Motorsport eNews Issue 239 - January 31-February 6, 2012

THE WORLD OF MOTORSPORT DIRECTLY TO YOUR DESKTOP

Issue 239 | Jan 31-Feb 6 2012

STAYING PUT WINTERBOTTOM PENS NEW FPR DEAL

+ FROSTY’S NEW LOOK + COTF TESTING REGS REVEALED

Opinion Editorial Editor: Mitchell Adam Executive Editor: Phil Branagan

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A

PPEARANCES can be deceptive.

Take, for instance, Daytona Prototypes. There were less of the premier class racers at the Daytona 24 Hour race this past weekend than there were last year but there were more punters there to watch them. Why? It may well be that the category updated its regulations since the 2011 race and the old cars – which were really, really ugly – are being replaced by a new generation of smooth, stylish and sexy racers.

The DPs have often raced well, and sound like a racecar is supposed to sound. But, with a big greenhouse, they were a design abomination that no amount of clever graphics could disguise. The best you could say; the cars had a great personality. Not any more; the Corvettes may not have impressed with their reliability, but they look like motorised versions of The Corrs.

Now to Formula 1. The new Caterham F1 car looks like ... well, it looks like I drew it. Somehow, Mike Gascoyne and the lads at what used to be the green Lotus team have come up with something that resembles a cross between a platypus, a dolphin and an accident involving a large nose and a revolving door. It is just plain hideous.

Of course, everyone who follows motorsport knows that in F1 more than anything, the wind tunnel rules all else, so there are expectations that the other cars designed for the 2012 regulations will be similarly revolting. Peter

Contents news 4

Sauber, whose cars once sprouted more wings than a Paul McCartney album, has already admitted that his eponymous cars will look similar to the Caterham.

Of course, there is some hope. Adrian Newey is at Red Bull. For all his pragmatic, engineertype nerdiness, Newey has designed some cars in the past than have combined speed and grace – a kind of four-wheeled version of a Sharapova (but, unless you rev the Renault engine well past 16,000rpm, without quite as many annoying sounds).

So, fingers crossed for a reversal of fortune.

The DP guys got it right. If more and more ugly F1 cars are unveiled in the next few days, all I can say to Mr Newey is; This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

You’re my only hope.

Caterham F1

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2

Executive Editor Phil Branagan

mitchell@mnews.com.au @DrMitchellAdam

Issue No. 239 | 31-01-12 to 06-02-12

Blue Blood | Frosty commits to FPR

6

Launch season | Flurry of liveries coming up

8

Oh what a shakedown | TS030 breaks cover

10 They’re back | Formula Ford to return to Bathurst 12 Force Indy | Rubens heads to the States 14 PT vs the World | Tracy set for IndyCar seat

www.mnews.com.au motorsport news

Grand-Am Media

16 Spiders and Kangaroos | Audi’s 12hr look

chat 22 Five Minutes With ... Tim Edwards race 24 Daytona 24 Hour 26 Sprintcar Nationals

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@motorsportenews @mnewsupdates 3

CHAT NEWS

MARK’S NEW LOOK, DEAL V8 SUPERCARS MARK Winterbottom will drive with Ford Performance Racing until at least the end of 2014 at least.

That is the big news from tonight’s (Monday’s) season launch of Ford’s factorybacked team in Melbourne. Frosty, who continues to recover from a broken leg suffered in an off-season water skiing accident, has extended his current deal with the team, which did run until the end of the current season, for two more years.

“Things change rapidly in motorsport and

there will be no bigger change than the introduction of Car of the Future next year so to stay with the people I know through such a big change is definitely a good thing,” Winterbottom said.

“I’ve worked with a lot of great people over the last six seasons I’ve raced for the team but the group here now is the best yet and the way we are all starting to fire together is very encouraging and gives us all confidence to fight for the championship.”

Winterbottom, 30, joined FPR in 2006. That year, he finished third in the

championship, a result he repeated in the last two seasons.

With FPR having Will Davison under contract for another two years, Winterbottom’s extended deal gives the team a great deal of stability. Steven Richards will again join the team for the endurance races, with John McIntyre moving to FPR from Stone Brothers Racing to partner Davison in the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000.

Rod Nash Racing is expected to confirm soon that its #55 FPR Ford will be raced this season by David Reynolds.

www.revo 4

motorsport news

ALSO IN THE BLUE CORNER ...

USE THEM WISELY ...

V8 SUPERCARS A DUAL-YEAR testing allotment has been put in place for V8 Supercar teams and their new Cars of the Future.

Separate to the existing testing of the Ford and Holden prototypes being conducted on behalf of the category by Development Series outfit Matt Stone Racing, teams will be given a total of 10 test days for their Car of the Future program to be used between August 2012 and mid-December 2013.

Dates specified by V8 Supercars Australia will account for three of those days. The first is set to be scheduled for Queensland Raceway after the circuit’s round in August – the first time teams will be permitted to run their COTFs – followed by a similar test following Winton’s event three weeks later. The other test day from the quota will be the mandatory 2013 preseason test day.

Teams will be free to use the other seven days as they see fit. “[The testing plan’s] not too radical,” Dick Johnson Racing team manager Malcolm Swetnam told eNews.

“Certainly the car will need some serious running this year, but, of course, unlike the introduction of a normal racecar, they’ve done a lot of the testing already. So it’s not as though it’s a raw, straight out of the box car, in the way

Dirk Klynsmith

WINTERBOTTOM is not the only man in Ford’s orbit with a new deal.

Ford Australia has confirmed that Graham Barrie has been appointed to the role of Motorsport, Sponsorship and Events Manager. Barrie has most recently filled the role of the company’s Fleet Relationship Manager.

The role, which combines the company’s motorsport activities with those in other sports and with other events, was most recently filled for Chris Styring, who parted ways with the company in November.

that – for example – the new Dallara Formula 3 car in Europe is this year. So perhaps the teams won’t need miles and miles of testing.

“But on the other side, the philosophy of the car is a little different to the current one, so I think every kilometre that we do will be very valuable.”

Swetnam said planning for DJR’s testing program is in its early stages, and that the team may not necessarily take part in the first, V8SAscheduled test.

“We’ve put together the production plan for, certainly chassis number one, and we’ll get our first chassis frame in early May,” he explained.

“And then that car will be assembled with a view to, probably, running in late August. I think, as a team, we might take a view nearer the time on whether we’ll be at the first test, or whether we’ll let other people run their cars at the first test. The jury’s out there a little bit, still.

“Also, it will depend on whether V8s mandate the first test. If I had the choice, I’d rather let other teams go and run the cars first in anger, because currently the two cars that have been run have been run as laboratory cars. Running for durability, and running for going fast are two different things.

“I’d be curious to let other teams go and run their cars first and see what comes of that. But it’s pie in the sky at the moment.”

– MITCHELL ADAM

olutionracegear.com.au www.mnews.com.au

5

CHAT NEWS

OUT TO LAUNCH V8 SUPERCARS

THE next 10 days will see a flurry of activity in the launch of many V8 Supercar liveries, driver and team combinations.

After tonight’s launch of Ford Performance Racing’s new look, Brad Jones Racing will unwrap its entry for Fabian Coulthard, whose Commodore is expected to race in the colours of Lockwood. On Thursday, the new-look four-car squad that is described as a merger between

Dick Johnson Racing and Paul Morris Motorsport will see the light of day at VIP Pet Foods HQ in Ormeau, Queensland. That will be the first look at the VIP Falcon, to be raced by Steve Owen.

Next Monday, DJR will unveil James Moffat’s entry in an unusual fashion. The #18 will be assembled from a stripped shell from 12 midday in Parramatta, and over half an hour, DJR mechanics and some race fans picked from the audience will

assemble the car. The finished product will be a Falcon in the colours of Norton Security – and Dick Johnson and Allan Moffat will be on-hand to oversee festivities.

