RUSSELL FIRES WITH A SILVER BULLET
AUSTRALIA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE OF MOTORSPORT
MASSIVE BATHURST
INTERNATIONAL COVERAGE
JOHNSON MUSTANG MONSTERS BATHURST
BREAKS RECORD AND DELIVERS FORD 200 TCM WINS BROWN WINS BATHURST D’ALBERTO GRABS TCR TITLE ISSN 2204-9924
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BATHURST JOINS THE TCR WORLD TOUR
THUNDER DOWN UNDER IN SYDNEY FORMULA 5000’S RETURN TO SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2017
After the exciting performances at the Winton Rose City 1000 tribute and Historic Sandown events, the F5000 front runners Tom Tweedie, Paul Zazryn, Josh Bucan and Tim Berryman will be fighting for the win on the fast flowing SMP circuit - as a feature part of the HSRCA Summer Festival event.
A FANTASTIC LIST OF ENTRIES SO FAR INCLUDES ALL THE GREAT MAKES AND MODELS Lola T332, Chevron B24, Lola T330, Matich A53, March 73a, Lola T142, Chevron B28, Lola T140.
Event to be attended by F5000 drivers of the past. Public able to access the pits and get up close to the action.
Images supplied by Peter Ellenbogen
ALSO ON THE PROGRAM: THE EVER-POPULAR HISTORIC SPORT SEDANS UP TO 1985, THE DAWSON DAMER TROPHY RACE FOR M & O OPEN WHEEL RACE CARS PRIOR TO 1969 AND THE GROUP S ENDURO RACE FOR SPORTS CARS OF THE 1970S. FORMULA 5000 IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY HOOSIER TIRES
Sydney Motorsport Park December 3 - 4
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND TICKET SALES VISIT www.hsrca.com/summer-festival OR PURCHASE YOUR TICKET AT THE GATE. CHILDREN UNDER 12 FREE.
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VERSTAPPEN SHOWS PEREZ WHO HE REALLY IS A SIMMERING war driven by Max Verstappen is threatening the stability of Red Bull Racing after he ignored team orders and refused to give his spot to Sergio Perez near the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix. It is believed the simmering one-way tension between the two started at Monaco, where Verstappen believes Perez crashed deliberately to thwart a pole run by the Dutchman. The tension is now most likely in both directions despite Perez saying he would “keep working together as a team” after a brief team meeting at the end of the race. Verstappen won’t go into detail about his issues with Perez, but it was the second time in two days he could have handed spots to the Mexican who played a critical role in his 2021 Championship win. Perez has now dropped to be equal second with Charles Leclerc, who finished fourth, when he could have had a three-point buffer if his teammate had swapped spots in both races. Post-race in the media pen, Verstappen refused to outline his reasons for ignoring team orders but said it should not have been a surprise for the team. “I have my reasons for that,” Verstappen said later. “We’ve discussed internally as a team the matter between Checo and myself and have moved on as a team. “If he needs help and there is a chance to help him in Abu Dhabi, then I will be there, and I will, of course, support him.
