Motorsport News Issue 137 - 9-22 October 1998

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Bathurst winner survives pretest

By PHIL BRANAGAN

ing the solid white line as he did so) behind Rydell and another car which could not be reliably identified by the stew ards.

VOLVO had to survive a post race protest to win its first Bathurst 1000 last Sunday.

Shortly after Jim Richards While the matter was being and Rickard Rydell received sorted out, Rydell resumed in their trophies on the podium. the lead and the Team Vectra Team Dynamics, which ran the entry of Greg Murphy also second-placed Nissan Primera passed the Nissan in the pits, of Steven Richards/Matt Neal, forcing it down to third place. lodged a protest on the winners Dynamics team manager for passing under the yellow Steve Neal approached race director Tim Schenken over the flag.

After a stewards’ hearing, the matter immediately and, after protest was dismissed. the race, lodged the protest The incident on which the against the winners.

The stewards did find that protest was based happened after 53 laps. the Volvo had technically taken When the Safety Car went out the lead while there were yel for the Bill Tunzehnan Peugeot low flags being displayed in the area, but that there was con stopped on the top of the moun tain, the leader of the race was tributing action from Neal in Neal, with Rydell right behind not moving into pitlane at once. him.

“You could even suggest that As they approached the pit the (driver of) the Nissan could lane entry behind the Safety , be charged for crossing the Car, Neal did not initially peel white line,” said Schenken after off into the pits, allowing Rydell the race, “but tbat would be a to neatly go into tbe entry, little petty, accelerate (which is.permissi“They (the'track and the pitble under the rules) and ‘pass’, lane) are considered different Neal for the lead. roads. It’s like a car in the pit Neal, having realised what lane proper ‘overtaking’ a car the Volvo was doing, reacted on the pit straight; there’s nothand slotted into the lane (cross- ing wrong with that.”

Cartoon by Allan Schofield

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NO ROOM ON THE TRACK... but plenty in the stands, despite a strong field and, for the second year, a great battle out front. (Photo by oirk Kiynsmiih) don’t think we’d get it on those terms.

“Our own formula would be a Nations Cup where teams and drivers are invited from around the World to represent their nations.”

It is believed that the European rival for the World Cup, Helsinki, has already received a lukewarm response from most Super Touring manufacturers, Many are reported to have already advised the FIA and TOCA’s Alan Gow that they would skip the race because its proposed June date would interrupt their

XR front for new Falcon Ford’s new AU Falcon V8 Supercar will most likely be homologated with the sporty XR front bumper, which includes the distinctive twin headlight look.

The move has been okayed by the TEGA Board, but has yet to be considered by CAMS.It requires a reduc tion of the minimiun produc tion numbers required from 20,000 to 3,500, but with TEGA’s blessing the change is considered likely. n The only VT Commodore racing in next week’s IndyCar supporting V8 races will be Tomas Mezera’s Densitron car.

Both the Mobil HRT and Castrol Perkins teams will run their older VS models. Larry Perkins will actually take over the Castrol Cougars machine. n Glenn Seton will watch the IndyCar races from pit lane, with Neil Crompton piloting the team’s second EL Falcon. As with a number of teams, Seton’s designated Bathurst car will stay safely locked up at home.

At the same time, the team plans to &Tn up its 1999 funding in the next four weeks and hopes to run Crompton full-time.

Crowd and ratings a 'disappointment' THE crowds were down and so were the TV ratings, but the reaction to the Bathurst 1000 were generally positive. ●Despite a small spectator atten dance of just over 16,000 and a reported peak TV rating of between 8.7 (in Perth) and 13.2 (in Sydney), Bathurst Event Management Chief Executive Greg Eaton said that the event was a success.

“I would be lying if I said I was not a little disappointed,” said Eaton, “but I feel we definitely turned the event around in terms of where we are aiming the event.

“Our ratings in our key demo graphics, men under 35, were strong, and they were strong in our sponsor’s key target.

“The ratings prove that there is a strong audience for motor racing and having two big events on the same day splits it.”

Eaton says that the much-discussed Touring Car World Cup, for which Australia’s bid received a favourable hearing in Paris last month, is not necessarily a feature in the event’s long-term future.

“The World Cup is blown out of proportion,” he said. “We would have to deal with Bemie Ecclestone and he talks in amounts that would blow my budget.

“We would only want the World Cup on the correct terms and I

J

3

domestic championship programs.

TOCA’s Chief Executive Kelvin O’Reilly also expressed some disap pointment about the size of the crowd.

“We would like to see the biggest crowd you can get there,” said O’Reilly. “Outwardly, it wasn’t that big and that’s disappointing.

“If it had been TOGA arranging marketing and advertising, we would be in a position to express a public opinion about the outcome.”

“While there are two (Bathurst) events, many people will choose

Continued next page

Pre:race deal down to family matters THE best pre-race story at Bathurst last weekend was not going to happen.

Yes, Jim and Steven Richards' cars quahfied 1-2, but any hopes of father racing son into the first lap appeared to be kyboshed by the news that Matt Neal was going to start the Team Dynamics Primera.

But that was not good enough for some. Enter David Rose, long-time Bathurst pitlane commentator and Hobart journalist.

Rose approached the race organ isers with an idea; if he could bro ker a deal between the two teams, would they run with the ensuing publicity?

First, Volvo. The TWR team and Rickard Rydell were agreeable, if only Nissan would follow suit.

So another dad, team owner Steve Neal, was approached by a hesitant Rose, and the deal was done. They had their dream head line.

"It makes sense," smiled Neal Sr. "The only reason we wanted Matt to start the race is that we assumed Rickard would. Matt's been racing Rickard all season and knows how to cover his moves.

"But if Jim starts, we'll automati cally put Steven in. He's raced against him a lot. After all, who knows Jim better than his son?"

-PHIL BRANAGAN

n The Qantas Australian 500cc Bike GP won the TV rat ings battle with the AMP Bathui-st 1000. The GP broad cast on Ten peaked at 24, while Bathurst managed a peak of 13 on the Seven Network. n Confirmation that Tasmanian Marcos Ambrose will lead the pace-setting British Van Diemen Formula Ford team next year is expected shortly. n Teams heading for Surfers next week with data from previ ous years might have to adjust to new conditions because the bulk ofthe circuit has been re surfaced.

■ Current Australian HQ Champion Neville Haley is to undertake a test in the James Rosenberg-owned V8 Supercar Commodore driven regularly by Mark Poole. The young Victorian, who has won 17 of 22 HQ races (with five second places) contested this season, is also expected to contest a full Thunderdome HQ season as part of a new three-car team.

■ The New Children’s Hospital at Westmead in Sydney will welcome anyone who wants to have a ride in a high-perfor mance car- around Eastern Creek on October 10. Larry Perkins, Russell IngaU, Tony Longhurst and GaiTy Rush will be on hand to scare the hell out of passen gers wilhng to part with a $100$150 donation. There will be Porsches, Ferraris, Lotuses, Jags and other exotics available for the day.

■ Mick Doohan has been invited to the big Bercy karting event, where the five-times world motorcycle champion will be pitted against the usual array of FI and karting stars.

n The first British American Racing test took place at Santa Pod drag sWp in Bedfordshire recently with the TyrrellMecachrome hack car being shaken down by the team’s test driver JeanChristophe Boullion. n Argentina’s Noberto Fontana has also been talking to several FI teams about work in 1999.

Fontana raced for Sauber several times last year but failed to impress. He hopes to get back into the sport with backing from Argentine companies. n We hear that the Sepang circuit in Malaysia is behind sched ule and is not likely to be finished before February next year. The aim is for there to be a Malaysian GP in October next year and we hear that Petronas has agreed to be the title sponsor for the event, but the pohtical and economic instabihty in Malaysia may disrupt the plans.

B Trevor Foster has been appointed Joint Managing Director of Jordan Grand Prix and wiU look after all aspects ofthe team’s operation with the exception of financial and commercial deals, which wfil remain under Eddie Jordan. n Prost Grand Prix is having serious talks with former Sauber racing director Max Welti. Team manager Cesare Fiorio is leaving the team at the end ofthe year and Welti is tipped as his likely replace ment. There have been rumours that thejob may also go to long-time Prost ally Hugues de Chaunac.

Wanless gets chance with V8 Falcon Bathurst fails to

PLEADING... TOCA chief Alan Gow talking to Paul Morris and Greg Murphy at Bathurst.

(Photo by Dirk Klynsmith)

By CHRIS LAMBDEN

SPRINTCAR and NASCAR star Todd Wanless will make his V8 Supercar debut with the RCS Racing for Life Falcon team at the Honda Indy meeting next week.

With Steven Johnson scheduled to drive a Shell car (see stoiy this issue), Wanless has the opportunity to stake his claim for a spot with the team in 1999, when it expects to run two cars.

Wanless will test at Lakeside on Monday before Indy practice starts on Thursday.

“Todd has always wanted to run in a V8 tourer,” team riianager Paul Feltham said on Tuesday.

“He quMified the NASCAR second at Bathurst and will do a greatjob for us.” , Wanless, ^0, is delighted with the opportunity: “I’ve always said I wanted

to get a chance to race touring grow. cars with a good team and so “Before long, there will be this is a fantastic opportunity 50 cars turning up and you’ll for me,” he said on'Ihesday. have to go really well just to “There’s a lot to learn and make the main event!” obviously I need some miles His Sprintcar career will be in the car. unaffected because the speed “If I can look after the car way season runs over the summer months. and finish well among the pri vateers, then that’ll be a good “They’re the best kept result first up, especially secret in Australian motor given the nature of the sport,” he enthused of the Surfers track.”

Sprintcars. “In terms of Wanless is keen to extend excitement, reactions, racethe opportunity and cement a craft,they’re just brilliant...” spot in 1999, although that Feltham confirmed plans to will come at the cost of his run a pair of cars from the NASCAR involvement.

DJR workshops next year.

“You have to be 110 percfent “The plans are stiU coming committed to expect to com together at the moment, but pete with the level of driver at we hope to get an AU Falcon the top in V8 Supercars,” he to nm alongside the current said. car and, later on, a second “These guys are full-time AU,” he said. professionals; the/re fit and 'Decisions on drivers for 1999 will be made after committed.

“It would be great to be Bathurst, where Steve Cramp part of it irom here on. With and Gary Baxter are cmrentthe tyre deal they’ve now got, Ty entered to share the dri I reckon the numbers will just ving.

NEW PILOT... Todd Wanless steps into the Road Trauma Falcon.

(Photo by John Morris)

n We hear that all the track signage at every Grand Piix next year is already sold and that availability for 2000 is also very limited. Bemie Ecclestone’s TV boffins continue to work on per fecting the system of“vir tual advertising” which electronically alters the sponsorship shown on the trackside signs, depending on the country where the race is being broadcast.

This will enable Ecclestone to sell the sig nage many times over and meet the demand for more signage.

JOE SAWARD

Continued from Page 3 to go to one only. Not many go to both races.

People who go to Super Touring events aren’t going to go without a shower for a week or hang their washing on a fence.

- “The town was fully booked out, which leaves few places for people to stay. Most would not stay on the Mountain or act like people out of ‘Deliverance’.”

P’Reilly also pointed ouU that the Federal election held on race weekend may also have had some affect during the weeks before the race.

The political parties bought large Hocks of TV advertising time, leaving fewer opportunities for

the race promoters to add to the build-up to the race.

WHILE there is doubt in some observers minds’ as to whether the race can continue in its current form, there was no doubt in the Europeans’.

All the visiting drivers questioned wanted to come back next year, even Lee Brookes and Tim Harvey, who are as yet unsure of their BTCC plans for 1999.

The victorious TWR team were ready to com mit again, while VauxhaE Dealersport chief Mike Nicholson commented after the race that they would love to come back and win it, even if both of their cars were badged as ‘Holdens’.

-PHILBRANAGAN

Bubbing in the Salt

FORMER Indycar driver David “Salt” Walther has been sentenced to six months of drug treatment and three years’ probation for attempting to smuggle a painkiller into jail.

Walther, 50, who raced a Formula 5000 car in Australia in the late-1970s, pleaded guilty to trying to smuggle three Tylenol III tablets into jail. The pre scription painkiller contains codeine.

Judge Daniel Fedders said he was sending Walther to a community correction centre but misbehaviour will result in a year in prison.

n We hear that Ricardo Rosset is in talks with Minardi about a job for next season. Rosset’s poor performance this year improved dramatically at Monza following the appointment of a new race engineer for him. Rosset is believed to have a bud get of aroimd US$5m. n Lola is in the process ofinstalling a half-scale windtunnel at its factory in Hxmtingdon. The facili ty was acquired from the Royal Air Force facility at Warton, Lancashire.

ignite audience

Onefor the purists Let one thing straight.

By us anyget measure, there is no comparison between the two Bathurst races - the V8s have it all; the stars, the cars, the crowd, the TV ratings. It is with out doubt the link with Bathurst’s glorious past, no matter what the purists suggest.

Having said all that, the AMP 1000 is a mighty fine race in its own right and fails by only one measure - comparisons with the V8 race. If it was a new event that had appeared on the calen dar, it would be lauded as an excellent addition to the sport in Australia, a fine international

14 i

with David Ha race that was recognised around the world.

This year’s race was another beauty and produced the clos est finish in history (putting aside Allan Moffat’s staged 1-2 in 1977). Even without the pace cars, it was a tremendous con test, made all the more inter esting by having the leading

combatants as father and son.

But it was no fluke because last year’s race was a cracker as well. Perhaps these Super Tourers are better suited to endurance racing than we thought they would be.

For sure, it would be great if the field was stronger. TOCA’s Alan Gow and race organiser Greg Eaton will surely address this issue before next year’s race because they would realise that it cannot survive forever being boosted by production cars and, to a lesser extent, the Schedule S machines from New Zealand.

The field needs more foreign stars and a stronger local attack.

But they are not so far away from a good package. The TV was a bit lame, but Seven looks like getting the full series next year and will hopefully develop

“It’s still not too late to get your life in order,” Fedders said.

Authorities said a correc tions officer caught Walther in May trying to sneak the Tylenol tablets into his cell.

He had the drug inside a glove he wears to protect a hand badly bmmed during a famous crash at the start of the 1973 Indianapolis 500, when he careered down the track with his legs hanging out the front of his mangled car.

At the time, he was serv ing four months for failing to pay $14,500 in child support.

some on-air talent who can con vey both excitement and infor mation without the mistakes that littered this year’s commentary.