The Holden Racing is expected to show its new look on February 5, followed a few days later by SuperCheap Autos Racing of Russell Ingall.

Expect a new look from TeamVodafone on February 7, with a predominantly red car and a lot less silver. Stone

Brothers Racing’s cars will be shown for the first time on either February 8 or, 9, and the next day, Friday, GRM will host its own launch at the team’s Dandenong workshop.

Kelly Racing and Jim Beam Racing will delay their car launches until after the Sandown test day on February 11, and there are no announced dates for either Greg Murphy’s Pepsi entry or KR’s Fair Dinkum Sheds Commodore, which is expected to be driven by Karl Reindler.

IMPATIENT FIORE GETS HIS MAN V8 SUPERCARS BRITISH engineer John Waterman will head Dean Fiore’s program with Dick Johnson Racing in 2012.

Fiore joins DJR as the second Jim Beambacked driver for the coming V8 Supercar season, having under the family-owned Triple F Racing banner since joining the series in 2009. But, with just Fiore’s number one mechanic from Triple F making the switch to DJR, the West Aussie will have a new engineer in Waterman. The Brit hasn’t worked in V8 Supercars before, but has a long history in the sport, including the British and World Touring Car Championships.

“He’s very experienced, very 6

accomplished, and very intelligent,” Fiore told eNews.

“He knows the game, he knows how to win, and he knows what he needs from a driver and a team.”

With the pre-season test just around the corner, Fiore added that he is ready to tackle the increased expectations that driving for a former championship-winning team will bring.

“I’m ready to hit the expectations head on,” he said.

“I’m ready to take on three other guys in the same equipment, and I’m confident in the team that they’re going to deliver four cars that are the same. It will eliminate question marks; if I’m fourth out of the four

cars, I know I have to lift my game. But if I’m fastest or second fastest, I know I’m doing what I can with the equipment. The calibre of the other three drivers is high, so it’s a good benchmark to have.

“I’m getting impatient, to be honest. I know I can do a lot better, and I’ve been close to getting good results, but for whatever reason they just haven’t come.

“So, it’s time. There’s no lead-in period, it’s about hitting the ground running and ripping into it. I’m regarded as a mid-to-rear pack runner, and if you stay that way for four years, it’s hard to get out. I need to improve a lot, focus on my driving, and get the most out of the car and myself.”

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN motorsport news

BRIGHTY’S STILL GOT THE GAS THIS IS THE LOOK THAT JASON BRIGHT WILL CARRY ON HIS TEAM BOC RACING COMMODORE WHEN HE LINES UP ON THE GRID AT THE CLIPSAL 500 IN ADELAIDE IN MARCH. THIS WILL BE BRIGHT’S THIRD SEASON WITH BRAD JONES RACING.

FRIDAY COULD BE D-DAY FOR GRM V8 SUPERCARS GARRY Rogers Motorsport could have its new V8 Supercar driver this week – and it could be made public as soon as Friday.

Veteran team owner Rogers told eNews this week that was settling on the identity of the team-mate to Michael Caruso this week and while he was giving little away, there was

something of a hint – or a red herring …

“We will have a decision this week, by Friday,” he said.

“I am leaning towards and experienced driver. There is nothing wrong with having a young bloke but, with a new car [the Car of the Future] coming along, it may well be that having someone with some miles on board would be a big help in developing that.”

Dunlop Dominates Again at the 6 Hour Endurance Race at Phillip Island!

Congratulations Winners! 1st, 2nd and 3rd across the line: All winning drivers were using Dunlops DZ03G 1st 2nd 3rd

Stuart Kostera & Inky Tulloch Jake Camilleri & Scott Nicholas Jim Pollicina/ Dean Kelland & Steve Cramp

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7

CHAT NEWS

JUDAS PRIUS! SPORTCARS FORMER Grand Prix drivers Nick Heidfeld and Sebastien Buemi look likely to be the men to complete Toyota’s Le Mans lineup.

The Japanese maker unveiled its new racer to the world at Paul Ricard last week, and confirmed that Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima will race one car. Andrea Caldarelli has joined the Cologne-based team as a junior driver.

The new car will make its debut in the Six Hours of SpaFrancorchamps, the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, on 5 May. Two cars will run at the Le Mans 24 Hours on 16-17 June and its intentions for subsequent events are expected to be confirmed soon.

The new car has been designated the TS030 Hybrid, as a successor to the GT-One entries that Toyota raced during the 1990s. Those cars ran with internal TS010 and TS020 designations, TS for ‘Toyota Sport’. The cars will be based at Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) in Cologne, Germany.

The car, which completed more than 200km running during its shakedown session, features an all-new 3.4-litre normallyaspirated V8 petrol engine and hybrid system with capacitor storage developed by official team partner Nisshinbo. The car’s chassis has been built in-house at TMG. “It was cool to drive the TS030 Hybrid car for the first time,” said Wurz. “Just leaving the garage on the electric power is very futuristic, then when you let the clutch go and the internal combustion engine kicks in it is like an old friend has returned!

“When we put on the slick tyre I could feel the car generates a very good amount of grip so I think we have a good base and I think we can turn this into a really fast car.”

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IS TOYOTA’S TS030 WILL FINALLY UNS DIESELS AT LE MA

MURF TURNS BAC

MANLY CARS YEP, that is a McRae Formula 5000 and yep, that is Greg Murphy at the wheel.

The multiple Bathurst winner took to Hampton Downs at the wheel of the McRae GM1 campaigned by V8 Supercar Commission member Chris Lambden, and within a handful of laps put in a time which, in qualifying, would have sat the car on the third row!

It was a fairly amped Murph who climbed from the car before handing it back to a relieved Lambden.

“Holy shit! That was truly awesome,” he grinned. “I always reckoned they were real men back then and now I know they were ...

“The power ... the traction ... it’s huge. It’s been a long time since I’ve driven an open-wheeler of any kind, and never something like that!

Wow!” motorsport news

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0 THE CAR THAT SEAT THE MIGHTY ANS IN JUNE?

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BARBAGALLO TRACK UPGRADES ON SHOW V8 SUPERCARS

Murphy was not the only tintop regular to try on an open wheeler for size. Former NZV8s champ Andy Booth had a steer of David Abbott’s ex-Warwick Brown Lola T430. Booth’s dad, Robbie, was a regular in the glory days of the 5000s in the 1970s.

“I always wanted to drive one one day, just to see how it was for him,” Booth enthused. “He’s my hero now!”

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TYRES FOR CIRCUIT - SUPERSPRINT - TRACKDAYS - TARMAC RALLY - DIRT RALLY

XDESIGNS (FSP020)

V8 SUPERCARS has welcomed the unveiling of the first stage of the upgrades to Barbagallo Raceway.

The upgrades, which include the infield pit-lane complete with larger garages, a wider pitlane, new corporate facilities, a new media centre and an overtrack bridge to allow public access to the paddock area, are to be launched at the track tomorrow [Tuesday], with WA drivers Garth Tander, Karl Reindler and Dean Fiore, and Will Davison in attendance.

“There are few people more proud that the Government has begun these improvements than myself, Karl and Dean who started our careers here,” Tander said in a statement.

“Barbagallo Raceway has been in desperate need of these upgraded facilities for many years, not just for the one time each year V8 Supercars come to town but for everyone who uses the circuit year-round. It will ultimately enable Perth to become a first class venue for all forms of motorsport and potentially attract more categories to the West. There is also flexibility to further expand the track and the rest of the facilities over time.”

The WA round of the V8 Supercar Championship, the Tradingpost Challenge, will be held on May 4-6.

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CHAT NEWS

John Morris / Mpix

FORMULA BATHURST FORMULA FORD THE Australian Formula Ford Championship will race at Bathurst this year, for the first time since 2004.

