Motorsport eNews Issue 174 - September 28-October 4, 2010 by V8 Sleuth

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Issue No. 174 September 28 - October 4 2010

GREAT ESCAPE WE REVEAL EXACTLY HOW CLOSE MARK WEBBER CAME TO NOT FINISHING THE SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX

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Webber’s Singapore near miss 7 Home, sweet Homestead Power’s Indycar title D-Day 9 COTF unwrapped See the future, today 10 Pye face showcase New BFF Champ wants BF3 15 RCR’s appealing Very appealing 24 Five Minutes With ... Steven Johnson

van Leeuwen comment 26 Replays. Replays.

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HOW CLOSE DID WEBBER COME TO NOT FINISHING IN SINGAPORE?

WHEELEY CLOSE! FORMULA 1

ARK Webber was five millimetres from disaster after contact with Lewis Hamilton left a tyre hanging on the rim on his Red Bull in Singapore. Webber drove the last 25 laps of the race with a small gap between the right front tyre and the rim of his wheel, after he and the former World Champion clashed while fighting for third position in the race. In the collision, Hamilton’s left rear suspension broke and he retired on the spot. Webber reported a different feeling from the tyre, which he initially thought was a flat spot, and the team’s telemetry indicated that there was a slight change in pressure. But the tyre stayed on the rim for the remaining laps of the race, in which Webber fought off the other McLaren of Jenson Button for the final podium place. “As you can imagine there was a huge vibration after the incident with Lewis,” Webber reported after the race. “I couldn’t hold the steering wheel at high speed and I’ve got a massive blister on my right hand as a result. I was just glad to make it to the end of the race, and to keep Jenson behind was an added bonus for the championship.” Hirohide Hamashima, Bridgestone’s Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, said that seeing a tyre stay in place, for such a long period of time, was almost unheard of. “Mark showed the durability of the medium compound by completing almost all of the race distance on the same set of tyres,” he reported. “Not only did Mark’s tyres continue to deliver strong performance, but they also withstood the contact with Lewis. In this contact the front right tyre sidewall was pushed out of alignment with the rim, yet it retained its inner pressure for the rest of the race. We can say that this tyre displayed true Japanese grit today.” The Singapore race extended Webber’s lead in the Drivers’ Championship to 11 points, but race winner Fernando Alonso is now the man in second place. Over the last three races, the Spaniard has scored two wins and 50 points, to Webber’s 42. “Third was a good result for me,” Webber said. “I’d struggled with the balance of my car during practice and qualifying, and from fifth on the grid I was expecting a tricky race. But we maximised every opportunity and it was good to get as many points as we did.” Webber’s car, and the sister Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel which started second, both made clean starts, through the German was forced to swap lines on the run to the first corner when Alonso pulled across in front of him. “We’ve been criticised for our starts in recent races,” said Webber, “so it was good to nail this one. Seb and I both got away well, which proves that the hard work done by the team in this area has paid off. “The strategists on the pitwall then took the decision to pit me for prime tyres on lap four, during the first Safety Car period. I questioned the call initially, but it turned out to be spot-on. I dropped back to 11th on the road, but everyone ahead of me had yet to pit and I was racing Lewis Hamilton for third place.” Webber will now base himself in Australia in preparation for the Japanese GP at Suzuka, a track that is expected to suit the cornering speed of the Red Bull RB6. “We’re optimistic that it will suit our car, but it’s tight at the front and we’ll need to prepare well and be on top of our game to get a good result. With only four races to go, things are getting interesting.”

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SINGA

V8 SUPERCARS

JIM Beam Racing driver Steve Johnson has slammed V8 Supercar’s minimum weight rule, claiming the regulation severely disadvantages bigger drivers. While many categories around the world use a combined car/driver minimum weight to discourage the need for jockey-sized drivers, V8 Supercars currently uses a car-only version of the rule. So, according to rule C4.1 in the V8 Supercar Operations Manual, a main series car must weigh at least 1345kg, excluding driver and apparel. And 750kg of the weight must be on the front axle. According to Johnson, who weighs 95kg, the fact that driver’s are excluded from the rule makes car set-up hard for someone of his build. “The whole driver weight scenario doesn’t favour me at all,” he told eNews in an exclusive chat. “It favours the lighter drivers, especially with

John Morris/Mpix

JOHNSON CALLS FOR COMBINED WEIGHT

where you put ballast around the car. Because I’m over the maximum, it’s unfair. The way they do it is unfair. They should raise the whole car weight to a combined weight, no matter what. Forget this 100kg maximum driver weight. It’s unfair. My corner weights and general set-up in the car are a lot different to James [Courtney’s], just because of my physical size. I’m in a lose-lose situation. And we can’t build a light car, because we have a minimum front axle weight as well.” Johnson went on to say that he will endeavour to lose weight before resuming with JBR in 2011, in an effort to be as competitive as possible. “I’ve got some good things going on now which will prepare me for a good off-season of training, and I really want to try and lose between 10 or 15 kilos. If I can do that, I’ll be right on the money.” – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN For more with Steve Johnson, turn to page 24

BRISCOE CONFIRMED AT BRR

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APORE FLING V8 SUPERCARS

Dirk Klynsmith

V8 SUPERCARS’ future events in Singapore took a step closer, with a contingent of officials paying a flying visit to the island state’s Formula 1 Grand Prix at the weekend. V8 Supercars Australia’s Chairman Tony Cochrane, CEO Martin Whitaker and V8 Supercars Events’ Shane Howard all made the trip to the night race, with a view of firming up negotiations for future events. eNews expects the 2011 V8 Supercar calendar, which is set to be unveiled at Bathurst, to include a flying visit to the GP on September “It’s no secret we are continuing discussions with them with a view to the future,” V8SA spokesman Cole Hitchcock told Motorsport eNews, and the weekend was a mix of further discussions and being hosted at the event.” As previously revealed by eNews, we expect that the 2011 V8 Supercar support events will be non-championship races, and that the status of events in subsequent years will be subject to a number of items being settled, including the matter of television broadcasts.

V8 SUPERCARS AS expected, Ryan Briscoe will suit up in Bundy Red Racing colours for next month’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000. The Aussie IndyCar star was already confirmed to drive for Toll Holden Racing Team at the Gold Coast 600, but up until now, his plans for Bathurst were kept secret. However, Nick Percat’s oneoff appearance in the #10 BRR entry at Phillip Island strongly indicated that Briscoe would partner Andrew Thompson at Bathurst, which has now been officially confirmed. www.mnews.com.au

THE PROBLEM WITH 12 INDYCAR WILL Power will be aiming at beating Dario Franchitti in this weekend’s showdown to decide the 2010 IndyCar Championship. The 17th and final race of the season will determine the champion driver, and the winner of a cool US$1 million at HomesteadMiami Speedway. Power leads the Scot by 12 points after seeing his points advantage from five victories and eight poles shrink to only 12 – which is a dreaded number. “It couldn’t be 14 or 13 points?” asked Power, after the Japan race. “It has to be 12, which means if Dario wins the pole and leads the most laps, he wins the title without winning the race. I just have to finish ahead of Dario. I’ll be working hard on making sure I have a very good racecar. But it’s great for the championship.” The way the IndyCar points system works, the worst result Power can earn is 10 points if he finishes last. Using that scenario, to clinch Franchitti would have to

place 8th (24 points) or better if he doesn’t earn any bonus points. But should Franchitti win the race worth 50 points, Power must finish second, earning 40 points. Or Power can finish third, worth 35 points and would also have to earn the three bonus points for pole (one) and leading the most laps (two) to tie Franchitti. Then the title would still be awarded to Power based on earning the most wins as the tie breaker. When Franchitti was asked about the disadvantage for Power to compete at Homestead, a track the Aussie has never raced on, the Scot answered, “I don’t think it will matter. Power will get up to speed very quickly. You just get out there and get the pace quickly. No reason why he can’t do it at Homestead. We just have to make sure we beat him.” Both the Ganassi and Penske teams were due to return to Homestead’s 1.5-mile oval today, Monday, US time, Sept. 27, for one final test in preparation for the season-long title showdown on Saturday night. – MARY MENDEZ

“To have someone with Ryan’s ability and experience join the team will be a great boost for Bundy Red Racing,” said Walkinshaw Racing CEP Craig Wilson. “It was a pleasure to have him drive for us in 2006, and we look forward to welcoming him back into the family when he returns to Australia for the Bathurst 1000.” This will be Briscoe’s second Bathurst start. In 2006, he drove for HRT at the Sandown 500 and Bathurst with Jim Richards, securing provisional pole at Sandown. The pair retired from Bathurst, which was Richards’ last start at The Great Race.

