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EDITORIAL By Richard Craill IT IS NOT every day that a TV commercial speaks truths about society, life and the world in general, yet NBCs ‘Get some NASCAR in your life’ promo released earlier this year did all three and more. It is an inspired bit of writing, film making and product endorsement and with nearly six million views it’s been one of the viral internet hits this year: Actor Nick Offerman (just about in character as Ron Swanson from the brilliant Parks & Recreation) singing about the truths of NASCAR in a push for the returning NBC, who will cover the second half of the season. It’s probably one of the best marketing spots for any sports league I’ve ever seen. In the space of two minutes and twelve seconds, the moustachioed man nails just about every salient point our sport needs to promote: how fan friendly it is (‘Where meats are grilled and you can bring your own’), how diverse it is (‘Where everyone’s welcome and we all belong – even my friend in his American thong’), on the engineering and scientific nous behind the industry (‘You want Billy and Sally to learn about Math and Science? Send ‘em to the school of NASCAR’) and important consumer advice about the travel involved (‘did you know that ten miles from Sonoma Raceway you can go wine tasting?’). However just over one minute into the song it nails a key issue Motorsport has had since the wheel first turned. “Where men and women compete together, just like they did back in the 18... never!” Boom. Motorsport is one of the largest sports in the world and yet consistently fails to successfully promote the fact that it is one of the only major global sporting competitions where both sexes compete on a level playing field, head to head. Formula 1 ranks only with the Olympics and the Soccer World Cup in terms of TV interest and yet only one of the three
has the potential to see male and female competing on the same terms, on the same playing field and to the same set of rules – and it’s not the four-yearly events. But herein lies the challenge. If you talk to a majority of women in the sport they all strive to be judged and rated on equal terms to their competitors, regardless of gender. Some are better, some not – but in the end they aim to be just another driver, in another car, doing the same job. Which is completely understandable – why should it be considered any differently? And while Danica Patrick still receives a disproportionately large amount of TV and print coverage relative to her success ratio (though it has to be said this year has seen improvement), that a sport like NASCAR, with its roots in the male-centric, boozerunning South, has accepted her as one of their own speaks volumes. She’s just another driver picking fights with Denny Hamlin in the same way that everyone else picks fights with Kyle Busch. And yet we should be celebrating the fact that our game has the potential to be a global leader in gender diversity and equality in sport. Somewhere, somehow there is a fine balance to be found by promoting the fact that women are unique in the game – and at the same time promoting the fact that when the helmet goes on, they’re exactly the same as anyone else. There’s a happy medium somewhere – answers on how to do that on the back of a postcard, please. One of the best at promoting the point we’re trying to make is Leanne Tander, who recently created a blog called The Racing Mum to detail her experiences balancing motherhood while at the same remaining one of the better Formula drivers to race in Australia in the last fifteen years. Turn a few pages to read her first column for the Racing Magazine.
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Nationals Flashbacks
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The Racing Mum
10 Feature UNLEASH THE BEAST 13 Feature PORSCHE POWER 16 Feature ONE ON ONE 18 Feature MAN ON FIRE 21 Round 2 - Categories & Entries 28 Round 1 Recap 30 Television Coverage Lap Records
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Richard Craill
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Richard Craill, Amanda Jackson & Garry O’Brien
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NATIONALS FLASHBACK Phillip Island, 2008
AS WE continue our look back over ten years of photographic history from the Shannons Nationals, here’s a shot from a wet ‘n wild Phillip Island from August, 2008. This was the second ever round of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge – now a Nationals staple – and saw horrendous conditions for much of the weekend... check out the mud on drivers right and the tell-tale signs that someone has already found it earlier in the weekend... Proof that the more things change, the more they stay the same!
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WHEN MITCH MADE HIS MARK 10 Years of Nationals Stories | Sandown, 2009 6 | THE RACING MAGAZINE
In race two and on a wet track Evans ran third early, before ending Macrow’s title hopes when he towed past the championship contender up the back straight to grab second. An ailing Macrow, down on power, would be passed by Matt Sofi in the run to the flag and would ultimately finish fourth and second in the championship standings. With his title looking more secure, Foster led the finale’ but was rapidly hunted down by Evans, who sliced past his teammate in the closing laps to send himself to the record books as the youngest ever driver to win a race in the history of the Australian Drivers Championship. Foster would win the championship and Team BRM get an emphatic 1-2 result “It’s quite an honour to accept this trophy and to know I’ve won a race in the Gold Star,” Evans said at the time. “It was a challenging race but I actually felt more confident in the heavier conditions than when it wasn’t as wet so I was feeling fairly confident. I was careful when I was getting past Joey as I didn’t want to make contact with a team mate and from there I was able to hold on and win the race. “I’m really pleased and the team have done an awesome job, so thanks to them for their work. It’s been a great weekend.”
2009 was a big year for a then 14-year-old New Zealand driver named Mitch Evans. With immediate impact and from nowhere he joined Sonic Motor Racing and finished second in the Australian Formula Ford Championship, behind champion Nick Percat. He won four races, scored nine other podium finishes and beat Scott Pye home in the final standings. At Sandown Raceway, just a week after the final round of the Formula Ford Championship and now the ripe old age of 15, he made his wings and slicks debut in a Team BRM Dallara, driving for Team BRM. Most thought he would play second fiddle to a championship battle that had waged all year
between BRMs main driver, Brit Joey Foster, and the tenacious Tim Macrow. Foster trailed Macrow by four points coming into the final round, and while the title battle delivered few would have imagined the impact Evans’ would make on a mild Melbourne weekend. Amidst a strong 14-car field Evans’ was instantly on the pace, topping both practice sessions on Friday. He was third, behind Foster and Macrow in the first round of qualifying, and secured the same spot in the ‘quick six’ shootout for pole soon afterwards. Teammate Foster was second, Matt Sofi on Pole and Macrow fourth. Foster grabbed the title lead with victory over Macrow in race one, Evans finishing a solid fourth in the opener.
The rest, as they say, is history. Evans would finish a narrow second in the 2010 F3 championship and win the 2011 NZ Grand Prix before setting his sights on Europe. With the support of Mark Webber, he won three races en route to the 2013 GP3 championship, and two races in his debut GP2 season last year, finishing fourth in the standings. He’s back in GP2 this year and a legitimate title contender, and will dovetail that campaign with selected races in Sports Cars – securing a class victory in LMP2 in the most recent World Endurance Championship round at Spa Francorchamps. He’s still young, still incredibly fast and has a big future ahead of him. But that day at Sandown’s Shannons Nationals round in 2009 will be remembered by those who were there for a long, long time as the coming of a proper open wheel star.