Part of an eight-round schedule announced by the class last week, Mount Panorama will host the season finale. It will be the first time the current generation of Fiesta-powered cars have raced at Bathurst. Separate to the national championship, Kent-powered cars from State competition returned to the circuit in 2011, pictured.

As reported last week, the 2012 season will kick off at Albert Park supporting the Australian Grand Prix, with the rest of the calendar on the V8 Supercar support bill.

“We’ve been working really hard with V8 Supercars to lock in a calendar for this season and I think we’ve ended up with one of our best calendars to date,” Category Manager Margaret Hardy said.

“There’s a great variety of circuits, which will test the drivers, and the season is book ended by two major events, which is great.

“We’re excited about being back on the Australian Grand Prix schedule as it’s a great way to start the year, and all the drivers love the opportunity to race in front of the Formula 1 community.

“The Bathurst 1000 is the best finale we could have asked for, and we’re very proud to be able to announce it as part of the calendar this year. The last time we visited Bathurst in

2012 Australian Formula Ford C’ship 1. Albert Park, March 15-18 2. Symmons Plains, March 30-April 1 3. Phillip Island, May 18-20 4. Townsville, July 6-8 5. Queensland Raceway, August 3-5 6. Winton, August 24-26 7. Sandown, September 14-16 8. Bathurst, October 4-7 2004 it was a non-championship event, so it hasn’t been part of the Australian Formula Ford Championship since 1995. In the past, the circuit always created great racing and this year will be no different; I think we’re in for a really exciting season.”

HOWLETT TO GO NATIONAL FORMULA FORD WA Formula Fordster Michael Howlett will take make his Australian Formula Ford Championship debut at some point in 2012.

Having dominated the West Australian championship last season, Howlett will run a split campaign in 2012, taking on the entire Victorian state title, and selected AFFC rounds, in a

Duratec-powered Stealth. The car will be run by Brett Lupton and Garth Tander, through their respective Fastlane and TanderSport outfits.

“I have a big year coming up,” said Howlett.

“I’ll be racing in the Victorian State Championship all year, and I will do three National rounds as well. Brett Lupton has offered us a drive for the year, so that’s really good. Last year the brand new

Stealths weren’t doing too well, so Brett wants results, and I want to give them to him. There will be a lot of development to do.”

If all goes well this year, a full AFFC campaign could be on the cards for 2013.

“It all depends on how this year goes,” Howlett confirmed.

“If I have some good results, then we’ll go for a full National campaign the year after.”

Howlett also revealed that

he has set his sights on a V8 Supercar future, with his plan to eventually return to tin tops, with the 21-year-old having a background in HQ racing.

“I feel that my strength is still touring car racing. It’s not that I don’t enjoy open-wheelers, it’s just that I like the car-on-car action in touring cars. Europe would be great, but it just seems so far away.”

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

NZ MEMORIAL FOR JR GENERAL THE New Zealand motorsport community will get the opportunity to pay tribute to Jason Richards next Monday.

A memorial service will be held in 10

Auckland on Waitangi Day – February 6 – following a similar service at Melbourne’s Sandown Raceway three weeks ago (January 9).

Starting at 1pm, the service will be held at the Giltrap Audi building, 150 Great North

Road in Grey Lynn, Auckland.

Richards’ parents, Dave and Pauline, and wife Charlotte will be in attendance, along with the likes of Craig Baird, Greg Murphy, Hamish Cross, John Crawford, Angus Fogg, Greg Horne and Stephen Kennedy. motorsport news

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CHAT NEWS

Pirelli F1 changes F1 PIRELLI has revamped the identifying markers on its F1 tyre range, which feature a number of changes.

For its second year as F1’s sole rubber supplier, Pirelli has opted fore a more ‘square’ profile, which is designed for less downforce after a raft of rule changes for 2012.

Pirelli’s supersoft ‘Red’ is the only unchanged dry tyre, to be used primarily on street circuits; the soft ‘Yellow’ tyre will

be softer than it was in 2011; there is also a new medium ‘White’, which is meant to be the option tyre on tracks with high temperatures or abrasive surfaces; and the ‘Silver’ will be the hardest tyre, used as the ‘primary’ tyre on abrasive tracks.

All Pirellis designed for any wet weather running will now bear the ‘Cinturato’ brand, as used in the make’s road tyres. The ‘Blue’ will be the intermediate, and the ‘Green’ wet remains unchanged from last year.

Caterham F1 Twitter

Suttons Images

CATERHAM REVEALS

RUBENS LOOKS TO UGLY TRUTH INDYCAR (BUT NOT INDY) F1

CATERHAM has unveiled the first 2012 Formula 1 car – and fans could be in for an ugly season.

The team, formerly Team Lotus, showed off its Renault powered CT01 in Britain’s F1 Racing magazine and the Mike Gascoyne-designed car features an unattractive platypus-shaped nose. With aerodynamics at the core of the design, it could well be a pointer to what cars will

look like in the coming season.

On Friday, the car met a deadline when the CT01 was fired up for the first time at the factory in Hingham. It was the first of the breed to be fitted with an engine supplied by the team’s new engine partner, Renault Sport.

The team reported no problems with the fire-up and is now working towards the first test at Jerez, starting on February 7.

Caterham F1 Media

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F1

Caterham F1 Media

RUBENS Barrichello is looking to Indycar for the post-Formula 1 phase of his career.

The Brazilian, a veteran of 322 GP starts, will test a Dallara Indycar for KV Racing Technology at Sebring. Team spokesman Kevin Diamond told eNews that Barrichello would run sessions on both Monday and Tuesday, local time, along with the team’s other drivers.

Barrichello, who turns 40 in May, lost his seat at Williams F1 when the team confirmed the signing of Bruno Senna last week. At the time, Barrichello tweeted best wishes to his countryman, who brings sponsorship from Brazilianbased companies with him.

The question now is, what will the test lead to? In the past,

Barrichello has been muted in his enthusiasm of racing on ovals, and has even been quoted in the past as saying that he has promised his wife Silvana that he will never race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in its oval configuration (he has raced there, in F1, in the USA Grand Prix, which he won in 2002).

“As much as I have dreamed about it, my contract at home won’t let me,” he has said. “The only thing that my wife doesn’t want is for me to drive that oval.

Probably, you will not see me running the 500.”

After 15 years of marriage, it may well be that Barrichello will hold that line. But the inclusion of the hugely popular Brazilian would be a massive boost for the series and the 500. Watch this space …

motorsport news

FERNANDO FASHION

Calling all Nando fans; The Ferrari Store (www.ferraristore.com) is launching of a range of clothing dedicated to Ferrari Formula 1 Driver Fernando Alonso.

The range starts with an Alonso T in red or yellow ($53), with has a polo at $71, a sweatshirt at $160 and the piece de resistance, a limited edition, autographed T at $220, complete with certificate of authenticity.

ELLIOT FOR DAYTONA

Suttons Images

Bill Elliott will race at Daytona – but not until July. The 1988 NASCAR Cup champion will drive a Walmartsponsored Chevy for Turner Motorsports in the Coke Zero 400.

Elliott, 56, will race with #50 on the car to mark the retailer’s 50th anniversary.

PENSKE STAYS LITE

Miller Lite will stay on the side of Penske Racing’s Dodges for the next four years.

The brewer and the team joined forces in 1991. The driver of the blue #2, Brad Keselowski, has also extended his deal, as has his crew chief, Paul Wolfe.

PETTY SESSIONS

Suttons Images

Not expecting miracles: Kimi F1 KIMI Raikkonen is not letting his ambitions get too high in his first season back in Formula 1 since 2009.

The Finn tested for two days at Valencia last week in a 2010-spec Renault and has told BBC Sport that he expects no miracles this season.

