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KOSTECKI NOT SURPRISED BY BEND BASHING A CAREER-BEST weekend at The Bend came as no surprise to Brodie Kostecki as Erebus Motorsport took its momentum to new heights. Despite the shock announcement of Will Brown departing to “the enemy” Triple Eight threatening to rock Erebus, the current Supercars Championship leading operation responded in emphatic style by scoring its first clean sweep in a sprint round having been racing since 2013. The man who is here to stay both at Erebus and Supercars, Kostecki, blew away the field at the Bend. The #99 Coke Camaro claimed two poles and all three race wins on offer in the final sprint round before the enduros. Whilst Kostecki’s consistency and speed throughout the year has him in the championship lead, it was a new dominant streak that has not previously been seen by the 25-year-old. It was only at the Australian Grand Prix in March this year he scored his maiden Supercars win and backed it up with another the following day. But he only scored two of the four wins on that weekend and had to wait another five rounds to reappear in victory lane. However, whilst all the attention was on the other side of the garage, Kostecki produced his best performance yet with a crushing clean sweep. The hat-trick extended his championship lead from 41 to 137 points and despite enjoying bigger success than ever, it was far from a surprise given the level Erebus has been performing at all season. “It is obviously really cool and fantastic to go out and do what we did this weekend,” he told AUTO ACTION. “It does not come as much of a surprise because there has been a lot of hard
work and thought behind it all. I am just proud to be a part of it. “I think we have been slogging it out with the older cars for the last two seasons and we came into this year and worked really hard trying to make our program the best as possible. “Everyone is enjoying the success and it is awesome to repay the whole team with the success we have had and see the smile on everyone’s faces. “It is all working at the moment.” The success at The Bend arrived less than a week after Kostecki made an impressive NASCAR Cup Series debut at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Despite mechanical issues and a qualifying crash greatly reducing his track time, he still charged from last to 22nd in the race and went past 2014 NASCAR
Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick at the finish. For some the transition from America to Australia would have been challenging, but Kostecki took it all in his stride and believes the extra racing has kept him sharper for Supercars. “I gained a lot of experience going over there and doing what I did,” he said. “Every time you drive something you learn something. “Before I raced at the Grand Prix I was in a sprintcar and won two races there. “Now I have just come back from the states and won all three races here, so maybe I just need to drive every weekend!” Despite being so impressive across the first eight rounds, even bigger challenges lay ahead.
The mighty enduros await at Sandown and Bathurst where Kostecki will share the #99 with veteran co-driver David Russell for the third year in a row. Whilst he has the target on his back and the most to lose, Kostecki does not feel under pressure. “No I don’t feel any pressure,” he said. “I know I can do the job and the team around me is more than capable of delivering me a fast car. “We have had great form all year and we just need to keep on executing and minimising the mistakes as much as possible. “I am really excited going into the enduros. I get the share the car with David Russell as I have done for the last two years.” Thomas Miles
WATERS WANTING MORE AFTER BREAKTHROUGH PODIUM CAMERON WATERS returned to the podium for the first time since the season opener at The Bend, but clearly wants more. Waters secured a long awaited and arguably well deserved podium in Sunday’s third and final race at the South Australian circuit, which was his first for 21 races since the season opener at Newcastle. Having endured all of this on the track and not being afraid to voice concerns around the parity debate off it, Waters has had a big journey back to the podium. But he does not see it as getting the “monkey off the back” but more as vindication of car #6’s speed. “I would not say it is a monkey off the back, we have had a lot of bad luck this year and the parity woes have poured fuel on the fire in that respect,” Waters said.
