also involved Zane Goddard and Dale Wood. The incident took all three cars out instantly with the Grove Racing Ford sustaining heavy front and rear damage. On the Thursday following the 2022 Bathurst 1000, the team decided to press on with the rebuild, leaving just 14 days to get the car back in one piece ahead of the championship’s return to Surfers Paradise instead of reverting to a spare.
Five long days in, and the cars race engineer Alistair McVean has revealed that the rebuild is on track with the chassis back in the workshop and slowly starting to be pieced back together. “We have got the chassis back into the workshop now, we got it off the jig on Thursday night after a couple of big nights,” he said on the Penrite Racing Instagram page. “We got the job done in terms of fabrication and took it into the Kelly Racing paint shop on Friday to give it a coat of paint to get it looking in tip-top shape again. “Now we are back in the workshop starting to put it all back together.” The Grove Racing setup still has a “close relationship” with former owner and driver Todd Kelly, which ensured
the latter’s fabrication shop could be utilised to repair the car. This use of resources was critical with quarter panels, exhaust system, front splitter, bonnet, radiator and the entire rear end needed to be taken off the damaged car and replaced, while it also received an extra coat of paint in the paint shop. McVean said the team has just begun the process of rebuilding the car with the rear wing the first box to tick off the checklist. “The boys are jigging the rear wing position, getting that in the right spot and that starts the whole process and we can build the bodywork from there,” he said. “At the front of the car the boys are fitting up the radiator, support panel and crash beam making sure it is all in the right spot. “We will eventually start putting the suspension, drive train and fuel tank back in to get it to the point where it is on the deck and ready to go.” With the rebuild starting to take shape, Grove Racing will continue to push hard to have the car ready by October 28-30 when the Supercars hit the streets of Surfers Paradise.
BJR CONFIDENT AHEAD OF REBUILD
DESPITE A tight three-week turnaround between events, Brad Jones Racing is confident it can get Andre Heimgartner’s Holden ZB Commodore ready for the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 after its bruising Bathurst 1000 shunt. Heimgartner’s co-driver Dale Wood was reduced to tears after he was caught up in the three-car smash at The Chase on lap 5 which finished their day. Car #8 sustained heavy damage to the driver’s side after the front-right section swiped the rejoining Zane Goddard, taking both cars, plus Matt Campbell out instantly. While James Courtney will be switching chassis’ ahead of the return to the Surfers Paradise streets, there is still hope for BJR. BJR team principal Brad Jones spoke to Auto Action and said the chassis should be ready for the Gold Coast after an initial inspection upon return to its Albury base from Bathurst. “We have got the car, stripped it all back and got a lot of the broken stuff off it,” he said. “It is down in the manufacturing department and the guys have jumped on it straight away to straighten up the chassis, cut a number of bars out and replace them around the front and back of the car. “Hopefully it will come off the jig (last Friday) and then (this) week it will go back into the race shop when we will start
GOLDING SET TO REVEAL NEW LOOK AT SUNDAY SESH
piecing it together. “(It is) mostly chassis and suspension (damage)…fairly extensive, but as there is no doubt we will get it all sorted out and ready to go in Queensland later next week.” The team has already been forced to change chassis for car #8 earlier this year after Heimgartner’s heavy start line crash with another Tickford driver in Tom Randle, during round 8 at The Bend Motorsport Park. But with chassis #007 living up to its name and surviving its latest scuffle at
Mount Panorama, Jones is confident it will live to fight another day at the unforgiving streets of Surfers Paradise. “It was chassis 007 which was our spare car and rolled it back out and has worked perfectly well,” he said. “The chassis is not twisted and sits on the jig properly. “We will replace the bars that we have to, so we are pretty comfortable it will all be sorted out.” The 2022 Gold Coast 500 will be held on October 28-30, leaving BJR a fortnight to ensure the chassis lives twice.
