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WINTON TO BE SHAKEN BY VINTAGE SPEED HISTORIC RACING will be back in focus next weekend when the Winton Festival of Speed fires up at the nation’s “action track”. The popular event, run by the Victorian Historic Racing Register, has been going for over a decade and will continue its history at Winton on August 4-6 where over 300 classic cars will be racing for glory across eight categories. Whilst numbers are slightly lower than hoped for, event organiser Ian Ross said there will still be a strong amount of race cars of all eras and shapes putting on a show. “We have not done too badly and are excited for another big event,” Ross said. “In a boom time we would usually be around 340, and we are nudging just under 300 which is not too bad considering how things are economically with a lot of shops showing ‘vacant’ signs. “But everything is ready for a big weekend of racing.” Producing a lot of the action will be regular favourites such as Holden HQ, MG and Alfa Romeo classes, plus Group S sports cars. The open-wheel fans are covered with Formula Vee and Formula Ford coming along.
A special part of the event will be the Just Cars 50K Cup for Historic Touring Cars. More than 40 drivers will line up on the grid for the feature race and leading the charge will be none other than two-time Bathurst winner John Bowe, who will steer a 1969 Fastback Ford Mustang. Another Mustang runner to watch out for will be Brad Tilley, while the Monaro of Nathan Gordon can also not be discounted. There will also be a field of 20 plus Group C and A replica cars performing a super sprint. Recognisable liveries such as Allan
in the iconic livery race by Jim Richards and Tony Longhurst. It was also the car Peter Brock raced at Bathurst in 1988, whilst fellow BMW driver Bill Cutler is steering a World Touring Car Championship winner. There are all sorts of famous race cars from the era including Falcons, Escort, Alfa Romeos, Mazdas and Commodores. VHRR organiser and competitor Neville Butler said there are some special cars that Group C and A Touring will be chasing victory. Cars will feature. “We are pretty lucky to have a Image: GRANT CAMPBELL good field of Group C and A cars that will race together,” he said. “One of the earliest we have is a 1977 Moffat’s Coke Mustang, Dick Johnson’s Ford Escort right through to an early 1990s Greens Tuff Falcon, plus the 1987 and BMWs. 1990 Bathurst winners driven by Peter “Tony Sawford has done a beautiful job Brock and Allan Grice will be just some restoring Allan Grice’s A9X Torana from on show. 1978 and 1979, which is still in its Craven Not only will fans get to see replicas of Mild colours and will be very competitive. some of the most famous cars from the “Of the same era Thomas Vondrasek 1970s and 1980s, but they will witness the is bringing his Ford XC Falcon Coupe real thing. which his son will drive who is quite an A healthy field of famous Group C and A accomplished young bloke.” touring cars will shake the surroundings of Entries have officially closed but more are the Benalla Auto Club based circuit. welcomed by contacting the VHRR. One of the most special will be driven by Practice begins on Friday, August 4 David Towe, who will steer the last of the before racing is held over the weekend. five JPS BMWs built in 1987, which is still Thomas Miles
STATE SERIES FIRES BACK TO LIFE AFTER TWO and a half months away, the Victorian State Race Series kicks back into gear at Sandown Raceway. With the first half of the season complete, the fourth round on August 11-13 represents a chance for drivers to build some momentum at the back end of the year. There will be all sorts of action for fans to enjoy at the event run by the Australian Sports Sedan Association with seven categories on show including two in the national spotlight. Leading the way will be the Australian Formula Ford Series, which remains in Victoria for round five of the 2023 season. After a clean sweep in Winton, Matthew Hillier (pictured) enjoys a 17-point lead over Zak Lobko in the championship standings. They have been the dominant pair winning nine of the 16 races, but the likes of Xavier Kokai and Jake Santalucia will be looking to make more moves.
A strong field of around 40 cars is anticipated to chase the Australian Saloon Car Racing title. Last year’s title was taken out by West Australian Grant Johnson over Brandon Madden at Sydney Motorsport Park. In addition to the leading national categories, there is still plenty on the line in the Victorian State Championship rounds. Reef McCarthy will be looking to continue his dominance in the Victorian Formula Vee series having won every race since the season opener. Chris Lewis-Williams is looking to enhance his advantage in the Porsche 944 Challenge standings over Cameron Teller and Adam Brewer. The BMW E30s started their season at Phillip Island where Royce Lyne recorded a clean sweep and hostilities will resume. The Victorian V8s and Prototypes will also bring some muscle to the high-speed venue for their first hit out of 2023.
In addition to the racing action, there are hopes to arrange a sprint style event where drivers are welcome to test their cars in a non-championship capacity within the schedule. Entries are still open for those interested to take part, while spectators can watch the action from the Sandown grandstand with tickets available on the VSRS and ASSA websites. Thomas Miles
WHATS ON AT WINTON THE NATION’S ACTION TRACK! TEST AND TUNE DAYS - Dedicated test and tune days for the preparation and setup of race cars. Test days may be broken into sessions (if applicable) which allow for sedans and open wheelers to share the track independently, this ensures the Racecar Test Day is perfect for any race car from Production Specification to V8 Supercar to S5000 and everything in between.