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THE RACING MUM She’s won races in Australia’s top open wheel categories, raced a V8 Supercar on the Mountain, run a race team and is in the process of raising two kids... But now Leanne Tander is back: Back on track, and back at the pointy end of national competition right where she belongs. She’s also a talented writer and runs a successful, insightful blog called ‘The Racing Mum.’ Fortunately for us, between everything she’s got going on in her world, she’s spared time to give us the lowdown on her racing return. THOSE of you who follow my racing page (Facebook.com/LeanneTanderPage) would have seen that I recently acquired a “new” (for me) Formula Ford and raced it at Phillip Island in the opening round of the Victorian State Circuit Racing Series. I am also planning on racing it in selected rounds of the National Formula Ford Series. Without getting into the nitty gritty, the basic differences between my new car and the one I’ve been racing the last couple of years is twofold: 1. Age – 1994 v 2010; and 2. Engine – both 1600cc but the more modern Duratec makes more power (about 135Hp) than the older Kent (110Hp). This Duratec car competes for outright position while the Kent is a ‘class’ car. Given the success I have enjoyed in my Kent car of late, it might seem strange that I would purchase a car that is unknown to me and will cause me to compete directly against drivers young enough to be my children (Literally. I’m not even exaggerating. It’s insane how old I feel at a driver’s briefing!). But here’s the thing – I’m no Lady Driver. Yes, I’ve been really enjoying racing my older Kent car. The driving and racing has been quite stress-free for me and a great way to ease back into it. Garth has also enjoyed tinkering with my car, so much so that he has made it arguably the best Kent powered Formula Ford in the country! Given my experience in Kent Formula Ford and the pace of my car, it has become an expectation,
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on my part, that I will pole and win the majority of races I enter – the exceptions, of course, are the Bathurst race where we had over 50 Kent cars entered, and any racing I do in Perth, where the Kent is still the outright class and, thus, very competitive. So the problem now is that I have reached a point where I need more of a challenge. I could have continued racing my Kent, collecting trophies and having a great time, but my racing has always been about more than that. I switched from gymnastics to racing because I am a competitive person and I wanted to do something where I could compete on a regular basis, as opposed to spending all year in a gym for one competition. The thing that made me fall in love with racing was the wheel-to-wheel combat. I never wanted to just drive around fast – I wanted to race. Furthermore, I wanted to win but not just against any Tom, Dick or Harriett who bothered to turn up. I wanted to win against the best. I wanted to earn my victories and be proud of what I had accomplished. Sure, this means I don’t have as many karting trophies as some others. I remember early in my karting career once a boy boasted to me that he had 54 (or whatever it was!) trophies. At the time I only had around a dozen. I felt annoyed, as I knew I could beat this boy any day of the week, but my dad asked me: “Do you want to collect trophies or do you want to be the best?” My answer, of course, was that I wanted to be the best.
“Well,” said dad, “if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.” And, rightly or wrongly, that’s how my dad and I went about racing. We continually chased the competition, seeking out the best drivers to compete against rather than selecting less competitive categories where we might have more easily won. It means I don’t have as many wins to my name and I have never won a National Championship but I have raced hard, against the best I could find, and I know in my heart that my victories were hard fought and won. That’s why, at the ripe old age of 34, I’m choosing to make things a bit more difficult for myself rather than slowing down and taking it easy. I want to keep challenging myself and, while categories such as Carrera Cup or Supercars may attract the absolute best drivers in the country, they also attract the highest price tags! These Formula Ford kids against whom I will be racing may be just that at the moment – kids – but they are super fast and they race hard. They are the best of their generation and, in a few years’ time, you will no doubt hear about their accomplishments in the sport. They will certainly not go easy on me. They will be pushing themselves to their limits to find that last thousandth of a second and, in turn, will be pushing me to mine. They will race for sheep stations and, although I don’t necessarily need or want a sheep station, my competitive streak won’t let me settle for anything less if that’s what is on the table.
UNLEASH THE BEAST DO YOU REMEMBER the Holden Monaros Garry Rogers built for the Nations Cup series and Bathurst 24 Hour back in the early 2000s? The recipe for those cars was simple: coupé body shape, race car underpinnings and a monstrous V8 engine under the hood. Well, the latest addition to the Australian GT Championship field may well be the Monaro’s second coming – meet the SaReNi Camaro GT3. 10 | THE RACING MAGAZINE
WORDS: Richard Craill IMAGES: M Motorsport / SaReNi Camaro
WHAT IS IT? From the brains of Hans Reiter, the man behind a majority of Lamborghini’s GT products, the GT3 Camaro was introduced to the GT3 world late last year and made its Australian debut earlier this season. It takes the immensely popular re-born Camaro shape (which, remember, utilises a platform developed in Australia by Holden) and subjects it to the all the improvements allowed under the GT3 regulations – a new engine nestled further back in the chassis, six-speed sequential gearbox, carbon and composite material panels to reduce weight and the awesome array of aero improvements available to the class.
SaReNi Camaro was established in 2013 as an offshoot of Reiter Engineering to allow the company to expand its customer base beyond their hugely popular range of Lamborghini racers. IN AUSTRALIA... Justin McMillan’s Interlloy M Motorsport car is pictured here. Racing in Australian GT, McMillan drove with Czech star Thomas Enge in the opening round of the championship at the Clipsal 500 while Jack LeBrocq will drive with McMillan for the remainder of the 2015 season. Dale Paterson and Steve Richards drive the second Australian-based Camaro.
The cars endured a challenging opening round of the championship at the Clipsal 500, though showing plenty of pace (they recorded the fourth and seventh quickest laps of the weekend, respectively) both cars failed to finish the second one-hour race with technical issues, though both charged through the field in the finale to record solid finishes. Potential certainly shown.
SPECS: ENGINE: 7.9 litre V8 with 650hp, 800Nm. GEARBOX: six-speed Hollinger sequential TECH: ABS, traction control, 405mm vented rotors, 3-way Ohlins dampers. WEIGHT: 1315kg COST: 200,000 euros, plus tax THENATIONALS.COM.AU | 11
PORSCHE POWER WORDS: Richard Craill IMAGES: Porsche Cars Australia / Author
IT IS a rare occasion you get to compare cars, back to back, on a race track. It’s rarer to do it with a high-end brand like Porsche. And it’s rarer again to do it with two of the best drivers around to guide your experience. Yet as the sun beats down on Victoria’s North that is exactly the proposition in store for today: Winton Raceway, a type 991 Porsche Turbo S and its race going brother – the 991 GT3 Cup Car from Australia’s Porsche Carrera Cup. This is not, of course, a fair comparison. You can’t just throw a car designed for the road on a track and expect it to compete with a purposebuilt racing machine. Or can you? Brands involved in leveraging their motorsport credentials are regularly telling us that their motorsport activities further their road car research. Porsche, a brand that currently markets a road-going supercar that shares tech with Mark Webber’s LeMans racer, is probably the most justified in doing so. And so, with Winton at our disposal, the sun shining from a brilliant blue sky and the drivers taking some early hot lap victims out to warm up bodies, brains and cars alike, we throw on a helmet and walk towards the stunning blue supercar with evocative script sprawled across it’s wide, inviting rump... Turbo. This should be fun.
EVEN THOUGH it is wider, longer and heavier than its 997 predecessor, the immediate impact of the road going 991 is how physically small it actually seems. Each curve and crease seems to shrink the low and wide proportions of the classic-yet-fresh ‘new’ 911 shape. In the brilliant metallic blue this car is presented in, it looks stunning – without the overt flair of the road-
going GT3 but with enough menace and purpose to give hint to the inherent intent. In the passenger door – bob the head to avoid whacking helmet on roof – and slide low into the comfortable, supporting leather seat and receive a warm ‘G’Day’ from our driver, Karl. That’d be Karl Reindler, former V8 Supercar full-timer and Porsche driving instructor.
