Auto Action #1879

MATT CAMPBELL AUSTRALIA’S PORSCHE KING

AUSTRALIA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE OF MOTORSPORT

CIVIL WAR AT EREBUS

THE TRAGIC TEAM DRAMA PLAYED OUT IN PUBLIC AND THE DAMAGE DONE

HAMILTON’S SHOCK MOVE INSIDE F1’S MASSIVE STORY OF THE YEAR

GETTING THE BAND BACK TOGETHER

FEB 8 to FEB 21 2024 • $10.95 INC GST

ISSN 2204-9924 ISSUE 1879

EXCLUSIVE THE PLANS BEHIND TEAM 18’S 2024 ATTACK

NATIONALS COVERAGE

FORMULA FORD’S FUTURE

WRC MONTE CARLO

AUSSIE TITLE WINNER

1966/67 LD STAR CHAMPION SPENCER MARTIN - GO SIC PHILLIP ISL AND CL AS PATRON OF THE 2024

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HAMILTON’S FERRARI MOVE CREATES GLOBAL SHOCK LEWIS HAMILTON’S DECISION – TO ACTIVATE AN ‘OUT CLAUSE’ IN HIS CONTRACT, AND TO MOVE TO FERRARI FROM THE START OF 2025 – IS BEING HAILED AS THE F1 ‘STORY OF THE DECADE’ …

IT CERTAINLY caught the motorsport world – and, it seems, the Mercedes team, by surprise.

Having been a ‘Mercedes-man’ since first supported by the company during his karting career, and then all the way to Formula 1, Lewis will join his former F2 team manager, and friend, Frederic Vasseur in red.

“It’s been a crazy few days which have been filled with a whole range of emotions,” Hamilton said, when making his first comment following the bombshell announcement.

“But as you all now know, after an incredible 11 years at Mercedes, the time has come for me to start a new chapter in my life and I will be joining Ferrari in 2025.

“I feel incredibly fortunate, after achieving things with Mercedes that I could only have dreamed of as a kid, that I now have the chance to fulfil another childhood dream.

Driving in Ferrari red.

“Mercedes has been a huge part of my life since I was 13 years old, so this decision has been the hardest I’ve ever had to make.

“I’m incredibly proud of all that we’ve achieved together and I’m very grateful for the hard work and dedication of everyone I have worked with over the years and of course Toto, for his friendship, guidance and leadership. Together we have won titles, broken records and become the most successful driver-team partnership in F1 history. And of course I cannot forget Niki who was a huge supporter and who I still miss every day.”

Lewis let Mercedes boss Toto Wolf know his shock decision personally, during what has become a regular pre-season catch-up, for breakfast.

Wolff admitted he was “surprised when Lewis told me about his decision to join Ferrari”, but made it clear that “I’d rather not rush into a decision about which driver will partner George in 2025,” adding that, “there are so many contracts that are up at the end of this year that we can wait before making our decision.”

The Austrian manager explained that, “Lewis came for breakfast with me on Wednesday, in Brackley, as it had been scheduled for a while, and told me that he had decided to activate the option to join Ferrari.

Got You! Lewis and ‘Fred’ are mates from way back in F2 ...

Image: MOTORSPORT IMAGES Above: Oscar (Piastri) tweeted his surprise!

“I had heard the rumors one or two days before, but wanted to wait for the meeting with him, so I was surprised but not shocked. We then spent one hour working out how the communication would be made and after that my focus was on the 2024 season and also on how to go about what we’ll do in terms of gettinng a new driver for next year.”

Wolff had no problems admitting that, “driving for Ferrari, sitting in a red car, is something any racing driver dreams of, so I knew this could happen at any time – it’s only natural.

“I wasn’t expecting it to happen for next year; I wasn’t expecting this decision now, but the reason we left the options for 2025 open in the contract we signed last summer was for Lewis and ourselves the flexibility to go in different directions if we felt that was the best thing to do.”

A close friend of Ferrari’s Fred Vasseur – who was his best man at his wedding to Susie Stoddart – Wolff insisted that, “our

relationship won’t change. I have great respect for Fred as a rival but also as a friend. With us it’s like a rugby match – we can punch each other on the nose in the pitch but we’ll always go out for a drink after the match is over!

“Lewis and him go a long way back – they were very successful together. Fred works in a very different way compared to me but his results prove he’s very effective and successful.”

On the subject of George Russell’s next team mate, Wolff seemed to point in the direction of putting youngster Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the car in 2025. The Austrian said that “I couldn’t think of a better driver to become our new lead driver than George, once Lewis moves out, because he’s got what it takes to help the team return to the front. We’ll have to see what’s the best option for the second car – if an experienced driver or not … but maybe it’s time to be bold and put a rookie in it!”

Later on, though, faced with a direct

question about the young Italian, Wolff calmed the waters, insisting that “Kimi has been with Mercedes since he was 11 years old – he’s tremendously talented but his focus now has to be on his Formula 2 season. I “f we start putting his name in the media, it could make his head spin, so let’s allow him to focus on the job he has to do now and, later in the year, after I decide with the rest of my team what kind of driver we want to partner George, then we’ll consider what will be best for him as well.”

Having nominated Russell as future team leader, Wolff seems to exclude the possibility of hiring either Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz to replace Hamilton, leaving Alex Albon on pole position to take the seat the seven-times World Champion will vaccate at the end of the year, with Antonelli as the outside chance he could take if the italian blitzes the Formula 2 field in his first season in the series.

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UP COMING RACE EVENT CALENDAR Brought to you by www.speedflow.com.au SPEEDSERIES RD 1 SANDOWN FEBRUARY 9-11 NATIONAL DRAG RACING CHAMPIONSHIP RD 7 WILLOWBANK FEBRUARY 16-17 • NASCAR DAYTONA 500 FEBRUARY 18 BATHURST 12 HOUR FEBRUARY 16-18 • WRC RD 2 RALLY SWEDEN FEBRUARY 15-18 Australian AustralianMade MadeSince Since 1983 1983

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KOSTECKI/EREBUS DISPUTE COULD SEE THE CHAMPION BENCHED FOR THE YEAR WHAT IS BEST DESCRIBED AS A ‘WORKPLACE’ ISSUE BETWEEN A TEAM AND DRIVER HAS ESCALATED, AND AFTER BEING BROADCAST IN THE PUBLIC ARENA, HAS CREATED AN UGLY AND DEVASTATING LEAD-IN TO THE 2024 SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP WITH NO END IN SIGHT ...

SUPERCARS CHAMPION Brodie Kostecki will stand aside for at least the first round of his title defence, and possibly the entire 2024 season, after a dispute with Erebus Motorsport has turned sour – and ended up playing out very much in the public domain.

The trickle-down effect to Kostecki, Erebus and Supercars in a war of misinformation has been significant, with Erebus losing all it’s major sponsors and suggestions that Kostecki may now be on the outer with Richard Childress Racing with whom he made his NASCAR Cup Series debut last season.

Auto Action has spoken with many involved in the dispute, but has yet to get comment from Kostecki himself who responded by text message that “when the time is right I’ll make my statement.”

The fallout from what has now become a publicly played-out dispute has had a significant impact on Erebus, which

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has lost both its naming rights sponsor, Coca-Cola, second line sponsor Shaw and Partner and some other minor backers.

The damaging fallout extends to Supercars, with long time Kostecki backer Peter Adderton walking away from

sponsorship renewal talks re the Gold Coast 500 Supercars race.

Inside industry players have continued to promote a narrative that has suggested personal clashes between team boss Barry Ryan and Kostecki; and claims that the departure of Will Brown – okayed by team owner Betty Klimenko despite still being under contract – were for similar reasons.

Be that as it may, with the opening race for 2024 just weeks away, no resolution appears to have been reached. No-one outside of the team and driver can know exactly what the sticking points are or have been – but AA does know that several other parties, both within the team and surrounding it, are involved and that it has become an even more complex situation.

The recent appointment of Brad Tremain as Team Principal for 2024 by team owner Betty Klimenko, was seen as an attempt to defuse the situation within the team, but

From triumph to turmoil. The team taken from midfield to championship winners by owner Betty Klimenko and her team principal Barry Ryan (above right – Image: ROSS GIBB) is now being taken apart – in public, and the damage to motorsport across the Australian spectrum is significant. Below left: At work, heading for success ...

that clearly hasn’t had the desired effect.

When Betty Klimenko rejected any further action, Kostecki is believed to have told the team that he was not up to running the opening round. At the same time, Erebus has confirmed that they want Kosteki to drive for them this year and await his return to the team and has declared it will enforce his contract and will need to approve any of his racing activities for the season, meaning the West Australian known as ‘Bush’ may not race at all in 2024.

Things got even more complicated at this point when members of the specialist motorsport media, most who have been well aware of the unhappiness bubbling away behind the scenes, agreed to a Supercars request to keep the events ‘behind closed doors’ for a little longer – to hopefully assist in a resolution. However, one media outlet chose to publish the story as it saw it.

The publishing of the story triggered responses from the parties. With the dispute very much now in the public arena, an array of unverified claims have led to the walk-out by one, and then more, of the team’s sponsors. If there is one thing sponsors cannot live with, it’s public airing of dirty linen …

Erebus stated that the door remains open via a team statement on January 31: “Contrary to a media report, Brodie Kostecki remains part of the Erebus Motorsport family and is a value member of our team. Brodie has indicated he is not in a position to take part in the opening round of the 2024 Supercars Championship.”

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Supercars CEO Shane Howard released a statement on the situation not long after.

“We understand the gravity of Brodie’s decision and the challenges he may be facing at this time. On behalf of everyone at Supercars, we wish Brodie all the best, and we sincerely hope to witness his return to the Repco Supercars Championship in the future.

“In the meantime, we extend our support to Erebus as they navigate the start of the 2024 Repco Supercars Championship with Todd Hazelwood and Jack Le Brocq driving for the team. Defending a Championship title is never an easy task, but we are confident in Erebus’s ability to adapt and continue their pursuit of success on the track.”

Since then, there has been little official communication on the whole sorry tale.

Social media, however, has lit up, with claims, counter claims and allegations, including abuse aimed at both parties and others.

The one definite outcome to date has been confirmation that Todd Hazelwood – already contracted as a long-distance co-driver – will ‘sub’ for Kostecki at the opening championship round, two weeks from now.

After that? It remains anyone’s guess.

Certainly, the spilling of the dispute into the public arena has done none of the parties any favours – in particular the much-supported and admired team owner Klimenko who is now faced with sponsors heading for the exit.

NASCAR PIVOT DENIED

ONE STORY doing the rounds was that Kostecki was trying to make an earlier move to NASCAR, but that story has been denied by his potential backer and the potential team.

In fact, it seems RCR remains strongly aligned with Erebus.

“The RCR/Erebus/Image Racing relationship is bigger than Brodie Kostecki,” RCR’s Andrew Dickeson said from the US. “This whole deal was not built around him.

“It started when Terry and Dana Wyhoon donated their VF to RCR to help Kyle and Austin improve at the road courses. Brodie has just ridden off the coattails of that.”

Long time Kostecki sponsor, Peter Adderton, has denied any role in a plan to fast track Kostecki into NASCAR.

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WHERE TO FOR KOSTECKI?

UNLESS KOSTECKI can mend his bridges with Erebus or suitable arrangements can be made, Kostecki will not race in 2024.

It is known his manager, Nathan Cayzer, has discussed options with other teams but – given all seats are currently spoken for – any option would likely include a messy buy-out of an existing driver’s contract.

Several team owners confirmed they had discussions with Kostecki’s team, but none admitted they would look at running him in 2024.

DAMAGED GOODS

SUPERCARS, EREBUS, Ryan and Kostecki have all suffered damage during the dispute and the leaking from each party without formal statements has let the story evolve on its own, with rumour and innuendo as its fuel.

Supercars is facing losing Boost Mobile as the sponsor of the Gold Coast 600 from 2025 with the current deal expiring after this year’s race and Peter Adderton declaring he is putting further negotiations on hold. Adderton has made similar threats in the past – notably after a photograph of Supercars majority shareholder Barclay Nettlefold at an Optus store appeared while Boost was a series sponsor – and reverted in the cold light o day.

The full damage to the Supercars brand is not yet clear, but it has taken a public hit with mountains of negative press across all major media outlets.

Thanks to the whole thing now being a public brawl, Erebus has a likely $3.5m shortfall for this season after working its way to being a profitable business. There are suggestions, unverified, that this might be a ‘final straw’ for Klimenko, who could look to sell up and walk away.

That could open the door for Adderton, a Kostecki-backer already, who has made no secret of his desire to have a team, to buy his way onto the grid, if he can front the necessary funding to buy the Championship team.

The immediate and long-term future of Ryan, who owns half of one of Erebus’s Teams Racing Charters, which are now value at $1.9m, is uncertain.

Despite criticisms of his management style, it is a fact that he has been the driving force behind the team’s ascension to championship-winning status.

Andrew Clarke and Staff

OPINION: WHAT NEXT? IT WOULD appear the relationship between Kostecki and Erebus has irrevocably broken down, but attempts should be made to broker a solution that works for everyone involved. Supercars needs both Erebus and Kostecki on the grid, but the war of words has and will continue to take a toll.

As AA closed for press, for instance, we heard the Erebus’ Super2 team now has potential concern and sponsor problems because of the media and social media outfall.

The sport and Supercars are desperately in need of leadership, but all the figureheads have been found sadly lacking over this issue, either by absence or an inability to understand the gravity of the situation or how to manage such a crisis. Misinformation out of Supercars has led to widening of the gulf between the driver and the team, and Motorsport Australia has been strangely silent as the jewel in its crown is tarnished and has maybe taken irreparable damage, impacting the entire motorsport industry in the process.

Promotions for 2024 need to pivot immediately. Fox Sports’ promotions of the series revolving around Brodie Kostecki and Erebus being the champions, and now ‘the hunted’, need to change to the hunt for a new hero. Other sports cope with the loss of champions, Supercars can too.

Kostecki has the support of many of the past and present drivers, with whom he has clearly spoken, and many have offered support to the wantaway driver.

This is messy and needs to be fixed. Best of all, there are solutions that can be enacted that can limit the damage and create a suitable narrative.

Andrew Clarke

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COLOURS UNVEILED THE FIRST look at the Supercars of 2024 has arrived with the liveries of more than half the grid revealed.

With the season rapidly approaching and pre-season testing under way, recent weeks have been full of livery launches.

With new drivers and sponsors some teams have fresh approaches, whilst others have stuck to their guns.

Livery launch season was kicked off by Walkinshaw Andretti United which unveiled Ryan Wood’s first ever Supercar and Chaz Mostert’s new look #25.

After marking its switch to Ford with a new white look, WAU has retained the style but with a fresh approach, ditching the racing stripes and adding more colour.

Wood struggled to contain his excitement when catching a glimpse of his first Supercar.

“I am really looking forward to getting behind the wheel – let’s see what we can do,” the young Kiwi said.

“It’s all starting to feel real now ... someone pinch me!”

Blanchard Racing Team took to the revived Calder Park Raceway to unveil its new era.

For the first time BRT will be a two-car team with rookie Aaron Love racing the #3 in the familiar CoolDrive colours that have an ever-so-slight tweak.

On the other side of the garage James Courtney will race the #7 Mustang having

BRT unveiled its new era at Melbourne’s famous Calder Park Raceway.

A familiar but fresh look on Chaz Mostert’s #25 WAU Mustang.

Andre Heimgartner plays a starring role on his #8 BJR Chevrolet Camaro. carried support from Snowy River Caravans along with him from Tickford and the team has created its own interpretation of the teal look.

“I can’t wait for the season to get started at Bathurst. The entire team has put in a lot of work during the off-season, and our results will speak for themselves,” Courtney said.

“I look forward to working with Aaron this year. He is truly one of the rising stars of the sport, and I am eager to help push him and our team forward.”

An all Kiwi combination of Matt Payne and Richie Stanaway are spearheading Penrite Racing, which has marked its presence by producing two all black Mustangs.

Gone is the gold and the team hopes its simple, but striking black livery can produce similar success to what the All Blacks enjoy on the rugby field.

“The new livery is not just a design; it represents a shared vision and determination among the team,” a determined Stanaway said.

“Together, we are ready for the upcoming

season and want to make it a memorable one for Penrite Racing.”

Will Brown memorably revealed his first Triple Eight Supercar in front of a huge crowd of fans on home turf in Toowoomba.

The livery he and Broc Feeney will race with in 2024 is one of the cleanest in recent years and resembles the style of the first Red Bull livery in 2013.

Brad Jones Racing has revealed three of its four liveries with the Camaros driven by Andre Heimgartner, Bryce Fullwood and Macauley Jones all shown off. Although all three mirror their respective 2023 schemes, Heimgartner’s stands out in particular with the Kiwi himself humorously appearing on the bonnet.

Speaking on more serious matters, Heimgartner believes BJR has the chance to take another big leap forward in 2024.

“I’m comfortable with the environment and the team here, I’ve seen what we can do over the last two years and there’s just a few things we needed to clean up which we have, So this year is a big opportunity for us,” the Kiwi said.

Erebus Motorsport, Tickford, DJR, MSR, PremiAir and BJR #4 are yet to reveal their liveries.

Team 18 has been one of the boldest with two completely new looking Camaros – they can be seen in our special interview feature on pages 34-37.

Thomas Miles

Will Brown memorably showed off Triple Eight’s 2024 livery on home turf in Toowoomba.

The Auto Action motorsport podcast The team that’s not trying to make friends or look after sponsors!

It’s hard and it’s fast and sometimes it’s a bit rough, but we call it how we see it and pull no punches.

Plenty of analysis and lots of opinion from some of the most experienced motorsport media people in the business - Bruce Williams, Paul Gover and Andrew Clarke.

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REYNOLDS READY TO PLY HIS TRADIE DAVE REYNOLDS emerged from a winless wilderness late last year: now he is hoping to take his winning form to a revamped Team 18.

Dave Reynolds is more than just the class clown. Way more complex than the bloke with the fire extinguisher on the podium or the quick one liner, he is a focussed race driver who is there to win, and with his move to Team 18 and a series of changes at the team, he thinks he has landed in a home that will see him on the podium more.

“It is all positive things, all good things,” he said from Team 18’s workshop in Mount Waverley, not far up the road from his new home. “I rock in with a smile, I leave with a smile. It’s a great place to be at the minute.

“And that’s because of what Charlie and everyone has put in place there.

“It’s just a really cool, wholesome feeling. And if I’m honest, you do your best work when you’re happy.”

His best work is as good as anyone

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in the field, and after a tough season of fighting with a disadvantage, he is now hoping that he and Mark Winterbottom, easily the oldest pairing on the grid, can be regular front-runners.

Adrian Burgess has been a somewhat controversial recruited from Supercars, and other engineering changes have been made to try and sharpen the team’s attack on 2024.

“When you break it down, we are an older pairing. But, you know, in motor racing, like I’ve said before, age doesn’t really matter that much.

It really comes down to the individual person and how they feel about the task at hand.

“And I think, for our tasks, anything’s possible. And honestly, the sky could be the limit for us. So, you know, we’re going there all guns blazing with the best strategy engineering-wise we can put together, and with all the knowledge of everyone involved.

“Having Adrian join the team with Dr

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Geoff Slater expands our engineering.

Obviously, we have other great people here, Crusty (Richard Hollway), Som Sharma (ex-Supercars but back from a year in Europe with the FIA) and all the other guys involved ... there’s quite a lot of firepower. I think it’s going to be interesting to see how we go, because I’m really positive about the results we can achieve.”

Another key pick up is Reynolds’ number one mechanic from Grove Racing, Matt Beale, who will initially work on Reynolds car before taking a more senior role within the team. That requirement was a pleasant surprise for Reynolds.

“The place is vibing. It’s got a really good feel. Everyone’s happy. Everyone gets along. Everyone’s got a fair level of experience, which is unusual. Usually you go into the team, there’s one experienced engineer, then there’s a young engineer trying to learn off the guy, and it takes a bit of time to develop that relationship.

“But now, when you look at our team, everyone’s got so much experience.

“Surely, we can get some results with what we have right now. The car looks amazing. I love my sponsor, Tradie Beer. I’m from Albury-Wodonga, I’m not trying to hide anything. I am who I am and Tradie suits me! The happier I am, the bigger my character becomes and sometimes the sillier I get.

“Allegedly we all have the same cars, so at the end of the day it comes down to your philosophy of setup, and what’s your picture in your head of how to get the fastest around the track with your given setup, and then how you tune it on the day.

“So, with all the knowledge we have, surely, we can do a bloody good job with that. Then it comes down to the strategy and obviously races happen and whatnot. But you know, I think we’ve got the ingredients to make a good cake.”

Andrew Clarke

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BURGESS ENERGISED AND AT TEAM 18

NEW TEAM 18 TEAM PRINCIPAL ADRIAN BURGESS HAS SPOKEN EXCLUSIVELY WITH AUTO ACTION ABOUT HIS SWITCH FROM SUPERCARS BACK INTO TEAM-LAND. HE SPOKE TO BRUCE WILLIAMS ...

ADRIAN BURGESS was the scapegoat of Gen3, and the knives were out, the wounds were public and the scars now visible. As the engineer in charge of the Gen3 project, some of that is fair, but some of the criticism was way off mark and personal.

It was tough year, that’s for sure.

Even his resignation and the announcement of his switch to Team 18 was greeted with acid. But its done now, 2023 is gone. Speaking with Auto Action for an extended story on Pages 34-37, Burgess was keen to clear the air on a couple of issues, starting with his departure from his Head of Motorsport role at Supercars.

“I wasn’t asked to leave, just so we’re clear.

It was my choice to resign, which I did after Gold Coast, but it was a hard decision to make. But for me personally, when you weigh up the three years of work and effort and energy that you put into Gen3 and doing your normal job as well, and the way that it all rolled out, the disappointment for some people, the controversy, the P word, all those things, it definitely took the edge off a job that I loved.

“And I did love that role as head of motorsport. It was a good role and I thought I was doing a decent job. I did enjoy it, but I wasn’t enjoying the job towards the end just because of all the politics, all the backstabbing going on, all the underhand stuff going on in the background, I didn’t think was conducted very well by certain teams and team owners.

“There was probably a more constructive way of dealing with everybody. There were probably a lot of things we should have done better at Supercars in terms of communication, especially keeping the public informed about what was going on.

But those things led making it easier to walk away from that role and come back into team land.

“I’ve had some more time in the garden just

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to give everyone a cheap laugh,” Burgess jokes. “But I’m a racer. I hated not going to Adelaide. I absolutely hated it. I sat there welded to the TV with my laptop and my iPad and every screen I could get going. I love going racing. It’s what I do. It’s what I’ve always done. I can’t wait to get into it.

I’ve had a few weeks off. I’m happy and I’m energised.

As to the specific claims of taking other teams’ IP to Team 18, Burgess scoffs: “I knew that stuff was going to happen.

Anyone that questions my integrity, I don’t need to talk to, because that’s not how I operate. I’ve changed teams a few times.

Suddenly you don’t go from a team not winning to a winning team just because ATB’s turned up. That’s not how it works.

“The amount of engineers that move around, the amount of drivers that move around, there’s far more knowledge that gets passed around than what I’ve done. Anyone who actually knew my role within Supercars

knew I wasn’t the one looking at the data.

I wasn’t the one crawling under cars every day, every week. That’s people like Campbell and Craig – that was their role.

“I don’t have all the data, I don’t have the setup sheets. My job was the politics, unfortunately, and the policemen walking up and down delivering the bad news or good news to people. I’m more than comfortable with how I’ve operated.

“We’ve just stuck a sizeable amount more downforce on the car than what we had last year. That’s going to change things and there’ll be more things that will change and evolve from the car that will make last year’s data irrelevant anyway.

“That stuff was always going to happen; that’s just how it is. But I had a contract with Supercars. I honoured my contract. I resigned on the 1st of November knowing that I had three months to do. It’s easy for people to say I should be doing six months.

Well, I did what was legally allowed.

“I’m still here because I enjoy it. I’m a racer. This is season number 38 I think, and I’ve won in every championship I’ve ever operated in. And I want to do that again here.

I’ve won four championships and I want a fifth and I’d love to do it with Charlie.”

For the full story, go to pages 34-37.

In ‘Breaking news’ it has been confirmed that Dr Geoff Slater has also joined the team – this further ups the firepower in the engineering department of Team 18.

MATT CAMPBELL TALKS DAYTONA THE INSIDE STORY OF HIS BIGGEST WIN SO FAR ...

By Paul Gover MATT CAMPBELL has just bagged his first big win of season 2024 and now he’s headed home for the Bathurst 12-Hour.

Victory in the Daytona 24-Hour is the biggest yet for the 29-year-old Queenslander, who is now firmly entrenched at the top level of Porsche Motorsport.

The big challenge for the year is the Le Mans 24, where Porsche was outgunned in 2023 by Ferrari, but Campbell is taking time to enjoy the Daytona success.

“Once it all sunk in and hit me on the Tuesday ... it’s really different winning overall.

And especially how the race went. We really took it to the Cadillacs and ran up the front,” Campbell told Auto Action.

He did plenty of heavy lifting at the American sports car classic, driving around one-third of the race despite the PorschePenske team having four drivers – Campbell, Felipe Nasr, Dane Cameron and last year’s Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden – to share the Porsche 963.

It was a landmark win for Porsche as it renews its drive for Le Mans sports success with the 963 and also the first Daytona victory for Roger Penske – who was on the victory podium – in 55 years.

It was Nasr who qualified the car but Campbell who got the tough task of taking their Porsche through the twilight.

“My first stint was the transition into the night,” he said.

“I did three double stints before the morning. And for the last eight hours of the race it was me and Felipe back-to-back. We did around eight hours each.

“There were quite a few good battles.

Especially in the night time and early hours of the morning.

“When I took the lead in my first stint, I had to overtake a few cars. And it was ebbing and flowing. We were always able to come back to the front.

“I think we had the best speed of anyone in the night time. The Cadillacs were much the same in the daytime when it was hotter.”

Despite the darkness, and a field with wildly differing speeds, Campbell said the race is not as tough at the French classic in June.

“There is quite a lot of lighting around Daytona. For a 24-hour race it’s actually one of the easiest for the light conditions.

Especially compared to Le Mans.

“Daytona, overall, as a 24-hour endurance race, is one of the easiest ones physically. It’s never too warm and you get lots of rest on the banking.

“Don’t get me wrong, it is tough, but compared to some other 24s, it’s better.”

The toughest thing for Campbell in 2024 was standing in the pits as Nasr battled through the final hour to victory.

“For sure, watching was the nervous part,” he said.

“It was hard to watch. I didn’t want to go back to the truck after my last stint.

“He (Nasr) did a fantastic job. Made no mistakes. The team did a phenomenal job on strategy. It was a full-on race toward the end.

“He just needed to stay in front and he was able to do that.”

It was Campbell’s second big 24-hour win with Porsche, after GTE-AM success at Le Mans in 2018, and he also won the Sebring 12-Hour in 2019.

He has been part of the 963 program since

the start, racing a full season with IMSA in the USA last year, and said there are significant updates for his 2024 campaign in the World Endurance Championship and Le Mans.

“The car certainly, compared to last time at Daytona, it’s very very different. There has been lot of development before the season.

“Up to Daytona last year we were focussed on durability. The performance was a lot better but not a huge difference to the end of last year.

“Systems and software. Nothing majorly different, it was just a lot nicer compared to last year.”

He said he now has more confidence heading into the WEC competition, where he is – for the first time – one of the elite driver group for Porsche.

“It sets the season in motion. It makes me more excited to go to Le Mans. It’s obviously my first time to be racing for the overall win, so I’m excited for that.

The car is now proven over 24 hours and it was its first big win. Porsche and Penske are now putting a lot of pressure on for Le Mans and we’re expected to perform.

“We drivers know the job we need to do.

But it’s everyone in the team, mechanics, engineers, strategists ...

“This year will be a different story to last year. There were a lot of concerns about reliability and we struggled for speed.”

As Campbell spoke to Auto Action he was in Barcelona in Spain for a major WEC test, before heading to Australia for the 12-hour at Bathurst with Manthey racing in a 911 GT3R. “The team is putting a lot of effort into it.

We were second last year and we’re coming back with our new car,” he said.

“That’s really exciting. I think it will really suit Bathurst as well.

“We’ve got the car and crew to do it. I think we can be in contention, no doubt about it.”

Campbell is also enthused about taking the lead-driver role at Mount Panorama, expecting to qualify and finish in the speedy Manthey car.

“I’m pretty sure I’ll qualify the car. I think I’ve finished the race every year I’ve done it.”

Then he is will be off on his globe-trotting adventure, as the WEC kicks off in Qatar at the end of February.

Headed for a famous win – the Penske Porsche 963. Above: the driver line up of Matt Campbell, Felip Nasr, Dane Cameron, Josef Newgarden took the Rolex Watches...

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STOP / GO Super2 – massive points advantage ...

HARROP RECIEVES SPECIAL HONOUR FORMER RACER and longtime engineer Ron Harrop has been honoured with the 2024 Performance Automotive Industry “Australian of the Year” award.

Harrop started his motorsport journey in 1968 and went onto race with success in drag racing in a FJ fondly known as ‘Harrop’s Howler’ while he took part in a number of Great Races, including in 1977 when he finished fifth for HDT with Charlie O’Brien, and also raced in Sports Sedans.

He then focussed on engineering before becoming a big part of HRT, beginning the team’s journey to a championship-winning powerhouse. His Harrop Engineering business became a go-to for many in the motorsport industry, even fulfilling last minute jobs for McLaren during the Australian Grand Prix.

NO TRACK ACCESS FOR AGP FANS FANS WILL not be allowed onto the Albert Park Street Circuit at any point during the 2024 Australian Grand Prix in March.

The Australian Grand Prix Corporation made the decision after fans invaded the track before the race ended last year, whilst a similar incident happened during the cool down lap in 2017. “The Australian Grand Prix Corporation advises that given the ongoing FIA investigation into the early track breach at the conclusion of the 2023 event, there will be no track access for patrons following the FORMULA 1 ROLEX AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2024,” read the statement. “Decisions regarding patron access to the track at the conclusion of future races will be made at a later date.”

MA ANNOUNCES SUPERCAR LICENCE CHANGES MOTORSPORT AUSTRALIA and Supercars have announced the ending of the controversial ‘Super2 Compulsion’ requirement for driver qualification and the introduction of a revised points qualifying process for a Supercars Superlicence.

