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CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLES TO HEAT UP AT SYDNEY
INTENSITY IS set to reach boiling point at the penultimate round of the Burson Auto Parts Australian Top Fuel Championship in Sydney this weekend. The 2023 Nitro Championships will be a high-octane affair with the Australian Drag Racing Championship, Top Doorslammer and Top Fuel Motorcycle series also hosting the second to last event of their seasons. More than 200 racers will take on Sydney Dragway for the May 5-6 showdown, where a wide range of categories will be on show. Leading the charge will be seven 12,000hp+ flame-throwing Top Fuel dragsters chasing glory. They return after a two-month break since the previous round at Perth where a photo finish was required to separate Phil Read and Peter Xiberras. The 52nd MacTrack Westernationals at the Perth Motorplex was a thrilling affair with Read and Xiberras giving it everything in the final. Eventually Read was awarded victory and Xiberras had to settle for second, but was able to cut Damien Harris’ lead in the championship. Harris needs to respond with both Read and Xiberras in top form. In addition to his near miss at Perth, the PremiAir Racing driver won an emotionallycharged Atlantic Oils Top Fuel Slam back in January. With his previous win also at Sydney Dragway, Xiberras hopes to show similar speed at the New South Wales venue. With a big fight brewing between Read, Harris and Xiberras, Burson Auto Parts Australian Top Fuel Championship and ADRC promoter Andy Lopez believes the championship fight is wide open. “The title battles are really exciting right now,” Lopez said. “In Top Fuel, up until now Damian Harris has had a good grip on the top, but following our last event in Perth he has former champion Phil Read and reigning champion
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Damian Harris heads to Sydney as the Top Fuel points leader. Image: CACKLING PIPES PHOTOGRAPHY Rob Casssar is hoping to extend his Top Fuel Motorcycle points lead.
Peter Xiberras nipping furiously at his heels. “It really could go either way.” There will be nine 3500hp/400kph Top Doorslammers on show with Kelvin Lyle the hunted. Lyle has held sway in the championship standings for the majority of the season, but the man in form is Daniel Gregorini. Gregorini backed up his previous year’s Westernationals and Goldenstates wins with another Perth success in the most recent round. After beating Lyle in the WA final, he enters the Sydney Nitro with momentum
and Lopez believes the leader cannot afford the slightest slip. “In Top Doorslammer, Kelvin Lyle has a bit of a buffer ahead of his closest rivals after a really strong season to date,” he said. “But with names like reigning champ Daniel Gregorini and 10-time title winner John Zappia right behind him, there is absolutely no room for complacency.” There will also be seven wild 1500hp+ nitro-powered Top Fuel Motorcycles going for glory. Rob Cassar heads into the penultimate round as the mad to beat with a solid
advantage at the top of the points table. But he needs to bounce back from Perth where he had to settle for the C Final as Benny Stevens found the ultimate pace. Stevens won the Westernationals with a 7.74s pass in the final to overcome Kevin Gummow. Although Cassar still holds the high ground in the championship, Lopez is certain Sevens will continue his unrelenting charge. “Rob Cassar has a bit of a points cushion ahead of Benny Stevens, but what we have seen time and time again is that absolutely anything can happen on these absolutely insane two-wheeled machines,” Lopez said. “There is no question that Stevens will be gunning to do all he can to launch a championship attack in this late stage of the game.” In addition to the headline acts Pro Mods and Sportsman racers will also take on Sydney Dragway. The Nitro Champs takw place this weekend and is the last chance to pick up points before the season finale at the Darwin Triple Crown on June 16-17. Thomas Miles
NASCAR
BUSCH SLIDES THROUGH TALLADEGA CHAOS
Image: MOTORSPORT IMAGES A FINAL lap multi-car wreck at the Talladega SuperSpeedway involving race leader Bubba Wallace and Ryan Blaney, saw Kyle Busch emerge in the lead for his second NASCAR Cup Series win of the season during a double overtime finish. The #8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet found himself ahead after starting the final lap in P3, with Blaney holding onto second over Chris Buescher after getting past Wallace’s out of control #23 Toyota. Whilst Wallace took responsibility, and Blaney didn’t lay blame for the attempted blocks to keep the lead, Blaney also said it was one time too many. But It was a 62nd career victory for Nevada native and NASCAR veteran Busch, who led for only three laps including the last, narrowly avoiding Wallace as he careened down the slope. “Sometimes you gotta be lucky – some of these races come down to that,” Busch said. “You have to take them when they come your way. The seas kind of parted there when they went up the racetrack. They were trying to push-draft. These