PERCAT’S NEW GEAR FUJITSU V8s FUJITSU Series rookie Nick Percat will step up to newer gear at Bathurst. The reigning Australian Formula Ford Champion has contested the opening four rounds of the series with Jay Motorsport in a VZ Commodore and currently sits third in the standings. At Bathurst, though, he’ll switch to a Walkinshaw Racing VE Commodore, to be run in Bundaberg Red colours through Eggleston Motorsport. Percat will drive the car used by Fabian Coulthard earlier in the year in the Main Game, and by David Reynolds at Townsville’s Fujitsu Series round. “I am very happy to have been given the chance to race at such a prestigious venue and to continue my relationship with Walkinshaw Racing,” Percat said. “We still have a slight budget shortfall, however we are hoping that given the profile of this race, and the live TV that it brings, we should be able to come up with the remaining funds.” Percat, who drove in Bundy colours at the L&H 500 with Andrew Thompson, is the latest link between Clayton and Eggleston’s outfit. In addition to Reynolds’s ride at Townsville, enduro drivers Cameron McConville and Craig Baird each contested a round of the Fujitsu Series in an Eggleston-owned VE with Walkinshaw involvement.

CCUP DETAILS RELEASED CARRERA CUP PORSCHE Cars Australia has released further details on the return of Carrera Cup in Australia next season. According to the released details, the 2011 Carrera Cup series will feature a seven-race calendar. Rounds will be held at the Australian Grand Prix, Hidden Valley or Barbagallo Raceway, Townsville, Phillip Island, Bathurst, Gold Coast and Homebush, depending on approval from the Australian Grand Prix Corporation and V8 Supercars Australia. In terms of race format, expect to see two 30 minute practice sessions on the Friday, followed by a 30 minute qualifying

session and a 45 minute race on the Saturday. A second 45 minute race will be held on Sundays, prior to the V8 Supercar race at V8 rounds. The category will be split into two classes, A for professionals, and B for amateurs. The top three from each class at the end of the season will receive a special prize, which at this stage is expected to be a seat in a Porsche at the Sepang 12 Hour. There will also be a Teams Championship, with the winning team principal getting the use of a Porsche Cayenne for 12 months. PCA is also planning a joint test day, to be conducted at Melbourne’s Calder Park on January 22.

Chevron has all your motorsport needs covered including classic race packages, Bathurst highlights as well as in-depth documentaries. See our website today for the full range of DVD’s available.

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news V8 SUPERCARS THIS pile of tubing is V8 Supercars Car of the Future prototype. V8 Supercars Australia Chief Executive Officer Martin Whitaker and Paul Ceprnich of PACE Innovations, which is building the car, showed it to the world last week. V8 fans will be able to follow the car’s progress through a live blog at www.v8supercars.com/cotf “It’s great to see this prototype coming to life. There has been huge interest in this Car of the Future project so it’s great to see this car in the flesh,” said Whitaker. “The Car of the Future project is pivotal in the growth of the category and to guarantee V8 Supercars’ long-term success. Importantly, it also gives us a chance to underline the fact that these cars will be proper manufacturer racecars and not taken the NASCAR approach of undefined body shells. “This is such a unique project that we couldn’t keep it behind closed doors. Instead, with the blog, we are doing the opposite and taking the build process of these muchanticipated prototypes to the world. A lot of people are interested in this project, both in Australia and abroad, will get to see the development first-hand; alongside our own V8 Supercars teams. “I have no doubt our teams will be constantly checking in on the progress of the two prototypes as they take shape.” Two of the cars, a Ford Falcon FG and Holden Commodore VE II, have been penciled in for a public debut at V8 Supercars’ season launch and pre-season test at Eastern Creek on Saturday January 29.

THE FUTURE IS HERE

CLIPSAL, WE HAVE LIFT-OFF V8 SUPERCARS THE 2011 Clipsal 500 has been officially launched in Adelaide. The event will be held on March 1720, the first officially confirmed date of the 2011 V8 Supercar Championship Series. As a new addition, there will be two twilight races for the Australian GT Championship, to be held on the Thursday and Friday evenings.

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Other support categories include the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series, Touring Car Masters, V8 Utes and Aussie Racing Cars. There will be one more support category added closer to the event, with eNews understanding that it is likely to be either Formula 3, the Australian Formula Ford Championship, or the new-for-2011 Carrera Cup. Murray Walker’s Extreme Machines display will once again be in attendance,

and the official charity will the Royal Flying Doctors Service. There will also be a long list of bands playing, including Mondo Rock, The Uncanny X-Men, Pseudo Echo, and The Chantoozies with Brian Mannix. The event will also instigate a new family grandstand pass. On the Barry Sheene Pit Straight, families will be able to buy four reserved seats for the price of three.

Pye eyes BF3 AUSSIES OVERSEAS

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NEWLY-CROWNED British Formula Ford Champion Scott Pye is eyeing a move up to British Formula 3 next year. The South Australian wrapped up the title at Brands Hatch over the weekend, becoming the first Australian – and non-European driver – to win the championship since James Courtney in 2000. Pye won the opening race and was second in the final to finish the year with a 19-point advantage over rival Scott Malvern. With the title in the bag, the AMSF International Rising Star is hoping to

progress to wings and slicks in 2011. “It’s difficult to put into words – to win the championship is absolutely fantastic,” Pye, who won 12 of the season’s 25 races, said. “Our season started on such a high at Oulton Park with a win, and to finish on the podium here at Brands as champion is an amazing way to cap a brilliant year. “Our main goal is British Formula 3 next year. I’d really like to try to follow in Daniel Ricciardo’s [2009 British F3 Champion] footsteps I guess, and try to win that championship.”

Quinn back in Aston for Bathurst GT AUSTRALIAN GT

Dirk Klynsmith

TONY Quinn will revert to his Aston Martin DBR9 for Round 5 of the Vodka O Australian GT Championship at Bathurst next weekend. Quinn has spent the year between the Aston Martin and his Mosler MT900, but has opted for the Aston for Mount Panorama, after setting the championship’s lap record at the circuit 12 months ago. After being sidelined early in

the last round at Phillip Island in July with engine dramas, the Mosler will return at Bathurst, though, with son Klark Quinn doing the driving duties. Another vehicle returning from engine dramas will be Richard Kimber’s Dodge Viper, which last appeared at the Clipsal 500. With many teams also using the event as a valuable test ahead of February’s Bathurst 12 Hour, 29 cars have entered for the weekend.

JACK TO CRACK 200 AT BATHURST V8 UTES

Alan Letcher will make his first start of the year at Bathurst, in the #16 Commodore owned by Scott Jennings, driven at Phillip Island by Rick Gill. Meanwhile, Brad Patton will return for Big Gun Racing after

missing Phillip Island with business commitments. Andrew Fisher has elected not to pursue a seat in Greg Murphy Racing’s V8 Supercar wildcard entry at Bathurst and will focus on his V8 Ute duties.

Dirk Klynsmith

ROUND 6 of the Yokohama V8 Ute Racing Series at Bathurst will feature milestones and returnees. Title contender Jack Elsegood will become just the second driver after Charlie Kovacs to make 200 starts in the series next weekend. Elsegood joined the series in 2002 and won last year’s title. “I clocked 150 games in league and making 200 games is a big deal and unfortunately

I wasn’t able to get there with the injury. I’m pretty stoked to wrap up 200 races in the Utes,” Elsegood said. “Firstly I love the Utes because the competition is fierce and I love being competitive. Secondly the category as a whole is fantastic. I’ve had great support from Coopers over the past five years and their support has allowed me to continue racing.” After writing off his Ute in a rollover at The Chase last year,

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Reeves gets WRC chance in Spain RALLY BRENDAN Reeves will have another crack at winning a place in the Pirelli Star Driver program next month. The Spanish World Rally Championship round will host a shoot-out competition for young rally drivers from around the world, with the prize being a place is the PSD program for 2011, which includes selected outings in the WRC. Reeves, 22, has been selected as the Asia Pacific region’s candidate, after finishing second at the

International Rally Whangarei in New Zealand, before winning the International Rally New Caledonia. The four-day shoot-out, to be held October 21-24, will see 17 competitors conduct driver training, driving tests and interviews in a bid to win one of the six places in the PSD. “This is the third year that we have sent someone from the Asia-Pacific Region to the PSD shoot-out,” said Steven Kennedy, President of the AsiaPacific Rally Championship, “and we are very proud and delighted to be sending

Brendan to represent our region.” “This is an amazing opportunity for me to compete against some of the best young rally drivers in the

world,” added Reeves. “I am honoured to have been nominated as the Asia Pacific representative, and I’ll be giving my all at the shoot-out at Rally Spain.”