This year there was less snip ing from the V8 fraternity and this was a big plus; they need not feel threatened and success for another category would be good for everyone.

Not such a gas This looks issue a of bitMotorsport different News than usual, thanks to the gas problem which has crippled Victoria.

This has prevented our print ers from using the normal gloss paper in the main part of the publication, but we will be back on the usual stock next issue.

Not to mention back to hot showers ...

5

%

PRC considers Bathurst Commodore handicap

By CHRIS LAMBDEN

A MEETING of the Performance Review Committee today (Friday) will decide whether Holden’s new VT Commodore will be slowed down prior to the FAI Australian 1000 Classic.

Teams running the VT have won seven of the nine races contested since its debut and that, according to Ford teams, is a prima facie case for a performance adjustment.

PRC Chairman Peter Wollerman called for the review after the PRC members were circulated with the results of the final three Shell rounds and the Sandown 500 and asked to consider whether a review was neces sary.

It was agreed and the various par ties, including Ford and Holden, will make their submissions at 11am before the Committee makes its deci sion.

“We always said that if the VT got up and boogied, we’d have a look at it,” Wollerman said this week.

Predictably, pre-meeting views are following party lines, with the Ford argument pointing to the seven wins out of nine for the VT in that time and Holden’s contention that the VT is no faster than the VS, |the wins due to en-ors and below par perfor mances by Ford’s teams.

“In fact, if you take out the first meetin'g (Calder), when the VT-s weren’t driven by the teams’ leading points scorers, they’ve won seven out

— V

UNBEATABLE? ... The VT has won its last seven starts in the hands of the Mobil Holden Racing Team and Castro! Team Perkins. Now it faces being slowed before Bathurst. (Photo by pni Williams) of seven,” Ford’s Motorsport Manager Greg Harbutt said on Tuesday.

“While we (Ford) have pushed for this review, it was always part of the process of allowing Holden to have the mid-year homologation of the VT and to race it at Bathurst.

“It’s happening a little later than we’d have thought, but it’s just fulfill ing that obligation.”

For his part, Holden’s Motorsport

Manager John Stevenson believes the PRC’s wider terms of reference than number of wins should illus trate the equality of the cars.

He maintains that the string of wins is due more to Ford team fail ings than a car inequality.

“The Ford Motor Company don’t give their teams a fair go in terms of back-up and development,” he said on Tuesday. “And remember, what

they asked for at the mid-year PRC review, they got...”

If any change is suggested by the PRC, it will be in terms of tenths of a second per minute adjustments, but it will also likely suggest cos metic (eg reduced front underwing) ways of achieving it to teams’ group TEGA, whose job it is to come back with an agreed means of implementaj;ion.

Henderson invests in McLean Vectra INDEPENDENT John Henderson wiU be moving up the Super Touring ranks next season in a newer Opel Vectra.

After selling his 1994model car to British driver Mike Newton at Bathurst last weekend - Newton wanted the car’s engine to replace the one blown in Rod Jones’ similar car Henderson was meeting with John McLean as MN closed for press to settle the deal to buy the 1996 car Cameron McLean raced to the Independents’ title last season.

“It’s just about done,” said McLean Sr on Tuesday after noon. “It’s an ideal arrange ment because John’s a good driver and the car will be competitive.”

The Opel, which was ham strung in the early part of last season by its ineffective 1997 wing kit, comes with an extensive list of spares which should allow Henderson to chase the whole 1999 series.

Along with the Opel, sev eral teams are showing inter est in the heavily updated 1996 BMW McLean and Tony Scott drove to fourth at Bathurst.

McLean Sr will travel to Germany this month for dis cussions with BMW Motorsport regarding their 1999 program.

-PHILBRANAGAN

Junior steps up for Dick STEVEN Johnson seems likely to drive the number 17 Shell Helix Falcon at next week’s Honda Indy meeting.

Father Dick was due to be in hospital overnight on Wednesday of this week for a third operation on his trou blesome sinuses.

Depending on his recovery time from the operation, par ticipation at the Surfers meeting seemed unlikely as Motorsport News closed for press.

There has been an infec tion problem since the last operation and DJ was plagued by headaches at Sandown during the 500 meeting.

“At this stage, it’s more than 50:50 that Steven will drive,” team manager Wayne Cattach said on Tuesday.

“It will be a day-by-day assessment, but the piiority obviously is that Dick is 100 percent fit for Bathurst.”

- CHRIS LAMBDEN

EXPANSIVE... Dick Johnson's new workshop between Brisbane and the Gold Coast opens next Tuesday.

Public welcome at DJR Diniz to join Sauber

THE word in the paddock at the Nurburgring last week was that Pedro Diniz has signed a deal to drive for Sauber in 1999 and 2000.

The deal is understood to be worth around $17m a year to the Swiss team, which needs to increase its budget in order to improve performance.

We hear that the team has overspent this year to the tune of around $8m.

The team is expected to continue to enjoy the support of Petronas, the team’s support from Red Bull remains solid and we hear that there will soon be two more sponsorship deals announced: one with a major Swiss watch company and the other with Swissair.

Diniz had talks with BAR about a possible deal but we understand that Pedro and Jacques Villeneuve do not get on and that Ricardo Zonta is still the man most likely to get the drive.

-JOESAWARD

DICK Johnson Racing’s spectacular new team headquarters is about to open to the public.

Following a concept noted by Dick during a visit to US NASCAR teams a few years back, the new factory incorporates a glass wall through which the public can see the activities going on in the main workshop, a DJR/Shell team merchandising shop and a display of Dick’s most successful race cars.

An official opening function is set down for next Tuesday when Brisbane radio station BIOS wilt broadcast its breakfast show live from the grounds, and from that

time DJR’s new palace is open to the public.

The complex will then be open regularly, from 10am-4pm Tuesday to Friday and 9am-2pm on Saturdays.

“DJR will be a mqjor force in the sport here long after I retire from driving,” Dick said this week.

“What we have developed is Australia’s most advanced motor racing facility and one that has deliberately been designed to enable fans to take a close-up look at what goes on between races.”

Constructed on a 1.5-acre site (10 Emeri Street, Stapylton, midway between Brisbane and the Gold

Coast), the new building accommo dates up to four V8 Falcons at any one time in the 2200 square metre workshop.

'There’s a contaminate-free elec tronics lab, a dyno room, a full spray paint booth, machine shop, fabrication area, computer-controlled parts storage and under cover loading area for the team’s transporters.

Cars on display are the Tru-Blue Falcon, the Greens-'Tuff Falcon and a Shell Sierra.

For further information, the pubUc can call the workshop on 07 3287 1234 -CHRIS LAMBDEN

s Montoya to replace Alex?

90clobef1998

CHIP Ganassi is stiU looking for a replacement for twotime CART Champion Alex Zanardi, who will drive next season in Formula One. Ganassi and team engineer (and former FI teamowner) Morris Nunn made a quick trip to Spain earlier last week to speak with Juan Pablo Montoya, the cur rent Formula 3000 champion and test driver for Williams.

“All I can tell you is I haven’t hired anybody yet,” Ganassi said Friday between qualifying sessions at Houston.

“There are a lot of good drivers available but I really don’t feel a burning need to name someone today or tomorrow.”

Zanardi was also in Spain earlier last week. To begin getting familiar with the FI car, he drove the cuirent Williams-Mecachrome entry during a Goodyear tyre test in Barcelona.

The Italian was reportedly only 0.06s of a second slower than Montoya, who is much more familiar with the car and the track.

One name that has apparently been crossed off Ganassi’s list is that on Tony Kanaan. The star rookie, who signed to stay at Tasman Motorsport last month,is said to be interested in moving but it seems his buy-out figure of US$2 million is a little rich for Ganassi.

Whoever he hires will become a teammate to Jimmy Vasser, second in the season points and the 1996 series champion.

Who’s where?

WHILE the CART world Japan, driving a Honda-powwaits on who will get the ered Champ Car in an exhipluna Ganassi Racing seat bition at Twin Ring Motegi alongside Vasser other, —^ celebrating Honda’s 50th teams are finalising their anniversaiy at its new track.

Hattori, 32, is currently ’99 driving line-ups.

Bruce McCaw’s PacWest ninth in the Indy Lights CART team has re-signed series, both drivers Mauricio GugelJohn Menard is pulhng his min and Mark Blundell for a . team out of the IRL series at fourth year as team-mates. the end of the season and This year has been a dis- will run in CART next year, appointment for PacWest Menard was one of the after winning four races in IRL’s''biggest supporters and ’97, three with Blundell and his Tony Stewart-led team one with Gugelmin. This sea- was the richest in the IRL. son the team has struggled This year Menard has with engaged in a running battle in many races Gugelmin’s fourth at Mid- with AJ Foyt and the IRL, Ohio in August the team’s trying to protest Foyt’s cars but instead had his own cars best 1998 result.

Naoki Hattori of Japan penalized for using illegal will join Gil de Ferran next rear wings, Menard has told the IRL’s season as part of a two-car Executive Director Leo Mehl team at Walker Racing.

‘It’s been my goal to expand and series founder Tony our team and run a second George of his decision to car,” longtime crew chief, leave the IRL in favour of team manager and team CART' and it’s believed Menard wiU be involved in a owner Denick Walker said.

When the announcement new CART team next year was made in Houston last ^possibly with Robby Gordon Saturday Hattori was in driving and Toyota engines.

DARIO DOMINATES... Who’s going to stop the Team Green machine from dominating on the streets of Surfers?

Bigger than Texas

IT was hard to tell whether Dario Franchitti was happier with his win in Houston or by the fact that he survived the chaotic event.

Franchitti won his third race of the season as rain played havoc, delaying the start, cutting the event 30 laps short and causing moments of chaos in between.

The race, scheduled for 100 laps on the 1.527-mile, 10tum temporary street coirrse in downtown Houston, was flagged to a halt after 70 laps as rain poured down, stand ing water began to fonn on the track and lightning and thunder prodded many of the 62,455 spectators toward the exits.

Franchitti, whose first CART victories came consec utively earher this season in Elkhart Lake and Vancouver, started on the front row of the 28-car field, next to polewinner Greg Moore. The 25year-old Scot wound up lead ing eveiy lap.

He beat Moore to the first turn to take the lead, then

pulled away after the Canad- Christian Fittipaldi, loiockian driver was sidelined by a ing him into the wall and both of them out of the race spin on the fourth lap.

“This was like Scotland almost immediately after the today, with all the rain, green flag waved again for Franchitti said. “The biggest the fourth lap.

On lap 13, Robby Gordon problem at the beginning was the course was like an ice hit the rear of the cai’ driven rink. Then, when we went to by Michel Jordain, Jr. Those drys, some places had grip two blocked a tight part of and some places didn’t. Then the track near the pit the rain came and it all entrance and, before the incident was over, seven cars changed again. were blocking the roadway.

“But, in wet and dry condi CART ofiicials stopped the tions, we were fast, and that race for 15 minutes, clearing was great.”

The race began 35 min- the track and allowing the utes late after standing teams to make repairs and water from earlier down- ''adjustments to the cars, After that, the green flag pours was pushed and blown off the track. With the track stayed out most of the way, still very wet and slick, the with the track continuing to first part of the race was a dry out until rain began nightmare, with three full- falling heavily again, accomcourse caution flags and a panied by the thunder and red-flag stoppage in the first lightning, minutes before the early end came.

13 laps.

The scariest moment of the Before the first lap was over Gil de Ferran spun, race for Franchitti came on knocking Bryan Herta into lap 48 when Team KOOL the wall at the same time Green team-mate Paul Tracy, that rookie Helio Castro- running second since the Neves was bumping A1 Unser early moments of the race, Jr and sending Mm spinning. tried to make an inside pass Moore spun and hit and nearly wrecked both of

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The two humped tyres and Tracy slapped the concrete barrier on the inside of the course, knocking a tyre askew. As Franchitti drove on, still in the lead, Tracy drove slowly to the pits.

Along the way,there was a heated exchange between the driver and team owner Barry Green, with Green telling the driver to “use his head” and Tracy complaining that Franchitti was blocking him.

When Tracy got out of the car, Green walked up to him, talking fast and pointing repeatedly at his own head and at Tracy. He then grabbed the driver by the left sleeve and jerked him close before the two were separat ed by a team member.

At that point, Tracy stalked away,jumped on his scooter with his wife and rode off.

After Franchitti had crossed the finish line out front. Green said,“We have a great relationship and we’ll continue to have a great rela tionship. Anything fiirther I’ll have to talk to Paul.”

Said Franchitti: “I didn’t see Paul. I felt something behind me. It wasn’t a place to challenge. It was really tricky out there.”

Both Tracy and Green were fined $5,000 by CART for “physical contact and not maintaining proper behav iour and sportsmanship.”

Alex Zanardi, who last month clinched his second straight CART PPG Cup championship, wound up sec ond and backed up Tracy’s version ofthe pass attempt.

“He was in a position to overtake Dario, but he pulled half a move," Zanardi said.

“He must have been think ing: ‘Oh, it’s my team-mate,’ and he tried to be nice.”

Rookie Tony Kanaan fin ished third, followed by Jimmy Vasser, Max Papis, Adrian Fernandez and Unser.

-PHEL MORRIS

Points after 17 races: Zanardi 259, Vasser 148, Franchitti 143, Fernandez 134, Moore 119, Andretti 112,Pruett 106, Herta 94.

9October m

Simon says, it’s quick

An Australian Revolution in

Photo by Tony Glynn

YAMAHA 500 GP bike star Simon Crafar put in some laps at Calder last week a in V8 Wynn’s Commodore.

While the drive was purely a promotional part of the build-up to last weekend’s 500cc Grand Prix at Phillip Island, the Kiwi later hinted that V8 Supercar racing was something he’d love to do once his bike career was fin

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ished.

“I used to think that cars were things that towed bike trailers to race tracks,” he quipped, “but these things are fabulous.”

While generally impressed with the whole package, Crafar was particularly taken by the braking power of the Commodore.

“It certainly pulls up well much harder than a bike ...”

- CHRIS LAMBDEN

Richards rumours

By JOE SAWARD THERE continue to be strong rumoiu's in Formula 1 circles that Benetton Formula’s managing-director David Richards may be leaving the team if the deal being discussed between Benetton and Ford does not happen.

Benetton wants Foi'd factory engines in 2000 but Ford wants a shareholding in the Italian team and this seems to be the problem.

Richards seems to have nailed his colours firmly to the Ford option and may leave the team if a deal is not agreed.