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First impressions of the Turbo interior is that this is no stripped-out racer. It’s comfortable and importantly today, cool – it’s nudging 30 outside in Kelly country so the respite thanks to the effective air conditioning is welcome. “I fell asleep where you are sitting when we were driving up here this morning,” Reindler says, his quip either a ringing endorsement of the Turbo’s cruising ability, the mundane nature of the Hume or his lack of sleep thanks to a new, (then) threeweek-old daughter in the Reindler household. I suspect a mixture of all. The car is already running but its 3.8-litre flat six is nearly silent at idle. We move away from the pit apron smoothly, seven-speed PDK semi-auto clicked into first by the lovely alloy paddle behind the similarly well-designed wheel, Porsche shield front and centre. And then, we get to the de-restricted sign and the sustained violence of four-wheel-drive and 556bhp are implanted in your neck muscles. From standstill, 100km/hr is dealt with in under three seconds. 200 in just over six. It is bloody fast. There is no turbo lag, no delay, nothing to prepare you for the rate of knots at which this thing gathers speed in a straight line. Part of the relentlessness comes from 750Nm (on over boost) of torque that comes low in the revrange yet through every one of more than 7,500 revolutions this remarkable engine is capable of and in every gear, the acceleration is sustained, comprehensive and brilliant. Given the Turbo S is the high-end cruiser of the 911 range compared to, say, the track weapon that is the GT3 RS, the way it goes around corners is similarly effective. The first reaction on getting to Winton’s tricky, long turn five is that this car has a mighty front end, a fact confirmed by the driver moments later. “It’s very quick steering, and if you’re not careful it unsettles the rear end on entry. The steering is just ridiculous,” Reindler says, pausing to catch a halfturn of opposite lock midway through Winton’s turn five, a long, loaded 150kph left hander. 14 | THE RACING MAGAZINE
“But it’s got so much grip,” he picks up again as we tackle the series of three right-left-right hairpins affectionately known as Winton’s ‘cleavage’. He’s on the throttle insanely early, total traction a given as the adaptive dampers measure the ride and balance. It corners spectacularly: I’m hanging on for the amount of lateral Gs it’s pulling. “I just tried to unsettle the rear there and it just won’t,” Reindler adds as the car gets through the turn in phase and through the middle of turn ten. “It just sticks and goes and it’s probably every bit as fast as the other (race) car in a straight line, too. It’s a lot of fun.” But it’s not remote, either: Though clearly within his limits Karl is still working and I feel the car dancing beneath me from the passenger seat, clearly finding the very edge of what the streetlegal Michelin Cup tyres can offer in terms of grip and traction on the racing surface. It looks a riot, feels it too. Our laps end and Karl returns to the pits, ready for the next victim who will surely be as impressed as I am about the remarkable capabilities that the Turbo offers its drivers – and passengers. From nap on the Hume to 220km/hr at Winton all within the same morning, the blue machine truly seems a usable Supercar. SO NOW WE head out of the kitchen and into the fire, quite literally as it turns out. From the air conditioned cool of the Turbo, Craig Baird’s 2014 Carrera Cup Australia mount is hot, both in temperature and ability. While the turbo is slightly muted and relies on its active exhaust to generate meaningful noise, the current Cup Cars scream intent both aurally and visually. Their pumped-out guards accommodating slick Michelin control tyres that are wider and taller than their predecessors. There’s more aero and because of that, more downforce and an altogether more purpose-built race look, as you’d expect. Obviously, it’s more purposeful on the inside, too.
The temporary passenger seat forces you to sit at an angle, legs skewed to the right of the footwall to steer around the electrical boxes stored where feet would usually reside. Six-point belts tight and (large) posterior wedged into the passenger seat, it’s time to go. I look across to the familiar lid adorned by the logos of a notable energy company and get a thumbs up. CRAIG BAIRD is our driver today and that’s good – for those who have been living under a rock lately, the Kiwi is the most successful onemake Porsche driver in the world and owns almost every record in the Carrera Cup record book: five championships matched with more than fifty wins and an overall round victory in every three-point-five round starts. So, good driver? Check. Like the outside and inside of the Cup Car, the engine has a harder edge: it’s more metallic, sharper and louder, too. There are no turbos to muffle the exhaust and, to be fair, not that many mufflers to do the job either. The car starts easily but it’s jittery as we move away, low revs needed as you ease the racing clutch to its bite point and it slowly moves from the bay, juttering and shunting down the lane at the low, 40kph limit. The Cup Car gathers speed differently to the Turbo, but no-less effectively. Where the Turbo offers sustained brute force, the Cup Car progressively gets better and better up the rev-range, pressing you back harder and harder into the seat with every illumination of a shift light on the control digital dash. So if the Turbo relies on its 750Nm to propel it forward in a massive wave of torque from standstill, the Cup Car combines the 450hp 3.8-litre flat six with the much lower 1250kg kerb weight and every single one of the available 9,000 revolutions the engine has to offer to deliver performance. It’s a beautiful insight into the difference between forced and natural induction but no less impressive.
It’s not overly loud, but damn it sounds good in here – it’s almost playing in a higher key compared to the Turbo and it’s amplified by the drum-like interior, stripped of anything that absorbs sound. As the revs rise to their stratospheric peak so does the cacophony of sound from the gearbox, becoming higher pitched with each change as a longer ratio is selected. Like every Cup Car before it and I am sure every one to come, the only way to tell people what it sounds like is that it sounds ‘like a Porsche’, and leave it at that. The gearbox is special, too. The 991 is the first one-make Porsche racer to feature paddle shifts and it is a startlingly effective. I’m not sure if it’s just that the lack of a mechanical linkage makes it seem less physical, or if it is indeed better than the old cars system, but this ‘box immediately seems faster and easier to use than the 997s I’d already experienced. There is very little discernible pause as each shift is banged through, downshifts met with a pleasing ‘bwarrp’ as the flat six matches revs and wheel speed to avoid rears locking. Bairdo is doing it manually, but the semi-pro drivers in the field can tick the options box for a rev ‘blipper’ should they so desire. At this point, we should talk brakes. While the Turbo’s ceramic stoppers are incredibly effective, they still have to stop at least 400kg more than the race car, so while the acceleration in the track vehicles comes as a rising wave of performance, the braking is in reverse: the initial application hauls you forward, harnesses digging into skin. Remember when you went over the handlebars of your push bike as a kid and face planted into the concrete? It’s like that, just quicker. It’s now that you truly feel the benefit of slick tyres too, and perhaps a bit of downforce to boot: Baird is smooth on entry, early to the throttle and using only small corrective inputs mid-corner. Smooth is fast in these cars and as it’s the way Bairdo drives it’s clearly why he’s won so much in them.