30th July
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21st August
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4th/5th/6th August Winton Festival Of Speed
22 August
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18th August
Winton Test & Tune
25th August
Winton Test & Tune
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20th August
Winton MSCA Sprints
29th August
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BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL. FREE PIT GARAGE SLOTS ARE INCLUDED WITH ENTRY. Contact mail to: reception@eintonraceway.com.au or call the events hotline on 03 5760 7100 For more information go to: www.wintonraceway.com.au/drive/racecar-test-days 18 I www.autoaction.com.au
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HOMEWORK HELPS MANSELL RISE BOOSTED BY a maiden podium and consistent streak of points, Christian Mansell is resetting his ambitions for the back end of the FIA Formula 3 World Championship. At Silverstone, Mansell overcame wild weather and racing to score his first F3 podium and carried on that form to Hungary by finishing sixth in the Sprint. Having scored points in just three of the first nine races, the Newcastle 18-year-old hit his stride, finishing in the top 10 four times on the bounce with his third place the highlight. Mansell described the feeling of crossing the line as “pure happiness” and whilst the result was created through a mix of a strong qualifying, luck, smart strategy and
“intense” racing, it was also formed by hard work. Whilst the Campos Racing driver believed he was never far away from consistent points, he admitted lots of work behind the scenes made the step up possible. “In the grand scheme of things I have never been that far off because there have always been such fine margins,” Mansell told Auto Action. “One tenth could get me pole in Silverstone, but one tenth backwards in Austria could have put me 20th. “At the start of the season it was what it was; (teammate) Pepe (Marti) has got better and better, but I have made a big leap. “If you look at it as a trajectory, we have
just kept going up and up and up. “To get to that point it was a combined effort between Campos and I, the car has been really good and I have made steps in my driving, so to get results is really satisfying. “I had to sit down and ask ‘how am I going to breach that gap’ so I looked at the data and how he (Pepe) drives the car how aggressive or smooth he is or how he prioritises corner entry and exit, which was different to mine. “Some things I needed to change and keep the same and the team has done a stellar job.” Just two more rounds remain in the 2023 season at famous European tracks; Spa is next (this weekend), with Mansell now up
to 13th in the standings. As a consequence of his recent surge in form, Mansell admitted the “goalposts” have shifted, with a solid top 10 championship finish within sight. “To be honest the goalposts do change; originally it was top 15 by getting consistent results and score points when you can,” he said. “But now there are points finishes and a podium on the board, the goalposts have changed, but it is important to keep sight of the original goal and not be blurred by the new one.” Mansell, plus the other Aussies Hugh Barter and Tommy Smith will be back in action at Spa this weekend. Thomas Miles
THE VICTORIAN STATE RACE SERIES
ROUND 4 - SANDOWN AUGUST 11-13
Presented by the Australian Sports Sedans Association
Always great racing and fantastic entries across many categories.
Presenting the Saloon Car Nationals, with cars and drivers from across Australia and Round 5 of the Australian Formula Ford Series • Formula Ford 1600 • Formula Vee • Improved Production
• BMW E30 • Porsche 944 Challenge
• Round 5 - Phillip Island/VMC September 22-24 • Round 6 - Calder/Combined October 27-29 TBC
Spectators are always well catered for with full access to the paddock and the racers.
Images: REBECCA HIND-REVVED PHOTOGRAPHY
For further information visit www.VSRS.com.au autoactionmag
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LATEST NEWS
DE SILVESTRO AND ALLEN TO RACE DJR WILDCARD FEMALE STAR Simona De Silvestro and teenage talent Kai Allen have been confirmed to race a Dick Johnson Racing wildcard at Bathurst. The pair will steer a #98 Shell backed Ford Mustang and expand the field for the 60th anniversary Bathurst 1000 to 27. Dick Johnson Racing’s new driver pairing covers both ends of the experience spectrum with De Silvestro 34 and Allen almost half her age just 18. Whilst the drive has been rumoured for a while, it represents an unlikely Supercars return for De Silvestro, who has not raced in the category since her last full time season with Kelly Racing in 2019. Since then she has been Porsche’s Formula E test driver and made four IndyCar starts last year with Paretta Autosport. De Silvestro has made 91 Supercars starts with a best result of seventh at Pukekohe in 2019 and is no stranger to wildcards having raced in 2015 in a Prodrive Ford and 2016 in a Nissan. After returning to the Supercars paddock at the recent Darwin Triple Crown as a fan, she will now be in the DJR garage as a driver at Mount Panorama. “I am thrilled to race back at the iconic track in Bathurst and want to thank DJR and Shell V-Power for this amazing opportunity,” De Silvestro said. “Four years has been too long but who would have
thought in 2019 that I would not be able to travel to Australia for such a long time. “I am looking forward to teaming up with young talent Kai and I am sure we will make a great team. “Of course, I also want to thank Harvey Norman and Katie Page who have been supporting me all my career in Australia. “I can’t wait to be back in Australia in September to start testing the new Gen3 car.” Sharing the Mustang will be one of the hottest young talents in Super2, Kai Allen. The teen hailing from the home of the Blue Lake in Mount Gambier only arrived on the car racing scene two years ago, but has made a big impression. Allen made his Toyota 86 Series debut at Townsville in 2021 and immediately scored a podium. After a handful of Toyota rounds, he stepped up to Super3 with Eggleston Motorsport last year and went on a recordbreaking rampage. Allen scored the most amount of poles ever in a single season, but a costly mistake at Adelaide’s infamous turn eight meant he fell second best to Brad Vaughan in a thrilling title fight. He stepped up to Super2 this year and has taken to the elevation like a duck to water, leading in Perth and breaking through for a maiden win in just his third round and fifth race at Townsville; he currently sits second in the
championship. To complete a whirlwind couple of years, come October Allen will be living a boyhood dream and driving in the “Great Race”. “I’m so proud and excited to be joining DJR as part of their first Bathurst wildcard, representing the Shell V-Power brand,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to working with such a knowledgeable and wellrespected team who have seen so much success over the years. “Co-driving with Simona will no doubt be a highlight of the year and I can’t wait to learn from her, as she is such an experienced driver.” Allen’s drive has been made possible after a recent tweak to the Super Licence requirements which now permits a top three championship finish in Super3 or Carrera Cup, plus three Super2 rounds as enough - rather than the previous six Super2 rounds that were required. It is understood Allen has also collected 14 Super Licence points, one more than the threshold. DJR team principal Ben Croke revealed Allen is a talent the team has its eyes on for the future. “Kai Allen is a young talent we have had an eye on for over a year now,” he said. “He drove the (Gen2) Mustang last year on an evaluation day and I was impressed with his speed, maturity, and work ethic.