“We have just been working hard to make sure we are the fastest Ford and it was awesome to roll out with a different setup and be up there.” In another cheeky dig at the parity situation, Waters said whilst the addition of a trophy has not done anything to his confidence levels, he believed it was great to “nearly touch the back of a Camaro”. “I would not say it changes my confidence a great deal, but it is great to see the back of a Camaro and half be close and nearly be able to touch it,” he said. “It was good to be on the podium and be competitive. In qualifying we got smashed but we will keep chipping away. “We are going in right right trajectory so hopefully we can keep closing the gap and get some wins.” Thomas Miles
MILLER UNSURE ABOUT AUSTRIA STRUGGLE JACK MILLER is still unsure about why he fell off the radar at a tough Austrian MotoGP Grand Prix. Whilst his KTM teammate Brad Binder signed a long-term extension and scored Saturday and Sunday podiums, it was a different story for Miller. The Aussie showed strong qualifying speed, putting #43 on the second row and mixed it for the podium early on. But as the laps ticked up, it was a familiar story as Miller drifted deeper down the pack and further away from the lead. Whilst he still held a top five result in the Sprint, the Grand Prix was a much tougher affair. Despite shooting up to third in the early stages when the chequered flag fell Miller was down in 15th, a full 20s away from teammate and runner-up Binder. Whilst it is not the first time Miller has started strong, but faded in the back half of a race, it had never been so pronounced as at the Red Bull Ring. The Aussie admitted he is still unsure why he lost so much pace, but pointed towards some changes made three races ago at Assen. “It was just a struggle and I don’t know why or how yet,” Miller wrote on his website. “But I was suffering with missing grip
from the very beginning and the last eight laps were about trying to survive out there. “We made some changes a few races ago in Assen and it doesn’t seem like it’s been working great, so now we try to maybe take a step back and evaluate the changes that we’ve made to attempt to go forward. “We probably need to go back to the drawing board, to be honest.” Miller started the weekend on the back foot being forced to endure the stressful Q1 knockout session to stay in the fight for pole. Having bounced back and qualified fifth, he actually believed a podium could have
been possible. It was a weekend that started and ended not great, but the middle was decent,” Miller continued. “On Friday I did not have a great feeling with the bike and felt pretty terrible which is why we ended up in Q1. “Then on Saturday things were pretty positive and we gained some valuable information. “With a small step it felt like we had podium potential and then Sunday came and that was all she wrote.” When digging deep into the Sunday struggles, Miller revealed it all started with a lack of grip on corner exit. “I just struggled with missing grip,
started really suffering on the (corner) exits straight away,” he said. “I started getting into trouble with guys passing me on the straight, my top speed was down simply because the exit wasn’t there out of the corners. “Braking felt good – the bike in the frontend was actually pretty stable and I was able to catch back up in the middle part of the lap but into all the straights, I just couldn’t accelerate.” What made the weekend particularly heartbreaking for Miller was the location. After racing for two years at Ducati the Aussie has moved to KTM, which enjoyed its home race at Austria on the weekend. With an entire grandstand covered in orange supporting the brand, there was no shortage of support and Miller was devastated not to give them more to cheer about. “I’m very disappointed for myself and for the team at KTM’s home race,” he said. “Sunday was definitely a shame because it’s a big, big home event for KTM here. “I’ve observed this race with the support and the orange flags from the other side before, but it’s different when you’re on this side of the fence. “You could only imagine what it would be like to win at home for KTM … it’d be pretty special, that’s for sure.” MotoGP returns at Catalunya on September 1-3.
TEAM 18 TAKING SMALL POSITIVES FROM ‘INCREDIBLY TOUGH WEEKEND’ TEAM 18 drivers Scott Pye and Mark Winterbottom are taking the small positives going forward from a “very challenging” time at The Bend. For the first time in 16 rounds, Team 18 failed to register a top 10 finish at a multirace event. Aside from Bathurst, the last time the two-car squad failed to be in the 10 was Wanneroo in 2022. On this occasion the best it could hope for was 11th form Pye in the third and final race when he charged up from 20th and executed the undercut. However, the #20 driver could qualify no higher than 18th on home turf and finished 22nd and 15th in the other races.