Laps in the Cup Car tell a lot about why so many people covet them as race cars – they are so completely competent in everything they do, be it performance, braking, handling, looks, sound, and everything in between. They’re the ultimate turnkey package for a professional driver or the semi-pro guys who race in the TAG Heuer Carrera Challenge, for instance. As the race car draws back to pit lane and ticks quietly as it cools, we return back to our initial point, the one about comparing road to race. If anything, today has proved how legitimate Porsche’s longstanding belief that racing improves the breed really is. What stands out from a back to back comparison of road-versus-race was how completely both
cars fill their desired markets. The Cup Car is probably the most complete, all-round racing car available today: every bit as quick as a V8 Supercar, satisfying to drive for professionals and accessible for those who aren’t named Baird or Richards, too. In the same way, the Turbo S is probably the most completely all-round road car on sale at the moment. It has the capability to lap a circuit quicker than more than two thirds of the racing cars in Australia, the comfort to put people to sleep on the freeway and the practicality to run to the shops and actually buy things you want to take home thanks to its boot and back seat. These days it’s sometimes hard to take comparisons between a brands road and race cars seriously, but not if you’re talking about Porsche. Not even slightly. THENATIONALS.COM.AU | 15
ONE ON ONE CAITLIN WOOD is one of the new generation of Australian Formula Ford stars taking on a new generation of Australian Formula Ford competition. Racing for Synergy Motorsport – the team that helped now V8 Supercars star Chaz Mostert to the title in 2010 – the 18-year-old High School student from New South Wales is keen to make an impact on the 2015 championship. Before the opening round of the championship in Melbourne, she sat down with SPEEDWEEK and gave her thoughts about where she’s come from, where she’s going and the big 2015 season ahead. You can catch the full interview at our YouTube Channel now! 16 | THE RACING MAGAZINE
“This will be my second year in the national Australian formula ford series. Last year was my learning year and getting myself up to speed and all that jazz. Previously before FFord I did karting and started that when I was 7 and made my way up through the ranks from there. “It all started with my brother. He used to race karting and there was a bit of an age gap between me and him so I just grew up at the kart track. When I was 7 I just said ‘Hey Dad, I want a go’ and we did that for a while. At first it was just a hobby, a family hobby, but it turned into something a little bit more serious. We started competing in national karting series and then when I was 15-16 I said ‘Hey Dad, I really, really like this can we do a bit more?’ We stepped up into Formula Ford and it seemed like the best option at the time. “Last year was my first year in the national series. We did a few state round the year before – not with Synergy – in an old car run by me, my father and brother. Last year was good, it was a good learning curve and I learned a lot more stepping up to a team and into the national series.
“The racing was tough and it was fun, and it was really good. We got a lot of track time last year in the Shannons Nationals and it was the year I needed to progress. ‘I learned a lot... We had good finishes throughout the year, in 6th and 7th in some races, but I never got a whole weekend together. I think that was a part of the whole learning stage – getting a full weekend together in consistent results and that’s what makes a difference in the championship results. “Synergy (Motorsport), with Justin (Cotter – team boss and former racer), has been awesome and he’s taught me so much. “Ultimate career goal? Isn’t everyone’s ultimate career goal F1 these days? I just want to become a professional racing car driver. It’s what I really love to do. V8’s are amazing and I’d love to step up into that category one day, but there’s so many options around the world these days. Asia is big and America is huge with IndyCar and there’s a lot of opportunities around. “I’ll keep my eyes wide and hopefully I’ll be there one day!”
“ We got a lot of track time last year in the Shannons Nationals and it was the year I needed to progress. ”
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MAN ON FIRE
THE brand new HSV GTS that made its AMChamp debut at Sandown in March was hot. Hot when it was running and, as it turned out, hot when it wasn’t, too. AMANDA JACKSON caught up with owner Jim Pollicina and the man who built the car, former racer Dean Lillie, to find out exactly what happened... WORDS: Amanda Jackson IMAGES: Nathan Wong / Speedweek / Facebook
The debut of the Poll Motorsports Mocomm HSV GTS VF at the opening round of the Australian Manufacturers Championship was red hot, in all senses of the phrase. The Holden beast impressed with its straight line speed straight out of the gate despite no preevent testing, with Porsche racer Geoff Emery at the wheel setting the quickest lap in qualifying before handing over to car-owner Jim Pollcina for the race start. When it came to race day, Pollicina led strongly early before a dropped water hose saw the entry forced into the pits for repairs. Despite losing a number of laps in the process, the HSW found itself challenging for a podium positon as the final fifteen minutes approached only for the heat to literally become too much as a massive fire took hold in the rear of the car – ending their charge and, ultimately, the race as well.
Jim Pollicina: It looks as though the fire was caused by a chain of events which started with a broken exhaust system - heat from the exhaust caused the fuel cell to expand, and it then ruptured when it rubbed against the tailshaft. Dean Lillie: The broken exhaust probably contributed to the fuel cell expanding, rubbing against the tailshaft and then rupturing, but it wasn’t the sole cause of the problem – the underbody heat caused the tank to expand anyway. It was amazing how long it took to extinguish the fire – the marshals used a total of 13 foam extinguishers, 16 powder extinguishers, 350 Litres of foam and water from their fire truck, plus a fire hose in the pits, before it was completely put out. All extinguishers from all the flag points at Sandown were used!
Here’s what Pollicina had to say as a big rebuild of a still brand-new car drew to its completion.
What kind of damage did you end up sustaining and how large of a repair job did you have to go through to be ready for round two?
Racing Magazine: There is no denying it, the Sandown 3 Hour Classic could have ended better for you – can you talk us through what happened to cause the inferno?
JP: The damage was predominantly underneath the car, so we’ve stripped it and repainted the damaged areas, and replaced the fuel cell and wiring loom. It wasn’t quite as badly damaged
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as we first feared, so it will be back together and ready for Phillip Island. DL: A lot of components were destroyed and needed replacing – the main items were the wiring loom, differential, gearbox and fuel tank. The fuel tank was a particularly major item because it is located between the axles rather than the standard position in the boot – there are safety and car balance advantages in doing it that way. At the time of the fire you were shaping up for a possible podium position with just 12 minutes left on the clock, after starting out very strong in the beginning before mechanical gremlins intervened – talk us through how the race had unfolded for you to that point? JP: With it being a new car, we always expected some teething problems – its first run on a racetrack was the Friday at Sandown, so to qualify on pole position and lead the early stages of the race was very satisfying. We had some unscheduled pit stops to resolve some problems and the race certainly exposed some minor issues, but they are things we’ve been able to address so we’re expecting better reliability in the future.
DL: We went well at the start, but had some unscheduled pit stops – the first was for an engine misfire caused by burnt ignition leads, then we blew a water fitting. When Geoff Emery got in, the exhaust cracked, and then it obviously all culminated in the fire. The car was impressively quick in a straight line and while it was reported that there was more work to be done on the handling around the corners, you were able to secure pole position and punch out some great race pace to be in the running right to the end – with no test day prior to the Sandown 3 Hour, how happy were you with the performance in Sandown? JP: Overall, I was stoked with the performance and there are still plenty of areas we know we can improve, especially with the engine management system and with the handling. DL: The handling was quite a challenge at the start of the weekend because of the lack of testing, but we improved over the weekend. There is still a lot of work to do with shocks, sprints and so on. The Sandown 3 Hour was a tumultuous debut to say the least, as you prepare for the second round what are your final reflections on the car’s first outing overall?
JP: It was a very positive first outing and it was just a shame it ended the way it did. In the specification we raced it in at Sandown, it wasn’t really an endurance car, but we’re making the necessary upgrades to bring it up to endurance spec - it will be prepared to the same level as if we were preparing for the Bathurst 12 Hour. Have you had a chance to do further testing and development since Sandown in preparation for round two at Phillip Island? JP: Because of the time spent repairing the damage from Sandown, we haven’t had time to test it yet, but the plan is for Dean Lillie to give it a run before Phillip Island. DL: We will be doing some testing at Winton, and the main objectives will be to ensure the engine, oil and transmission cooling systems are working as they should, and that the car is reliable. How do you think the car will suit the Phillip Island circuit? What are your expectations for round two? JP: We expect the car’s straight-line performance to really suit Phillip Island, so our expectation is pole and a race win!