The change was first reported as being close to fruition by Auto Action last month, and follows extensive criticism of the Super2 compulsion, in place for the past two years.

While taking away the significant barrier created by that compulsion, early reaction to the revised points table hasn’t been exactly positive – with critics suggesting that a significant slanting of points benefit towards Super2, ands more so Super3, along with a downgrading of several ‘pathway’ categories points, creates more or less the same negatives for those categories – notably ARGpromoted ones such as Trans Am, TCR and S5000.

Points can be accrued over five years.

Motorsport Australia CEO Sunil Vohra described the change as “an important step in strengthening national level motorsport.

“This is an important change and one that we think benefits the sport across the country,” Vohra said.

“It was clear the previous structure was no longer working as intended and there was a need for change. Working in close partnership with Supercars, the team at Motorsport Australia has built a new licence structure to give drivers more options and potential pathways to earn points.

“It’s important Super2 and Super3 remain the primary pathway to develop

CATEGORY Super 2 Super 3 Porsche Carrera Cup TCR Australia Series Porsche Sprint Challenge Series GT Championship Trans Am Series (ARG) Formula 4 Championship Toyota Racing Series (NZ) S5000 Championship GT4 Series Toyota 86 Racing Series National Formula Ford Series Super Ute Series NZ Toyota 86 Series NZ Formula Ford Championship State Formula Ford Championship Production Car Series Touring Car Masters Aussie Racing Car Series Radical Cup Prototyp e Series Sports Sedan Series Karting Championship (KZ2, KA1)

SUPERLICENCE POINTS 1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th 9th

10th

15 12 12 10 10 8 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 3

15 12 12 8 8 6 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2

15 12 12 6 6 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

15 12 10 4 4 3 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

15 10 8 3 3 2 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

15 8 6 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

10 6 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

7 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

5 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

To qualify for a Motorsport Australia Superlicence endorsement each driver must: • hold a minimum of an FIA International Grade C Circuit Licence; and • be a minimum of 17 years of age; and • subject to items (d) and (e) below, have accumulated a minimum of 15 points under either the FIA (refer Appendix L to the Code) or Motorsport Australia Superlicence points system during the 5 years prior to the application

the next generation of stars, but now this is not the only way.”

Supercars CEO Shane Howard was “pleased” the Dunlop Series is “still a key component.”

“We support Motorsport Australia’s decision to prioritise the growth and development of young talents within the motorsport community,” he said.

“It is essential for the future of our sport that we provide a clear and accessible pathway for emerging drivers to make their mark on the Repco Supercars Championship.

“It’s pleasing to see that the Dunlop

Super2 and Dunlop Super3 Series will continue to be key components of the pathway.

“These series have proven to be instrumental in shaping the careers of many drivers who now compete at the highest level in Australasia.

“22 out of the current 24 Championship drivers honed their skills and talents through these series.

“This reaffirms our belief in the importance of a structured pathway that prepares drivers for the Repco Supercars Championship.”

Thomas Miles

ROGERS: CHANGES MAKE LITTLE DIFFERENCE

SHAHIN TO STEP UP TO WEC AUSTRALIAN GT racer Yasser Shahin has a big 2024 in store as he will take on the FIA World Endurance Championship for the first time. The two-time GT World Challenge Australia champion will be racing one of the two Manthey EMA Porsche 911 GT3 Rs in the new for 2024 LMGT3 class. Shahin will team up with rising star Morris Schrung and the experienced Richard Lietz in the #91. “I’m looking forward to contesting a WEC season,” Shahin said. “I’ve always enjoyed the endurance format and believe it offers the greatest challenge and opportunity for a driver.”

10 I www.autoaction.com.au

ARG’S BARRY Rogers, while welcoming the ending of the contentious ‘Super2 Compulsion’ requirement for drivers entering Supercars, believes that the revised licensing points allocation falls well short of reasonable fairness – being significantly loaded towards Super2/3, while degrading many other contributing categories.

“It is moving in the right direction – it is no longer a necessary requirement to do Super2 – but I would say the points table needs a fair bit of work.

I do not think it is at all realistic or reasonable.

“There has been a lot going into it over the last few years to get the licensing requirement out of the Supercars operations manual and get the control back to Motorsport Australia, which is where motorsport licensing should be controlled from, not by a category.

“This is a start. But but unfortunately the filter is still money-based.

“Those who have the money (for Super2) almost automatically get a licence while those who don’t are really going to battle over multiple seasons in other categories.

“Ultimately, as an obvious example, I cannot believe that under this new system, double S5000 Gold Star champion Joey Mawson still does not qualify for a Superlicence. He’d have to do three years in S5000, winning just about everything, whereas you’re half-way there with sixth place in Super3 in one season …

“If that is where the points system is, then S5000, with just six points to win the championship, is done. SuperUtes gets six points – I don’t know how you can compare S5000 to SuperUtes …

“The suggestion has been put forward that it is because of the recent low grid numbers in S5000 – but I would say the low grids are a direct result of it having been excluded for two years, and not Image: RACE PROJECT

being directed towards the pinnacle of the sport”– which is Supercars “But if they are ranking points on low grid numbers, then how does Super3 get 12 points? – Super3 had six or less cars racing for most of last season! It’s farcical …

“We will consider the position over the next few weeks and whether or not anything can be done.”

Thomas Miles

MORE TOP 10 SHOOTOUTS FOR 2024 DESPITE LESS races being held in 2024, more racing kilometres and Top 10 Shootouts will be seen across the Supercars season.

Despite only 12 rounds and 24 races being held in 2024, more racing km (5,471) will be staged than last year when 5,360km was spread across 28 races.

This is mainly due to the Taupo and Sydney rounds hosting extended backto-back 200km races and the Sprint round races also being extended by around 30km.

There is also much more racing at Albert Park with a pair of 105km and 80km races taking place, well up from last year when just one race was held over 100km.

The fan favourite Bathurst 1000, Adelaide 500, Townsville 500, Sandown 500 and Gold Coast 500 events will continue with the same formats.

There will also be more Top 10 Shootouts seen throughout the year with the one-lap dash added to all races at the Taupo and Darwin rounds, propping up the title up to 16 from 11.

The other sprint events will have the usual single session to decide the grid.

The Virtual Safety Car will make its racing debut at the Bathurst 500 as an addition to the Safety Car Procedure.

In a similar style to Formula 1, when the Race Director declares it, full yellow flags will be waved and FCY boards will be shown around the track as drivers would have 15s to slow down to the 80km/h speed limit.

Much like usual Safety Car periods,

the pit lane will remain open, opening up more possibilities such as when Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari utilised it to jump Lewis Hamilton and win the 2018 Australian Grand Prix.

When the FCY concludes, drivers will return to top speed following a 15s countdown and green flags appear.

Supercars has also made the call that primary drivers now must start all endurance races (instead of the codrivers) at Sandown and Bathurst.

Thomas Miles 2024 SUPERCARS RACE LENGTHS RACE 1: Bathurst 250km/40 laps RACE 2: Bathurst 250km/40 laps RACE 3: Albert Park 105km/20 laps RACE 4: Albert Park 105km/20 laps RACE 5: Albert Park 80km/15 laps RACE 6: Albert Park 80km/15 laps RACE 7: Taupo 200km/63 laps RACE 8: Taupo 200km/63 laps RACE 9: Wanneroo 133km/55 laps RACE 10: Wanneroo 133km/55 laps RACE 11: Hidden Valley 137km/47 laps RACE 12: Hidden Valley 137km/47 laps RACE 13: Townsville 250km/88 laps RACE 14: Townsville 250km/88 laps RACE 15: SMP 200km/51 laps RACE 16: SMP 200km/51 laps RACE 17: Symmons Plains 132km/55 laps RACE 18: Symmons Plains 132km/55 laps RACE 19: Sandown 500km/161 laps RACE 20: Bathurst 1000km/161 laps RACE 21: Gold Coast 250km/85 laps RACE 22: Gold Coast 250km/85 laps RACE 23: Adelaide 250km/78 laps RACE 24: Adelaide 250km/78 laps

Only primary drivers will be behind the wheel when the lights go out at the Sandown 500.

Image: PETER NORTON - EPIC SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY

Kai Allen will enjoy the opportunity to drive the famous #17 for DJR at Sandown and Bathurst.

DJR PROMOTES ALLEN TO FAMOUS #17 RISING STAR Kai Allen will get a coveted co-drive in the famous Dick Johnson Racing #17 with Will Davison at the 2024 enduros.

Having won the 2023 Super2 title and impressed in the #98 DJR Wildcard at Bathurst last year, teenager Allen has been promoted to the top team.

He will share the iconic #17 alongside Will Davison for the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000 enduros, while Tony D’Alberto will continue to partner Anton De Pasquale.

The Eggleston Motorsport driver continues his rise as he replaces Alex Davison.

The Davison brothers had shared the #17 for three seasons in a row and achieved a best result of seventh together at the 2023 Sandown 500.

They also scored one top 10 from their three Great Races in DJR colours in 2021.

But now DJR has turned to the future, with Allen stepping up. The Blue Lake boy became the youngest Super2 champion ever on debut last year with wins at Townsville and Bathurst.

He also impressed driving the #98 DJR wildcard and qualified the car which ended up taking the chequered flag 20th alongside the more experienced Simona de Silvestro.

Allen will race with the #1 defending his Super2 crown with Eggleston Motorsport in 2024 ahead of driving the iconic #17 DJR Ford that has won the Great Race four times.

DJR CEO David Noble can’t wait to see how the youngster performs in the big seat after describing his DJR debut as a “pro” like performance.

“We are delighted to have Tony and Kai

join us for the 2024 season,” Noble said.

“Bringing Kai into the fold with Will combines youthful enthusiasm with veteran knowledge and experience.

“I have no doubt that these two will work together to become a force on the track.”

D’Alberto’s extension will see him be a DJR co-driver for a ninth straight year with the partnership starting all the way back in 2016.

For the first four years he was paired with Fabian Coulthard and the pair immediately performed by getting a podium finish in the wet 2017 race.

Since the arrival of de Pasquale, the pair bounced back from a DNF in their first race together in 2021 with a seventh and third since.

The podium last year was particularly impressive having started fifth, stayed out of trouble and ended up with a trophy being easily the top Mustang.

With this kind of form Noble said continuing the union between de Pasquale and D’Alberto made perfect sense.

“Tony has been a part of the Shell V-Power Racing Team family for nine years now,” Noble said.

“He and Anton are a great pairing who work exceptionally well together, their podium finish at Bathurst last year reflects that.

“Their proven track record and commitment to excellence align seamlessly with our team’s values.

“As a team, we’re really excited to see what both of these pairings will achieve together in the 2024 season.”

Thomas Miles

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TICKFORD’S NEW BOSS

TICKFORD RACING has named the man who will take over from Tim Edwards and lead the team into a new era in 2024.

Simon Brookhouse has been revealed as the new CEO of the famous Ford squad, which hopes to chase a second Supercars championship and will begin his tenure on Monday, February 19.

Brookhouse takes over from long time leader Edwards, who headed the team from the Ford Performance Racing days in 2005 all the way through until 2023.

It will be a strange sight seeing Edwards in a Supercars vest and not in the Tickford garage this year, but in his place is a man with a wide range of sporting experience. Brookhouse comes to Tickford fresh from the basketball world having brought the Tasmania JackJumpers into fruition.

Brookhouse also spent a long stint as Chairman of the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) from 2007-2018, while more recently being the CEO of Golf Victoria.

He is honoured to lead one of the biggest Supercars teams.

“I’m very excited about the opportunity to join the highly credentialed Tickford Racing Team; they’re synonymous with success,” Brookhouse said.

Tickford has followed the lead of Dick Johnson Racing which has recently tapped into other sports with owner Brett Ralph, who has a baseball background with the Melbourne Aces and CEO David Noble, who arrived at the team after a coaching stint with North Melbourne.

As Tickford scales down to two cars in 2024, the team hopes Brookhouse’s knowledge from multiple corners of the sporting universe can give it an extra edge.

“To find a candidate with Simon’s history is a win for our team,” Tickford Managing Director Rod Nash added.

“He has a strong understanding of professional sport, is proven as an effective leader that can motivate and deliver clear communication, and has established relationships that have helped grow commercial revenue and ultimately a winning culture.

“Simon’s experience as a commercial orientated CEO will lead the team well in all aspects of our racing and business operating culture in order to continue to succeed.” Thomas Miles

The iconic yellow and blue Torana of Ryan Hansford and Multispares Racing will be back in 2024 and they are aiming big.

Image: RACE PROJECT

MULTISPARES RACING WANTS ITS TITLE BACK RYAN HANSFORD and Multispares Racing have recommitted to Touring Car Masters in 2024 and are determined to get their hands back on the TCM crown.

After going all the way to the top in 2022, Hansford’s title defence fell just short in 2023, finishing second best to Steven Johnson.

Eager to reclaim the TCM title, Hansford will continue racing the championship winning yellow and blue Multispares Holden Torana.

“That is definitely the intention, to try and win the championship,” Hansford told Auto Action.

“The car is brilliant. We want to try to get all the little things and the one percenters right and be really competitive.”

As TCM heads into a new era with increased Supercars presence,

Multispares Racing has also stepped up its commitment by becoming owners of Hansford’s Torana.

Hansford is already attached to the car after winning the 2022 TCM title with it and confirmed the team’s purchase.

“We are committed to Touring Car Masters and really believe in the category so much that we have decided to buy the car from Rod Dawson,” he said.

“We want to see the category keep going and build. We also enjoy racing, and I enjoy racing those cars and the people we race against.

“They are serious things to drive as well. With high horsepower, little tyres and not much in the way of brakes, you know you are alive when driving them.

“I think crowds love it as well and our sponsors want to be part of TCM going forward. I’ve got a good sponsor

in Multispares, and they’re committed behind us as well.”

Multispares Racing team owner Brett Peters said the recent changes to the championship was a big reason behind owning the Torana.

“I think getting back onto the Supercars program has been an important part of the decision,” he said.

“When we started racing in TCM, the category was mostly on with the Supercars program and it worked really well for us as a team, for Ryan as a driver and for our corporate partners.

“We are looking forward to Bathurst and the whole season under the new management. It’s been a positive move and I know lots of other people are looking at what is happening and hopefully we will see some fresh new faces get involved in TCM.” Bruce Williams/Thomas Miles

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HAMLIN WINS CLASH AT THE COLISEUM AN OPPORTUNISTIC restart has allowed Denny Hamlin to claim the early NASCAR bragging rights of 2024 by winning the Clash at The Coliseum.

The pre-season NASCAR Cup Series exhibition race was held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum a day earlier than expected due to weather and Hamlin made the most of it.

The #11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver sat third when racing resumed on lap 141 of 150 behind Joey Logano and Ty Gibbs.

But a grand run off Turn 2 allowed Hamlin to power beneath both the leaders and wrestle critical track position at the mini oval.

Despite locking up at almost every corner for the remainder of the race and a two-lap shootout, Hamlin flew home to beat Kyle Busch by 0.610s.

“I got a really good run off Turn 2 and just got position and was able to hang on from there,” Hamlin said of his race-winning restart on Lap 141.

“It’s so chaotic on the restarts, with everyone bumping and banging, but it’s great to win here in LA.” Hamlin and Logano started on the front row and the #11 led until lap 49 when Ty Gibbs became a factor.

Lapped traffic held up Hamlin and Gibbs seized his opportunity and within 20 laps the #11 slid all the way down to seventh.

A chain of cautions then followed as the midpoint of the race was frequently interrupted due to a series of spins.

Once a long period of green flag racing finally arrived, Gibbs was able to build more than a second lead over Logano and with just 12 laps to go he appeared destined for victory.

AU

Denny Hamlin celebrates conquering the Coliseum.

Image: MOTORSPORT IMAGES

But then the yellows arrived when Michael McDowell was spun backwards into the fence after a battle with Ross Chastain.

Racing had resumed with nine to go when Hamlin made his race winning move.

Gibbs and Logano went side-by-side into Turn 1 at the restart but were checked up on corner exit and with Hamlin behind in third, he was in the perfect place to pounce.

By the end of the lap Hamlin had hit the lead after

beating Gibbs on the inside while Logano was out of the picture down in sixth.

With the #11 locking up Gibbs was not out of it completely, but with three laps to go he got muscled out high before getting spun by Kyle Larson.

This set up a two-lap sprint and Hamlin charged to victory as Busch beat Ryan Blaney for second.

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series begins with the 66th Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 18.

Thomas Miles

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OLIPHANT JOINS TCR CHAMPIONS BRIT TOM Oliphant is targeting the title after signing with reigning TCR Australia champions HMO Customer Racing.

After driving a Lynk & Co for Ashley Seward Motorsport last year, collecting one win at Winton, the former BTCC driver will race a Hyundai.

The 33-year-old will join defending champion Josh Buchan and targets more silverware in 2024.

“I gained lots of experience and made big steps forward in my debut season and I feel HMO will provide a great environment for me to progress further,” Oliphant said.

“I’ve already tested the car, so I’m confident we can push for some strong results.”

TOYOTA 86 CHAMP GETS TOP TCR DRIVE GARRY ROGERS Motorsport has secured reigning Toyota 86 Series champion Ryan Casha, who will begin a new chapter in 2024 in TCR, while Aaron Cameron is staying on to chase a championship.

Casha will join regular Cameron in GRM colours in the 2024 Supercheap Auto TCR Australia season where they will both steer a Peugeot 308 and chase a title.

The 19-year-old is on a high after taking out the 2023 Toyota 86 Series crown, while he also finished second in the A2 class at the Bathurst 6 Hour and has a number of Hyundai Excel wins since ditching rugby to go racing.

After being welcomed at GRM’s Combine, Casha is excited to begin his TCR journey in 2024 driving the #79 GRM Peugeot.

“I’m stoked to be joining the GRM family alongside a well-established

teammate in Aaron Cameron,” he said.

“I have an expansive wealth of knowledge at my disposal in Aaron and the team, which I’m sure will prove highly beneficial as we progress throughout the season.

“These cars are a significant contrast to the Toyota 86 from last year.

However, after spending a couple of days with the team I’m feeling comfortable and super confident that we will be competitive this year.

“Personally, I have high expectations moving into this year, but strong and consistent finishes are my main goal.

“Everyone at GRM has been extremely welcoming and I’m excited to get under way in a couple of weeks.”

The confirmation of Cameron is also big news for GRM as he suits up for a fifth TCR Australia campaign.

Ever since making his debut in 2019, the driver from Ferntree Gully has

been one of the category’s stars.

He has finished in the top four of the championship in three of his four seasons and has collected seven wins.

Despite making a solid Super2 debut last year, Cameron staying in TCR is a big tick for both GRM and the category and he is determined to chase an elusive title.

“It’s great to be back with GRM and Valvoline for another season, we were right in the fight for the championship until the last race of the season in 2023,” said Cameron.

“We have a very good understanding of the current car with the team and I will be aiming high for the 2024 series in what looks like a very competitive field.”

Thomas Miles

BARGWANNA BACK FOR MORE AFTER A big 2023, Ben Bargwanna is ready for another busy year having committed to another full TCR Australia campaign with GRM. Bargwanna will stand out in a Hangcha Peugeot 308 in his fourth season in the category fresh from a careerbest season.

Despite committing to a full campaign down under, he has not ruled out the possibility of racing overseas after participating in three global TCR World Tour rounds last year.

“It’s going to be a big year,” said Bargwanna.

“At the moment we’re focused on Australia, but if we can make some things happen overseas it’d be awesome and we’ll be pushing hard to get those opportunities.”

BARBOUR EMBRACING CONTINUITY

AFTER A top five finish in 2023, Elliott Barbour is bracing himself for a third Trans Am campaign in 2024.

Barbour will continue racing with the same team and car this year having impressed in his first full season last year with three podiums.

In 2024 he is hungry to be a contender, chasing a maiden win.

“We want to be competing for wins and be competitive everywhere we go, and put together a strong and consistent year,” said Barbour.

“Last year we had a few podiums and second places, so getting a win is one of the items we’re really looking to tick off in 2024.”

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WHY THE NEW PEUGEOT TCR CARS ARE NOT AT SANDOWN GARRY ROGERS Motorsport has pinpointed Round 4 of the 2024 Supercheap Auto TCR Australia season as the debut of the new generation Peugeot 308 TCR. Last year GRM was announced as the exclusive designer, builder and distributor of the new generation 308 in a big boost for the famous squad from Dandenong.

The initial hopes were to roll out the fleet of new cars at the 2024 season opener this weekend but, due to part delays, this will not be possible.

GRM director Barry Rogers revealed the goal posts have now shifted for the long awaited debut to be at The Bend Motorsport Park on May 31June 2.

“The initial aim at the start of the project last year was to have the cars ready for round 1 but that is not going to happen,” Rogers told Auto Action.

“A lot of it has to do with supply of parts and things from around the world but they are going along well – we are flat out.

“We have a couple of complete

chassis sitting in our shop and we will start putting our first car together soon.

“The aim is to launch four cars after Round 3.”

Rogers said the GRM workshop has taken great pride in being the supplier for the famous French lion.

“These projects are very important to our staff because it motivates them and allows them to show their skills to the Image: RACE PROJECT world,” he said.

“Its important to us to build a car to be very competitive.

“The aim is to sell cars around the world and the viability of that is based on their competitiveness and I am confident the guys will do a good job.

“Come the two world rounds at the end of the year it will be important for us to display what these cars are capable of.”

Thomas Miles

DRIVERS FLOOD TO TRANS AM THE COMPETITIVENESS of Trans Am will step up in 2024 with a number of highprofile drivers flooding to the category amid an influx ahead of the season opener.

Drivers from both Supercars and Super2 have all signed deals to race either most of or the entire 2024 season.

In a special feature (see pages 16-17) Erebus Motorsport’s Todd Hazelwood reveals he has locked in a drive TFH Hire, having tested for the team recently.

But he will not be the only Supercars stars looking into Trans Am with PremiAir pair Tim Slade and James Golding coming on board.

Whilst the exact program is currently unclear, Slade and Golding will race #24 and #31 Mustangs respectively for “the bulk of the season at least” including the Sandown opener a spokesperson confirmed.

Both drivers will race for Garry Rogers Motorsport, which will have a formidable combination alongside reigning champion James Moffat.

Golding has never raced Trans Am but tested last Friday and has lots of experience with GRM including two Supercars and S5000 seasons.

Meanwhile, Slade has had a taste of Trans Am, driving the Symmons Plains season opener for Racing Academy last year.

The PremiAir pair have both stressed the

need to stay racing fit behind their GRM drives.

“GRM are the ones who really kick started my career, so it’s always awesome to be working with them,” Golding said.

“The main thing is just more racing, more laps – you have to race as many things as you can to stay sharp.

“There are no other categories that offer a similar opportunity to go racing in such a competitive environment, and the chance to continue developing my driving.”

“My main job is only 12 races across the year, so I’m ready to jump at any opportunity to get behind the wheel,” said Slade. “The cars are quite different to most other things, mainly due to the tyre they run on (Hoosier). So naturally you learn a lot, and having some experienced guys in the field is going to be a good yardstick for them.”

A couple of regular Super2 drivers are also turning to Trans Am to enhance their reputations.

2

WHEN COMPROMISE ISN’T AN OPTION

Tim Slade is adding Trans Am to his 2024 commitments.

Jordan Boys has many Supercars, Super2 and S5000 (pictured above left) starts under hist belt, but in 2024 he will make his Trans Am debut with Racing Academy.

“I’m excited to go racing for the start of the National Trans Am Series with The Racing Academy,” said Boys.

“I’ve been watching the category for a while and wanting to go racing in these cars for a few years, so I can’t wait to get amongst it as a driver.”

One man who has dominated the category when making one-off

1

BE RYCO READY

appearances in the past is Nash Morris, who will eye a championship in 2024 when he completes the full season.

After a debut in 2021 and a full season in 2022 finishing 17th, Morris found top gear last year, taking eight podiums and two further wins in just 13 races.

“You obviously hope to go out and be at the front, but you can’t expect that,” said Morris, who will race for his family team.

“We’re going out and we’ll do the best job we can, have some fun, race some cool cars, and hope for the best.”

Thomas Miles

3

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HAZELWOOD THE JOURNEYMAN with the constant smile has a real reason to be beaming with the news he will take over the Erebus Camaro which Brodie Kostecki was due to race in 2024. It’s a short time to get ready as he will starting at the Bathurst 500 in a couple of weeks. With the news still fresh, he sat down with Auto Action’s BRUCE WILLIAMS and gave an insight into to what he plans to do to prove he is worthy of a full time Supercars gig.

JUST WHEN Todd Hazelwood thought he had the 2024 season planned, with Trans Am and an endurance co-drive at Erebus Motorsport, the opportunity of a lifetime landed in his lap. The likeable South Australian will sub for 2024 Supercars Champion Brodie Kostecki at Erebus, likely for as long of Kostecki takes time out of the seat.

The 2017 Super2 champion has struggled to get a foothold in a leading team since elevating to the main game, rolling his best options at Matt Stone Racing, Brad Jones Racing and Blanchard Racing Team since that Super2 Championship win, and hasn’t yet made a significant mark on the sport. In 187 races he

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has one pole position and a best result of third at Sydney Motorsport Park in the COVID year of 2020.

Now, that has to change.

Hazelwood is aware that Kostecki hadn’t won a race until last season, but went on to win the title. And that Broc Feeney was able to win in his rookie season and go on to be a contender.

The different between them and him was the team, but now he is in the #99 car that, while not the same chassis, is the championship-

winning car from last year, and that he will start the year from the final garage in pitlane thanks to Erebus’ win in the teams’ title.

Hazelwood was expected to be announced as the co-driver for new recruit Jack Le Brocq last week, but instead it was revealed that he will step up in the main game, at least in the short term.

“For me to finally get the news out there that I’m joining with Erebus for this season is great, it was always part of the plan and we’ve

been working on that behind the scenes for a few months now. I get along with Jack really well and it made sense,” he said of co-driving with Jack Le Brocq at Sandown and Bathurst, before pivoting to the change.

“Obviously, now, to fill in for Brodie is a huge opportunity for me from a personal point of view, but I’m mindful that I’m here to do the best job for the team moving forward. It’s exciting to be part of a race-winning package.

They’ve obviously showed some huge dominance in the series last year.

“Filling in for Brody for Round 1, I want to obviously do the best job that I can because I want to get results. I’m still hungry to achieve the things I want to achieve in the sport. Any opportunity where you can get your backside in the seat of a race car, you want to do the best job possible.

“I’m hungry to get the most out of it.”

He has now run his first test day with the team after a shakedown of the new #99 chassis for 2024 on Tuesday after a whirlwind fortnight in which issues with Kostecki and season 2024 started to emerge.

“In some ways, although it is a bit of a last-

NEWS EXTRA in a Camaro and understanding what those differences are like.

“I’m still as fit as I’ve ever been and the mind is still hungry to succeed and it’s a big mentality shift where you go from the last couple of years in the industry. For me, I probably haven’t had all the tools and equipment to be competitive at the front, for good bad and different reasons, but now to obviously step into a role where I’ve got all the tools and ingredients to get success is a very exciting prospect.

“Just because I’m only filling in for Brodie for Round 1 doesn’t mean that I won’t be giving it everything that I got to get the Coca-Cola Camaro to the front.”

At the moment, Erebus has only confirmed Hazelwood for the first round, as discussion continues with its star driver from 2023, but the

“ ”

Things happen quickly sometimes ... Hazelwood (left and below left) getting into the swings of things at Erebus, with team-mate Jack Le Brocq. Above right: 2017 was a mixed year – including the big Sandiown shunt – which came after a dominant Super 2 series win (below right).

Images: MARK HORSBURGH/BRUCE WILLIAMS

Up until last week, his plans centred around Trans Am and the endurance races with Le Brocq. Effectively now, he just adds the other Supercars rounds to what will be a packed season.

“I’ve been working behind the scenes on putting a Trans Am program together with the guys at TFH Hire. They’re a new team to the sport, in particular circuit racing. Brett Thomas, the CEO from TFH had very spectacular career in speedway; he’s got a new burning desire to have his sons – Josh and Diesel – involved in motorsport as well, and I was approached by them to try and help them along the journey.

“It’s been a little pet project of mine behind the scenes, trying to ultimately help the family where possible to try and bring their sons up for racing, which is a cool and exciting

I guess one part of me feels that things have changed very quickly from where I was sitting ...

reality is that it could be for all 12 rounds. It has been a quick reset.

“I think the whole motivation for me to step away from full-time Supercars racing and align myself with a team at front of the field was a big driver for me to be a co-driver in the first place. I didn’t want to settle for a second-fiddle team and put myself through some pain.

“Now, I’d rather walk into a team that’s ready to win regularly and has got that burning desire to win as well. That’s something that I felt that I haven’t been able to surround myself with in the last few years of my sport. I’m sick of just turning up and being a number; I want to go out and perform. That’s why I wanted to align with Erebus in the first place from a codriver point of view.

“Filling in for Brodie ... that’s a cherry on top of a cake from a selfish point of view. It’s a great opportunity, but I guess, we’ll see what happens.”

challenge for me because I guess it’s sort of taking two steps back from where I was probably 10 years ago. I’m still racing in the Trans Am series. I’ve had two opportunities to test drive the car and they’re a lot of fun.

“The car is very cost effective and it is certainly built to a number, but, obviously when you compare a Supercar to a Trans Am car there are a lot of differences. They’re two very different categories in their own right. I think that the racing will be interesting.”

Hazelwood has been no stranger to Dandenong North since the decision was made to drive there. He’s the kind of bloke that immerses himself in a place with his infectious enthusiasm motivating those around him.

Even in last year’s tough season with Cool Drive Racing, he kept his head high and charged headlong at every opportunity thrown at him. After a season with little joy, 2024 was about rediscovering his love.

“I don’t really have any issue jumping in any race car. I feel like I’ve got the confidence and the ability and experience on my side to be able to jump into any team in any car and do a good job. I can put my own mind at ease with that.

“I just want to gel with the team. I’ve only been in the workshop now for a day and a half,” he said last week, “so I’m still trying to make sure I learn all the names and feel comfortable with the guys that I’m working with. They’ve surrounded me with open arms and have been really welcoming as well.