Freestone gets in first BATHURST 12 HOUR

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2m20s laps all day. It’s a great package and I’m surprised more people haven’t got into the cars because they are perfect for this kind of event,” he said. “We can run the car reliably at 5,500 RPM all day and not give away anything in performance.

Then, if we are in with a shot within sight of the flag and need to press on we can start taking it to 6,500 RPM without any problems. “The Corvette is understressed and easy to drive quickly for a long time, so it’s an ideal package.”

Dirk Klynsmith

A rally star and an American muscle car feature in the first entry lodged for next year’s Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour. Australian GT regular Paul Freestone has entered his Chevrolet Corvette for the race, with four-time Australian Rally Champion Neal Bates on the driving roster. Freestone and Bates will be joined by Hayden Pullen in the entry running in Class C, for GT Production Class cars. “We are not going there to make up the numbers,” Freestone said. “Neal and I go way back, and I asked him a long time ago if he would drive with us in the Corvette should we be able to run the car in an event like this. “Hayden is the senior mechanic on the car so putting him in the car is a thank you for the hard work he puts in. But he is also very experienced. He knows the

car inside out and will be very competitive. I think it’s a great driver line-up.” Complementing the driver line-up, Freestone feels the seven-litre Corvette will be well suited to the event. “It’s a long race and our car can do consistent 2m19s or

Dirk Klynsmith

Hulk dumped in kerb jump stunt FORMULA 1

sk Mark Webber and he’d likely say it came one race too late, but after the end of the Singapore Grand Prix Nico Hulkenberg was given a 20-second penalty for gaining a position by cutting a corner on the opening lap. In the previous race at Monza, Hulkenberg managed to escape any penalty after repeatedly short-cutted

chicanes while trying to hold Webber at bay. The German likely would have gotten away with it in Singapore also had it not been for a post-race protest from Force India. Force India driver Adrian Sutil copped a 20-second penalty for using the outside of Turn 7 to gain ground on the opening lap. The team did not dispute the charge, but argued that Hulkenberg had also profited

in the same way, on the same lap, and thus should face similar sanction. The Stewards agreed. Sutil had finished the race in eighth but was demoted to 10th with his extra 20 seconds. But with Hulkenberg’s penalty, the Force India moves to ninth. Crucially, the penalty has put Force India back in front of Williams in the Constructors’ Championship.

FORMULA 1

ebastian Vettel is a certainly German with a sense of humour – although Fernando Alonso probably thinks otherwise. The Spaniard was the only one not laughing at Vettel’s attempt at a joke during

the Saturday night postqualifying media conference at the Singapore Grand Prix. Vettel was explaining to the assembled press corps that he was still hopeful of winning the race, despite having been beaten into pole position by Alonso. “The further up you are the

more it helps but obviously the race can still change a couple of things,” Vettel said. “I think Fernando started here from 15th on the grid two years ago and won the race.” The race Vettel referred to was the infamous 2008 race, in which Nelson Piquet followed a team directive to

World © Kalisz/Sut ton

A German and a Spaniard walk into a press conference ... crash his car and prompt a Safety Car at an opportune time for Renault team-mate Alonso. The reporters laughed but, according to UK journalist David Tremayne, the stony expression on the face of Alonso matched the colour of his Ferrari overalls ...

Dirk Klynsmith

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F oneHD? FORMULA 1

www.gpweek.c

Dirk Klynsmith

ill viewers get to experience Formula 1 telecasts in high definition broadcast quality next year? Earlier this season, it had seemed an unlikely prospect. F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone had said then that fans would be waiting at least until 2012 for high definition, but last weekend at Singapore he made an about face. “We don’t want to broadcast unless people want it,” Ecclestone had told Autosport back in June. “I asked in

England, the BBC, about it - how many people can receive it? They said about 20 per cent of the viewers who watch F1.” However, an F1 survey earlier this year revealed a majority of viewers wanted F1 in HD. Now it seems Ecclestone has changed his tune, telling reporters in Singapore that F1 is likely to be broadcast in HD from as early as next year. “I think what’s being produced at the moment is very, very good but I think we’ll be moving to High Definition, probably next year,” he told the BBC.

For full F1/ Moto GP/ WRC coverage/n ews, CLICK HERE to get to GPWeek magaz ine -

Fresh Korean F1 fears FORMULA 1

World © MJ Cargraphy/Sutton

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circuit, even though the final inspection had been delayed until after the Japanese Grand Prix – a mere two weeks before the Korean date. “It’s not good,” he told the BBC. “It should have been inspected maybe six weeks ago. “It’s quite dangerous what we’ve done actually but it’s a case of ‘do we cancel the race or not?’ They say it’s all going to be OK, so we hope they are right.” The difficulty with a post Suzuka inspection is that the F1 air freight infrastructure will already be in on its way to Korea for the race. Elsewhere at Singapore, Ecclestone told Associated Press that F1 will be lucky not to be reduced to a three-race title fight after the Japanese Grand Prix. “Until it’s on there’s always concerns, obviously,” he said. “We have to get lucky and hope it will happen.”

World © Korean GP /Sutton

arun Chandhok has driven a Formula 1 car on it, but the Indian driver’s solo sortie in an old Red Bull may prove the one and only time the new Korean circuit gets to host F1 in 2010. In an ongoing saga that is the motorsport equivalent of India’s beleaguered attempts to stage the 2010 Commonwealth Games, speculation intensified during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend that the new Korean Grand Prix venue would be completed in time to host the inaugural Korean F1 race, on October 25. Bizarrely, F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone told the press in Singapore that he was concerned the event would not take place, despite only hours earlier having strongly rejected rumours that the Korean race was in trouble. He had said the FIA was ‘happy’ with the Yeongam

HONDA RACING

Danica laments ovals INDYCARS DANICA Patrick doesn’t like the loss of three 1.5-mile tracks from the recently announced 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series schedule. Patrick prefers ovals to the road courses where she is more competitive. IndyCar has kept its 17 race calendar to an equal number of ovals (eight) and road courses (nine), with the final oval, expected to be Las Vegas, still to be announced. Lost from

the new IndyCar schedule are three International Speedway Corporation tracks at Chicagoland, Homestead, and Kansas. Two short ovals, Milwaukee and New Hampshire have been added. “I’ve never been shy of expressing my disappointment in the loss of ovals over the years ... it’s what the series started on,” Patrick told The Kansas City Star. “I think it’s exciting for the fans and I hear from a lot of fans that road racing is kind of

boring to watch on TV. I think that’s true. It’s a lot about pit strategy and qualifying. It’s really challenging ... you work hard all weekend. On the ovals, the real work starts when the race starts – but that’s for the fans, they get to enjoy that.” “I’ve always stressed it’s important to keep ovals on the schedule, and mile-and-ahalf (tracks) are exciting. It’s disappointing to see another one go, but I don’t pretend to know exactly all the reasons why. Some of it has to do with

the promotion that ISC does for the NASCAR races vs. the IndyCar races, and how we (IndyCar) don’t get a very good turnout.” Patrick, who competed last weekend at Dover’s Nationwide race to finish 35th, expects to run a limited NASCAR schedule and full IndyCar season in 2011. Patrick earned a respectable sixth place finish in the K & N Pro Series East on Friday, a development series for NASCAR. – MARY MENDEZ

BEATRIZ IN AT D&R FOR HOMESTEAD INDYCARS

HONDA RACING

ANA Beatriz, returns to the cockpit at Dreyer & Reinbold for the season finale at Homestead Miami Speedway. Beatriz, who competed at the season opener in Sao Paulo, the Indy 500 and Chicagoland with D&R, will fill-in for the recovering Mike Conway in the No. 24 Roll Coater-backed entry. Beatriz is the first woman to win a race in the Firestone Indy Lights series where

she competed in 2008 and 2009, including nine top-five and eleven top-ten finishes. “I am very excited to get back in the car and race at Homestead,” said Beatriz. “The only time that I’ve raced there was in 2008 when I debuted in Firestone Indy Lights. It is a tough and very challenging oval. I would like to thank Robbie, Dennis and Larry for the confidence and our partners, Roll Coater, OX and Bardahl in making this happen.” – MARY MENDEZ motorsport news