Simona brings a wealth of experience to the team. “She will be a fantastic mentor for Kai through his first Bathurst 1000, as she continues to be an inspiration for aspiring female drivers.” DJR CEO David Noble believes the #98 Mustang has the “perfect combination” behind the wheel. “This wildcard entry has been a long time coming for DJR and we are extremely excited about it,” he said. ”To have the enthusiasm and talent of Kai mixed with the experience of Simona is the perfect combination. “As an organisation, we are driven to succeed and aim to prepare and deliver the car to a competitive level for Bathurst.” De Silvestro and Allen will race at Bathurst on October 5-8. Thomas Miles
SUPERCARS REVEAL LATEST PARITY CHANGE FORD WILL receive an engine tweak at this weekend’s Sydney SuperNight in the latest chapter in the search for parity. All 11 Ford Mustangs will take on Sydney Motorsport Park with a new 80mm throttle body. This was tested by Ford’s Gen3 homologation team Dick Johnson Racing at Queensland Raceway in the aftermath of the Townsville 500, where separate aero changes were rolled out. After the testing was complete, the results were verified and the change to the Ford Engine Specification Document (ESD) was approved for the seventh round of the 2023 season. A Supercars spokesperson confirmed the news. “Supercars can confirm that the Ford Homologation Team requested an Engine Specification Document (ESD) change to use an 80mm throttle body,” a Supercars spokesperson said.
“This has now been tested and verified, both on and off track, and is now approved for introduction for the Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight.” The throttle body change is the latest tweak in the constant search for Gen3 parity. It will be staged where the hot topic kicked into overdrive at Sydney Motorsport Park, which hosted the pre-season test in February - the first official on-track session of the season. With 10 of the top 11 fastest times from the preseason test proving to be Chevrolet Camaros, it did not take long for the first questions of parity to surface from the Ford camp. Since then the discussion has not stopped with it being a hot topic of debate at all six rounds so far. An official Supercars parity review was conduced after the Darwin Triple Crown where the parity trigger was hit after Team 18, Triple Eight Race Engineering
and Matt Stone Racing swept up the wins. This saw some aero changes made to the Mustang prior to Townsville including the rear wing moving forward by about 20mm and lowered by a similar amount. A small Gurney flap was added to the trailing edge, while the boot-mounted spoiler was also extended and raised, meaning the gap between the lower edge of the wing and the upper edge of the boot lid surface has been closed. Despite Anton De Pasquale and DJR driving Ford to its first on-track win of the Gen3 era in race 17, some Ford team owners were still frustrated by the parity situation. Time will tell if the latest change will have an impact at the aero-heavy track SMP this weekend, with the action to begin on Saturday. Thomas Miles
MCLAREN INSISTS NO FAVOURITISM MCLAREN HAS insisted the undercut which allowed Lando Norris to steal second away from Oscar Piastri in the opening stages of the Hungarian Grand Prix was not a result of favouritism. Starting from the second row, Piastri enjoyed a solid getaway and slotted in behind Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, who went three wide into turn one. But as the established stars squabbled, the rookie pounced and flew up the inside underneath both Norris and Hamilton to surge into second place. Piastri suddenly found himself hounding the back of Verstappen for the lead before eventually settling into a commanding gap from the third placed Norris. The rookie consolidated the spot across a solid first stint on the medium tyre and built a +2s advantage on his teammate. This generated belief Piastri was on the verge of becoming the first ever Australian to score a podium in his rookie season, but it was not to be. Despite Norris enjoying a +4s advantage
over Hamilton before the stops and Piastri earning pit priority, McLaren serviced the Brit before the Aussie in a bid to cover the Mercedes. As a result, car #4 maximised the undercut and not only rejoined a comfortable five seconds ahead of Hamilton, but also flew past Piastri when the Aussie emerged from the pits on lap 19. After losing second place through no
fault of his own, Piastri struggled to find the same speed on the hard tyre and battled degradation. When the chequered flag was waved, he had dropped to fifth, +23.438s behind Hamilton. That is why Piastri said the strategy call “did not change my race” with “tyre degradation the killer”. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has spoken out on the reasoning behind
the Norris undercut, insisting it was not a case of favouritism. “In terms of the undercut that we had at the first stop, you just go with the sequence that is natural because you cover with the car that is more at risk, and then you cover with the other car,” he said. “Lando’s out lap was just super, super quick, which meant Oscar lost the position. To be honest, our approach to these situations is to think about the team first. “We think as a team, and then we deal with the internal situation.” Stella also revealed Piastri suffered floor damage after running over a kerb, which greatly impacted his pace late in the race. “Oscar had damage on his car, and this meant that he lost some time from a performance point of view,” he said. “I think this caused extra degradation of the tyres and was part of the reason why he struggled to keep up with Lando, and also with the other cars coming behind him.” Thomas Miles
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HILL BRACED FOR ANOTHER TYRE BATTLE
RED BULL EMOTIONAL ABOUT RECORD WIN RED BULL team principal Christian Horner has lauded his “incredible” team after it broke a record that stood for more than a quarter of a century. The 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix will forever be an historic occasion as Red Bull secured a 12th straight victory, having not lost since the 2022 closer at Abu Dhabi. This ensured Red Bull broke the streak record previously held by McLaren and its iconic MP4/4. In 1988 Aryton Senna and Alain Prost drove Ron Dennis’ team to 11 wins on the bounce at the start of the season from Brazil to Belgium. McLaren’s streak ended at Monza when Prost suffered an engine failure, and Senna crashed into the lapped Williams driven by Jean-Louis Schlesser - laps from the finish and in the lead - as Ferrari’s Gerhard Berger streaked past to deliver a famous win just weeks after the passing of Enzo Ferrari. Despite similarly dominant spells by Williams, Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes in the years since, no one
has been able to come close. The RB19 has been an unstoppable force with Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen behind the wheel this year, cruising to 11 wins this season. The team’s only major scare was in Australian when a late Safety Car and a red flag threatened to disrupt Verstappen’s rhythm, but he held his nerve. Fittingly, Red Bull broke McLaren’s record by scoring its biggest win of the year at Hungary to the tune of 33.731s seconds. Reflecting on the achievement, Horner was emotional, as recalled watching the MP4/4 in action as a youngster. “As a young kid I remember watching the McLarens of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna achieving that incredible feat. They were an incredible team and Ron Dennis was an incredible Team Principal,” Horner said. “To think that we’ve now bettered that, it’s something the whole team here in Budapest, in Milton Keynes, and everybody behind the scenes