“No doubt by the time I get to Bathurst I’ll be feeling more comfortable with the team and their setup philosophy. The aim for me at the test day is to make sure I’m comfortable with the car and create a bit of a toolbox of what I’m working with, to give myself the best chance of having a good weekend.

“There’s always pressure to perform – it doesn’t matter what team you’re in. And as a driver, you always put that expectation on yourself to always win, no matter where you are up and down the grid.

“I’ll be focusing on me, just trying to get in the zone, do the job – I always try to be very structured with how I approach my racing. As long as I feel organised and I’ve given myself the right preparation, really it’s like jumping in any other race car or go-kart, whatever it might be. That’s my approach anyway and what will be will be but ultimately, I’ll try to do the best job I can for the team here at Erebus.”

LANDS ON HIS FEET minute change for me and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it, I still have the right amount of preparation to go into the Bathurst round, filling in for Brodie with some confidence.

“I guess one part of me feels that things have changed very quickly from where I was sitting.

I’ve gone from getting ready to only be racing a Supercar later in the year to that now being only a few weeks away. But the fortunate thing is that I’ve been keeping myself current behind the wheel. I’ve done two test days in a Trans Am car, and the idea was always to be jumping in on the test day with Jack from a co-driver perspective as well.

“It was always planning to be part of the four drivers here at Erebus moving forward. I guess, looking back, although I technically sat on the sidelines as stepping away from the sport full time, it’s only been a matter of months until now I’m stepping back in the car. It is no different to any other off-season.

“I feel fortunate that I’ve still got as much experience as anyone else on the grid as far as last year’s car, being in the Gen3 program and doing all the rounds. That was in a Mustang and now I have the new challenge of being

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2022 Formula Ford contender Jimmy Piszcyk (here leading) has now completed his first season in UK Formula 4 ... Main Image: RICCARDO BENVENUTI. For a long time now, Formula Ford’s packed fields have provided the successful first step into car racing for many Australian champions – including Garth Tander (below) .

FORMULA FORD STILL THE BREAKFAST OF (MOTORSPORT) CHAMPIONS AUSTRALIA’S LONGEST-STANDING AND SUCCESSFUL ITS CHALLENGES OVER RECENT YEARS BUT, AS IN AS THE USA, CANADA, AND NZ – IS SET TO FORGE WHILE LAST week saw the departure of long-standing Formula Ford squad, Team Sonic (see news) in favour of its Porsche-based program, the Formula Ford fraternity doesn’t believe it will have any impact on its 2024 championship series.

Indeed, Sonic – known as the ‘top-end-of-town’ equipe in the series for many years, with a number of championship wins – and reputedly among the highest budgets in the formula – is likely the most-affected by the recent reappearance of Formula 4 on the Australian calendar.

The gap between a top-end Formula Ford budget and the Formula 4 offering is said to be not a lot, with youngsters who might at any other time have turned up at Sonic to chase a Formula Ford title, instead looking to the new-in-town FIAapproved F4 series.

It was, of course, the first Australian attempt at Formula 4, back in 2015, which threatened Formula Ford – indeed its championship status was revoked by Motorsport Australia (CAMS at the time) in order to push youngsters towards the FIA category. In the end it was F4 which struggled and was canned during 2019. In the meantime, Formula Ford thrived, running a low-cost national series (as opposed to a full CAMS championship), and growing in numbers – regaining its championship status in 2019.

‘Pathway’ is very much the buzzword around motorsport

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OPEN-WHEELER ‘PATHWAY’ CATEGORY HAS HAD OTHER FORMULA FORD STRONGHOLDS – SUCH AHEAD STRONGLY INTO 2024.

these days, at least for the aspiring Verstappens or, locally, van Gisbergens. As most recently illustrated by Oscar Piastri and Jack Doohan, the F1 pathway has changed over tiime, with the ability to jump straight from karting to F4 on the international scene. In some ways it’s simpler – straight into a paddle-shift auto-downchange, throttle-blip formula without the need to master the skills of manual racing gearboxes – ‘heel-and-toe’ etc.

However, it’s that skill that has significant relevance to the Australian scene – specifically Supercars, where down-

changing, albeit sequential, is still manual, and a key skill requirement. And Formula Ford, apart from the on-track racecraft education, offers that vital training in a highly competitive open-wheeler situation. (The story goes that well-known Supercars engineer Adam de Borre acquired a Formula Ford for just that purpose – reasoning that the ‘perday’ cost of teaching aspiring drivers the skill in something as economical as a Formula Ford was way more effective than the same in a relatively costly-to-run Super2 car …).

It is unsurprising, then, to recall the list of current and recent Supercars stars who cut their teeth in Formula Ford – it includes Lowndes, Tander, Whincup, Mostert, de Pasquale, Richards (Steven), Randle, Waters, Le Brocq, Percat, Davison, Bright, Reynolds … the list goes on; plus others who have ventured overseas – more recently Hunter McElrea and Thomas Sargent, both now Stateside.

And Garth (Tander), still at his peak in co-driving Bathurst winners, remains a strong advocate for the category that launched his career, up against the similar cost options: “Formula Ford has always been the traditional first serious stop up from karting, if you’re looking to progress in serious motorsport. It teaches you how to race hard but clean, which is really important,” he told AA. “These days, Toyota 86s offer an entry-level option, in Sedan form, but I still think that Formula Ford is the better

EXCLUSIVE

Formula Fords wheel-to-wheel at PI – headed by Conor Summers (71), Fraser Hie (11), and Eddie Beswick (30). Images: FFA

“ ”

option – as I said, it teaches you to race hard but clean. For example, You can’t just ‘shove it in’ in corners, or you’ll bang wheels with other cars, possibly tear a corner off. In a sedan you might get away with some of that, but ultimately, if you’re a 15 year-old wanting to be an F1 star, you need that skill.

“While there are paddle-shift options (ie F4), Formula Ford is a great education in the art of down-shifting and ‘getting into’ corners well.

Compared with other options, in Formula Ford – because of their speed and thus shorter braking distances – there’s more to do in less time, so it’s a great education in that whole process, that benefits you all the way through your career.”

Costs remain significantly achievable – $100,000 seen as a more than reasonable national series budget, though some do invest more, some less, and there are strong Statebased series.

The settled nature and outlook of Formula Ford has has faced a challenge over the past three years, as a Motorsport Australia working group has, to date unsuccessfully, met to examine options for an ‘upgraded’, in safety terms, Formula Ford. There is talk of better side-intrusion structures, better front-end protection – crash-tested FIA-approved carbon fibre nose cones, and the like. And, of course, a halo.

While the US, Canada and NZ, remain content with the general safety and structure of Formula Ford and its safety record – and it’s achievable cost structure – it is Motorsport Australia which has tabled the desire for change. But there are obvious costs – in terms of increased costs, to consider.

Formula Ford has always been the traditional first serious step up from karting, if you’re looking to progress in serious motorsport ...

Any way you look at it, change will add to cost, both of cars and running costs. As an example, the current FFord has a fibreglass nose, but with a deforming impact-reducing panel between it and the main chassis of the car.

Currently, a nose-damaging incident may require relatively cheap fibreglass repairs, whereas any damage to an ‘FIA-approved’ carbon-fibre nose is likely to make it a throwaway.

Is there a need for such significant change to a category which has a pretty good safety record?

While the ‘risk-management’ element of MA will always come down on the Safety side, they’re not the young drivers trying to step up from karting who may be deterred if the cost of entry jumps significantly – which is likely, whatever way you package a new, revised design.

After three years of discussion, some disagreement, and no significant progress, Formula Ford Australia has become aware of the potential for uncertainty that creates around the category and investing in a current car. As such, it is looking to create some certainty, by suggesting that a revised car is still some years away – assuming a suitable design can be finalised and developed in the meantime.

As things stand, after a couple of false starts, responsibility for any chassis design lays with MA; there is no decision on engine or gearbox (although FFA itself has some thoughts re a sequential five-speed which might replace the aged and expensive-to-maintain Hewland fourspeed, maybe on the current cars).

Local manufacturer Spectrum, Michael Borland’s longstanding Formula Ford construction business, remains a key part of the category in Australia. He is cautious about drastic change (and if anyone were to suggest a conflict of interest in the discussion, it’s worth knowing that 47 of the last 50 Formula Ford Spectrums built went overseas – to the US, Canada, and NZ!).

For now, then, there is no prospect of imminent change, and Formula Ford will continue to provide the economic and beneficial route it always had to a career in, especially domestic, motorsport.

Joshua Matthews heads eventual 2023 WA champ Logan Eveleigh.

Image: MICK OLIVER

2023 Australian champion Matt Hillyer. Image: SONIC MOTORSPORT Despite the recent departure of the championship-winning Sonic team, prospects for 2024 are bright.

“We’ve got a number of strong teams running within Formula Ford for the various 2024 series,” Formula Ford Australia coordinator Phil Marinon told AA. “There’s 28 cars entered for the opening Victorian Championship round at Sandown this month, and we’re expecting the normal well-over-20 cars when the national series kicks off at Winton in April. Looking at the teams who are starting pre-series testing, it’ll be a typically tough championship to win.”

The 2024 championship intersects with a number of State championship rounds, and includes an appearance on the Supercar show in Tasmania (Round 4) – Auto Action Staff 2024 AUSTRALIAN FORMULA FORD CHAMPIONSHIP April 26-28 Winton Motor Raceway (VIC May 25-26 Sydney Motorsport Park (NSW) June 14-16 Morgan Park Raceway (QLD) August 16-18 Symmons Plains Raceway (TAS) August 23-26 Sandown Raceway (VIC) Sept 20-22 Phillip Island GP Circuit (VIC)

2023 champion Matt Hillyer (2) heads a nose-to-tail field at Sandown.

Image: SUPPLIED FFA

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SUPERCARS CEO ON KOSTECKI/EREBUS ISSUE

as has secondary backer Shaw and Partners, plus others. The red was replaced with black and white cat Tuesday’s Winton shakedown.

The damaging fallout has not only had a massive impact on Erebus, but also been bad news for both Supercars and the sport as a whole in Australia.

Supercars has come under scrutiny for its handling of the matter and now Howard has come out and penned letter to the motorsport world on the developing situation.

SUPERCARS CEO Shane Howard has penned an open letter on the ongoing Brodie Kostecki and Erebus Motorsport conflict.

The 2024 season has produced one of the biggest news stories in history before it has even begun surrounding the reigning champions.

What is confirmed is that Kostecki will not take part in the 2024 Supercars opener, the Bathurst 500, later this month with Todd Hazelwood substituting in the #1’s absence at Erebus Motorsport.

The details of the controversy are still extremely unclear but it is believed to boil down to what is best described as a ‘workplace issue’ between driver and team.

However, several other parties both within the team and surrounding it are involved creating an even more

complex situation.

Due to the saga being played out in public, it has had a massive impact on Erebus Motorsport just months after it flew to a celebrated maiden championship success on the streets of Adelaide.

Not only is the contracted Kostecki missing Bathurst, but there is a possibility he may not be seen for the entirety of his title defence, while there are suggestions he may also be on the outer with NASCAR Cup Series team Richard Childress Racing.

When cars hit the track at Mount Panorama, Erebus will look completely different having lost many of its biggest sponsors.

Naming rights partner Coca-Cola has departed,

Dear Supercars Co mmunity, I want to address th Kostecki and Ereb e recent developments between us Motorsport tha for the Erebus team t resulted in BrodieBrodie situation has garn at the upcoming Thrifty Bathurst 50not racing ered significant att 0. The feel it’s crucial from en a Supercars persp tion and speculation, and I context. ective to provide cla rity and I’ve personally been in co nfi de nt ial leading into and fol lowing the announdialogue with Brodie both extensive discussion cement s ab ou t the matter over re. I’ve also had Erebus Motorspor cent we t ma Klimenko. There ha nagement, including Barry Ryaneks with ve be en su gg es tions that Superca and Betty engaged in these incorrect and misleconversations or has taken sides. Thrs hasn’t ading. is is simply The ongoing natur e of th is situation, and Erebus Motor sport which is yet between Brodie Kostecki the parties involved to be resolved, is respect the rights will comment on the matter at thiswhy none of to resolve matters of all individual parties, including th time. We to be made to facilitin a confidential manner. Efforts areeir discretion and workable solut ate and encourage the parties to fincontinuing ion in the best inter d a practical ests of all stakeholde There has been co rs. some of it has been nsiderable commentary on this ma tte dis r, ap an po d int ing . W this situation with understanding, em e urge everyone to approach pa thy an d patience it deserve The circumstance s. the owners and ma s at hand are ultimately a matter be tween na ge me nt of Erebus Motor contracted driver, sport an support to all partiBrodie Kostecki. Supercars has offerd their es and will continu ed our full e to do so.

Racing is a passion tha t sh ou ld be spectator, voluntee en r, sponsor, team ow joyed by everyone, be it as a ner, employee, or dr Yours faithfully, iver.

Shane Howard Chief Executive Off icer

FRASER, ROBOTHAM JOIN BJR BRAD JONES Racing (BJR) has revealed a fresh and younger co-driving line up for the 2024 Supercars enduros.

Out are experienced faces Dale Wood and Dean Fiore and in are Declan Fraser and Jaylyn Robotham, while Jordan Boys has been retained alongside Macauley Jones.

Jaxon Evans’ co-driver is yet to be named.

Fraser replaces Wood to steer the #8 Camaro alongside Andre Heimgartner arriving at BJR after a single season full-time racing with Tickford.

The 23-year-old will use the drive as an opportunity to push himself back to the top of pecking order having experienced a character-building rookie season in Supercars.

Fraser arrived at Tickford on a high from his Super2 title with Triple Eight and top 10 Bathurst wildcard with Craig Lowndes, but achieved just one top 10 finish in the #56 Mustang.

He is in place of Wood, who had started the last three Great Races in car #8 and despite not finishing the last two races finished sixth on first attempt in 2021, plus scored a top five at Sandown last year.

Fraser believes a first taste of Supercars silverware is possible at BJR.

“I’m really excited to join BJR,” he said.

“I’ve seen the results that Andre got throughout last year and I really think we’re going to have a great opportunity to go to Bathurst and Sandown and really put on a show and hopefully get a podium.”

Like Wood, Fiore had been driving car #14 for the last three years and had never finished outside of the top 10 at Mount Panorama.

But there will be a new face sharing it with Fullwood with another youngster in Robotham.

He has two Bathurst starts behind him with the first a wildcard in 2022 with Matt Chahda where they surprised many to finish 18th.

Last year he teamed up with Cam Hill and finished a solid 15th for Matt Stone Racing.

In addition to Supercars the 2020 Super3 champion also has raced overseas in Thailand.

“I am excited to be joining Bryce and the BJR family,” Robotham said.

“I’ve known Bryce for a few years now and I’m looking forward to getting out to

Sandown and Bathurst with him.”

BJR team owner Brad Jones said he feels the trio of co drivers will be a good fit for the team and will get their first taste of Gen3 machinery at Winton today.

“First of all we’re pretty excited to have them on board for Sandown and Bathurst,” he said.

“Getting them in the car today is also very important, making sure they’re comfortable and getting them settled in their working relationship with Bryce, Andre and their engineer nice and early.

“We’ll be able to have a very solid foundation heading into the enduro races later this year.

“Watching both Declan and Jay in action last year, they put in some impressive performances when they were behind the wheel.

“Keeping Jordan and Macca together is also natural, they’ve been friends since childhood and what they’ve been able to build over the last two years as driving partners is exactly what you’d look for.

“The way they’re able to push each other and work between sessions to get the best out of the car, it provides an exciting opportunity for them in 2024.”

EVANS’ FIRST SUPERCAR LIVERY JAXON EVANS will be making his Supercars debut at Brad Jones Racing with a new number for the SCT Camaro.

Evans will be racing the #12 Chevrolet Camaro in a similar livery to the one Jack Smith raced last year.

The white base has been retained, plus the red racing stripes that run from the back to the front of the car.

The tweak has been on the side with the red running along the skirts at the bottom of the car.

Evans arrives in Supercars after two endurance campaigns in the BJR Camaro with Jack Smith.

Having won the French and Australian Carrera Cup titles, the Kiwi has also had a global career racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship and Porsche Supercup.

Having seen his new car Evans is now “itching” to make his Supercars debut.

“Really excited to be representing SCT Logistics, in the striking white and red Camaro for 2024,” he said.

“Getting itchy feet waiting to finally kick the year off at our pre-season test.

Bathurst is a pretty wild place to have your solo debut - in saying that, it’s the last circuit I drove a Supercar.

“As a Supercars ‘rookie’ there’s a lot of unknowns at present - but, collectively we have clear intentions of what we want to achieve.

“I’m confident in the team and the driving force behind this opportunity.”

SCT Logistics head of motorsport programs Andrew Jones said that although Evans will make his fulltime debut, the 27-year-old has the experience to impress.

“Jaxon coming in as the primary driver of the SCT Logistics Camaro is a big change for us and affirms the key objectives that we have for this

program,” he said.

“While Jaxon will carry the status of being a ‘rookie’, the experience that we all have working together as a team over the past two years across the endurance events will absolutely assist in ensuring that we hit our performance targets.

“When you couple that with his extensive global success, we have no doubt 2024 will be strong for SCT Motorsport.”

Evans will drive the #12 Camaro at Winton’s test day on Wednesday before the Bathurst 500.

BJR PULL OFF THE COVERS OF JONES CAMARO MACAULEY JONES will continue to race with some familiar colours on the #96 Brad Jones Racing Chevrolet Camaro in 2024.

Pizza Hut has continued backing Jones and a near identical livery to the start of 2023 has been rolled out for the new season.

The logo on the bonnet has been changed while there is a slight tweak to the red sash that runs along the bottom of the doors.

Despite the switch back to the standard white livery, BJR has promised the creative rolling liveries seen throughout 2023 will return this year.

A golden Camaro, Ninja Turtles, plus a livery designed by a kid were all seen on

the #96 Camaro last year.

Jones said more are planned for 2024.

“We’re keeping it fresh for this year, a

bit of a twist on the last livery but she’s looking pretty special.

“Pizza Hut really hammered home

the point last year that they’re here for a good time, the liveries we’ve had so far have been amazing and the fan reception was so cool to see. Having a sponsor so interactive and engaging is a major plus.

“There’s so many cool things we’ve got planned for 2024 and it’s going to be another epic year.

“First though we’ve got to get racing and I honestly just can’t wait, we’ve been out of the car since November and all I’ve wanted to do since then is be back in the seat.”

Jones is gearing up for his sixth full time season in Supercars and wants to get back into the top 20 in the standings after slipping out last year.

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WILLIAMS UNVEILS 48TH F1 LIVERY WILLIAMS HAS shown the world the look the iconic squad will carry in its 48th Formula 1 World Championship campaign this year.

The FW46 F1 car will feature a tweaked black and blue livery that continues a running theme since 2022.

The similar colour scheme to last year is covered with various shades of dark and navy blue across the sidepods before covering the entire nose section.

It has also added a red and white stripe at the top and bottom of the blue shades which the team describes is a nod to its iconic era between 1985 and 1997.

Last year Williams took a big step forward finishing seventh in its most productive season since the Felipe

Massa’s final season in 2017.

Doing the heavy lifting was Thai driver Alex Albon, who has formed himself as the team’s spearhead.

Albon put in a number of impressive drives to score 28 of Williams’ 28 points accrued across 2023.

Seventh place finishes at Canada and Italy were the high points, while he qualified fourth at Zandvoort and charged up 10 spots to get points in the Qatar Sprint.

He is in the final year of his contract and will be a key player in the silly season with Williams desperate to keep him.

On the other side of the garage American Logan Sargeant did enough to secure a second season with Williams.

Despite a tough rookie campaign punctured by crashes and mistakes, he was able to score his maiden career point on home turf at Austin.

Williams team principal James Vowles is optimistic having seen strong unity at Grove.

“The FW46 has been the focus of the team for many months and there is still a tremendous effort going in from everyone at Grove to deliver our challenger for this year.

“As we look to build on the momentum from last season, we have a driver lineup in Alex and Logan that is capable of consistently fighting for points while helping lead our development for the future.

“Since joining Williams Racing a year ago, I’ve seen this team pull together to overcome a number of challenges and claim seventh in the constructors’ championship, which meant a great deal for everyone involved. We’ve also shown the world that we’re building the foundations for moving forward.

“Of course, there’s still a long way to go on this journey together but I know our fans, partners and everyone at Grove HQ is pushing as one to create new history for this iconic team.

“It will take time, but everyone’s support is integral to help drive us towards success in the years to come. I’m looking forward to seeing what this season holds for us.”

SAUBER SHOWS OFF NEW LOOK SAUBER HAS shown off its bold new look coinciding with its new pre-Audi chapter for the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship.

Sauber, known commercially as Stake F1 Team, has a completely new design as a result of the departure of Alfa Romeo following a six-year partnership.

Gone is the dark red and in is bright green, coupled with the carbon fibre, creating a colour scheme rarely seen in Formula 1 before, and especially

by Sauber which has been either red, white, blue or grey in recent years.

The car itself called the Stake C44 is completely different from last year’s C43.

The rear suspension is completely modified and the aerodynamics are all new.

Meanwhile as a consequence of Zhou Guanyu’s horrifying crash at Silverstone in 2022, this is the first Sauber with a conventional triangular roll-hoop.

Historically the team had opted for a single pillar for that part of the car but that is what failed when Zhou flipped upside-down and dragged along the

tarmac before being caught in the Abbey catch fence.

Zhou will suit up for his third Formula 1 season and hopes to score more than six points and finish 18th in the championship, having done so in both of his 2022 and 2023 campaigns.

The experience of Valtteri Bottas continues to be up the team’s sleeve for a third year since leaving Mercedes at the end of 2021.

Bottas will be looking to fire back after finishing outside the top 10 in the championship for the first time since

his debut season back in 2013.

The Finn could only manage 16th in the championship with best results of eighth in Bahrain and Qatar.

After a slow start to 2023, Sauber hopes its new look car can hit the ground running in 2024.

CLASSIC F1, HERITAGE TOURING CARS, SUPERCARS, BATHURST WINNERS, G.P BIKES + MORE 18 CATEGORIES ON TRACK PLUS A FULL WEEKEND OF FESTIVITIES ON AND OFF TRACK

MARCH 16-17 adelaidemotorsportfestival.com.au

LATEST NEWS

WAU RETAIN CODRIVING LINE UP WALKINSHAW ANDRETTI United (WAU) will carry on with the same codrivers in the 2024 Supercars enduros at Sandown and Bathurst, For a second straight season Lee Holdsworth and Fabian Coulthard will be sharing cars #25 and #2 respectively.

Holdsworth will continue his partnership with Chaz Mostert into a third season while the experienced Coulthard will begin a new one with fellow Kiwi Ryan Wood.

It means for the second year in a row Warren Luff has missed out, but WAU has stressed he “remains as a contracted driver with Walkinshaw Andretti United, with his 2024 driving plans to be announced in due course” after being on loan to Team 18 last year.

After winning the 2021 Great Race Mostert and Holdsworth resumed their partnership last year in a Ford Mustang and fell 9s short of the podium in fourth, bouncing back from a tough Sandown 500.

Holdsworth said there was no reason not to carry on racing with his “partner in crime”.

“It’s great to be back with my partner in crime, Chaz,” he said.

“When you’re teaming up with a mate, it’s enjoyable and it tends to bring out the best in me. Chaz and I have a lot of fun together, but it’s all business once the visor goes down. We’re as hungry as

ever for the top step after just missing out on the Bathurst podium last year.

“With just two endurance events on the calendar, it’s ultra important you’re comfortable with the car and team, so the continuity helps. WAU have been working overtime in the off-season, so I’m looking forward to feeling how the car performs at Winton this week to kick off the year.”

Rookie Wood will be Coulthard’s third co-driver in as many years at WAU. In 2022 he teamed up with Mostert and the pair came within 1.04s of victory.

Last year he moved to the #2 Mustang

with Nick Percat and they could only manage 23rd and 14th at Sandown and Bathurst respectively.

Coulthard is looking forward to working closely with Wood throughout the season.

“I’m excited to be back for another year with the WAU team and to be driving alongside a fellow Kiwi, Ryan, for his first Bathurst 1000 is pretty special,” he said.

“I’ll be spending a lot of time with the team and Ryan this year, we have already hit the ground running together, but it will be really important to make sure we gel together as much

as possible coming into Sandown and Bathurst.

“The team have done an awesome job getting these cars ready, they look incredible, I’m looking forward to seeing how the cars have evolved over the summer break.”

WAU team principal Bruce Stewart believes he has a strong co-driving line up at his disposal and also clarified the work Luff will do.

“We are absolutely rapt to have both Fabian and Lee back on board with the team again in 2024. There is no doubt the calibre of these drivers puts us in a really strong position alongside Ryan and Chaz come endurance season,” he said.

“Both Lee and Fabian recognise the path we are on as a team and want to be a part of that, they fit in to our culture very well - so we are really lucky to have them,” he said.

“We’re working on what an on-track program for Luffy in 2024 looks like, he’s been instrumental in helping develop our Super2 and Foundation Academy drivers here at WAU and will continue to do so this season.

“We have a big season ahead of us, but it will be fantastic to have Fabian, Lee and Warren immersed in the team.

“While there’s still a lot to play out before endurance season, we are really excited to see what the year brings.”

RULLO AND SEARCY TO TAKE ON THE WORLD THE ALL Australian combination of Peter Rullo and Ben Searcy will make their FIA World Rally Championship debut in a Rally2 car at the famous Rally Sweden.

The pair will field a ToniGardemeister Services (TGS) Worldwide Team Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo at the 70th edition of the Swedish rally.

They will be one of two all-Australian crews in Sweden with rising star Taylor Gill and Dan Brkic also racing following the former’s success in the FIA’s Rally Star program.

Being the only round of the WRC season completely covered in snow, Sweden is one of the coldest and fastest rallies in the world where competitors take on ice-covered forest roads.

As a result Rullo and Searcy will find themselves in an environment worlds apart from the hotter and drier tarmac and gravel rallies they are used to down under.

They will also have to adjust to a new car with Rullo swapping his usual Race Torque Engineering team run Hyundai i20 N Rally2 to the Rally2 Skoda.

Whilst all eyes are on the 11 stars chasing outright honours, at each

WRC rally there is a much bigger field competing in WRC2.

This is where Rullo and Searcy will put Australia on the rallying map.

All up the pair have well over a decade of rallying experience in Australia and 52-year-old Rullo is excited to dive headfirst into the Swedish snow.

“With the limited tarmac events currently in Australia, jumping into a Rally2 car in the ARC was an amazing opportunity,” he said.

“Gravel rallies bring us right into the thick of it with less room for error. There is nothing like throwing the car into a corner sideways and it is so bloody satisfying when you nail it.

“From what I have seen, I cannot wait to pilot one of these Rally2 machines around in the snow. I don’t know why I didn’t give it a crack earlier!”

Whilst this will be Rullo’s first global drive, his Perth based co-driver Searcy has no shortage international experience

having recently been crowed the AsiaPacific Rally Championship.

“I’m very much looking forward to the opportunity to do a new and challenging WRC rally,” Searcy said.

“I’ve never seen snow before so will be a huge experience. Partnering with Peter again will be great and we’re looking forward to a solid finish.”

The 2024 Rally Sweden will be the second round of the FIA World Rally Championship on February 15-18.

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CLASSIC NEWS

The famous 1976 Bathurst 1000-winning Torana will be a fan favourite at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival.

TORANA AND F1 FLAVOURS COMING TO ADELAIDE

The record-breaking ZB Commodore Shane van Gisbergen steered to Bathurst glory in 2022 with Garth Tander is coming to the Island Classic. Image: PETER NORTON EPIC SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY

TOURING CARS TO ROAR AT THE ISLAND AGAIN SUPERCARS MAY not be racing at Phillip Island this year, but some famous touring cars from yesteryear will still roar around the seaside circuit at the upcoming Island Classic.

More than 40 fan favourites from the Group C, Group A, 5 litre, Supercars and SuperToruing eras will all create a blast of nostalgia at the March 8-10 event.

The event is run by the Victorian Historic Racing Register and president Ian Tate said a record field of touring cars is expected.

“We’ve got a record entry of over 40 entries at the moment,” he told Auto Action.

“We’ve got group ‘C’ and ‘A’ which are Touring cars from the past. These include Group C A9X Toranas and Ford Falcons, Commodores, and plenty of small class cars that raced at Bathurst.

“Same for Group A which will include BMW’s, Ford Sierra’s, Group A Commodores, again cars that raced in

our Touring Car Championship and at Bathurst.

“We have five coming from New Zealand. Peter Sturgeon is helping us immensely on that. He’s bringing a couple of his Super Tourers, which are two very fast cars.”

Leading the way will be the pair that won the 1998 Bathurst 1000 together in Greg Murphy and Steven Richards.

Murphy will drive a Nissan Primera SuperTourer, while Steven will fittingly drive the HR31 Skyline his father Jim steered to the 1990 Australian Touring Car Championship title.

Tate also revealed Peter Xiberras will bring two of the most famous cars to ever take on the Mountain.

“Peter Xiberras is bringing two very special cars down. Two of the only three to win Bathurst twice,” Tate said.

“One is the HDT Peter Brock/Larry Perkins Group C Commodore that won in 1982 and again in 1983 with the

combination of Brock/Perkins and John Harvey.

“The second win came after the #05 HDT Commodore failed early in the race and Brock/Perkins swapped to the #25 HDT car that Harvey had started the race in.

“This car has recently had a full restoration, and this will be one of the first public outings for the car.

“The other significant car is Shane van Gisbergen’s 2020 and 2022 Bathurstwinning Triple Eight Race Engineering ZB Commodore he shared with Garth Tander.

“It was also the last Holden Commodore to win the Bathurst 1000.

“We are also hoping for two or three Ford Sierras, so in combination with all the other historic touring cars it will be a spectacular show.”

Further details can be found on the VHRR website. www.vhrr.com.au Thomas Miles

WHATS ON: FEBRUARY CALENDAR

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20 I www.autoaction.com.au

A SPECIAL Holden Torana, plus a number of Formula 1 attractions are the latest reasons to attend the 2024 Adelaide Motorsport Festival.

Joining the PremiAir Bathurst Winners category is the Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 that Bob Morris and John Fitzpatrick steered to Great Race glory back in 1976.