Wednesday is D-Day RCR appeals against Bowyer’s penalty from New Hampshire NASCAR SPRINT CUP AN appeal by Clint Bowyer and Richard Childress Racing over penalties for an illegal car will be heard by the Stock Car Racing Commission this Wednesday. The driver and team were fined 150 driver points and 150 car owner points by NASCAR after their race-winning Chevy car failed to read within the height sticks on the left rear following his win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last Sunday. The RCR Chev was taken back to NASCAR research and development centre in Concord, North Carolina where the car was checked over a second time to further clarify the issue. The infringement was 0.006 inches over the tolerance put in place by NASCAR. The penalty has huge implications in The Chase For The Sprint Cup. Bowyer entered the Chase in the 12th and last position in the standings. Leading a race high 177 laps and winning his first race of 2010 moved him to second in the Chase, just 35 point behind Denny Hamlin, who finished

runner up at New Hampshire. With the penalty and fine, Bowyer drops back to 12th position. Along with the point penalty his crew chief Shane Wilson was fined US$150,000 and he and car chief Chad Haney were suspended for six races and placed on NASCAR probation until the end of the year. The pair remained in their roles at Dover at the weekend, and will stay in their jobs until the appeal is heard then serve the penalty. The car Bowyer raced at the previous race at Richmond Raceway was also taken to the NASCAR R&D center where the car inspected and the team warned in the week leading up to New Hampshire how close they were to infringing the body template ruling with that car. Childress has issued a statement saying he will appeal the penalties. “We pride ourselves on working within the rules established by the sanctioning body,” said Childress in a prepared statement. “NASCAR informed us after the

Richmond race that we were very close to their maximum tolerances. They also told us they were going to take our New Hampshire car to the NASCAR Technical Center after that race. It doesn’t make any sense at all that we would send a car to New Hampshire that wasn’t within NASCAR’s tolerances. I am confident we fixed the area of concern and the New Hampshire car left the race shop well within the tolerances required by NASCAR. “We feel certain that the cause of the car being out of tolerance by sixty thousandths of an inch, less than 1/16 of an inch, happened as a result of the wrecker hitting the rear bumper when it pushed the car into winner’s circle. The rear bumper was also hit on the cool down lap by other drivers congratulating Clint on his victory. That’s the only logical way that the left-rear of the car was found to be high at the tech center. “We will appeal NASCAR’s ruling and take it all the way to the NASCAR commissioner for a final ruling, if need be.” – MARTIN D CLARK

NASCAR NEDIA

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BRIEFLY... THE somewhat inconsiderate draw in the AFL has prompted Channel 7 to reschedule its broadcast of the 2010 Muscle Car Masters from its original Saturday time slot. The one-hour 2010 Muscle Car Masters TV show will go to air on Seven on Sunday October 3. In Melbourne/ Adelaide/Perth the show starts at 1pm and in Sydney and Brisbane it will be shown at 12.30pm. For regional areas, check local guides. n

n TERRY Wyhoon won’t contest Bathurst round of the Fujitsu Series due to mechanical problems with the Ben Eggleston-owned VY Commodore he was due to drive. Wyhoon planned to test the car last week, but the test session did not go ahead due to engine problems. “We sent the engine back to the engine builder when we discovered we had the problem, but then the engine builder discovered another problem and told us that the engine had to be rebuilt, so unfortunately we won’t be able to run at Bathurst,” Wyhoon said. – STAFF / LACHLAN MANSELL

PRODUCTION CARS GARRY Holt will be reunited with his successful BMW 335i in the final round of the Australian Manufacturers Championship next month. Holt sold the dual Bathurst 12 Hour and Australian Production Championshipwinning car earlier this year to Peter O’Donnell, but has remained in the series in a Holden Astra and still leads the outright standings. For the season finale, as he

tackles Stuart Kostera and Jake Camilleri for a third title, Holt will join O’Donnell in the BMW. “I tried to lease a car off Bob Pearson but he’s doing the [Eastern Creek] 8 Hour, so I couldn’t get an Evo and Peter offered me a drive, so I’ll drive with him,” Holt said. “It’ll be good to get back in the car. I don’t think I’m going to win the championship even though I’ve got the series lead, I think the Evo’s are going to run away and probably win it

by close to a lap like last year. “I’ll just go out there and have a bit of fun.” While his plans for 2011 remain up in the air, Holt has indicated he’d like to remain involved with the Manufacturers Championship. “I want to stay there because I like endurance racing,” he said. “It all depends on what happens with the regulations and the series. We’ll just wait and see what happens.” – MITCHELL ADAM

John Morris / Mpix

n SPEAKING of TV, World Series Sprintcars has confirmed it will be part of the line-up on Foxtel’s new all-motorsport channel SPEED TV. SPEED’s Novermber 1 launch will fit in perfectly with the start of the 2010/11 WSS season, which kicks off in Brisbane on November 20, and winds up in Perth on February 19. “With these new opportunities we can promote our series and our drivers much more than we have done in the past,” said Trevor Green, WSS manager.

Holt to drive BMW again

Barbour shops FORMULA FORD ELLIOT Barbour has switched to open wheel racing and will race Formula Ford next year. The Victorian has inked a deal with Evans Motorsport Group to contest the 2011 Victorian Formula Ford Championship and selected national rounds in one of their new SL11a Mygales. Barbour has previously featured in sedans, winning the Victorian Porsche 944 title last year, and making a start in the MINI Challenge at Phillip Island. He’ll line up alongside 14year-old Jordan Lloyd for the team.

“I really can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the Mygale Formula Ford!” Barbour said. “I’ve driven a number of different types of vehicle but history shows that if you want to progress your career to a professional level you need to do Formula Ford. “I only got in contact with Josh [Evans, team owner] in early September, but I’ve been keeping a close eye on their results in both the National and Vic State Championships. They’ve been very impressive for a young team, having met the crew and seen their

facilities – my decision was pretty easy and we signed off on a deal.” Meanwhile, EMG recently tested Victorian Formula Vee driver Jake Fouracre at Winton. The 19-year-old completed 50 laps in a Mygale and is eyeing a switch to Formula Ford next year. “Fouracre took to his Formula Ford like a duck-to-water,” Evans said. “He clocked lap times within two seconds of the experienced Evans Motorsport Group drivers. A respectable effort considering the conditions and his limited experience.” motorsport news

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Could be ... Raaaad SPORTSCARS V8 SUPERCAR drivers in identical mini-Le Mans style sportscars at Eastern Creek, just seven days after the Sydney Telstra 500 – that’s a radical plan from the people at Radical Australia as they gear up for an expanded nineround one-make series for Radical SR3s in 2011. Four of the events will be twohour driver-change enduros. The first of these will be at Eastern Creek this December, and Radical Australia’s Greg Smith is already in discussion with a number of V8 Supercar

drivers with a view to pairing them up at the Creek with existing Radical owner/drivers. The Industrie Radical Australia Cup series is just one plank of an increasingly diversified Radical involvement which next year will offer its customers more than 70 days in which they’ll be able use their cars on a track. Radical’s arrive-and-drive format, with its driver training and racing school programmes, along with the unique dual control capacity of the cars, appears to have found a willing market. In the past 18 months the

fledgling operation has sold 25 new SR3s and, according to Radical Australia director Peter Opie, will sell a further 10 cars before the season is done. The company’s Eastern Creek headquarters boasts seven full time employees looking after in excess of 30 cars. Radical’s extensive international presence, with similar series running in Europe and the USA, means that Radical Australia can offer the series winner the tasty prospect of an all expenses paid drive in the Radical Masters round at the Nürburgring. – STEVE NORMOYLE James Smith

Kingsley eyes 12 Hour, Carrera Cup GT3 CUP CHALLENGE A CONTINGENT of drivers from the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge presented by Mission Foods are working towards entries in next year’s Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour. The addition of sportscars opens up eligibility to the category’s Porsches, with 2009 Champ and current series leader Matt Kingsley among the competitors eyeing a berth. One scenario has Kingsley and team-mate www.mnews.com.au

Terry Knight teaming up in the 996-model CupCar Knight recently purchased from Tony Quinn, pictured, with the final round of the 2010 season at Sandown next month to shed further light on possible links with other drivers. “Terry and I are doing our best to put together a team for the 12 Hour,” he said. “We’ve got the right car to do it, we’ve just got organise to get all of the spare bits and the running cost of it. “There are other options; I

think a couple of the other Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge boys are trying to put some stuff together, like Yuey Tan. He’s looking at it with one of his Asian Carrera Cup competitors and he does have a seat available with him, I’m pretty sure, in a 997. They’re just finalising details now. “There’s a couple of other boys trying to put together a team. “We’ve all got to sit down and say ‘this is what we’ve got to do’. I’d say we’ll do that at

Sandown.” Meanwhile, Kingsley is weighing up options for his 2011 program. The GT3 Cup Challenge remains an option, while Carrera Cup in Australia and Asia are also on the Gold Coast driver’s radar. “I’d love to go and do Carrera Cup, but it’s just the budget again; I’m kind of stretching it with what we’re doing now,” he said. “But I’d love to do it, even Carrera Cup Asia.” – MITCHELL ADAM 17

Staying at Ducati? Check A WORLD SUPERBIKE CARLOS Checa looks to be Ducati’s great white hope of lifting the 2011 World Superbike crown, after signing a two-year deal with Team Althea Racing.