We’re fighting for first and second in the Drivers’ Championship, so we’ll work hard to achieve that.” Verstappen was involved in an early race tangle with Lewis Hamilton, which dropped him down the order with a damaged front wing and a five-second penalty for causing the collision. He was powering through the field and was on soft tyres behind his team-mate a few laps from home. On Lap 67 of 71, with Verstappen charging and Perez on the wrong tyres, Verstappen was given the all-clear to pass Perez and “go take some points off Alonso, and Le Clerc please”. The order
was given on the understanding that if he could not pass Alonso he would give the spot back to Perez. Hugh Bird, Perez’s engineer, told his driver over the radio that they would swap back if they were together. With both the Drivers and Teams titles secured, Verstappen’s race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, asked his charge a number of times to let his teammate through. “Max, if we don’t pass Fernando on the exit of 12, can you let Checo through please? Let Checo back through.” Verstappen crossed the line 0.4 seconds behind Alonso and four seconds clear of Perez, who was left to finish seventh and desperate for the two extra points that his teammate claimed. After the flag, Lambiase asked Verstappen after the chequered flag: “Max, what happened?” The now two-time world champion replied: “I told you already last time, you guys don’t ask that again to me, OK? Are we clear about that? I gave my reasons and I stand by it.” Perez was upset about not being supported by his teammate and had an interesting exchange with his team after the flag. Perez: “Thank you for that guys. Thank you.” Christian Horner: “I’m sorry about that Checo.” Bird: “We’ll debrief everything afterwards.” Perez: “It shows who he really is.” Later Perez said to Auto Action,
“Obviously I’m disappointed, especially after all I’ve done, but I’m sure we are all grown-ups and we will move forward for the team. Obviously, I’ve done a lot for him in the past, it’s no secret,” he added, highlighting his drive in Abu Dhabi last year that put Verstappen in the position to win the title. “But we’re good, we keep this discussion internally and move on.” He also said he had no idea what incident his team-mate was referring to, saying at one stage, journalists needed to ask Max. The stoush between the team-mates echoes famously broken team orders of the past, such as Sebastian Vettel ignoring the ‘Multi 21’ call by his team to not race with Mark Webber. The Australian was heard after the race saying angrily to his teammate, “Multi 21 Seb, Multi 21”. Also involving an Australian, Carlo Ruetemann famously ignored team orders and his contractual obligations to keep a win off Alan Jones in the second race of his title defence. Jones never forgave him and evened the score in the final round of the season by making sure the Argentinian did not win the title. But perhaps the most tragic of all was when Didier Pironi disobeyed team orders and overtook Gilles Villeneuve to win in San Marino. Villeneuve was so upset he vowed to never to talk Pironi again. Most people close to Villeneuve say the anger generated contributed to his fatal crash two weeks later at Zolder trying to beat Pironi’s pole-winning time ...
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UP COMING RACE EVENT CALENDAR Brought to you by www.speedflow.com.au FORMULA 1 RD 22 ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX NOVEMBER 18-20 WTCR RD 9 RACE OF SAUDI ARABIA NOVEMBER 25-27 HSRCA SUMMER FESTIVAL SMP DECEMBER 3-4 Australian AustralianMade MadeSince Since 1983 1983
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KIDS GET A GO AT ADELAIDE 500 EAGER YOUNGSTERS will get the chance to follow in the wheel tracks of their heroes at the upcoming VALO Adelaide 500. Kids will play a part in Supercars’ return to the Adelaide Parklands street circuit through the new Little Le Mans Cup. Three races featuring one-make pedal cars will take over the streets on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday of the event. Kids aged between 8-12 will be decked out in a full race suit, helmet and gloves with the winner taking home a trophy.
TEAM 18 TO OPEN DOORS THE DOORS of Team 18’s Mount Waverley headquarters will be open to the public for the first time at the end of the month. The Victorian team will host an open day on Sunday, November 27 when fans can see both of its Holdens, including Scott Pye’s, which will unveil a fourth new look for 2022. Fans can also feast their eyes on the both the past with James Courtney’s 2010 Supercars Championship winning Ford FG Falcon on display, plus the future as Team 18 shows off the build of its new Gen3 Chevrolet Camaros.
ROLEX RETURNS TO THE AUSGP ROLEX RETURNS as the title partner of the Australian Grand Prix ahead of next year’s race. It marks a comeback for the Swiss watchmaker, which started its association with Formula 1 at Albert Park in 2013. Rolex remained the face of the race until 2020 when COVID-19 came along, but will be back for next year’s Grand Prix. Rolex is not the first naming rights sponsor to the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne multiple times with Qantas backing the race from 1997 to 2001 and 2010-12. Grandstand seats will be available from Tuesday, November 22 through a pre-sale.