On the other side of the garage Winterbottom had to settle with a pair of 17th place finishes before a tough 24th in the finale. South Australian Pye said it was nice to finish a tough round on a positive note. “It was a very difficult and challenging weekend, but we never gave up,” he said. “We kept pushing and then in the last race, from what was a difficult qualifying, still we improved the car and managed to come home in 11th starting 20th. “It was all done through car speed in that last race, I set the third quickest lap of the race. “We kept trying and we came away with a package which was definitely more
competitive. I wish we could hit reset and start again and have another crack at it with the car we finished with. “It’s one of those weekends that you just got to keep pushing. We’ve come away with a straight car, which is a positive.” Unfortunately for Winterbottom there was no light at the end of the tunnel as he recorded his worst race finish of the year outside of his Albert Park retirement. “Frosty” is hopeful things will turn around at Sandown where he expects the #18 Camaro to be better suited, but is concerned about Bathurst given its similar qualities to The Bend. “That was an incredibly tough weekend,” he said.
“As a team we really struggled for car speed. Everyone worked really hard, and when you’re struggling you work harder than the rounds that are going easy, because instead of tuning you’re trying to reinvent, and all the team worked incredibly hard. “At Sandown I know the car will work there, but we have a bit of work to do on these long flowing corners, which obviously Bathurst is one of them. “We will regroup and have a test day to sort it out, but it was not a good week at all.” Team 18 will be determined for a stronger showing at the Sandown 500 on September 15-17. Thomas Miles
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LOWNDES AND TRIPLE EIGHT WON’T STOP RACING THE UNION between Craig Lowndes and Triple Eight Race Engineering will continue into an uncharted second decade after the fan favourite signed a contract extension. Lowndes is not hanging up the helmet anytime soon with his time at the team set to hit two decades having extended his contract for another two years until the end of 2025. This will mean the smiling assassin will race on until he is at least 51 and be the first driver that is not a team owner to race at a Supercars team for over 20 years. Having initially dominated taking three championships and a Great Race victory at the Holden Racing Team between 1996 and 2000, Lowndes, then known as “The Kid” went across the divide to Ford. But after unsuccessful two-year stints at Gibson Motorsport and Ford Performance Racing, Lowndes was on the move for 2005. He ended up becoming the face of the then unproven Triple Eight Race Engineering and felt so much at home he has never left since. Lowndes drove car #888 all the way until his full-time retirement in 2018 and has continued co-driving with the team, initially alongside Jamie Whincup and more recently in the Supercheap Auto wildcard. This will also be the case in 2023 when he shares the #888 Camaro with Zane Goddard at Sandown and Bathurst. Lowndes could not hide his delight behind the news that he will continue racing, with his new deal set to bring him to a total of 31 Great Race starts, closing in on the record of 35 set by Jim Richards. “I’m absolutely delighted to be continuing my racing career with Triple
Eight for the next two years and I’m excited to reach a 20-year milestone with the team in 2024,” he said. “I’ve shared some amazing moments with Triple Eight over the past 18-and-a-half years, and I want to thank Jamie (Whincup), Jess (Dane) and the team for wanting to extend this successful partnership. It’s crazy to think we’ll be celebrating two decades together next year! “When I retired from full-time racing at the end of 2018, I always said that I wanted to continue to stay involved by fostering the next generation of Supercars racers, which I’ve been fortunate enough to do through the team’s wildcard program. “For now, I’m really looking forward to the upcoming enduro season alongside Zane Goddard and can’t wait to hit the track for our upcoming test days in preparation for the Sandown 500 in September.” Since 2005 and scoring Triple Eight’s first win in their fourth round together, Lowndes has scored 58 of his 110 race victories. Across 18 Bathurst 1000 starts he has claimed six victories in Triple Eight colours, plus stood on the podium in half of them.