■While Benetton does not have to join forces with Ford, it seems wise unless there is the possibihty of a Renault factory engine deal in 2001, in which case it would probably be wiser to stay with the current Renault “family” of engines.

The Benetton family has no real reason to sell the team, which has been a valuable mar keting tool for the company for the last 13 years.

If Ford and Benetton do not agree a deal, it

Win a VT on Ten

TWO V8 Commodores will be on offer for Holden’s “Best Banner” competi tion at the FAI 1000 Classic next month.

Banner-makers and TV viewers can both win a car.

This year’s winning ban ner maker will take home a $45,000 VT Commodore SS V8, while one lucky Channel Ten race viewer will win the race Safety Car - a $70,000 Special 10th Anniversary HSV Club Sport V8!

This year the theme is Holden’s 50th Anniversary Year.

Banners must be erected at the Mount Panorama track on race weekend and incorporate a one-metre (minimum) Holden lion logo.

is likely that Ford will have to go back to the idea of developing Stewart Grand Prix although Arrows boss Tom Walkinshaw is understood to have offered his services as well.

Ford’s Neil Ressler had several meetings with Walkinshaw at the Nurburgring last week, though this may be unrelated as Tom is a big player in the automotive as well as motor racing world.

However,there have been rumours for some time that Arrows is for sale and that Walkinshaw might be willing to sell a large chunk of the team if he can remain in charge ofthe operation.

Stewart still needs a lot more developing to become a top team - even if Richards were in charge - so Ford could be stuck in a support ing role for at least another three or four years before being capable of competing with Williams, McLaren and Ferrari.

'The most logical course of action is probably for Ford to agree to a deal vsdth Benetton with out equity in the team and develop a parallel strategy of continuing to develop Stewart imtil it is a more competitive operation.

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NEWS

Andrej finishes F3 series ANDREJ Pavicevic ended his reliable run in the British Formula Three championship in the final two rounds of the series at Spa and Silverstone.

The Sydney driver quali fied'ninth on his first visit to the classic Belgian track, less than Is behind pole man Luciano Burti. He jumped up to sixth by the time the field crested the rise to Les Combes but'he had to pit when his car suffered a slow puncture in his right rear tyre.

The race was won by British F3 Champion-elect Mario Haberfeld.

A week later in more familiar surroundings Pavicevic qualified eighth at Silverstone, half a second from pole man Enrique Bernoldi. In cold conditions the field set off on a damp track, meaning all of the field was still on slick tyres.

He went off on the very first comer and resumed last but got hooked up with National Class runner Warren Carway and left him to retire on the following lap.

Prior to his two DNFs Pavicevic had'completed all 14 rounds of the champi onship but stUl'said that the experience was worthwhile.

“I think I’ve shpwn a few people in the course of the year that I’ve got what it takes,” he said. “Fve learnt heaps and I’ve made real progress as my results show.

It bodes well for the future.”

No Indy GPyet BOTH the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Bernie Ecclestone have denied reports in the Indianapolis Star newspa per that a deal has been reached for the US Grand Prix to be held at the Brickyard for 10 years, starting in September 2000.

-JOESAWARD

V

Brabham takes Sebring

PANOZ driver David Brabham, paired with Andy Wallace, have moved into the lead of the Professional Sports Car Series after winning outright at a stormlashed Sebring,Florida.

It was the Aussie’s first outright win in the series.

Qualifying was held in dry con ditions and Brabham qualified the Visteon-hacked Panoz fastest of the GTl runners and fourth outright, behind the open-top sportscar runners.

Race day dawned with strong wind gusts, which were so power ful that they knocked advertising billboards onto the circuit.

Torrential rain soon followed.

While it may have been driz zling when the race began, Brabham wasted little time and moved to third place, well within striking distance of the Ferrari of Wayne Taylor and Dorsey Schroder’s Riley and Scott.

The i*ain continued to intensify and following a harmless slide off the circuit, both Brabham and Schroder pitted to change to wet weather tyres.

With better equipment, Brabham made light work of the leading pair and seized the lead.

The pace car then moved onto

the circuit as the conditions were so bad, the field slowing until the race was temporarily suspended.

After a break of half an hour, the race resumed under yellow flag conditions.

Despite the urge of Brabham and others for the pace car to remain on the circmt, organisers gave the green light for racing, which was met with immediate action.

Taylor’s Ferrari ploughed into a wall after hitting standing water and the yellow flags waved once more.

“I was screaming on the radio that it was ridiculous to try and start the race again as I could hardly keep up with the pace car,” said Brabham.

Organisers then kept the race under yellows.

“This time the organisers lis tened to me and the race was kept under yellows, even though it wasn’t to our advantage as I had to hand over to Andy (Wallace) at that point so he could earn cham pionship points.”

KEEPING COOU. David Brabham shared his Sebring win with sportscar veteran Andy Wallace.

(Photo by Nigel Snowdon)

Two final wins for Besnard DAVID Besnard ended the USF2000 Championship season the way he started it at Pikes Peak Raceway in Colorado, taking poles and wins in the final two races of the season.

The Sydney driver was forced to race his team mate Sam Homish Jr in the first race, coming from behind to win by almost 2s. In the second race it came down to a sprint over the final four laps, in which Besnard and Canadian Marc Camirand swapped positions in turn three before the 1998 Champion got the upper hand.

By taking the two wins and poles Besnard was able to establish new marks for both categories in the series, adding to his end-of-season record for points tallies(363)and prizemoney(US$64,750).

He was presented with his awards at the end-ofseason dinner at the Colorado meeting and will embark on a hectic month of racing next weekend at Road Atlanta. In the Petite Le Mans Besnard will share a factoiy-backed BMW M3 in the GT3 catego ry before heading over the Europe to continue in Formula Fords.

Besnard will take in the Formula Ford EuroCup Mowed by the British FF Festival at Brands Hatch, both drives as part of his USF2000 series winnings.

On his return to the USA Besnard will test in a Formula Atlantic car, as well as a test drive in one of AJ Foyt’s Indy Racing League cars.

... and Horne wants him WHILE Besnard will be jetting around the world in the next month as part of his USF2000 prize, a potentially more impor tant matter awaits the youngster when he gets back to home base in Florida next month.

Besnard has been called upon by Tasman Motorsport chief Steve Horne to test one of the team’s Indy Lights cars, with a view of running the Australian next season.

Tasman is considered to be the best Lights team in the series and, while it is usually in a position to pick and choose its race drivers from season to season, it is unusually for Horne to look at a completely unsponsored driver like Besnard.

At the moment Horne already has one of his 1999 Lights seats contracted to Brazilian Airton Dare, but Besnard may be in contention for the other drive.

There has also been take between Besnard and Team Green’s Lights outfit, as well as offers from several Formula Atlantic teams.

- PHIL MORRIS

LOOKING GOOD... Could Besnard be following in the footsteps of star CART rookie(and former Lights champ) Tony Kanaan?(BobenLaberge/msport)

Has Craig Pollock sold out of BAR?

By JOE SAWARD

BRITISH American Rac-ing has been having a very bumpy ride in recent days with the Formula 1 Commission deciding to torpe do the team’s plans to run cars in different liveries.

We have also heard stories of financial problems and we have even heard that BAR managingdirector Craig Pollock has sold his shareholding in the team to American CART team owner Jerry Forsythe.

The only good news is that the Commission agreed that BAR will be allowed to change the name of its cars next year from Tyrrell.

BAR is half-owned by British American Tobacco and the team has been spending vast sums of money

recently to build up a completely new racing organisation.

We understand, however, that the budget from BAT is delivered every two months after a meeting assess ing progi’ess and we believe that at the most recent meeting it was decided to pull back a httle on some expenditure, including circuit sig nage and the sponsorship of races in Asia.

BAR had been planning to rmi one car using BAT’s 555 State Express branding and the other in Lucky Strike colours. As we understand it, the budget was coming from two dis tinct sources: BAT itself and Brazilian cigarette distributor Souza Cruz. This explains the team’s need to sign up a Brazilian driver to keep the South Americans happy.

There were, however, disputes

between the various brand man agers as to which car Jacques Villeneuve would drive, with BAT wanting him in the Lucky Strike car and the South Americans wanti ng him in 555 colours.

At the very least the new regula tion will do serious damage to the status of Pollock - who had pio neered the idea of twin liveries and appears to have thought that he had the political clout to make it happen, i^at he does not appear to have appreciated is that in 1994 the FI team bosses agreed between them selves that teams should run two identical cars, simply to ensure that the show looked professional and the public was not confused by too many different brands.

It is therefore interesting that in

the days before the Commission met, BAR announced the arrival of Jerry Forsythe as a new director and shareholder in the team.

Initially it was thought that Forsythe had been brought in to replace the departed Julian Jakobi, but our spies in the organisation teU us that Jakobi did not have a shareholding in the team and that the shares which Forsythe has acquired - ramom-ed to be 37%- are actually those which belonged to Pollock.

We understand that the Scotsman has made tens of milhons of dollars as a result.

Whether or not this will see him slide into the backgi'ound at the team or maintain his cuirent high profile remains to he seen.

It will also be interesting to see whether Forsythe will develop into

the boss of the team, It is interesting to note that BAR’S press releases from its first test featured quotes from the driver. the test team manager and an engine man.

The usually high-profile Craig Pollock was not mentioned...

Forsythe is currently running Greg Moore and Patrick Carpentier in CART and planning to run a third car with different sponsorship next season.

The ban on multiple hveries in FI may play into the hands of Arrows boss Tom Walkinshaw, who has been negotiating in recent weeks to land support from BAT for his team.

We do not expect Tom to sell the team, although there have been rumours suggesting that this might happen.

90col)er19%

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The name’s bond Williams ... Formula 1 bond confirms

By JOE SAWARD

-T'

WATER WHEELER... Jason Bargwanna throws his jetboat around, despite hurting his back in a qualifying accident. Both he and Greg Purphy are well-placed in the World Series after the American leg, with races to come in Australia and New Zealand.

(Photo by Theo Spykers)

Bargs hurts back boat crash TOURING car stars Greg Murphy and Jason Bargwanna are in the running after the first two rounds of the World Series Jetsprint series, held in the US recently.

Murphy holds second spot in the Group A cate gory behind US hot-shot Randy Lane, while in the methanol-burning Superboat category, Bargwanna is fifth despite injuring his baek during a qualifying run in the second round.

The two rounds, in Idaho and Washington states respectively, were

part of a series which will continue in Perth in January and then New Zealand, which “invent ed” the sport.

Murphy’s sixth at Idaho was followed by third at Washington, while Bargwanna was fourth in the opener, then sixth in Washington, where he and his US nav igator wereJbriefly hospi talised after jarring their backs bouncing over a bank during the qualify ing rim.

“It’s just tissue and lig ament damage,” a rueful Bargwanna reported this

week, “and it’s still a bit sore, but with some more massage it’s supposed to come right.

“It was actually feeling much better while I was still in the States, but 23 hours flying home bug gered it again.”

Bargs is also suffering a bout of bronchitis.

Although his injury forced the Valvoline team driver to miss a test run at Calder on his return to Australia last Wednes day, he is confident of being fit for Surfers next week.

- CHRIS LAMBDEN

BERNIE Ecclestone is to borrow US$2 billion (about Aus$3.5bn) from financial institutions, offering bonds in Formula 1 racing.

These bonds will be secured by the future earnings from the sale of TV rights - which are now estimated to bring in around US$300m (about Aus$520m)a year.

The bonds will be sold through a new subsidiary of Ecclestone’s Formula One Holdings Ltd company called Formula One Finance Ltd and will be handled by Morgan Stanley Dean Witter.

The main aim of the bond issue is to liquidate some of the Ecclestone family’s money in the sport, while also increasing knowledge of the sport in financial circles.

This would pave the way for a flotation of FOH in two or three years.

The money raised may also tje used to invest in FOH to develop the business further possibly into Other sports such as football.

Ecclestone’s advanced TV coverage facOities and experi ence are much in demand and it is cheaper for other sports to hire Ecclestone’s services than to invest in their own equip ment.

Ecclestone may be planning to build four or five of his “Bakersvfile” mobile TV facili ties and rent them out to other sports and may also invest in speeding up the development of ‘Virtual advertising” which will allow signs at race tracks to be electronically-altered depending on the country in

which the TV coverage is being shown.

The bond issue follows the cancellation of the original FOH flotation in late-1997 after backers pulled out in the face of an investigation into the company by the European Commission and a dispute between Ecclestone and the FI teams over the Concorde Agreement.

The fight over the Concorde Agreement has now been set tled and Ecclestone and the EU are getting closer to a set tlement.

Ecclestone controls all com mercial rights to FI until the year 2010 and this is what caused the problem with the EU. There has been progress in the talks with the EU in recent weeks although the EU continues its investigation into the operation ofthe FIA. EU Competition Commissioner Karel Van Miert is arguing that the FIA is a monopoly and its rules abuse that position.

The FIA has since agreed to allow some championships to organise their own promotion but has retained the rights to FI, the World Rally Championship, the World GT series and Formula 3000.

The EU is expected to make a statement about its investi gations within the next two months.

Last week Van Miert admit ted that the Commission does not fuUy understand the eco nomics of sport and launched a revie^f ofits pohcies.

Several countries feel that the EU should leave sport alone.

Autoquip, George consolidated although he retained fifll control of George Santana import and distribution costs into the Revolution business until its Over 200 people attended the funeral on Monday for well-known motorsport businessman George Santana, who died last week after a long illness.

George, who was 46, moved to Australia from his native South Africa in 1988 and founded the Revolution Racegear business in 1992.

Using contacts established with his former South African business,

Australia and started a new homegrown RPM brand of racewear which set new levels in quality and affordability for Australian motorsport competitors.

Revolution has grown to a posi tion of dominance in the Australian market since then, with 18 owned or franchised stores in Australia and New Zealand.

In 1996, George was diagnosed with cancer and, despite treatment, his condition deteriorated over time.

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3

DAVE THOMPSON, National Sports Car Champion 1984, built his Hyper Stimulator from one of our kits.

He based his colour scheme on his F2 RT4 Ralt.

He even went as far as anodizing the aluminium parts to match the car colour. Some people just don’t know when to stop.

sale just over a year ago to Dale Rodgers, Through his enthusiastic and successful promotion and product spon sorship of numerous drivers and teams throughout Australian motor sport, George became a familiar and popular figure around race tracks across Australia.