cars are just not stable enough to do that. “I saw Wallace just turn a little bit sideways. I was like, ‘Get out of the way, just miss it’, then tried to see if I was ahead of Blaney by the time it was called.” Wallace had tried blocking Blaney several times before the crash, and third attempt proved one too many, with the There was plenty of action for the Round 10 clash, with eight cautions and two stage breaks, as well as the race seeing 21 leaders and 57 lead changes, with Chase Elliot and Aric Almirola claiming the two prior stage wins respectively. Another driver that was lucky to escape serious injury was Kyle Larson, with the Hendricks driver getting turned onto the Apron, with Ryan Preece slamming into the Chevrolet’s passenger door so hard that it twisted the door bar inside the cockpit. Both drivers were thankfully unscathed. As Auto Action went to press, the WURTH 400 at Dover Motor Speedway mile oval had been postponed due to wet weather. TW Neal
MCFADDEN AND ROTH FACE WRATH OF WOO OFFICIALS JAMES MCFADDEN and the Roth Motorsport World of Outlaws Sprintcar team have been issued a suspension, fine, and heavy loss of championship points after failing a tyre test sample. Though a suspension has been issued by the WoO officials, the Australian NT born Sprintcar star and the Roth team have appealed the findings, and will be allowed to compete until their appeal is heard, and the final penalties are then applied or withdrawn. After the April 14 WoO feature event at the Federated Auto Parts Raceway, where McFadden scored a hard fought P2, tyre samples were taken from the right rear of McFadden’s #83 Toyota engined Sprintcar. Following the Missouri I-55 race, the sample was sent to an independent laboratory where it failed a test following the detection of chemically altering substances on the tyre. Using a comparative analysis procedure, the tyre surface was found not to match or conform to the Hoosier supplied benchmark. The findings mean that both the driver and team will be disqualified
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from the Missouri event on April 14th, with a subsequent four race suspension hanging over their heads, along with a fine of $8,200. Aside from the four-race suspension, the other factor that will sting for the Aussie is the loss of 500 valuable championship points, which will also be applied should they lose the hearing. With the awarded point split having such fine margins, and McFadden sitting seventh in the standings and climbing in a year that’s already shaping as an early career best, the loss of 500 driver and owner points could possibly derail a career best year for the Aussie.
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Despite the penalties hanging over his head, the #83 RM racer scored a P9 at the Tri City Speedway in Illinois, before registering a DNF at the Tri State in Indiana when he got caught up in a four-car mess at the back of the field. With no clarification on when the appeal will be heard, the team is still set to contend at the Eldora Speedway this weekend. After 15 WoO feature starts in 2023, McFadden has had two victories already this season, four top fives, and 8 top 10s to sit 182 points off championship leader Carson Macedo. TW Neal
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LATEST NEWS
MOSTERT ‘STOKED’ WITH PERTH FIGHTBACK
DRIVERS REFLECT ON LONGER FRIDAY PRACTICE
CHAZ MOSTERT was unable to challenge for podiums in Perth, but limited the damage to his championship hopes after Walkinshaw Andretti United “dug deep” on Saturday night. Mostert clung onto his second spot in the championship standings at Perth despite starting significantly on the back foot. Following a steady Friday, car #25 was a notable absentee from the final phase of qualifying on Saturday. Mostert struggled to find one lap pace from his WAU Ford Mustang GT and was knocked out in Q2 in 15th. In the opening 42-lap race a relatively longer first stint saw him move up 11th after a last-lap move on Jack Le Brocq. But with his nearest championship rivals Shane van Gisbergen and Brodie Kostecki fighting at the front, Mostert needed to lift otherwise he and WAU faced another tough
Wanneroo weekend. Last year’s trip to Perth was Mostert’s worst of an otherwise solid season, whilst WAU itself has not won at the track since 2006. However, a big night studying the data allowed Mostert to climb up the leaderboard and salvage some strong points on Sunday. Car #25 set the sixth and seventh fastest times in the back-to-back qualifying sessions before putting in a pair of clean drives crack the top five in both 42-lap races. He credited the improvement to the team after a big shift overnight unlocked more pace. “I am super stoked with the turnaround,” Mostert said on the Fox Sports broadcast. “I am really happy with Sunday’s results to get a fourth and a fifth after where we were on Saturday. “The team dug deep on Saturday night going through the data to come out with a different philosophy
on Sunday, so credit to the team. “I would have loved a trophy, but I am still pumped we could get some good points.” Mostert described the weekend as a “learning curve” with the big takeaway the importance of rolling out of the truck with a strong package given the difficult nature of refining the cars. “This was a learning curve for me. In qualifying I did not get the most out of the car because the philosophy was so different, so I need to go back to the drawing board a little bit,” he reflected. “These cars are a little bit harder to work on than last year’s cars. All the mechanics have been working extremely hard in the background on reliability and all of those things. “I will be glad if we can start the next round this way and push on from there (because) you need to start at the pointy end.” Thomas Miles