Lowndes has also scored four Sandown 500 and two Phillip Island 500 wins during the Triple Eight spell. The man who helped Lowndes score his famous hat-trick of Great Race wins from 2006 to 2008, Jamie Whincup, is now the team principal at Triple Eight. With Lowndes’ smile still one of the most recognisable in pit lane, he is thrilled to keep him as a co-driver. “Lowndesy is obviously a huge part of Triple Eight’s DNA, and for him to continue his legacy with the team into a 20th year and beyond is truly remarkable,” Whincup said. “I’ve personally shared so many memories with Craig, highlighted by our
Bathurst 1000 three-peat which I’ll cherish forever. We wouldn’t be where we are now without his contribution to the team and the sport as a whole. “Lowndesy’s worth is just as valuable off the track as it is on it. His mentorship of the youth in our sport, as we’ve seen from the success of our Supercheap Auto Racing wildcard program over the past two years, has been unbelievable.” Lowndes will feature in a Triple Eight test day on September 4 at Queensland Raceway before having another crack at the Sandown 500 two weeks later. Thomas Miles
TANDER TO RACE WITH REYNOLDS AT B
GARTH TANDER will aim for a sixth Bathurst win and first with Ford alongside David Reynolds as Grove Racing lock down its endurance line up. No less than 170 days after completing its co-drivers Grove Racing has decided who the full-timers will share their Ford Mustangs with. The Ford team was the first to bring Tander to the “Blue Oval” and he will make his Mustang debut alongside Reynolds. With Tander winning his fifth Great Race last year and 2017 Bathurst 1000 winner Reynolds together, the #26 Mustang will be a contender with one of the more potent combinations around Mount Panorama behind the wheel. They will also be one of the most experienced with 39 Great Race starts between them, but on the other side of the garage will be one of the rawest.
The announcement leaves New Zealand rookie Matthew Payne pairing up with French GT ace, but Great Race virgin Kevin Estre. Despite battling in 2023, Grove Racing could be a smoky with Lee Holdsworth taking pole last year. With both drivers having won and taken pole position, Tander and Reynolds know how to conquer Mount Panorama. The 2007 Supercars champion also knows how to perform at Sandown, scoring an against the odds win the 2016 version of the 500km classic. After Tander produced one of the best co-driver performances in modern memory to push Shane van Gisbergen to glory last year, Reynolds is ecstatic to have the five-time winner alongside him in 2023. “I am thrilled to drive with Garth this year,” the departing driver said.
“We have known each other for a long time and he’s as good as they come. “He is really respected, his knowledge of the sport and his craft is fantastic, and if there is one person you want to be paired with for enduros, it’s him.” Tander is also looking forward to the experience with Reynolds being a codriving teammate at HRT in 2010. “I’m excited to pair up with Dave for Sandown and Bathurst,” he said. “With Dave being a former Bathurst winner himself, I’m looking forward to learning more about how Dave goes about the business of driving fast at those two events. “Dave and I have been in the same team together in the past, but never shared the same car, so it should be a bit of fun given how much of a character Dave is, but when it’s time to go to work, it will be full focus on the job at hand.”
Payne heads to Sandown with some confidence after smashing his teammate at The Bend. The young kiwi qualified ahead of his teammate in all three races and started as high as P3. Payne is now looking forward to his first experience as the lead driver in the enduros against a former GT rival. “It’s really exciting to be paired with Kévin Estre. He is a bit of a global superstar with a mega amount of experience under his belt. “I have done some endurance racing overseas myself last year and always saw his name at the top of the time sheets so it will be great to combine our experience and see what we can do in the back half of the year.” Estre is a long-time Porsche GT driver and has a class victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and is a class FIA World
NEWCASTLE 500 FUTURE UP IN THE AIR AFTER COUNCIL SURVEY THE FATE of Supercars new seasonopening event, the Newcastle 500, is up in the air after the community had a mixed say on a council survey. With the current contract of the race, which was first held in 2017, ending after this year’s event held in March, negotiations over a new agreement between Supercars, NSW Government and City of Newcastle are ongoing. Whilst Supercars is pushing to keep racing at the seaside street circuit for another five years after the first Newcastle 500 in four years was greeted by strong crowds, Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the city council will have the “final decision” on the event’s future. The biggest factor behind the City of Newcastle’s decision making process was a Community Consultation Strategy. After receiving 10,998 respondents through an online survey and a further 490 taking part over the phone, the results are in and do not bode greatly for the future of the race. Just 37 percent of Newcastle residents who took part in the online survey are in favour of the street race taking place for