The Spanish veteran, who won both races at Imola, will race a Ducati 1198 for the privateer team. “Carlos will help to develop the Italian manufacturer’s racing activity and I am sure that we will make a good

job of it,” team boss Genesio Bevilacqua said at Imola. “Carlos has already found the perfect mental balance so as to be able to get the best out of this bike and the team and therefore I have every confidence with regard to the

future.” The team has also stated that it will split with ‘Shaky’ Byrne next season, and that it will run a secondary program in the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup, for promising Italian 20-year old, Lorenzo Baroni.

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To challenge Biaggi? Umm ... WORLD SUPERBIKE THE World Superbike Championship Silly Season is in full swing, and some fascinating moves are on the cards. Max Biaggi’s title, and the imminent withdrawal from the sport of Ducati’s works team, have opened the door for any number of moves to be made. Chief among them is Biaggi himself; despite the fact that he has become the first Italian to lift the WSBK crown, the Roman Emperor is not re-signed for 2011 and could be headed to retirement. At 39, with five titles, a fiancé in former 18

Miss Italy Eleonora Pedron and a baby daughter, not to mention an extensive real estate portfolio – particularly in the USA – it may well be that the time is nigh for one of the greats of the sport. Yamaha is settled, with Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty displacing MotoGPbound Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland. Ten Kate Honda has signed Jonny Rea, but the rest is less clear. Rumours suggest that Alstare Suzuki will sign Michel Fabrizio, seven years after the Italian raced for the squad in World Superstock. To join Leon Haslam? Not if you believe Italian sources, which report

that the mercurial Pom will partner Troy Corser in an all-Commonwealth lineup at BMW. Nori Haga is being linked to an exfactory DFX/Borciani team that will run an Aprilia, a move that would reunite the Japanese ace with the Italian manufacturer, having raced the factory’s ill-fated RS3 Cube in MotoGP in 2003. The recent announcement that Althea will keep Carlos Checa for the next two years – but get rid of Shaky Byrne – leaves the door open for someone – perhaps with side-door Ducati support. Team favourite Ruben Xaus, anyone? motorsport news

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BRIEFLY n Tasmanian racer Alexander Peroni finished 13th overnight in the 60cc Mini class of the WSK Master Series, on the 1050 metre Abruzzo circuit in Italy aboard his CRG. Italian Alex Machado won the Mini class in a Birel. Marco Zanchetta (CKR/TM) won KZ2, whilst Tonio Giovinazzi won KF2 for Top Kart and Loris Spinelli (Tony Kart/Vortex) took out KF3. n Plans are well underway for the Horsepower Heaven karting event to be held at Geelong Kartway across the weekend of October 23-24. The major event will be the $2000, winner takes all Oceania Trophy for KZ2 (Pro-Gearbox) karts. 10times Australian champion David Sera has committed already, along with a raft of competitors from WA, and some New Zealand competitors are anticipated to make the trip across. Other categories include the Leopard National Finals, F100 Nationals and phenomenal twin-engined karts. n The New South Wales State Titles have attracted in excess of 300 competitors for the event to be held in Tamworth next weekend. Recently crowned national Rotax Champions, Simon Meyer and Jonathan Venter, are expected to feature in their respective categories, whilst there have been 14 female competitors registered for the event.

– MATT PAYNE

CIK SET TO GROW KARTING

THE CIK Stars of Karting Series is set for an expanded calendar in 2011, after the series’ outstanding return this year. Moving to five rounds, the series makes a return to South Australia – a traditional CIK venue – at a track yet to be named. The 2011 season will begin at Ipswich across the weekend of February 26-27 at Willowbank Kartway, before the South Australian round on April 2-3. It will then journey to Todd Road in Melbourne for a wintery June 18-19 fixture. A month later, July 30-31 sees Sydney’s Eastern Creek hold the fourth round, before the series closes on September 17-18 at Newcastle. The three major categories, Pro Light, Pro Junior and Pro Gearbox, make their return, supported by the Clubman and Junior National categories – battling it out for the East Coast Title. Each host club has the opportunity to specify a further support division. “When we sat down with the competitors midway through this year they were very keen to expand to five rounds, and I’m delighted that we have been able to achieve this goal,” CIK Stars of Karting Series co-ordinator Peter Galvin said.

2011 CIK Stars of Karting Calendar 20

Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5

“This year was a fantastic success, and we certainly look to build on this for 2011. The benefits for the sport were enormous with one of the main highlights being the fact that every club which hosted a round reporting a significant increase in interest in new members following their event, which is great for karting.” The re-branding of the CIK categories to a motocross-style naming system was one of the real steps forward the series took on its return, ensuring that karting can be easily understood by the general public. With the multitude of classes on offer in the sport, differentiating them can be incredibly difficult. “One of the most important things for the series is to continue to involve the competitors in its forward direction,” Galvin added. “The interest in not only the Pro categories, but also the East Coast categories, increased throughout the year and this has continued since the final round in August. We have had a number of drivers from the East Coast Title classes set to move into the main categories.” All three Champions from 2010 – Cian Fothergill, Matt Wall and Pierce Lehane – have committed to the 2011 edition of Stars of Karting. – MATT PAYNE

February 26/27 April 2/3 June 18/19 July 30/31 Sept. 17/18

Ipswich, Queensland South Australia Melbourne, Victoria Eastern Creek, NSW Newcastle, NSW motorsport news

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TO CELEBRATE 400 ISSUES OF MOTORSPORT NEWS, WE’VE COLLATED 40 OF THE BEST STORIES YOU’VE NEVER HEARD, FROM SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN OUR SPORT

PLUS:

OUR UNIQUE PREVIEW TO THE BATHURST 1000, ALLAN MOFFAT REMEMBERS HIS HISTORIC 1970 BATHURST WIN, EMERSON FITTIPALDI TALKS ABOUT 40 YEARS SINCE HIS FIRST GP WIN, WE LOOK AT THE CO-DRIVERS THAT MAKE UP THE B1000 FIELD, EXCLUSIVE CHATS WITH JACK PERKINS AND DAVID SEIDERS, AND A PEAK UNDER THE COVERS OF PETER RIDGEWAY’S AWESOME PRO STOCK MONARO!

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21 motorsport news

DRAG RACING

Gilbo gets going

John Morris / Mpix

MICHAEL Gilbertson struck the opening blow of the Pro Stock Motorcycle season when he defeated Phil Howard in the final of the Fuchs Australian Nationals. The win came relatively easily when Howard’s motorcycle struck problems and had no drive, leaving Gilbertson to take a simple win. Coming into the event with a new clutch to sort out, Gilbertson was confident there was more performance yet to find. “There was a few changes to the bike, I’ve gone to the new Gen 2 clutch, so that threw me a bit of a curve ball and we didn’t qualify quite as strong as we hoped,” he said. “We’ve just got to figure the clutch out, it’s making good horsepower.” In eliminations Gilbertson overcame his tune-up issues and used a bit of luck to advance through. “The first round of racing was still a little tricky because I was trying to figure out that clutch, I got a little bit too aggressive and had some bad tyre spin in second gear,” he said. “But Lachie in the other lane red lit, I had seen him go really early, I knew I had that one.