THE OPENING day of the 2023 Perth SuperSprint saw the unusual sight of a standalone 90-minute practice session taking place. The extra track time gave teams ample opportunity to try variouse setup changes and directions and gain an understanding of the new Gen3 cars at a fast and technically challenging track such as Wanneroo Raceway. Despite only finishing 17th, Brad Jones Racing’s Bryce Fullwood enjoyed the challenge of trying all sorts of different things in his #14 Camaro across an hour and a half of track time. “Obviously the long practice was very different from what we’ve had, but it was kind of cool in some ways to have a little bit of time to think about things through the session,” he said. “We did a lot of laps actually and fair bit of race running, so we have learnt a bit for the races.” Being one of the victims of the session and finishing down in 24th meant Jones did have the most enjoyable time in the “goldmember” #96 Camaro and he stated his preference of the traditional practice regime. “A 90 minute session was a long session. I probably prefer the two half an hour practices,” he said. “In those you don’t feel rushed or you can get out of the car and actually sit down with your engineer and talk about things or direction and reset but I can’t complain with 90 minutes in a race car, it’s always fun.” Thomas Miles
BEZZECCHI BACK TO HIS BEST AT JEREZ TEST LESS THAN 24 hours after a chaotic Spanish Grand Prix, riders enjoyed eight hours of more track time at Jerez for the first in-season test of the 2023 MotoGP season. Marco Bezzecchi bounced back from the previous day’s disappointment to finish the day fastest with a 1:36.574. Bezzecchi led a VR46 Racing Team 1-2 with his teammate Luca Marini next best 0.104s away. Also a tenth back was Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo, while Gresini’s Fabio Di Giannantonio and April’s Maverick Vinales rounded out the top five. Vinales also completed the most laps of the 4.428km circuit with 94, as new championship leader Francesco Bagnaia was sixth fastest. Australia’s Jack Miller was 14th fastest in his KTM after recorded a best time of 1:37.431 from his 67 laps. The test opened with Quartararo, Aleix Espargaro
and Jonas Folger riding with a new radio system, which notifies riders of on-track warnings fed by race direction. After the early trail run, the #20 Yamaha recorded the top time of the opening hour before having a dice with
Jorge Martin for P1. After the 2021 MotoGP champion got the better of Martin with a 1:36.725, he remained in P1 until the final hour. Quartararo was knocked off by Bezzecchi, who went two tenths faster on his year-old Ducati, while the sister VR46 Racing Team bike also snuck ahead of the Yamaha. The test was also the scene of Honda unveiling its anticipated Kalex chassis with test rider Stefan Bradl enjoying first use. However, Bradl did crash the new chassis and had to settle for a P19 finish. Other Honda riders to fall were Joan Mir and Alex Rins, who were riding different chassis. After four big days at Jerez, the MotoGP world takes a breath before the 1000th Grand Prix at Le Mans, France on May 12-14. Thomas Miles
PUMPED UP PEREZ TAKES THE FIGHT TO MAX
LUCK MIGHT have been part of the story, but it only played a role in the victorious Azerbaijan Grand Prix for Sergio Perez. Perez took his second win of the year after capitalising on an early race Safety Car to jump Max Verstappen. Despite the slice of luck, Verstappen quickly accounted for Charles Leclerc to setup a Red Bull fight at the front. When the reigning champion surged to second, Perez only had slightly more than a second in hand. With 37 laps still to run, the general feeling was that Verstappen will hunt his teammate down, but the Mexican held strong. “Checo” was able to keep car #1 out of DRS range to become the first driver to win multiple Azerbaijan Grands Prix backing up his 2021 success. In addition to the two wins, Perez also jumped on the Baku podium at the first opportunity in 2016 and returned for a second time in Force India colours two years later. His success rate at Red Bull is also impressive with
results of P1, P2 and P1 at Azerbaijan since 2021. Perez put pressure on himself to deliver and he did so in style this weekend, winning both the Sprint and Grand Prix to come within six points of his illustrious teammate in the championship standings. “It was a great weekend overall. We delivered when we had to,” Perez said. “There was a lot of pressure. I felt this format it puts a lot of stress on the drivers engineers and mechanics, so the way we delivered over the weekend was great.” Perez revealed the “super intense” first stint paved the way for his success. “The first stint was super intense, just making sure I stayed in that DRS,” he said. “Then once I was in the DRS, just kept pushing Max to make sure he used his tyres and I think that was one of the keys. “But then once we were on the Hard compound, it was really hard to keep Max behind because I knew that as soon as he would get DRS then that’s it.