BATHURST Endurance Champion. The 34-year-old Frenchman also has previous Bathurst experience having raced at the Bathurst 12 Hour four times with a top result of fifth in 2018 when he drove a Craft Bamboo Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R. Estre is excited to take on the challenge with Payne. “Really pleased to share the car with Matt,” he said. “He’s a talented young driver and has shown his speed many times in his career already. “He’s a rookie in Supercars but I’m sure that he’s going to help me a lot to be on pace as soon as possible! I can’t wait to be racing with the whole team!” The Penrite cars will be looking to put on a show at the Penrite Oil Sandown 500 on September 15-17. Thomas Miles
the next five years. Although a more promising figure of 55 percent were in support of the Supercars event over the phone, the overwhelmingly greater sample size in the online survey means the smaller figure of support paints the biggest picture. The least amount of support came from residents in “Wards 1 and 2” which were the locations closest to the track and the most disrupted from the event. However, there was much greater support for the race in “Ward 4” which was the furthest away, west of the city. Both phone and online survey respondents were overwhelmingly in favour of the race, voting 66 and 67 percent respectively. It was a similar, but more even story across the Newcastle business community where 110 voted on the phone and 1,906 were surveyed online. Overall 59 percent were in favour of the race over the phone, but this figure reduced to 41 percent online. Once again those in “Ward 1” were least in favour, but in “Ward 4” businesses
felt strongly about seeing Supercars in Newcastle again with more than 80 percent of both phone and online respondents showing their support. Many felt the biggest benefit of the Newcastle 500 was its promotion of the New South Wales city as a tourist destination, but believed the biggest setback was the disruption to affected residents and businesses near the track. Although the City of Newcastle has spent months collating all the information, there were some drawbacks to the online survey. One of the biggest was the “unusual” amount of survey respondents in the “Ward 1” section. A total of 964 survey responses were collated from the Newcastle East region which had a population of 1,061 in 2021. This means the report described it as “unusual to receive this number of responses relative to the population size (and) it is likely some used incorrect postcodes or made multiple submissions”. It was also reported 1,979 individuals were blocked from doubling up. However, Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp
told the NEWCASTLE HERALD he will support the results from the survey. In a worrying statement for Supercars fans, he said he will be supporting the results during negotiations with the NSW Government. “The majority of respondents have indicated they do not want the Supercars event being held in the city,” Cakanthorp told the NEWCASTLE HERARLD. “I will be supporting that view when communicating with the NSW Government.” Supercars has also provided a statement following the revelation of the results. A Supercars spokesperson confirmed discussions are “progressing” with the 2024 calendar starting to take shape following the announcement of New Zealand’s return at Taupo. “Discussions are ongoing and are progressing toward an official decision on the future of the Newcastle 500,” said a Supercars spokesperson. “The goal is to ensure a positive outcome for all parties and further updates and details will be communicated in due course.”
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CAN-AM LAUNCHES ALLNEW SSV OFF ROAD RACER CAN-AM HAS released its new Maverick R side-by-side (SSV) off road racer, a turbocharged 240-horsepower beast packed with all-new industry technology and plenty of character. The new Maverick R was built to ensure an unmatched rider experience that’s scrutinised down to the finest detail to promote comfort, performance, and unmatched quality that is coupled with practicality. The new Can-Am off road racer is also being released alongside a new and immense range of new side-by-side Can-Am vehicles, which include: The Maverick X3 lineup, with the MAX X rc Turbo RR (the industry’s first purpose-built four-seat rock crawling side-by-side). The Commander lineup, consisting of the Commander MAX DPS 700 and Commander MAX XT 700 (the industry’s first mid-hp four-seat side-by-side with a full size cargo dump box). And the Defender Lineup, which includes the Defender XT HD7, which is a new small displacement workhorse option, powered by the reliable and proven 52 hp Rotax ACE 650cc naturally aspirated engine. At the powerful heart of the Can-Am Maverick R SSV racer is the industrydefining 240-horsepower 999T Rotax 999cc turbocharged inline threecylinder, four-stroke, fuel-injected engine. It’s the first ever Rotax built offroad seven speed DCT (dual clutch transmission) design – automatic or optionally controllable by paddle shifter, offering up a power-to-displacement ratio that will leave opponents eating dust. The Maverick R employs an optimised air intake design for