has worked so hard for...it means so, so much.” Verstappen also joined an exclusive club with Hungary being his seventh straight win. Only Alberto Ascari (1952-53) Michael Schumacher (2004), Sebastian Vettel (2013) and Nico Rosberg (2015-16) have achieved the same feat. Reflecting on the team’s new record, Verstappen made it clear how much hard work has gone into the mighty operation. “For the team, 12 wins in a row is just incredible,” he said. “What we’ve been going through these last three years is just unbelievable. “I think people probably forget how tough it is to win 12 in a row. “Even when you have the fastest car. It’s easy to make mistakes or have an off weekend but I think so far we have always had really good pace. “Hopefully we can keep this momentum going for a long time.” Thomas Miles
TYRES WERE a hot talking point at the Townsville 500 and Matt Stone Racing’s Cameron Hill is bracing himself for a similar struggle in Sydney. The seventh round of the Supercars season takes teams to Sydney Motorsport Park, which features numerous medium speed and high load corners at the flowing 3.9km circuit. These will place a large amount of stress on the working right hand side tyres with eight of the 11 turns going left. One of the biggest challenges at Townsville was making the tyres last around Townsville’s hybrid street track. Enjoying an extra set played a big role in Anton De Pasquale’s special win, while Chaz Mostert believed rear tyre wear cost him a shot at victory on the Saturday. Hill said managing rubber will be a big challenge across the Sydney SuperNight, which is headlined by Saturday night’s longer 51-lap race where strategy will be a big factor. “It is a track I’m familiar with and the circuit has been notoriously bad for tyre degradation,” he said. “But there have been a few sections resurfaced so it’s going to be interesting to see if that helps, along with the cool temperatures. “I think it will be similar to Townsville, how you manage your tyres and strategy will be key. “Sunday’s event might be a sprint, but it’s still quite long so it will be something different for the engineers to analyse the strategy to find the quickest way home. “I think one thing that we’ve seen this year is that clean air is super powerful, so the engineers will have to weigh up the ideal strategy versus being stuck behind a rival.” Hill arrives at Sydney Motorsport Park 22nd in the championship and within touching distance of Macauley Jones. He recorded 17th and 22nd place finishes across the two street races, with the disappointing Sunday result his first outside the top 20 in nine races. Hill said he was actually really encouraged by his output at Reid Park and has identified qualifying as his major area of improvement at Eastern Creek. “Although we didn’t get the results we wanted in Townsville, it was still a real positive weekend,” he said. “Saturday was tough with a bad qualifying position, which made the race a long one. “Qualifying stronger was the focus on Sunday and we did that. I managed the tyres a lot better as well and we were running at the front thanks to a safety car. “The race pace was really strong and I was really happy after Sunday, all we need now is just that little more in qualifying to give us a boost at the beginning of the races.” The Supercars first hit the track at the Sydney SuperNight on Saturday, July 29. Thomas Miles
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LOVE AT-THE -READY FOR POTENTIAL BRT WILDCARD THE NEW Super Licence alterations that have seen Kai Allen promoted into a Bathurst wildcard seat are also a huge benefit for fellow Super2 driver Aaron Love. The WA talent made the switch from GT racing into Supercars prior to the 2023 season with the Blanchard Racing Team as they entered the Super2 fold, with Love given a clear pathway toward achieving a main game drive. With Blanchard currently building its wildcard entry after having it approved in early July, Love is now eligible having collected more than enough points for a Super Licence through his Carrera Cup successes, coupled with the additional three rounds of Super2 which are enough to see him qualify for a main game drive. Love has been adapting to the challenges of a new racing style after moving on from the GT3 scene, and feels that six races on in the Petronas Mustang, he’s now prepared should the opportunity arise through either the wildcard, or a direct co-drive with Todd Hazelwood.
“It’s been a bit of an up-and-down year, obviously being a one car team it can be a bit of a struggle sometimes in not having the technical support where you can get data from another driver,” Love told AUTO ACTION. “But working with the team throughout the year I feel more comfortable in the car, and if the opportunity arose through BRT to do a wildcard, whether that’s at Bathurst or Sandown, or if it’s with Todd, I would definitely grasp that chance. “If it was to come, I feel ready to make the jump and to put everything into it. The conversation with Tim [Blanchard] has been more around a wildcard than with joining Todd, and the build has been moving along, so we’ll find out pretty soon if that’s going to become part of my program or BRTs program. “There’s obviously a lot of things that need to fall into place and be finalised, but we’re working together to try and get that happening, and I’m sure in the very near future we can announce if that’s happening or not happening.” In terms of the new licence alterations announced
by Supercars last week - aside from it benefiting Love ahead of schedule - he feels it’s an important move to open up the gates for other young drivers. “For me personally I’m excited that it’s opened up the opportunity to get a Super Licence, and to potentially move forward within BRT. “But for the sport, it’s a good thing in that it helps to open up the pool for younger drivers, because prior to that the number was a bit smaller in terms of how many drivers were available. You saw that teams were having to rely on ex-Supercar drivers that were only doing one or two races a year. “Even the European market was very closed off, and it still is, but I think it’s good for Supercars that it’s a lot more open and there’s going to be more opportunities to elevate local young drivers into a wildcard, or more.” Whichever way the cards fall, Love will be at the Sandown 500 regardless as it’s also the next Super2 round, but before that, he’ll be taking on S5000 duties for the first time with BRM at the Sydney SuperNight this weekend, July 28-30. TW Neal
MCRAE RALLIES FOR ETERNAL CITY MAX MCRAE will take on the ERC Rally di Roma Capitale in Italy this weekend, making the switch to asphalt with an alternate Rally4 car. McRae has displayed plenty of promise across his three European Rally Championship starts this year in Poland, Latvia and Sweden, but a mix of mechanical and driver error has brought him undone, with a costly penalty in Latvia dropping him from the lead. His tarmac adventure into the Italian capital this weekend with co-driver Mac Kierans will also see him switch into Peugeot 208 Rally4, with his usual Opel Corsa unavailable due to a schedule clash for The Racing Factory team. McRae previously competed in the 208 prior to Poland at the Rali Terras d’Aboboreira, and feels comfortable in the comparable Rally4 machinery. “I’m happy with the Peugeot, and to be honest, the two cars are really quite similar. We drove a 208 Rally4 at the start of the season in Portugal and got on well with it there. “The priority for this week is to show
McRae will switch into a Peugeot 208 Rally4 for the Rome rally
some more pace and put some good points down on our first asphalt event at this level. “There’s something special about rallying in Italy. There so much passion for motorsport and for rallying in particular. It’s going to be a very cool event.” McRae has driven previously on tarmac in Europe, but the scorching
temperatures in Italy will be far from cool with the continent in the grip of a heatwave that will make it a challenging weekend. “The temperatures have been scorching in mainland Europe. I think it’s due to get a little bit cooler in time for the event, but we’re still looking at mid-30s or more. “It’s going to be a warm one, but that’s fine, we’ve put the training in for this.