He is survived by wife Colleen and two adult daughters, to whom we offer our most sincere condo lences.

Zanardi and Ralf

AS we have been pre dicting for some time, Williams has finally con firmed that it will be running Alex Zanardi and Ralf Schumacher for the next two years.

Zanardi tried a WiUiams for the first time in Barcelona last week and may do another three-day test later in October.

“WOhams may not have had a great year so far,” said Zanardi, “but they have the technical poten tial to regain their normal position, which is fighting for every race win. I hope to be part ofthat.”

It wfll be Zanardi’s sec ond FI career, having been a Team Lotus driver in 1993 and 1994.

Zanardi is the second driver Wilhams has taken from CART in recent years, following in the footsteps of Jacques Villeneuve.

The arrival of Zanardi is also a big bonus for FI boss Bemie Ecclestone because it not only deprives CART racing of its champion for the last two years but also provides another big name which American fans will recognise when FI retmns to the United States in 2000.

We expect that FI will also try very hard to poach the 1999 champion - who ever that may be.

-JOE SAWARD Oops. A gremlin got into our Sandown Formula Ford results.

The correct finishing order was Justin Cotter, Alex Davison and Steve Owen in Race 1; and Owen, Ashley Seward and Davison in Race 2.

And Greg Ritter drove a Spectrum, not a VD. Apologies to all aggrieved parties.

mvm

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i

Fogarty's title as Corser's hopes shattered

WOrfd of Sport

^ Cuhndat FAI Aystraliao 1000 Classic ♦ Nov 15 ...Mt. Panorama, Bathurst

Ausfrolian NASCAR Series* Nov 1 ....Thunderdome ,. .Rd 2 Dec 5

AdelaideIrt. Rivay. .Rd 3

Six race series held at Bathurst. Calder Park Thurtderdome and Adelaide International Sway.

FedEx Champ Car Series* Oct 18 .. .Gold Coast. ...Rd 18 Nov 1 . . . .Fontana

Rd 19

19 race series held in the United States.

Australia. Brazil and Japan

Pep Bays Indy Racing League Oct 10 ...Las Vegas ....Rd 11 11 race series held inihe United Slates^

Formula 1 World C'ship Oct 11 ...Portugal,. ^

Rd 16

16 race series held around the world -

FBA GT World C'ship Oct'18 ...Homestead ... .Rd 9 s Oct 25 ...Laguna Seca . .Rd 10 10 race series held around the world

Winsfon Cop NASCAR Oct 11 ...Talladega

Rd31

Oct 25 ...Phoenix .

,Rd 32

Nov 1 .. . .Nth Carolina ...Rd 33 Nov 8 .. . .Atlanta

Rd 34

Nov 21 .. .Motegi, Japan

-

33 race series held in the United States

NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series Oct 11 .. .Memphis .... .'Rd 19 Rd 20 Oct 25 . . .Dallas . .

Nov 1 .. . .Houston

Rd21

Nov 15 .. .Pomona

Rd 22

22 race series held in the United States

Ausffraliart Drag Racing Oct 10 .. .Wiliowbank Raceway 5©0cc Molorcyde

Gramd Prix C'ship* Oct 25 . . .Argentina

Rd 16

16 round series held around the world

World Rally Championhip* Oct 12 ...San Remo . . ..Rd 12 Nov 6 . . . .Australia

Rd 13

Nov 21 ...RAC . . .

Rd 14

14 rally series held around the world

All event dates in this calendar were correct at the time of printing. Please consult any individual tracks and/or associations for date changes.

Series or events teleeast on Network Ten are marked with an asterix.

Check your local guides

By DARRYL FLACK WHILE Mick Doohan celebrated his magnifi cent fifth straight world 500cc championship, Troy Corser (Ducati) lay in hospital, counting himself lucky to be alive after having his spleen removed following a crash in Sunday warm up for the final round of the World Superbike Championship at Sugo, Japan on October 4.

Corser had secured pole position for the final two races, and was in the box seat to capture his second world Superbike title from arch-rivals Aaron Slight and Carl Fogarty. He also sustained three broken ribs in the accident and was out of immediate danger fol lowing the successful removal of his spleen.

With Corser out, the bat tle for the championship was a two-way affair between Fogarty (Ducati) and Slight(Castrol Honda).

The Ducati rider clinched a record third WSBK cham pionship title with a third apd fourth, finishing ahead of Slight on both occasions, while Japanese riders con tinued their domination of Sugo with two race wins.

Suzuki factory rider Keichi Kitigawa won the first race, while Team Yamaha star Noriyuki Haga capped off a mixed year with victory in the final race of the year.

“I was overcome with emotion, just couldn’t believe it,” said Fogarty.

“To win the Champion ship once, then again, and then to lose it for a couple of years then come back and win it again is unbe¬

lievable. To a lot of people “Three times I passed him this means a lot and it’s for on the brakes and three them that I’ve done it - times he just threw his bike into the side of mine. I Ducati, my team, my fami ly, and my fans in Britain didn’t expect him to move and around the world. over but when someone is “The bike was perfect but alongside and on the racing 10 laps from the end of the line, it makes sense to con race the rear started chat cede. I caught Hodgson easy tering. I thought that the enough but spent 10 hard tyre might have slipped off laps trying to pass him and the rim so I immediately by the time I had my rear knocked the power off. I tyre was finished. I was was saying my prayers, doing fine until then.” saying ‘please, God, get me Commenting on Corser’s through this one’. ” desperately unfortunate Slight, fourth on the demise, his team manager opening lap on the last race, Virginio Ferrari said, “This was not bad luck, it was fought hard to catch Fogarty but his efforts were destiny. In no way was in vain as the affable New Troy in a condition to get Zealander was forced to set on a bike today. In 25 years tle for second place at the of racing. I’ve seen eyeryend of the 12-round series. thing and I was convinced “There’s no skirting of this when I saw his con around the fact - I just dition after the crash”.

The other Aussie at didn’t have the package this weekend,” Slight said.

Sugo, Peter Goddard (Team “I couldn’t have possibly- Suzuki) scored two-lOths got a .better start in that after qualifying a strong - _ race, I had clear road in ninth. front of me and Carl in Final points; Fogarty 351, Slight 347, Corser 328, Chili 289, sight but just couldn’t get Edwards 279.5, Haga 210, what I needed from the Yanagawa 210, Whitham 173, OH NO... It was bad enough that Corser couldn’t win the title but If someone had to win it, why not Slighty? machine.

Goddard 155, Russell 130.5.

“The championship aside, that was simply not a good race for me.. Right now, I feel drained, it’s been another hard season and I could sleep for a month. I gave it everything I had today but lacked that little bit more traction I MAT Mladin scored Ms only win of the ing positive to marijuana in July. The needed. About 10 laps into year at the final round of the AMA Ducati rider retired to the pits after the race I knew the cham Superbike Championship at Las Vegas chasing Mladin for most of the race. pionship was over for me.” on October 4.

Honda Superbike rookie Ben Earlier in the opening leg After finishing third in the points’ Bostrom clinched the AMA title after in which he finished sev standings, Mladin has extended his defending champ Doug Chandler enth, Slight claimed that contract with the Yoshimura USA (Muzzy Kawasaki) dropped back to he was victim to over-zeal 13th place with an ailing engine.

Suzuki Superbike team until 2001. ous riding from Fogarty’s The young American has already Anthony Gobert made a disappoint countryman and friend, been signed by Vance&Hines for 1999. ing return to the US championsMps fol departing Team Kawasaki lowing a two-race suspension for test-DABEYL FLACK rider Neil Hodgson.

I

n my last column I mentioned that Didier Auriol was coming to Australia to help launch the new model Corolla to the local market and that he would be driving my rally car in demonstration runs for the motoring press.

I ended the column by saying : “I hope he drives it as if it were mine”. Well, he drove it like it was his. He rolled it!

Didier was very distressed about rolling and upset about dam aging the car, because he knows what a tight budget we’re on.

Having said that though, there is a very different approach to rallying between Toyota Team Europe and Neal Bates Motorsport.

To us, a damaged car is a major drama. For them, it is a nor mal part of daily life. If they roll a car, they just go back and get another one. In Australia, unless things change significantly - it will never be like that. If you go crash ing cars you end up without a drive very quickly, nitially we thought it was just panel damage and all would be fine, however, after we stripped the car down we realised there was structural damage, including the right-hand front strut tower and

Mladin makes it a great weekend for Suzuki

a bent roll cage. This has serious repercussions for us and our entry into Rally Australia.

The car was new, built just before the Rally of Melbourne and I had been really happy with the new shell. It definitely felt better than the old one. Our old shell had since been re-built as a display car

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To us, a damaged car is a major drama.

For them, it is a normalpart ofdaily life. to be used by Toyota Australia, but it looks as if our only option now is to take back the show-car and rebuild the old shell into a rally car again for Rally Australia.

To go for a ride with Didier was really interesting. He is very smooth and very quick, but I did think while with him that throwing it into soft corners that quickly could roll the car, although I never really thought it would happen. Again it’s the difference in attitude - the very fact that it’s something I actually thought about and something that never crossed his mind. He is paid sufficiently and has the backup not to have to worry about the conse quences. That’s why he’s bloody good!

Obviously ourWe team is very dis appointed. were planning to spend the next couple of weeks refurbishing and setting up our new workshop and enjoying a leisurely preparation for Perth.

That will now be put on hold while we build a new car instead. Once again we have a hectic couple of weeks coming up.

Apart from the drama with the car, we actually had a great couple of days in the company of Didier and TTE Team Manager George Donaldson. A night at our local gokart track saw some pretty deter mined driving and intense competi tion. You would have been forgiv en for thinking we were competing at a world championship round.

It was much the same on ‘set up’ day on the launch. The motor ing journalists were to take the new Corolla through it’s paces on a skills-evaluation test. Basically a motorkhana on the skid pan. Of course Didier, George and myself ail thought we should give it a test run. Timed of course. And we were serious enough to have the print out stop watch to the 100th of a second. Independent witnesses were required each run and George dismissed Coral as a biased witness on one of my fast runs while he’d ducked off to another activity.

After the launch concluded I mentioned I was heading over to the motorbike shop to test drive a new Yamaha WR400- and they wanted to come too. Darryl and George took the bike for a ride as well and then I offered it to Didier.

He said “No, no, no".

I said "It’s OK - it’s not mine!”

Maybe at Rally Australia, we will just take a spare set of name stickers and walk over and put them on his car?

Cheers

_ ^

ff

Todt marvels at Mika's win MIKA Hakkinen celebrated his 30th birthday at home in Monte Carlo the day after the Luxembourg Grand Prix knowing that his victoi’y had removed all doubts about his merit as a world champion-elect.

His stunning triumph ahead of Michael Schumacher's Ferrari moved him within sight of winning his first world championship in Japan on November 1.

If his performance on the track as he steered his McLaren towai'ds a well-merit ed and accomplished victory were not enough, final proof came in the aftei-math of his triumph as Schumacher sat stony-faced alongside him and the 'red anny' of FeiTari fans marched disconsolately home in the rain which arrived too late to salvage his hopes.

Schumacher knew that his hopes of a third world title might have gone together with his once-awesome aura of invincibility on the track.

The German had started from pole and, along with his team's technical director Ross Brawn, is regai-ded as the best race tactician in the business.

In most races, this would have been enough to bring Schumacher victory.

But this time, when it came to the two pit stops which each driver made, it was Hakldnen

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READY TO FIGHT ... Mika Hakkinen gets the gloves off in a sparring match with team mate David Coulthard. But in Japan he must deal with the tougher Michael Schumacher... and McLaren who were faster and in command.

Ferrari's sporting director Jean Todt afterwards described it as the finest race and best victory of Hakldnen's career.

Hakldnen's win opened up a four-point lead over Schumacher with only the Japanese GP to come, a situa tion which leaves Schumacher needing to win and hope some one else - possibly Ferrari team mate Eddie Irme - can beat Hakkinen to second place.

"I am not a man to use too many superlatives," Todt said,

"but there is nothing to say but this was a superb race by Hakkinen, one of the best of his career - probably his best race ever.

"He surprised me and the team. We were all surprised by the speed of the McLaren team.

"But at the end of the day the difference between us was just a couple of seconds, which is nothing much after a race.

"That shows how close we are and how close it is going to' be in Japan. It will be a veiy tight arid tough finish.

Mathematically it is still wide

"We were happy given what we knew about our fuel loads," said Dennis, whose team were also boosted by the perfor mance of their Bridgestone tyres in the cooler conditions in the race.

In the warmer weather on Friday and Saturday, the Goodyear tyres used by Ferrari performed more competitively.

McLaren chief engineer Steve Hallam said: "That was a really fabulous race. Mika drove better than I can ever remember and our tyres came into their own just when we needed them."

The momentum which had appeared to swing in Ferrari's favour at Monza, where they scored a resounding one-two, now seems to have gone the other way and they face a mas sive task in Suzuka in overcom ing Bridgestone's local knowl edge and home advantage.

The Japanese tire suppliers have used the Suzuka track for years as a test and develop ment circuit and this, plus its lay-out, will persuade most observers to see McLaren as favourites. however Hakkinen, remains cautious.

"I always knew I had the ability to win a race like this but that does not mean I am

open. And we have five weeks testing ahead of us to work on getting everything right."

While Schumacher shrugged his shoulders and admitted he was confused by his loss of competitiveness, rival McLai-en team chief Ron Dennis agreed with sugges tions that he had effectively hoodwinked Ferrari by run ning with more fuel than usual on Friday and Saturday when they appeared to be on top.'

Asked about the difference in performance between his -going to be the champion," he team's efforts in practice and said. "Anything can happen in Suzuka. those in the race, he smiled.

Testing grind continues for Ferrari THE incredible - some might say insane - Formula 1 testing sched ule continued last week with

major tests going on around Europe.

The FI testing this year has been more intensive than ever before with the result that Ferrari, for example,has done over 30,000 kilo metres of testing this season.

Given that there is a ban on test ing in the week before a race, that

works out at around 1600km a week.

Michael Schxnnacher gave him self and Ferrari a psychological boost by setting the fastest times during three days of testing at Barcelona.

The German was trying a series of set-ups and tyres in preparation for the Japanese Grand Prix (on November 1) at which he hopes to be able to snatch the World

Championship from Mika intention of testing for six days at Hakkinen.

Fiorano before moving on for With Eddie Irvine out of action more tests at Mugello in midbecause of illness, the second October.