“In the semi final I was against Pete Cochrane which I knew had to be a much better run. That run wasn’t too bad, there was some improvement in the first half of the track, we went 7.33s at over 180mph so that was going in the right direction. “Then in the final it wasn’t a bad run considering the bike was probably a little lean, we’d sat in the staging lanes for quite a while.” As well as changes on the track, there have been some changes off it too with Gilbertson teaming up with Glen Wooster to field two similar looking, Hogs Breath Café-themed Suzukis. Before the next round, the recently added Perth version in December, the team will be fitting out a semi trailer allowing them to bring their own bikes as well as those of several other teams. “I’m excited, it’s going to be a good round and I’m going to bring most of the field over in the truck,” he said. “No one has really shone in Perth yet so the whole bracket is excited in putting on a good show. We look like bringing a full field. I think the 50% bonus points will make it important to do well.” – LUKE NIEUWHOF

Ham not smoked DRAG RACING STEVE Ham was happy to get his season underway in some good form in ANDRA Pro Series Top Alcohol with a semi final spot in the Mobil 1 East Coast Lubes Funny Car.

He ran a new personal best of 5.63s on the way to the semis, where he was eliminated by Wayne Newby. Getting to run the entire ANDRA Pro Series schedule sees Ham realising a longheld ambition.

“We’re just so honoured to have such a great company on board with us and believing in our dream of winning a championship,” he said. “We’re only spring chickens in this game compared to the

experience of some of the legends in the category, but our racing partners are giving us the best chance possible of serving up to the best in the business, and for that, we are extremely grateful.” – LUKE NIEUWHOF

ANDRA Pro Series news i

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Reads get new rocket ready

DRAG RACING

John Bosher

FOLLOWING a recent trip to the USA by Bruce Read, Jim Read Racing has purchased a new ride for Top Fuel driver Phil Read. After a candid chat between Bruce and Kalitta Motorsport’s Jim Oberhoffer about possible directions to take, Bruce was shown a selection of cars with relevant data, which saw him settle on Doug Kalitta’s 2010 back-up car. The carbon fibre-clad, Attackchassised car made just two runs in testing at Palm Beach, with a best of 3.84sec over the 1000ft, before being parked. Once re-liveried and assembled, the team aims to start testing at Sydney Dragway in November. – JOHN BOSHER

TREMAYNE’S STRONG START DRAG RACING

is proudly presented by:

money put on the table for the first 10 drivers to record the hotly chased feat of going

under seven seconds on the quarter mile for the first time. – LUKE NIEUWHOF

John Morris / Mpix

AARON Tremayne finished the last ANDRA Pro Series as Pro Stock champion and the opening round of the 2010/2011 championship did nothing to diminish his reputation as he took another win. It came over one of the toughest Pro Stock fields ever put together and Tremayne was thankful to his team for helping to overcome the challenge. “This win is for the entire crew for putting in the effort this weekend, we knew coming into this weekend that it was going to be a tough with the

way that all of the other teams have been stepping up,” he said. “We have the same engine in the car we had over two years ago, we have made changes to it and have picked it up a bunch but we definitely need more power.” Tremayne remarked on just how close the racing has become in Pro Stock. “The competition is intense and with just over a tenth [of a second] separating number one and the number 16 qualifier, the win could go to any of the 16 qualifiers,” he said. Meantime a new Six Second Club has been announced for Pro Stock racers, with some

Next ANDRA Pro Series Round:

Top Fuel & Top Alcohol Sydney Dragway, October 30-31 ANDRA Pro Series on TV: Top Alcohol, Fuchs Nationals Friday October 15, 10pm

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Five Minutes with ...

STEVE JOHNSON

Steve J has taken up an option to give him another year at Jim Beam Racing. He spoke to ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN about staying with DJR, Bathurst and keeping fit MOTORSPORT NEWS: Another year with Jim Beam Racing; there was talk that you were looking elsewhere for a drive in 2011. Was there any realistic chance you would end up elsewhere? STEVE JOHNSON: My preference was to do end up somewhere solid, and somewhere I’d be happy with. I’ve been really happy with how Dick Johnson Racing have been running this year, even though we haven’t had as good a year as James [Courtney], as luck may fall. At the end of the day I’ve been happy with car speed. We finished sixth in the championship last year, and we’ve had better car speed all year this year, we’ve just had rotten luck. There’s been times when we’ve lost spots having to wait for James in the pits, and then the Townsville thing with James. That’s hurt us a bit. Our speed isn’t reflected by where we are in the championship. But there is a positive in that. I’d be disappointed if we weren’t fast and we were nowhere in the championship, because there’d be no hope. But we’re fast, we just need to catch a bit of a break. The funny thing is that in recent years, you’ve been a constant Top 10 championship finisher. Do you feel that you’re under-rated? I guess I do, to be honest. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bother me. Not too much does bother me, and it doesn’t eat at me, but I do fly under the radar a bit. Why that is I’m not sure. Where I’m driving at disguises most of our performances, although my main focus and aim for the rest of this year and next year is to fight for race wins, rather than fight for thirds, fourths, fifths and sixth. I guess that’s why we fly under the radar, because we’re not there, leading the race, making people recognise what we’re doing. We just sneak away at it. It was the same with last year. In Darwin, we were running third in the championship, and people were saying ‘how have you got to there?’ It was just that we’d been solid all year, people just 24

weren’t noticing. I probably need to fire up the PR machine, but I’m not an outgoing person who wants self promotion. I like the keep to myself, and that’s probably a bit to my detriment media-wise. In that regard I could probably do more to make people take notice. In terms of on-track stuff, what do you need to do to make the next step, stick a car on pole, and win from the front? It’s a bit of both, me and the car. The guys at DJR are doing an awesome job, but my general size is a disadvantage to me. I’m working hard at trying to get weight down, but I want to stay healthy, and I want to stay fit and strong. As soon as I start losing too much weight, I start getting sick a lot. I don’t want that to happen, but I want to lose a bit more. The whole driver weight scenario doesn’t favour me at all. It favours the lighter drivers, especially with where you put ballast around the car. Because I’m over the maximum, it’s unfair. The way they do it is unfair. They should raise the whole car weight to a combined weight, no matter what. Forget this 100kg maximum driver weight. It’s unfair. My corner weights and general set-up in the car are a lot different to James’, just because of my physical size. I’m in a loselose situation. And we can’t build a light car, because we have a minimum front axle weight as well! All I can do is keep focusing, and keep working hard. I’ve got some good things going on now which will prepare me for

a good off-season of training, and I really want to try and lose between 10 or 15 kilos. If I can do that, I’ll be right on the money. Now Bathurst is coming up, and you are a proven performer there. Are you confident that you and Marcus Marshall can get the job done up there? Mate, I am! I’m very confident. We’re at Queensland Raceway testing right now, and while the times we’re doing aren’t great for Queensland Raceway, we’re taking a different approach to this test day. We’re concentrating on the set-up that we want for Bathurst, and concentrating on a certain few corners that are similar to Bathurst. We’ve made some improvements today, and I’m very happy with the progress. We got a little bit lost at Phillip Island. We didn’t have fast cars there, but we’ve have good debriefs. We know what we did wrong, and that’s a good thing. In the past, we would have struggled for speed, and then not know why. Now, the guys go ‘this is wrong, and we got lost because of this, this and this’. And it doesn’t happen again. Going back to the weight issue, it does hurt me a bit going up the hill at Bathurst. But across the top and down the mountain, it’s not a big disadvantage, which is why I’m always solid there. Also, Mark Larkham and I are great mates, but I gave him a ribbing because he left me out of his Top 10 for Bathurst. When he saw me, he said ‘I can’t believe I left you out.’ So there’s more incentive for us to go well at Bathurst.” motorsport news

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WHY DRAW A LINE THROUGH TRADITION?

IKE most Victorians, West Aussies, South Australians, and Tasmanians, I’m a little confused right now. I thought we’d have a 2010 AFL premiership team by now, and I’d hope it would be St Kilda, the lesser of two evils. Instead, we have to go through it all again next Saturday. It’s a weird situation. As a supporter of neither of the Grand Final teams, I’m pretty happy with the outcome. For starters, I get to do the gluttonous Grand Final experience again next weekend, and, as a Geelong Cats fan, my team remains the reigning premiers for seven more days. My local publican is a winner too, because he gets another day of charging 20c extra per pot of beer. Now, I’m not going to

debate whether replaying a draw is the right thing to do or not, firstly because my solution would be a ludicrous penalty shoot-out style kick off, five players per team, 45 metres out dead in front. And secondly, I think the football media will be covering that topic for a long time to come. But there are a couple of ways that the draw can be linked to motor racing. We are lucky in that we can’t have draws that result in frivolous penalty shoot-outs, or ridiculous Grand Final replays. Unless the Super Tourers make a miraculous recovery from the dead, we will have Bathurst winners on the evening of Sunday October 10 – and we won’t be heading back there seven days later. That’s good news for our ‘Grand Final’ day.