“So just to keep him behind the DRS was a massive challenge and we were pushing each other massively. “We really gave it all, lap after lap, so I’m really happy to come away with this victory.” Verstappen’s 81st podium saw him surpass Aryton Senna’s total in his 167th start, six more than the legendary Brazilian took to reach that mark. The Dutch driver described his weekend as a “messy” one, only topping Friday practice as Leclerc found greater one-lap speed and contact with George Russell put him on the back foot in the Sprint. After the Safety Car drama, Verstappen “tried to put pressure on Checo” but fell short. “I think the weekend in general was a bit messy, but I think that can be expected with this format,”he said. “I think the first stint I could have been a little bit more aggressive with the way I was using my tyres and was just too careful. “We made the call to pit and I saw that there was a car stopped, I thought he maybe just locked-up. In hindsight, I can’t see that, but it’s something to review because it hurt my race. “Then after the Safety Car I tried to put the pressure on “Checo” to try and get into that DRS, but it was just hanging in there and then I just settled in.” Going forward Verstappen is preparing himself for a more sustained tussle with Perez, who has risen his game from previous years. “We clearly have the fastest car at the moment but I’ve been in this position before and it’s about consistency,” he said. “Checo this year has really been on it, he’s been really performing well and that’s great to see. “He’s feeling more and more confident in the car and for the team as well, we are really enjoying it. “We will continue fighting for the rest of the season but that’s normal, we have done that our whole life.” Thomas Miles
LECLERC STILL BELIEVES FERRARI IS THIRD FASTEST CAR FERRARI AND Charles Leclerc finally had something to smile about in Baku, but the Monegasque still believes he is driving the third fastest car. After a painful start to the season where Leclerc collected an underwhelming six points across three races, car #16 was back at the front. Leclerc reminded the world of his supreme speed over one lap on street circuits by beating the highly fancied Red Bulls to both the Sprint and Grand Prix pole positions. Although the charging Bulls of Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen were “in another league” during the Grand Prix, Leclerc gave Ferrari its long-awaited maiden podium of the season. But after holding off Fernando Alonso by just 0.8s to claim the trophy, Leclerc said Ferrari still needs to find more race pace to be second best team behind the allconquering Red Bull. “Honestly, the feeling is a little bit better,” he said. “We got maybe a little bit closer to Red
Bull, but we are still very far behind in race pace at least. I also think we are behind Aston Martin in terms of race pace, so we really need to work on that. “Taking a bit more of a risk over one lap helped us to be at the front, but then over 51 laps there is not much we could have done more. “We optimised everything and maximised every session, which is a positive, but there is still a lot of work to do.” Leclerc further explained tyre management was one of the bigger things holding him back on the streets of Baku. “We have to (conserve tyres) with our car otherwise we kill them,” he said. “Then we cannot get them back and then this has a big influence on our performance. “I managed it differently (to the Sprint) but actually the outcome doesn’t change. I lost time at the end of my stint on Saturday and at the beginning now (on Sunday). “The bottom line is that we are not quick enough.” Thomas Miles
LATEST NEWS
WHY PREMIAIR IS “EXCITED” BY GOLDING’S DARING EFFORT
PREMIAIR RACING may not have hit the headlines it did in Newcastle, but James Golding’s race pace has got the team “excited” for what’s next. After struggling in Sunday’s back to back qualifying sessions, Golding flew through the field in the final two 42lap races. His charge started in Race 8 where he started 22nd, but charged up to the edge of the top 10 with an 11th place finish. Once the compulsory stops arrived, Golding had worked his way to 15th before eventually getting as high as third before he was the third to last to change tyres on Lap 27. Having rejoined down in 18th, the #31 driver put the foot down and climbed up to 11th in eight laps, setting the fastest lap of the race in doing so. With a starting position of 19th for the final race, Golding had a similar challenge ahead of him and pulled off another comeback drive. He once again got his elbows out early to get to 11th before those around him dived into the lane for service.
The PremiAir Racing team pulled off an identical strategy with Golden coming in on Lap 27 from third place and rejoining in 13th. He held strong across the run home and just missed out on the top 10 after a thrilling battle for the minor places with James Courtney and Scott Pye. The comeback drives ensured Golding matched his personal best result at Perth, first scored in his Garry Rogers Motorsport days in 2019. With his rise from 24th to 15th on Saturday also factored in, Golding climbed an impressive 28 positions across the weekend. Jumping out of his #31 Camaro after the strong performances Golding was in an upbeat mood, believing the final day at Perth was the fastest race car he has had all season. “Both Sunday races were decent for us and we had good race pace,” Golding said. “I struggled a bit with qualifying this weekend, but other than that there are a lot of positives to take away.
“I would say in particular we had probably the best race pace we have had all year, perhaps maybe even ever (with PremiAir Racing), so there is a lot of positives to take away. “We learnt a lot of things with the car this weekend, made a lot of ground up, and kept consistent finishes with two P11 results and a P15 yesterday. I am looking forward to the next round and hopefully we can keep moving forward.” PremiAir Racing team principal Matty Cook said the speed provides plenty of encouragement within the garage for the future sprint events ahead. “While not having the best qualifying car, Jimmy had really good race pace,” Cook said. “He moved up the grid to P11 in both races and even set the fastest lap of the race in race eight. “We are excited for the speed that the car does have. Hopefully moving forward, we can qualify a little better, and that way we aren’t making life so hard for ourselves.” PremiAir Racing hopes to show even more speed at Tasmania on May 19-21. Thomas Miles
MANAGEMENT DEPARTURES AT ARG ON THE eve of the next ARG/Motorsport SpeedSeries round there have been management changes within the Australian Racing Group, the co-promotors of the SpeedSeries. Following the recent Bathurst 6 Hour event, the event Director/Manager Ken Collier’s position with ARG has ended. Collier joined ARG in August 2019 where he took over the operational and logistical areas of ARG’s list of categories, which incorporated TCR Australia, S5000, Touring Car Masters, V8 Touring Cars, GT World Challenge and Trans Am. In recent time he switched his focus to operations of the Bathurst 6 Hour, however his contract with that role has not been renewed. “Yes my position with ARG has ended. We have come to an agreement that is fine with
me,” Collier confirmed to AUTO ACTION. Despite the news and moving on, Collier said the possibility to do more work with ARG in the future is still open.