Ferrari was handled by the team’s 'McLaren split its efforts with test driver,Luca Badoer. tests going on at both Barcelona Schumacher had several inci and Magny-Cours.

The French test saw Mika dents in the com^e of his 260 laps, which culminated in a best lap of Hakkinen working on a flooded lm21.93s. track, trying to develop The team then packed up and Bridgestone’s wet tyres as it is headed back to base with the quite likely to be wet at Suzuka.

/I n Four British tobacco companies are planning to take the European Union to court if the planned tobacco sponsorship ban goes ahead. BAT,Gallaher, Imperial and Rothmans argue that legislation about tobacco advertising is a public health matter and must be decided on a nation-by-nation basis and not by the European Commission. n A racing helmet that belonged to Brazilian grand prix legend Ayrton Senna has been sold for $50,000 at a London auc tion. The helmet was from the collection of Roland Bruynseraede,the official Grand Prix starter between 1987 and 1995.

Mike Hawthorn’s British Racing Drivers Club Gold Star, presented to Hawthorn after he won the World Championship in 1958,fetched around $40,000 and a pan- of Graham Hill’s overalls from 1968 sold for $10,000. n We hear that there is still a possibility ofa Chinese Grand Prix in 1999 but that the Chinese government will need to agree to allow tobacco sponsorship if the event is to go ahead. n Among the many guests at the Luxembourg GP was the Em'opean Commissioner for Comp etition Karel Van Miert.

The Belgian is in conflict with FI boss Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA over what he sees as restrictive practices in the sport. n Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa, who is rumoured to have $10m available from the Spanish oil company Repsol,is talking with Tom WaUdnshaw in the hope that he will be able to join Mika Salo at Arrows next year. Repsol is cur rently with Jordan.

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12 n The new Formula 1 Commission last week dis cussed attempts to cut back on testing. This was defeat ed because team owners do not want testing to fall under further FIA control as they want to be free to test where and when they choose. n Last week Sauber Petronas Engineering unveiled its prototype road car engine which it hopes to produce commercially in 2001. The engine was shown to Malaysian jour nalists in Switzerland as part of the program to help the Sauber team explain how Petronas’s involvement in FI is helping fmanciallyunstable Malaysia. The management of Petronas wants to continue as a Sauber sponsor but there is pressure in Malaysia to stop and concentrate on more important projects. n Honda chairman Hiroyuki Yoshino said at the Paris Salon that the company is moving the focus of its product range towards high-performance and sporting vehicles rather than big luxury cars, which fits perfectly with the company’s yet-to-beannounced plans to run its own FI team. n David Brown, the boss of the West Competition Foi-mula 3000 team - a McLaren offshoot-is rumoured to be on the shopping list of several FI

teams for next year, includ ing Prost and his old team, Williams. Brown is one of Grand Prix racing’s most successful race engineers, having worked at Williams with Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Damon Hill. n Although it is yet to be officially announced, we understand that the German tobacco company Reemtsma bas agreed to extend its sponsorship of McLaren with its West cig arette brand to the end of 2004. n John Judd of Engine Developments in England is understood to be working on a new FI engine and we are told that this is produc ing some interesting horse power figures. n Rupert Murdoch's son Lachlan was a low-profile visitor at the recent Italian GP at Monza. There have been suggestions in recent months that Ecclestone may sell Formula 1 Holdings to Murdoch if he cannot float the company. n Former Grand Prix dri ver Sandro Nannini is to retire from motor racing.

Nannini’s FI career was cut short by a helicopter acci dent in October 1990 in which his lower right arm was severed. Surgeons reat tached the ai-m and Sandro became a very successful touring car driver with Alfa Romeo and Mercedes-Benz.

-JOESAWARD

The best part is the 6 month/20,000 km warranty on all parts.

Renault rumblings

RENAULT chairman Louis Schweitzer told a French radio station last week that the company would like to return to

Formula 1 at some point in the future, but added that any racing come back is still some years away and would be dependent on Renault having a highly-competitive engine package.

“We have a team of engineers,” he said, “and a new generation of engineers who are researching for the engine which will once again give Renault an

advantage over the opposition. The decision will depend on the tech nology.”

The implication is that Renault Sport is devel oping a revolutionary new VIO engine - as has been rumoured for some time - and that this may eventually be supplied to Supertec to see if it can compete with the best engines in FI. If this proves to be the case, Renault would come back in an official capacity, probably in 2001 or 2002. BAR has long been telling people

Olivier Gendebien Olivier Gendebien died last Friday at the age of 74 at his home in Baux de Provence.

The Belgian began driving in 1954 and his first major success was the Liege-RomeLiege race in 1955. That same year, driving a privately-entered Mercedes 300SL on the Mille Miglia, he caught the attention of Enzo Ferrari and was asked to drive for the Ferrari sportscar team.

Despite his lack of experience in open wheeler racing, Ferrari sent him off to Argentina to make his Grand Prix debut in January 1956 and he finished fifth (and last).

Ferrari then decided that he should con centrate on sportscar racing and that year he scored a number of good placings.

Between 1956 and 1962 he won a remark able series of sportscar races including four Le Mans 24 Hours (1958-60-61-62), three

that it has a Renault fac tory engine deal in the long-term.

Renault’s chief rival in the French market Peugeot - seems to be well-aware of Renault’s long-term FI ambitions and has recently taken steps to ensure that it does not lose Alain Prost to Renault.

Peugeot says that it is building a completely new VIO engine for 2000, so the company appears more than likely to stay in FI beyond the end of the current Prost deal.

- JOE SAWARD

Sebring 12 Hours (1959-60-61), three Tai-ga Florios (1958-61-62) and three Tours de France (1957-58-59).

His Grand Prix outings with Ferrari were largely a reward for his sportscar successes and he raced twice in 1956, three times in 1958 and twice in 1959. He finished in the top six in four ofthe seven races.

His FI career was more successful in 1960 when he drove a Cooper for the Yeoman Credit Racing Team, finishing sec ond at the French GP and third in Belgium.

That year he placed sixth in the World Championship.

Glendebien went on racing until 1965 and then retired. After his wife died he moved to the United States, where he became involved in the cattle business.

Earlier this year he was awarded the Order of the Crown by Belgium’s King Albert H for his services to Belgian motor -JOESAWARD racing.

Warwick still not the retiring type DEREK Warwick was involved in a confusing sit uation at Bathurst when the media jumped on a rumour that he was announcing his retirement from driving at Bathurst.

The former Formula 1 dri on ver was quoted Wednesday as saying that the 1998 AMP Bathurst 1000 was “extremely important for me, not only because it is the most important touring car race in the world and I want to go out on a winning note”.

This was interpreted that ‘Del’ was hanging up his hel met for good. Not necessarily so, according to the Triple 8 team co-owner.

“Earlier in the season, it was obvious that Vauxhall and Triple 8 were looking for a new driver,” he said.

“We were pleased to get Yvan Muller from Audi and he will lead our team.

“People thought I was talk ing about retiring and that’s not the case. I’m looking at my options for next year, either in touring cars of GTs and Le Mans and so on but, until I sort through all those things, I won’t know what I'm doing.

“If something comes through that I want to do. I’ll do it; otherwise I could quiet ly retire.”

- PHIL BRANAGAN

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9October m

13

Chancellor Schumi, 1 tint Perimeter and the FI calendar

very so often the world goes mad and there is a year of revolution, upheaval and other such silly things. This year is one of those years.

We have seen the roller-coast er rides on the Stock Exchange, the adventures of President Bill Clinton and Monica Whatsername, the implosion of Russia and, most absurd of all, the French victory in the World Cup. I always thought that the Germans were a fairly sensible, disciplined and ordered nation.

The trains always run on time and German people are generally socially responsible.

The other morning, however, I realised that the German nation is just as barmy as all the rest of us.

This was proved when the radio alarm clicked on in the little guest house where we stay near the Nurburgring and after a rousing chorus of The Bangles singing “Manic Monday” - it was a Friday - the lead item on the news was about “Schumi und Co”.

It was two days before the German General Election.

With race day due toor take place on the election perhaps one should say that the election was to take place on race day -the German tV people seemed to be rather confused about which was more impollant. They talked about a 10-hour non-stop programme switching between election news and the events at the Nurburgring.

There was, of course, a danger that the TV luwies would get con fused and we would end up with Chancellor Schumi and cuddly old Helmut Kohl colliding with someone in his Ferrari.

By Sunday morning, I am happy to report, the general election had become the main item on the news, despite the qualifying efforts of The Great Schumi - who seems to become more and more of a magi cian with each passing race. .“How is he going to finish 1 -2 by himself this afternoon?” we mused on the early morning drive to the circuit.

There was much debate when we arrived at the circuit as to whether the Chancellor was going to be at the race. A Schumacher victory in the afternoon would be a useful symbol for success for Kohl with the polls open until a couple hours after the race. There might also be The Schumi Factor with Schumacher fans rushing off to vote for Kohl because Michael said he wants Kohl to win the election.

When you go to the Nurburgring thes^ days you are amazed that l everyone in Germany is actually given a vote. In fact. If the truth be told, you find yourself wondering why anyone ever doubted Charles Darwin when he suggested that man is linked with the monkey.

Now before you start reaching for your acid-free recycled nofepaper to write in to complain that I’m being nasty to Germans, let me assure you that I have no such problems and Indeed I spent half

Mosley anticipated. Sure, there have been races in South America, Japan and Australia, but Africa, mainland Asia, America and the Middle East have been largely ignored.

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the weekend wandering around the paddock looking for former FI dri ver Christian Danner in order to give him a book about the mies of cricket.

Now a TV commentator and CART team owner, “Christmas Dinner” has been trying to figure out cricket for about 10 years.

I remember trying to explain that the word “wicket” has three differ ent meanings. It Is a strip of grass on which the game is played; five bits of wood and at the same time something that is lost when the five bits of wood are knocked over.

Christ ian (( became rather confused and went back to a life of an English country squire living south of Munich.

stains on the pavement.

This year the hotel decided that they did not much like their guests being treated like goldfish and so the Dorint Perimeter was created, a cordon of steel fences being established and five or six goons patrolling within the fence to ensure that all drooling was done at a dis tance.

A couple of years ago we gave up trying to eat in the many charm ing little restaurants in the villages around the track. Sitting in them surrounded by the Schumi fans

Often he has made me look silly, but once or twice I have caused him to take a sharp intake of breath or babble incoherently while trying to think up an answer to a nasty question. It has been a fun game.

The favourite subject for trying to knock Max off his guard has been the Formula \calendar because years ago when he was elected President of the FIA part of his elec tion platform was to promise to make the World Championship a truly global series and reduce the sport's dependence on Europe.

This was a brilliant piece of electioneering on his part because sud denly obscure motor clubs in Tunisia and such places to yy began dream of host ing Grands Prix. Mosley picked up the votes.

'With each passing year the cal endar has remained solidly and bor ingly the same, with the European races dominating as they always have done. For a while Max was embarrassed when the subject came up, but now he simply says that one must ask Bernie Ecclestone because it is Mr E who arranges the calendar.

Many people in FI prefer to visit the same old places. One gets to know the hotels, the restaurants and the roads. You know you can go out and not risk ending up eating doggie and two veg produced by a kitchen with all the health safe guards of the river in Sao Paulo...

Sticking with European races is easy, but it is also dull and the World Championship has still not really become the global series that

When you go to the Nurburgring these days you are amazed that everyone in Germany is actually given a vote.

But, being a ________ ■tenacious soul, he has now returned and is once again staring cricket in the face.

The thing about the days fans is at that the Nurburgring these most of them do not play cricket.

Just as Nigel Mansell once attract ed Britain’s football hooligan ele ments to Silverstope, so Schumi has awakened baser instincts in the darkest recesses of German soci ety. And it is not just the British who have noticed.

The Dorint Hotel at the Nurburgring is where the drivers and team bosses stay. It is oppo site the pits. You can walk into the paddock. The only drawback is that the hotel has been a little noisy as the fans in recent years have tend ed to gather outside and peer through the windows, leaving drool marks on the glass and nasty

was such an unpleasant experi ence that we began dining at the Dorint, access to the place being restricted to those with the FI hard cards.

The other big advantage of this is that you tend to bump into impor tant FI people. The bar at the Dorint is inhabited by the likes of Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone.

When it comes to politics, of course, there is no-one in FI with the talent of Max Mosley when it comes to snaking out of difficult sit uations. He would give slippery Willy Clinton a run for his money.

For years one ofMax my at hobbies has been baiting his occa sional press conferences, trying to ruffle his feathers and throw him from his smooth flow of rhetoric.

Although there have beenthere no offiis cial announcements, now little doubt that in the year 2000 and 2001 we will finally get some new races in Asia, Africa and the United States and I believe that these will offer the sport a great opportunity to open up new possibil ities with both audiences and poten tial sponsors.

Races outside Europe will have various effects: they will broaden the sport’s horizons still further and may help to convince more multina tional companies to support FI; they will create interest and thus increase the all-important TV view ing figures.

These are the obvious benefits, but there are other more subtle things which could be just as impor tant for the sport. New races may help to stimulate youngsters in those countries to want to become FI stars.

The best way for interest to grow in the sport in any country is for that nation to have a successful racing driver. If it had not been for Keke Rosberg we would not now be watching Mika Hakkinen and with out the inspiration of Emerson Fittipaldi there would not have been an entire generation of Brazilian stars.

You cannot create champions, of course, but you can get enough people interested that one of them may have the necessary talent.

The Japanese have produced a lot of FI drivers now but none of them have been World Champion material. Italy has been producing drivers year in, year out but there has not been an Italian World Champion since the 1950s.

Just the FI calendarso is Ibased too as heavily in Europe, think the drivers are too European, it would be much better for the sport if we had Czechs and Malays and Indians rather than a bunch of Europeans and a few extras thrown in.

In the end FI team bosses care little for nationalities - unless a sponsor demands a driver from a certain country. Ail they want is to find the fastest man available and finding the elusive new stars is much on the minds of the FI team managers these days.

Since the death of Ayrton Senna and the retirements of the icons of the 1980s like Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell, Grand Prix racing has only had one real star, Michael Schumacher. Others may do well in the right car, but Schumacher is really exceptional and the hunt is on to find the man who will challenge Michael, just as once he challenged Senna and before that Senna challenged Prost.