OPINION Andrew van Leeuwen – eNews Editor Then there’s the bigger issue of tradition. While many complain that the Grand Final Replay is simply a way for the AFL to line its already bulging pockets, I like to think they stick with the format because of the tradition. Every football fan has heard about the 1977 Grand Final draw between North Melbourne and Collingwood, and to have the chance to have witnessed what will probably be the third and last AFL Grand Final draw first hand is something we should enjoy. Football fans not yet born will be discussing last

Saturday long after we’re gone. It makes you ponder the significance of the Bathurst 1000. Tomorrow, our 400th issue of Motorsport News will go on sale, and in it is a story with Allan Moffat about his first Bathurst win in 1970. It’s a tale of grueling stints behind the wheel, hard work, and V8-powered Fords and Holdens. It could apply to any Bathurst story since. Because four decades later, little has changed. Those traditions remain, as they do in football, and as motor racing fans, that makes us very, very lucky.

Dirk Klynsmith

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AUSTRALASIAN SAFARI WESTERN AUSTRALIA

WINNING FOR PETER Craig Lowndes has done what his old mate Peter Brock could never quite manage – win the Australasian Safari

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HROUGHOUT his illustrious career, the one event Peter Brock just couldn’t win was the Australasian Safari. But now, his former protégé Craig Lowndes has taken care of the unfinished business. On unfamiliar terrain, in an unfamiliar version of a Holden V8, Lowndes may well have struggled on his Safari debut. But instead, he and navigator Kees Well stormed to the win by well over an hour. “Peter loved the Safari and tried to win it a number of times, so it’s a great sense of achievement to be able to complete some of his unfinished business,” Lowndes said. “I was new to this event, an unknown quantity, and pretty much unprepared for what we were faced with. I had only done two days of testing, and I even rolled the Colorado on the first. I knew it was going to be tough, the Safari is a complete 180 to what I am used to in V8 Supercars. It was as tough an event as I’ve ever done, like getting up and doing the Bathurst 1000 every day. “But Kees and our crew had the experience and our equipment was good enough to win, so the victory is a credit to Kees, the PWR Holden Rally Team, and the durability of the Colorado. It’s a great accomplishment for the whole team.” As you’d expect from a seven-day jaunt through the West Australian outback, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. First, a timing glitch on Day 1 had Lowndes leading, then losing, then leading again at the end of the day’s play. Then, on Day 4, Lowndes had to stop to allow an emergency helicopter land. The next day, he clipped a stump while avoiding a Moto competitor, damaging the Colorado’s rear suspension. But none of it could stop The Kid from taking the win. Behind him was Darren Green and Wayne Smith, while Bruce Garland and Harry Suzuki came home with a wet sail, after a problematic event. The Dakar regulars ended up third, but three stage wins on the final day almost netted them second. “It was a fun day and for once we didn’t get any punctures!” Garland said. “The dunes and the beach were a lot nicer than the trees we had the past few days, it was a beautiful spot to finish and the diesel loved the sand.” In the Moto class, Bathurst’s Ben Grabham proved he is the king of the Safari with a third straight title. He led all bar one of the legs, and relished the sandy conditions leading to the finish line at Esperance Beach. “It was a fun way to finish, riding across the sand dunes and the beach, although getting through the sand was a bit tough,” he said. “After all the hard work, it’s a big relief it’s over not just for me but also for the mechanics and the whole team.” As for the Quad divison, Paul Smith not only took the honours, but played the role of good Samaritan in the process. With the event all his, Smith stopped five kilometres from the end to help dig out fellow Quad competitor Colin Lawson, and then towed him to the finish line. “It was my most memorable day on Safari,” he said. “I’ve finally won one, and we then had to get through the dunes and get Colin out and the bike was so hot. Col pushed the bike for part of the way – it was a huge day!”

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To the D-Max: Garland and Suzuki had their problems, but stormed home on the beaches of Esperance, above. Paul Smith, right, was one of the true heroes of the 2010 Safari, while Ben Grabham, below, bagged his third Safari title on two wheels.

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NASCAR Round 28 – DOVER, DE

Jimmie’s in Dov He came from behind last year; it is starting to look like Jimmie Johnson might be about to do exactly the same in 2010

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immie Johnson went to Dover buried down the back of the top 10 in the points and not looking all that threatening, especially after such a difficult run the previous weekend, at Loudon. But when he left the Monster Mile he was second in the standings after a decisive victory that must be giving his rivals an uneasy sense of déjà vu as the defending Champion suddenly comes on strong at the back end of the season – just like he did last year. But he had to work for it. Johnson found himself in a great late-race battle with Kyle Busch, who looked a likely contender until being shuffled back at the final stops. “It was a challenging weekend, to say the least,” Johnson said. “The tyre that Goodyear brought back, it’s the same as it was in the spring. It blackened up the track in a hurry, but really made the track challenging after 30 or 40 laps. The rubber would build up on the track and create handling issues for the racecar that you couldn’t tune to. The car would act different and do different

things when you ran over the black patches. “I had to fall back on my dirt racing background. I think that helped me out some.” The Hendrick driver was chased home by Jeff Burton to make it a Chevy 1-2, a result that boosted Burton’s standings in the points on a day when the Childress Chevy driver failed to lead a single lap. “About halfway through the next-to-the-last run, my car just got really happy and took off,” Burton said. “We then became a contender. Proud of us being right at the right time. We were in position with that restart. “What won the race for Jimmie wasn’t the start of the restart, but about 15 laps into the next-to-the-last run, he cleared [Joey] Logano and got really fast right there. He squirted away from me pretty hard and ran the 18 down. “Then we started running Gimme some Jimmie: He’s back after an indifferent recent run, main and centre, but Jimmie Johnson still has to overhaul Denny Hamlin, inset left, for the points lead.

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them down. But he was just a little quicker than we were today.” Logano was third in what was a good result for Joe Gibbs Racing, with Logano having earlier bowed out of the Championship battle. He is still to record his second win for the season. “We had a good racecar,” Logano said. “We had to battle from behind. We started in the back there. But we fought our way up there, made little adjustments all day. The car was pretty close. The biggest thing was getting cleaner air as we moved towards the front. It felt like we did a good job.” Marcos Ambrose was a lap down in 20th, albeit in good company, sandwiched between Chase contenders Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart. The Australian was one of several to get caught out by this race’s unusually lengthy green flag spells. “The car had reasonable pace, but because the lap time here is so short, we lost a lap,” Ambrose said. “From there it was hard to get back on the lead lap, and the timing of the cautions never really worked out for us. “The guys in the Chase have all wheeled out their A-games, and they are hard to beat at this time of the year. We head back to Kansas next weekend, and we’re looking to round out the season on a high note.”

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Results :: AAA 400, Dover, DE Pos. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

No. 48 31 20 2 99 18 98 39 11 43

Driver Jimmie Johnson Jeff Burton Joey Logano Kurt Busch Carl Edwards Kyle Busch Paul Menard Ryan Newman Denny Hamlin A.J. Allmendinger

Make Hendrick Childress Toyota Dodge Ford Toyota Ford Chevy Toyota Ford

Team Chevy Chevy Joe Gibbs Penske Roush Fenway Joe Gibbs Petty Stewart Haas Joe Gibbs Petty

Sponsor Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools Caterpillar The Home Depot Miller Lite Aflac Interstate Batteries Sylvania/Menards Haas Automation FedEx Express Insignia HDTV/Best Buy

Qual. 1 27 19 8 10 11 9 13 4 2

Top 10 Points: Hamlin 5368, Johnson 5333, Kyle Busch 5323, Kurt Busch 5309, Harvick 5303, Edwards 5295, Burton 5288, Gordon 5285, Biffle 5228, Stewart 5206, Kenseth 5203, Bowyer 5133.

Monster effort: Johnson was too good on the Monster Mile, main and centre left. Martin Truex Jnr and AJ Almendinger were strong but both had dramas, top left, second placed Joey Logano, top right, and Marcos Ambrose, off the lead lap but running with some Chase contenders, centre. Matt Kenseth pits with a flat tyre, opposite.