ease of maintenance and next-level performance, dual fuel injectors to feed each cylinder, whilst also featuring the industry’s first ever electronically controlled wastegate, which regulates the turbochargers boost pressure to suit changing conditions. To add even more control features, the selectable driving modes feature Normal, Sport, and Sport+… Normal: provides a smooth throttle response, shifts gears through the seven-speed DCT transmission at 35004500 RPM range. Sport: enhanced throttle response and shifts gears 8500 RPM. Sport+: Advanced Response Technology (ART) to achieve peak throttle response performance and shifts gears at 8500 RPM, a highly effective anti-turbo lag system. The Maverick R’s revolutionary powerplant is necessarily coupled with a chassis that supports the unrivalled power offered up by the new SSV. It has a high-strength dual-phase steel v-shape chassis that reduces stress on its bolted connections, and features front and rear suspension components that are equipped with double-bonded bushings for a more quiet and smooth riding experience. The new heavy duty tall-knuckle suspension is designed to enhance driver comfort and handling on the trail or track, with with 25” of travel upfront, 26” in the rear, and 17” of ground clearance. On top of that, the unique aerospace aluminum suspension configuration also reduces stress on components, providing superior bump absorption, increased torsional rigidity, and improved stability and handling. In order to enhance the Maverick R’s
tracking across the most treacherous of desert chop, it combines Fox Live Valve Gen 3 technology coupled with Fox 2.5 PODIUM and 3.0 PODIUM shocks, an unbeatable combination that inspires confidence under braking, acceleration, and cornering. Putting the power to the ground, it features 32inch Tenacity XNR ITP tires (32x10Rx16) that are mounted to 16-inch aluminum beadlocked wheels. The robust 16-inch wheels also feature another industry first with the six-lug, 139.7mm bolt pattern, an automotive truck standard, with the required element to handle the increased power and torque of the new platform. “Can-Am believes that progress does not come from standing still, and the exciting new Maverick R represents our commitment to creating a machine that will change the industry by smashing through the confines of current performance and design boundaries, taking the rider experience to a whole new level,” said Sandy Scullion, President, Powersports Group at BRP. “With a 240 horsepower powerplant, manual gearbox, and the chassis and suspension to harness the power, the new Maverick R is truly a race-ready side-by-side purpose-built for the most demanding riders.”
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PRICE FACING INTENSE ARGENTINIAN TEST TOBY PRICE heads into the penultimate round of the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship on top of the standings, with the Aussie legend now facing a stern test at Argentina’s Desafio Ruta 40. The gruelling 2,804 km rally will take place between La Rioja, Belen (Catamarca) and Salta in the country’s north-west, split over five stages and a prologue on August 26 - September 1. Price has dug deep this season to finish on the podiums at Dakar (2nd), Abu Dhabi (3rd), and Sonoro (3rd), and finds himself leading the world championship with two rounds remaining, seven points ahead of Husqvarna’s Argentinian rider Luciano Benavides. The KTM rider is aiming for a second World title (2018) with KTM this season - his first in W2RC since it replaced the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship as the pinnacle of the Motorbike rally world. But aside from Luciano, one of his biggest tests may come from Kevin Benavides, Luciano’s brother and Price’s KTM teammate, who has previously won the Desafio Ruta 40 twice before, with Price having scored a podium (2nd) in his championship year prior to taking out the Rally du Maroc to seal the deal. Unfortunately for Aussie fans, Daniel “Chucky” Sanders will be missing from the W2RC field after breaking his leg post his magnificent Sonoro Rally victory. The GAS GAS rider is on the sidelines for an undisclosed amount of time after an accident whilst “having fun on the rally bike” in the Australian outback.