“The door is still open to work with ARG in the future. If they want me to help with future Bathurst events for example, I would love to do it.”
The news on Collier’s departure follows today’s announcement that Grant Rowley of ‘Network R’ will no longer be the communications and content manager for several of ARG’s categories, including TCR, GT World Challenge and Trans Am since its inception in 2018. This follows on from the departure of Chris Lambden, who left his S5000 category role in January earlier this year. The creator of S5000 left due to a budgetary restructure within the ARG organisation, owned primarily by Barry Rogers and minor shareholder John McMillan. In October 2022 ARG’s Chief Executive Officer, Matt Braid also stepped down. As a result Liam Curkpatrick was promoted from ARG general manager of motorsport operations to Chief Operating Officer. Thomas Miles
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LATEST NEWS
DJR PUSH DAVISON/DE PASQUALE PARTNERSHIP INTO 2024
DJR AND the Shell V-Power team have extended the contracts of Will Davison and Anton De Pasquale into the 2024 Supercars season, with the team locked into a battle to turn around its stuttering Gen3 fortunes. After creating an extension last August into 2023 to ensure both drivers stayed on with the leading Gen3 Ford development team, the two are now locked away through 2024, as DJR tries to find a way to return to the front of the grid on race days with the new Mustang. With that move, DJR joins Triple Eight and the current team and drivers table toppers, Erebus, as the three squads to be fully locked away for next season. That will also make it four season’s running with the famous Ford squad for this driver partnership, which despite seeing De Pasquale take a pole at the Melbourne Grand Prix, has yet to see either driver climb the steps after nine races. After Davison went on a charge in the back-end of 2022, an inauspicious start with the new Gen3 Mustang has
seen DJR drop back in the Ford stable rankings, with WAU, Grove Racing, and Tickford all above them in the Teams Championship. The #11 and #17 Mustangs were wild in the rear at Newcastle, but started to look a bit straighter in Melbourne, with Davison now finding himself back in the top-ten through the three Perth SuperSprint races. De Pasquale would admit disappointment so far in 2023, where despite getting a pole in Melbourne, has only cracked the top-ten twice this season, which he couldn’t at Wanneroo despite a second row start for Race 8. And whilst Davison has managed four top-eight spots in a row, De Pasquale also finds himself sitting nineteenth in the Drivers Championship, and will need to start building back momentum in Tasmania, or he’ll be facing a steep battle through the shortened 12 event Supercars season. On the Parked Up Podcast, DJR team CEO David Noble said that they were keen to have driver consistency in
the two cars through the first years of Gen3. “It’s the consistency that you’re after and development in the new car, so it’s nice to have that, and not have to get into that silly season,” the former North Melbourne FC coach said. “…very happy that we’ve got our two guys on board at the moment, so it takes us out of the equation for anything on the market. On De Pasquale’s early season slump, Noble says it’s about giving him the machinery to get him back on the steps and challenging. “He’s really resilient and cares a lot about his driving, so we have to make sure we can deliver him a product that can get him back on the podium.” May 19-21 at Symmons Plains will be a telling outing for DJR, where not only do they need results to keep up with Erebus and Triple Eight, but a strong weekend to ensure they return to the picture as Supercars leading Mustang division. TW Neal
MCRAE NAME JOINS MYTHICAL RALLY IN LEGENDARY 555 ALISTER MCRAE is the latest big name addition to the upcoming Mythical Cars Rally in Italy, and he’ll do it behind the wheel of a Group A car that’s very familiar to the family: a Subaru Impreza 555. The famous McRae rally family has been back in action in Europe of late, with Alister’s Son Max McRae gearing up for a tilt at the junior ERC. And now Alistair himself, the son of fivetime British champion, Jimmy McRae, and younger brother of the legendary Colin McRae, will also get back behind the wheel at the upcoming Logiman Mythical Cars Rally in Varzi, Italy on May 24-27. The Subaru Impreza 555 was of course the machine that Colin McRae took out the 1995 Group A World Rally Championship in, and now it’ll be reunited with both the Scottish flag, and a McRae. Alister was also a WRC competitor, competing in 79 rallies across the globe between 1991 and 2012, and the winner of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship when the series held far more competitive fields than in its current day. McRae joins fellow past and present WRC competitors, including double world champion Marcus Gronholm, and WRC winner Andreas Mikkelsen, with more to follow.