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WORLD SUPERBIKES ROUND 12 – IMOLA

The Checa Republic

While one veteran, Carlo Checa, was dominating at Imola behind him another one, Max Biaggi, was sealing the 2010 World Superbike crown

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AX Biaggi won the war, but Carlos Checa won the two battles in Imola’s World Superbikes races. Checa won both races in convincing fashion, but the telling moment came in Race 2 when Leon Haslam’s Suzuki lost an engine. The British rider was running sixth, behind Biaggi, at the time, and once his hopes were faded, Biaggi backed off and cruised home to fifth. It was the first time an Italian rider had claimed the WSBK crown, and Biaggi’s first title since his fourth 250cc GP crown in 1997. “I’m so happy, it’s a big emotion through all my body,” said Biaggi, who finished a lowly 11th in the first race after set-up problems. “There are tough riders out there; they are all fast and this championship is very competitive. “I had so many problems in race one: off the track, on the track, the bike sideways, but I didn’t crash. For sure we didn’t get

the best setup here at Imola, but I never stopped trying. “In race two we changed the bike and I attacked from the first lap. This is a really great day for me, for all my team, for Aprilia Alitalia, my sponsors, everyone who supported us to make this dream come true. We really made it happen.” But if 2010 is Biaggi’s year, Imola was all about Checa. With a fresh two-year contract with Althea Racing in his pocket, the veteran was fastest in qualifying and started second, after Tom Sykes splashed around the wet track to give Kawasaki its first pole in three years. Lorenzo Lanzi and Noriyuki Haga made it a Ducati 1-23 ahead and Jakub Smrz, with Haslam keeping the dream alive in fifth. In the second race, Checa won again from Haga, giving Ducati the somewhat embarrassing situation of winning three or the last four WSBK races, just after withdrawing its factory team, claiming that its V-twins were uncompetitive against the four-cylinder ‘prototypes’ … Cal Crutchlow was third ahead of the on-form Sykes, with Biaggi cruising home ahead of Shaky Byrne. This weekend’s finale now promises some level playing field racing, and a chance for 39-yearold Biaggi to put a cherry on the top of a great season – or maybe, a career. Points: Biaggi 413, Haslam 350, Red 288, Checa 274, Crutchlow 239, Haga 238, Toseland 187, Guintoli 184.

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MICHELE Pirro was a somewhat shocked winner of the SuperSports race, after starting the final lap in fourth place. Kenan Sofuoglu and Eugene Laverty fought race-long for the win until colliding at the final chicane, and the third-placed Triumph of Chaz Davies also expired, leaving a shocked Pirro to take his first win. Sofuoglu now has 243pts to Laverty’s 227.

Pye gets BFF crown AUSSIES OVERSEAS SCOTT Pye is the 2010 British Formula Ford Champion. The South Australian entered the weekend’s final round in a tight battle with Scott Malvern, but Pye put together another strong weekend at Brands Hatch to wrap up the crown. From pole, Pye charged to a dominant victory in the opening race of the weekend, his 12th win of the season. With Malvern fourth, it put Pye in the box seat heading into the final race, needing to only finish seventh. “We had a fantastic qualifying session,” he said, “so my job was just to get my head down in the race and pull away, and

everything worked out for us. “It’s fantastic to get my 12th win and get back on top in the championship.” In the 25th and final race of the season, Pye was again in the thick of it. While he couldn’t quite pip Tio Ellinas for the win, second was more than enough to seal Jamun Racing’s sixth-straight title. “I tried to pressure Tio into making a mistake but I didn’t want to force him to make a mistake as I had too much on the line,” Pye said. “That 13th win would have been brilliant but, credit to Tio, he did a great job and pulled a good move on me to take the lead.” With the result, Pye becomes the first Australian to win the

title since James Courtney in 2000, finishing with a 19-point advantage over Malvern. “It’s difficult to put into words – to win the championship is absolutely fantastic,” he beamed. “Our season started on such a high at Oulton Park with a win, and to finish on the podium here at Brands as champion

is an amazing way to cap a brilliant year.” Also at Brands Hatch, Oli Webb, Daniel McKenzie and James Calado split the wins in the final round of the British Formula 3 Championship. JeanEric Vergne failed to finish the final, but entered the weekend with the title already wrapped up.

Schatz at it again ... SPEEDWAY DONNY Schatz put in the kind of performance World of Outlaws fans expect of him in dominating the Commonwealth Clash at Lernerville Speedway, Pennsylvania and it might just be the shot in the arm he needs to make a late run to the finish of the 2010 Outlaws season. “What a great night we had,” Schatz said after winning

his fifth Outlaws race of the season. Schatz comfortably won from Paul McMahan and recent Knoxville Nationals winner, Tim Shaffer, while Australian Kerry Madsen was 12th in the field of 24. “The guys did a great job and we had a lot of fun tonight,” Schatz said. “Winning is something that we strive for and tonight, we got everything going the right direction.”

The four-time and reigning Outlaws champion turned in the second fastest lap in qualifying and put the Tony Stewart Racing #15 Armor All/STP/Parker Store J&J on the front row for the 35-lap A-Main. Early in the feature, Paul McMahan set the pace, leading the first nine laps before a caution slowed the action. Two laps later, Schatz took the lead and raced away, and for the next 15 laps, it was

all Schatz as he stormed out to a four-second lead and was never headed. Schatz lies fourth in the Outlaws standings, but has made up 20 points this weekend on championship leader Jason Meyers, who leads Steve Kinser by 50 points and Schatz by 89. The win was Schatz’s 105th Outlaws A-Main and he needs just two more to tie Doug Wolfgang, for fourth on the all-time list. – GEOFF ROUNDS

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Titles sorted at PI VIC STATE GREAT racing and beautiful weather greeted drivers for the fourth and final round of the Victorian State Circuit Racing Championships at Phillip Island on the weekend. Luke Ellery was the man in charge in the Kent-powered Formula Ford class, as he continued to dominate his adversaries to take his third Victorian championship in succession. Meanwhile, Cameron Waters, pictured, held out Jesse Fenech for the Fiesta

honours; with the CAMS Rising Star’s consistency just enough to keep the margin over the ever-impressive Fenech. Despite missing Round 1 of the Formula Vee championship, Daniel Reinhardt’s perfect winning record from Round 2 onwards was enough to ensure the 2010 championship for his new Sabre 02 chassis. Sports Sedans saw Chris Muscat easily take the 2010 championship, with the Mazda RX-7 pilot proving too strong for his rivals at the fast and flowing circuit. Rodney

Raatjes also secured his second Holden HQ championship in succession, as Grant Atwell took the HQ division-two championship. As usual, the Mazda RX-7 of Kane Vereker proved to be too strong for his Improved Production rivals as he took the championship in style, meanwhile it was Jason Holmes and Tom Hutchinson who took the championship wins in their respective MGs and Invited British Sports Car classes. Just like in 2009, Ted Huglin had a consistent year to snatch

the 2010 championship away from his rivals in the Sports Cars, as Robert Lange also enjoyed a brilliant weekend to secure the honours in the Porsche 944 Challenge. Corey Ludeman and Matt Martin finished their 2010 championships in style by taking the Saloon Cars and BMW E30 overall wins respectively. And Fraser Ross held off the challenging Torana XU-1 GTR of Angelo Taranto to take the 2010 championship in his Ford Mustang. – CALLUM BRANAGAN

HANDY LEAD FOR HANNINEN IRC

JUHO Hanninen has moved closer to the 2010 Intercontinental Rally Challenge title, with a fighting second place finish in the Rallye Sanremo. Hanninen charged on the final day to finish just 4.4s

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behind rally winner Paolo Andreucci. Andreucci took the lead on the opening day but was passed late by Giandomenico Basso, who mastered his tyre selection for a damp stage. Andreucci regained the lead on the first stage of the second day and was never

headed, despite a day-long fight with Basso which ended when Basso was slowed by a mechanical problem on the final stage and dropped to seventh. By this time, Hanninen was on a charge, and with Basso’s team-mate Luca Rossetti already having dropped

out of third with a puncture, Hanninen was up to second where he finished behind Andreucci. Freddy Loix took third, ahead of Kris Meeke and Rossetti. With two events remaining, Hanninen has a 20point lead over Jan Kopecky, who finished sixth.

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NIGHT DRIVERS

The Singapore Grand Prix is a stunning event – just ask eNews’ key shooter Dirk Klynsmith, who waved his magic lens at the action ...

Odd Sp ot