DL: Our straight-line speed will be an advantage, but not as much as it was at Sandown where acceleration out of the slow corners is important. The fast corners at Phillip Island will be quite tough on the tyres as well. Your entry is the only Holden representative in the AMChamp field – is it important to you to bring a Holden to the field? What informed your choice of car for the Series? JP: I’m a Holden fan from way back and I’ve raced Holdens in various categories from statelevel Production Touring right up to the Kumho Series. The F-Series is one of the last Aussie Holdens and the GTS is the most powerful, so it was an obvious choice.
THENATIONALS.COM.AU | 19
ROUND 2 PHILLIP ISLAND, VIC
SHANNONS AUSTRALIAN MOTOR RACING NATIONALS ROUND 2, PHILLIP ISLAND GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT • MAY 22-24, 2015 ORGANISATION AND STATUS
OFFICIALS OF THE MEETING
This Meeting is conducted under the International Sporting Code of the FIA, the National Competition Rules of the CAMS Ltd, the Race Meeting Standing Regulations of CAMS, Phillip Island Standing Regulations 03/2012, and Supplementary Regulations issued for this Meeting. CAMS Permit: 815/2405/01
Series Director: Meeting Director: Series Steward: Stewards of the Meeting: Clerk of the Course: Deputy Clerk of the Course: Assistant Clerks of the Course: Secretary of the Meeting: Deputy Secretary of the Meeting: Judges of Start & Finish: Chief Paddock Marshal: Chief of Recovery: Course Marshal : Chief Marshal: Chief Flag Marshal: Chief Fire Marshal: Chief Marshalling Area: Compliance Checker: Organising Committee:
EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY, RELEASE AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK MOTOR SPORT IS DANGEROUS In exchange for being able to attend or participate in the event, you agree: • to release Confederation of Australian Motor Sport Ltd (“CAMS”) and Australian Motor Sport Commission Ltd, promoters, sponsor organisations, land owners and lessees, organisers of the event, their respective servants, officials, representatives and agents (collectively, the “Associated Entities”) from all liability for your death, personal injury (including burns), psychological trauma, loss or damage (including property damage) (“harm”) howsoever arising from your participation in or attendance at the event, except to the extent prohibited by law; • that CAMS and the Associated Entities do not make any warranty, implied or express, that the event services will be provided with due care and skill or that any materials provided in connection with the services will be fit for the purpose for which they are supplied; and to attend or participate in the event at your own risk. You acknowledge that: • the risks associated with attending or participating in the event include the risk that you may suffer harm as a result of: • motor vehicles (or parts of them) colliding with other motor vehicles, persons or property; • acts of violence and other harmful acts (whether intentional or inadvertent) committed by persons attending or participating in the event; and • the failure or unsuitability of facilities (including grand-stands, fences and guard rails) to ensure the safety of persons or property at the event. • motor sport is dangerous and that accidents causing harm can and do happen and may happen to you. You accept the conditions of, and acknowledge the risks arising from, attending or participating in the event and being provided with the event services by CAMS and the Associated Entities
GENERAL NOTICES Apart from when permitted by law, dogs and other pets are not permitted on the race circuit property at any time while the Meeting is in progress. The consumption of alcohol is prohibited in the Paddock area until after the last practice session or race has finished on any day.
PLEASE USE THE RUBBISH BINS PROVIDED.
Dear Enthusiast, Rob Curkpatrick Peter Nelson Bradley Tubb Stuart Allen, Robert Anderson Colin Smith Matt Balcombe Ken Smith Jean Bellenger Geoff Bull C. Smith, M. Balcombe, I. Leech, A. Bond Danny Jonas Ken Johnston Skip Taylor Roger Chirnside Terry O’Callaghan Steve MCall Barry Parker Danny Jonas Jean Bellenger, Colin Smith, Matt Balcombe, Geoff Bull, Peter Nelson
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The thanks of the motorsport fraternity in general must go to the following groups for their assistance with this Meeting: •P hillip Island Auto Racing Club officials for their manning and management of the meeting •P hillip Island Operations P/L for their work in presenting the circuit and facilities as they are • Victorian Fire & Rescue Service for the fire fighting equipment, the driver rescue facilities, and their expertise • Victorian Flag Marshalling team for flags and marshals •R ob Curkpatrick as the series director for his untiring efforts to make the series a success •C ompetitors and the competitor groups for their participation and cooperation •T eam Medical Australia for medical services •P IARC Recovery Team with the help through the year from Concours Towing (Sean Finn), Magic Towing (Mick Kidd), Cowes Total Car Centre (Brad Rodwell), SAS Towing (Aaron Stokes), Bunyip Crane Trucks (Syd Smith), Powerful Enterprises (Daryl Poynton), Yogi Haulage (David Miljkovic) •D azzle Signs for assistance with event signage and •B ass Coast Shire for assistance with promotion.
Welcome to this weekend’s event which is promoted and organised by the Phillip Island Auto Racing Club (PIARC), and welcome to the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. Under the current owners, Linfox, the circuit has been developed to a point where it matches the other worldclass circuits around the world and we are continually thrilled and privileged to have the opportunity to present our motorsport here. This Shannons Australian Motor Racing Nationals has been developing as a series for more than ten years now and has progressed into a very compact and enjoyable series of events, and one which we eagerly look forward to each time it returns to Phillip Island. This series allows us to show off many national categories at the same Meeting and features a blend of most types of cars seen on our race tracks. The series is set up so that we can plan on the categories to be allocated to our round of the series from a list of about twelve, and whatever happens, it is an interesting for blend of cars to be enjoyed by all. This Meeting traditionally focuses on the endurance type races with a now regular feature of the four-hour Production Car race (known as Amchamp), 2 x 1 hour races for Carrera Cup Porsches, and a 101 lap race for Australian GTs. In addition and as a contrast, there are sprint races for the Formula 3 racing cars and the Formula Fords. All of the marshals here today are volunteers who are trained by the sport for their various roles, and the majority of marshals here today are PIARC members. The remainder come from other dedicated groups who lend their specialities to what we are doing. These extend to services such as Medical, Fire, Flags, Timing and Scrutiny. We work in close cooperation with the Confederation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS) and in conjunction with CAMS, we have a licensing and training program for marshals at all the circuits in Australia. This provides for a consistently high level of skills and application of the rules at the CAMS events; a standard that is widely recognised around the world. If you are interested in taking your involvement further than watching from outside the track fencing, have a look at the PIARC website at www.piarc.com.au . Follow this through as an official, and you can join us in this exciting and demanding past-time. Through us, you can also get involved with the International Motorcycle races held here at Phillip Island each year as well as the AGP at Albert Park and the V8 Supercar races at Phillip Island and other circuits in the country. You will find further detail in the website, and also a membership form. Best regards from the Club, and we look forward to seeing you again at our clubrooms at the Moorabbin Airport, or perhaps at other race meetings here, later in the year.
Peter Nelson, Secretary – PIARC. If today is of interest to you, make sure you do not miss our next car race meeting of the year. Round 7 of the Shannons Australian Motor Racing Nationals on September 18 to 20. To finish off the year, we then have at Phillip Island the V8 Supercar Championship Meeting on November 20 to 22 and the very traditional Island Magic Race Meeting on November 28-29.