“If there is a concern from the heat then it’s maybe for the tyres. It’s going to be hard work from that side. “I guess the stand-out stages are going to be the long ones on both days. Saturday we’re running a 32km test, and Sunday it’s the 29km Santopadre stage. From every aspect, they’re going to be interesting!” Rally di Roma Capitale gets going with a ceremonial start and spectator stage in and around the city’s world-famous colosseum on Friday evening. Saturday and Sunday bring 13 stages and 189 kilometres of competition. TW Neal
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Alex Palou and McLaughlin (left) lead into Turn 1 at the start of the Detroit street race earlier this year. group like this before. We talk about, “Okay, did that roll centre help? Did those tyre pressures help? Did that shock help?” And by qualifying, hopefully, we’ve all got it right in our own simple ways, and we’re in the fast six – that’s been so enjoyable. “Then we go out to beat them.” He was also mentally challenged by his expectations. He was a front-runner in Supercars for many years, and certainly, with DJR Team Penske, he was a contender. He finished second in the championship in his first season with the team and then won the next three. IndyCars was a big reset. Even the best aren’t always at the front. In his 2022 IndyCar Series win, Will Power had four out of 17 races outside the top 10 and had only one win. McLaughlin won more races with three, and the third Team Penske driver, Newgarden, won five. For the biggest race of the year, the Indy 500, McLaughlin started 26th. That would be last grid spot at Bathurst. “It definitely took a bit because I went from Supercars, where I had to be top three, top four every round, and if I wasn’t, it would piss me off. You can’t do that in an IndyCar. “Honestly, what Alex Palou is doing right now is very impressive (four wins from 10 races so far and a worst finish of eighth), but he’s bound to have a bad race at some point. It’s so hard to do what he’s doing by being in the top six every qualifying, being on the podium every race. It’s incredible. “It took me a bit to understand that and figure out that you can’t do what we were doing in Supercars, where we won 19 races a year. It’s just not going to happen in IndyCars – it’s too close. And that’s the nature of having such a controlled racing car. Everyone’s got mostly the same equipment to a point, but you can definitely execute consistently and make the most of a bad day. “What I enjoy now is the mentality of it. If an eighth is what it is, take the eighth, don’t try and make it a third, which is what I used to do. In the end, it’s about maximising the opportunities and being consistent. “Here, it’s just very tough.” It’s a bit of a reset of your mind? “That’s just part of it. I was in my seventh or eighth year in Supercars, so I was locked in, half a veteran for my age, and in a car that was the best apart from Triple Eight. It was expected. “Now we’re here, and even though we’re in a Penske car, everyone understands how hard it is in terms of just how close it is. I qualified second at Detroit; the next week, I was 18th at Road America. That’s just how it is. It’s just crazy.”
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Charlotte is more than just a motorsport Mecca. It is a metropolis of just under three million people with a well-developed banking and finance industry, the second largest in the US. Just about every NASCAR team is also based there or thereabouts, and the Haas F1 team is there too. There’s even a wind tunnel in the back blocks of Mooresville near Team Penske. Brisbane is about the same size and shares a sub-tropical climate, although it doesn’t have quite the same motorsporting gravitas. The similarities in size and climate,
There’s a lot of race people around there, and you’re not far from the shop, so you sort of feel like you should go to the shop. “When I’m in South End, if I come up and see you, I go and train and make it count. If I need to come to the shop, I’m here, and I’m here for a couple of hours, and I’m here not just to be here. That’s how I’ve sort-of always worked, even at DJR. I was in Brisbane when I could have been on the Gold Coast. “But I’ve enjoyed figuring out where we want to be, buying a house, making it
join Holden Racing Team and DJR Team Penske, and he approached the decision very logically with a pros and cons list, as he explained to The Athletic earlier this year. “I nearly drove for the Holden Racing Team in Australia. I was speaking to Roger, and I was speaking to the Walkinshaw family at the Holden Racing Team at the time. though, helped the transition. As did having an American wife, Carly. “The climate is a little bit different, but it’s been fun, and I’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve had a simpler transition to most people, probably because my wife Karly’s American, so I sort of understood things like celebrating Thanksgiving, which wasn’t new to me. I think just being here and experiencing different seasons and stuff like that is interesting. “I’m trying to slow down how I talk because we do speak a little bit faster in Australia. You’ve really got to slow down ... “I feel like we’ve settled into life here. We’ve got a lot of friends, play a lot of golf, and the team has been great too. We have a great relationship with all our team. “You could live out here in Mooresville on a bit of an acre or a bit bigger block, or you could live downtown. Having a house was a little different for us because we lived in Brisbane for so long in an apartment. “We’ve just moved into a house now in the South End. But I sort of like getting away. It is very race-driven when you’re up here in Mooresville and Cornelius (a good halfhour’s drive), which is north of Charlotte.
happen, and just living the American dream a bit. “I really want to retire here in America. I’ve done what I wanted to do in Australia. For me, America is where I’d love to have my children if we’re lucky enough to have them, and they’ll have a US passport and probably a New Zealand passport, which is pretty awesome. “The opportunity for them here is cool, and I like it here. I don’t know what it is. I miss my family. I miss my friends. It’s really hard because I was telling my best friend last night, who was the best man at my wedding, there’s the potential for me not to return for Christmas. “I’ve got testing going on here, and our life’s here. We’ve got to figure out a few things. But if you asked me where I want to be in the 10 or 15 years, it would be here.” In a sliding doors moment back in 2016, he was weighing up an offer to
Leading Romain Grosjean at St Petersburg – before their controversial crash ... Right: Penske Racing, in Mooresville, is massive, impressive ... all that and more. Note Penske’s restored old (blue) transporter! Images: ANDREW CLARKE
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“I’d say this team and my teammates, Will and Josef, have accelerated that process. So I’m so thankful for that ...