The Ron Hodgson Motors #7 Torana famously limped to the chequered flag with smoke billowing from a broken gearbox seal whilst also carrying a broken rear axle.

With the Holden Dealer Team’s Colin Bond on the charge, a nervous Morris was a relieved figure when Fitzpatrick took the crossed the line, leading home a Torana top seven.

Both the 1976 winning Torana and 1965 winning Ford Cortina are coming thanks to the National Motor Racing Museum in Bathurst.

A driver who conquered the Mountain was Craig Lowndes, who will drive a Formula 1 car.

Lowndes will jump behind the wheel of the Arrows A10B Megatron was raced by Eddie Cheever during the 1988 Formula 1 season.

The car was designed by Ross Brawn and claimed fifth place in the constructors championship with the highlight Cheever’s podium finish in the dramatic Italian Grand Prix.

In a further boost for Formula 1 fans, the current voice of the sport David Croft will be attending the event.

The Sky Sports F1 commentator who has been calling the races on Australian screens since 2012 will be a busy man in Adelaide.

Croft will interview Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas at the event and also host his own ‘The Crofty Show’ at the Arkaba Hotel on Sunday, March 17.

For more details go to adelaidemotorsportfestival.com.au

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McFADDEN’S NEW AMERICAN CHALLENGE

JAMES MCFADDEN will be back racing in America this year with Roth Motorsport and Toyota, but a new challenge awaits.

Between 2021 and 2023 McFadden raced in three full-time World of Outlaws campaigns that netted great success, with 11 wins, the third most ever by an Aussie, behind only Kerry Madsen and Brooke Tatnell.

But in 2024 McFadden will enter a new chapter as he takes on the High Limit Racing series.

High Limit Racing is the breakaway series co-owned by 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson and five-time WOO champion Brad Sweet with more than 50

races scheduled.

McFadden joins the likes of Sweet and Larson and other American stars who came to Australia this summer such as Rico Abreu and Cory Eliason, plus NASCAR Cup Series star Kasey Kahne.

Despite making the switch from World of Outlaws to High Limit Racing, McFadden will continue his strong relationship with Roth Motorsports and Toyota.

He will be representing the team and the manufacturer in the High Limit Series, while teammate Buddy Kofoid will continue racing in the World of Outlaws.

It all starts this Monday, February 12 with

a double header at East Bay Raceway Park, while the season includes six tracks the Aussie has won at before including Kokomo Speedway, Lawrenceburg Speedway, Lake Ozark Speedway, Thunderbowl Raceway, Skagit Speedway and Atomic Speedway.

McFadden is “pumped” to build his legacy in the new series.

“I’m excited it’s finally been announced and it’s a good deal for me, it works out well for my family and allows me a little more time at home,” he said.

“It’s still a lot of races – we’re talking 75-plus, but the schedule allows me more time in Australia so it’s a win-win.

“The Outlaws is something I strived to race in and be a part of my whole career, so to change for sure is a little bittersweet. “(But I am) excited by the hype with the new series, it’s different formats, different tracks – the first 16 tracks we race at I’ve never been to.

“What Brad and Kyle have planned for this is exciting to be a part of, so I’m pumped.”

McFadden’s maiden High Limit Racing campaign begins this weekend at East Bay Raceway Park and closes on October 11-12 at Texas Motor Speedway and can be watched live on Flo Racing.

Thomas Miles

NEW CUP SERIES TEAM FOR SVG

SHANE VAN Gisbergen will go NASCAR Cup Series racing without Trackhouse for the first time in 2024.

Instead SVG will make his six Cup Series appearances in 2024 with Xfinity Series team Kaulig Racing.

The move is a result of a collaboration between Trackhouse and Kaulig, with the Kiwi to steer a #16 Camaro when he returns to the top tier at the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas on Sunday, March 24.

The 34-year-old from Auckland will race alongside Kaulig Racing teammate Daniel Hemric when in the top tier but will continue to use his trademark #97 in the Xfinity Series.

Van Gisbergen is excited to race with the two teams in both Xfinity and Cup Series in a critical year in his American dream.

“When I first started talking with Trackhouse about moving to the U.S., we had no idea how many races we could

22 I www.autoaction.com.au

secure but I knew I wanted to be with that team and organisation,” said Van Gisbergen.

“There has been a lot of hard work to get to this point and I could not be happier to know that I get to race for an Xfinity Series championship and then get a proper go at the Cup Series on road courses and ovals.

“Kaulig is a proven winner in both the Xfinity and the Cup Series, and I know with the alliance with Trackhouse, this will be an incredible first year for me in NASCAR.” Whilst Trackhouse Racing has quickly rose to being one of the top teams in NASCAR, Kaulig Racing has won two Cup Series races since starting in 2016, including last year’s 2023 Bank of America ROVAL 400 thanks to SVG’s Xfinity teammate AJ Allmendinger.

The team is looking forward to welcoming van Gisbergen.

“I’m excited to work with Trackhouse and have Shane join our Cup program this

season,” said Chris Rice, President of Kaulig Racing.

“When we locked in SVG for the Xfinity Series, it just became a natural next step on the Cup side since we have all the existing infrastructure and a relationship with the pit crews.

“Remember, SVG had to pass our car to win the Chicago race. We finished second.

So, now we get to race with him which is kind-of awesome.”

Trackhouse Racing founder Justin Marks believes this will be the best way to help SVG take on a big 2024.

“Shane is one of the best talents I’ve ever seen.” said Marks. “We know he will be competitive on the road courses, so we needed to challenge him and ourselves on oval tracks against Cup Series drivers.

This is a big freshman season for Shane, and I really appreciate Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice for helping us bring this to life.”

Thomas Miles

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No one could keep up the the #NQ7 of Lockie McHugh in the fight for the Aussie title.

Images: RICHARD HATHAWAY PHOTOGRAPHY

McHUGH IN RARE AIR

JUST A WEEK AFTER THE CLASSIC, WARNAMBOOL HOSTED THE AUSTRALIAN SPRINTCAR CHAMPIONSHIP AND WHAT A FINALE IT WAS, GOING ‘GREEN’ ALL THE WAY AS LOCKIE McHUGH PUT ON A MASTERCLASS OF DRIVING UNDER RAPIDLY CHANGING CONDITIONS ...

ONLY THE very best have done the double of winning the Grand Annual Classic and Australian title and Lockie McHugh is the latest to join the exclusive club.

Having won the Classic in 2022, McHugh completed the set by storming to victory at the 2024 Australian Sprintcar Title also at Warrnambool’s Premier Speedway on January 26/27.

Across the 61 years he is just the 10th to do the double.

Despite the North Queensland-based driver being one of the most prolific winners of recent seasons, he has never quite been able to go all the way in the race for the #1 plate.

McHugh was second-best last year to Jock Goodyer, while 2022 was an even tougher pill to swallow having led almost the entire race, only for it to finish with a rollover.

Given these close calls, finally getting his hands on the trophy meant a lot for McHugh.

“It has not fully sunk in yet I guess, it is just really cool,” McHugh told Auto Action.

“Something you always want to achieve in your career and I can’t believe I have finally got one.

“At Archerfield a few years ago I led 34 laps of the A-Main but ended up not finishing the race.

“Last year I was a very close second to Jock and was right there but not quite close enough.

“Now it finally all came together this year.”

McHugh entered the second big race at Premier Speedway in as many weekends with confidence under his belt having charged from 14th to third in the dramatic 51st Grand Annual Classic.

But his Australian Sprintcar Title campaign didn’t get off to the greatest start with some engine drams forcing him to miss the hot laps.

24 I www.autoaction.com.au

However, the #NQ7 still pushed to fourth in Friday night’s Preliminary A-Main.

On the big Saturday night, McHugh started sixth in both the heat and the A-Main, but the race pace of the SRV Racing machine was evident after climbing to third in the earlier 10-lap heat.

However, all plans were thrown out of the window when a late shower hit Premier Speedway, forcing teams to hurriedly tinker with setups.

The changes SRV Racing made proved to be a masterstroke as McHugh flew through the field.

Starting sixth McHugh steadily climbed into the top three across the first half of the race before his car came alive when the fight for the lead ignited when Brock Hallett retired.

McHugh quickly caught the battling Goodyer and Jamie Veal and was suddenly in the thick of the action.

After the best part of 10 laps of squabbling, including a full tour side-by-side with Veal, McHugh’s pace proved overwhelming as he blazed into the distance.

McHugh admitted it was a “guessing game” prior to the race and said he knew victory was in his sights when he started to pick off the lapped traffic with ease in the final 12 laps.

“It rained just before the A-Main so it was a bit of a guessing game changing the car around a lot,” he said.

“We were not really sure if the track was going to stick around or go away really quickly so we took a guess at it.

“We also had to take a guess with tyres – whether they were going to wear or not but we made the right calls because it showed with our car speed.

“Obviously the track widened out a bit later in the race after being more ‘one-lane’ early on.

“I got racing with Jock and Jamie for quite a

Lockie McHugh soaks up the spoils of victory. few laps and once I got by Veal and passed a few lapped cars that is when I felt comfortable.”

The Aussie title is the crowning moment of an up-and-down season for McHugh.

After a big 30-race stint racing in America, McHugh was on fire on his Australian return, winning five of his first six races.

However, a mid-season tyre supplier change in the new year threw his momentum off course and McHugh revealed it was not until the Classic that things turned around.

“We were probably one of the dominant cars leading up to Christmas and then the new tyre supplier came in at Christmas time and we struggled with our car balance from there,” he said.

“We have always managed to pick off top fives but we never really felt like we could challenge for the win.

“I did not feel like we were rotating the corner very well when we got the new tyres.

“It had been the same issue everywhere we had gone – just could not rotate the car through the middle of the corner.

“It was not until the Classic that we finally made some changes to the car that really suited me and the newer tyres, and I have felt really good ever since then.

The guys never stopped working really hard at it, kept making changes until we got there.

“It has been a hard month but its great that it all paid off.”

Thomas Miles

IT’S HORRENDOUS ...

THE DAMAGE THAT HAS BEEN PERPETRATED ON THE SPORT OVER THE PAST WEEK OR SO IS DISTURBING AND, TO BE HONEST, RATHER DISGUSTING. SADLY, I’M NOT SURE THAT ALL THE DAMAGE THAT HAS BEEN DONE CAN BE REPAIRED FOR SOME TIME TO COME, IF AT ALL ...

WE HAVE what, on the surface looked like a disagreement between two parties – but it has fired up in a very public way.

In my opinion it could and should have been sorted out behind the scenes if the parties involved had worked towards an agreement of some kind … But maybe with other agendas at play, that wasn’t ever going to be possible.

For whatever reason and whatever their agenda was, they chose to go public when it was never going to bring peace.

It has now arguably turned into the biggest shit-storm in the history of the sport.

The big split between TEGA and CAMS back in 1996-97 and the subsequent formation of V8 Supercars has nothing on this.

At the time, that event caused a seismic reaction within the touring car category, but in the long run it proved to be one of the greatest moves for the sport overall.

Back then, the big movers had nothing but a focus on taking the Australian Touring car racing to a bigger and better place, and to deliver the sport to a hungrier audience – leading to better TV and sponsorship deals for the teams and car owners.

There was a vision and it wasn’t a fight for the sake of having a fight.

The actions of a few in recent days, however, doesn’t seem to have the same growth vision and

with Bruce Williams

STRAIGHT SHOOTING will have the opposite effect on the sport, which has had huge investment and growth for more than two decades.

It’s disgraceful that the sport that we all love is being dragged through the gutter because of the inability of a few self-important people to be able to reach a reasonable outcome, with a few others seeing opportunities that we are yet to realise.

Make no mistake, the actions of bringing this dispute into the public arena was, in my opinion, a calculated move to force one side’s position over the other.

It was not a mistake and it was not a leak.

And of course, the resultant fallout has allowed several willing players to seize the opportunity to further their own agendas. The level of commentary by some people needs to be questioned.

Forget about the damage that HAS been done to the reputation of the Erebus team and the subsequent fallout and financial damage, but consider the loss of their major sponsor and one of the world’s biggest brands in

Coca-Cola.

Coke has confirmed that it has withdrawn its support of the Erebus team. That is massive in itself. But to lose Coca-Cola from the sport as a whole is shameful …

Although industry talk continues to suggests that they may still be on the grid ...

Devastating and damaging speculation which continues to swirl is only adding to the destruction of the whole sport in this country with no one prepared to stand up, call it out and put this whole sorry saga to an end.

Regardless of what Supercars thinks or indeed wants to acknowledge, it has an obligation to the entire motorsport industry.

It is the pinnacle of the sport in this country, and like the AFL or NRL, it is the category to which many aspire.

It also brings money into the sport that helps us all. It helps the track on which it races; it helps the suppliers of parts and components to the industry and it entertains the masses.

The failure to rein in this issue and bring it to a head, quietly, is

doing enormous damage to the entire motorsport industry in this country.

The commercial damage to the industry in negotiating with sponsors to look at motorsport as a viable promotional vehicle will now be viewed with some scepticism. Why would a company place its brand on a sport where its top category behaves like this?

It’s not just Kostecki, Erebus or Supercars that are being damaged; it is greater than that alone. Without a doubt, Supercars as a brand and a business will have taken a serious financial and reputational hit. And what is even more disturbing is the ongoing feeding frenzy and apparent joy with which some protagonists continue to fuel the fire and do even more damage to the sport.

I fear there is more to come, and that saddens me greatly.

I question if some of the people that are ringing me or penning words on social media and other places have any real interest in or love of the sport, or whether there are other agendas at play.

One insider has made it very clear to me that some personal retribution could also be an element – if so then their actions in the public forum are nothing short of disgraceful.

I, all of us, just want this solved.

I like talking to people most of the time, especially when they

want to talk motorsport and its intricacies. But I really want my phone to stop ringing with the next revelation of this sordid and sorry tale.

It should not be hard to get a resolution that works for everyone – but maybe after the public airing of the dirty laundry there is now no resolution that works.

If only more people in the industry had thought about the sport ahead of their own self interests.

We may have seen the last of a new champion. We may have seen the destruction of a now championship winning team that has battled its way to the top.

At Auto Action we have tried to play with a straight bat, hoping that this whole thing would be sorted before it hit the headlines, but even we have been caught out in the shitstorm of the emotions that have rained down, and – yes viewers – even I have said things that now I might not have said if I had time to refect.

An issue like this presents an internal conflict for us. There is a big story to be told, but with untold consequences, especially while the truth remains hidden.

Unfortunately we won’t have seen the last of the pariahs that have fed the frenzy and I fear the damage will continue.

Think long and hard those of you that think this is a game …

Bathurst now seems a long, long time ago ... Image: ANDREW CLARKE

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All smiles, with the driver and team championships locked up – but with less happy drama behind-the-scenes ... Image: MARK HORSBURGH

WHEN TOO MUCH NEWS IS BARELY ENOUGH …

A SLIGHT MODIFICATION OF ROY AND HG NELSON’S SIGNATURE SPORTS COMMENTARY LINE IS ABOUT THE ONLY WAY TO SUM UP THREE DAYS LAST WEEK IN MOTORSPORT, HERE AND OVERSEAS …

IT STARTED on Wednesday with F1’s rejection of Andretti Global’s bid to become the 11th team on the grid from 2025/26. Huge.

F1’s statement included barbs such as “would not, and in itself, provide value to the Championship” and “… do not believe that the Applicant would be a competitive participant.”

Really?

Put all that aside – it’s rubbish. It’s simply the combined weight of F1’s current 10 teams not wanting to split the current pie into 11. But for a sport/business almost manically concentrated on growing in the US, it’s a big gamble. US fans are US citizens – among the most (sometimes overbearingly) patriotic in the world. They’re gonna be upset …

It’s exactly the same as Supercars policy of limiting its grid to a fixed full-time number – much to the chagrin of Mr Adderton. Same thing.

Size of pie slice.

Next day, the Erebus/Kostecki ‘split’ was revealed. It’s an ugly scenario for Supercars to contemplate on the eve of the 2024 season, but even tougher for the people directly involved – and you do have to feel for Betty Klimenko, one of the most persistent and admired team owner/benefactors in the land.

This team is, don’t forget, the defending champions for 2024 …

Disagreements happen in motorsport. Personality clashes happen in motorsport. After his

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with Chris Lambden

CL ON CALL clashes at McLaren with Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost had a veto on the latter joining him at Williams in 1993. Fernando Alonso walked out of McLaren in 2007, a year into a three-year contract, where he’d been alongside a shiny new talent in the form of Lewis Hamilton and reckoned the kid was getting preferential treatment from team boss Ron Dennis.

Whatever the outcome is from here on – in terms of Brodie Kostecki, Erebus, and the people who work there – and others ‘in the background’ – there is way, way more to the story yet to be told.

There will be few winners – about the only one I can see so far is Todd Hazelwood, who joined the team expecting a year-end co-drive and has now been nominated to step in for the opener, at Bathurst, in a fortnight. Todd is a super guy and I’m thrilled for him.

Personally, I suspect he’ll be at the wheel of the ‘99’ car for the rest of the year. As for the defending champion? It looks like lawyers all round …

And while all this is a pretty big deal for Supercars, it has – at the same time – created almost as big a

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storm in and around the motorsport media pack.

I do know that Auto Action, specifically publisher Bruce Williams, knew a lot about the impending situation several days before it was made public. He spoke with Erebus, as you do, and – given the complexity, legal seriousness, and even the suggestion of potential ‘mental health issue’ elements being mentioned – was asked if AA could ‘sit on it’ for a few days while the team attempted to get to a resolution. You know, for the good of the sport stuff.

There are precedents for it.

Back in my days as the publisher of ‘Motorsport News’ (nearly 20 years of it), there were a couple of occasions when it was ‘the right thing’ to hold back on something.

Generally, the motorsport media in this country has been, and is, very good – factual, honest, unbiased … (contrast the current general media disaster that is Murdoch Media!).

And there are times when the short-term co-operation between the sport and the media is the right thing.

Everyone in and around the sport, including the media, has been

aware of the personal conflicts that have gone on behind the scenes at Erebus. It goes way back, well before the team and driver took out the title in Adelaide.

Supercars management were last week updated on the situation

by Erebus – including the fact that AA knew an awful lot of the background but had agreed to hold back. Supercars then briefed other elements of the motorsport media – most of whom would have known of some of the goings on – and sought the same supportive agreement.

One of those outlets chose to ‘go’ with the story some time later.

Needless to say, it has created consternation in and around the motorsport media (which is as competitive as any industry) and indeed the sport’s management.

The outlet concerned has since found itself in the naughty corner, needing to advise that Supercars has “stopped responding” to its media requests “since the Kostecki news broke ...”

I do know that, regardless, there is much yet to come on the whole Erebus story, with way more people involved than you might think. I just hope that Betty doesn’t throw her hands up in disgust and walk away … that would be a great shame.

A day later, the biggest (and sadly ugliest) story in Australian motorsport for 2024 was suddenly eclipsed – and how!

It started with a tweet from deeply entrenched F1 journalist (and

Netflix Drive to Survive identity) Will Buxton, who tweeted early Thursday morning, our time: “Hearing a big announcement is on the way before the end of the week. If it is what I think it is, it’s absolutely massive.”

A few hours later, bang, there it was. Hamilton to Ferrari. Ferrari’s capital share value went up US$6 billion in a day, estimates were being made of Lewis’ deal, several guesses as to why the whole thing was happening, and who might replace him at Mercedes. And its effect on the team this year. Massive.

There are those who think it’s about money; and those that think it’s the “time for a new challenge” line that both Lewis and Merc have put out there. Quite possibly Personally, knowing that Lewis is – or has been – privy to the latest Mercedes plans, simulations etc, he may just have concluded that the team might not have the tools to get back to the top. And that, maybe, Ferrari team manager Frederic Vasseur (who ran Lewis way back in F2 and whom he respects immensely) may have convinced him that Ferrari has something worthwhile coming …

Who knows. But it’s been a hell of a news week. And all that over and above the news that ‘Super2 compulsion’ is gone from the Supercars licensing pathway, replaced by a revamped points qualifying system … which has some shortcomings.

But that’s enough for one week!

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR PUBLISHER

Bruce Williams bruce@autoaction.com.au 0418 349 555

Email: letters@autoaction.com.au Postal: Suite 4/156 Drummond Street.

Oakleigh Victoria 3166

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Bruce Williams STAFF JOURNALIST Thomas Miles NEWS EDITOR Andrew Clarke FEATURES WRITER Paul Gover SENIOR ART DIRECTOR/PRODUCTION Caroline Garde NATIONAL EDITOR Thomas Miles HISTORICS EDITOR Mark Bisset SPEEDWAY REPORTER Paris Charles ONLINE EDITOR

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SOCIAL DISCOURSE IT HAS BEEN A WILD FORTNIGHT OF NEWS ALL OVER THE MOTORSPORT WORLD AND MANY TOOK TO AUTO ACTION SOCIAL CHANNELS TO DISCUSS IT ALL…

The Erebus/Kostecki story seems to be shrouded in smokescreens ... Image: MOTORSPORT IMAGES

KOSTECKI’S ABSENCE A SUPER STUFF-UP

BY ANY MEASURE

I READ in the news that the Supercars season will start without any of the past six champions. By my reckoning we’ll be without the last four – Brodie Kostecki, Shane Van Gisbergen, Scott McLaughlin and Jamie Whincup – with Mark Winterbottom the most recent champion still in the championship. Good ol’ Frosty.

We know that Scotty and Giz are doing their thing in the USA and Jamie is now running the Red Bull team, but I’m baffled by Brodie Kostecki’s absence.

I can’t fathom how he’s not going to be on the grid but I don’t intend to speculate unduly.

How could I anyway when I don’t have access to the inside information?

Brodie is only a young guy and who knows what could go through his mind after winning the title to come to this decision.

Barry Ryan sounds like a controversial and fiery guy, but he’s certainly produced the goods for Erebus and Betty Klimenko, who I’m sure doesn’t want to lose Brodie.

Another player is Peter Adderton. Like Barry Ryan, he is often embroiled in controversy and even appears more fiery than Barry. He seems to throw his weight around as much as his money as a sponsor. Too much, I wonder?

And then there’s Supercars, which seems to have let the whole thing get out of control somehow.

I understand there may be sensitivities involved here and there, and some things need to be handled delicately, but I hope through your excellent podcast, website and magazine you can enlighten us fans over the coming weeks just what this fiasco is all about.

It would be best if the season

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started with the air cleared.

Ron Clark, Burnie, Tasmania

A RED FLAG ON HAMILTON’S BIG SWITCH

FORMULA 1 has just about lost me. Especially Lewis Hamilton.

He is leaving Mercedes, with which he’s won so many championships. Not for this season, but next! Announced already.

Couldn’t he and Ferrari at least have waited until about September to make the announcement?

So, despite what Hamilton says, how committed can he be to his loyal Mercedes team this season? I know he’ll say he’s 100 per cent, but how can it be?

And can the Mercedes crew feel absolute commitment to him, knowing that already his heart must be elsewhere?

We know most F1 drivers traditionally have wanted to drive for Ferrari at some stage, but things have changed. Since all the testing was restricted and the salary cap introduced on teams, Ferrari has been brought back to the field. It’s yesterday’s hero team. Mercedes and Red Bull have dominated the past decade and I can’t see that changing much. If any serious challenger is to emerge it’s more likely to be McLaren than Ferrari – and that would be great for Oscar Piastri.

Lewis Hamilton is being very disrespectful to Mercedes and there’s no guarantee that, at his age, he will be any magic wand at Ferrari. His best days are behind him.

Sandy Best, Toowoomba, Queensland

BRING BACK INDY TO GOLD COAST

IN THE years when the Gold Coast used to host an annual round of the IndyCar series at

Surfers Paradise it was one of Australia’s greatest international motorsport events and it would be great to see it return to Australia.

The IndyCar governing body is keen on fresh international expansion and this is a great opportunity to have a round, or even two, of the IndyCar series in Australia.

A new Australian round could be held at Melbourne’s Albert Park Grand Prix circuit, the Adelaide street circuit, Sydney Olympic Park, a Perth street circuit - or maybe the shortened Surfers Paradise street circuit.

As the Australian Formula One Grand Prix is held in March/ April, an Australian round of the IndyCar series could be held in late October or November.

It could become a reality with support from a state government and its major events organisation.

If the support in Australia was strong enough, maybe two IndyCar rounds could be held in Australia within a week or two of each other?

Maybe the IndyCars could return to Surfers Paradise at the shortened street circuit in October?

The Gold Coast 500 has become a major Supercars round and that looks set to remain for years to come, but maybe an IndyCar round could take place a week before or after the GC 500 with all the temporary infrastructure all in place, making a Queensland “double- header”?

The Supercars could take part as a major support event at a new Gold Coast IndyCar round – a Surfers Paradise 400?

To make this happen, it will need support from the Queensland Government, Gold Coast Council and the locals who live in the area.

Malcolm Webster Boronia, Victoria

KOSTECKI TO MISS ROUND 1, HAZELWOOD IN Karina Sanders I wish Brodie all the best with whatever is happening behind the scenes. True fans will get behind the team and support them no matter what.

David Strickland What a circus and the racing has not even started yet. I have no idea what is going on and won’t be guessing.

Verna Mason Brodie won’t be back and this will be a good car and team for Todd. He is humble and down to earth and all he needs is a decent car to compete like most of the drivers in the sport.

HAMILTON TO FERRARI Simon Redden I do not follow Lewis, but this is very interesting for the sport and I am for it. Even hopes he does well.

Peter Willis Strange move. He has been with Mercedes his entire career so he is ending a pretty big relationship with the manufacturer that has supported him since his junior days. Especially considering Ferrari can’t get a single pit stop or strategy correct for the last 5 years so I’m very surprised.

MORE SHOOTOUTS IN 2024 Ken Bright Shootouts are boring and just soak up time. Just have the Bathurst one and don’t waste an hour with the boring rubbish.

Simon Redden I am surprised to see ‘boo to shootouts’ I find them one of the best parts of the weekend.

James Hutchison I like shootouts as well but with the amount of poor decisions being made by Supercars in recent times, I feel people reading “more shootouts” is a bit of a slap in the face. We want hard racing, and more of it. Fans also want to see Winton, Phillip Island and Queensland Raceway back on the calendar.

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MONEY, MONEY, MONEY FANS ARE MISSING OUT IN THE LATEST MONEY MOVES ...

PAINT IT any way you like, but the decision by Formula One to bar Michael Andretti from grand prix racing is greed.

It’s the same in so much of motorsport today.

Lewis Hamilton is going to Ferrari – for money.

Supercars has cut the 2024 calendar to 12 races – for money.

The only fans who seem to count are the ones who watch Drive to Survive on Netflix and are now driving greedy plans for two more grand prix races in the USA – in Chicago and New York – in addition to the three which are already crowding traditional races off the calendar.

How will the real fans react to plans for another F1 ambush event in Osaka, in addition to Madrid – ahead of the Barcelona circuit which functions as the home base for much of the off-season testing in Europe?

And what about Lewis Hamilton defecting from MercedesAMG to Ferrari, just as his career is winding down but his earning capacity in a red racing suit is skyrocketing?

In Australia, how will the fans benefit from having Mark Winterbottom as the most-recent champion – from 2015 – on the grid for the season opener at Bathurst?

It’s long been said that ‘Money talks and BS walks’, but these days it’s more like money talks. Full stop.

It’s ugly stuff, but for every loser there will be winners.

The grand prix teams who have barred Andretti Global from racing are ensuring their share of the multi-billion-dollar pie provided by Liberty Media is only split 10 ways, not 11.

Refusing a request for a new license, even though it was approved by the FIA, means the only way for Andretti and Cadillac

with Paul Gover

THE PG PERSPECTIVE into Formula One will be by buying an existing team.

That’s great news for perennial under-performers Haas and Williams.

You only have to scrape the surface to discover the rampant self-interest in F1.

“While the Andretti name carries some recognition for F1 fans, our research indicates that F1 would bring value to the Andretti brand rather than the other way

around,” Formula One said in its verdict on the Andretti Global plan.

Really? Mario Andretti is a former world champion, his son Michael raced (badly, it must be admitted) for McLaren in the 1980s and the team now has a huge presence everywhere from IndyCar to Formula E and Supercars.

And they believe F1 will polish the Andretti plan? And it’s grand prix partner, Cadillac?

Save me.

On the Hamilton front, there have been many predictions he would end his F1 days in red despite the prospect of a lifetime ambassador role with MercedesBenz.

Now it’s happened, with a rumoured salary of $100 million a year and untold riches in the merchandise sales which will come from the Hamilton-Ferrari connection.

Ferrari has already banked an unbelievable bonus, when Hamilton’s signing trigged an overnight run on its shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

The benefit is put at six per cent, or $5.8 billion.

So now we turn to Supercars, which is only racing 12 times in

2024, at least partly because it has to pay teams extra if the calendar goes to 13 races and beyond.

That’s greed.

It’s also a blocking move when rumours suggest RACE has lost $10 million since it took control of Supercars, much of it through the potholed process of developing and introducing the Gen3 racers, and wants to prevent any extra losses through 2024.

No-one really knows what’s happening on the Brodie Kostecki front, despite rampant rumours and the best efforts of uninformed keyboard warriors, but surely the best thing would be for Supercars to dive in with some serious cash to smooth the ripples and get their champion back on the grid?

But who benefits from that?

FIA President Bin Sulayem‘s support for Andretti’s entry to F1 has been thwarted by the commercial rights holder ...

Image: MOTORSPORT IMAGES

SVEN BURCHARTZ LIVES MOTORSPORTS LAWYER AND PARTNER

Know your position.

sburchartz@kkilawyers.com.au • Teams • Series owners • Manufacturers

T +613 8825 4800 kkilawyers.com.au

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FORMULA 1 NEWS – LUIS VASCONCELOS

“Looks like we’ll both be looking for a new seat for next season ...”

Image: MOTORSPORT IMAGES

WHAT ARE SAINZ’S OPTIONS FOR 2025?

A FEW minutes after Ferrari made the very short announcement that Lewis Hamilton will be joining the Scuderia from the start of 2025, ousted driver Carlos Sainz put up his own short statement on his social media platforms, to confirm that, “following today’s news, Scuderia Ferrari and myself will part ways at the end of 2024.”