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RICCIARDO PENALISED AFTER BRAZILIAN DISASTER By Thomas Miles DANIEL RICCIARDO will start his final race for McLaren at Abu Dhabi on the back foot after being adjudged “wholly” to blame for the race-ending shunt with Kevin Magnussen on the opening lap of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix last Sunday. Ricciardo was handed a three-place grid penalty for the season finale of the 2022 Formula One season at the Yas Marina Circuit, which could also be his final ever drive at the pinnacle of motorsport with his future still unclear. Starting from P11 Ricciardo was hungry for points in Brazil and appeared to attempt a late lunge on Magnussen as the pair entered the tight right-hander at turn 8. After being unable to get up far enough, the Australian tried to back out, but could not avoid sending the Dane into a spin after contact between the left-front and the right-rear ends of the respective cars. To make matters worse, Magnussen pirouetted across the track and back into the path of Ricciardo. This time the left-rears of both cars made heavy contact with the McLaren flying into the barriers, forcing both to retire on the spot and bringing out the Safety Car with debris strewn across the circuit. For Ricciardo it was a disappointing way to end his penultimate race for the Woking outfit which is releasing him from a full-time seat next year, while it was an even tougher pill to swallow for Magnussen, who was pumped up for a big result after scoring a sensational pole position on Friday. Reflecting on the incident Ricciardo was gutted after the brutal accident. “Lap one incidents are brutal. I do not think there is anything worse. “The start was solid, I had (Pierre) Gasly and I have not seen a replay yet, but what I remember was that I had a decent run through (turns) 6, 7 and cut back to the inside for 8 and I was kind of having a look, but also trying to brake with a little bit of clean air. “Then I remember Kevin protecting the line, so I was just trying to pull back in line and follow suit and then at the apex I gave him a little touch.
“It did not feel like much, but then the second part was when we made bigger contact. “I do not know if I could have braked harder or if it was the way he squared up the corner, but I am sorry for both of us not being in the race and the teams. That is the part that hurts the most.” Despite such a hopeful and important race in Haas’ fight for P8 with AlphaTauri in the Constructors title being cut short so quickly, Magnussen did not hold any grudges saying Ricciardo “did not do it on purpose”. “That was a race I wanted to be part of because our car had great pace all week, but it is what it is,” he said. “Dan did not do it on purpose, but it is no use for us and we move on. “We are not always up here where we have been this weekend, so it is a shame we could not capitalise fully.” In addition to the three-piece grid drop, two penalty points have been applied to the Australian’s license with the stewards believing blame lied with the McLaren after analysing a number of angles. “The stewards reviewed the video from several angles and reviewed GPS data presented by the McLaren team and telemetry from their own sources,” the stewards’ statement read. “Ricciardo made contact with Magnussen at Turn 8 on Lap 1, which caused Magnussen to spin, and subsequently both cars crashed. McLaren explained that in their view, Magnussen was slower at the exit of Turn 8 than the other cars ahead, which made it difficult to judge the closing rate, as the two cars interacted. “Ricciardo explained that in his view, he had slowed sufficiently that he was not going to collide with Magnussen and that he slightly misjudged it. “The stewards acknowledged that the incident was not reckless. However, they determined that the incident was between two cars and was not influenced by multiple other cars and is therefore not a ‘first lap incident’. “The stewards determined that Magnussen drove in a normal manner for that corner, and that he did not make any erratic moves. Thus the stewards determine that Ricciardo was wholly to blame for the incident and issue a drop of three grid places for the next event.”
F2 AND F3 CALENDAR HEADS TO ALBERT PARK THE 2023 FIA Formula 2 and 3 calendar has been announced with both being confirmed for Albert Park, Melbourne, to extend the feeder series’ into a third continent. Both will run in conjunction with the Formula 1 season, with the F2 sharing 14 rounds and 28 races with the main game, and the F3 for 10 rounds and 20 races. The introduction of Melbourne’s Albert Park will mark a first for both feeder categories, which will replace the Paul Ricard race in France as the only major change venue for both series’. Both will have their season starting in Bahrain on March 3-5 in line with the F1 opener, and the F2 will also share the season closer at Yas Island in the UAE, whilst the F3 will conclude in Monza Italy on September 1-3. The added Australian street circuit and the push into a new continent for the two comps, will be on March 31-April 2; round three for the F2 and round two for the third tier. From that point on, the F3 will stay in Europe for the conclusion of its season, with an eight round stretch from Imola, Italy, on May 19-20, until the Monza Finale. Within that stretch, the F3 will also have its debut at the famed Monaco street circuit. It also marks the first time that the F3 will feature on street circuits. Similarly the F2 will have a major European stretch after its April 28-30 visit