“It’s not there anymore. There were contracts and stuff, but it was just an offer, right? “But I remember writing down a list of pros and cons for both teams, and I’ve still got that piece of paper today. It’s actually in a photo frame: Penske and HRT, working out ‘America vs Not America’ and ‘Factory team vs Not Factory team.’ “Ultimately, I wanted to drive for Roger Penske. That was basically it, whether the American (move) came off or not. That was pie-in-the-sky stuff at the time. But it did come off in the end.” You get the feeling when you talk to him at Team Penske that he made the right decision, not just because he won three titles but because of where he is today. Physically and mentally. He is relaxed and at home. When you walk around the massive Team Penske complex with him as your tour guide, you understand why he feels that way. The complex is vast and, well, complex. He doesn’t dwell much in the vast NASCAR
area that once housed 80 cars but now has, by the regulations, just 28. This is Ford territory, and he’s Chev now. There’s also a heap of space for Team Penske to build a wall and start something else under the same roof. We pause to watch pit-stop practice as an electric NASCAR drives into the pitbox and a crew of former athletes, mostly American football, fly into action. There is an electric IndyCar for the same practice. Then it is his area, with the IndyCars sitting in a much smaller but similar area as the NASCARs. The walls are decorated with the wins and history that make Team Penske the leading team in the States. He paused briefly at Josef Newgarden’s nearly fully restored Indy 500 winner from May, he says his car will be there one day. There’s plenty of talk with people as you go, they uncreatively call him Kiwi, but he is settled. We go over his race car and he explains a few of the things he had to learn.
We don’t visit the IMSA team, but we do see the first motorsport transporter that was used in the States. It was a barn find that Penske himself had no interest in, but others inside the Penske organisation did and fully restored the truck. Then there’s the Indy winners’ helmets where he wants his
to sit. These are ‘as-worn’, bugs and all. He looks well and truly settled and comfortable in his new life. He has built relationships much the same way as he did in Australia. He looks a long way from the young adult that fled Australia to embrace new challenges and to escape the politics of the sport he loved. Join us for Part 2 in the next issue of AA as we explore the reasons for his move.
En route to a big win at Barber Park. Far left above: Roger Penske congratulates his latest young star. Above left: With Penske Team President Tim Cindric and Josef Newgarden. Above right: With his US fans at the Detroit street race.
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Schuppan got his chance in 1974, when he contested rounds 5-11, with both Schenken and Schuppan only qualifying for Races 5 and 6 together, in Belgium (Nivelles) and Monaco, whilst Larry Perkins' attempted F1 debut in Round 11 ended in a DNQ at the Nurburgring after crashing in practice. 1975 saw Alan Jones – the Aussie who would claim the fourth and last F1 title by an Australian, in 1980 – make his F1 debut in a Hesketh-Ford 308B at the Montjuic street circuit in Spain during Round 4 (DNF). At Sweden’s Scandinavian Raceway he shared the track with Schuppan in Round 7, whilst Walker wouldn’t make the qualifying grid in his second attempt of the season. Jones and Perkins would then add eight more Aussie double entries to the record in 1976 when Perkins made his F1 debut in a Boro-Ford 001 at the Montjuic Circuit in Madrid for the first European race of the year. It was a horror debut year for Perkins, who would only finish three of the races, and in that same year, it was also the last occasion where three Australians would share a track together. The penultimate round of the season at Watkins Glen in the US saw Warwick Brown contest his one and only F1 race, in a Wolf– Williams Racing FW05 – a race in which he
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1975 saw Alan Jones - the Aussie that would claim the fourth and last F1 title by an Australian in 1980... Make his debut.
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Larry Perkins (in plain white helmet) hustles the difficult Boro Ensign around Monaco ('76). Far left top: Alan Jones drove for Durex Team Surtees in '76, here in Japan. Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo – at the Melbourne GP. Warwick Brown's sole F1 start was at Watkins Glen in the #21 Wolf. Left: Vern Schuppan , Theodore Racing Ensign, Monaco, 1974 ... Lower opposite: LP, in the Brabham Alfa, heads AJ in the Surtees – Watkins Glen, 1976. Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES
stuttered to the finish line with gearing and brake issues, five laps down. With Perkins breaking his suspension on lap 30, 1965 in South Africa would still remain as the only F1 outing in which three Aussies would actually finish a race together. In 1977 Jones and Perkins raced together one last time at Circuit Zolder in Belgium, and after Perkins failed to qualify in Rounds 8 and 9, he was replaced by Frenchman Patrick Tambay at Surtees Ford. Schuppan then raced for the British Surtees team between rounds 10-12, sharing the track with Jones three more times, at Osterreichring, Zandvoort (career best P7), and then Monza. Also in that year, at the Round 10 Silverstone GP on July 16, Melbournian Brian McGuire made his F1 debut, but failed to qualify, in a Williams FW04 – which could have made it another occasion with three Aussies. Tragically, McGuire never got the chance again after being killed in the same car whilst practicing at Brands Hatch the following month. The September 11 race at Monza in 1977 would also be the last time two Australians would share an F1 track until Webber and Ricciardo in 2011, on July 8-10 at Silverstone, where the Honey Badger would make his debut for Toro Rosso in the STR6. In their 50 races together, Webber was also the only Aussie to win an F1 race whilst competing on the same track with a compatriot, winning at Brazil in 2011, then Monaco and SIlverstone in 2012. The Brabham boys briefly flirted with the possibility of contesting race together in 1990, but when Gary quit the awful Italian Life Racing team in disgust after two DNQs, he almost joined the MRD Productions team driving a Brabham-Judd BT59, but an issue over his prior contract with the Italian team meant the seat went to his brother David.