The man is out there some where ... ■

14 Briefly Historic When Sir Jack Brabham received the list of 20 motor rac ing ‘legends’ who have signed to appear at the Winton Motorfest, he said “I’ll just have to be there.” Originally he was plan ning to attend on the Sunday only, but will now be taking part in the Saturday progi'am includ ing laps of the circuit with the other ‘legends’, an autogi’aph ses sion, and in the Parade of the Legends at the ‘Jazz & Shiraz’ dinner on Saturday night. Sir Jack will be driving one of his old cars - the immaculate 1960 Cooper Climax which is cam paigned these days by Ray Gibbs. n And the news gets better!

Nigel Tait from ACL Products in Melbourne has confimed that Sir Jack’s famous Repco Brabham will be prepared in time for the triple world champi on to drive some exhibition laps at Winton on November 7-8.

The Repco Brabham hasn’t nm for the past eighteen months and requires some maintenance to fix a minor oil leak, but all will be in readiness for the Motorfest to enable Sir Jack to do some laps on his own.

To see and hear this great car piloted by Australia’s most famous racing driver will be a special treat! n Porsche has kindly offered at least one of the nine gems coming from the museum in Stuttgart as-, part of the company’s 50th year celebrations. Just which car(or cars)is yet to be decided -fingers crossed, it will include a former Le Mans,winner. \ n Winners of the Historic classes at the 1998 Australian Hillclimb Championships at Collingrove On September 19-20 were: » Group K - up to ISOOcc: J. Payne (MG J2 Special) 38.60secs. ° Group K - over ISOOcc: K. Shearer(Ford A Special) 39.98secs. ^ Group L - up to ISOOcc: B. Schapel(MG TC Special) 38.23secs. ° Group L - over ISOOcc: I. Gear (Tiiden)41.46secs. » Group M - up to 1500cc: G. Rainsford (Lotus Super 7) 37.26secs. “ Group M - over 1500cc: N. Hurd (Elfin Zephyr)36.29secs. ° Group N - up to ISOOcc: I Lapins (Moms Cooper S)39.29secs. l Group 0 - over ISOOcc: A. Morris (JWF Milano s/c) 39.40secs. l Group Q - up to 1500cc: L. Bates (Lobito F3)35.00secs. l Group S - over ISOOcc: P Dixon (Porsche 911 2.4S) 36.89secs.

Coming Events: » Oct 11 - 18th Annual Mt Tarrengower Vintage & Historic Hillclimb “ Oct 11- Australasian & Pacific Motoring Show,Flemington Racecourse l Octobey 23-25 - Sandown Historic Meeting = Nov 7-8 - Australian Historic Motorfest, Winton ° Nov 11-15 - Australia’s 50 Year Porsche Festival l Nov 19-22- Classic Adelaide » Nov 15 - VHRR Moi-well Hilllclimb 'Nov21-22-GeelongSpeed'frials l Nov 21-22- 5th Annual AllHistoric Meeting, Wakefield Park l Nov 28-29 - Historic & Classic Rob Roy. -BRIAN REED

BY the look of those around me at the revived Goodwood motor racing ch’cuit it could have been the Members at the MCG or Lords. Tweed jackets with ties or cravat were the order of the day for the men, period dresses and hats for the ladies.

This was the first race meeting at the famous Goodwood circuit since 1966 and not to be confused with the ‘Goodwood Festival of Speed’ which Lord March also hosts annually in the grounds of his estate.

No effort has been spared to repro duce the.authentic environment and atmosphere ofthe track that was ini tially established in 1948 by the grandfather of the current Lord March. This was the site of an RAF base during WWII. Australian Spitfire pilot Tony Gaze is credited with suggesting that the perimeter of this airfield be turned into Britain’s first post-war racing circuit.

To ensure that this history was not forgotten two Spitfires and a Messerschmidt engaged in a mock dog fight over the airfield.

Drivers old and new could not keep away. Surtees, Moss, Bell, Salvador!, Brookes, Piper, T3rrrell, Gethin, Redman, Stewart, Attwood, Brundle, Oliver, Fitzpatrick, Bondurant, Johansson, Win Percy, Danny Sullivan, Damon Hill and Barry Sheene were all there.

Australia had champions Gardner and Brabham plus owner competi tors’ Paul Samuels in his Lotus 15 and John Dawson-Damer in his Lotus 25. Celebrities Nick Mason,(of Pink Floyd), Mark Knopfler and Rowan Atkinson were also driving.

The array of cars was mouth watering. Nothing later than ’66 was allowed to race but a true represen tation ofthe period was present from 500cc F3 cars, therichingly beautiful Ferrari GTOs, little Lotus and Lola FI’s through to Minis, Lotus Cortina, Jag Mk IIs and the thimdering Ford Galaxie that enjoyed so much suc cess here. The races were long, between 10 and 21 laps, with no con cession made for any vehicles’ value.

There was some very close racing.

In the Lavant cup for World Championship Sportscars, Brundle, Moss, Willie Green and Win Percy had a furious and at times frighten ing dice. Brundle had been throwing the yellow D type all over the track.

Moss was driving the Aston DBRl as if he had shed 40 years giving Green’s Fen-aii TR57 and Percy’s D type very little racing room. All this was over 6th to 9th place. In the end Moss prevailed as the D types cried enough and Green decided that he would deliver the Ferrari back to its owner in one piece.

Other events saw Hill and Sheene race on Manx Norton. Sheene was a super-competitive second. Hill worked his way up to mid field from a back of the gidd start. Eddie Jordon is a'trusting man!

Glorious Goodwood The Historic Goodwood circuit in Engiand returned to the motor racing firmament with its first meeting iast month. PETER HILL made the hard yards to report on a mouth-watering weekend. >

-Z.

SMILING SCOT...

Jackie Stewart(above) took a week off to drive a 1964BRMP261.

His old team ‘guv'nor’, Ken Tyrrell, drove a 1955 Cooper Mk.9 Norton (right).

Also Norton-mounted was Barry Sheene (below, right) who raced Damon Hill on a 1962 Manx.

Frank Gardner(bottom) drove a 1963 AC Cobra 289LM Coupe.

Trevor Taylor(bottom) was in John DawsonDamer's 1963 Lotus 25 Climax while John Surtees and Danny Sullivan (below) raced Ferrari250 GTOs. (Photos Nigel Snowdon/Diana Burnett)

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MOVE OVER: Matt Neal throws the Nissan Primera down the inside of Rickard Rydell’s Volvo in their thrilling duel for the lead.

(Photo by Marshall Cass)

JUST 2SECONDS

Two seconds is not very far over a seven-hour race. But, at the end of the 1998 Bathurst 1000, \' that’s what winning and losing came down to.

As father and son Jim and Steven Richards watched from the pits, a challenging Matt Neal lost two seconds in traffic on the second-last lap of the race, allowing new British Touring Car Champion Rickard Rydell to consolidate his advantage and take the win - by two seconds.

Elsewhere there were incidents (a potentially disastrous pit fire), accidents (one of which accounted for Russell Ingall, Paul Morris and Tim Harvey) and allegations (the winners had to endure a post-race protest, which was eventuaHy dismissed).

But with Richards Sr’s sixth win and Volvo’s first, there was much to celebrate on Sunday night.

Read on for our full coverage of the AMP Bathurst 1000...

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Murf brings Ball i

Hot weather, slower tyres and a careful approach took the edge offthe fightfor pole position at Bathurst- until Greg Murphy lit up the track in thefinal minutes ofqualifying. PHIL BRANAGAN reports:

I

t took three days to do it but qualifying for the 1998 AMP Bathurst 1000 kicked into life in the final minutes ofthe final ses sion, Greg Murphy snatching “provi sional” pole from right under the nose of Volvo’s British Touring Car Champion,Rickard Rydell.

Murphy bumped Volvo’s leading light off-fastest time by 0.11s with barely three minutes left in the Friday afternoon timed session after the leading teams took a ‘Softly, soft ly approach to qualifying.

Rydell qualified second ahead of Nissan’s Steven Richards, while 'Tim Harvey provided some comfort for the TWRA^olvo team with fourth.

The Audis of Brad Jones/Cameron McConville and Paul Morris/Paul But everyone was wrong. From Radisich were fifth and seventh, split by the second Vectra of Derek then on, TVTl went resolutely race Warwick/John Cleland. testing. Jim Richai'ds was given a lot With three teams - Audi, Vecti'a of the long I'uns, missing a chance for and Volvo -running two cars and the a quick ran on Thursday when the Nissan, McLean BMW and Rock-it - team mis-timed a late pitstop. But Honda having clean runs, the real the car was ranning perfectly.

The Harvey/NOsson car was equal battle was for the 10th spot and it was Peter Hills who made it into imn- ly impressive. Their biggest problem offin his Mondeo. was losing 20 minutes on Thm-sday So Mui-phy and Holden went into . with what turned out to be (after the top 10 run-off with plenty of hope replacing eveiy part in the system) a and expectation, no-one suspecting faulty fuse in the fuel pump. Despite what Rydell and TWR would do on having to get used to the 1998 car (his S40 not having a ‘power shifteri, Satm-day morning.

Svhich allows flat-upchanging) Nilsson was veiy impressive; it was Entry and Qualifying only at the last minute that Harvey was slotted into the car for the final hot. Not so much for the action Things Mount Panorama were fling. on theatcircuit, but the unseaIt was the Holden which was hav sonal temperature.

From Wednesday morning until ing the problems. Ingall doubleFriday it was very, very warm. downshifted when his gear indicator Typical ambient temperatures were packed up on Wednesday morning, costing the team an engine. They 27-30 degi-ees and track tempera tures hit a high of 42 on Friday were also struggling for set-up, the twitchy car christened ‘The Black Pig’ mommg.

That’s the sort of weather that by the drivers. But some Friday takes the edge off engines and tyi-es, morning damper changes from IngaU and tests drivers. It meant that the transformed the car’s stability and it 1997 display by the Europeans, was a much more confident Murphy who went into the vital final session. slaughtering the lap record session after session, wasjust a memoiy.

But it didn’t start like that. In Wednesday morning’s unofficial ses sion Rydell wasted no time in setting the pace, peeling off a 2ml7.11s lap with little apparent effort. That was quicker than the equivalent time from Alain Menu in 1997. Here we go again,everyone thought.

A'fter a series of red-flags there

JTl' __ .was about 15 minutes left in

qualifying and out they went Harvey, Rydell and Murphy - to chase a time. It clouded over at the bottom of the track, lowering the temperature five or so degrees and they all stood on it.

INVADERS... VoMheaded a stronger foreign attack on the great race. This is firh Harvey in the S40 he shared with Jan Nilsson. (Photo by Marshall Cassi

i

FAST MOVER...

Greg Murphy is welcomed back to the pits by his happy crew, including do-driver Russell Ingall.

(Photo by Dirk Klynsmith) 4T'

ON TRACK... The ‘Holden’ Vectra hustles across “Brock's Skyline” towards the fastest time in qualifying.

(Photo by Marshall Cass)

The man with the best view of the ‘race’ was Robb Gravett, who started his own quick.lap just behind Haney and allowed Rydell to blaze past over the Mountain.

But Murphy, also,flying, was in THE perfect spot, far enough back not to get held up but close enough to grab a perfect tow from the Accord on Conrod.

The results weren’t long coming; Harvey, 2ml7.59Si third. Rydell, 2ml6.51s, pole. It lasted all of three seconds; Murphy; 2ml6.40s, sorry Rickard,sony Tim. Rydell later said he wasn’t raffled about not being fastest; he even claimed he wasn’t even on Michelin’s softer and faster K tyres, but on stur dy race Js. But the body language of the team at the time blew that theoiy. They EXPECTED to be on pole.

One of the British visitors put Murphy’s efforts in perspective; “You don’t realise what Murphy’s just done. To go that fast, on those t^es, in a VECTRA isjust unbelievable...”

H Volvo was going to bow to any one in qualifying, they expected it to be the Team Dynamics Nissan. The car had a smooth run; Richards and Neal were very close in times and the only problem to their build-up was losing half a session when fuel pres sure dropped on Friday morning.

But, by then, Neal had qualified fastest and, even in the final fling, Richo was only 0.51s behind Mm'phy’s provisional pole and confident of a good showing in Saturday’s

Top Ten Shootout.

Jones was fifth, probably where the team was expecting him to be.

But the car was a little slower than they anticipated after nmning high 17s during the Press Day some time ago. Jones managed a 2ml8.36s lap in his car while Morris did an 18.90s, both times set in the Friday am .ses sion and the team skipped the after noon battle in favour ofrace runs.

Radisich and Jones hauled over for being 7kmh over the 60 kay maxi mum.

The drivers reported the “a little twitchy, but wecars canwere live McLean was having a solid run. with that” (Jones). In the ‘P’ car He concentrated on the fast runs Morris banged an engine on while Scott tuned himself in, the Thursday with a backwards shift team’s only problem an oil leak (and (reportedly revving it to 12,500 rpm) drop in. pressure) on Thursday after while Radisich’s biggest concern was noon in an engine which was due to that he \i?qsn’t used to the A4’s come out anyway. impressive braking and was re-learnOn Friday morning Cameron headed the times for much of the sesing his personal markers.

The other notable event was pitContinued Page 18 lane speed limit violations, both

Foreign invasion better prepared

THEY learned. Oh, how they learned.

A year after returning to Europe with their tails between their legs the BTCC contingent was much better prepared to win the Bathurst 1000- rather than just tear up the track in qualifying and the race - this time around.

Twelve months ago Renault, Peugeot and Vauxhall came to Australia with their cars untest ed in distance trim; in fact, two of the teams even suggested that their strength over the locals was that the British cars had NOT changed their cars for the long-distance classic.

This time the tone of the sessions was much different.

The teams stuck resolutely to their race set-ups and any chase of grid spots would have to wait until Friday.

GM Dealersport BTCC chief Mike Nicholson returned to Mount Panorama a wiser man with a better plan than he had in 1997.

“We learned a great deal last year,” he admitted.

“We haven’t changed the cars that much from the BTCC spec, apart from little things like different lubricant in the driveshafts. But the set-up is nothing special.

“A year has made us better prepared. We now have a onelap shoot-out in the BTCC,so we’re ready for that now. We’ve had pitstops in the BTCC,so I hope we’re a lot slicker at that this year and we’re used to the pressure. We screwed up last year in the pits by having guests and people hanging around; that won’t happen again.

“The Vectra is a great race car, but not so strong in quali fying. That’s one of the reasons we wanted (1999 driver Yvan) Muller for next season; he’s one of the best at that and he might be our team leader.”