Jack Doohan will be hoping to star when the F2 cars race in Melbourne next April. Pic: Motorsport Images to the transcontinental Baku circuit, which effectively starts in Imola and also goes through to Monza. The FIA’s Formula 2 and 3 CEO, Bruno Michel, is excited to have added Albert Park to the ’23 season, and to expand the audience for both series’. “As announced previously, we have added Melbourne to the calendar, a fantastic venue both for our teams and drivers, but also for everyone watching and enjoying F2 and F3. It will be very interesting to see our cars battling on those streets,” Michel commented. “The 2023 F2 calendar will have 14
rounds, the same amount as the current one. In 2022, we’ve enjoyed more action than ever, with a total of 28 races, and we wanted to keep this for next season. “The F3 will feature two brand-new circuits, Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne and Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo, which is really amazing. These two very prestigious tracks are the first street circuits to be added to the F3 calendar. They will offer the teams and the drivers an exciting new challenge.” Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the FIA President, recognises the importance of
having the best young talent continues to grow by competing on the world’s greatest circuits. “As the final two steps on the junior single-seater pathway, I am pleased that in 2023 FIA Formula 2 and FIA Formula 3 continue to race alongside the FIA Formula One World Championship,” Sulayem said. “There is no better preparation than to compete on these gold-standard grand prix circuits, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the next generation of drivers take on a new challenge with the addition of a round in Australia next year.” TW Neal
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O’KEEFFE LOOKS AT THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY THE 2022 Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series finished in fascinating fashion at the Bathurst International, with Sunday’s highlight reel sent spinning at the second turn when Dylan O’Keeffe crashed out from the lead at Griffin’s Bend. Starting from second place in the final race, the Schaeffler Garry Rogers Motorsport driver enjoyed a lighting jump to surge into the lead around the outside of Hell Corner. This launch set up a thrilling side-by-side battle with Bailey Sweeny for the lead up Mountain Straight. O’Keeffe was determined to hold onto the lead, so he braked late in the approach to the sweeping right-hander, but ran out of grip on cold tyres and swiped the outside tyre barrier.
Despite the heartbreak of hitting the fence whilst in the lead, the GRM driver was lucky not suffer more damage after the car rebounded back towards the racing line. He soldiered on at the tail of the field, however a front splitter failure forced car #8 into retirement. O’Keeffe put down the incident down to an error, pushing too hard on the cold tyres believing it was a race that got away. “I made a good start and I was determined to hold the lead at the first corner, but at the top of the hill, I just went a bit too deep on cold tyres and lost control,” he said. “It was a shame to end the weekend and the season that way, because I really felt the car was fast enough to win.” It was a sour way to end the season and a weekend full of hope for O’Keeffe.
The Bathurst International started well for him, scoring a strong second place behind pacesetter Sweeny after winning a tight battle with Josh Buchan in the opening race after qualifying third. “The car was fast, especially over the top of the Mountain, but I was under pressure for the whole race and I couldn’t afford a single slip-up,” O’Keeffe said. Thick fog and heavy rain meant racing was not possible on Sunday morning which meant O’Keeffe’s push to improve on his championship position all came down to the third and deciding race. But bad luck intervened and not for the first time in 2022 for the GRM driver, who had to settle for a P9 result in the championship. What made the retirement even more
painful was O’Keeffe finishing just 33 points away from the top five, when a strong result in the finale could have vaulted him much higher up the order. Despite podium finishes at Phillip Island and the Bathurst 6 Hour, DNFs at Bathurst, Sandown and Queensland meant 2022 was a tale of what could have been. “It’s been a year of mixed results, highs and lows,” O”Keeffe said. “We had strong pace at most rounds and in the middle of the year, we were right in the thick of the championship fight. “Unfortunately, we had DNFs in the last three rounds, which cost us some valuable points and meant our final position in the standings didn’t reflect our speed throughout most of the season.” Thomas Miles
GEN3 PREP ENTERS TOP GEAR WITH TEST DAYS ANNOUNCED
THE BUILD up to the Gen3 debut in the Supercars Championship next year has shifted into top gear following the announcement of the roadmap to Newcastle, with key test dates revealed.