CAMERON KEEN TO IMPRESS AT GLOBAL EVENT RISING STAR Aaron Cameron is hoping to take the world by storm when he represents Australia at the FIA Motorsport Games next week. Already in Europe ahead of the event, Cameron is part of an expanded Team Australia effort which will race a Team Clairet Sport Peugeot 308 TCR against a stacked international field at the home of the French Grand Prix, Paul Ricard. Cameron believes a strong performance against some of the top TCR drivers in the world can highlight the talent assembled in Supercheap Auto TCR Australia to the best in the business. “I think it could open some opportunities up and it is something we did look at when we got into TCR,” he said. “TCR is a world platform that you can go anywhere in the world, they’re all the same cars, so you just need to learn the track and be on it. “Hopefully it does open up opportunities so we can do some more international races in the future. “We’re an underrated series and when drivers have come out here before we’ve been competitive with them. At that stage when they came out, they knew the cars a lot more than us as we were in our first year. “Now, we’re a few years down the track we have a good handle on the cars and when internationals do come out in the future like Teddy is at Bathurst, we can challenge them for the win.” Although eager to impress, Cameron
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knows the challenge will be stiff from a packed field with many holding prior knowledge of the Paul Ricard circuit. Some of the international stars include Belgium’s Gilles Magnus, Chris Smiley from England, and veteran Dutch driver Tom Coronel. Cameron believes it will be a tall order to fight at the front, but said that his ambition is to show Team Australia can compete against the best. “Competition-wise, it will be tough as there are a couple of race winners in both WTCR and TCR Europe I will be competing against,” he said. “But I’m aiming to take it up to them to demonstrate the Aussies can do it, which will hopefully open it up for other guys in TCR Australia to go over to Europe and be successful.” After finishing second in last year’s championship, Cameron has had an up and down season and currently sits 11th in the 2022 standings with one round to go. But the #18 Team Valvoline GRM Peugeot driver has still enjoyed plenty of highs scoring duel wins at Bathurst, plus being victorious in the opening race of the previous round at Sandown. For Cameron, representing Australia in the FIA Motorsport Games was not an
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opportunity to miss, with preparation starting as soon as it was announced. “When we get over to Paul Ricard, we want to hit the ground running and give ourselves the best opportunity,” he said. “I’ve been using the simulator at Melbourne Performance Centre to learn Paul Ricard, which gives me an idea of where it goes left and right in addition to braking markers. We compared it to some onboard footage that we have and it all relates pretty well. “The Clairets have been awesome so far. Obviously, they run a pretty professional Peugeot outfit in France, so I can’t wait to jump in the 308 TCR and race in something familiar to me. With the onboard footage and data, it’s been really helpful.” Cameron’s campaign begins with the FIA Motorsport Games opening ceremony at Marseille on Wednesday, October 26 before the on track action takes place from Friday to Sunday.
JAMES GOLDING will get the Gold Coast party started by revealing his fresh new look PremiAir Racing Holden Commodore at a special event this Sunday. The team and Golding will join forces with its naming partner Subway to unveil an exciting new livery for the #31 Supercar on Surfers Paradise Beach at the “Subway Sunday Sesh”. The special livery will celebrate PremiAir Racing’s first home round and is inspired by Gold Coast’s attractions. Golding will not only take the covers off his new-look Supercar as a driver, but he will actually take centre stage as a professional DJ to spin the decks for fans and beachgoers at the special event. The #31 driver has impressed many with how he has performed behind the wheel since stepping in at PremiAir Racing midway through the season, and now he is looking forward to the chance to show off his skills behind the turntable. “I cannot wait for the Subway Sunday Sesh – what a great way to unveil the exciting new look for the #31 Subway PremiAir Racing Supercar ahead of the Gold Coast 500,” Golding said. “Not everyone knows this about me, but I am also a DJ and being behind the decks is a real happy place for me. “So to be able to combine that with this livery unveil and help Subway create a fun event on the beach for the fans is really great. “I can’t wait to see all the fans in Surfers Paradise on Sunday for what will be a great afternoon, one week before the streets of Surfers Paradise come alive with the sounds of the Gold Coast 500.” It will be the third livery the #31 Subway car will carry in the 2022 Supercars Championship. For nine of the 10 rounds it has carried its familiar white look, while a striking green “Making Tracks” livery was driven by Garry Jacobson in the Indigenous Round in Darwin. PremiAir Racing showcased a retro CocaCola car for Chris Pither and Cameron Hill at the recent Bathurst 1000, paying tribute to Wayne Gardner’s and Neil Crompton’s 1995 challenger. This popular look will remain on car #22 for the streets of Surfers Paradise in what will be Pither’s penultimate round with the team after it was recently confirmed the Kiwi will leave at the end of the season. This Sunday Golding will entertain with his DJ set from 12.30pm to 1.30pm before handing the stage over to an acoustic duo that will be playing well-known covers. The beach set-up will include shaded spaces for fans to relax in comfy bean bags and deck chairs under large beach umbrellas, complete with prize giveaways, beach games and more. These activities will follow the livery unveil at 12.00pm on the promenade under the Surfers Paradise sign. The new look PremiAir Racing Subway Holden ZB Commodore will next be on-track at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 on October 28-30.