The Spaniard continued by putting the focus on his near future, saying that “we still have a long season ahead of us and, like always, I will give my absolute best for the team and for the Tifosi all around the world.”

But as for his future destination, once his contract with Ferrari will come to an end, he just stated that, “news about my future will be announced in due course.“ Sainz has never made a secret of the fact he has a clear preference for deciding his future well in advance, like he did when he announced he was joining Ferrari at the start of 2020, when he still had one year on his contract with McLaren to run.

By giving the British team plenty of notice, he actually allowed Zak Brown

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to hire Daniel Ricciardo also one year ahead of schedule, so this was a win-win situation for both him and the team he was still going to be racing with during that year’s championship.

As recently as in his last public appearances, Sainz vowed to “get my future sorted out before we go to the start of the 2024 season, because that’s the way I like to operate. If I know what I’ll be doing the following season, if everything is signed and stamped, then my only focus will be on the driving and there will be no distractions, as contractual negotiations car be always a bit disruptive.”

Now, however, it looks a bit too optimistic to expect Sainz and his management team to sign a new deal for 2025 in the next two weeks, before he heads into Bahrain for the start of testing with the new Ferrari SF-24.

Even if the Spanish driver was already shopping around, as negotiations with Ferrari had been stalling in recent weeks, he only found out Hamilton was going to replace him almost at the same time as the rest of the Formula 1 world.

Obviously, a direct swap with Hamilton would be a tremendously good option for Sainz, who would slot straight in to a competitive car and would be able to measure himself against the highly rated George Russell, after acquitting himself rather well against a tremendously talented driver like Charles Leclerc.

Toto Wolff, however, won’t be in a hurry to make a decision, needing to find who is potentially available in the market, because, as Hamilton’s surprise move to Ferrari proved, the length of announced contracts doesn’t tell us about exit clauses – so even drivers who are theoretically locked in for 2025 and 2026 may be able to free themselves if a seat at Mercedes is available.

A second option – and one that Sainz has been investigating for at least six months – is a move to Sauber, with a long-term contract that will allow him to reap the benefits of the work he’ll do in 2025 and 2026 once Audi gets into its stride and the Swiss team becomes a front runner for the first time since 2008. His good personal relationship with Andreas Seidl and

James Key, as well as Sainz Sr’s great status within the company, would make this the obvious choice, but to go down this route he would have to accept to be running in the midfield for at least a couple of years.

Red Bull does have a seat available for 2025 but the Sainz clan never enjoyed a great relationship with Helmut Marko – Carlos’ inclusion in the company’s young drivers’ program was done because Sainz Sr negotiated directly with Mateschitz – and with the Verstappen entourage it was even worse. A reunion, therefore, seems to be out of the question.

Finally, there’s Aston Martin, but this possibility will only be a realistic one if Fernando Alonso leaves the British team at the end of this year, either to retire or to make a sensational move to Mercedes. In this case, Sainz would be the ideal driver to help the team to continue to progress as he’d bring inside knowledge from four years at Ferrari and that would be very valuable for Aston Martin, that has hired plenty of engineers from Mercedes and Red Bull but no big name from the Scuderia.

Lewis and Vasseur (right) go back a long way ... Was that the deciding factor?

While the man who won does’nt look that happy Image: MOTORSPORT IMAGES

A COMBINATION TOO GOOD FOR HAMILTON TO RESIST

WHEN LEWIS Hamilton and Mercedes announced a new deal that would keep them together until the end of 2025 it was widely assumed the British driver would end his racing days with the German team. After all, at the end of that year, Hamilton will be nearly 41-years old and he’s never hidden his motivation to go and try to find success in other walks of life.

At the same time, his links with the Daimler group go way beyond a mere driver-team relationship, Hamilton pointing out constantly that he’s “been a Mercedes driver since the age of 13, when I was still in karting”, and the German manufacturer is an active partner of his Mission 44. On top of that, it was Hamilton who took the Tommy Hilfiger sponsorship to Mercedes ... and there are many other small areas in which driver and company have enjoyed a fruitful and increasingly important relationship over the years.

So, what led to this decision to change environment and join Ferrari at the age of 40? There are three big factors that surely played a part in Hamilton’s decision, and only one Mercedes

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with Luis Vasconcelos

F1 INSIDER could have influenced, as the other two were completely out of the German team and Toto Wolff’s control.

For a driver of Hamilton’s calibre and history, to be winless for two years in a row is a new experience – never in his life has he gone through such a dry spell. Of course a bad car can be designed and built by any team – Hamilton took on the chin the shortcomings of the W13 in 2022, threw caution to the wind and worked with radical set-ups in the hope of finding a silver bullet that would cure the car’s shortcomings, ending up out of the points on a few occasions when things backfired badly, while newcomer Russell was playing it safe and amassing points. But once the W13 showed some signs of improvement, Hamilton got the upper hand and that trend continued in 2023, as

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he was clearly the most effective of the two Mercedes drivers.

But accepting a W14 that followed the same shortcomings as its predecessor, throwing away the early part of the season and then developing a new concept as he was going racing, seems to have hit Hamilton’s faith in his team and, even with James Allison energizing everybody, the seven-times World Champion was never as optimistic as the rest of his team about their 2024 chances. At the same time, Ferrari was making tremendous progress on and off the track under Vasseur’s leadership, so the comparison didn’t help Mercedes’ case.

Then, of course, there’s the lure of driving for Ferrari. Apart from Jackie Stewart – and that’s part of Formula 1’s ancient history – no top driver turned down a serious offer from the Scuderia.

Hamilton had previous talks with Ferrari, become friendly with the company’s president, John Elkann, many years ago, and the heir to the Agnelli empire, little by little, worked on convincing him that his legacy wouldn’t be the same without driving for the famous Italian team. Like Alonso and Vettel before him, Hamilton will head to Maranello confident he can take the Scuderia back to the top and, for his sake, one can only hope he succeeds where the other two great champions failed.

But the third element may have been the decisive one. The lure to work with Frédéric Vasseur again may have been the tipping factor that made Hamilton decide to abandon ship. The Frenchman and Lewis go a long way back and the Brit knows he owes a lot more to Vasseur than it’s widely known. In his first Formula 3 season, Hamilton finished only fifth in the European championship, beaten by Jamie Gree, Alexander Prémat, Nicolas Lapierre and Nico Rosberg, much to Ron Dennis’ frustration, as it was McLaren that was footing the bill.

With the relationship between Dennis and Anthony Hamilton

at a clear low, the McLaren man was ready to drop the youngster but Vasseur, who had fielded Green and Prémat in that season – with great success – went to Woking, convinced Dennis to give Hamilton another chance, made him an offer too good to refuse and helped convince the McLaren man to give the youngster one more year to prove himself. And, boy, prove himself he did, with 15 wins out of 20 races, then moving to GP2 with Vasseur’s team too, to win his second title in a row ... the rest is history.

The two men remained close and in regular contact and have a mutual appreciation that withstood years of competing against each other. The attraction of go back to working with Vasseur, the man who trusted him so much some 20 years ago, helped him win two championships in a row and is showing he can improve Ferrari even in the relative little time he’s been in Maranello, was, in the end, too big to resist and – together with the other two factors – led to the unexpected decision to leave Mercedes and put an end to a tremendously successful common history.

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FORMULA 1 NEWS – LUIS VASCONCELOS

ANDRETTI LACKS “UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHALLENGE”, SAYS F1 FORMULA 1 HAS slammed Andretti Global’s intention of entering the sport next year, with a brand new car, and then continuing for 2026, when a completely new chassis will have to be produced, as lack of “understanding of the scope of the challenge involved”, in a complete smack down of the American team’s plans.

The lengthy statement, issued last week, makes it clear that, “we do not believe that there is a basis for any new applicant to be admitted in 2025 given that this would involve a novice entrant building two completely different cars in its first two years of existence.”

This point of view then leads to the Commercial Rights Holder then making it clear it doesn’t think Andretti and his partners have any idea of what they would be getting into, should they have been handed an entry to the sport: “The fact that the Applicant proposes to do so gives us reason to question their understanding of the scope of the challenge involved.”

But even if the entry would have been made with the specific goal of joining the Formula 1 World Championship from the start of 2026, the Commercial Rights Holder bluntly doubts the Americans would have what it takes to have any chance

of success: “While a 2026 entry would not face this specific issue it is nevertheless the case that Formula 1, as the pinnacle of world motorsport, represents a unique technical challenge to constructors of a nature that the Applicant has not faced in any other formula or discipline in which it has previously competed.”

It then adds a puzzling sentence, saying that Andretti “proposes to do so with a dependency on a compulsory PU supply in the initial years of its participation”, when the Americans already had done a deal with Alpine to get supply of Power Units and other mechanical parts. Yes, that deal expired midway through last year when it became clear the new team wasn’t going to be accepted for 2024, but Alpine’s Team Principal, Bruno Famin, had made it clear late last year that the door was still open for a new deal to be done.

The Frenchman stated that, “we have spoken to Andretti and General Motors and if it works out with the entry, then we will be happy to resume these talks. At the moment, everything is on hold.” Famin went on to explain that, “we had a preliminary agreement with Andretti, but then everything took a little longer than originally thought and that agreement lapsed”, before making it very clear that, “we are happy to sit down

Michael Andretti Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES with Andretti to find a joint solution.”

How this can be read as Andretti needing to resort to getting a compulsory PU supply for 2025, 2026 and 2027 is hard to understand. It is just one of the many inconsistencies in the statement made by Formula 1 to explain why it doesn’t want the new American team in the sport ...

NORRIS “FLATTERED” BY RED BULL LINK

Lando – definitely NOT joing his mate at RB ...

LANDO NORRIS stopped short of admitting he’s had exploratory talks with Red Bull for 2025 or 2026, but admitted he “enjoyed” reading the stories that connected him with a seat alongside his friend Max Verstappen once his previous deal with McLaren would expire. The talks were openly admitted by Helmut Marko, who regretted the fact that “Norris is not free for 2025, which is a shame,”

but the McLaren driver didn’t confirm them.

Asked about his reaction when the stories first came out, Norris says that, “I enjoyed them to be honest, I’ve always enjoyed seeing what you guys write every now and then – it was flattering.” He then added that, “you’re not writing them for me to read them – they’re not for me and, anyway, I’m always focused on what I need to be focused on.”

The Brit then went on to explain what effect those rumors can have on a team’s workforce: “I’m sure when you work here and you see one of your drivers being linked to other teams, that’s just probably never an easy thing to see, and you probably question it at times”, giving that issue as one of the main reasons he signed his new and very long-term contract so early: “I think, from my side, to give everyone here at McLaren just that bit more confidence in me and to show my confidence in the whole team, I think that’s probably the most important thing, the thing I’m happiest about with getting a contract out. They’re now even more assured that I’m committed to the team and saying that I picked McLaren, over Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes, whatever team it could’ve been. They now have that reassurance that I picked McLaren over all of them, so I think it’s more for them than it is for myself and all these things, because I do enjoy seeing the rumors and the conspiracies every now and then. I think that’s the main reason for it.”

Eventually Norris admitted he had talks

with other teams, without mentioning Red Bull or Aston Martin – he was seen in the Silverstone factory in the middle of last year in what is unlikely to have been a social visit – explaining that “everyone speaks to everyone. Every driver speaks to every team, and it’s not in terms of ever sorting out contracts – it’s just what can one team offer you and what can another team offer you and things like that. But it’s the same with every driver: everyone speaks to every team on what could we potentially do one day, but nothing ever progressed more than that.

So those talks shut down quite quickly. Of course, as soon as you do start to get some of these questions, and you see a lot of it, then you have talks internally with Andrea, Zak, with whoever it is here at McLaren.

And then you start talking about your own stuff. And you do want to put some of these rumors to bed because it’s not a good for the team, like I said earlier, that the team keep seeing day-in, day-out. That’s why we’ve come to a decision so early on and so quickly. So, hopefully that puts all of those questions to bed.”

NORRIS SIGNED EARLY “BECAUSE I CAN!”

LANDO NORRIS admitted that the announcement of his new deal with McLaren may have come as a surprise for most of the observers and fans, but explained he thought the opportunity was too good to miss and, in the end, opted to extend his contract with the British team, “because I can”, as he explained in a restricted group interview immediately before the announcement was made.

Norris conceded he could have waited a bit longer before committing to a long-term future with McLaren, because there will be competitive seats available at the end of 2025, when his previous deal with his team expired, but said that while that “is true”, he opted to get things sorted out now, “because I can!”

The young British driver explained that contractual negotiations, “isn’t something that I want to really worry about over the next few years. There’s always been these discussions going on, on our future. And I think it’s just a very good time, especially when it’s going to be coming to a couple of years

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where things start to get a bit more crazy with everyone else’s contracts coming to an end and people potentially moving teams and things like that.”

With his eye on the future regulations, Norris added that, “going into 2026, and those years of the new regulations, that’s not something I think I or the team want to be thinking of or focusing on or spending any time on in such an important couple of years. So, I signed simply because I can. I’m comfortable, I’m happy with where I am, and the team are happy with me.

“So, it’s just an easy decision.”

Although he admitted there were exploratory talks with other teams, including Red Bull, Norris insisted that, “I’ve always wanted to be convinced McLaren is the future. Of course, we’ve gone through some harder years recently, and things definitely didn’t pick up as much as we were hoping, between 2020, 2021, 2022, beginning of ‘23. But a lot has changed.”

The way the team bounced back in 2023, after a very difficult start of the season, definitively convinced Norris that staying put was the best option for

his long-term future, the British driver admitting he feels very much like part of the McLaren family and wants to stay around to enjoy the benefits of the hard work everyone has been putting in the last few years: “Considering we were able to do what we did last year, considering it’s a team that I’ve been with from the beginning, it’s a team that I want to continue my story with in terms of reaching my goal of winning races and winning championships, McLaren is the team that I want to do it with.

“They’re the ones who brought me into Formula 1 and they’ve given me this opportunity. In some ways I feel like I also owe it to them but I’m just very much part of the family and also very much enjoying where I am so that’s always a big part of it. I don’t want to join a different team and not enjoy anything. There’s definitely those considerations to make. I’m part of the family and excited to be part of that family. Especially on the trajectory that we’re at. I think that’s been the most important factor of all of this and I’m excited to see what that continues to take us.”

V-CARB’S HIGH PROFILE HIRINGS EXPLAINED

THE NEWLY renamed Red Bull junior team, formerly known as AlphaTauri, announced three high-profile hirings on Monday, to complete a reshuffle of its management team, with six people sitting atop of it. Having joined the company in the middle of last year, coming straight from leaving the position of FIA Secretary General, Peter Bayer is the CEO of the team, with former Ferrari – and FIA team member – Laurent Mekies joining at the end of last year as the new Team Principal.

On Monday came the announcement that Tim Goss – who until recently was the FIA’s Technical Director – has now become the new Chief Technical Officer of the Faenza-based team, going above Jody Eggington, who remains as Technical Director. But this structure now also incorporates a Deputy Technical Director, with Frenchman Guillaume Cattelani moving across from

Red Bull Racing to reinforce the junior team’s structure. And, finally, as we had anticipated more than six months ago, former Alpine man Alan Permane has also joined the team in the role of Racing Director.

The hiring of highly experienced – and obviously very well paid – personnel can be read as a declaration of intentions from Red Bull, indicating its Italian team is no longer a junior team but will have its own technical identity. After all, Tim Goss led McLaren’s technical department for years, so he’s unlikely to follow every single direction Adrian Newey decides to explore at Red Bull and the same applies to Permane, who is known for having very strong ideas about how his cars should start every weekend, regardless of the basic set-up the factory indicates to the race team.

All this indicates the Faenza-based squad will actually be technically

independent from the main team – but that doesn’t connect logically with the fact that quite a lot of the technical work for the Italian team will now be done in Milton Keynes, right by Red Bull Racing’s headquarters, and that the new car and the coming ones will have to incorporate as many listed parts as the Technical Regulations allows, from Red Bull’s own chassis.

Tough questions are openly being asked by other teams, with McLaren being the more blunt about it, as to how much Red Bull’s two teams will be working as one and using the exact same mechanical and aerodynamic platform, as they would effectively allow the main team to more than double its wind tunnel hours and CFD capacity. (Having finished eighth in last year’s championship, AlphaTauri can use five per cent more of both than the baseline established for the team finishing in P7 – making it impossible for the other teams to keep up with Red Bull’s development pace).

With so many big names and salaries on its books, the Italian team can argue they are proof that it’s a completely independent team, with the links to Red Bull abiding by the limits imposed by the regulations, to defend its operations.

It will be interesting to see how McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes and Aston Martin react to the situation, especially if the two teams arrive in Bahrain for testing with chassis that look extremely similar, as there’s a lot of tension in the air and a technical and legal war might just be brewing behind this new approach taken by the Austrian company.

GOSS’ 2026 RULES KNOWLEDGE A PLUS FOR RED BULL TIM GOSS will only be allowed to join Red Bull’s second team at the start of October, as the former McLaren man has to serve a one-year ‘gardening leave’ after quitting his job as FIA’s Technical Director, but his in-depth knowledge of what the 2026 Formula 1 Technical Regulations will be is worrying some of the Milton Keynes-based team.

Although the 2026 Technical Regulations are yet to be finalised, as the FIA and the teams continue to work through different possibilities, the goal being to make the racing better, overtaking easier, with the cars becoming lighter, moveable aerodynamic devices becoming a possibility and so on, Goss certainly has a better knowledge of what’s in store for Grand Prix racing than any of the ten Technical Directors that are waiting for those rules to be finalised and published.

Of course there’s now a ban in place on any aerodynamic work being done in view of the 2026 car projects until the first day of January 2025 so, even when he joins the rebranded Faenza-based team, Goss won’t be able to do any serious work on the chassis that will be the first under his technical leadership for V-CARB. But, given his knowledge of what’s in store, he’ll be able to make a rolling start while his rivals will basically have to start from scratch.

While having a more competitive V-CARB is a concern for the front of the midfield and even for the likes of McLaren and Aston Martin, what the Ferrari and Mercedes managements are worried about is that Goss’ knowledge is passed to Red Bull Racing and to a certain Adrian Newey in particular. Given the genial engineer’s ability to find the key areas of performance in any given technical regulations, any earlier knowledge he may get may prove lethal for his rivals, so it’s now to be expected Mercedes, Ferrari and also the other teams will push for important changes to the 2026 Technical Regulations to be made quickly, to remove Goss and, potentially, Newey’s advantage and make sure all teams will be in a level playing field come the change of technical rules.

ANDRETTI REBUFF SHUTS F1 DOOR FOR EVERYONE THE REASONS given by Formula 1 to deny Andretti Global an entry to the World Championship can be seen as a way to completely shut the door on any prospective Grand Prix team project.

The way the long statement from the Commercial Rights Holder is phrased makes it completely clear that it won’t be accepting any new entries any time soon, protecting the value and the income of the 10 existing teams, regardless of their respective competitiveness, but effectively acting as the leader of a cartel – and that’s something that may well end up being Andretti Global’s take on a possible legal action against this decision.

Formula 1 states that, “our assessment process has established that the presence of an 11th team would not, on its own, provide value to the Championship. The most significant way in which a new entrant would bring value is by being competitive. We do not believe that the Applicant would be a competitive participant.”

Clearly, just being a new team – with or without pedrigree, with or without a manufacturer’s support – shouldn’t be enough to earn you a Formula 1 entry, but to demand any prospective new team to be competitive from its first race is unrealistic and a demand that is downright disingenuous.

Even the mighty Toyota only became competitive in it’s fourth season, and BAR, with the biggest budget in the history of the sport back then, scored no points in its first season but then build on on the team that is now Mercedes. Therefore, there’s no record in modern Formula 1 history of a team that started from zero and was immediately competitive. The last one was probably March in 1970, but that’s ancient history for the sport.

Then Formula 1 argues that, “the need for any new team to take a compulsory power unit supply, potentially over a period

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Despite a push from FIA boss Bin Sulayem (left), F1 lead by Stefano Domenicali, CEO, Formula 1 (right) is rejecting team expansion.

of several seasons, would be damaging to the prestige and standing of the Championship.” Now, either Alpine has done a complete U-turn in its intention to supply Power Units to Andretti for the next three years and hasn’t told anyone else, or this is a completely false statement.

Then comes the sentence that can only be aimed at humiliating Mario and Michael Andretti: “While the Andretti name carries some recognition for F1 fans, our research indicates that F1 would bring value to the Andretti brand rather than the other way around.” On top of being a completely false statement – for Andretti is a household name in the USA and Mario one of the biggest living legends of the sport – it begs the question what recognition names like Stake F1 Team and Visa Cash App RB get and what value to they bring to the sport?

Then, another disingenuous point: “The addition of an 11th

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team would place an operational burden on race promoters, would subject some of them to significant costs, and would reduce the technical, operational and commercial spaces of the other competitors.” This means there’s no room for more teams because circuits are not going to magically grow – they’re physically limited – but doesn’t stack up with the reality of a large number of permanent circuits that have enough garages and paddock space to take more teams.

Formula 1 then states that, “we were not able to identify any material expected positive effect on CRH financial results, as a key indicator of the pure commercial value of the Championship”, but it seems clear that you cannot find something if you’re not looking for it … And then came the conclusion that seemed to have been taken before any “research” was done, that, “we do not believe that the Applicant has shown that it would add value to the Championship. We conclude that the Applicant’s application to participate in the Championship should not be successful.”

Apply all these reasons to any potential entry and everyone will have their bids denied. The mention that “we would look differently on an application for the entry of a team into the 2028 Championship with a GM power unit, either as a GM works team or as a GM customer team designing all allowable components in-house” ignores the distinct possibility that, in the new Concorde Agreement that comes into effect in 2026 and is currently being finalised by Formula 1 and the teams, all pushing against the FIA’s wish of getting bigger slice of the cut, there will be stated that the sport is limited to 10 teams only, officially shutting the door on all new entries.

Formula 1 couldn’t have been any more clear that the sport is now a private club for the 10 current teams and the only way to get in is buying one of them. Period.

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THE BAND IS BACK TOGETHER TEAM 18 HAS BEEN BUILDING IN THE OFF-SEASON, BUT AT ITS CORE HAS BEEN THE REUNIFICATION OF CHARLIE SCHWERKOLT WITH ADRIAN BURGESS. BRUCE WILLIAMS AND ANDREW CLARKE REPORT ...

ADRIAN BURGESS was probably one of the most maligned people in Supercars last year. Gen3 was developed under his stewardship, and it was 'kind of' OK, but it also missed the mark.

The Ford Mustang was clearly not as good a toy as the Chevrolet Camaro, and that was borne out when the cars were finally put in a wind tunnel at the end of the season.

But there were other niggling issues and discussions over whether some of the beautiful little components needed to be so beautiful in a parity sport.

Then there were issues that popped up that all created angst – like wheel nuts that didn’t work and steering racks that failed. Not to mention the hearsay debate from the opening

Images: MARK HORSBURGH, MOTORSPORT IMAGES, BRUCE WILLIAMS, TEAM 18

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round, with the Triple Eight disqualification, that had some fingers pointed firmly in the direction of Supercars’ Head of Motorsport.

Rightly or wrongly, every issue was landed at his feet. The fans turned on him, some of the teams turned on him and the fun was sucked out of what he was doing. There was a drink driving charge leading into Bathurst that added another layer of tarnish.

Enter Charlie Schwerkolt and Team 18.

Famously, in 2010, with Schwerkolt as a coowner of Dick Johnson Racing and Burgess out front of the shop, James Coutney won a Supercars championship against the flow.

But at the end of that season, the band broke up. Schwerkolt took a Racing Entitlements Contract and eventually started Team 18,

Courtney went to Holden Racing Team and Burgess went to Triple Eight.

Now the band is partly back together. There is no James Courtney, but there is Mark Winterbottom and David Reynolds, who were both connected to Schwerkolt when he was running out of Ford Performance Racing.

But the big change, the controversial change, is the reuniting of Schwerkolt with his engineering mate, Adrian Burgess.

Burgess was under siege last year, and the decision to return to team-land from Supercars caused some angst, but it was happening and contractually there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.

“I did feel sorry for him. No, I’m serious,” Schwerkolt says, before explaining “Adrian’s

Getting the band back together ... Right (top) the double-act harks back to 2010 and DJR/ Courtney's title win. Right: David Reynolds brings significant and fresh experience to the team. Far right: The Team 18 engineering squad also has massive experience ... Below right: Charlie – the man behind the team that is thinking big ... Above: Winterbottom heads Feeney en route to Darwin victory – the team wants more in 2024.

been a friend for many years – we’ve been colleagues and friends and mates ever since DJR. I’ve had a few team managers along the way, and I obviously strive to get the best I possibly can in every field. And for me, things changed at the end of Bathurst, Bruin left the team, and I hunted this man [Burgess] down.”

The 2010 championship win was a famous win against the form trend of the time.

Schwerkolt says something special was built during that time, kind of like a premiership team in the AFL or NRL. “There’s a bond for life. I still talk to James Courtney, I still talk to Sinclair who was on the car, the mechanics, and obviously Adrian as well. There’s a bond forever when you win the championship. That was just a massive year, and obviously

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“ ” Adrian was running the team.

“You always think one day it would be great to put the band back together and now we have.”

Without going into what was Gen3 with recriminations and accusations flying freely, for Burgess the offer came at the right time.

The old job had worn him down.

“It was an easy decision to talk further and accept Charlie’s offer. Ultimately, we aligned on the vision for the team because you don’t do this without a goal. It was easy to come back and work with Charlie again, but it was a hard decision for me to leave Supercars.

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And for me, things changed at the end of Bathurst, Bruin left the team, and I hunted this man [Burgess] down ...

“It wasn’t the other way around. I wasn’t asked to leave, just so we’re clear. It was my choice to resign, which I did after Gold Coast.

"But for me personally, when you weigh up the three years of work and effort and energy that you put into Gen3 and doing your normal job as well, and the way that it all rolled out, the disappointment for some people, the controversy, the P word, all those things, it definitely took the edge off a job that I loved.

“And I did love that role as Head of Motorsport. It was a good role and I thought I was doing a decent job. I did enjoy it, but I wasn’t enjoying the job towards the end just because of all the politics, all the backstabbing going on, all the underhand stuff going on in the background – I didn’t think was conducted very well by certain teams and team owners.

“There was probably a more

constructive way of dealing with everybody.

"There were probably a lot of things we should have done better at Supercars in terms of communication, especially keeping the public informed about what was going on. But those things led to making it easier to walk away from that role and come back into team-land.

“I think Gen3’s delivered. I think one of the key objectives was to try and level the playing field and for you not need to be in a team with a $15 million budget and a million-dollar driver to be able to win races. So I think we had certainly achieved that – with Charlie getting his first win, with Matt Stone getting a win, PremiAir being up there and Erebus is a new double champion. I think we did that.

“Unfortunately for the blue side of the camp, we didn’t deliver and as a category we didn’t do a good enough job. And that’s not just Supercars. There’s got to be accountability held on the blue side of the fence as well.

And if they’re honest, they’ll probably admit that they didn’t do a great job in some areas.

“Now as a category, we’ve got to fix that for everybody’s health.

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Dave Reynolds lines up in the Tradiebacked car, Winterbottom the DeWalt Camaro (right). Below left: Back in business – Schwerkolt & Burgess Inc ... Below: Winterbottom's Darwin win was a huge fillip for the team, but couldn't be reproduced.

"We should have done wind tunnels; we should have done AVL [transient dyno for the engines]. We all knew that. But there weren’t the resources allocated at the time to do that.

So, you the best job with what you had, and I think we delivered a bloody good car.”

So, to the transition back to team-land. Team 18 has been steadily growing. Each year, Schwerkolt has made changes to sharpen the team. Some have worked, some have not. Bathurst, with both cars not having enough fuel to make it to end of the race was a gutting failure, and the axe swung and approaches were made.

There is more to it than just Adrian Burgess, but he is the key.

“We’re not going to win anything because we won something 14 years ago. But what I think I’ll bring is some clear leadership, I’ll bring some passion and some desire … I want

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to win. Everybody in here wants to win, but we need to channel all that passion. I need to bottle, Dave and Frosty’s exuberance.

“We clearly need to invest in our engineering department, which is what we’re doing. We’ve got some good plans in place. Some of those things that we will strengthen our internal capacity in the engineering side. We’ve got a fantastic crew. They’re a young crew. They’ve got to learn as well and they’ve got to take some success and they’ve got to take some failure and learn from that.

“Charlie is a racer. Charlie wants to win. He is not here just to make the numbers up. And I’m the same. I’ve been doing this for 38 years, I want to win. And I’ve just had five years of going to events where I don’t go home a winner or a loser. You might go home beaten up by people ... there’s plenty of knife wounds.

But if you don’t have any knife wounds, you

haven’t done anything, have you?

“Now I’m keen to go back racing again and challenge and go home either happy and ecstatic or go home pissed off because we haven’t done a good enough job.”

Schwerkolt is a smart businessman, and he is, like everyone, continually evolving his team.

After Bathurst he targeted people to fill his weaknesses, and his old mate was one of them.

“He knows what he wants, and he’s obviously won before and it’s a bit like a footy coach – you’ve got to yell and scream sometimes if things aren’t going right and

“ ”

floodgates or the like. In fact, it dropped off a cliff and the tails drooped. The off-season changes have created a new vibe in the workshop; there is a belief again.

Schwerkolt, who swaps his working live between Queensland and Victoria, says he feels something special now in his workshop.

He’s enjoying his time there, and he wants to flatten the curve and wipe out the worst performances, to creep to the front more regularly.

The recruitment of Burgess was not without its conflict. Some team owners questioned the legitimacy of the move, arguing that Burgess from his role with Supercars had all their IP, so surely he’d have to sit aside for a while?

They muttered about courts and the like, but contractually, and hence legally, there was nothing standing in the way of the move.

Burgess didn’t go to Adelaide though out of respect for that viewpoint. He could have; he just didn’t, which wasn’t easy given it was the end of the first year of something that took

We’re not going to win anything because we won something 14 years ago. But what I think I’ll bring is some clear leadership ...

perhaps we didn’t do that in the past. I know how Burgess works and that excites me,” Schwerkolt says.

“I know he’s going to pull people into line and make sure it’s done properly. I know how his leadership style works, and I do that in other parts of my business where I need to. I’m looking to the future with Adrian taking the full control at the helm of this and making it a very successful team.”