THENATIONALS.COM.AU | 21
ROUND 2 PHILLIP ISLAND, VIC
SCHEDULE FRIDAY 22ND MAY
22 | THE RACING MAGAZINE
700
Gates Open
900
Engines may be started
905
Practice 1
Australian Formula Ford Series
20 min
930
Practice 1
Australian Manuf. Championship
20 min
955
Practice 1
Australian GT Championship
20 min
1020
Practice 1
Australian Formula 3 Championship
20 min
1045
Practice 2
Australian Formula Ford Series
20 min
1110
Practice 2
Australian Manuf. Championship
20 min
1135
Practice 2
Australian GT Championship
20 min
1200
Practice 2
Australian Formula 3 Championship
20 min
1225
Practice 1
Porsche Carrera Cup (Challenge)
30 min
1300
Practice 3
Australian Formula Ford Series
20 min
1325
Practice 3
Australian Manuf. Championship
20 min
1350
Practice 3
Australian GT Championship
25 min
1420
Practice 3
Australian Formula 3 Championship
20 min
1445
Practice 2
Porsche Carrera Cup (Pro)
30 min
1520
Official Practice
Australian Formula Ford Series
15 min
1545
Official Practice
Australian Manuf. Championship
15 min
1605
Sponsor Rides
Australian GT Championship
15 min
1620
Sponsor Rides
Porsche Carrera Cup
20 min
1640
Sponsor Rides
Aust Manufacturers Championship
20 min
ROUND 2 PHILLIP ISLAND, VIC
SCHEDULE SATURDAY 23RD MAY 700
Gates Open
900
Engines may be started
910
Qualifying 1
Porsche Carrera Cup
15 min
930
Qualifying 1
Australian GT Championship
15 min
950
Qualifying 1
Australian Formula 3 Championship
20 min
1015
Qualifying 1
Australian Formula Ford Series
15 min
1035
Qualifying 1
Australian Manuf. Championship
20 min
1100
Qualifying 2
Porsche Carrera Cup
15 min
1120
Qualifying 2
Australian GT Championship
15 min
1140
Qualifying 2
Australian Manuf. Championship
20 min
1205
Race 1
Australian Formula 3 Championship
9 laps
1220
Race 1
Australian Formula Ford Series
8 laps
1245
Race 1
Porsche Carrera Cup
36 laps
1400
Race 1
Australian GT Championship
101 laps
SUNDAY 24TH MAY 700
Gates Open
900
Engines may be started
910
Race 2
Australian Formula Ford Series
8 laps
930
Warm up
Porsche Carrera Cup
10 min
945
Race 2
Australian Formula 3 Championship
9 laps
1010
Warm up
Australian Manuf. Championship
15 min
1035
Race 2
Porsche Carrera Cup
36 laps
1150
Race 3
Australian Formula Ford Series
8 laps
1215
Race 3
Australian Formula 3 Championship
14 laps
1250
Race 1
Australian Manuf. Championship
4 Hours
THENATIONALS.COM.AU | 23
ROUND 2 PHILLIP ISLAND, VIC
PORSCHE CARRERA CUP AUSTRALIA ON THE WEB: WWW.CARRERACUP.COM.AU
Car
SPONSOR
1
Laser Plumbing & Electrical
DRIVER
state
VEHICLE
Steven Richards
VIC
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
co-driver Dean Grant 4
Grove Group
Stephen Grove co-driver Scott McLaughlin
6
Apartment Hotel
Ash Samadi
7
Phase 8
8
Porsche Centre Melbourne
9
Hallmarc
co-driver Dean Fiore Matt Campbell co-driver Tim Miles
11
Simon Hodge co-driver Ray Angus
13
MotorOne Car Care
James Bergmuller
14
OPS Gateway
22
Wilson Security/PAYCE/Genis Steele
23
JBS Australia
co-driver Alex Davison Cam McConville
AFS/Ned Whisky & Cola
Tony Bates
Copyworld Toshiba
Michael Almond co-driver John Karytinos
39
Veritas / Builtform
Adrian Mastronadro co-driver Tim Slade
45
VIP Petfoods
Duvashen Padayachee
56
McGrath Estate Agents
65
Porsche Centre Brighton
77
Bob Jane T-Marts
co-driver Indiran Padayach Shane Smollen co-driver Nick Percat
Davbridge Constructions
222 777
Scott Taylor Motorsport Bob Jane T-Marts
SA VIC
Scott Taylor
VIC
QLD
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
VIC VIC
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
NZ SA
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
SA NSW
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
SA NSW
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
NSW NSW
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
VIC
VIC
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
NSW QLD
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
VIC QLD VIC
Nick Foster
VIC NSW
For more entry information, visit www.thenationals.com.au 24 | THE RACING MAGAZINE
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
TAS
co-driver Dean Canto co-driver Dylan Thomas
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
QLD
NSW
Shae Davies
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
QLD
co-driver David Ryan
co-driver Geoff Emery
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
ACT
QLD
co-driver Neale Muston 88
QLD
Fraser Ross Nick McBride
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
GER
SA
co-driver Daniel Gaunt 26
VIC
SA
Roger Lago
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
QLD
Richard Muscat
co-driver Steve Owen 24
QLD
co-driver John Goodacre co-driver Sam Walter
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
WA
VIC
David Russell
Team BRM
NSW
co-driver Max Twigg
co-driver James Koundouris
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
NZ
VIC
Marc Cini
Finanze Ezi
VIC
Craig Baird
co-driver Christopher Mies 10
VIC
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
ROUND 2 PHILLIP ISLAND, VIC
AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURERS CHAMPIONSHIP ON THE WEB: WWW.AMCHAMP.COM.AU
Car
SPONSOR
DRIVER
state
VEHICLE
7
Poll Performance/Mocomm
Jim Pollicina
NSW
HSV GTS VF
co-driver Dean Lillie 11
Lovton Coal
Michael Benton co-driver Tony Hatton
13
Osborne Motorsport
VIC QLD
Falcon FG FPV GT
NSW
Colin Osborne
NSW
Renault Megane RS275
Gus Robbins
VIC
Astra HSV VXR
co-driver 16
co-driver Allan Jarvis 18
Sherrin Rentals
Grant Sherrin co-driver Iain Sherrin
19
Sherrin Rentals
Michael Sherrin co-driver David Ayres
22 23
Melbourne Performance Centre
NSW QLD QLD QLD VIC
co-driver Robert Marshall
VIC
Beric Lynton
BMW 135i
QLD
Shane Marshall
Alphera Financial Services
BMW 135i
QLD
Mitsub Evo 10 BMW 1M