we got our win. I think when we started this year, in the meeting I felt something similar, but I didn’t know whether I was right or wrong. And then we got in the car … and, actually, you’re hoping that everything they’ve said is how it’s going to be, but when we got in the car, we were faced with something we hadn’t expected or seen it coming. So, it was not anger but, at some stage, I had to think, “God, with this car I’m not going to be able to fight for the championship” and that was tough, given that our goal together was to rebound and fight, get back into the fight and give it everything again – not only because that’s our drive but also because it’s inspiring for other people. Not being in the position to be able to do that, there are still different ways you can be inspirational. Does the bitter feeling from last year still linger? No, looking forward. But did you need some weeks to overcome the disappointment, because you were silent for quite a while? It’s only normal, when you experience something that is so difficult. It takes time to overcome and even when you overcome it, it still needs work, but I would say I’m in the best place I’ve already been. Overall, in my personal life, the business, the relationships, in terms of family, in terms of work, my desire is still strong in terms of what I’m going to do. What’s your relationship with Max like? Not just about Abu Dhabi, by do
you speak regularly? I don’t talk to anybody regularly, not even my Mum! ut you talk about Abu Dhabi to him? I don’t talk to anybody regularly, not even my Mum, so that’s it … but there’s no problem between us. Maybe he’s younger and he has it – I don’t know, but I won’t assume it – I cannot answer for him. He did everything he had to do last year – why would I have a problem with that? He delivered as he had to. This year he’s delivered weekend in, weekend out and no one can take that away from him. It’s never easy, no matter how good your car is, it’s never easy to arrive at each weekend and perform at the level that he’s been performing at. They’ve done an Interacting ... above left, with personal trainer and assistant, kiwi Angela Cullen; congratulating the 2022 champion (top), and (above) a lighter media moment with 2022 team-mate George Russell.
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“I’M HUNGRY FOR CHANGE!” HAMILTON’S INTERESTS are way more varied than the typical racing driver’s and he dedicates quite a bit of his time to his other projects, something that he can do because he says, “I sleep five or six hours per night, so I get a lot of time in a day.” The Mercedes driver goes on to explain that “I have a lot of people that work for me, I employ a lot of people. I try to get the best out of every single one of them, so they can be the best they can for their lives and their families. I am part of a team and a part of enabling the team to operate. There’s two thousand people in our team – I’m part of them, they’re winning, getting bonuses and I’m proud of them.” His passion for the subject shows that his non-racing activities are more than just a hobby: “I’m hungry for change, whether it’s in business or in schools. “I’m hungry because there’s still over 100 million kids that don’t have access to education; I’m hungry to make that change; I’m hungry to succeed with the team I’m growing with, but I’m not hungry to acquire anything – I’ve done that and bought the t-shirt. I’ve bought more things than what I’ll ever need – I’m hungry to create memories and utilise the time that I have with the people that I love, because I think that’s the only thing we take with us. When we’re on our deathbed, the only thing that we can take with us is the memories. You can’t take any of the any other crap we may fancy, whatever it may be – house, bank account – none of that stuff truly matters. What matters is the relationships and the stuff you do with your loved ones. Whether it’s your son, whether it’s your parents, whether it’s your brothers and sisters, your best friends, that’s another part I’m focused on maximising.”