The little team that could, did. Last year it won its first race, but it didn’t open any

many years to build.

“I’ve had some more time in the garden just to give everyone a cheap laugh,” Burgess jokes. “But I’m a racer. I hated not going to Adelaide. I absolutely hated it. I sat there welded to the TV with my laptop and my iPad and every screen I could get going. I love going racing. It’s what I do. It’s what I’ve always done. I can’t wait to get into it. I’ve had a few weeks off. I’m happy and I’m energised.

“I think back to when I first met Charlie – I walked into DJR and I knew when I turned the

Darwin was a big weekend for the team, and Winterbottom (below) ...

screw there was going to be a few people that didn’t want to come on the journey, and they didn’t and we replaced them, but we improved the culture of the place there. We built a really good team and by the time we got to that 2010 victory, we had such a great group of people, we could have conquered Everest.

“I walk in here and I feel like I’m already halfway up Everest. But you’ve got to remember there’s 22 other cars out there and they’re all trying to do the same thing.

We’ve got the same equipment as the bloke who’s on pole. If we’re on the back row of the grid, we’ve got to look at ourselves because we’ve got the same equipment.

But we won’t be ... that’s not where we’re going to be.

“We still need to improve; we’ve got to understand what makes the car tick.

At the moment, the engineering group needs some help and we are reinforcing in that area and we’ll continue to do that until we’re comfortable that we’ve got the right resources and the right systems and processes in place.”

As for budget, Schwerkolt says that can’t be used as an excuse.

“We’ve got a good healthy budget because we’ve got some amazing sponsors

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and there’s incredible partners on these cars and they’ve stuck with us for the journey,” he says. “They get great return from it and I’m telling you it’s a good budget. It’s not like we’re behind the eight-ball – for the first time in about 4 or 5 years, both cars are full of sponsors sitting out there ready to go.

“For me, that was the best bit about the offseason – I didn’t have to worry. For the last two years I’ve had to go round-by-round on Car 20 and now it’s full and it’s great, which is a testament to the drivers and the sponsorship staff here.”

The Team 18 hierarchy has Schwerkolt at the top as the owner and group managing director, and Burgess is the team principal, which means he is in charge of the day-to-day running of the shop and make sure it all runs on a race weekend. There’s a commercial team that continuously works on sponsors, keeping the existing ones happy while finding the money that is the fuel of a race team.

“Charlie loves the commercial side of it – I’ve seen it from afar for years. He’s the most commercially savvy team owner, I think, in the pit lane. Hopefully I’m competent – I’m grey-haired for a reason, and he doesn’t need to worry about what’s happening in the race team.

“The race team is doing the best job it can – it’s looking after itself. It’s running the business as a business. I’ve got a budget to operate with and I’ve got responsibility for that budget.

“It’s nothing fancy, but it’s nothing bad either, that we can do a bloody good job with it if we spend it wisely. And part of my role is guiding the team, employing the right people, reinforcing the right areas to maximise the Gen3 platform, which everyone’s got the same.”

Dr Geoff Slater has joined the team in an engineering role, and there are plenty of other changes to add support to the highly-rated Richard Hollway who has been there for a while. Reynolds and Mark Winterbottom bring plenty of experience and personality to the team, and race wins. Winterbottom is a series champion and winningest driver in the field … and Reynolds isn’t that far behind.

You get the feeling Team 18 is thinking big,

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but it knows it must get better for the results to flow.

It needs to develop some its young engineers to be able to replace Burgess, Hollway and Slater when the time is right, and they can then be used in other, more advanced roles. They all must grow to get the runs on the board.

Only time will tell if they can do it, but if the first challenge is belief, then that box has been ticked. Now it is how you measure success.

“For me, it’s not a number count,” Burgess says. “Clearly, we’re here to win races, there’s no point in kidding yourself; but equally, there’s no point kidding yourself about how tough that is. We need to make progress as a team.

“Last year when you look from the outside, they finished eighth in the team’s

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championship and were quick one week, not so quick the next week. But they didn’t know why. We need to change that. We need to understand why we’re quick and why we’re not.

“We need to be in the top 10 with both drivers. That’s really a sort of given – and then we need to be making progress. We want one car in the six and then we want two cars in the six, but six isn’t good enough either. I won’t be happy with that, but you’ve got to take everybody on a journey. You don’t go from A to B without some hard work.

“We want podiums and we want be challenging and winning and setting the business up for the future.

And the future can come in the form of many things.”

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AUSTRALIA V THE BATHURST 12 Hour is creeping back to its best as the biggest field of internationals since COVID descends on Mount Panorama next week to beat the locals.

The 22nd running of Australia’s international enduro is shaping up to be another titanic battle with global superstars and famous brands within a 31-car grid taking on the Mountain.

Nine different brands are entered, with teams from Australia, Hong Kong, China, the United States, Germany, Belgium, France and Taiwan making it the biggest for years.

If the 2024 race is anything like last year, fans will be in for a treat.

In front of a record crowd of 53,446 hit by Valentino Rossi fever, SunEnergy1 Racing clung on for a back-to-back victory.

Kenny Habul, Jules Gounon and Luca Stolz fended off fellow Mercedes Maro Engel and Porsche rival Matt Campbell in a nail-biter.

With the 12 Hour now kicking off the Intercontinental GT Challenge, an even bigger contingent of internationals are coming to town as the race continues to gather worldwide momentum.

LOCAL HOPES

THERE WAS once a time when Supercars drivers were not allowed to take part in the Bathurst 12 Hour, but now they go hand-inhand.

With the 12 Hour taking place less than a week before the Supercars season starts, with both meetings part of the same ‘SuperFest’ event at the same circuit, the touring car drivers will play a massive part, using the enduro as a golden chance to get lots of seat time.

However, this will be no warm up, with each

SunEnergy1 Racing hopes to join Mazda as the only team to take a hat-trick of 12 Hour wins. driver determined to etch their name into the 12 Hour history books.

Although there are many Supercars stars coming to town, the Australian currently on the motorsport world’s lips is Matt Campbell.

Just a fortnight after winning the Daytona 24 for Porsche Penske Motorsport, Campbell will be taking on Mount Panorama in the bright ‘grello’ (green and yellow) EMA Motorsport Type-992 GT3R. The 28-year-old has won the Bathurst 12 Hour before, in 2019 for Earl Bamber Motorsport, and fell less than a second short of victory last year.

“I’m really excited to be rejoining EMA Motorsport and Manthey for the 2024 Bathurst 12 Hours,” Campbell said.

“It’s one of my favourite events and tracks in the world. I might be a bit biased, but I really enjoyed last year and I hope we can improve one more position on our second place finish in 2023. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Reigning champion Habul will be determined to join John Bowe and Gounon as the only drivers to take three 12 Hour victories in a yet-to-be-confirmed line up at SunEnergy1.

It will be a big weekend for Will Brown as he goes racing for Triple Eight Race Engineering for the first time. He and Broc Feeney will begin their racing partnership as co-drivers in the Pro #888 Mercedes GT3 entry.

The Toowoomba product has not raced the 12 Hour since 2022 and never competed for outright honours, but “will try and win” this year.

Feeney will step up having shown impressive pace in car #888 last year whilst Mercedes AMG factory driver Mikael Grenier completes the line-up.

Jamie Whincup will stay race fit driving the #88 Pro-Am entry that also features GT regular Prince Jefri Ibrahim and Aussie international Jordan Love.

Maro Engel and GruppeM Racing was a dominant force last year but they are yet to secure the elusive victor’s trophy.

Below: It’s an early start!

Images: MARK HORSBURGH/MOTORSPORT IMAGES/MICK REYNOLDS-MTR IMAGES

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Love is the current GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Silver Cup Champion and has two 12 Hour starts with a best finish of fourth.

Triple Eight may likely find itself in another battle with Erebus Motorsport which will return to the 12 Hour in Pro Am. New recruit Jack Le Brocq will suit up again having done so for Erebus more than a decade ago, with Justin McMillan, Glen Wood and Garth Walden for company in the M-Motorsport-supported entry.

Some of the biggest names in Supercars form an unlikely combination in the #222 Scott Taylor Motorsport entry.

The familiar smile of Craig Lowndes remains, but he will team up with Tickford duo Cameron Waters and Thomas Randle.

The trio will be looking to make the most of their countless Bathurst 1000 laps of experience in the competitive PRO battle.

Lowndes has 10 12 Hour starts and two wins under his belt, while Waters has a best finish for seventh from his pair of attempts and Randle will make his debut at the enduro, but with previous GT3 experience.

The team will continue to raise awareness for Prostate Cancer in the Mercedes.

THE WORLD Chaz Mostert will not only be racing at the 12 Hour, but also spearheading his own team, Method Motorsports.

Mostert co-owns the squad which will turn heads fielding a pair of McLaren GT4 Arturas in the C-GT4 class.

The WAU star will remain in his familiar #25 alongside Porsche youngster Marco Flack and newcomer Jesse Bryan.

Meanwhile the #230 will be headed by Trans Am winner Tom Hayman, Elliott Schutte and Tom McLennan.

Matt Stone Racing is also coming to the 12 Hour, with Cameron Hill and Nick Percat sharing a MARC GT with John Holinger in Invitational. The other MARC will be headed by young gun Cameron McLeod, who will be hopeful of getting some laps after Keith Kassulke suffered a horrific practice crash last year. They will be fighting a factory-backed KTM driven by works driver Laura Kraihamer, plus David Crampton and Trent Harrison for class honours with seven entries making it the biggest.

Luke Youlden will be in a bright Valmont Racing Audi, while the head-turning Lamborghini featuring the likes of David Wall and Tony D’Alberto is also back for more.

The fleet of factory Team WRT BMWs led by Valentino Rossi will be hunting silverware.

Valentino Rossi is tipped to attract another huge crowd to Mount Panorama.

Will Brown will make his Triple Eight racing debut alongside Broc Feeney.

At the time of writing the Audi brigade of Schumacher Racing and Melbourne Performance Centre were yet to reveal their line ups. But look out for Liam Talbot, who won the Australian GT title last year after impressively taking out Pro Am honours with Fraser Ross and Mostert at Bathurst.

THE INVADERS

LOOKING TO spoil the party is a big contingent of internationals, who are once again coming to take on the mighty Mountain.

A total of 11 overseas entries has ensured the biggest international field in the event’s history.

It will be no surprise to hear the biggest fanfare will surround the Team WRT BMW pits with MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi returning.

The seven-time MotoGP world champion raced around Mount Panorama for the first time last year and finished sixth with Maxime Martin and Augusto Farfus.

However, the sister entry of Sheldon van der Linde, Charles Weerts and Dries Vanthoor showed better pace, getting into the top four.

It was an impressive effort from the team considering the 2023 Bathurst 12 Hour was just its second event with BMW. This year Rossi and Martin will steer the #46 alongside new recruit Raffaele Marciello, while the #32 squad will be unchanged and looking to reach the podium.

Now with a full GT World Challenge Europe season under his belt ‘The Doctor’ and Team WRT BMW will be determined to give the Mountain a big shake.

Few teams would want to get in the way of the GruppeM Racing Mercedes which is hungry to finally get its hands on the winner’s trophy.

Last year Maro Engel stormed to the Allan Simonsen Pole Award with a 2:00.8819, while the former Supercars driver, Marciello and Mikael Grenier then led 144 laps in the race.

But this total proved to be the most ever without a win as they had to settle for third after a clash at The Chase late in the piece.

The third place followed another podium in the team’s 2019 debut, while a year later the GruppeM car was second on the road, but a pit stop infringement sent them to sixth.

Manthey EMA has doubled its fleet of Porsches, with Campbell sharing the lead entry with former pole sitter Laurens Vanthoor and Turkish DTM winner Ayhancan Güven.

Yasser Shahin will be racing the iconic Shell colours in the Pro Am class with Belgian driver Alessio Picariello and Brit Harry King, who hopes to continue his unbeaten record at Bathurst after dominating the Carrera Cup round.

They will front the biggest number of Porsches, with newcomers Phantom Global Racing also fielding BJR Kiwi Jaxon Evans, DTM winner Joel Ericsson and Porsche Supercup champion Bastian Buus.

Also racing a 911 GT3R 992 is Taiwan based HubAuto Racing, which returns to the event for the first time since COVID with Klaus Bachler, Kevin Estre and Patrick Pilet at the wheel, who have IMSA experience as a trio.

Another newcomer is a collaboration effort between the German-based SPS Automotive Performance and the US-based Heart of Racing.

Representing the squad are Brits Ian James and Ross Gunn and Spaniard Alex Riberas.

Much like the past, Melbourne Performance Centre may bring out a fleet of Audi Sport factory drivers with 10 cars yet to reveal their driver line-ups as AA closed for print.

SUPPORTS

LAST YEAR fans were thrilled by the sight of Liam Lawson flying the RB7 F1 car around Bathurst.

In 2024, a high-powered vehicle of a different kind will take on the Mountain with a Ford SuperVan turning wheels on Australian soil for the first time in the hands of two-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Romain Dumas.

Group S and Combined Sedans will entertain the fans as support categories with tin top cars including Sports Sedans, Improved Production, V8 Touring Cars, Trans AM / TA2 and Production Cars all expected.

Thomas Miles

The SCM Mercedes will have some of the biggest names in Supercars behind the wheel.

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NATIONALS WRAP

The Sports GT field provided plenty of action – for those who stayed on the road!

Images: ANGRYMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

STRONG START TO TASMANIAN SEASON IF THE FIRST ROUND OF THE 2024 TASMANIAN CIRCUIT RACING CHAMPIONSHIP AT BASKERVILLE WAS ANYTHING TO GO BY, THEN FANS OF THE SIX-ROUND SERIES ARE IN FOR A REAL TREAT. AUTO ACTION’S MARTIN AGATYN WITNESSED IT ALL ...

CAR COUNTS were up in almost all categories, with more than 130 overall participants getting involved, interest only boosted by the milestone 70th anniversary being celebrated by the Hobart Sporting Car Club.

The racing proved a true spectacle, with wet conditions throwing a late spanner in the works during the Saturday afternoon events.

HYUNDAI EXCEL

AFTER FINISHING third in last year’s Hyundai Excel Championship, Jackson Shaw was determined to start his season on a continued high.

Just as hoped, the weekend started off well for Shaw, with the champ qualifying on Pole and going on to win the first race.

Following a similar plan, defending Champion Jeremy Bennett was also looking to pick up where he left off, thriving in the wet afternoon conditions.

From the outset it was clear that Shaw and Bennett were the front runners of the weekend, with the duo competing at a level above their rivals.

Bennett claimed victory in the first race on

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Winner Jackson Shaw heads the Hyundai field.

Sunday, with Shaw taking the honours in both the fourth heat and double-points final, securing the round by a handful of points.

Not too far down the order, however, two debutantes put on a display showing the more experienced drivers just how it’s done.

14-year-old Oliver Wickham was impressive in his first foray into tin tops. The youngster claimed a handful of third and fourth places,

finishing third overall for the round.

16-year-old Denzil Sargent also raised a few eyebrows, securing an array of top-10 results, including fourth place in Heat 4 and the final.

RACING AND SPORTS CARS

REIGNING TASMANIAN Formula Vee and Australian 1200 cc champion Jeremy Dyer put his open-wheel skills to good use in the

Racing and Sports Car category, competing in a Cheetah Mk 8.

Qualifying fourth, Dyer steadily improved over the weekend, taking home two secondplace finishes and three victories to win the round.

Having less luck was defending champion Rod Bender (Radical SR3 RSX) who, apart from winning the first race, looked inexplicably off the pace.

Phil Sutton (Ralt R35) brought the challenge to Dyer, with Daniel Hoult (Radical SR3) also stepping up to show his prowess in the wet on Saturday.

Sutton got the better start in the final, leading Dyer for the entirety of the race, until a painful final 100m stretch saw the defending champ edge forward to snatch the win by five-tenths, setting a lap record for his class in the process.

IMPROVED PRODUCTION

THE REIGNING Improved Production Sedan champion, Shane Bond was absent, with Ayrton Richardson (Toyota Corolla KE 30) stepping up in a big way during the opening round.

Want to see your category event or news story included in the Auto Action Nationals Wrap.

Send your information, images and contact details to team@autoaction.com.au or give us a call on 03 9563 2107 Jeremy Dyer took the points in his Mk 8 Cheetah. BELOW: Defending champion Andrew Toth was unbeaten in HQs all weekend. BELOW LEFT: Ayrton Richardson snared a ‘five-for in Improved Production wins. BOTTOM: Michael Vaughan got the best of a modest Vee grid.

SPORTS SEDANS

ALTHOUGH A small field, the sports sedans looked great and sounded even better, certainly not disappointing with their quality of racing.

The victors varied, with three different drivers taking to the top step across the weekend.

Ben Purtell (Nissan 180SX) took three wins, including in the final, with Brad Chick (Holden Commodore) and Craig Sheahan (Nissan GTR) also picking up a win each.

It was also a small field in historic touring cars, with the duelling Holden Torana XU-1s of Scott Cordwell and reigning champion Phil Ashlin providing plenty of entertainment.

Between them, they traded first and second in every race, with Ashlin taking a narrow points lead into the next round after winning the final.

John Talbot (Ford Mustang) won heat four, however, struggled with consistency while the ever-reliable Roger Hurd (BMW 2002 TC) was never far from the front.

HOLDEN HQ

IT WASN’T a large field of HQ Holdens either, seeing reigning champion Andrew Toth unbeaten all weekend as he qualified on pole and won all five races.

Former multiple champion Andrew Bird challenged Toth on more than one occasion but ultimately fell flat to the champ who had an answer to everything.

Reader’s only slip-up came in race four with oil pressure issues forcing him to back off to a fifth- place finish.

Warren won the round after collating two victories, two secondplace finishes and one third-place finish, taking a narrow points lead over Johnson and Reader.

A bit further down the field in Sports GTB, Dennis Howard

(Nissan 350Z) and reigning champion David Walker (Datsun 1200 Turbo Ute) had some close battles on the Saturday.

Walker did, however, stand his ground on the Sunday, winning all three races, including the double-points final to start his title defence on the right note.

Even further down the field, Steve Olive (Ford Falcon) dominated Sports GTC, winning three races and finishing second behind Michael Symons (BMW 125i) in the final.

This rewarded Olive with a narrow points victory for the round.

FORMULA VEE

A DISAPPOINTING field of Formula Vees was still able to produce some close racing, but it was dominated by two drivers.

Michael Vaughan (Spectre) and Adam Prewer (Elfin Crusader) battled with one another, with Vaughan ultimately winning the majority of the duo’s entertaining battles.

Chris Neil (Spectre Hepburn) wasn’t too far off the pace, at times getting involved in the battle for the lead, however, ultimately settled for a third-place finish in every race.

Despite not running the full series last year, Richardson looked like a seasoned veteran, qualifying on pole and winning all five races.

Leigh Forrest (Toyota Celica Turbo) posed a slight threat early on until throttle issues ended his weekend, while Phil House (BMW E30 Alpina) also had an early demise in the final, pulling into the pits after the warm-up lap.

Anthony McKenzie (Ford Escort) spent a fair bit of time at the pointy end of the field, finishing with three outright podiums including one in the final, and finishing third overall while also dominating the under twolitre division.

SPORTS GT A, B AND C

FORMER SPORTS GTA champion Tony Warren (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo) came out of retirement yet again, making it look like he’d never been away.

Warren, last year’s runner-up Troy Johnson (Porsche GT3), and Andrew Reader (Mazda RX-7) engaged in some great battles over the weekend, sharing most of the podiums between the three of them.

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NATIONALS WRAP

Image: PAKENHAM AUTOCLUB

PAKENHAM AUTOCLUB BEGINS NEW YEAR

Mike Barker set FTD at the championship’s opening round.

Image: SUPPLIED

BARKER BOSSES VIC HILLCLIMB OPENER THE 2024 Victorian Hillclimb Championship fired into action in a big way at Rob Roy and with recordbreaking pace being set.

The driver that dominated the first round of the new season was Mike Barker, who rewrote the course record with a 23.81s.

The ‘long’ track at Rob Roy that includes the ‘bus stop chicane’ can be tricky to master for many, but not Barker.

Barker was on fire in his Hayward 06, being the only driver to dip into the fast 23s window.

The Formula Libre 1301-200 class driver posted the winning time as early as his second run, while his final two times

were also 23s runs.

Next best was Patrick Malanaphy with a 24.10s time in his Yacar Crosskart, while there was a further second back to Daniel Leitner as the fastest tin top in third place.

All up, a strong 102 cars took on the Rob Roy climb to create a strong start to the season.

Victorian Hillclimb Championship secretary John Read was delighted to have such a strong turnout for the season opener.

“Entry numbers have just cracked over a 100 which is huge for an opening round. We are very happy with that,” he told Auto Action.

“In the last few years we were very happy to get between 70 or 80.

“There is a solid core of 60-70 that participate in the championship and then on top of that there will be a lot of MG Car Club members.

“The championship finished back in August last year so there has been a decent gap and all the competitors now are fairly keen to come back.

“It is a great indicator of how keen they are.”

The second round of the 2024 Victorian Hillclimb Championship will be at Bryant Park on Saturday, February 17.

Thomas Miles

ONE OF the first clubs in Australia to begin its 2024 season was the Pakenham Auto Club, which hosted a Khanacross Test and Tune event on January 13.

A total of 14 participants took part in the event held at the club’s base in the Shire of Cardinia, Victoria.

The opening round of the season was a non-competitive Khanacross and Test and Tune day, which proved to be a handy way to for the rookies and juniors to get to grips.

All competitors enjoyed 10 runs on the 500m off-road course where even the odd hay bale (picture above) was an obstacle.

Pakenham Auto Club Clerk of Course Nick Wright said it was a positive way to start the new year with a strong amount of juniors having a crack.

“We had a lot of young people and some fairly new starters, who all improved over the course of the day which was excellent to see,” he told Motorsport Australia.

“Of course, there were some standout performers throughout the day but I think one of the most impressive results from the day was our former president Anthony Franks getting beaten by his 14-year-old son, which added some entertainment to the event.

“Although it was our first time running an event in January in a while, I think it’s a good idea as it gives people a chance for seat time. So for us, we didn’t get a massive field, but we got an adequate one.

“The event was not only successful from a running point of view, but we also got to see our most recent renovation – the coursed draining system in action – which after heavy rains over the past few weeks, worked quite a treat.”

Thomas Miles

RACING FOR WINGS MARULAN’S PHEASANT Wood Circuit hosted more than just the average race meeting last month.

The smell of burnt rubber and the sounds of Holden Barina, Toyota Echo and Hyundai Getz buzzing around the twisty New South Wales circuit delighted those in attendance at the the 10th Annual Mammoth Charity Drive Day. After more than 300 laps and six hours of racing, Mannoth Projects 2, won convincingly over Team Mario. All up 26 cars competed to support the event.

But, for the drivers, there was a much bigger goal than simply just victory as much-needed funds for the Little Wings Australia charity were raised.

Based in Bankstown, Cessnock and

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Archerfield, Little Wings supports seriously ill children from regional and rural NSW in accessing life-saving medical treatment that is usually unavailable close to home.

Mammoth Projects co-founder and director Blair McKechnie was thrilled the motorsport event could make a big difference.

“This event is not only immensely enjoyable but also holds significant importance throughout the year, eagerly anticipated by all of us,” he said.

“I take great pride in my support for Little Wings and extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the dedicated volunteer pilots and drivers who tirelessly assist families from rural areas in accessing vital healthcare services in major cities.

The event raised funds for Little Wings Australia. Image: SUPPLIED “I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the Mammoth team for orchestrating an exceptional day of racing, fundraising, and fostering a strong sense of community.”

Little Wings CEO Clare Pearson said the event will make a massive impact.

“Over the past 5 years, Mammoth have sponsored a staggering 330 missions, helping over 160 families in the battle of their lives,” she said.

“The partnership with Mammoth Projects is a lifeline for Little Wings and the families we support … families that you will never meet but are deeply impacted by their generosity and kindness.

“The partnership between Little Wings and Mammoth Projects is an incredible example of true collaboration, and we are deeply honoured to be connected with such a motivated and inspirational community of people.” Thomas MIles

SPEEDWAY

HARPER SURVIVES CHAOS Image: RICHARD HATHAWAY PHOTOGRAPHY

HALLETT WINS RESCHEDULED PRESIDENTS CUP BROCK HALLETT (above) drove to his maiden Presidents Cup victory in commanding style at Avalon Raceway.

The Presidents Cup was originally supposed to take place in the build-up to the Grand Annual Classic, but heavy rain washed those hopes away.

However, the race still took place, a week later, being sandwiched in between the Classic and Aussie title – and drivers were greeted with sunny skies.

Due to the busy schedule, some teams decided to withdraw and skip the rescheduled race with an eye to the Aussie title, including James McFadden and Callum Williamson.

After a podium finish at the Classic, Hallett carried good form by surging to the top step three days later.

The GW Racing #Q5 had a solid 1.386s buffer over Grand Anderson and Jamie Veal after 30 laps of racing around Avalon.

The race was a relatively clean affair with only three retirements but one of them was pole man Ryan Newton.

Newton led the first seven laps before being overtaken by Hallett, who controlled the remaining 23 laps untroubled.

Despite losing a muffler, Newton carried on in second place until a midrace caution when the officials deemed it too unsafe for the Queenslander to continue racing and disqualified him from second.

Newton had pace to burn as soon as he hit the dirt by dominating the Time Trials.

Across the merged times, Newton was the only driver to dip below the 12s barrier with a 11.959s time.

Next best was Marcus Dumesny and Hallett, while Grant Anderson and Jamie Veal completed the top five as heavyweight Jock Goodyer could not find the same speed he showed at the Avalon International and could only manage the 19th fastest time.

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In the heats, Dumesny overcame Kerry Madsen, and Hallett flew to a crushing 7s win over Brett Milburn; Newton beat Veal and Anderson held off Kaiden Manders and James Ingelis in a tense race where the top three were split by less than seventenths.

Veal continued to show speed by controlling the B-Dash ahead of Madsen and Manders before Newton claimed the all important International Dash by a second over Hallett and Dumesny.

Two B-Mains represented the last chance for the 17 outsiders to get themselves into the A-Main.

Tim Hutchins dominated the first by 5s as Kris Coyle had a heavy hit with the wall, while all eyes were on big names Tate Frost and Goodyer to progress in the second B Main – they did just that by finishing first and second.

All was now set for the 30-lap A Main and Newton blazed away to a commanding early lead ahead of Hallett as Anderson displayed Dumesny from third.

Goodyer started down in 15th but only needed a handful of laps to surge into the top 10.

Although Newton was in control, Hallett had been hot on his tail and got by on lap eight.

A further eight laps later Newton’s race ended during a mid-race caution caused by an Andrew Priolo spin, when the officials disqualified him after losing a muffler.

This meant Hallett now led Anderson and Veal and they remained the top three all the way to the chequered flag with the leader untroubled despite a restart five laps from the finish.

Most of the attention was on Goodyer as he continued his charge from 15th to an impressive fifth when the chequered flag fell.

Thomas Miles

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Image: RICHARD HATHAWAY PHOTOGRAPHY

CALLUM HARPER managed to steer clear of the chaos to win a dramatic Victorian Late Model title at Warrnambool’s Premier Speedway.

Joe Chalmers appeared poised for victory leading with five laps to go before two flat tyres triggered a six-car pile up and race-ending red flag.

As a result, Harper was named as the winner despite also getting tangled up with Chalmers, while Brad Smith ended up second, having started 20th.

The wild race began with Ryan Fenech taking the lead on the outside as Chalmers got caught bouncing over the ripple-strip.

The fast-starting Veronica McCann and Todd Bayley then started ganging up on Chalmers as it became a three way battle for second.

The first caution arrived on lap four, with Ellis Dickenson wrecked halfway up the back straight.

The fight for second could not remain clean after the restart however, when Bayley got spun after being squeezed between the grass verge and Chalmers, while McCann suffered a flat tyre.

At the restart, Cassidy carried on his momentum to challenge both Fenech and Chalmers for the lead as they bunched up at the front.

Cassidy stuck with the high line and it paid off handsomely as he slingshotted from third to first in one special move at Turn 2.

Fenech fought back on the inside to retake the lead a lap later as Cassidy lost his pace, and just seven laps later the #N2 had dropped down to fifth.

It was still green when the final 10 laps approached and Chalmers started to reel in Fenech.

With seven left he made his move smartly around the outside whilst Fenech was boxed in behind the lapped Dylan Price at Turn 3.

But just half a lap later it was Chalmers’ turn to be impacted with Darren Clarke

now in his way, allowing Fenech to go underneath him.

This dice for the lead all occurred moments before a late yellow caused by a Cassidy spin on the inside of Turn 2.

At the restart, Harper made his move, snatching second from Fenech, only for the #6R to immediately fire back a response.

However, the battle ended in tears when Fenech was spun onto the Turn 4 grass with the other number #6 Brad Smith also tangled up.

The drama continued even under caution conditions with the #A1 of Brent Vosbergen being allowed to resume racing in fourth despite sustaining enormous damage to his front left with the wheel and tyre caved in.

Just as Fenceh looked be making the most of the restart on the outside, Harper launched an attack for the lead on Chalmers at Turn 3.

But significantly the pair clashed wheels before the yellow returned when Vosbergen’s car finally succumbed to the significant damage.

Once out of the car, the national champion took the opportunity to angrily gesture at one of his rivals.

In another turn of events, it became clear race leader Chalmers also had both his front left and rear right tyres deflated.

With just four laps to go he tried to hold on and chaos unfolded as early as Turn 2.

Initially Harper tried to go around the outside but contact fired him into the wall, while Chalmers’ tyre blew completely on the back straight and a pile up also involving Chevy Edwards, Brock Edwards, Bruce Mackenzie, Kurt Millwood, Brendan Hucker and Lachlan Onley ensued.

With Hucker’s car sandwiched on top of Onley, it proved to be a race-ending red.

Harper was named the winner ahead of Smith after one crazy fight for the Victorian title.

Thomas Miles

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SPEEDWAY 2024 Australian Sprintcar Champion Lockie McHugh, runner up Jamie Veal and Jock Goodyer on the podium.

James M

TOP: It was another tough night for James McFadden and Hodges Motorsport with heartbreak on both nights.