A few minutes later Greg Murphy planted his Vectra on provisional pole position...

ALIFYl NG

lurst alive

9October 1998

n Timing IS everything. Greg Murphy’s dad Kevin was literally driving in the circuit gate when he heard about his son’s provisional pole time in Friday’s ses- '' Sion. n It’s nice to know that Motorsport News has the best shooters in the business. Lead lens jockey Dirk Klynsmith cleaned up in the Professional ranks ofthe Bathurst City Council photographic competition for photos from the 1997 race, taking the honours with first in the Human Interest categoiy and Best Race Photo as well. n Mark Adderton’s engine problems in qualifying were solved, but at one stage the Nigel Barclay-led crew seemed to be looking for help from above. The team was considering flying the engine to NSWs north coast in a handy helicopter and airing it back to the track, but the arrival of an ex-Graham Dodd cylinder head from NZ to fit to the team’s spare cylinder block solved the matter. n The two works Vectras were signwritten on their rears with ‘The Young Ones’ on the Murphy/Ingall car and “The Oxygen 'Thieves’in the Cleland/Wawick entry. Okay; Murfis young and Ingall young ish (?)but the oxygen business apparently referred to the needs of the ‘old’ drivers to get all the air they could.

i

1 Speaking of Vectras, the Murphy/Ingall car changed from a VauxhMl to a Holden on Saturday

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with a Holden nose piece installed. The change didn’t exactly run as planned though; tired of waiting for the appropriate part to make it from Melbourne Holden Motorsport Manager John Stevenson lifted one from a GMH fleet Vectra in the paddock car park. But the change had little ‘official’ effectHolden Vectras are not homolo gated for Super Touring but Vauxhalls(and Opels) are. n Practice InteiTuptus: The build-up to the ’98 race set a new mark;^the practice and qualify ing sessions for the Super Tourers were red-flagged, a first for the race. n Them Good 01’ Boys sure are fast. On Thursday Russell Ingall was timed at 310kmh on Conrod Straight, which is faster than any 5-litre V8 car has ever recorded.

(Glenn Seton hit 302kmh on his pole lap in 1996). n Circuit signage was down this year. The Cutting picked up its Strathfield signage on Thursday, while Skyline was plastered with a generic‘BATHURST’sign. n Speaking of signage, the Greenfield BMW swapped brands of mobile phones before the race, Motorola giving way to Siemens Mobile. n 'Time warp; British visitor Denis Welch had a great run in his Austin Healey. His qualifying time of2m46s would have had him line up 34th on the grid for the Bathurst 1000.

-PHIL BSANAGAN

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Quallfyiiig Times Wed 2m19.85s 2m17.12s 2m20.10s 2m19.50s 2m18.85s 2m 19.37s 2m19.69s 2m20.02s 2m25.26s 2m28.95s No Time 2m26.18s 2m30.02s 2m38.53s 2m35.14s 2m30.12s 2m37.40s Auger/Kyte No Time McGiil/Haynes 2m42.17s Pickett/Rushton/Stones 2m37.80s Miies/Cleland 2m35.22s Robson/Shaw 2m34.91s Chapman/Bradshaw No Time Rea/Wakefield 2m37.84s J.Richards/Tomlinson No Time Elstrek/Digby/O'Neill 2m44.77s Breugel/Spurle/Eady 2m50.61s Leslight/Cribbin 2m41.92s Beli/Hicks 2m43.24s Fitzgerald/Thompson 2m41.27s Newton/Miller 2m51.05s Gilion/Pederson 2m51.98s Short/Goudie 2m47.98s Harris/Worsley Kirkham/Lehmann/Kirkham 2m49.22s 2m47.89s Ratcliff/Searle 2m52.82s Watkinson/Gardiner 2m53.04s Johnson/O'Reilly 2m54.24s Letcher/Macrow/Edwards 2m50.28s Aitken/Bird/Pennington , 3m04.10s Talbert/Rolfo 3m03.62s Tunzelmann/Udy 3m02.41s Jarvis/Rutherford 3m31.88s Adderton/Waii

Pos Drivers 1 Murphy/Ingall 2 Rydeli/J.Richards 3 S.Richards/Neal 4 Harvey/Nilsson 5 Jones/McConville 6 Cleland/Warwick 7 Morris/Radisich 8 McLean/Scott 9 Gravett/Brookes 10 Hiils/Benihca 11 Newman/Williamson 12 T.Searie/LSearle 13 Smith/Cornish 14 Luff/Zonneveid 15 Wilson/Forbes 16 Nelson/Matthews/Holden 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43

Thurs 2m19.11s 2m18.35s 2m18.46s 2m19.49s 2m19.77s 2m18.84s 2m20.37s 2m22.42s 2m21.69s 2m25.29s 2m26.34s 2m25.59s 2m26.07s 2m30.05s 2m33.68s 2m30.95s 2m39.28s 2tn37.12s 2m35.26s 2m35.03s 2m33.01s 2m35.37s No Time 2m34.85s 2m37.36s 2m41.42s 2m42.15s 2m40.45s 2m41.42s 2m41.58s 2m46.42s 2m44.19s 2m46.17s 2m47.17s 2m47.41s 2m47.59s 2m51.28s 2m55.47s No Time 2m59.76s 2m57.05s 3m02.62s No Time

Fri 2m16.41s 2m16.52s 2m16.91s 2m17.59s 2m18.36s 2m19.22s 2m18.90s 2m18.98s 2m19.40s 2m23.52s 2m23.97s 2m25.91s 2m25.64s 2m26.28s 2m28.80s No Time 2m31.07s 2m31.14s 2m31.84s 2m32.06s 3m01.29s 2m.33.95s 2m34.73s 2m35.74s 2m48.44s 2m37.67s 2m37.98s 2m38.77s No Time 4m16.44s 2m42.36s 2m43.18s 2m44.17s 2m47.59s 2m50.32s 2m49.75s 2m52.56s 2m53.27s 2m55.06s 2m56.14s 2m56.39s 2m59.18s No Time

Independents’ Daze

ON Friday morning things final ly picked up after a two day lull in what is normally a full-noise quest for speed and, despite the presence of the latest factory weapons and man-sized bud gets, it was the Independent entries that set the pace.

Ignoring the fact that Matt Neal had become the first man to officially post a 2m17s lap for the week - the giant Pom may be an ‘Indie’ at home but his car for this race was a works Nissan - it was the ‘real’ Independents of Cameron McLean and Lee Brookes who were close to the sharp end of the field.

McLean temporarily led all times in Friday’s morning ses sion, running at a pace that was very close to the corre sponding times set by the Diet Coke cars last year. But he was, as ever, doing it on a very small budget.

“Michelin hates me,” he said on Saturday morning. “So far this week we’ve only run three sets of new tyres”. And that

incfuded his lap in the top 10 run-off. in Brookes’ case it was something of a surprise. The Birmingham driver was not only a first time Mountain visi tor but had not raced since the BTCC final of 1997. He’d won the BTCC Independents’ title in a Peugeot 406 and never even driven the Accord before he got to Australia, so it was Gravett who carried most peo ple’s expectations (and he ulti mately ended up the quicker driver).

But Brookes was clearly up to the task.

“When I arrived and saw the circuit I thought it would be hard to learn,” he smiled. “I didn’t realty get any advice from Robb; he was here last in a completely different car to the Honda (a Ford Sierra) so there’s little point, really.

“We thought that a top 10 was possible when we arrived and now we think that the car can do better than that.”

-PHILBRANAGAN

RACING PROOGCimi PO Box 6330 Shepparton 3632 Ph/Fax: 03 5827 1359 Mobile: 014 406 980 Email: speedwerx@diesel.net.au www.kartsport.com.au/akn/speedwerx.html

CARRY THAT WEIGHT... Paul Radisich contemplates his first outing in one of the Orix Audi A4s, which again had trouble hauling the extra weight required on 4WD cars up Mount Panorama. BELOW: The Vectra of British duo John Cleland and Berwick Warwick qualified sixth. (Photos by Dirk Kiynsmith) Continued from Page 16 sion with his 2m 18.98s lap, his first on Ks. Despite downplaying the time (“I made two mistakes and got a baulk onto the straight”) it was a very impressive effort, virtually matching the pace of the works BMWs at the same point last year and they were on faster rubber.

Next was the Gravett Honda. They also crept up on things slowly, spend ing the first two and a half sessions bedding in brakes, tyres'and drivers.

The 1996 model car - still with a ’96 engine-then moved into the 20s and high 19s.

The good new news that Lee Brookes, to was the circuit and not having raced a car for more than a year, was the quicker of the drivers until Gravett pipped him by a tenth with a 2ml9.40s lap.

Brookes’ data indicated a high 18 was reachable and, with a ’97 engine (worth a second, they reckoned) installed for the ran-off, he was hop ing for a low 17.

The battle for the ‘bump spot’, 10th, was halted shghtly when one of the contenders, Mark Adderton’s Honda, lost all its track time when British co-driver Jamie Wall blew a downchange and grabbed first, not fourth. 'The team had to grab a cylin der head from NZ and rebuilt the engine just in time to get a lap in the last session.

'They would be forced to ‘qualify’ at the Stewards’ discretion in the untimed Saturday afternoon session and start at the back of the grid. Both drivers made the cut easily but, right at the end of the session, Adderton had a steering arm break at Skyline, walling the car and breaking the right front and rear suspension. It meant a TAPE session and a late night for the already weaiy crew.

In their absence it was Peter HUls who made the i-unning. The Knight Racing Mondeo had a few problems a flat-spotted tyre when Dorn Beninca was on board, a lack of

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reverse when the car went up an escape road - but Hills (running on 1997 Dunlops) had enough car speed for a 2m23.52s to win the race for the spot by 0.44s.

A Mondeo was in the top 10 - more than Nigel ManseD could manage in theBTCC ... ^ Next came tRe Tony Newman/ Mark Williamson Peugeot. The 406 was down a little on power and the di'ivers only came to grips with the car when the gearing was matched to suit the lack of grunt. Toui-ing car rookie Williamson, who basically has not raced in the last two years, was up to Newman’s speed and looked good.

T.

,e Searles, Troy and Luke, had _ looked in contention for the nmolT spot for a while until pulling back a little (they would not have been willing to run on Saturday anyway because of their religious obligations) while the Blair Smith/Jim Cornish ex-Richards Primera seemed to have the speed but the team was preserv ing niileage on its race engine.

Both were happy with the car but, with their enforced lack of miles and the absence of any input from the Adderton Honda, the results of the switch to Yokohama were inconclusive.

Of the rest, there were tales of pre serving men, women and machinery,

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and worries about a lack of speed, Gearbox and power steering problems afflicted the other Knight Mondeos; Paula Elstrek (having only received confirmation of her drive on Wednesday night) qualified well in her car but Heidi O’Neill and Damien Digby were going to depend of the largesse of the organisers on Saturday, In the other car Warren Luff showed good speed but Mark Zonneveld was resti’icted in the number of laps he got.

'The Toyota Carinas were in various stages of delay, though Wayne Wakefield got Malcolm Rea’s car into the mid 2m30s with minimal lappery before nerfmg into the Suzuki at Skyline. Milton Leslight’s example wasn’t far behind but co-driver Denis Cribbin was in bother and well behind.

Then there was the Mike Newton/Jamie Miller Vauxhall. The team was late getting the car out and Newton had an engine blow on him on Friday morning. 'The team tried to from John get the engine Henderson’s similar car but the Sydney driver would not separate car and engine, so the Rod Jones team bought the whole car, which amved at the ti-ack on Saturday morning.

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BMW heads Sentra in S-car battle A LITTLE bit of New Zealand came to Australia at the Bathurst 1000, with 10 cars hit ting the hallowed track.

As expected, the New Zealand BMW squad quickly moved to the top of the timesheets, the RichardsTomlinson car fastest in the morning qualifying ses sion, but the Nissan Sentra of Breugel/Spurie/Eady held the top NZ spot for the majority of the session, only topped with a short time remaining.

The two cars were separated by just 0.1s and were 21st and 22nd overall respectively.

However, the BMW complete ly swept all before it in the after noon session, setting the fastest Schedule S time for the weekend (2m34.85s)to claim pole posi tion for the class, the Nissan Sentra unable to match the 320i’s outright pace. The time placed the class leader 24th overall on the grid.

The switch from the regular Dunlop control tyre to Michelin had reaped rewards, a gain of two seconds over the times set on Thursday assisted in the tumbling of times.

The team BMW car of Bell/Hicks also had a turn as the fastest Schedule S car and ended third in the first session, one second off their team-mates and after the second session were third in class and 28th overall.

After missing the first ses sion, Bernie Gillon and Paul Pederson set 2m42.36s to gain fourth in class in their Toyota Corona, holding a 0.8s advan tage over the Ford Telstar of Short/Goudie.

The third BMW,that of Aaron Harris and Miles Worsley, not out of the Lyall Williamson run stable butbenefiting from its assistance, was next, a second shy of the Ford.

The Johnson/O’Reilly Honda Integra would line up 37th on the grid, however some seven sec onds behind the BMW. Despite its multiple dramas, having rolled on Wednesday at Murrays Corner and been involved in another incident which stopped the second ses sion on Friday, the Suzuki Baleno of Aitken/Bird/Pennington man aged to set a time good enough for 39th. . The TAFE boys burnt the mid night oil to make sure that the Suzuki would be the first of its kind to start the Great Race but it was in vain when the car hit the scenery at Skyline on Friday and was withdrawn.

Malcolm Udy, paired with Bill Tunzelmann in a Peugeot 405, not only had to learn the car, but also front-wheel drive and the circuit to boot. More at home in a 600-odd horsepower car back home, Udy and Tunzelmann set a time of 2m56.39s. The car had just one engine, so they were keeping track time to a mini mum.

Rounding out the S class and indeed the Bathurst field was the 1600CC Toyota Corolla of Ted Jarvis/Tony Rutherford.

With a gearbox flown in from New Zealand to replace a unit minus third gear, the duo were thoroughly enjoying the top of the Mountain, despite clutch fail ure in the final session.

- AARON NOONAN

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A TURNIP FOR THE BOOKS: Yes, a Swede on pole! Vegetable jokes aside, Rydell was always going to be the man to beet...

Feel the need for Swede

T

op 10 run-offs are usually about snipping away at laps a little at a time, but Rickard Rydell knocked that theory into orbit 6n Saturday morning with one of the most astonishing laps ever seen at Bathurst.