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AUSSIES TO HAVE SHARED AN F1 TRACK 1957 Jack Brabham/Paul England – 1 Race 1964 Jack Brabham/Frank Gardner – 1 Race 1965 Jack Brabham/Frank/Gardner/Paul Hawkins – 4 races. (Hawkins started in three of those races) 1970 Jack Brabham/Tim Schenken – 4 Races 1971 Tim Schenken/David Walker – 1 Race 1972 Tim Schenken/David Walker – 10 Races 1974 Tim Schenken/Vern Schuppan – 2 Races 1975 Vern Schuppan/Alan Jones – 1 Race 1976 Alan Jones/Larry Perkins/Warwick Brown – 8 Races. (Brown started in one race) 1977 Alan Jones/Larry Perkins/Vern Schuppan – 4 Races (Perkins started in 1 Race) 2011 Mark Webber/Daniel Ricciardo – 11 Races 2012 Mark Webber/Daniel Ricciardo – 20 Races 2013 Mark Webber/Daniel Ricciardo – 19 Races 2023 Oscar Piastri/Daniel Ricciardo – 1 and counting
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QUEENSLAND RACEWAY GETS PUMPED UP
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RaceFuels is Australia’s leading fuel supplier to the motorsport industry. Established in 2003 this Family run grass roots operation acts as a conduit between the major oil companies and motor racing throughout Australia, New Zealand and Asia. RaceFuels imports and distributes Elf Racing fuel which is supplied as a control fuel to the Bathurst 12 Hour, GT World Challenge, Carrera Cup, TCM, TCR, and S5000. In addition, they are engaged by BP to produce and distribute the E75 racing fuel for all Supercars events. Fuel supply service, fuel logistics and compliance for major events and championships has become RaceFuels skillset servicing over 1.5 millions into over 50 race events per year. RaceFuels has a circuit racing focus with bowsers and tanks at SMSP, Sandown, Phillip Island and now a new facility at Queensland Raceway-having just installed a purpose-built facility with self-serve bowsers and storage tank installation. “Setting up a bowser for E85 and Elf Race 102 in Queensland is an important step to offer the motorsport community high-quality fuels at the best possible price and filling via the bowser there are no drum or freight costs – as well as the obvious safety improvements for the competitors not having to transport fuel to the track in their own vehicles.” Said Mark Tierney-CEO of RaceFuels. Using the experience of their self-services gained at Phillip Island and Sydney Motorsport Park, RaceFuels
offers QR an asset which benefits a club day user, a weeklong corporate booking, a drift festival and a state or historic race meeting. Three fuels are available at the new Queensland Raceway RaceFuels site – 98 RON, E85 and Elf Race 102 fuel bowser, with an easy payment terminal option which takes credit card, RaceFuels account cards and tap and go paywave. A canopy protects the pumps from both the extreme sun and extreme rainfall; it’s lit for night events and there is a large concrete access driveway so you can drive a race car from pit lane to the bowsers without driving on a public road. Major off-street events have already praised RaceFuels for solving the problem of unregistered cars getting access to fuel. “The tanks are above ground and concrete-lined which is excellent for fuel quality, and the system is designed to handle major events with extra-large E85 and 98 tanks. “The pumps have been open for a couple of weeks, with a formal launch planned for the SpeedSeries round. “The system has already seen several hundred transactions and the historic round last weekend went well.” Tierney confirmed. RaceFuels has invested to improve QR’s fuel area for when we attend a national race meeting and has just purchased a fresh tanker to keep up with demand. For further information visit www.racefuels.com.au
NATIONALS WRAP
Images: ANDY STOTT
MARTIN STRIKES BACK REIGNING ARB AUSTRALIAN OFF ROAD RACING CHAMPIONS BRENT MARTIN AND ANDRE DE SIMONE HAVE RETURNED TO WINNING WAYS BY SECURING THE ARB TYREPOWER GRIFFITH-THE GAP 440 ... AFTER MISSING out in the season opener to South Australians Greg Gartner and Jamie Jennings, Martin and de Simone (above) hit back in Round 2 by recording a crushing win. As the track dried out, Martin came into his own on Sunday, extending a small lead into a six minute victory and a seventh consecutive outright podium in his Class 1 Jimco. This left Gartner and Jennings to settle for second in the #410 Class 4 Geiser Bros TT and consolidate top spot alongside Martin in the ARB Australian Off Road Racing standings. Two-time champions Danny Brown and George Apted (right) were in contention at the service break, being 18s off the pace, but a late belt change proved costly, seeing them lose almost 12 minutes and drop to third. Another frontrunner to suffer heartbreak was Dale Martin and co-driver Adrian Rowe. They led the eventual winners by one and half minutes after blitzing the opening section on Saturday. However, their campaign was cut short on the second section on Sunday by a
broken torque converter. It was a taxing weekend of racing as just 18 of the large 66-car field finished. Andy and Fletcher Murdock crossed the line fourth, which was their highest ever outright result at ARB Australian
championship level. To make the feat even more impressive they did it by starting Sunday down in 10th. Steven and Ella Graham performed on home soil in their Class 10 winning Alumi Craft; backing up their fifth place finish from their season opener at Rainbow. Another local combination Dean Meginley and Dean Demarco crossed the line seventh, sandwiched between Andy Brown/Danny Hardman and Dean Meginley and Michael Marson/Chris Colborne, who both had tyre dramas. David and Alice Middlemiss plus Craig
Krog and Dean Searle completed the top 10 with the Queenslanders roaring through the field on Sunday after a broken steering hose hampered their first section. Locals Rhett Standen and Josh Lyell (left) broke through for a maiden Class 2 victory on home soil, ahead of Russell and Judy Hartnett, who completed just two laps due to an engine failure. Matt Hummer and Aaron Lukschanderl claimed the Class 6 silverware on debut, while Graeme Hicks and Karl Quast outlasted Queenslanders Hank Parker and Mark Robertson in Class 8. Matt Lavis and Andrew Dance claimed consecutive Class 66 crowns, whilst H drove their Patrol to Class 7 success. Jason and Charlotte Richards were rewarded for their Sunday heroics to finish third in Class 1 even after breaking an axle on the start line, while Karl Power and daughter Tess suffered a heavy second lap smash. Round three of the 2023 ARB Australian Off Road Racing Championship will be the Goondiwindi 400 on August 11-13. Toby Cooper
TASSIN SHINES AT DALBY RICHARD TASSIN and Darlene Blake (right) came from behind to win the Speciality Services QLD Dalby Short Course event last week. The fifth round of the 2023 ARB Mickey Thompson Tyres QLD Off Road Championship looked to be going the way of Stuart Chapman, who led at the halfway mark. However, the #17 encountered issues on Sunday morning, which left the door ajar for the rest of the field, and it was Tassin who took full advantage on the technical Weranga circuit and claimed a memorable one minute victory in his Class 6 Can Am. Tassin, who finished fifth at the
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corresponding event last year, held off fellow Class 6 campaigner Tyson Howard #6168 who rose from seventh on the final day. Howard edged out Christian Trusz by just six seconds in the fight for second. Current ARB Queensland champion Brice Derrick could only manage fourth in his first championship appearance of 2023. Meanwhile, Luke Brandon made it consecutive Class 6S titles and fifth outright finishes in his Drells Run Racing Polaris. This means the Junior champion now sits atop the ARB Queensland championship.