ABOVE: Kris Coyle gets some air in the changeable conditions at Premier Speedway.

BELOW: Lockie McHugh edges ahead of Jamie Veal as they race side by side for the Australian Title.

LIGHTING McHUGH IT MAY not have been clear from the outset, but a storming finish saw Lachlan McHugh fly to the 2024 Australian Sprintcar Title.

One week after the 51st Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic, the biggest names in Australian speedway returned to Warrnambool’s Premier Speedway to chase the #1 across two more action-packed nights.

The 61st race for the Australian Sprintcar title was decided on Saturday night and a shower on the eve of the 40-lap A-Main created a late headache.

Teams were forced to think on their feet and McHugh’s crew excelled as the North Queensland star put the foot down.

In an all-green 40-lap A-Main, McHugh charged from sixth to first having convincingly won a momentarily thrilling three-way fight for the win with Jamie Veal and Jock Goodyer.

Once he picked off his rivals, the #NQ7 flew to the chequered flag as its late race pace proved overwhelming.

After finishing second-best last year and dominating 2022’s race before late heartbreak, McHugh was relieved to finally become the #1.

“I never thought I would get this one,” an emotional McHugh said in victory lane.

“I have been so close so many times and have always just fell short so it is pretty surreal.”

NIGHT 1 - SURPRISE WINNER

A BIG 80-car field descended on Premier Speedway for the opening night of the

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Australian Sprintcar Title and an unexpected star from WA stole the show in the form of James Inglis.

There was no time to muck around as the event got underway with no less than 14 heats.

The likes of Kris Coyle, Adam Butler, Matthew Dumesny, Brett Milburn, Bobby Daly, Brock Hallett and Kerry Madsen all went fastest success across the first seven heats that were mostly trouble free.

Heat 8 won by Luke Oldfield was interrupted by the red lights when Luke Thomas had a heavy crash on the back straight after contact with Brendan Quinn.

James Inglis, Cameron Waters, Jamie Veal, Callum Williamson, Goodyer and Alex Orr then showed strong pace to take out the remaining sprints.

The Prelim B-Main was a clean affair where Jordyn Charge went unchallenged winning by 2s over Grant Anderson and Daniel Pestka.

Kerry Madsen was one of the most high profile victims, failing to finish the B-Main.

A total of 18 cars lined up for the Prelim A-Main but only 17 greeted the starter after speedy Supercars star Waters suffered the heartbreak of pulling off to the infield during the warm up laps.

After impressing by taking a heat win, the Chief Racing #V6 was expected to be a contender but could not go racing due to a tie rod end breaking.

Inglis and Brock Hallett shared the front row and it was the latter who got the jump on the

inside to lead the field through Turn 1.

However, Inglis used his momentum off the top to swoop ahead on the back straight.

Inglis and Hallett continued to use the high and low line respectively as the race got off to a fast and clean start with Goodyer rounding out the top three.

By lap 7 Hallett was back on the prowl having used lap traffic to close the gap and mount a sudden challenge for the lead.

He dived down the inside at Turn 1 but could not make it stick as he checked up and allowed Inglis to immediately regain control.

As they battled side by side, Goodyer joined in the fun and pounced on Hallett’s mistake on lap 11 to steal second on the inside of Turn 4.

The squabbling allowed Inglis to build a gap as he sliced his way between the lapped Daniel Pestka and Sam Walsh in an impressive move.

Despite the move, Goodyer had pace to burn on the bottom and the fight for victory was reignited with nine laps to go.

Goodyer launched a counterattack and had a look on the inside of Inglis at Turn 2.

He got by momentarily only for the #W26 to fire an immediate response by winning a drag race up the back straight.

By the time the leaders arrived at Turn 4 Goodyer made another move and this time made it stick.

However, he was unable to make full use of it as the reds arrived when Ryan Newton rolled after he “got caught in the cushion” and

Images: RICHARD HATHAWAY PHOTOGRAPHY

the car dug itself in up high on Turn 3.

With the order being reinstated at the last completed lap, Inglis was back in front when racing resumed and more drama unfolded.

Not far behind the likes of Hallett, Veal and McFadden were fighting for third.

Having started 13th, McFadden was keen to continue his charge by lining up a move on Veal around the outside of Turn 1, but he “misjudged the entry” and fired into the outside wall.

The second red set up an eight-lap dash to the chequered and Inglis initially looked comfortable until the final corner of the penultimate lap.

A mistake suddenly opened the door for Goodyer, who got closer and closer as the final lap progressed.

The #A1 made a last gasp look along the bottom of the final corner but fell a tenth short as Inglis claimed the win with Hallett in third and McHugh looking ominous stealing fourth from Veal at the death.

NIGHT 2 - FULL THROTTLE

McHUGH SAVED his best for when it mattered most – on the big night that featured a bit of everything.

The marathon night included six more heats and four knockout races prior to the main event ,which was further delayed due to a last minute shower.

Brody Appleby, Steven Caruso, Andrew Priolo, Kerry Madsen, Chris Soloman and Tim Hutchins all got early wins in the heats.

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The tension then rose when the E-Main began and drivers had to perform to stay alive.

Chad Gardner and Kye Jensen were early victims, crashing out as winner Jordan Rae and runner-up Dennis Jones transferred.

The D-Main, won by Tate Frost, was an eventual affair disrupted by a big crash on the back straight where both Ben Morris and Ricky Maiolo tumbled down the back straight.

Brody Appleby put in a dominant performance in the C-Main ahead of Cody Maroske.

Madsen scored an important win in the thrilling last-chance B-Main where Sam Walsh passed Matt Dumesny on the final corner.

McFadden’s horror 2023/24 season took another turn for the worse as he was forced to watch the Aussie title from the sidelines after his Hodges Motorsport engine shut down in the pre-race hot laps.

With the track washed away, drivers went into the unknown as the 2023 Classic winner Hallett and 2023 Australian title winner Goodyer were lined up alongside each other on the front row.

It was Hallett who prevailed on the inside as, by Turn 3, Goodyer slipped to third behind Inglis as the hot pace was evident straight away.

Goodyer reclaimed second by pouncing on Inglis’ mistake at Turn 3, while an even bigger moment two corners later saw him also lose fourth to Veal having come close to the wall.

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The first quarter of the race flew by without interruption but by lap 12 Goodyer started to reel in leader Hallett.

Within three laps, suddenly the non-existent flight for the lead came alive with the top three nose-to-tail as Veal and Goodyer traded places whilst Hallett got held up by lapped traffic.

The trio went three wide into Turn 1 at the start of lap 18, but only two continued as Hallett was forced to give up his race-long lead due to a mechanical problem moments after a tap from Veal.

The action did not slow down however – it left Goodyer and Veal to fight for the lead side-by-side up the back straight.

Veal gained track position by carrying more speed on the inside while, two laps later, McHugh was suddenly in the picture.

Goodyer could do nothing as the eventual Aussie champion flew past the defending champion at the final corner.

The #NQ7 showed no signs of slowing down as the race flew into the second half and suddenly it was in the lead on lap 24.

As Veal got trapped by back markers on the bottom, McHugh soared around the outside and blazed into the lead.

A lap later Veal launched a counterattack and regained the lead as McHugh was wheelstanding the back straight.

Despite the #V35 opening a small gap, McHugh was soon on the hunt again and the pair put the crowd on its feet by running an entire lap side-by-side fighting for the lead.

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James Inglis stunned Premier Speedway by winning a thrilling opening night A-Main.

The Queenslander hung tough on the bottom and finally won the battle on the exit of Turn 2 with 12 remaining.

It proved decisive as Veal had no ammunition left and McHugh pulled away by almost 2s to complete a special drive to glory.

Goodyer kept hold of third to appear on the

podium while fourth placed Jordyn Charge was the only other driver to finish on the lead lap 40 laps of non-stop racing.

Although few made a mistake in a grand spectacle of Sprintcar racing, none could match McHugh in one of the most dominant drives in the six decades of chasing the Aussie title. Thomas Miles

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SPEEDWAY BRYCE LEEK WINS JUNIOR VICTORIAN TITLE BRYCE LEEK (right) was crowned the Victorian Junior Standard Saloon champion after prevailing at Bairnsdale Speedway.

He led the way in a successful night for Ausbuilt-Hill Racing with teammate Bailey Hill making it a one-two result whilst River Paterson was third.

Six qualifying heat races kicked things off, where Paterson won the opener in what was a new 10-lap record for the Juniors at Bairnsdale – only for it to be bettered later in the evening.

Dyclan Sweet, Hunter Carey, Chase Ingram, Bryce Leek and then Bailey Hill, the teammate of Leek all set a new lap records for the Junior Standard Saloons.

Thirty laps awaited drivers in the chase for the Junior Standard Saloon Victorian title and when the green flag unfurled Ingram led the way.

It took until lap four before Leek moved into the lead as Braz was the first of the pre-event favourites to exit the race with car issues.

Paterson pushed forward in the last 10 laps moving from outside the top five and into third place by lap 29e, however he didn’t have enough for the two ahead of him with Leek winning by over two seconds

Images: STEVE MITCHELL IMAGE WORX from Hill, Paterson, Ingram, and Joynson.

Leek became the first winner from the Drouin Speedway Club since 2012.

Adults also raced in their Standard Saloons on the same program with almost 30 competitors in attendance.

Mark Miles, Kane Gibson, and Jack Yeomans won the first-round races.

Miles began the second-round heats on a high while opener with local driver Josh Thomas, and then Jack Braz also won.

Finally, Andrew Miles, Jacob Vuillermin and Gus Argoon won the Round 3 races.

The finale was held over 20 laps for the Standard Saloons and Vuillermin began from the front of the field with Mark Miles.

Vuillermin made the most of his pole

position heading through lap one as the leader with Miles brothers in his wake.

The race was green throughout the first halfway as Vuillermin stayed in the lead.

The lead group remained unchanged and brought the field to the finish in the same order with Vuillermin picking up another win at Bairnsdale ahead of Mark and Andrew Miles, Yeomans and Argoon.

Current Division 2 Hot Rod Victorian champion Jordan Haley opened his night on a high by winning the first of three qualifiers.

Fraser Crittenden took the second before Haley was back in victory lane in the third and final qualifier.

Haley started the 15-lap final from pole position and got a great start to lead Jason Seymour and Rob Tatterson.

At the five-lap mark Seymour started to pressure Haley, while young gun Stuchbery moved into third.

Despite the early pressure Haley (left) completed the win from Seymour and Stuchbery.

Sports Sedan competitors also got a taste of Bairnsdale Speedway with a small field having a crack.

Bobby Devine won the first heat race before the final two were all about Broderick Stray. Stray would also go on to win a final over eight laps from Bernie Franklin and Leigh Mitchell.

Racing returns to Bairnsdale Speedway on February 24 with the VSC Sprintcar Victorian title, Ladies Standard Saloons, Open Standard Saloons and Unlimited Sedans competing in a state series round.

Dean Thompson

SANTIN GETS NATIONAL CROWN JAIDEN SANTIN (pictured) made the most of his last ever night as a Junior Sedan competitor, by being crowned the 2024 National Junior Sedan Champion.

The fight for the trophy was held at Grafton Speedway and it was hot both on and off the track all weekend, but in the end the class of Santin shone through, outlasting the other 70 competitors to take the coveted Australia #1 plate.

With the final round of heat races providing plenty of surprises and even more shuffles in the overall points standing after some of the overnight leaders dropped back through the pack, the feature events were also hotly contested.

Pary Das won the C Main while Jake Fisher and Jackson Gordon each claimed a B Main.

Despite the shuffle in overall points, the pole sitter would remain as overnight leader Jayden Hancock with Santin doing enough to qualify for the 25 lap final from position two.

A total of 22 cars would take the green for the feature event, with Hancock and Santin hitting the line perfectly to get the race underway.

Hancock who grabbed the lead as the battle behind him got even more intense with cars even going four wide.

Santin settled into second ahead of WA Champion Jake Leaman.

With three laps complete the first yellow flag of the race came out, after B Main-2 winner Gordon hit the wall heavily at Turn 1.

He then clouted the wall on two other occasions as he was unable to steer the car, eventually coming to a stop in Turn 2.

Hancock got the best of the dispatch

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Image: SHAQ’S SPEEDWAY PICS as the race went back under green flag conditions, but Santin stuck right to his bumper, as the lead duo pulled away from third place Leaman while fourth placed Indi Butcher was now coming under pressure from fellow overnight points leader Emilie Williams.

Santin pulled along the outside of Hancock, while Williams did the same to Butcher, but was able to make the pass that Santin could not.

Santin then glued himself to the back bumper of Hancock as Leaman now began to close the gap.

Lap 10 saw Santin duck to the inside coming out of three but again Hancock was able to hold off the charge.

Two laps later Santin drew alongside Hancock and this time he was able to hold it, crossing the line just 0.011 seconds ahead of Hancock with just over half of the race gone.

Santin began to stretch his legs from here, nearly two seconds ahead with around five laps remaining and a pile of lapped cars coming up fast.

The heavy lapped traffic began to play a part as Santin began to look for a way

through, but the yellows came on as Brodie Hollyman came to a stop against the turn three wall, setting up a six lap dash.

At the restart Santin shot away like a bullet from a gun, Hancock and Leaman still in pursuit, but unable to match the pace of Santin who again took advantage of the clean air ahead of him.

It was all Santin, as he crossed the line 1.434 seconds ahead of Hancock and Leaman while Williams and Stubbs would round out the top five in a race that saw 17 of the 22 starters complete the race, all on the lead lap. Auto Action Staff

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Former SA Street Stock Champion Rick Skuse ran the #300 Valliant Charger at the All Classic event. Images: PARIS CHARLES

SPRINTING IN SA Fox heads for victory, and (below) flanked by place-getters Black and Buckley.Images: TONY’S PHOTOS

FOX ON THE RUN WALLY ‘THE Fox’ Kermond went GP Midget hunting at the Lake Liddell Speedbowl with great success by taking out round six of the Gulf Western Oil Super Series.

Hot conditions greeted the New South Wales Grand Prix Midget contingent for the midway point of the 2023/24 race seasons but 87-year-old Fox kept cool to take the victory.

The first heat was an entertaining affair as Wally Kermond got off to a fast start before contact with Tyler Lea sent both to the back.

Adam Buckley then pinned the ears back to take the victory.

Allan Black then got the jump on Jackson Lea-Smith at the start of the second heat only for Buckley to surge ahead on lap three in what proved to be a race-winning move.

The feature started with all six GP

Midgets on track to contest the 15-lap dance.

When the green flag dropped there was no surprise to see a six-time Australian title winner and Australian Speedway Hall of Fame member, Kermond show the young whipper snappers a clean pair of heels, racing to an early lead on the first lap.

A sluggish start from both Lea-Smith and Lea allowed Buckley to round them up on the outside of turns one and two to take second position.

On lap seven Buckley was glued to the rear bar of Kermond, and made a move up the inside in Turn 1, but pulled back to avoid any contact, and had a momentary stalling of the engine.

With Buckley’s car still rolling forward, Buckley instantly refired and maintained his position, while Lea partially spun in turn three which brought out the yellow

lights.

During the yellow however, Lea-Smith pulled his car infield as a precaution, with the GP seeming to be down on power.

A lap after the restart Buckley moved up the inside of Kermond and for the next two and a half laps, the pair raced side-by-side, wheel-to-wheel for first place.

Unrelenting, ‘The Fox’, on the outside of Buckley, held his 87-year-old nerve firm and would have none of Buckley trying to slip by.

With four laps left to run, Kermond edged into the lead and Buckley gave his all but to no avail on the slick inside line. Thomas Miles

MEMORABLE AT NIGHT AT NYORA

THERE WAS something for everyone with Dirt Modified, Saloon and Sedan racing, plus Monster Trucks and Jet Vans all putting on a show at Nyora Raceway.

In throwback to many years of racing at Nyora, Hobson led the early laps in Dirt Modifieds before Daryl Hickson snatched it from him.

The 20-lap final ran flag to flag and for the second show in succession Hickson dominated and he fell just four seconds short of a new distance record.

Reddecliffe still set the fastest lap in the feature however Hickson finished around eighty metres ahead of him at the chequered flag.

There were plenty of local racers in the Standard Saloon action with Bunyip driver Mitch Blencowe winning the opening heat.

Ash Dean scored a satisfying heat win having come back after a big crash, while Owen Cecil, Rhys Lansdown, Harry Cecil and Chris Miles were also victorious.

But it was Mark Miles leading the feature early from Owen Cecil and Lansdown.

Lansdown soon moved passed Cecil on lap seven into second, while a move on Miles didn’t come until lap 13.

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Warrick Taylor powered his way to a dominant Unlimited Sedans triumph Image: NAPIER PHOTOGRAPHY LOUISE NORMAN With just two laps to go Lansdown made it stick to steal the win from Miles.

With a Victorian title coming up at Nyora Raceway the Unlimited Sedans took the chance to get some early laps.

Warrick Taylor, Travis Ramsdale and Victorian champion Peter Cox won the three qualifiers.

Cox led the early laps of the 15-lap finale with Travis Ramsdale in second.

But soon Taylor went on the charge and came through to the front.

Forrest and Ramsdale exchanged spots

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for second on multiple occasions as Cox dropped out of the race.

There was no question Taylor was the dominant force, wheeling the big Late Model chassis around consistently under 16s to record a 2s win ahead of Ramsdale, who beat Forrest for second.

In addition to the racing fans were thrilled by the Monster Thrillmasters show where Clive Featherby and his team in Monster Trucks, Rollover cars, and a Jet powered Van. Dean Thompson

WHILE THE big Sprintcar racing has been in Victoria, the South Australian Speedway scene has been in full swing.

Murray Bridge Speedway hosted the fifth round of the Strathalbyn Track Championship, featuring Wingless Sprints, Street Stocks, Modlites and Junior Sedans.

A field of close to 30 Wingless Sprints showcased the event and after six heats, Matthew Kennedy looked to be the one to beat.

But Jack McCarthy got the jump in the 25 lap final and controlled the race.

However, with two laps to go Rylan Furler hit the lead and never looked back as he pressed on to the chequered flag, leaving McCarthy and Ryan Alexander to round out the podium.

Super2 racer Bradley Vaughan was next, in fourth, followed by Kennedy, while Slade Petry, Robert Heard and rookie Tom Norvill failed to travel the journey.

Nigel Reichstein took his Holden Commodore to victory lane in the Street Stocks 20-lap Feature.

Phil Watson led for most of the race but would have to settle for the runner up position while Kye Richardson was the first of the Fords home in third.

Jake Armstrong found the shortest way home in the Modlite’s feature ahead of Brian and Justin Chadwick.

Dylan Richter led early but was a lap in arrears by the end of the race, while Chris Ferguson, Jacob Carlier and Jordi Miller each succumbed to mechanical issues.

Ryan Burns made it a worthy trip from Mildura, proving too strong in the Junior Sedans 12-lap final ahead of Flynn Annett.

It was a grand occasion at Riverland’s Renmark Speedway which celebrated 60 summers of Speedway action at the ‘Glory Day’ event.

The all historic meeting attracted over 30 classic race cars who excited the crowd with a series of highly spirited demonstration runs.

The competitors were spread across five classes that included Hot Rods, Super Sedans, Saloons, Sprintcars, Super Modified, Speedcars and Mini Sprints/Formula 500s.

It was great to see some of the older cars breaking cover in pristine condition, some of these machines had not been seen for many decades.

Paris Charles 26 Rylan Furler winner of the Wingless Sprints feature race

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DRAG RACING Glenn Henley overcame the hot conditions to complete a five-peat. Images: DRAGPIX/JESSE KELLY

PORTLAND PERFECTION A FOGGY start gave way to clear skies and perfect conditions for the latest Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship Western Conference, the South Coast Rumble at Portland.

There were a number of competitors who made the most of the conditions to get their hands on a coveted National Drag Racing Championship Christmas Tree.

One who is starting to build his own collection is Glenn Henley in Top Sportsman.

With top qualifier Dean Cleary unable to make the start of the final, a solo run cemented Henley’s fifth straight victory in his Datsun 1200.

Johnny Ireland got a breakthrough win in the Modified Bike category.

After wins against Corey Gathercole and Jamie Dohnt, Ireland lined up against top qualifier Michael Webb in the finale.

But Webb was unable to start the final pass which gave Ireland a long awaited success on his FASTJ Harley Davidson.

“It has been a long time between drinks for me,” Ireland grinned.

“I hadn’t ridden for quite some time, instead putting all my effort into the Pro Stock Bike for Locky (Ireland). “(And now) with a bit of luck we are winners.”

A tightly-fought battle in Supercharged Outlaws went to Shane Baxter.

After a close win in Round 1 against Dale Tucker, Baxter found himself in a final against Brandan Carr, who knocked out top qualifier Doina Day in Round 2.

In Super Gas, Darryl Stephen claimed top honours over Jordan Spencer. The Orangeville, NSW racer took his Ford TX5 Telstar to the final round with wins over Rob Bergamin, top qualifier Des

Super Gas winner Darryl Stephen on the gas in his Ford TX5 Telstar.

Woolstencroft and Graeme Spencer.

Victorian Michale Jennings took out another Super Street win after overcoming Henry Spicak, Rodd Kerr, top qualifier Malcom Todd and finally Brian Keane in the finale.

The Junior Dragster final saw both Taylor Horton and Todd Wagner red-lit at the tree.

However, Wagner did so first which handed the win to Horton.

Kenny Stewart claimed another Modified Eliminator victory after Derek Wills also triggered the red light in the final showdown.

The fight for Super Sedans was also a tight race with almost identical reaction times from Joe Carbone and Scott Rouhan. Ultimately, Carbone set a time closer to his dial-in time in his Holden VK Commodore, meaning the Angle Vale, SA racer would raise the NDRC Christmas Tree at the end of the pass.

After topping qualifying Edge Mallis converted the early speed into Competition Bike victory after beating Corey Scholes in the final round.

Thomas Miles

A stint on the sidelines could not stop Johnny Ireland from taking out the Modified Bike victory.

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Images: CACKLING PIPES PHOTOGRAPHY

It all came together in Sydney for veteran Wayne Newby.

NEWBY ON TOP WAYNE NEWBY’S winning drought came to an end on a victorious Australia Day at the Sydney Dragway, securing his first Top Fuel Gold Christmas Tree in three years.

Saturday’s running at the Sydney Dragway was disappointingly washed out but, as it turned out, the action on Friday was more than enough to satisfy spectators.

Phil Lamattina and Peter Xiberras opened the Top Fuel proceedings.

After a crowd pleasing run from Damian Harris, success followed his teammate who ruled over a stricken Phil Read.

Lamattina was all smiles for Round 2, with his 3.818/506.67kph run securing a solid win over Olive.

Read and Xiberras delivered an impressive side-by-side ‘three’ second pass with Read’s holeshot reigning supreme.

Against Wayne Newby, Putland’s early blitz fell short. The newcomer had an early cut off, rewarding Newby with a place in the A-Finals against Harris.

Olive and Read rolled out first for the C-Final, both leaving the line well before Read was forced to shut off, hailing down fire crews in the brake area as Olive hailed victorious.

Xiberras and Lamattina matched up for the B-Final, delivering a second side-byside three second show for the night.

This time, however, it was Lamattina who took out the victory with a 3.821/489.21kph pass over Xiberras.

Then came the all-important Rapisarda Autosport International A-Final, with defending champion Harris taking on Newby.

It was full throttle to the half-track before Harris ran into trouble when he threw the belt.

Newby clinched his moment, driving to the end and lighting up the boards with 3.82 ET at 519.75kph.

“It has been three years [since I won a Gold Christmas Tree] and how good to do it on Australia Day,” Newby said.

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Luke Crowley took the gold in a close Top Fuel Bike contest. Right top: Daniel Reed cuddles the Pro Alcohol golden tree. Bottom: Zoran Gajic smoked a 5.9 to win Pro Mod.

PRO ALCOHOL

THE OPENING round was full of eight eager suspects.

Round 2 wasn’t kind to John Cannuli. The racer had issues firing up, with rival teams coming to his aid before his own got him back on track before then rolling through the beams and being unable to proceed.

Brett White ran solo in the D Final, and he wasn’t the only one to do so, with Cannuli also a solo pass for the C-Final.

The B-Final paired Chris Hargrave and Wayne Price, with the holeshot win going to Hargrave with a 5.717/256.75mph pass over Price’s 5.692/246.48mph run.

In the A-Final, it was a rematch of the of the Sydney Nationals A-Final with Daniel Reed and Russell Mills facing off, the former ultimately winning.

“I had no idea who had won, it was great to see [the commentator] walking up with the Gold Christmas Tree as that is a key sign that it went my way!” Reed said.

FUELTECH PRO MOD

CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER Craig Burns was the first of the 13 drivers to begin the second round of the 2023/2024 NDRC championship.

After the large field had sorted themselves into the finals, it was Frank Tarabay started with his solo E-Final.

Ricca took the D-Final, Gauci blazed through for the C-Final, with Tsakiridis

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successfully taking on Josevski for the B-Final.

In the A-Final, it was Burns lining up against Gajic. Gajic had it on both ends of the race-track to take the win with a 5.904/416.35kph pass over Burns.

“Thank you so very much, this is awesome.

I couldn’t be happier,” Gajic said.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

ROUND 1 was full of entertainment, acting as a warm up to the finals for the six Pro Stock Motorcycle competitors In the finals, Locky Ireland ran a solo D-Final pass but was unable to keep it under power.

Scott White and Daniel Rabnott faced off in the C-Final with a close race seeing White take the win.

Jason Lee then ran a solo in the B-Final, recording a 7.456 second pass.

It was then time for the A-Final, with Luke Crowley (7.124/302.59kph) pitted against Ryan Learmonth (7.317/289.32kph) and ultimately taking the victory.

“That is amazing (the ET) for these conditions. It has been a really tough day and we haven’t really been on top of it, but we have just been sneaking up little bit by little bit and obviously we got the job done,” Crowley said.

“It was a great race; I could see Ryan in the corner of my helmet pretty much the whole way so he couldn’t have been too far back!”

TOP DOORSLAMMER

FRIDAY WAS all about qualifying for the Top Doorslammer competitors, yet another series planned for the rained-out Saturday.

The first round of qualifying was unfortunately marred by a serious incident for the NT’s Matt Abel who was thankfully able to exit the car unaided, while the session was delayed.

At the close of Q1, Taylor topped the sheets over Zappia, Daniel Gregorini, Lisa Gregorini and Lovering.

In Q2 later in the evening, Taylor and Zappia’s positions remained unchanged despite both improving, with Gregorini still in third. Gradden was able to improve to fourth ahead of Gregorini who rounded out the top five.

PRO STOCK

TWO ROUNDS of qualifying were held for Pro Stock on the Friday in anticipation of Saturdays events, however with no racing, qualifying results were all that was celebrated.

Robert Dekert took the top spot early with a 7.020 second pass at 314.91kph, leading over Chris Soldatos (7.047/314.44kph), Omar Sedmak (7.103/307.58) and Rick Chilton (7.108/311.64kph), with Tony Polito (7.162/306.33kph) completing the top five.

In the second round, Soldatos improved, with Rick Chilton moving up to third behind Dekert.

AEROFLOW NATIONAL SPORTSMAN CHAMPIONSHIP

THE TOP qualifiers of the almost 200 competitors were Brett O’Connor (Top Sportsman), Daniel ‘BatDan’ Carranza (Modified), Leonard Azzopardi (Extreme Bike), Nathan McKenna (Super Street), Joshua Bertenshaw (Junior Drag Bike), Liam O’Neill (Junior Dragster), Joe Gattellari (Super Sedan), Peter Strudwick (Modified Bike), Darren Hubbard (Supercharged Outlaws), Steve Sloan (SuperComp) and Luke Romeo (Super Gas).

Thomas Miles

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RISING TO THE CHALLENGE

AFTER EYEING off the top step of the podium in the opening two rounds of the Formula Regional Oceania Championship, first-time victories were finally on the cards for Nicola Lacorte and Kaleb Ngatoa at the Hampton Downs International Motorsport Park last weekend.

Finishing seventh in Saturday’s Race 1, Lacorte found himself lining up on the front row behind young Australian, Elliott Cleary in the second race. At the end of Lap 1, Lacorte had put a few car lengths between himself and Michael Shin.

On Lap 3, the racing further back in the pack was heating up.

Patrick Woods-Toth came out on top in his duel for third place against Gerrard Xie – however, he was unsuccessful in chasing down the top two.

The battle between the championship leader, Roman Bilinski and Liam Sceats eventually found its way to the rear of Xie. After picking off Xie, Bilinski set his sights on a slowing Woods-Toth, and despite the Canadian’s best defensive efforts, Bilinski passed him around the outside on Lap 16.

The challenge wasn’t over yet for WoodsToth, with the Kiwi Motorsport driver involved in an incident with an overly ambitious Xie. The duo made contact, with the move down the inside of Turn 2 seeing Xie’s race end in the tyres.

As for the Italian, he crossed the line in first place, picking up his first win of the season.

“It was a good race. I enjoyed the race. We did good work on Friday and it’s great to see that come into play today. We had good pace, enough to win,” Lacorte said.

As for the afternoon feautrerace, it produced another first-time victor, with Kaleb Ngatoa winning on home soil.

Along with the trophy, the Kiwi driver promoted himself to third in the standings on the same date that he claimed his first Formula Regional Oceania Championship victory one year ago.

The home racer was promoted to the front row after Xie elected not to start, aiding Ngatoa as he followed and capitalised on a rare mistake from Bilinski at Turn 2.

Putting his foot down slightly harder than his competitors, Ngatoa was in the 1:29.00s early on, building a gap of one and a half seconds by Lap 3.

On Lap 6, however, the lead was coming under threat with Bilinski matching and surpassing the Kiwi’s level as he lessened

the gap to half a second.

It was a two-horse race for the entire 23-lap Dorothy Smith Memorial Cup run – however, as it got to the pointy end, Ngatoa held off Bilinski’s late charge, utilising the clear air advantage.

“Roman [Bilinski] pressured me the whole race. I had to tell myself to calm down and breathe,” said Ngatoa. “The team gave me the car to do this and my mum and dad are here today to watch it so it couldn’t be better.”

Michael Shin finished over four seconds behind in third place, rounding out the final podium place of the weekend.