“When you see or hear one of these cars, it’s impossible not to smile,” he said. “Obviously, the 555 is fairly close to the heart for the McRae family. My brother Colin did quite well in one!” McRae recounted. “I drove a Subaru Legacy RS for the Prodrive team in 1993, but I only did a couple of events in a Group A Impreza. The last time I was in one I retired from the lead on the Azores Rally when an input shaft failed. Hopefully we’ll have more luck this time around. “There’s something special about these cars and I’m really looking forward to Logiman Mythical Cars. I remember them being an absolute beast back in the day, I hope nothing’s changed!” McRae added that they attempted to split the driving duties with his son Max but it wasn’t to be, with Max competing in his first event at the ERC Rally Poland in the days prior. “We did think about trying to find a way to split the driving in the Subaru with Max at the Mythical Rally. “Max has heard so many stories about what his Uncle Colin did in these cars, he’s really keen to get a shot in one himself. It would have been nice to have done that…
but I’m not too disappointed to be doing all of the driving myself! “We have some really special memories of these cars and those times. It’ll be nice to push the starter button and enjoy a great noise and some great memories.” With six competitive stages over 78 kilometres on the main day and a 7 hour shakedown the day prior, the Asphalt event is open to R-GT cars, Group A, including Super 1600, Super 2000, kit cars and World Rally Cars up until before the Hybrid era. TW Neal
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NEW DATE FOR 2024 BATHURST 12 HOUR AUSTRALIA’S INTERNATIONAL ENDURO WILL RETURN WITH A NEW DATE IN 2024
THE BATHURST 12 Hour will be held on February 16 – 18 next year. With the high profile event regaining traction, the announced 2024 date is two weeks later than the 2023 event. The change comes following extensive consultation with teams, fans, key stakeholders, manufacturers and international partners to ensure the growth of the event. Event partners SRO Motorsports Group have confirmed that the Bathurst 12 Hour will remain the opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, with the outright class remaining for allprofessional driving combinations. Positive discussions are already underway with potential teams and manufacturers from Australia and overseas, all keen to tackle the Mountain next year. It is claimed that the 2023 international enduro attracted a record attendance of 53,466 fans across the three days this year. No doubt aided by the presence of seven times MotoGP Champion Valentino Rossi. who competed in the event driving for Team WRT in a BMW M4GT4, finishing sixth. With the 2024 date confirmed it is belived that tickets, grandstand seating and camping for the event will go on sale soon, with 2023 Bathurst 12 Hour campsite purchasers having exclusive access to a pre-sale window prior to general sales commencing. The 2023 race was won by MercedesAMG team SunEnergy1 Racing and drivers Jules Gounon, Luca Stolz and Kenny Habul for the second consecutive year – and the
International Enduro into the future.”
third in a row for Gounon. The race, which saw the top three cars split by just 1.6 seconds at the finish, was Bathurst’s fastest ever enduro with the field covering more than 2,000km in 12 hours. 2024 is set to be a thrilling year with a host of new cars, including new models from Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini, all eligible for the first time. The Bathurst 12 Hour is supported by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. SHANE RUDZIS Event Director, Bathurst 12 Hour “There has been extensive consultation into the revised date, all of which is aimed at further growing the race as one of the leading GT endurance races in the world. “It is only a two-week shift, however it creates several positives for our
competitors from both Australia and overseas. “Moving two weeks later allows for some separation from the start of the United States’ season at the Daytona 24 Hour and opens the potential for participation from those teams. “The slightly later start will also allow for Australian teams to better prepare across the Christmas – New Year period, while also allowing European teams to better manage their freight and travel logistics at the end of the current season. “The race will remain the start of the Australian racing calendar and launch the 2024 season with a bang in New South Wales. “Our thanks go to our partners at Destination New South Wales, the Bathurst Regional Council, SRO Group and all our partners for their support as we continue to build Australia’s
STEPHANE RATEL Founder and CEO, SRO Motorsports Group. “Racing in February is an intrinsic part of the 12 Hour’s identity but also allows manufacturers and international teams to travel Down Under each year without impacting their other programmes. “Maintaining both elements has always been of paramount importance, but we are also mindful of the congestion that now exists within global GT and sportscar racing’s ‘pre-season’ schedule, as well as the clamour from outside of Europe – and especially in America – to race at the iconic Mount Panorama. “Pushing Bathurst back two weeks therefore makes perfect sense if we’re to ensure that even more of the world’s very best drivers can test themselves in Australia’s International Enduro.” ROBERT TAYLOR Mayor, Bathurst Regional Council “We look forward to welcoming teams and spectators to the 2024 Bathurst 12 Hour in mid-February. The event continues to grow and the revised date will help ensure an even bigger line up of teams and drivers from across the world are able to participate.“This will only enhance one of the best endurances races in the world, on one of the best race tracks in the world and keep bringing race fans to Bathurst and the Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit.”