Preparation will step up early next year when key shakedown sessions will take place, offering teams the chance to complete the first run of their own Gen3 Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro
Supercar. Following a meeting between Supercars and all teams, the shakedown days have been unanimously agreed to be penciled in for the final week of January. Victorian teams will get the first glimpse of the sport’s new era, with its session to be held at Winton Motor Raceway on January 27. Three days later on January 30, it will be the turn of the Queensland based teams at Queensland Raceway. Following the initial shakedown, teams will then enjoy a full test-day with Winton playing host to the Victorian based teams again on February 7, while the Queensland operations will follow suit two days later on the Thursday in Ipswich. The heavy testing program will be
completed at Sydney Motorsport Park on Wednesday, February 22, where the entire Supercars paddock will converge on the New South Wales venue to complete the final preparations ahead of the 2023 Supercars Championship. The news is another step in the right direction after the Gen3 Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro prototypes completed extensive straight line VCAT testing at Toowoomba’s Wellcamp Airport last week. The 2023 Supercars Championship and the first ever race between the Gen3 Camaro and Mustang will commence with the Newcastle 500 from March 10-12, 2023. All the shakedown and test days will be open to the public, whilst dates are still subject to change. Thomas Miles
THE MOFFAT MOUNTAIN STRAIGHT?
THE PUSH to rename Mount Panorama’s Mountain Straight after Australian racing and Bathurst great Allan Moffat is growing support amongst race fans. A social media group called ‘Moffat Mountain Straight Mount Panorama‘ started the push for the renaming, and has started to gather some interest. With the circuit’s Skyline named after Aussie racing great Peter Brock, naming the Mountain Straight after the four time Bathurst 500/1000 winner – and five time class victor – would be a great recognition of the huge contribution Moffat made to Australian racing. When reflecting on the history of the ‘Great Race’, the rivalry between Brock and Moffat helped propel the profile of the race in the eyes and interests of the wider public, helping to contribute to the now enormous status of the Bathurst 1000.
AUTO ACTION contacted Robert Taylor, the Mayor of Bathurst, who does support Moffat being honoured in some form at the iconic mountain circuit. “We certainly recognise Moffat’s contribution to motorsport in this country, and to Mount Panorama, and that he loved the mountain…and we’d certainly like to honour him in some means,” said Mayor Taylor. “We can’t comment specifically at the moment in regards to the renaming of Mountain Straight, as there has been a lot going on with the gas situation and the Bathurst International happening all at the same time… but what that tribute will be, we haven’t decided as of yet. “But we’ll be watching the support that the social media group gets, and it’s obviously important what the fans think. I certainly recognise that he needs to be honoured in some form. We’ll have to wait and see before we
consider anything.” The proposal has even drawn a comment from Motorsport Australia with a spokesperson commenting that: “We believe that the proposal has merit…we would be more than happy to support any request for the recognition.” Sports-radio Network station, “Inside Racing”, also discussed the proposal on its program, which can be heard by clicking on this link. And just days after Steve ‘Junior’ Johnson took a Moffat inspired Brut #33 to outright victory in a Mustang Trans Am in the Touring Car Masters, the push continued to grow interest. Spokesperson for the social media group, Jem Cullen says that “Social media is alive with people behind this”, stating on the page: When we reflect on the history of the Bathurst 500 and 1000, there are two names that tower above all: Moffat and Brock. Peter has the trophy and Skyline named after him, now it’s time we recognised Moffat for the way he revolutionised racing in this country. Allan’s intensity and professionalism changed Australian motor sport forever. His rivalry with Peter Brock and sheer intensity captured the nation and propelled the 500/1000 from a race of interest to petrol heads to a national event rivalling football finals and the Melbourne Cup. If Mt Panorama skyline is now Brocks Skyline, I think we should have Mountain Straight renamed Moffat Straight, in honour of his bellowing Fords muscling up that hill. Moffat ate, slept and breathed Bathurst. He often said there was only one race that mattered, Bathurst. Everything else was preparation. Mt Panorama was everything to him and we made him part of it forever. This would involve very little expenditure and generate great PR, goodwill and news coverage for the track and Bathurst itself. And if there was a ceremony, it would attract tourism to the town. Most importantly we need to convince Bathurst council to Gazette the change. Tim W Neal
WALL RACING TCR TITLE DEFENCE WITH HONDA NOT LOCKED IN WALL RACING is on top of the TCR Australia world after Tony D’Alberto secured the 2022 championship in thrilling circumstances at the recent Supercheap Auto Bathurst International. The sweet victory sealed in a tense seasonending race on Sunday was the crowning moment of a long and successful threeyear partnership between driver, team and manufacturer. D’Alberto, Wall Racing and Honda have been together since the category’s inception in Australia since 2019 after the former full-time Supercars steerer personally approached the Japanese manufacturer for support. The move paid off and it all came together at Mount Panorama where Honda executives were in the garage cheering D’Alberto on during the nail-biting conclusion to the season. Although both driver of the #50 Honda Civic Type R and team owner David Wall
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were ecstatic after the glory, neither could confirm whether or not the famous Japanese brand would return to defend the crown in 2023. D’Alberto said discussions have started and the final call is with Honda, but stated he would love to be the first reigning TCR Australia champion to race with the #1 on the door next year. “We have already discussed next year a little bit, but it will come down to what Honda want to do, whether they want to keep investing in the category,” he told AUTO ACTION. “But as far as I know everyone is pretty happy. We will have to make a decision soon because Wally needs to know whether we are going or not. “But the intention is to go again and use the number one on the car. “No champion has done the following year with number one, so I would like to be the first one.