co-driver 26
GWS Personnel
Michael Sloss co-driver Kean Booker
28
GWS/Hunter Kitchen King
Peter Foote co-driver William Gauchi
31
BMW 130i NSW NSW
BMW 335i
NSW
Osborne Motorsport
Renault Megane RS275 co-driver
33
34
Castrol/Turbosmart/DBA/Bilstein
Bob Pearson co-driver Rick Bates
NSW
co-driver Aaron Seton
QLD
AAW Australian Auto Wreckers
George Karadimas co-driver Geoff Russell
36 54
Grand Prix Mazda
co-driver Scott Nicholas
QLD
Donut King
Tony Alford Wade Scott co-driver Callan Sayers
Pedders/Borneo Bears AFL Indonesia
Grant Phillips
co-driver Andrew Turpie Network Clothing/Dentbuster
Mark Eddy co-driver Francois Jouy
Mitsubishi Evo 10
Ford Falcon XR6T
NSW QLD
81
88
VIC
Jake Camilleri
co-driver Mark O’Connor
86
NSW
QLD
Mazda 3 MPS BMW 1M
VIC QLD
Mitsub Evo 8
QLD VIC
Toyota 86 GTS
VIC VIC
Renault Megane RS265
NSW
For more entry information, visit www.thenationals.com.au THENATIONALS.COM.AU | 25
ROUND 2 PHILLIP ISLAND, VIC
AUSTRALIAN FORMULA FORD SERIES ON THE WEB: WWW.FORMULAFORD.ORG.AU
Car
SPONSOR
DRIVER
state
VEHICLE
2
Sonic/Bosch Car Service
Thomas Maxwell
VIC
Mygale SJ13
3
Sonic/BrookeEvansCharteredAccountants
Benjamin Reichstein
VIC
Mygale SJ15A-001
4
Sonic/CalistaPropertyGroup
Christian Morina
VIC
Mygale SJ12
5
Infiniti Red Bull Racing Eyewear
Damon Strongman
VIC
Mygale SJ11
6
E-Steel (Aust)
Paul Zsidy
VIC
Spectrum 012
11
Colin Hill Engineering/Inflighter
Cameron Hill
ACT
Mygale SJ10a
20
Synergy Motorsport
Caitlin Wood
NSW
Spectrum 014
21
Fagersta
James Crozier
VIC
Spectrum 014
23
Cars Galore/Race Academy
Willliam Brown
QLD
Mygale SJ12A
24
ExpressPrint/CountryCars.com.au
Nick Ellen
VIC
Spectrum 012
26
Dream Motorsport
Luis Leeds
VIC
Mygale SJ13a
35
Jetcity
Ljack Atley
VIC
Spectrum 010
Mitch Martin
VIC
Spectrum 014
Jake Spencer
VIC
Mygale SJ2012
42
Leanne Tander
VIC
Mygale SJ10A
95
Adrian Lazzaro
VIC
Spectrum 011
38 39
SJ Display Group
96
JohnWhiteEng/BrownsEng/NorthsideFast
Jimmy Bailey
QLD
Spectrum 06B
98
OntrackAccounts/Xero
Luke Ellery
VIC
Spectrum 06B
For more entry information, visit www.thenationals.com.au
FORMULA 3 AUSTRALIAN DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP ON THE WEB: WWW.FORMULA3.COM.AU
Car
SPONSOR
DRIVER
state
VEHICLE
6
R-Tek Motorsport
Roland Legge
QLD
Dallara
8
R-Tek Motorsport
Nathan Kumar
NSW
Dallara
9
R-Tek Motorsport
14
Trent Shirvington
Trent Shirvington
NSW
Mygale
17
McDonalds/Gilmour Racing
Jon Collins
NSW
Dallara
23
Bestje/Gilmour Racing
Luke Spalding
QLD
Dallara
46
Harvest Motorsport
88
Alpine Motorsport
Dennie Rumble
NSW
Dallara
92
Team Capo
Ricky Capo
NSW
Dallara
Dallara
Mygale
For more entry information, visit www.thenationals.com.au 26 | THE RACING MAGAZINE
ROUND 2 PHILLIP ISLAND, VIC
AUSTRALIAN GT CHAMPIONSHIP ON THE WEB: WWW.AUSTRALIANGT.COM.AU
Car
SPONSOR
DRIVER
state
Co-DRIVER
state
VEHICLE
2
EVA Racing/Evolve Technik
Peter Fitzgerald
VIC
Dean Koutsoumidis
VIC
Audi R8 Ultra
3
Motor School
Ben Foessel
QLD
George Foessel
QLD
Ginetta G50Z
5
Supaloc Racing
Kevin Weeks
SA
James Moffat
Ford GT 2011 GT3
6
Skwirk/Beechwood Homes
Nathan Antunes
NSW
Roderick Salmon
Audi R8 Ultra
7
Darrell Lea
Anthony Quinn
QLD
Garth Tander
VIC
McLaren 650S GT3
Adrian Deitz
NSW
Cameron McConville
VIC
Ferrari 458 GT3
8 O8
Flying B Racing
Peter Edwards
VIC
John Bowe
TAS
Bentley Continental
11
Objective Racing
Tony Walls
QLD
Warren Luff
NSW
McLaren 650S GT3
12
Walz Group
Brendan Cook
QLD
Matt Kingsley
QLD
Porsche GT3 Cup
13
Mt Magnet Drilling
Paul Van Leonhout
14
Taplin Real Estate
Andrew Taplin
19
Hogs Breath CafĂŠ
27
Trass Family Motorsport
28 33
Fastway Couriers
36
Renato Loberto
Ferrari 458 Challenge EVO
SA
Dean Canto
Aston Martin Vantage GT3
Mark Griffith
QLD
Daniel Gaunt
Audi R8 LMS
Jono Lester
NZ
Paul Kelly
NZ
Ferrari 458 GT3
Morgan Haber
QLD
Alex Davison
VIC
Mercedes Benz AMG SLS
Simon Ellinghham
NZ
Andre Heimgartner
NZ
Porsche GT3 Cup
Geoff Emery
VIC
Mercedes Benz AMG SLS
Max Twigg
37
Darrell Lea
Klark Quinn
QLD
Jonathon Webb
NSW
650S GT3
38
Adina Apartment Hotels
Greg Taylor
NSW
Barton Mawer
NSW
Audi R8 LMS
47
Supabarn Supermarkets
James Koundouris
ACT
Marcus Marshall
48
Interlloy M Motorsport
Justin McMillan
VIC
Jack LeBrocq
49
DeFelice Homes
Tony DeFelice
VIC
Andrea Montermini
51
AMAC Motorsport
Andrew Macpherson
NSW
Bradley Shiels
NSW
Porsche 997 GT3-R
53
SAFE-T-STOP
Richard Gartner
NSW
Michael Hector
NSW
Porsche GT3 Cup
54
Donut King
Tony Alford
QLD
Mark O'Connor
QLD
Lotus Exige Cup R
55
Malibu Boats
Xavier West
NSW
Andrew Jones
NSW
Porsche GT3 Cup
63
Team FreeM
Danny Stutterd
VIC
Malcom Niall
68
Thomson Geer Lawyers
Michael O'Donnell
SA
Michael Almond
SA
Porsche GT3 Cup
69
Supabarn Supermarkets
Theo Koundouris
ACT
Steven Owen
QLD
Porsche 996 GT3-S
71
DPM Motorsport
Dale Patterson
VIC
Steven Richards
VIC
Reiter Camaro GT3
73
HHH Racing/Triffid/ESP
Michael Hovey
QLD
Matt Campbell
QLD
Ginetta G55 GT3
74
JAMEC PEM Racing
Christopher Miles
GER
Greg Crick
TAS
Audi R8 Ultra
75
JAMEC PEM Racing
Steven McLaughlan
VIC
Steven Johnson
QLD
Audi R8 Ultra
77
JJA Consulting Group
Jan Jinadasa
VIC
Josh Hunt
NSW
Lamborghini LP560-4
Tony D'Alberto
VIC
Grant Denyer
VIC
Ferrari 458 GT3
John Magro
QLD
88 johnmagro.com
Porsche 997 GT3-R NSW
Reiter Camaro GT3 Ferrari 458 GT3
Lamborghini Gallardo FLll
Lamborghini Gallardo FLll
For more entry information, visit www.thenationals.com.au THENATIONALS.COM.AU | 27
ROUND 1 RECAP:
SANDOWN
A SUCCESSFUL opening round of the 2015 Shannons Australian Motor Racing Nationals was run and won in perfect conditions at Sandown Raceway in Melbourne’s suburbs in late March.
Eight national categories kicked off their respective campaigns with the promise of plenty of highly competitive racing to come across the remainder of the season.