Round 4 of the Formula Regional Oceania Championship will take place from February 9-11 at the Euromarque Motorsport Park.

Reese Mautone

Lacorte and Shin show the way as Race 2 (reverse grid) piles into Turn 1.

BILINSKI BLITZES MILESTONE WEEKEND

HARSH CONDITIONS AND AUSTRALIAN ATTACKS WERE NO MATCH FOR ROMAN BILINSKI’S DOMINANCE ACROSS ROUND 2 OF THE CASTROL TOYOTA FORMULA REGIONAL OCEANIA CHAMPIONSHIP, WITH THE POLISH DRIVER’S VICTORIES EXTENDING HIS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD ...

AFTER QUALIFYING on Pole, Bilinski found himself lining up alongside Australian F3 driver Christian Mansell for Race 1.

Off the line, Bilinski built a solid lead, running in clear air for the 22-lap race.

The top step was undoubtedly his, with the Polish driver capitalising on an unfavourable outing for Mansell who faced a problem on lap five.

The young Australian encountered trouble during the category’s 300th race, dropping from second to 10th before recovering to P5 by the end of the event.

As for Bilinski’s M2 Competition teammates, Nicola Lacorte and Liam Sceats held off the harsh conditions to make it a 1-2-3 for the team.

The second race was a different story with Bilinski starting from P8, two rows back from the Aussie lockout of Mansell and Tommy Smith on Row 2.

The third Australian in the series, Elliott Cleary, started Race 2 from outside of the top 10 after his fastest lap time was just over nine-tenths behind.

As the cars dashed to the first corner, it

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Bilinski – domoinant ...

was Gerrard Xie who got the best getaway before spinning off just two corners later.

After passing F4 US champion Patrick Woods-Toth, Mansell avoided Xie to take the early lead, creating a gap instantaneously.

A slight mistake from Mansell after a SC restart allowed Kaleb Ngatoa to have a momentary look at first place, however, the Australian held his own.

Further back, Tommy Smith put in a sterling effort to secure his first series

podium in third after clearing Woods-Toth by four seconds at the SC restart.

“Life is great ... no, I’m very happy,” Mansell said after his win at the Circuit Chris Amon.

The Polish driver started the Dan Higgins Trophy race from Pole, being challenged

by Mansell into the first corner, however, maintaining P1.

The momentum was short-lived, however, with a Red Flag called following contact between Michael Shin and Lacorte at the infield hairpin.

Running restarted on lap five, with Bilinski switching straight back into gear, despite a continued downpour.

Dropping back from the #4, Mansell faced a new challenge in the form of his compatriot Smith closing in.

Despite his hard-fought efforts in third place, including a forced defensive approach to combat the threat of Liam Sceats, the conditions ultimately got the best of Smith, relieving Mansell.

The young Australian spun 360° infield on Lap 20, recovering, but losing the final podium place in P4.

The race was ultimately red flagged on Lap 21 of 27.

“It was the right decision to stop the race as it was just too slippery out there but I am so pleased to win again,” said Bilinski.

“There are three more rounds to go and everything is still up for grabs.”

Bilinski headed to the third round with a 23-point lead over Mansell in the standings, with Australians Tommy Smith sitting in fifth and Elliott Cleary in 12th.

Reese Mautone

NEW ZEALAND FORMULA REGIONAL OCEANIA • UAE F4

DUBAI DELIGHT

Image: EUAN CAMERON

MAKING HEY WHILST THE SUN SHINES THE FINAL leg of the SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series in New Zealand finished with a bang at Christchurch’s Euromarque Motorsport Park.

Michael Hey (pictured) overcame tricky conditions to take out the opening race before Steve Ross went on a Sunday charge.

The morning qualifying set the theme of the opening day of Round 2, being a mixed bag with drivers forced to gamble on tyre selection.

Ross came up trumps, followed by the Lola T332 of Russell Greer and #96 McRae GM1 of debutant Michael Hey. Despite the weather conditions producing four seasons in one day, Ross pushed beyond the depths of his imagination to also drive to victory in the opening race.

Ross dominated the race, with his McRae GM1 cruising to a commanding 12.93s victory.

But it was certainly a crowded house in the fight for second with less than a second covering the following three cars.

Hey managed to jump Greer to make it a McRae one-two.

The first of the Lolas was actually Kevin Ingram, who was just a further three-tenths away in third and keeping Greer off the podium by sixtenths.

After finishing second best on Saturday, Hey stole the Sunday spotlight when the Christchurch clouds cleared.

The second eight-lap race was a handicapped based race from Saturday’s results.

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Shane Windleburn took pole position in his Lola T400 HU 8 and was followed by Bruce Kett (Lola T332 HU 46).

Hey and Ingram were towards the back with Ross a full 7s further back.

As a result, the passing was continual with Hey working his way through the field and, by the start of lap six, he started closing on Windleburn, who had retained his lead.

Hey made his move down the inside of Turn 1 and snatched the lead, while slipping in behind was Ross, who quickly displaced Windleburn to third.

Ross tried to hunt down Hey and gave it a crack, but ultimately fell just half a second short.

The Stan Redmond Memorial Trophy was then on the line in the 10-lap feature and Ross got off to a great start.

But Ingram was hot on his tail and made good use of Ruapuna’s long front straight and his thundering V8 to power into the lead.

But just two laps later Hey hit back and retook the lead while, by lap seven, Ross was suddenly slowing to an eventual retirement with a broken half-shaft.

This allowed Hey to cruise to a second Sunday win and he took the chequered flag with an enthusiastic fist-pump as Ingram and Greer rounded out the podium.

The championship now heads across the Tasman to take on the fast, flowing Phillip Island at the Island Classic event on March 7-10.

Thomas Miles

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THE F4 UAE Championship’s first outing to the Dubai Autodrome lacked nothing when it came to entertainment, with the championship standings at the close of Round 3 seeing four drivers separated by just 22 points.

The weekend’s proceedings were dominated by double victories for Nikita Bedrin, with Mercedes-backed Rookie Alex Powell also claiming a maiden F4 win.

For the opening race of the weekend, Bedrin lined up from Pole alongside Kean Nakamura-Berta, not far from the watchful eye of championship leader Freddie Slater perched behind in third.

Early momentum was, however, brought to a premature pause, when, despite a good start, Rashid Al Dhaheri’s car lost pace.

As a result, Deagen Fairclough was left with nowhere to go, running into Al Dhaheri with Matteo Quintarelli also caught up.

After the Safety Car, the Italian got off to a good restart, with Nakamura-Berta sticking by him.

Bedrin was faultless in the highpressure situation, crossing the line just six-tenths ahead to take his second F4 UAE victory of the season, and his fourth in total.

In Race 2, it was a similar fate for Alvise Rodella who was forced to brace for the worst when his Xcel Motorsport vehicle failed to move off the line from Pole.

Remarkably, however, the entire 33-car

grid managed to avoid the Italian.

Starting from fourth, Gabriel Stilp launched into second place, challenging for the lead against Enzo Deligny into Turn 1.

The battle between the two intensified, ultimately ending in contact seeing Deligny taking a puncture and Stilp dealing with a bent right-front wing.

Powell inherited the lead, and an even greater margin as Stilp trundled around, holding up the pack in third.

Despite another interruption to the flow of the race, Powell maintained a clear head to hold off Al Azhari and Australian, Jack Beeton, to take his maiden F4 win in Dubai.

Race 3 saw Nikita Bedrin back on Pole, a useful advantage over his sole competitor for the final race of the weekend which was a two-horse race for victory in amongst three Safety Car periods.

As for the rest of the 14-lap race, a Turn 1 pile-up cost Rodella yet another run around the Dubai Autodrome, eliminating Reza Seewooruthun in the process.

Following a Turn 15 collision, the SC was out once again, also re-emerging on the penultimate lap.

The Italian ultimately came out on top, giving him a strong chance in the hunt for the 2024 championship.

The championship next returns to Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit for Round 4 from February 9-11.

Reese Mautone

Alex Powell took out a tight Race 2 contest.

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INTERNATIONAL

BELGIAN BATTLER

ONCE AGAIN THE 2024 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP HAS STARTED IN STYLE IN THE MONACO MOUNTAINS WHERE THIERRY NEUVILLE EDGED OUT SEBASTIEN OGIER IN A THRILLING DUEL. THOMAS MILES REPORTS THE FIGHT for the 92nd Rallye Monte Carlo won’t be forgotten anytime soon as Hyundai’s Belgian battler and Toyota’s serial winner went head-to-head.

The pair dominated the rally, winning 15 of the 17 stages in the icy French Alps, north of Monaco, and it all came down to the final day.

Just 3.3s separated the rivals and Neuville rose to the occasion, sweeping the final three stages to charge to a second and memorable Rallye Monte Carlo win.

He blew Ogier away by 16.1s to deny the Toyota star a record 10th Rallye Monte Carlo victory and was shocked by his fast finish, which could provide the launching pad to a long-awaited maiden WRC title.

“I don’t have the words, to be honest,” Neuville said.

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“It was just so great this weekend, I felt so comfortable in the car.

“The whole team did an amazing job and I think the whole package was working really well.”

Despite being unaccustomed to finishing second in Monte Carlo, Ogier was pleased with his performance, having suffered a recent personal tragedy.

“First of all, a nice battle with Thierry – well done to him,” Ogier said.

“For me, it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions. I struggled a lot on Friday especially.

“It was hard to say goodbye on Monday to a person who was very important to me, who basically launched my career in motorsport and who bought me my first kart.

“I tried my best and it wasn’t the easiest of weeks for me, so I am happy now it is over – I’m really exhausted.”

ELECTRIC EVANS

WHILE THE rally became all about Neuville and Ogier, the early stages were initially dominated by their teammates.

A lot of eyes were on Ott Tanak as he kicked off his second stint at Hyundai and it started strong by topping the shakedown.

When the famous rally kicked off properly, it was Toyota’s Elfyn Evans, who started strongly, going back-to-back by blitzing the opening two stages.

As the cars descended into the night sky filled with flares, none could match the Welshman’s pace as he opened a 15s advantage on Neuville.

Tanak was initially second best, but lost time on Stage 2 as he encountered throttle issues on his new i20 N Rally1, which allowed Ogier to settle into third.

ON THIN ICE

THE FIRST full day of action proved tricky for the crews with Friday’s six-stage schedule throwing up some unexpected surprises.

The first headache arrived as soon as cars hit the road, with the majority of the 16.68km journey from Saint-Leger-lesMelezes to La Batie-Neuve dry, only to disguise a number of treacherous sections of sheet ice in the hills towards the finish.

Many drivers were caught out by the ‘zero grip’ and Neuville was lucky to escape a brush with a snow bank.

WRC R1 • MONTE CARLO

Ott Tanak’s first rally back for Hyundai combined flashes of brilliance and blemishes.

Elfyn Evans raced out of the blocks, dominating the opening day for Toyota Right: The all-Belgian combination of Martijn Wydaeghe and Thierry Neuville celebrate the spoils of victory.

The passionate crowd pushed Thierry Neuville to his second Rallye Monte Carlo glory.

Images: RED BULL CONTENT POOL

escalate as both Neuville and Ogier closed on Evans.

Evans started the day with a 15s advantage, but ended it with just 4.5s up his sleeve.

TWO-HORSE RACE

THE WEEKEND headlines were dominated by Neuville and Ogier, who turned the fight Rallye Monte Carlo into a personal grudge match.

The pair ran away from the field, taking out all-but one of the nine closing stages held across the weekend.

As a result Neuville knocked Evans off the top as early as Stage 10, having set a scorching pace in Saturday’s opener where M-Sport’s Gregoire Munster also announced himself by getting a maiden top three finish for M-Sport.

Andreas Mikkelsen had a scary moment, flying off in the first corner, while Tanak also encountered more issues, with his i20N unable to start in Parc ferme, but his team were able to fire it back up.

Although Tanak put these setbacks behind him to set the fastest time in Stage 11, he had to share stage honours with Neuville after they both recorded a 12:40.0.

With Evans accounted for, the fight for the rally win went to top gear as Neuville and Ogier proved they were a cut above the rest, igniting a back and forth battle.

Having claimed he needed to be perfect However, the Belgian found the fastest way up the hill to take out Stage 3 – but his teammate was not so lucky.

Tanak lost the rear of his i20 N on the same patch of ice and got stuck in a ditch, needing a push from the fans to get going after losing 42s.

Takamoto Katsuta lost even more time by being “so stupid” and making the same mistake.

Stage 4 was much easier for all, with no ice on the road, but it still caught out Neuville, who suffered a high-speed spin.

With the Belgian being up on the splits, it allowed Ogier to claim a tight stage win with less than 2s covering the Frenchman, Evans and Tanak.

The black ice returned for Stage 5 where Ogier launched his campaign by taking a dominant 11.2s win.

By the afternoon, conditions had improved, allowing crews to push the limits despite the odd patch of water.

The battle for the lead started to

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to get a 10th Rallye Monte Carlo, the Toyota driver was close to it by flying to victory in Stage 12.

Neuville was pretty pleased with his run, but he was still 5s off the flying Frenchman as Evans experienced the “big surprise” of being no longer able to match his rivals.

Ogier then backed that up by recording a milestone 700th career stage win, which propelled him to a slender 0.8s overall lead.

To add even more drama, the 14th and final Saturday stage produced another twist. Neuville produced perfection to win the stage with a rapid 12:47.8, 4s quicker than Ogier.

As a result the Hyundai driver critically reclaimed the rally lead by 3.3s heading into the final day.

“It was perfection,” Neuville said of his drive from Pellafol to Agnières-en-Dévoluy.

“Everything went well and I really enjoyed the car – it was incredible.

“It was important to take the points tonight but we also needed to keep the car on the road. I had a good feeling, so I went for it and it seems like it paid off.”

Meanwhile, Evans could only manage sixth and had drifted to more than 30s away from the top two, who were set for a thrilling showdown on the final day.

THE BIG PUSH

WITH NEUVILLE and Ogier neck and neck all rally, there was no clear winner coming

into the deciding stages on Sunday.

Many might have expected Ogier to cruise to another victory and strengthen his reputation of being WRC’s ‘Mr Monaco,’ with a record 10th win.

But even more determined was Neuville, who found top gear and flew on the final day.

The Hyundai driver carried on his Saturday momentum by emerging from the early morning darkness with a vital 4.7s stage win over Ogier.

“The beginning was a big push (but) towards the end I was a bit more careful.

I’m happy with my time,” Neuville said.

“It was interesting conditions with ice in places and I was a bit too cautious probably. That was a big push from Thierry,” a surprised Ogier said.

This proved to be the knockout blow as Ogier could only manage fourth in the penultimate stage and second in the finale.

Both were won by Neuville, who added a second Rallye Monte Carlo victory alongside his 2020 success, in style.

He increased his lead over Ogier from 3.3s to 16.1s on the final day, while early leader Evans had to settle for third, 45s away.

Tanak was almost two minutes off the pace in fourth, while Adrien Fourmaux ensured M-Sport was represented in the top five.

Under the new points system Neuville collected a maximum 30-point haul and leads the championship by six over Ogier and nine over Evans.

In WRC2, Yohan Rossel won by 4.9s in a Citroen over Skoda’s Pepe Lopez after the lead changed seven times.

Neuville has made a massive statement and he hopes to strengthen his search for a maiden WRC championship by excelling in the Swedish snow from February 15-18.

2024 RALLYE MONTE CARLO RESULTS 1 T. Neuville 3:09:30.9 2 S. Ogier +16.1 3 E. Evans +45.2 4 O. Tanak +1:59.8 5 A. Fourmaux +3:36.9

Sebastien Ogier fell just short of being the first to win a 10th Rallye Monte Carlo. Image: LAT IMAGES

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DAYTONA DRAMA AUSTRALIAN MATT CAMPBELL AND PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT TOOK VICTORY IN WHAT WAS AN ACTION-PACKED AND DRAMA FILLED DAYTONA 24 HOUR RACE. DAN McCARTHY REVIEWS A CLASSIC ENCOUNTER ...

Late-night refuel for the #7 Penske Porsche crew, whose late stop strategy paid dividends and set up an ecstatic team pic (below).

Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES

GTP

AFTER 24 Hours – well 23 hours 58 minutes and 24 seconds – of twists and turns, just 2.1s separated first and second at the line.

It was a close race throughout; all four manufacturers led the race outright at some stage, and three different brands finished on the GTP podium.

All four drivers – Campbell, ex-F1 driver Felipe Nasr, Dane Cameron and reigning Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden – were first-time winners of the race.

It was Porsche’s first win since 2010 while, for an emotional Roger Penske, it ended a 55-year Daytona 24 Hour drought.

Every strategic move that the #7 crew made was with the end goal in mind, and it was this thinking that saw them take the lead within the final hour and take a historic victory.

It was clear in the first stint of the race that the two Cadillacs were the cars to beat – they locked out the front row and looked like the ones to beat for race pace early on.

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In the first quarter of the race, both Porsche Penske crews kept their cards close to their chest – for much of the early stages double and sometimes even triple-stinting tyre sets. This was to give themselves more

fresh tyres later in the race.

In fact, no Porsche led the race until the sixth hour when Campbell blasted by two-time defending Rolex 24 winner Tom Blomqvist in the #31 Whelan Racing Cadilac.

The first quarter of the race was also heavily Safety Car interrupted for incidents in other classes.

The #40 Wayne Taylor Racing (WTR) with Andretti Acura briefly fell off the lead lap with power steering issues – however caution periods allowed the car to get back on the lead lap.

As day turned to night, the race began to settle down and the reigning champions in the #31 Cadillac moved back into the lead.

During the night several of the front running GTP machines fell by the wayside.

First to fall was the #10 WTR Andretti Acura driven by Filipe Albuquerque.

The car came to a complete halt, and had to be cleared away on a flatbed truck. A wiring harness was to blame, which took over 90 minutes to repair.

It appeared as though the other Acura was out of contention when it too stopped suddenly a couple of hours later. However, a quick ‘control, alt, delete’ saw the car fire back into life just one lap down.

DAYTONA • DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY, FLORIDA

just over half an hour to go, there was a dog-fight between Nasr and Blomqvist as they weaved there way through the dense traffic.

The Cadillac driver did not relinquish his relentless pressure – however despite his best efforts he could not force the Brazilian into a mistake. Nasr held on to take a famous victory.

Campbell felt the late-race strategy was essential to beating the Cadillac team.

“The pit stops were flawless, and the strategy was fantastic towards the end,” he said post-race.

“That is where we were really able to capitalise on the #31 car. We had an absolutely crazy battle with the Cadillac. It was back and forth over the entire distance.

It was intense, exciting and exhausting.”

Blomqvist, Pipo Derani and Jack Aitken came home in second just 2s shy at the end.

Despite their early race issues, the #40 Acura driven by F1 champion Jenson Button, Louis Deletraz, IndyCar star Colton Herta and Jordan Taylor finished less than 15s behind but could not match the top two in the final stint.

A late race unforced error on cold tyres

by Kevin Estre cost the #6 crucial track position late in the race – he, Mathieu Jaminet, Nick Tandy and Laurens Vanthoor finished just 0.4s behind the third-placed car.

The customer Porsches came next, the Proton Competition car finishing on the lead lap ahead of the JDC-Miller Motorsports car two laps behind.

Both BMWs did finish, albeit 13 and 15 laps down in seventh and eighth, while the #10 Acura rounded out the GTP finishers.

LMP2

Right (top to bottom): Jenson Button was part of the third-placed result for Andretti Motorsport’s Acura; LMP2 winners Rasmussen, Merriman, Dalziel and Zilish; The Rovera, Triarsi, Scardina, Agostini Ferrari ran strongly.

BELOW: The Blomqvist, Derani, Aitken Cadillac finished second – by just two seconds!

Another car to hit problems was the #01 Cadillac. Former Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais suffered an instant puncture after running over a large piece of debris. The Frenchman was lucky to keep the car out of the wall; however the time lost limping back around and making the pitstop saw the #01 Caddy fall a lap down.

Throughout the night the #31 Cadillac exchanged the lead with the #6 and #7 Penske Porsches.

There was a problem, though. The #6 Porsche kept exceeding the maximum power output (measured at the axle), something that is closely scrutinised by stewards throughout the race.

The team first received a warning, then a drive-through before being dealt a 10s stop-go penalty on the third infringement dropping them down the order.

The attrition continued after the halfway stage; both of the BMW M Team RLL cars spent lengthy periods of time in the garage, ruling them out of contention.

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The #01 Cadillac, which was still recovering from its earlier puncture delay, ground to a halt with a powertrain issue.

The car was retired.

As the race neared its conclusion, it became a straight fight between the two Porsches and the sole remaining Cadillac.

However, during the penultimate round of stops the #7 crew pulled a strategy masterstroke by staying out three laps longer.

Although they remained behind the #31 machine during that round of stops, when a caution was thrown with 43 minutes remaining, the two leading cars entered the pits together. But as the #7 crew had gone longer on the previous stint, they didn’t require as much fuel, enabling them to jump the Cadillac in the pits.

When the race restarted, with

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THE SECOND-TIER class was won by Era Motorsport drivers Christian Rasmussen, Ryan Dalziel, Dwight Merriman and Connor Zilisch.

It was attritional in LMP2 in the early stages but, despite that, five cars finished on the lead lap.

Crowdstrike Racing finished in second, ahead of the first Australian, Josh Burdon.

Burdon shared the car with Felipe Fraga, Gary Robinson and former F1 driver Felipe Massa who took to endurance racing like a duck to water with several notable stints.

Scott McLaughlin drove the Tower Motorsport car in the final stint and was locked in a fierce three-way battle for third in the final half hour. He briefly moved up into fourth but would come home in fifth behind the Inter Europol Oreca.

The pole-sitting United Autosports USA machine, with the star-studded line-up of Ben Hanley, Ben Keating, Pato O’Ward and

Nico Pino, finished a disappointing sixth, two laps down.

Aussies James Allen and Matthew Brabham finished seventh and eight respectively. Hunter McElrea’s machine was wiped out early.

GTD PRO

AFTER DEBUTING 12 months earlier, the Ferrari 296 returned to the Daytona Road Course and dominated the race.

The Risi Competizione quartet of James Calado, Alessandro Pier Guidi, Davide Rigon and Daniel Serra controlled proceedings, taking the flag a lap clear of their closest rival.

Notably, it was the second major 24hour race win within 12 months for Calado and Pier Guidi after the pair won Le Mans outright in 2023.

Incredibly, the 296 Ferrari survived a small fire six hours into the race, but such was the pace of the car, the team were back fighting for the win within a couple of hours.

Laurin Heinrich, Seb Priaulx and Michael Christensen brought the pole-sitting AO Porsche home in second. They were fast throughout but could never quite match the Ferrari.

The Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 of Bryan Sellers, Madison Snow, Neil Verhagen and Sheldon van der Linde was the nearest Ferrari challenger for much of the race.

With less than two hours remaining, the BMW was forced to make an unscheduled stop for a brake change. The brake issues returned soon after and forced van der Linde to consolidate and take third in class.

Just minutes into the race, the 2023 GTD Pro champions were involved in a big crash. Mike Conway, driving the #14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus, hit spinning LMP2 driver Dennis Andersen at the exit of Turn 1.

Kiwi Earl Bamber finished 18 laps down, while Aussie Kenny Habul’s SunEnergy1 Mercedes failed to greet the chequered flag – the Aussie will be hoping for a better run in his Bathurst 12 Hour defence in a couple of weeks.

Similar to the debut of the Ferrari 296 last year, the Multimatic Ford Mustangs showed very promising speed, although new car teething problems ruled them out of contention. Only one was a classified finisher.

GTD THE GTD class was won by Mercedes drivers Philip Ellis, Indy Dontje, Daniel Morad and Russell Ward. They held back not one, not two, but three hard-charging Ferrari 296s to take the victory.

Aussie Scott Andrews finished eighth in class, two laps down in the Lone Star Racing Mercedes AMG.

www.autoaction.com.au I 57

BATHURST 12 HOUR GT3 ERA CROSSWORD ACROSS

12 Hour last year? (full name)

3. Valentino Rossi will again take part in the Bathurst 12 Hour – where did he finish last year, on debut?

26. Last year Jamie Whincup and Prince Jeffri Ibrahim teamed up and will do so again in 2024 – who will their teammate be? (full name)

8. How many times has Craig Lowndes won the Bathurst 12 Hour?

27. How many times has Maro Engel won the Bathurst 12 Hour?

12. The Bathurst 12 Hour pole position trophy is named after which driver? (surname) 13. Which manufacturer won the race in 2020?

29. Who remains the youngest driver to qualify on pole for the Bathurst 12 Hour? (surname)

1 3

10 12

15

16

DOWN

20

25. Who broke the lap record to take pole position for the Bathurst

9

30. Which brand has won the last two Bathurst 12 Hour races?

2. Katsumasa Chiyo won the race driving what brand in 2015?

23. Who is the most recent Australian to win the Bathurst 12 Hour? (surname)

7

14

15. What team will Cameron Hill race for in the Bathurst 12 Hour? (abbreviation)

21. The biggest race-winning margin was set in 2013 – how many laps did the Mercedes win by?

6

13

17

19. Who became the first threetime winner of the GT3 race last year? (surname)

5

11

1. The record for the largest grid to start a Bathurst 12 Hour was set in 2013 – how many cars started?

18. Who partnered with Craig Lowndes and Toni Vilander to score victory in 2017? (full name)

4

8

14. Which Supercars driver won the Pro-Am class with Fraser Ross and Liam Talbot last year? (full name)

17. Which driver won both the Bathurst 12 Hour and Bathurst 1000 in the same year? The only driver to achieve this feat. (surname).

2

4. How many times has a fourdriver team won the 12 Hour?

18

19

21

26

27

10. Which manufacturer won the race in 2016?

11. How many times has Ferrari won the Bathurst 12 Hour?

24

28

29

30

6. Kevin Estre made his Bathurst 1000 debut last year – this year he will race in the Bathurst 12 Hour for which brand?

9. Who holds the record for most Bathurst 12 Hour Top 10 Shootout appearances? (full name)

23

25

5. Bastian Buus and Joel Eriksson will team up with which former Carrera Cup Champion and current Supercars driver? (full name)

7. Who is the oldest Bathurst 12 Hour winner in the GT3 era, winning the race aged 59? (full name)

22

16. The #222 Mercedes will see three Supercars drivers share the car in 2024 – Cameron Waters, Craig Lowndes and who? (surname) 20. Italian ace Raffaele Marciello has made the switch from Mercedes to make his debut with which brand in the Bathurst 12 Hour?

22. Dries Vanthoor is the youngest

12 Hour winner, taking the win in 2018 at what age? (years) 24. Which manufacturer won the first Bathurst 12 Hour under the GT3 regulations, in 2011?

28. Who holds the record as the oldest pole-sitter, doing so in 2014 aged 40? (surname)

1878 Crossword Answers - 1 across – BRT, 1 down – Brown, 2 down – Spanish, 3 down – Percat, 4 across – Alpine, 5 across – zero, 6 across – Evans, 6 down – Ericsson, 7 across – Hyundai, 8 down – Mikkelsen, 9 across – Japan, 10 across – Chinese, 11 across – Reynolds, 12 across – Courtney, 13 down – Lamborghini, 14 across – Malukas, 15 across – Rins, 16 across – One million, 17 across – Armstrong, 18 down – two, 19 down – Stake, 20 down – Lebrocq, 21 across – Grove Racing, 22 down – Imola, 23 across – Munster, 23 down – Martin, 24 down – five, 25 across – Wood, 26 across – Ducati, 27 across - Martin

We take a look back at what was making news in Auto Action 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago

1974 MAX STEWART hit the lead of the Tasman Championship after a second successive round win.

Racing at Oran Park’s short circuit, Stewart defeated fellow Lola T330 racer Johnny Walker by just 2.2s.

The pair had a fascinating battle as the lead changed no less than four times, but it was Stewart who emerged on top.

The final race of the New Zealand leg of the series had been held at Teretonga where Stewart scored the first of his wins.

The race was notable as it was reigning champion Graham McRae’s first finish of his title defence.

1984 PETER BROCK’S dream to race at Le Mans came true, with his plans to race a Porsche 956 with Larry Perkins surfacing.

The car itself was leased by John Fitzpatrick, with the idea to take Brock to Le Mans instigated by Greg Siddle.

Although costs were estimated to be in six figures, Siddle believed Le Mans glory would be possible.

“We believe that with what will be at our disposal we will be capable of winning Le Mans,” Siddle said.

“The idea was put into Peter’s mind at the AGP. We spoke about it then but it was really decided about two weeks afterwards.”

58 I www.autoaction.com.au

1994 AFTER THE Peter Jackson Falcons overcame Mark Skaife and spoiled the party at the Winfield Triple Challenge, the touring car wings could be clipped after “processional racing” was seen at Eastern Creek. Added air dams were seen on the front wing of the Falcons, while the Fords and Holdens seemed “unable to pass each other” – Seton’s racewinning move on Skaife in Race 3 after the Holden hero made a slight braking error was “one of the rare passing moves all day”. Meanwhile, at Premier Speedway, Max Dumensy scored his second Grand Annual Classic win ahead of American Mike Ward.

Gutsy Albury based driver David Anderson had a tough time, heading into the race with broken ribs after experiencing a massive barrel-roll.

2004 AFTER WINNING his first V8 Supercars title, Marcos Ambrose wanted more freedom in racing, believing the track action had become too sanitised. The ‘Devil Racer’ made it clear he believed the ‘bump and run’ move should be allowed. “I would like to see a bit of freedom open back up in the sport,” Ambrose said. “You can pick your moment when it is safe.

Danica Patrick announced herself on the motor racing landscape by being lined up for a Champ Car test at Sebring.

That news then sparked speculation of the possibility of the then 21-year-old becoming the fourth Champ Car female racer and taking on the streets of Surfers Paradise.

2014 THE TURBO hybrid era of Formula 1 had broken cover and the first glimpse was not pretty.

New regulations surrounding the noses saw teams opting to mitigate aero loss in favour of aesthetics.

The other talk of testing was Red Bull’s lack of laps, with the Renault engines failing regularly.

Despite Red Bull completing just 21 laps in Jerez compared to Mercedes’ 321, new recruit Daniel Ricciardo was optimistic.

“Time is on our side,” he said. We just need more time to solve the issues – but I think they are pretty clear on everyones mind.”

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