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“We will see how things pan out.” Wall said he hopes the trio’s successful partnership continues and is aiming for a decision to be made around the new year after the celebrations and a well-earned rest. “Absolutely we want to be back, but we can confirm that at the moment? No,” the team owner and former Supercars star told AUTO ACTION. “Being the day after the last round it is very difficult to do, but we hope to have some sort of finalisation before Christmas, if not very early next year, so we can get ourselves
prepared and see what is around the corner. “But for now we are just enjoying what we have been able to achieve and look forward to having a Christmas break.” Thomas Miles
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BLANCHARD SPREADS TO SUPER2 WITH PORSCHE STAR PORSCHE STAR Aaron Love has switched career paths to the Supercars world being the centre piece of Blanchard Racing Team’s new Super2 program. Since finishing third in the 2018 Australian Formula 4 Championship, Love has been rapidly rising his way up the Porsche pyramid. Racing for Sonic, he won 12 of the 17 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia races he contested to finish a close second in the championship behind Harri Jones despite missing the Winton and Darwin rounds. Love was not present at those races because he was taking on the European stars at Porsche Supercup rounds in Silverstone and Paul Ricard which ran as support events for the British and French Grands Prix respectively. The West Australian was expected to continue his progression in the Porsche scene and follow in the footsteps of fellow Australian export success Matt Campbell. However, the lure of racing in the Supercars Championship has pulled Love to take a giant leap in his career, securing a seat in a Gen2 CoolDrive Ford Mustang for the squad’s maiden Super2 campaign in 2023. It could be the perfect timing for the 20-year-old to make the switch, with the opportunity possibly opening up many doors in the Supercars world. Love may co-drive alongside Todd Hazelwood in the Enduros next year and
even receive a promotion to the main game in 2024 if BRT expands to a two-car outfit. Love said he cannot wait to take on a new chapter in his short, but successful career in the current BRT Ford Mustang chassis. “After this year away racing in Europe it sparked a lot of questions within myself and where I want to end up racing, but it didn’t take me long to realise that I wanted to race at home and in Supercars,” said Love. “The relationship with Tim and the whole BRT crew was already there with Sonic, so there hasn’t been much questioning from the start and as things have progressed it just made more and more sense, especially with the way they have been growing both on and off track.” Despite never having jumped into a Supercar before, Love believes the lessons learnt in and outside of Australia recently sets him up nicely for the challenge. “I’m really excited for the new journey back in Australia and in an area so different for myself and my family; we’ve never dealt with the Supercar pathway or even a Supercar before,” he said. “It will definitely be a challenge for myself and a new experience for the team racing in Super2, but I’m confident that we have all the tools and more to get us to where we need and want to be. “The past year has been a huge learning
and growing experience for me, and I wouldn’t change a thing knowing that it’s prepared me a lot for what is ahead. “There are a couple of sticks and an extra pedal that I’ve got to figure out what they do, but I’ve got some of the best people behind me to show me the way and I can’t wait to get started.” The announcement is also a major sign of BRT’s development. With Blanchard having teamed up with the likes of Brad Jones Racing and Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport in the past, he spread his wings in 2021 and started his own single-car operation. Tim Slade was the steerer and recorded a P12 championship finish on debut and this year is on track to improve that marker. Next year BRT will enter Gen3 with young gun Todd Hazelwood behind the wheel and the possibility of the one-time pole sitter pairing with a hit property such as Love could set the CoolDrive backed team up for many years to come. Team owner Tim Blanchard said the announcement is a big step forward for the squad. “We are excited to welcome a young talent like Aaron to BRT to contest the Super2 Series with us, he has dominated the rounds of the Carrera Cup he has competed in this year, and that is why we want him to be