“We try to do as well as we can of course in every race, but it’s very difficult to say,” he said. “We have to see how the car is in the testing and go from there.

“Hopefully we can have a good car to challenge in front and that would be nice, but if not we try to improve it and go to the www.mnews.com.au

front. I expect to have to fight in the middle group, but it will not be a drama. It’s no different to my last year at Ferrari.

“The team has everything we need to produce a good car. We are not missing something that’s the reason we don’t have a good car. The people are very keen to have a good year.

“The atmosphere is great, it is a bit more family like than in other big teams, very nice people to work with and I’ve been enjoying it so far.”

Raikkonen is expected to be at the first test of the season at Jerez with team-mate Romain Grosjean.

Richard Petty Motorsports has announced its new Nationwide Series team. Michael Annett, who finished ninth in the NW points last season with Rusty Wallace, Inc, will join RPM for a full program. His sponsor will be Pilot Flying J, which is a chain of ‘travel centres’ (that’s truck stops to you and me).

PLATO TO 888

Jason Plato has joined Triple Eight – for the British Touring Car Championship.

Plato and Andy Neate will drive a pair of MG 6GTs under the new NGTC regulations. Plato, now 45, won the BTCC in 2001 and 2010.

ON COMPUTERS

Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour organisers have announced that this year’s race will again be streamed live online. The stream, available through the event’s website, will feature live vision and commentary and will offer interaction through social networking. Last year, over 12,000 unique viewers logged on.

The conclusion to the race will also be broadcast on SPEED TV Australia.

13

CHAT NEWS

Childress goes fourth NASCAR

IZOD INDYCAR MEDIA

TRACY HOPES FOR

RICHARD Childress Racing will run a fourth Sprint Cup entry this year – but it will be only a part-time exercise.

Elliott Sadler and Brendan Gaughan will share the ride in the RCR Chevrolet, with sponsorship from General Mills foods and the supermarket chain, Kroger. Sadler will race the car in the Daytona 500 and Gaughan, who will run 10 Nationwide and eight Truck races for RCR, will compete at Phoenix, Las Vegas, Bristol

Power on n

FAREWELL INDY SEASON INDYCAR

INDYCAR

GM Media

WHILE one racing veteran, Rubens Barrichello, looks at what could be a debut season in Indycar racing, another is looking for one last blast in open wheelers.

Paul Tracy is close to concluding a deal with Michael Shank Racing to run a farewell season in American open-wheeler racing, in which he has played a massive role in three different decades.

“I’ve raced Indy cars now, this season will be my 22nd

year, so it will be my last year,” Tracy said after his first stint in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

“It would be my final year in IndyCar racing, and after that I’d like to try to do more Sportscar racing.”

Tracy, 43, hinted that he has the sponsorship in place to do a full season. However, one sticking point could be that MSR (which won Daytona on the weekend) has an engine deal with Lotus, which may conflict with Tracy’s personal deal with Honda.

and Auto Club Speedway.

Gil Martin, RCR’s Nationwide team manager, will crew chief the #33 entry.

“We’re looking forward to having Elliott, Kroger and General Mills team up on the No 33 Chevy with Gil serving as crew chief for this year’s Daytona 500,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of RCR. “General Mills has been a terrific partner over the years, through both its Wheaties and Cheerios brands, so it’s great

WILL Power is looking forward to getting his hands on the updated version of Dallara’s new Indycar.

After testing last month at Sebring, Power is sure that the new Chevrolet-powered cars that Team Penske will race in the 2012 Championship will be up to speed. But the new car, designated DW12 after the death of its first test driver Dan Wheldon last October, has drawn some negative comments from the category’s leading drivers.

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14

motorsport news

NASCAR MEDIA

NASCAR THIS is the car that will carry Ford’s hopes of a NASCAR title next year.

The Blue Oval unveiled the new Fusion Sprint Cup last week at Charlotte, and in line with a change in regulations, the car looks a lot more like a road going Fusion than

the current generation of NASCARs. “We wanted Fusion to be the car that helped return ‘stock car’ to NASCAR,” said Jamie Allison, Ford’s Director of Racing.

“I think fans, when they see the car, are just going to smile and cheer. It is going to reengage them with the

sport and make the sport better because there is just something natural about seeing racecars that look like cars in their driveways.

“The 2013 Fusion is a stunning car and the 2013 NASCAR Fusion is even more stunning and I can’t wait to see it perform on the track and connect with race fans.”

NASCAR MEDIA

“It’s not bad,” Power told eNews. “They designed the new car with a rearward bias, and it has around four percent more rearward brake distribution than the old car.

“I have not tested the car at Indianapolis yet, but the drivers who have report that the car is a bit of a handful. It should be good on the road courses, though.”

The car’s suspension is in the process of being refined, which is expected to pay dividends on both ovals and road and street courses.

FUSION OF NASCAR AND ROAD CAR

there was in it second. That’s all hree tenths of a around Mount P at the end of 1000km the most nail b was undoubtedly in 2011. In what Tander and N of the race, Garth finish in the history to record a memor Percat narrowly prevailedHolden Racing Team Toll the and Race for Holden became the first Great In doing so, Percat Ickx won with Al event since Jacky driver to win the back in 197 XC Hardtop way up. In Moffat in a Falcon there is a runner For every winner, afone’s Craig Lownde case, it was TeamVod ted at the end to Skaife. Bitterly disappoin seventh victory, Mark his been what would have would be, fin the race that this announced soon after Great Race. his last start in the themse circumstances, finding great job in difficult back y haul themselves having to constantl while in the pits waiting after being delayed ore was service TeamVodafone Commod to overhaul the steely-deter order an tall too was just in the closing stages. mined Garth Tander

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NASCAR MEDIA

to expand their overall 2012 programme by having a car in the Great American Race. We’re also excited to have Kroger on board given all their support and strong activation around our sport.”

The #33 gains a start in the race by virtue of its finishing 2011 in 13th place, first of the non-Chase qualifiers, when raced by Clint Bowyer.

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15

CHAT NEWS

AUDI’YA DO?

THESE ARE THE LIVERIES AUDI WILL USE IN THIS YEAR’S ARMOR ALL BATHURST 12 HOUR, HA 2 IN 2011. LOCALS CRAIG LOWNDES, WARREN LUFF AND MARK EDDY WILL DRIVE THE WHITE INTERNATIONALS CHRISTER JÖNS, CHRISTOPHER MIES AND DARRYL O’YOUNG IN THE ‘KANG

EREBUS RACING AND JOHN BOWE BOTH HAD REASONS TO SMILE LAST WEEK. EREBUS’S SECOND MERCEDES-BENZ SLS AMG GT3 ARRIVED FOR PETER HACKETT TO RACE IN AUSTRALIAN GT IN 2012. AND BOWE GOT HIS FIRST TASTE OF THE MARANELLO MOTORSPORT FERRARI 458 GT3 HE’LL RACE IN THE BATHURST 12 HOUR WITH ALLAN SIMONSEN, DOMINIK FARNBACHER AND PETER EDWARDS.

16

motorsport news

AVING CLAIMED A 1E ‘SPIDER’ R8, WITH GAROO’ CAR. NEAT, HUH?

BARKER HEADS HOME CARRERA CUP

Rob Lang

www.mnews.com.au

BEN Barker won’t return to the Porsche City Index Carrera Cup Australia in 2012.

The Brit had been expected to contest this year’s series after finishing fifth as a rookie in 2011.

However, he’s sealed a deal to head back to Europe to tackle Carrera Cup Great Britain with Parr Motorsport. Barker contested two rounds in the GB series with the team last year, grabbing a pair of podiums.

“The chance to drive for Parr

came about through the two rounds we did last season, where I think I demonstrated my pace and podium potential,” the 20year-old said.