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NATIONALS OFF ROAD KIWIS DESERT DASH WIN A DECADE IN THE MAKING NEW ZEALAND drivers Raana Horan and Michael Connor (pictured) have managed to survive the chaos to win the second round of the 2023 Motorsport Australia Off Road Championship. The Pooncarie Desert Dash was tough on man and machine with the event claiming many victims including two teams who lost the lead through a mix of incidents and mechanical gremlins. But the consistency of Kiwi combination Horan and Connor proved decisive as they won by just over a minute ahead of Travis Robinson and Andrew Pinto. The win was the NZ duo’s maiden success on Australian soil and one they were waiting more than a decade for. “It’s the first time winning and It’s been a long time in the making,” Horan said. “I’ve been coming to Australia for 12 years and coming over here trying to win something. I’ve had a couple of thirds, but first is my best so I’m happy. “I didn’t think I’d won it until the end because we had a bit of a problem at the start. But when we were coming off lap three, I thought we’re in a really good spot because the guys in front of me had
gone out, so I just had to do a clean lap, which I did.” The eventful round looked destined to be going the way of Josh Howells and Gordon Tardrew after they took control after Day 1. But proceedings turned upside down on Sunday where Howells and Tardrew crashed from the lead on Lap 2 of Section 2. Their costly mistake elevated Ryan Taylor and Kye Floyd into the lead to ignite their hopes of back to back Pooncarie Desert Dash victories. However, their time at the top was short-lived as their charge was cut short by mechanical dramas.
Another combination to experience misfortune were round 1 winners James Cook and Mitch Aucote, who ran out of fuel on the second lap of Section 2. Brett Comiskey and Corey Cooper also suffered the same fate in a gruelling weekend where nine crews failed to finish. After 315 tough kilometres, Horan survived the chaos to beat fellow Pro Buggy driver Robinson by 61 seconds. A further seven and a half minutes behind were Mel Brand and Nick Price, who were the lone Pro Lite runners in the top seven. They won a competitive battle for the final spot on the podium where a
WA FOREST RALLY BRINGS UP HALF-TON
TASSIE STANDOUT GETS HELPING HAND FROM AUSSIE ICON
minute separated the third, fourth, fifth and sixth-placed cars. Despite the refuelling drama, Queenslanders Comiskey and Cooper still managed to prevail in the Extreme 2WD class. Production 4WD winners were Adam and Mitchell Gear, while SXS Pro class victors were Glenn Brinkman and Dale Moscatt. Despite finishing second best, Robinson still emerged with the championship lead. The dramatic weekend sets the scene for the biggest event of the year, the Finke Desert Race on June 9-12. Thomas Miles
Image: GRANT THOMPSON
THE WA Forest Rally on May 19-21 will celebrate its 50th anniversary when the Australian Rally Championship makes its way across the Nullabor. Excluding the pestilent years of 2020-2021, the ARC has been to WA every season since 1974, making it Australia’s longest serving rally state. In the 50 years, the event has taken place in places such as Mundaring, Collie, Grimwade, and Perth, before it found its homes in the recent locations of Bussellton, Bunbury, and Nannup. Peter Lang and George Shepheard (above) were its first winners in a Torana XU 1 at the Semperit 1600. With 25 different title holders, Ross Dunkerton is its most frequent victor with seven victories, which span from 1975-1991, with Aussie rally legend Neal Bates taking it six times with co-driver Coral Taylor, who now
sits alongside his son Harry Bates (2019 ARC champion). Other notable winners include Eli Evans, Cody Crocker, Wayne Bell, Greg Carr, Scott Pedder, and Molly Taylor. Clerk of Course for the past 36 years, Ross Tapper OAM, is the man best suited to explain the
importance of the anniversary. “These past 50 years has been quite a ride and there have been many amazing memories over the course of that period,” Tapper said. “To be at the top of the helm of this wonderful event for such a long time is an honour. Of course, there have been plenty of challenges, but overall it’s been a wonderful experience. “It’s a remarkable achievement, so every single individual who has been involved throughout these past five decades should be incredibly proud.” TW Neal
travel and time off work I needed to do for the transport. “When Neal approached me on the Saturday night of Rally Launceston and made the offer to transport the car from Canberra to WA, it was kind of the sealer to get me to WA. “Then to win the Production Cup, which pays for my Forest Rally entry fee, and the four free tyres from Hoosier for winning the Standout Performer of the Round … it’s really helpful for privateers like me as it’s quite expensive. “Even if I didn’t end up getting as many points as I did on Sunday, I would have taken up the offer from Neal because I have always wanted to do WA, so a big thanks to Neal, as well as Les Walkden, who is going to transport my car to Canberra.” The WA Forest Rally takes place in Bunbury and Nannup on 19-21 May. TW Neal
BODIE READING (pictured) was a standout performer in the ARC’s Launceston round, with the local charger taking out the Production Cup after post-race penalties were handed down to the opposing #18 Subaru in the aftermath, as well as being awarded the Standout Performer of the Round. Reading and his co-driver Mark Young had a stellar opening day, winning a maiden ARC stage, as well as taking the outright lead at the halfway mark of Day 1. Importantly, the performance also caught the eye of Australian rally icon Neal Bates, with the four time champion offering to transport his #13 Subaru WRX STI across the Nullabor free of charge. “I was planning to do the ARC Production Cup and go to rounds like Queensland as one of my four, as well as the Tasmanian State Championship, so it’s going to be a full-on year,” Reading explained. “I never intended to do Image: DMAC PHOTOGRAPHY WA because of the amount of