with us for years to come,” said Blanchard. “This is an important step in the growth of BRT as we continue to expand with the hopes of moving to two cars in the main Supercars Championship in the near future. “It is an opportunity to take a manageable step forward for our team without compromising our main series entry with Todd Hazelwood. “We have been really impressed with Aaron to date, he has the right attitude and is really fast, the whole team can’t wait to see what he can do in a Supercar.” Love and Hazelwood will both make their BRT debuts in Super2 and Supercars respectively at Newcastle from March 10-12 next year. Thomas Miles
NEW FORD RAPTOR TO BE DRIVEN BY BIG NAMES SOME BIG names will be behind the wheel of Ford Performance’s new NextGen Ranger Raptor race truck at this year’s Baja 1000. The three driver team will steer the new race truck built by Kelly Racing in the Stock Mid-Size class for production vehicles in the event beginning in Ensenada, Mexico on November 15, which also features Australian stars Toby Price and Paul Weel. But some other big names will taking on the famous rally for the Blue Oval headlined by Brad Lovell. In total Lovell has won nine championships and more than 35 victories with the latest on board a Ford Bronco in the 4600 Stock Class in the 2022 Ultra4 season finale. Despite achieving enough to to be inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame, Lovell feels the weight of taking on such a big event for such a
prestigious brand. “I love racing down in Baja. I have a lot of experience racing at Baja, but I still feel like a novice, and I always want more. I’m a student of Baja”, he said. “With the Baja 1000 this year there’s a lot of pressure. This is a big deal. It’s an important program to Ford Motor Company. It’s very important that we execute things safely, professionally and on point with Ford but really, you know, we’re just having fun and if we can have fun within those boundaries and make sure we get to the finish line on time on race day, that’s our mission.” Lovell will be joined by another winning machine in Jason Gutter. Hunter has scored success in the SCORE, BITD, SNORE, CODE, RECORD, NORRA and BORE off-road endurance racing series and when he is not racing he is either doing
driver training for Ford or being a battalion chief for the Snowmass Village fire service in Colorado. “I’m really excited to be here with the Ford Ranger Raptor. It’s neat to see that Australia’s come up with this project and putting it through the Baja 1000,” he said. “The team that we put together for this is pretty incredible. To get push that truck through the 1000 is going to be awesome. “I’d say the main challenge will be finding a pace that gives us the speed we need to win the race, but also the pace we need to keep the truck together. “ “We’ve already found that the durability on this truck is pretty amazing.” The decorated Loren Healy brings one of the most consistent and decorated off-road racing records to the Blue Oval. Healy is a two-time King of Hammers and five-time ULTRA4 racing champion and took
the off-road world by storm by winning the 2010 KOH on progressional debut. Four years later he became the only driver ever to score multiple KOH wins and is excited by the challenge the Baja 1000 presents. “I absolutely love racing Baja and I’m so excited for this Ford Raptor racing program,” he said. “It’s so cool for Ford to be involved with anything down in Baja and to be chosen to be a part of this as a huge honour for me. “I’ve been racing off-road for about 15 years, you know King of the Hammers, Ultra4, that’s what I do. But Baja definitely, like everybody, has a special place in your heart. There’s nowhere else on earth like it.” The star-studded team is completed by team manager Curt LeDuc and team navigator Danny Brown, who will also be along for the ride.