“Now we have worked something out for 2012, with a view to hopefully progressing to the Porsche Supercup in 2013.

“It’s a shame that we were not able to continue racing in Australia, because I firmly believe I would have had a good chance of competing for the title with Team BRM, but the UK series is probably better as a career move,

especially if I want to move on into the Supercup.”

While he won’t be here full-time, Barker, who won the Australian Formula 3 Championship in 2010, is keen to retain a presence in Australia.

“I’m hoping to get a few outings in the Carrera Cup Australia guest car this year,” he said.

“That would be great, as I want to keep my face in front of the V8 Supercar teams, especially with regard to the endurance rounds in 2012-13.”

17

CHAT NEWS

CATCH YOU ON THE STATESIDE AUSSIES OVERSEAS SOUTH Australian Asher Johnston is the latest Australian having a crack at Late Model Racing in the USA. The former Formula Vee and Formula Ford driver tested a car at Dillon Motor Speedway in South Carolina. Now, he’s secured a deal to contest a handful of races at the circuit throughout 2012, including the track championship season opener in March.

“After the test last year, Ron Barfield

(Ed: car owner and owner of Dillon Motor Speedway) invited me back to do some racing this year,” Johnston said.

“We’ve kept in touch and he’s put together this program for me. The test was successful, so the next step was to get some racing under my belt. If that goes well and everyone is happy after this trip, then we’ll look at doing some more later in the year, but I’m not looking too far ahead.

“I’m really excited about how much there is to learn. At the test I was like a kid in a candy shop, it was so much different and

trying to perfect the little techniques the team were telling me was great fun.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of racing the car. I’m expecting it to be pretty busy in the car!”

Johnston joins a growing list of Australians dipping their toe into Late Model racing. George Miedecke spent the last two years in Late Models backed by Marcos Ambrose, and was joined by Marcus Zukanovic at an event late last year. Clayton Pyne is set to join the Australian Sprint Cup driver’s junior squad this year.

GOTCH ON THE ROCKS FORMULA 3 A TOTAL of 18 provisional entries have been lodged to date for the opening round of the 2012 Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship at the Clipsal 500.

The event will be Formula 3’s first appearance on the streets of Adelaide since 2009.

Defending Champion Chris Gilmour is set to continue in the championship, along with

2011 National Class winner Steel Guiliana, who steps up to outright competition, and John Magro. Mat Sofi, Jordan Skinner and Hart Mason are among the other early entries.

Sydney driver Nathan Gotch is racing against the clock to compete in the season opener, having recently purchased the ex-Tom Tweedie F304 Dallara.

Gotch’s brother Adam will run the car, the pair having both worked for A1GP Team Australia during

its tenure.

“As a driver I’m a little bit under-prepared, but I’m up for the challenge,” Gotch, who has contested a handful of State Sports Sedan and Production Car races in recent years, said.

“On a technical side, I think we’re more than capable of running the car and being competitive. I’m really psyched, I can’t wait to jump into a quick car.”

In their maiden F3 season, the brothers are aiming to contest

a handful of National events, alongside running in the NSW Racing Car Championship.

“We’re looking to do a shakedown in the coming weeks,” Adam Gotch said.

“We’ll see how the run goes.

Getting to Clipsal will be a bit tough, but we’d love to do the Bathurst round and maybe the local national rounds to us, and possibly commit to the full national series the following year.”

– MITCHELL ADAM

UTES TWEAK POINTS V8 UTES THE Auto One V8 Ute Racing series will adopt a modified points system this year, Extra emphasis has been placed on finishing inside the top three, with the race winner to receive 35 points, second 33 and third 31. Fourth is now worth 29 points, dropping by one for each following position.

18

“We trialled a system last year where each driver received one point for every car passed, (similar to NASCAR,) however again we have taken the NASCAR model and now added bonus points to the podium positions,” Craig Denyer from Category Managers SPHERIX explained.

“It’s only a slight tweak to the system and given that in the past three years there have

been over four drivers with the chance of winning the title at the final round, there is nothing really wrong with the overall matrix.

“We think this will make a number of drivers push a bit harder in qualifying, which also carries series points, and reduce the opportunity for foxing to take advantage of any reverse grid draw in Race 2.” motorsport news

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CHAT NEWS

ANDRA-LAIDE DRAG RACING THE ANDRA Pro Series will return to Adelaide in April.

After a lengthy absence from the City of Churches, Top Fuel, Top Alcohol, Top Bike and Pro Stock Motorcycle will race for points at

Adelaide International Raceway on April 1315. The event will be held over the 1000 feet (304.8m) distance.

“Adelaide is not going to know what hit it, Top Fuel dragsters are the pinnacle of the sport,” event manager Rino D’Alfonso said.

“When they roar past, it’s like an

earthquake hitting. I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about the return. The event will attract competitors and spectators from around Australia, delivering an economic boost to South Australia.

“People are excited about the return and cannot wait for the event.”

DRAFT PICKERING V8 TOURING CARS QUEENSLANDER Maurie Pickering will join the Kumho V8 Touring Car Series this year.

A former Sports Sedan, Formula Ford and Group A Touring Car competitor, Pickering has purchased an ex-Steve Ellery Racing BA Falcon to run in the third-tier series.

With Ellery and Luke Youlden, the car

finished on the podium in the two V8 Supercar endurance races in 2005 and was most recently run for Hayden Pullen in the Development Series by Sieders Racing in 2009.

The car is currently being prepared for the new season at Paul Morris Motorsports.

Meanwhile, the series has tweaked its race formats. The Time Attack has been

dropped, and competitors will now have one practice session, one qualifying session and three races at each round. The first two races will be 15 minutes in duration and the third – with the grid determined by combined points – will be longer, at 25 minutes. Additional points will be on the line in the final, with 60 for the winner, compared to 40 for Races 1 and 2.

SMITHS STEP UP SPORTS SEDANS

20

Mark Pryor

COLIN Smith will enter a new era for his family’s team in the 2012 Kerrick Sports Sedan Series.

For 20 years, the M.R. Automotive outfit has run a Rover Vittesse Sports Sedan, which was originally built by Warren Smith in 1990 before being handed down to his son, Colin.

The Chev-powered Rover took both drivers to Queensland Sports Sedan Championships along the way.

But that came to an end at Morgan Park’s final round of the Queensland State Series last November, with Colin Smith debuting MRA’s new contender – a Holden Monaro.

With the aim of being more competitive in the 2012 Kerrick National Sports Sedan

Series, the new Monaro-bodied car was purchased from Tony Wilson in mid-2011. It’s since been rebuilt, including the installation

of a NASCAR-based Chev SB2 engine, delivering over 700hp.

– MARK PRYOR motorsport news

CHAT

FIVE MINUTES WITH ...

TIM EDWARDS

FORD PERFORMANCE RACING GOES INTO 2012 WITH A STABLE TEAM AND MARK WINTERBOTTOM SIGNED UNTIL THE END OF 2014. THE TEAM’S PRINCIPAL TOLD PHIL BRANAGAN WHY THAT PUTS THE TEAM IN A GOOD POSITION BUT WHY 2012 IS GOING TO BE HARDER THAN EVER MOTORSPORT NEWS: First things first. Is Ford Performance Racing in a better position than you were in 12 months ago?

TIM EDWARDS: We are. We are certainly 12 months down the track from where we were a year ago.

There is a lot more consistency in the team. Will Davison has now been with us for 12 months; Techo [engineer Matt Nilsson] has been with us for 12 months. Will’s race engineer has been in that role now for 12 months. So, in terms of having the same drivers, in the same cars, with the same group of engineers working with them, we have ticked all the boxes we can, in terms of consistency.

That helps. That helps enormously. That is one of the most important parts of this business, the continuity of your staff – not just your drivers. That is a big plus.