Aaron Phillis #44 claimed the Ultimate Class silverware crossing in sixth, while the first female across the line was Kate Swinglehurst rounding out the top ten. Only 26 of the 44 crews completed the Dalby, with notables led by Chapman. The 2023 ARB Mickey Thompson Tires Queensland Off Road Racing Championship now turns its attention to the ARB Goondiwindi 400 on August 11-13. Toby Cooper
Image: CAPTURE THE DOG PHOTOGRAPHY
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SLIPPERY MALLALA CATCHES DRIVERS OUT THERE WERE a few surprises at a slippery and cold Mallala on July 8-9, for the third and penultimate round of the 2023 South Australian Motor Racing Championships. Auto Action’s David Batchelor braved the conditions to cover the event.
after an evenly fought weekend where race wins fell to Smith (two), Jenkins (two) and Roberts (one).
FORMULA VEE
CIRCUIT EXCELS
ONE OF the big surprises of the weekend was Victorian Joel Johnson not having everything his own way in the Circuit Excels category. A poor start saw Johnson slip to fifth in Race 3, but victories in the remaining sprints meant he still did enough to claim the overall win. Riley Matheson was best of the rest having taken the Race 3 win after an epic battle Adam Currie, while Nick Scaife picked up the third-place trophy after a solid weekend. Misch Nowickyj took the narrowest of wins in Excel Masters with Brain Roberts pressuring him all the way, while Kim Anderson was a very distant third.
IMPROVED PRODUCTION
ANDY SARANDIS (Evo 8 Lancer) was unstoppable in Improved Production adding the Michael Rooke Memorial to his trophy collection. James Sutton (R100 Mazda) making a welcome return to racing to collect second. A DNF in Race 1 upset a good performance by Anthony Norris (1200 Datsun coupe) who still managed to get on the bottom step of the podium.
SPORTS SEDANS
MYLES BOND (Mazda RX8) took the Sports Sedan honours on debut despite some teething problems with the new car.
Blake Millar shows the way in Historics. Below right: Riley Matheson (21) and Joel Johnson lead the Excel field. Images: DAVID BATCHELOR. Below left: Myles Bond won Sports Sedans ... Matt Longhurst’s Integra blew its engine ... Image: JOHN LEMM
DESPITE THE challenging conditions Daniel Westcott (Jacer F2K5) won all five Formula Vee 1600 races. New South Welshman Hayden Slattery was next best in his Perkins ahead of Rhys Rollond’s BeeCee. Matthew Bialek and his Spectre was equally dominant in the 1200 Formula Vees despite the racing being closer. In the battle for second place, Frank Chessell (Elfin Crusader) edged out Jay Thompson (Spectre).
HISTORICS
Daniel Wallis (Nissan 180SX) kept himself at the top of the Tuff Mounts point score with second place ahead of the unlucky Matt Longhurst (Honda Integra) who exploded an engine in the final race after looking certain to take the overall win. Josh Pickert showed what the Monaro might do if he can get it to keep going all day in Race 2, but a damaged control arm ended his weekend on Saturday.
SPORTS CARS
IAN WILSON (TVR Tuscan) had no challengers in Sports Cars with Julian Mazzone (Ferrari F430) outlasting everyone else to slot into second. Brett Sundstrom (Porsche 911 RSR) completed the podium despite a DNF in Race 2.
SALOON CARS
SAM MILTON (Commodore VT) looked like he was going to make a Saloon Cars clean sweep but David Lines (Commodore VT) broke away to win the final race. However, failing to start Race 3 meant he only got enough points for third with the pair split by Jayden Jamieson (Commodore VT). Victorian Keven Stoopman (Falcon AU) was looking good for a top three finish but broke the car on the final day.
BLAKE MILLER (Elfin 630B) had to fight hard for the Historic win but it was made easier when Jim Doig (Motorlab Asp 340) failed to make the chequered flag in Race 4. Melissa Ford (Mallock U2) kept out of trouble and stayed in the top three all weekend to finish second with Bob Collinson (Asp 340C) picking up third. The 2023 SA State Motor Racing Championships conclude at The Bend Motorsport Park on September 16-17.
HQ HOLDENS
LEE SMITH won a really tight battle for Holden HQ honours with Nathan Roberts just squeezing into second. It was somewhat of a surprise result with the usual winner Darren Jenkins only managing third
Lee Smith (54) and Darren Jenkins go at it in the HQ contest. Far right: Daniel Westacott dominated the Vees. Images: DAVID BATCHELOR
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