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COFFS COAST RALLY TO BE IN THE SPOTLIGHT
THE RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship will come to a thrilling conclusion on the Coffs Coast next week. The Bates brothers have been trading blows at the top of the outright standings and their family rivalry will be settled at the Supercheap Auto Coffs Coast Rally. Lewis Bates surged into the lead in South Australia following back-to-back wins, while Harry has struggled to match the pace. With Lewis 28 points up on Harry, the brotherly fight for the title will be decided at the event which also doubles as the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship finale and
the back end of Coffs Coast Festival of Motor Sport. A bumper field will be taking on the rally with the Bates brothers joined by WRC star Hayden Paddon, 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix winner Heikki Kovalainen, Indian star Kadur Karna, plus ARC frontrunner Richie Dalton and hometown hero Nathan Quinn. With so much on the line, more live stages of the Coffs Coast Rally will be broadcast live on 7plus. The coverage will be hosted by Jess Dane and Dean Herridge with the action headlined by Saturday’s EROAD Power
Stage from 4pm AEDT. The stage will feature side-by-side action as the drivers race against the clock and each other in a thrilling spectacle. Sunday’s coverage commencing at 4:15pm AEDT EROAD Power Stage will also be exciting viewing, having the potential to crown the outright ARC champion for 2022. Motorsport Australia Director of Motorsport and Commercial Operations Michael Smith said the increased coverage would allow even more fans to enjoy live rally action on their screens. “This additional broadcast of the Raleigh
Super Special Stage is a bonus for those eager to see more of the RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship, as well as the EROAD Power Stage as always on Sunday,” Smith said. “We’re excited about the local interest in this event, with lots of spectators registering for their free tickets to attend, while for those who can’t make it to Coffs, the Saturday and Sunday broadcast will allow people to enjoy even more of Australia’s best drivers from their TV or smart devices live and free on 7plus.” The Supercheap Auto Coffs Coast Rally takes place from 25-27 November.
1982 CHERRY-STARTLET TAKES TARGA BUBURY SPRINT
THE GT Fabrication Targa Bunbury Sprint turned out a big field of rally cars and spectators over the weekend in the West Australian town, with the outright winner driving a 1982 Toyota starlet. The starting line saw 110 competitors take to the 4km street circuit, doing 8 passes through some 25 corners in a timed run format. A big crowd showed up to see Matt Cherry and co-driver Cade Bell take the #2 Racing Dynamics Starlet to victory; taking to the WA streets like a rocket, with the hatchback being highly modified for tarmac rallying. The 1.8-litre turbo two-wheel-drive Toyota Starlet has 420 rear-wheel horsepower, and proved far quicker than the
four-wheel-drive rally cars with bigger engines and more horsepower. Cherry took first outright over Cody Harris and co-driver Morgan Ward, driving a 2004 Mitsubishi Evo 8 MR. Although they finished second, the duo took the class win for the Open Rallysprint 4WD. Rounding out the top three outright was Matt James-Wallace and co-driver Ben Tuck in a 1993 Nissan GTR R32. “We are all pretty amazed we managed to win such a great event – I’ve watched a lot of these good drivers for years, so to be the outright winner is something to be proud of,” Cherry said. “My strategy was to keep it clean and have a heap of fun which is easy to do when you’re flying around the streets in the Starlet, it’s a handful. “We had a few issues arise in the afternoon including a leaking oil line and I had a little spin on the second last run, but we managed to make it back up in the last run – thanks once again to Racing Dynamics for the super quick fix – it made it a little more exciting. “The crowd was great and a lot of people came to have a chat about the car and the first thing they asked was ‘what’s is this thing?’ which is quite funny but they all loved the little rocket and we hope they enjoyed watching it as much as I
did driving it. It makes me smile.” Defending champion and winner of the Joondalup Sprint last weekend, Troy Wilson, had to retire early after issues on his first run. The ex-AFL footballer turned street circuit competitor, had a dump pipe break of the turbo of his 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X, and after trying to get through the first run, melted the brake fluid bottle and some wiring. Overall, 11 classes took the sprint, with the categories split between engine sizes, 2WD, 4WD, and decade of the manufacturer. In the 4WD 3500 cc and over, Will White and co-driver Matt Thompson from Dardanup were the class winners, as well as managing fifth outright. “There’s a lot of weight in this car compared to my previous Mitsubishi Evo, so I’m learning how to handle that weight, and doing the sprints helps learn about car control,” says White. “It was a good fun event, hats off to all the organisers, Ross and the team, it’s fantastic they came out and helped run a great event.” Clerk of Course Ross Tapper says that he’s happy that the GT Fabrication Targa Bunbury Sprint ran smoothly and was an incident-free event. “Besides having to clean up some oil on the course which delayed the rally for about 45 minutes, it all went well and we’ve had a lot of positive feedback from competitors, they seem to love the short, sharp rallysprint format,” says Tapper. Tim W Neal
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