Do you think that is a hard thing for people to realise?

They see the driver and not so much of the rest of the team.

I think it is. When you are looking for such small amounts, when you have a grid that is separated by not much more than three-tenths, the most minute detail is what helps you to find that extra tenth – no, that extra half a tenth. There is nobody in the

field doing a bad job; every single little edge, they all add up.

Look at Triple Eight; they have had the same drivers and the same engineers for an extended period now. That makes a big, big difference.

By getting it all out of the way now, that’s that. We don’t even have to have this conversation, and there is nothing to talk about like that between the driver and the team for another two years, at least.

You have re-signed Frosty for another two years on top of his current deal, which runs to the end of this season. He is going to be there until the end of 2014.

Correct.

And some of that extends to the endurance drivers. You have made a major switch there this year.

Richo is in the second year of his two-year agreement anyway. So, in that regard, we have that continuity there, as well.

Yes, we have made a change with the other car. Our view is, providing everything works OK, we hope that there is some long-term consistency there, as well.

So, two drivers signed, that gives you stability moving forward.

It certainly does. That goes hand-in-hand with what we are talking about.

We will be getting to the middle of this year and nobody will be sitting around the table, in the middle of a race season, distracting ourselves with negotiating for the following two years. Once you get into that negotiation phase, it opens it up to other teams to say, ‘Bloody hell, Frosty is available, let’s have a crack there’.

So now, you are not only negotiating between the team and the driver, you are also fending off potential advances from other teams – at a time when you are half-way through a season. That is the last distraction you need.

Johnny Mac [John McIntyre] has been a very strong performer over the last few years with the Stones.

Correct, which is why we wanted him.

Frosty was third in the championship last season.

Both drivers who beat him are from the same team. I am going to take a guess that only one result will do this season.

Absolutely. And we were second in the teams’ championship. So there is only one place to make up there!

There is only one place for Frosty to go and one spot in the teams’ championship. Our expectation is that we will continue to improve on the form we showed at the end of last year.

How difficult will it be to ‘quarantine’ the race team, if I can call it that, from the development of the new car [Car of the Future]?

That is going to be a big challenge but it is the same challenge that all the other teams are going to have to go through as well.

Every team is going to have to have one or two people working on things that are specific to the Car of the Future. There is absolutely no way that that is not going to impact on the rest of the team, if you have to build three or four cars through the course of a race season – and 90 percent of that is going to be new componentry as well.

That is going to be a huge undertaking.

But it will be the same undertaking for everybody.

Still fun, after all these years?

It is still enjoyable. The reason I got involved again after I left Europe is that I still love racing cars. I would never go back to Formula 1, but I love this category. It is what makes me get up in the morning.

EVERY TEAM IS GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE ONE OR TWO PEOPLE WORKING ON THINGS SPECIFIC TO THE CAR OF THE FUTURE. 22

motorsport news

Dirk Klynsmith

www.mnews.com.au

23

RACE

GRAND-AM ROLEX SPORTSCAR SERIES ROUND 1 – ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA

SHANKS A LOT

MICHAEL SHANK RACING LED WHAT APPEARED BEFORE THE RACE TO BE AN UNLIKELY 1-2-3 RESULT FOR FORD IN A CRACKING DAYTONA 24 HOUR

Grand-Am Media

24

Fords lead, day and night: After the Dalziel entry led the field away at the green flag, left, it was another Ford that led to the checkered flag 24 hours later.

The Michael Shank entry did not have the big-name sponsors or the millionaire drivers of some of the other teams but it got into the lead and stayed there when it counted. The Chip Ganassi cars, right, had their share of problems, but score 4-5 results at the end of the race.

motorsport news

T

sutton-images.com Grand-Am Media

HE 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona was supposed to be about the new – the new generation of Daytona Prototypes, led by the dazzling Corvette and the BMW-powered Rileys of Chip Ganassi Racing.

Instead, the race turned into what endurance racing is supposed to be about; preparation, patience, more patience and persistance. And, just to add to the mix, it was a stalwart of the category that emerged as the big winner.

Michael Shank Racing has been in the class since the start, and when its drivers Oswaldo Negri and John Pew were joined by NASCAR’s AJ Allmendinger and Indycar star Justin Wilson, they took on the big boys and won. At the end of a long day, Allmendinger drove three hours and found himself fighting off a similar Ford-powered car driven by Ryan Dalziel, to win by 5s after 761 laps.

Dalziel had looked like a winner, joined in the Starworks entry by Enzo Potolicchio and Alex Popow, and endurance racing stars Allan McNish and Lucas Luhr. But the German ran off the track in the 17th hour of race and had to pit for repairs to the rear of the car, putting them back in chase mode after having led 295 laps, most of them in the second half of the race.

To add to Shank’s joys, the teams second entry, the older-style DP of Michael McDowell, Felipe Nasr, Jorge Goncalvez and Gustavo Yacaman took third, after Ganassi’s best-placed #02 entry slowed with gearbox problems at the end of the race. That did allow Ganassi’s #01 to move up to fourth, but the cars were down on power compared to the Fords, giving the blue oval its first win in the event since 1999.

It was an emotional moment for Shank, who was sobbing on the podium, and Dalziel was very gracious in defeat.

“If we weren’t going to win, I wouldn’t want anyone other than Mike Shank [to] do it,” said the Scot. “He gave me my first opportunity in the USA.” The favourites were in trouble early. After topping the time sheets at the recent test, Suntrust’s Dallara struck engine problems and was out after less than an hour, leaving driver Ryan Briscoe without a drive. The similar car of Bob Stallings Racing led early before it stopped with radiator problems, after which Alex Gurney crashed the car.

The battle for honours in GT was even closer.

Five cars finished the race on the same lap but in the end, it was the #44 Porsche of Magnus Racing, driven by Andy Lally, Richard Lietz, John Potter and Rene Rast, that prevailed. TRG’s similar car was second ahead of the Brumos Porsche, with a Chevy Camaro and a Ferrari 458 finishing on the lead lap.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RESULTS www.mnews.com.au

25

RACE

2012 AUSTRALIAN SPRINTCAR CHAMPIONSHIP SPEEDWAY CITY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

A

TOTAL of 69 determined competitors from every state and territory of Australia ventured to Adelaide’s Speedway City for the 2012 Fuchs Australian Sprintcar Championship.

There, over three days, they endured every possible weather condition, from searing 40-degree heat to a stormy rainout on the Saturday night. Fortunately, on Sunday night, there were no such problems and Brooke Tatnell emerged victorious in the 40-lap main event to retain his championship. But he wasn’t the only standout, with Shaun Dobson proving he’s a star in the making, David Murcott going so close and Jamie Veal almost snatching a podium finish.

Steven Lines started from pole and at the drop of the green flag, he jumped away from the field, as Dobson quickly worked his way forward from third to pass Ryan 26

Paris Charles

HIGH-5

BROOKE TATNELL LED HOME A QUALITY-PACKED FIELD TO WIN A FIFTH AUSTRALIAN SPRINTCAR CHAMPIONSHIP. PARIS CHARLES REVIEWS THE 2012 EVENT Farrell for second. Dobson then started to rein in Lines as the front-runners made their way through the traffic until a spin brought out the cautions. At the restart, Lines jumped but Dobson pounced around the outside to hit the lead and with clear track he set sail for home.

The race behind was a thrilling affair, as Lines fell into the clutches of Tatnell and Murcott, who were running hard, before clipping the fence with his right rear. A few laps later, the Monster Energy Drink W7’s axle cried enough and snapped in two, ending Lines’s quest.

At the restart, Tatnell set about the job at hand and worked the bottom side of the track to give himself the opportunity to pass Dobson. Tatnell got the job done and, from there, his car speed through traffic was the telling factor in the run to the finish and a fifth Australian Title.