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Despite the design and porpoising issues, the Mercs took third and fourth in Melbourne ... The 2021 squad included long serving ‘wingman’ Valtteri Bottas, here (below) with Lewis and team boss Toto Wolffe
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I’ve got the support from home now. So, I want to have one more crack at it. Leave on a high ...
amazing job as a team, but we don’t need to talk about it. People like to talk about it as if there is something between us but if there is, he’s a lot younger and maybe there’s something in there, but for me it’s a fabrication. I have respect for him. Do you miss being able to fight with him with equal weapons? I don’t miss fighting with him, I just miss being able to fight in front. It doesn’t matter who you’re fighting with. Every single driver here – well, not every single driver but many drivers here – given the same platform will do a great, great job. It’s just unfortunate that not everybody here has that, because it’s like this. It would be great if we all had a championshipwinning car and then you could see the difference between the drivers. If everybody had Max’s car performance, for sure you’d see the difference between the drivers. But that’s not the name of the game – everyone is doing their best job with the hand they’ve been dealt, with the package they’ve got. You’ve already mentioned your business interests. Alonso, Vettel and you are the three veterans in the paddock,
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Fernando is all about Formula One, Sebastian has lost interest and is fully focused on his campaign for sustainability, but you are in the middle, committed to Formula One but with many other interests outside the sport. Do you feel closer to one of them in terms of where you are in your career and your life? Neither. My life is different to theirs – every single one of us is different. I hear from certain individuals that you only live and breathe for one thing, for racing. It’s racing – simulator, online games, watching racing, only racing, racing, racing – but I don’t think that’s healthy to anyone, no matter in what area you’re in, to do just one thing. I think we, as human beings, have a responsibility to expand our minds, to learn as much as we can and have as many experiences as we can, and see as much as we can, there’s so much that’s incredible. For me, I’m fully focused on health, in mental wellbeing, first and foremost, then I’m focused on family and then I’m focused on racing, which is my
life. Then I’m focused on business and entrepreneurship, starting companies, uplifting talented, creative people, for instance, not only in motorsports, but in education, in fashion, and I can do all those things and still be the best I can be in racing. People that say you cannot do more than one thing, they’ve locked themselves, they’ve limited themselves ... I just don’t have that mentality. You’re not getting it this year but how much of a goal is wining the World Championship for the eighth time, something no Formula One driver has ever achieved? It’s not that I necessarily want it, it’s I’m working towards that – that’s part of the reason I’m still racing, of course. I still feel that I’m fit, I still feel I can drive, I’m massively competitive, that’s not changed, so that’s what I’m chasing. If it doesn’t happen ... Every single championship I’ve won, I’ve always thought that I have to be massively grateful for the ones I’ve had, not bitter about what you don’t have. So, I’m not thinking here ‘oh, I don’t have the eighth title’. If I finish on seven titles, I finish on seven titles and that’s amazing – it’s way better than what most people have ever had! So, it’s not something that bothers me or that I’m constantly thinking about.
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NASCAR
VEGAS WIN SHOOTS LOGANO INTO ROUND OF FOUR
THE FIRST ROUND OF EIGHT HIT-OUT IN THE NASCAR PLAYOFF SERIES HAS SEEN JOEY LOGANO QUALIFY EARLY FOR THE ROUND OF FOUR, GIVING HIM A 30TH CAREER VICTORY. WITH TWO ‘Round of Eight’ races left, Joey Logano (above) edged out fellow postseason contender Ross Chastain by 0.817s, ahead of Kyle Busch, who is out of Playoff Contention. “Let’s go get a championship, baby,’’ Logano yelled over his team radio at the chequered flag. “Oh man, all you want to do is get to the Championship Four before the season starts and race for the championship. “I don’t see why we can’t win it at this point – things are looking really good for us,” the 2018 champion continued. “A lot of adversity we fought through in the last 50 laps or so. I thought we were going to win, then kinda fell out, got some tyres ... and racing Ross was fun. He did a good job air-blocking me and I was just trying to be patient but eventually, I was like, ‘I’ve got to go here’ ...” Last week’s Charlotte winner, Christopher Bell, was taken out of the race on lap 94, getting clipped in a major incident between last year’s champion Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace.
Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace get physical after their on-track spat ... Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES Tensions then spilled over on the track with Wallace running at Larson, after Larson seemed to force Wallace into the Turn 4 wall. Wallace then appeared to retaliate by turning into Larson, which led to all three cars getting wiped out, with Larson’s teammate Bell an unfortunate victim. “You get shoved into the fence deliberately like he (Larson) did, trying to force me to lift … the steering was gone,’’ said Wallace. And when asked if he did it deliberately, replied, “he just
happened to be there. “He was never going to lift … now we’re junk. Just a piss poor move on his execution. He knows what he did was wrong. He never cleared me and I just hate it for my team.’’ “I knew he was going to retaliate,’’ Larson said in reply, “he had reason to be mad but his race wasn’t over until he retaliated. It is what it is. Just aggression turned into frustration and he retaliated. “I know he’s probably still upset but I’m sure with everything going on he’ll know he made a mistake in
the retaliation part and I’m sure he’ll think twice about it next time. “I saw him walking over so I figured he’d do something. He had every right to be upset and I’d rather him do that (push him) than tear up our cars in a dangerous manner.’’ The DNF puts Bell in eighth place, 23 points off Denny Hamlin in fourth with two Rounds of Eight remaining. Chase Elliot entered the race as the Round of Eight leader but couldn’t get going in the 267 lapper, finishing in P21, but still sits 20 points ahead of the cut-off line. Logano took the lead with only three laps remaining, and, as Bell did in Charlotte the week before, was able to take Chastain with ease on fresher tyres, with his four-tyrestop strategy paying off late for the #22 Penske Mustang. Logano’s teammate and fellow Playoff contender, Ryan Blaney, also found trouble with 40 laps remaining, spinning off at Turn 2 and into the inside wall. The incident meant Blaney would finish seven laps down in P28 to sit 11 points outside the cut-off in
IN A must-win race to qualify for a Round of Eight Playoff spot, Christopher Bell took out victory at the Charlotte Motor Speedway a week before Vegas, eliminating reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Larson. Bell did it on fresh tyres from a late pit stop on lap 105, to win the 112 lap race over Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch, who were both eliminated in the round of 16. “Man, you’ve just got to be there at the end of these things,” Bell said, who was 45 points below the Round of Eight cut going into the race. “We were just there at the right time. We obviously weren’t in position to win (before taking tyres). We rolled the dice, gambled, and it paid off for us.” The race ended in controversial fashion with drivers
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jostling for the tightly contested round of eight spots, with NASCAR officials choosing to penalise Cole Custer for slowing the pack in the final laps, allowing teammate Chase Briscoe to slip through. The move ensured the Stewart-Haas driver could sneak into the final eight by two points to finish in P9 overall, blocking the path of Austin Dillon and Erik Jones through the backstretch chicane. Officials fined the #41 pilot and crew chief Michael Shiplett $100,000 dollars each (Under section 5.5 of the rule book, competitors are required to race at 100% of their ability, as to not artificially alter the finishing positions.) Briscoe started outside the top 20 as late as lap 111,
but took advantage of a late spin from Austin Cindric, and then cashed in on his teammate’s slow-gate tactics. Things had run smoothly for 103 laps of the race, with a 50-lap green flag run ending with a third race caution due to debris on the track. Bell took full advantage of the caution, pitting for fresh tyres to re-enter into P12 by lap 107. A pile up then moved him in behind Tyler Reddick to compete for P2, and after passing him, another caution for debris from the earlier pile up allowed him to take Harvick for P1, who was a sitting duck on older tyres. With points reset entering the Round of 8, Elliott held the top spot in the NASCAR Cup standings with a 20-point buffer over Joey Logano. TN
NASCAR Playoff Standings 1. Logano 4,084 2. Chastain 4,063 3. Elliot 4,062 4. Hamlin 4,051 ……………………….............. 1. Byron 4,042 2. Briscoe 4,009 3. Blaney 4,040 4. Bell 4,028
Image: Motorsport Images
BELL RINGS LATE TO CLINCH PLAYOFF SPOT
seventh. Of the championship contenders, five found themselves in the race lead at various stages, and four finished within the top five. Chase Briscoe, who was the controversial recipient of a top eight playoff berth via the slow-gate tactics of Stewart-Haas Racing, came in P4, in front of fellow contender Denny Hamlin, who started in P31 to storm into P5. Hamlin holds that fourth cut-off spot by nine points over William Byron, who had a frustrating day to finish in P13. The playoff’s resume in Florida at the Miami Speedway on October 23. TN