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Issue No. 225 October 04 - 10 2011
V8s AND F1 TOGETHER AT ABU DHABI? IT COULD HAPPEN – AS EARLY AS 2012. DETAILS INSIDE
THE MOUNTAIN CALLS: A FINAL PREVIEW OF THE 2011 GREAT RACE
EXCLUSIVE: WALTRIP TALKS www.mnews.com.au BATHURST WITH eNEWS
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BATHURST AND BEYOND
in the latest issue of motorsport news, craig lowndes talks exclusively about the title, winning another bathurst 1000 and his future plus: our car-by-car bathurst preview, a look back at bathursts past, inside the life of wrc star petter solberg, will power on his indycar title tilt, and a first person account of the us drag racing nationals. and a whole lot more!
SPECIAL
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AT RACE
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Abu Dhabi Do? V8s could support F1 date 7 Where New Zealand Hamilton to go, Air Base race? 8 Ingall Turns 200 Though he claims he’s 47 12 Webber explains starts Pirellis are different 14 Clint Eastward ... to MWR Bowyer/Toyota deal Friday
chat 22 Five Minutes With ... Dieter Zetsche
feature 24 Looking to the Bathurst 1000 race 38 Australasian Safari 42 Kentucky IndyCar 46 Dover NASCAR 50 Magny Cours WSBK
trade 56 Classifieds 3
WILL V8s RACE AT THE ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX?
Grand Prix support slot rather than a standalone V8 Supercar event mooted for 2012 calendar
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8 SUPERCARS may be about to add another Formula 1 event to its calendar, with eNews sources suggesting that V8s will play support to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2012. With a calendar announcement imminent, talk of V8 Supercars’ future in the Middle East has been quiet. But well-placed sources are telling eNews that, following rumoured cutbacks at the Yas Marina circuit, a standalone round in Abu Dhabi is now unlikely. Instead, V8 Supercars may join
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the support bill for the Formula 1 Grand Prix next November, making it the second F1 event that V8 Supercars race at, along with the Australian Grand Prix. A deal to race at the Abu Dhabi GP would have its complications. The 2012 Abu Dhabi F1 race is scheduled for November 2-4 – so if the Gold Coast retained its traditional spot two weeks after Bathurst, teams would have less than a week to get from Surfers Paradise to the Middle East, an unlikely prospect. With the Abu Dhabi date already well and
truly locked away by Formula One Management and the FIA, the GC 600 would be forced to find a new date. Another sticking point could be Singapore. V8 Supercars Australia would be unlikely to want three events as a support category – as well as being at the behest of Bernie Ecclestone and FOM – so an Abu Dhabi deal would be likely to put paid to any chance of V8 Supercars racing at the Singapore Grand Prix. There are also matters of television coverage, with a
potential clash between Seven and ONE HD, which could also affect whether or not the round would be for championship points. eNews contacted V8 Supercars’ International Director Martin Whitaker about the immediate future of the Abu Dhabi race, but he was unable to shed any real light on the subject. “A lot of that will come out when we have the calendar announcement in a week or so,” he said. “There’s not much more I can add to that. Obviously we’ve
motorsport news
NEWS
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FILIPINO DRIVER TESTS V8 SUPERCAR V8 SUPERCARS
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ILIPINO driver Enzo Pastor has had his first taste of V8 Supercars, testing a TeamVodafone Commodore at Queensland Raceway last Thursday. Pastor, a former Asian Formula 3 driver, drove the #888 Commodore in both wet and dry conditions at the Ipswich circuit, having earlier completed an evaluation with Paul Morris at the Holden Performance Driving Centre in Norwell. According to V8 Supercars’ International Director Martin Whitaker, the test is the first step towards a full-time Fujitsu Series program for Pastor, with a Wild Card entry at a main series race in the Philippines the ultimate goal. “His ambition is to do the Fujitsu Series in 2012,” Whitaker told eNews. “If he does a full season of the Fujitsu Series, that might allow him to get a Wild Card entry for the race in the Philippines in 2013 – much like we did with the Bahrainis. That’s what we were trying to achieve. “Enzo had to prove his qualities, so to begin with he went to Norwell and Paul Morris personally coached him. Paul did a fantastic job. I think Paul was pleasantly surprised, because none of us knew what Enzo was going to be like. “At Queensland Raceway, Roland and the whole of the Triple Eight team were there, and it came together excellently. The day wasn’t great, because it was very wet to start off with. But actually, Enzo performed very well on wet tyres. “He did a concise and excellent job. He didn’t put it off, and he was quick – compared to some of the Fujitus Series guys that were there, he was quicker
r got a fantastic working relationship with the people in Abu Dhabi, and we’re working on ensuring that we have a long-term future there. It’s as simple as that.” When asked if any future events would be standalone or as a Formula 1 support category, Whitaker declined to comment. “I wouldn’t want to comment on that,” he told eNews. “That’s one that we have to wait and see about.” – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN
than them, and that’s very, very encouraging. Most importantly, he’s a calm individual, he’s got a lot of humility and he listens to people.” Pastor said that he was happy with his progress throughout the day – and with the V8 Supercar product as a whole. “In terms of Touring Cars, this is for me way better than driving World Touring Car Championship, which I am supposed to be doing,” he said. “I struggled the first two laps and then gradually picked up. According to the team, my time was matching some of the current Fujitsu Series drivers, so they were impressed with my time in the wet. “It dried up in the afternoon so I was running the slicks. As soon as they put newer tyres on my lap times just kept coming down. The cars are very stable, [and] the power is great. It was overwhelming in the wet, but with the slick on I got used to it pretty quickly.” – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN
WHITAKER: MOMENTUM FOR FILIPINO RACE IS BUILDING V8 SUPERCARS
Dirk Klynsmith
www.mnews.com.au
ENZO Pastor’s V8 Supercar test is a clear sign that a V8 Supercar event in the Philippines is gaining serious traction, according to V8 Supercars’ International Director Martin Whitaker. Just months after V8 Supercars announced their intentions to race in the Philippines in 2013, the Filipino driver tested a TeamVodafone Commodore at Queensland Raceway (see separate story). Whitaker, who was on hand for Pastor’s test, told eNews that the test was an important step in getting the Filipino round off the ground. “From our perspective, Enzo and his father are incredibly well connected in the Philippines, and we had meetings with Tom Pastor when I was up in Manila four or five weeks ago,” Whitaker said. “So he’s been great in leading us through the
minefield of government authorities and private sector companies who are looking to invest in an event that would take part at Clark from 2013 onwards. “One element from the test was to show them what V8 Supercars are all about, give them a first-hand feel for it, show them the preparations for the Gold Coast, drive the car, and further our discussions. “I have to say that the momentum towards 2013 is very encouraging. There’s a good ground swell of opinion, which is what you need in a country where there is no real heritage of international motorsport. “They are very excited that V8 Supercars could be the first major international motor racing event to take place in the Philippines.” – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN 5