The battle for third then became a focal

point, as Murcott worked the bottom to hold off the fast-finishing Veal.

For Murcott, it would have been a surreal dogfight, as Veal was driving Murcott’s regular World Series car from the Challons Motorsport stable, as Robbie Farr stalked them both to the flag.

In sixth, Jamie Bricknell led a trio of young guns across the line, with Matt Egel and James McFadden seventh and eighth, while Trevor Green and Andrew Scheruele rounded out the Top 10.

Jamie Cobby claimed the B-Main event, with Grant Anderson, Daniel Pestka and Bradley Keller also advancing.

Lines, Garry Brazier and Lynton Jefferies claimed a pair of heat wins each, with the others going to Dobson, Murcott, Ricky Maiolo, Kevin Titman, Mark Reuter, McFadden, Pestka, Bricknell, Cobby, Farrell, Scherule, Chad Ely, Matt Young, Tatnell, Tim Rankin, Ian Madsen and Peter Murphy. motorsport news

Paris Charles

JOHNSON WINS PRELUDE

Paris Charles

www.mnews.com.au

WHILE the American drivers are not allowed to race the Australian Sprintcar Championship, there was an event at Speedway City on the Wednesday in lead up to the title, dubbed ‘USA V Australia, the Prelude’.

With 50 cars assembled, including Americans Jason Johnson, Danny Smith, Shane Stewart and RJ Johnson, the racing in the cutthroat format proved to be a lively affair, with only the first four cars from each heat transferring directly into the Main Event and the rest having to qualify through the B-Main.

After plenty of hard but fair racing, American ace Johnson came out a cool $5000 richer for his efforts. Ryan Farrell and Brooke Tatnell joined him on the podium.

On a well-prepared racing surface, the 30-lap journey provided the crowd with some thrilling battles all the way through the 20-car final, as the track allowed itself to be raceable from bottom to top.

North Queensland’s Brent April set the cat among the pigeons to qualify on pole but faded back to 15th with an ill-handling car. World Series contracted drivers David Murcott, Robbie Farr and Steven Lines completed the top six behind Tattnell. Kerry Madsen was next while Daniel Pestka faired the best of the local drivers after a solid tussle with Jamie Veal.

– PARIS CHARLES 27

RACE

ANDRA PRO SERIES TOP FUEL ROUND 3 – PERTH MOTORPLEX, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Lucas Gardner

28

motorsport news

SHEEHAN’LL BE RIGHT LOCAL MARK SHEEHAN PRODUCED AN UPSET OVER DARREN MORGAN TO WIN HIS MAIDEN TOP FUEL ROUND IN A MOTORPLEX MELTDOWN “We certainly had the car to get the job done in Perth, but a small problem with the ignition proved to be enough for Mark (Sheehan) to drive around us and win.

“Getting to the final round with the bonus points really means a lot for the championship. We’re third and in striking distance now.”

The championship saw a change in leadership, with Damien Harris and the Best Tractor Parts team defeating Andrew Cowin in the Rocket Industries dragster in a titanic first round match-up.

Despite a semi final loss, that gave Harris enough points to come away with the lead.

The ANDRA Pro Series next heads for

the first time in over a decade to Adelaide International Raceway, where the Top Fuel teams will tackle a totally different surface.

Adelaide is unique, in that it is an allbitumen track, as opposed to having concrete launch pads. But is renowned as a flat surface, with excellent air conditions.

It will also be the first time teams compete over a 1000 feet distance for championship points. While tracks that can run quarter mile will continue to do so, new tracks are being brought into the series with shorter run-offs.

A number of milestones will be on offer, including the first official three-second run and the first team over 300mph for 1000 feet.

Lucas Gardner

WESTERN Australian driver Mark Sheehan came from last qualifying position to claim his first-ever win in the ANDRA Pro Series against national champion Darren Morgan.

Sheehan belted out a 4.95s pass in the final to defeat Morgan’s pedalling 5.04s, the result of a faulty ignition.

Qualifying did not produce a great start for Sheehan, as he could not put in a full pass, even having the car slip into reverse in one burnout. But then his route to the final began in the first round of eliminations, in which he defeated former national champion Phil Lamattina, who had a mechanical gremlin limiting his car to high five-second runs just as Sheehan overcame his own problems to run a 4.99s.

Sheehan said it was just a matter of getting the car from A to B in tricky conditions.

“We didn’t really get any runs on the board on Friday (qualifying),” he said.

“It was good to get down the track in the heat of the day in the first round appearance; Phil Lamattina is tough opposition.

“We got the solo and into the final against Darren. He can roll out a 4.7 second whenever he wants but obviously, track conditions were still tricky, so we did what we did and got the win.”

Morgan and the AEG Powertools team were left to rue the retardation module in the car playing up for the final, but he still took bonus points for low time and top speed.

“We’re incredibly happy to be back in top form, but at the same time disappointed that we didn’t get the final round win,” said Morgan, right.

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RACE

TOYOTA RACING SERIES ROUND 3 – TAUPO, NEW ZEALAND

Kiwis clinging on They’re outnumbered by international drivers three to one, but young Kiwi drivers Nick Cassidy and Damon Leitch remain at the top of the TRS points table after a torrid weekend at Taupo

T

hree different winners from three different countries at Taupo gives a pretty good indication of just how competitive and how cosmopolitan is this season’s Toyota Racing Series.

The spoils in round three went to Briton Jordan King, New Zealander Nick Cassidy

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and Dutchman Hannes van Asseldonk, but with Cassidy emerging from the three races with his position as points leader enhanced.

The weekend began full of promise for King, who started race one from pole and quickly accounted for Austrian, Lucas Auer, nephew of former F1 star

Gerhard Berger.

Auer dropped back to an eventual seventh as Josh Hilll, son of former world champion Damon Hill, raced through to claim second place.

Icing on the cake for King was a new outright lap record at 1m24.444s.

Points leader Cassidy could

only manage fifth, ahead of Damon Leitch, who demoted Auer on the last lap. However, those results were important because of the reverse top six grid rule for race two.

This meant local drivers Leitch and Cassidy would start the opening race on Sunday from the front row. They didn’t waste

motorsport news

the opportunity, Cassidy leading a Kiwi one-two once Leitch got the better of an early duel with Ferrari Driver Academy driver Raffaele Marciello.

Race three, the Denny Hulme Memorial Cup, featured a battle between van Asseldonk and Hill, which was resolved in the Dutchman’s favour once Hill

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came under attack from King.

As van Asseldonk raced home to a comfortable win, the son-ofDamon managed to hang on for second place, while King headed Felix Serralles, Auer, Nathanael Berthon, Bruno Bonifacio, Cassidy and Jono Lester.

Despite the heavy presence of international drivers in the

series, New Zealand drivers remain on top in the points as the Championship heads into the final rounds. Cassidy leads on 546 points, with Leitch second on 517 and Hill third on 424.

The Toyota Racing Series now heads to Hampton Downs next weekend for the penultimate round.

Winners are grinners: well, mostly … Hannes van Asseldonk flanked by Josh Hill (right) and Jordan king, opposite. The star t at Taupo, with Hill (in familiar helmet colours) battling van Asseldonk, above.

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RACE

FORMULA 5000 TASMAN CUP REVIVAL ROUND 4 – HAMPTON DOWNS, NEW ZEALAND

Flyin’ Lyons Michael Lyon is proving unbeatable in the New Zealand F5000 Tasman Cup Revival, the Englishman dominating for the second weekend in succession

B

ACK in the day, the Lola T400 was a bit of a failure in Formula 5000 racing.

Fast forward nearly 40 years and the model has redeemed itself, with youngster Michael Lyons guiding his T400 to victory at Hampton Downs in the fourth round of the F5000 Tasman Cup Revival.