The Victorian had shown nothing but pure grit all season to be fifth in the championship, with his Sonoro win being his first in the highest echelon of W2RC. Aside from the Desafio Ruta 40 having been on the calendar between 2010-2018, Argentina was the head battleground for the world championship during those years, with the Dakar Rally also having taken place there between 2009-2018. After a five year hiatus, it’s now back on the rally map with a 2,804 km
offering. The Desafio Ruta 40 is named so because it takes place along the Ruta Nacional 40, passing through beautiful reserves, national parks and permanently snow-capped peaks, with it also being famous for Che Guevara having navigated it on a motorbike in his youth. The 11th edition takes place on the northern reaches of the famous route, with the opening Prologue being held in La Rioja on 27 August Stage 1 heads to Belen, where the caravan will set up camp in the familiar
bivouac of the Dakar and previous editions of the DR40. Three loop stages will then ensue from the village, before the run to the finish line takes a course further north for Salta, 500 kilometres away from the event’s beginning. The terrain is heavily varied throughout, with dunes of all sizes, dried-up riverbeds, and salt flats among some of the challenges. TW Neal
MCRAE’S MAIDEN ERC PODIUM ENDS IN THE DITCH
MAX MCRAE’S bid for a maiden European Rally Championship podium at the Czech Rally Zlin unfortunately ended up in a ditch in Pindula, a few kilometres short of the chequered flag. McRae’s maiden ERC Junior season has seen the young Aussie come undone several times when he’s been in the lead - or in shot of a podium - and at Round 5 of the Junior ERC in the Czech Republic an error on the penultimate stage has cost him again. The 19-year-old has more than shown he’s capable of challenging in Europe’s premier rally series, with a host of mechanical and driver errors having seen him come undone in critical stages. The Czech Rally Zlin is one of the hardest tarmac events in world rally, and McRae and co-driver Mac Kierans were absolutely flying after heading into the first day in the lead. The duo were largely in the top-three across all the stages through Saturday
and Sunday, as they kept their Opel Corsa Rally4 in touch with the more experienced German driver, 24-year-old Timo Schulz. Although they were +51.1 seconds in arrears of Schulz heading into Stage 12, they had a 10 second buffer on third, and a +30 second gap to fourth. Being less experienced on the tarmac, McRae used the last round in Rome as a learning curve toward Zlin, and it
had paid off with some blistering times before he encountered a slippery hairpin and understeered into a ditch. “I’m gutted about this one. We were caught out by a slippery hairpin and went off the road,” said a disappointed McRae. “This one’s on me. We’d gone so well, we hadn’t been taking risks and we were looking really good for second place. “I’m sorry for the whole The Racing
Factory team, I know how much preparation goes into an event like this and this isn’t the result anybody wanted. “The speed we showed, the stages we won, they’re all positives. This has been one heck of a rookie year in the European Rally Championship, but we’ll keep fighting on. Like I said, I know Mac and I have the speed, I know we can do this, and I know our time will come.” McRae and Kierans will be hoping that time comes on October 7-8, Hungary, in the Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen region in the country’s north-east - near the border of Slovakia. It’ll be a third straight tarmac event to round out the season for McRae, and despite his absence from the podium, he and Kierans have shown strong glimpses of what’s to come in the future, racing against some of the worlds most experienced rally drivers and premier young talents. TW Neal
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2018 Porsche 991.2 GT3
2022 Ford Mustang
2021 ZB Commodore
1985 De Tomaso Pantera
Current Michelin Sprint Challenge car, only raced for 1 season, previously out of the Lechner stables as their spare car. Original car, not a re-shell. Fastidiously maintained and prepped by Sonic Motor Racing Services. Odo shows 12,255kms, engine 81 hours. Excellent condition throughout.
2022 body with 2017 running gear. 5.0L Coyote engine dynoed at 443hp. Six speed gearbox, CAMS approved cage, full log books. Brand new build, never been out on the track. Can be run in replica tourers, sports sedans and Bathurst 6 Hr. Only the very best components used.
Chaz Mostert Bathurst-winning car in 2021 (Top 10 shootout winner, pole position and fastest lap at Bathurst). Multiple race wins across the 2021 and 2022 V8 Supercar seasons and presented in immaculate condition inside and out. The perfect collector car.
Brand new factory-supplied Grp 4 Pantera, only raced in 1985 and was on pole and won every race. In storage since 1986, it has a 640hp historically-correct engine and CAMS log book to run in historics. Selling after 38 yrs of ownership in as-new condition, lots of spares at a bargain price.
Price: $ 265,000 + GST
Price: $80,000
Price: $POA
Price: $269,000
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