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THOMAS AND BROOK ARE THE KINGS OF THE NORTH DYLAN THOMAS and Tim Brook took out the inaugural TA2 Muscle Cars Kings of the North crown after a taxing round at Hidden Valley. After a huge weekend featuring six races, Thomas and Brook accumulated maximum points from the six-race round 2 of the 2023 Hi-Tec Oils Super Series. Following their Sunday twin driver race win, Brook was promoted to the Race 4 win following a Mark Crutcher penalty, while Thomas finished a solid fourth in Race 5. In the finale, Thomas and Brook simply only needed to reach the chequered flag in order to secure the $20,000 prize, which they achieved by finishing 12th after not pitting unlike the vast majority of the field. After the race, Thomas admitted the team ran a conservative strategy in order to minimise the risk of being involved in incidents. “Before the race, we worked out the result we needed in order to win the weekend overall, and knew we could afford to take a cautious approach,” Thomas said. “The plan was to stay out in the lead for as long as possible and stay out of trouble. It
compromised our Race 6 result but we were looking at the big picture. “Overall, it was a fantastic weekend – it’s my first visit to Hidden Valley and it has already provided some very happy memories.” The sixth and final race was won by Mark Crutcher and Jordan Cox, with Cox charging to the front of the field after the last Safety Car restart. The Josh Haynes/Nicholas Bates Mustang finished second ahead of the Graham Cheney/Edan Thornburrow Camaro. Aussie American racer Nathan Herne was a star guest and showed his pedigree by winning the opener before Brook took the first win of his victorious campaign. The twin-driver Sunday race was littered with incidents where Brook and Paul Manuell tangled up on the final lap with the former surviving to take the win. The HQ Holdens returned to the track and there was no stopping Shaun Boland and Luke Harrison (pictured right). The duo were untouchable winning all four races. Their success started on Sunday where they overcame the Ling duo by five
seconds to win the Crocodile Cup enduro.. On Monday Boland and Harrison continued their domination by winning both races. But it was far from simple with Harrison closely challenged by South Australian Darren Jenkins in Race 4. But nothing could stop Harrison and Boland from becoming the inaugural HQ Holden Founders Cup winners and bringing interstate success to New South Wales. Tim Playford was also a dominant figure in the NAMSC Combined Sedans/Australian Super TT race. Not even a rear of the grid start could stop Playford and his Mazda 808 in Race 3, while he enjoyed an untroubled journey to the chequered flag in the finale. Michael Ricketts (pictured above right) continued his giant-killing form aboard the Nissan Pulsar, finishing second outright in both Monday races with the highlight his move on Commodore driver Stephen Johnstone just after a Safety Car restart on the final lap of Race 4. In the Circuit Excel NT Racing Series, Zac Hannon and Liam Hall resumed their dice
from the weekend races. Although Hannon took a comfortable win in Race 3, Race 4 was much toughter. Hannon and Hall swapped positions on multiple occasions before the former finally broke free on the last lap to secure a thrilling win. The third round of the Hi-Tec Oils Super Series will be held at Queensland Raceway, 2-4 June. Thomas Miles
FOUR DIFFERENT WINNERS IN EVENTFUL QR CLASH THE AUSSIE Racing Cars ventured off the Queensland Raceway on the weekend and put on some great racing with four winners from as many races. After sweeping the Newcastle opener Joel Heinrich did not have everything his own way in the second round of the season in support of the Australian SuperBike Championship. The championship leader started strong, taking pole by half a second ahead of reigning champion Josh Anderson. Heinrich’s streak continued when he opened the weekend with a fifth straight victory, but he had to earn it. Koby Garland got a fast start and took an early lead before eventually succumbing to the pressure of Heinrich. Anderson also stole second near the end from Garland as Heinrich won by the
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comfortable margin of 4.5s. The action heated up in race 2 where rookie Brandon Madden announced himself by taking a nail-biting win. In a grandstand finish Madden showed enough composure to keep Heinrich at bay
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by just 0.131s. Just three tenths of a second covered the entire top three with Anderson closely following them in a finish for the ages. Drama continued to unfold in the reverse grid race 3 on Sunday morning where three
separate incidents triggered the Safety Car. Through it all came Reece Chapman, who bounced back from his opening race incident to take the chequered flag first two races later. Chapman got the job done at Turn 3 with a move on Kent Quinn, who was eventually beaten to the podium by Garland and Kyle Ensbey. Rylan Gray continued the unpredictable nature of the weekend, by taking a commanding 5s win. Garland led from pole, but dropped to sixth after a mixup with Anderson at Turn 6. After multiple lead changes, Gray drove clear as Garland and Quinn ended in the gravel at the final corner. The next Aussie Racing Cars round is the Tasmania SuperSprint on May 19-21. Thomas Miles
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