It was his second clean sweep in succession in the series, having been unbeatable in the previous weekend’s events.

The 21 year-old started from pole, with a 59.869s that was the first sub one-minute lap ever recorded at Hampton Downs.

On what was an incidentpacked weekend, Lyons’ main opposition came from Ken Smith (Lola T430) and the McRae GM1s of Canadian driver Jay Esterer and Steve Ross.

Esterer and Ross came together in the second race, with Esterer clattering into the back of Ross and spearing the latter’s McRae into the gravel trap. That incident, along with American driver Eric Haga outbraking himself into the first

turn, made for a race plagued by Safety Car periods.

But when the race going green with one lap to run, Lyons lowered the lap record to 59.840s, undercutting the mark Ross had laid down a week earlier.

“There’s something about doing it in a car that’s 40 years old too,” Lyons said.

“When you’ve got a bit of a streak going the pressure piles on and you’ve just got to put your head down and keep working away at it.

“But the flip side of that is that these things are just so much fun to drive. You know, five hundred horsepower, big fat tyres, they’re proper racing cars!”

Ross was best of the rest, filling the runner up spot in the first two races and then claiming third in the final. Esterer’s weekend haul was confined to third place in the opening race.

After being delayed by a loose muffler in race one, Ken Smith knuckled down to beat Ross into second place in the second

race, with the pair reversing positions in the third.

Lyon effor t: Michael Lyons was unbeaten in the second NZ Festival of Motor Racing meeting at Hampton Downs, right. American Seb Coppola’s colour ful Lola T192, below; Jay Esterer (5) and Steve Ross tangled in the second race, centre; David Arrowsmith’s Lotus 70, below right.

Fast Company/Alex Mitchell

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33

RACE

AUSTRALIAN TARGA CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 3 – TARGA WREST POINT, TASMANIA

THE WHITE STUFF

J

ASON White claimed victory in Targa Wrest Point to extend his lead in the CAMS Australian Targa Championship.

Unlike many of the other events White has won in tarmac rallying, though, he had to come from behind to do so. At the end of Day 1, Victorian Matt Close led the way in an Audi TT RS. White was eight seconds behind, but quickly made amends on Sunday, winning six of the seven stages to turn the deficit into a 41-second win over Close.

White will head to the season finale, April’s Targa Tasmania, with a 60-point advantage at the top of the standings.

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“It was extreme pressure out there, because we knew Closey was going really fast,” the Lamborghini driver said.

“All we could do was go ballistic and hope for the best, and I think the stage records on the last three stages of the day will stand for a long time because we’ve got no intentions whatsoever of going any faster than that again.

“On the last stage we scared every single guide post, bank and gum tree. There was not an ounce of road left and it was 100 per cent everywhere through the stage. It was a pretty rewarding drive.”

The result was Close’s first podium finish

in the series. Brendan Reeves claimed third place in a Mazda RX8 SP, ahead of Jim Richards in his Porsche 911 GT2 RS. Tasmanians David Cooper and Eddie Maguire won the Classic Outright and TMR Performance 4WD Showroom classes respectively. Simon Evans dominated the Showroom class, winning by over six minutes in a Mazda 3 MPS. Saturday’s running included a bizarre pair of accidents. During the fourth stage on the Esperence Coast, George Miedecke and Ralph Norton both missed a corner, went over a cliff and their cars finished up side-byside in the Huon River.

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CHAT NEWS

EYES ON THE PRIZE AFTER A HORROR TITLE DEFENCE IN 2011, ONLY THE TITLE WILL DO IN 2012, JAMES COURTNEY EXPLAINS, IN THE FEBRUARY EDITION OF MOTORSPORT NEWS – OUT NOW!

No. 416 February

Australia $7.95 NZ $8.50

2012

inc GST

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PLUS – CAN SCHUMACHER STILL CUT IT IN F1? WE TALK INDYCAR WITH RYAN BRISCOE, TELL YOU WHAT WE REALLY LOVE ABOUT MOTORSPORT, CHAT WITH MIKA SALO, DISSECT THE V8 DEVELOPMENT SERIES AND REMINISCE WITH CRAIG BAIRD ABOUT HIS FAVOURITE PORSCHE RACES. AND MUCH MORE!

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RACE

ROCH EISTEDDFOD KARTING

AFimages/Ash Budd

ROUND 2 of the 2011/2012 Rotax Pro Tour held at the Go Kart Club of Victoria’s Todd Road, Port Melbourne circuit saw a record number of entries battle over two days, with over 170 competitors racing in just six classes.

Competitors assembled from five states of Australia, not to mention two drivers coming from New Zealand, however the headline act was the Rotax Light field, with 50 karts entered and only 39 gird spots on offer.

Drivers were split into four groups for the heats (A, B, C & D) and once the dust had settled, it was CRG driver Pierce Lehane who came out on top, winning the pre-final over Daniel Rochford.

Come final time, however, Rochford had other ideas, taking a well-deserved victory over Lehane with National Champion and World Number

two David Sera. Round 1 winner Joseph Mawson crossed the line fourth, ahead of Josh De Maio and Macauley Jones.

When 35 drivers faced the starter in Rotax Heavy, National Champion Troy Woolston put on a dominant display, his class showing through with a clean sweep of all three heats, the pre-final and final. Aaron Rintoul was best of the rest, taking second in the final ahead of Daniel Richert, Rick Pringle, Travis Kodric and Daniel Stein.

Junior MAX also saw an impressive mix of drivers as Liam McLellan took the chequers first in the field of 38 drivers. South Aussie Luke Marquis went from sixth in the pre-final to take second in the final, with Mitchell Griffin third, followed by James Golding and Jaxon Evans.

Thomas Randle was in the mix early, with two second places in the opening two heats, however a DNF in both the third heat and the pre-final saw him come

from P32 in the final to seventh, in what was probably the drive of the meeting.

DD2 also saw a clean sweep, with rising star Tyler Greenbury on top of his game to take the top step of the podium, which was rounded out by Jason Pringle, Kyle Ensbey, Troy Woolston and Damian Ward. The remaining class victories went to Hamish Leighton in DD2 Masters and Shane Karandrews in Over 40s.

– PAUL CARRUTHERS

OAKLEIGH’S STRONGEST MAN KARTING

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AFimages/Paul Carruthers

OVER 150 of the country’s top young drivers put on a great display of racing at the Junior Top Guns event at Oakleigh in Victoria, with Arrow driver Damon Strongman the big winner, claiming a double victory.

With the two-night series being run over consecutive nights, it appeared to be a popular format with strong numbers in all categories.

The Karcher-backed Fujitsu Cool driver, pictured, was easily the cream of the crop in the Junior National Heavy field, taking a clean sweep of all the races to claim the overall victory over Matthew Lane.

Strongman’s other victory came in the Junior Clubman class. On the opening night, he fought it out with Race 1 winner Thomas Randle. The final ended as a thriller, with Strongman getting the nod by just 0.007s over Randle. Strongman dominated Night 2, with Randle and Luke Marquis completing the overall podium.

Rounding out a busy but good weekend, Strongman also took third in Junior National Light behind Northern Territorian Bryce Fullwood and Liam McLellan who, along with Matthew McLean, will receive a Formula Vee test drive.

Reece Bloomfield put in a solid effort to out-race some of his more fancied rivals to win

Junior MAX over Randle and Blaine Densley. Jordan Caruso continued his winning ways from 2011, taking the Rookies class victory over Liam Ford and Night 2 winner Reece Sidebottom, while in the Cadets class, Benito Montalbano won over Jordan

Sinni and Jai Sparey.

Victory in the two C&P plate classes went to Troy Alger (Light) and Edward Brown (Heavy), while the new Arrow kart on offer via random draw was won by Rheece Zacharis.

– PAUL CARRUTHERS motorsport news

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