KEY WINNERS: AMChamp Sandown 3 Hour Classic: Rob/Shane Marshall (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X) Kerrick Sports Sedan Series: Tony Ricciardello (Alfa Romeo GTV-Chev) Australian Formula Ford Series: Jake Spencer (Mygale SJ12) Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship: Ricky Capo (Dallara F311 – Mugen Honda) Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge presented by Pirelli: Ryan Simpson (Porsche 997) Dial Before You Dig Super Six Touring Cars: Travis Lindorff (Holden Commodore VX) Kumho V8 Touring Cars: Jack Perkins (Holden Commodore VZ) Radical Australia Cup: Greg Smith / Karl Reindler (Radical SR8)
AMChamp Sandown 3 Hour Classic FATHER AND SON duo Rob and Shane Marshall have successfully defended their AMChamp Sandown 3 hour Classic title at Sandown, outplaying and outlasting their rivals to score a comfortable one-lap victory. The pair were pressured for much of the race by the BMW 1M of Beric Lynton and Craig Baird, though a late-race stop from Baird to clear debris from the radiator grille of the second-placed car 28 | THE RACING MAGAZINE
dropped them a lap behind the winners in the end result. The BMW team were aggrieved by a Safety Car miscalculation that dropped them a lap behind the leaders, potentially costing them victory. Tony Alford and Peter Leemhuis finished third in the Donut King BMW 1M – a car lucky to make the start of the race after enduring significant repairs following a hefty practice crash on Friday. Michael Sherrin and David Ayres finished fourth in their BMW and won Class B, while Jake Camilleri and Scott Nicholas took Class C by one lap over the brand-new Ford Falcon FG-X driven by George Karadimas and Geoff Russell. Class D was won by the Grant Phillips / Andrew Turpie Pedders Toyota 86.
KERRICK SPORTS SEDAN SERIES TONY RICCIADELLO won a climactic opening round of the Kerrick Sports Sedan Series after yet another remarkable wheel-to-wheel fight with his long-time rival Darren Hossack. The pair traded places on two occasions in the final race of the weekend – the Des Wall Trophy
Race that is a must-win for competitors. After wrestling the lead away from Ricciardello, Hossack was re-passed a lap later and then dropped out of the race with a puncture on his Audi-Chev. Steven Tamasi finished second in the final race, in front of Tom Randle’s SAAB with the pair rounding out the podium overall.
KUMHO V8 TOURING CARS EGGLESTON Motorsport’s Jack Perkins has completed a perfect weekend by clean sweeping the opening round of the Kumho Tyre Australian V8 Touring Car Series at Sandown in Melbourne. The news was even better for his team given rookie teammate Liam McAdam finished Perkins was unchallenged in all three races and led home the impressive rookie McAdam, former series champ Chris Smerdon, Pollicina and Matt Palmer in the third and final race of the weekend on Sunday afternoon. The Kumho V8 Touring Cars’ next round will be with the Shannons Nationals at Winton Motor Raceway, between June 12-14.
FORMULA 3 AUSTRALIAN DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP LOCAL HOPE Ricky Capo won his maiden Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship round at Sandown after rival Jon Collins struck dramas in the feature race. Collins was leading the 18-lap feature however struck issues on lap six when he momentarily slowed coming out of the Dandenong Road corner with an apparent electrical issue, allowing Capo to pounce and grab a race lead he’d never lose. After stalling on the grid, Roland Legge charged through the field to finish second outright while Collins did the same after his disappointment – grabbing third place with three laps remaining to at least get on the podium in the opening round of the championship. Like Spalding won the National Class while Andrew Roberts sealed the Kumho Cup – both drivers on debut this weekend.
DIAL BEFORE YOU DIG SUPER SIX TOURING CARS TRAVIS LINDORFF won the opening Dial Before you Dig Australian Super Six Touring Car Series round of the year after seeing off defending champion Gavin Ross in the final race of the weekend. The pair of Holden Commodore drivers ran nose-to-tail all race with Lindorff grabbing the advantage by less than a second after a tense race; Lindorff ’s two wins to Ross’ one handing him the round victory. Harley Phelan completed the top three, edging out Garry Hills and Chris Lillis.
PORSCHE GT3 CUP CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY PIRELLI Newcomer Ryan Simpson has had immediate impact in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia presented by Pirelli series, taking the outright and Professional Class round win at the opening Sandown round while Geoff Emery and
Nick Cresswell claimed the Elite Class and Class B round victories, respectively. Simpson finished fourth in race two this morning having dropped as low as 12th after running wide at turn one in the first corner. He then stormed to the lead in race three to seal the round win. “It’s a great start to the season. I’ve learnt a lot so I’ll take that knowledge and go to Winton understanding what I have under me now, and also knowing what these guys race like having not competed with many of them before. It was a good start to the championship,” said Simpson, who was joined on the Professional Class podium by second placed McCorkindale and fellow newcomer O’Keeffe. The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia presented by Pirelli series now heads to Winton Motor Raceway for round two on June 12-14, which will also see the start of the Jim Richards Endurance Trophy.
AUSTRALIAN FORMULA FORD SERIES THREE different winners from three races highlighted an ultra-competitive opening round of the Australian Formula Ford series, won by Jake Spencer - despite the Spectrum driver not winning a race. After Hamish Hardeman won the season opener, Christian Morina won race two, edging out Spencer, Hardeman, Cameron Hill and Mitch Martin in a classic slipstreaming battle down Sandown’s long straights. Cameron Hill then won the third race in style, becoming the first privateer team to win a national Formula Ford race in more than a decade. Jake Spencer finished second and Mitch Martin third, with Spencer’s consistency across the three races delivering him the overall round victory and the championship lead in the process. Race one winner Hamish Hardeman was running in the leading group in the final race before a wild spin at the top of the famous Sandown ‘rise’ in the back straight saw him drop down the order. THENATIONALS.COM.AU | 29
ROUND 2 PHILLIP ISLAND, VIC
TELEVISION COVERAGE SHANNONS NATIONALS TV Speedweek on Sunday at 2pm on SBS1
Round 2 PHILLIP ISLAND, 22-24 May Show 1
7th June AMChamp – Great Southern 4 Hour
Show 2
14th June Porsche Carrera Cup Aust Formula 3 Championship
Show 3
21st June Aust GT Championship
Show 4
28th June Formula Ford National Series
All Speedweek episodes are now broadcast free to air on SBS HD & SBS One simultaneously.
‘SHANNONS NATIONALS’ ON FOX SPORTS Visit www.thenationals.com.au for complete TV schedule LIVE INTERNET TV FROM 9.00AM ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY via www.thenationals.com.au
LAP RECORDS
PHILLIP ISLAND GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT
CATEGORY
DRIVER
VEHICLE
DATE
TIME
OUTRIGHT
Simon Wills
Reynard 94D
13/02/2000
1.24.2215
FORMULA 3
Tim Macrow
Dallara F307 MB
21/09/2013
1.24.5146
FORMULA FORD
Anton DePasquale
Mygale SJ13A
24/11/2013
1.35.8901
AUSTRALIAN GT
Jack LeBrocq
Mercedes SLS GT3
26/05/2013
1.27.1505
AMCHAMP
Glenn Seton
Mitsubishi Evo 10
26/05/2013
1.44.3974
CARRERA CUP
Steven Richards
Porsche GT3 997
24/05/2014
1.31.6230
30 | THE RACING MAGAZINE