Running on the same engine the -S40 had had all week, Rydell served warning by leaping straight into the 15s in the warm-up but that gave little inkling of what was about to come in the show proper.

The early runs were notable mostly for the lack of errors from the drivers. Peter Hills locked his rears at Hell and Cameron McLean (who had tapped the Forrest Elbow wall in the warm up) got sideways at the Cutting, but that was the limit of visible mistakes.

Paul Morris got things really n going by setting a time that team leader Brad Jones couldn’t beat, but Derek Warwick bounced that with a 2ml7.31s lap to take the lead temporarily.

Tim Harvey upped the ante by topping the Vectra by almost nine -tenths and Steven Richards came out for his lap. With “lots of little errors” he shaded Harvey by 0.02s on the way up to Skyline and picked up another 0.04s on the way down.

Then came Rydell. He was fast up the hill, 0.58s quicker than Richards at Skyline, but not even his own team expected him to be a full second faster on the downhill run. When a 2ml4.9265s came up on the screens, the TWR Army let out a deafening “Hoooooo!!” fol lowed immediately by the sound of jaws hitting the decks all around the track.

Even Rydell was shocked, “I was quite surprised when I saw the time on the dash,” he beamed. “I made a few mistakes on my earlier laps (in the warm-

Top Ten Shoot-Out Times Pos Driver

Car

Time

1 Rickard Rydeli 2 Steve Richatds 3 Tim Harvey 4 Greg Murphy 5 Derek Warwick 6 Paul Morris 7 Brad Jones 8 Lee Brookes 9 Cameron McLean 10 Peter Hills

Volvo S40 Nissan Primera Volvo S40 Holden Vectra Holden Vectra Audi A4 Audi A4 Honda Accord BMW 320i Ford Mondeo

2m14.9265s 2m16.4143s 2m16.4672s 2m16.7782s 2m17.3103s 2m 18.2657s 2m18.3658s 2m18.'9^2s 2m19,1715s 2m22.9436s

up) but there were no mistakes on YES, IT’S TRUE: the timed lap. , Rydell still can’t The time also silenced any reply believe his time as from Murphy. He went out and he studies the managed a 2.16.77s for fourth, sheets, showing right next to Harvey. him 1.5s quicker “He [Rydell] must be oh Ks, than Steve said the Dynamics lads.

Richards (below).

If he was, he wasn’t saying. But, (Photos by after a lap hke that, he didn’t have Dirk Klynsmith and to; the 2ml4.9265s said it all.

Marshall Cass) - PHIL BRANAGAN

^0

AIVIP BATHURST 1000

Senior beats Junio For the second year running, the Super Tourers turned on a great racefor victory with Jim Richards beating son Steven by the narrowest margin ever. PHIL BRANAGAN reports: It only takes two cars to make a race, so the saying goes. That was never more true than at the 1998 AMP Bathurst 1000.

The two cars most people expected to win - the Jim Richards/ Rickard Rydell Volvo S40 and the Steven Richards/Matt Neal Nissan Primera GT - went head to head for almost seven hours, going to the line after 1000 kilometres separat ed by less than two seconds.

Unfortunately for the lead battle, that gap was exactly the time lost

by Neal when he received a huge

baulk from an errant tailender while fighting for the lead with only one and a halflaps left in the race.

And,for the second year in a row, there was post-race drama, Team Dynamics protested the winners for an incident when Rydell allegedly passed vmder a yellow flag just before mid-race, The protest was dismissed three hours after the race, ensuring a sixth win for the legendary Richards Sr and a first for the current British Touring Car Champion.

(£2

A FAMILY AFFAIR... This was the battle that raged for the entire race - with the added spice of having Jim Richards in the Volvo S40 and son Steve in the mostly pursuing Nissan Primera.

PODIUM CELEBRATION... At the end of the war, the victory celebrations were conducted by Richards senior and his partner Rickard Rydell. (Photos by Dirk Kiynsmtth)

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p in gripping battle The first two cars dominated the race, being split by a maximum of 15s (and usually less than five) as they forced the opposition to con cede.

Brad Jones-scored yet another podium finish after a strong run came up short on car speed in the Audi he shared with Cameron McConville, while Cameron McLean and Tony Scott also ran impressively but were unable to overcome going a lap down in tbe early going.

The winning hopes of most of the visitors were ended more by inci dent that attrition.

An errant piece of wrecked car triggered a catastrophic mid-race accident which accounted for Paul Morris’ Audi, Tim Harvey’s Volvo and Russell Ingall’s Vectra, while the second Triple 8 car of Derek Warwick and John Cleland sur vived a pit fire only to be delayed by a wheel hub problem. They finished fifth, four laps down.

An extraordinary sixth was the Peter Hills/Dominic Beninca Ford Mondeo, while the Searle brothers Troy and Luke topped a race-long battle of the BMWs to hold out Rod Wilson and Rodney Forbes’ car by 10s at the flag.

The Kevin Bell/Rod Hicks BMW topped the NZ Schedule S class while Tom Watkinson and Calvin Gardiner took Production Car hon ours.

THE BATTLE BEGINS... Jim and Steve go into the first corner side by side with Ingall and the rest dropping in behind.

(Photo by Marshall Cass)

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AIVIP BATHURST -fOOO

THE HILLS ARE ALIVE... Peter Hills and Domenic Beninca had an excellent run and finished sixth in their old Ford Mondeo. They were the front-running independent team ait weekend. (Photo by Dirk Ktynsmith) THE FUEL ON THE HILL ... Brad Jones’ Orix-Audi crew get to work, but their cars simply did not have the front-runners'pace. (Photo by Marshall cass)

Race (161 laps)

T

here was not much drama in the warm-up but there was some. Radisich felt that the Audi’s brakes were less than perfect; some air had got into the system and the team decided to change front calipers and bleed the system.

That fixed the problem.

With the Richards family starting on the front row there was a lot of anticipation to the start. For the first time all season Jim made a per fect getaway and forced Steven to go the long way around at Hell but, with the Nissan having the better exit onto Mountain Straight, the Primera had momentum and zoomed by before Giiffins.

Ingall went with them ahead of the fourth man - Gravett.

The Honda made a solid jump and used'its prodigious straight line

speed to Tlock-it’ into fourth from McConville, Harvey, Radisich, Cleland, Hills, McLean, Luff, Troy Searle, Wilson, Matthews, Cornish, Auger, Elstrek (an excellent start and opening lap). Miles, Robson, McGill, Rushton, Chapman, Bell, Jason Richards, Van Breugel, Newman, Short, MiUer, Thompson, Rea, Gillon, Johnson, Kirkham, Watkinson, Ratcliff, Talbert, Letcher, Tunzelman, Leslight, Harris, Rutherford and Adderton.

Steven wasn’t waiting for fatherly advice. His first flying lap was a 2ml8.76s and he had a 2s lead which Jim soon stabilised,just clear ofthe flying IngaE. Well behind, the mover was McConville; he had Gravett’s fourth on lap two and was pushing hard, tapping the Cutting wall on lap three. In contrast the Honda start ed losing spots; by,lap five it was

down to eighth.

The other Audi was also moving up. Radisich was past Cleland for sixth on lap 10, the two A4s starting to converge on a familiar nose-to-tail formation until McConville re-took Harvey for fourth.

This wasbattle; about Radisich to become an exciting closed and also got by the conservative S40, but Tim fought back on the out side of the Chase. The Kiwi slammed the door on him and Cleland, lurking behind, took advan tage and the spot fi'om Harvey.

With the pattern up front static (they hit traffic for the first time on lap five)there was plenty to see else where. A kangaroo bounded onto the track in front ofthe startled McLean on lap 11 (“A red male,” Cam con firmed later) but man, machine and marsupial continued unscathed.

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SAFETY FIRST... The field lines up.

Esltrek starred until hitting the wall at the Dipper on lap 28. She had hauled all the way to 13th (closing on team-mate Luff, who parked on lap 18 with engine prob lems) but Paula resumed after a lot offrantic front-end work.

The pattern at the front was starting to show. Ingall, struggling with poor front-end grip, started to fall back and Steven seemed to have better tyre speed than hjs father in the second half of his shift.

After an early stop from Gravett the Vectras started the pit cycle on lap 31. Murphy resumed after

(Photo by Marshall Cass)

WRECKAGE... Tom Harvey’s Volvo and Russell IngalTs Vectra after their big offs on the oil in the Esses. (Photo by pni Williams)

stalling but, two laps later, worse awaited the other Vectra.

Warwick left early (with the fuel hose and bottle still connected).

Cleland collected the bottle but there was a fuel spiU and, immedi ately, a fire.

It was dealt with quickly but two mechanics, Pete Sunmons and Scott Walker, were burned by either flame .or extinguishant, and designer John Gentry was bumped on the head in the confusion. All were to be okay after treatment in the medical cen tre but the incident would have repercussions later.

A lap later Morris acquired the Audi from Radisich, followed on suc cessive laps by Steven R, Harvey (a faster stop), and Jim (faster again) and Jones almost simultaneously.

The nett result was that Rydell assumed the lead by a car’s length from Neal. Both were into the 2ml8s immediately. Matt kissing the inside of the S40 at the Cutting on lap 38 and taking back the lead.

And Murphy was only Is behind them - and catching them!

Despite superior mileage the McLean/Scott BMW went a lap down on lap 47 and,soon after, Tony spun the car at the Chase(“My first

here, ever”)and lost around 10s.

So, the showdown continued. 7116 Nissan’s strengths were straightMne speed, brakes and late stint tyre wear; the Volvo went over the Mountain like a comet and had gen erally quicker pitstops. It was a stalemate (an enthralling stalemate, admittedly) and something had to happen.

It did. A Safety Car rolled out when Bill Tunzelman’s Peugeot went off at McPhiUamy.

Morris was- in straight away and Neal, Rydell and Nilsson followed but the S40 passed the Primera on the pit entry lane, prompting the

post-race protest.

Rickard retook the lead with a faster stop but it was now that Team Vectra was caught out. Murphy and Warwick didn’t pit, possibly because team manager Mike Nicholson was in the medical centre with his mechanics and Gentry was still being treated himself.

No-one made the1-2 call; cars were running butthe Rydell was only 20 lengths behind after a ‘free’ stop. At the restart there was lOu laps left in the race and the ‘stoppers’ were theoretically within two stops of the flag.

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Kiwis finish right on Schedule AT the end of their first AMP Bathurst 1000, Kevin Beli and 'Rod Hicks became the first drivers to win the Scheduie S New Zealand touring car class in the Great Race, after team-mates Jason Richards and Barrie Tomlinson, the raging hot class favourites, succumbed to gearbox problems, and finally a loss of oil pressure.

Richards burst away from the start, and sprinted away into the lead, rising as high as 17th outright. However, the crew subsequently lost 15 laps replacing a gearbox and, when the oil pressure dived, their race was over, leaving Bell and Hicks to eventually take 10th outright.

Despite a horror lead-up and starting from pitlane, Aaron Harris j and Miles Worsley in their slightly older model BMW 325i took second in class with an almost faultless run.

The attrition rate for the category was high, with only four of the nine starters making it to the I chequered flag.

Geoff Short and Greg Goudie’s Telstar finished third in I class, '^ 10 laps behind Harris/Worsley, while the 1800cc Honda Integra of Maurice O’Reilly ! and Wayne Johnson was delayed I with a broken CV joint.

It was also nudged from the ! circuit by a Super Touring car in ! the latter stages of the race and I played a pivotal role in the outn come of the outright race, inad[ vertantly baulking Matt Neal’s . Primera across the Mountain in i the dying laps.

The main rival to the BMW I squad was the Nissan Sentra of

Peter Van Breugel/lan Spurle/Mike Eady, which lostsecond gear in the very early stages, After replacing the gearbox whilst in a strong position, their race ended after Spurle crashed heavily at McPhillamy Park, severely bending the Sentra, but emerging unscathed. The debris from this shunt prompted the Paul Morris/Russell Ingall/Tim Harvey accident shortly after, Ted Jarvis and Tony Rutherford may have been at the back of the field, but had an absolute ball in the 1600cc Toyota Corolla. They enjoyed a consistent run, until the car ran a bearing after 111 laps. They filled the car up with oil in a bid to receive the chequered flag, but were non finishers, “We’ll be back for sure next year!," beamed Rutherford, A broken CV joint delayed the Bernie Gillon/Paul Pederson Toyota Corona, and they eventually ended the race at the Cutting with a suspected cam belt failure.

The first retirement of the class was the Bill Tunzelmann/Malcolm Udy Peugeot 405 which stopped at Forrest’s Elbow, unable to turn.

It was suspected that a steering box breakage was the cause.

After rolling at Murray’s Corner on Wednesday and being involved in a shunt with a Toyota Corona on Friday, it was decided that discretion was the better part of valour and the Suzuki Baleno of Grant Aitken/Chris Bird/Max Pennington would not start "the Great Race for 1998, thus depriv ing the manufacturer of its first start in the race.

- AARON NOONAN

WINGED... Paula Elstrek proved herself with a fine drive in the Modeo, but was out of action by mid-race. (Photo by Marshall Cass) The other loser was Morris. He resumed behind the pathetically slow Jarvis/Rutherford Corolla, which couldn’t managed to close within 15s of the next car in the queue despite the lOOkmh pace. He was now sixth.

Murphy’s restart was perfect and he held the lead easily, holding Rydell at a four second gap after Warwick pitted for Cleland on lap Wayne Wakefield, bowling Mai 64. Murf was running high 18s and low 19s and was making it a three Rea’s Carina along in the lm27s, tried to miss the S40 butjust tagged car battle until his stop on lap 70.

Six laps later the Safety Car it, smacking the wall on the oppo returned after the Gillon/Pederson site side. And Morris, who’d made it Toyota Corona stopped at the back to the pits, had no oil pressure in his now-stuffed engine.

Cutting.

Five cars were out of the race, Now Cleland pitted but not just for fuel; he felt the brakes go off at three ofthem real contenders. the Elbow.'The front left brake disc The leaders all pitted under yel had come loose from the upright low, Jim resuming from Steven, and while Jamie Brock and the McConville, Scott (a lap down), crew fixed the problem any chance Beninca (three down), Warwick (four down), Searle, Wilson and of a win disappeared.

Warwick was four laps behind Nelson.

And there were 74 laps left; when he resumed, the car running strongly for the rest of the race to maybe one stop’s worth for the leaders. finish fifth.

Jim wasted little time chasing his son, knifing inside at Griffins After green, Rydell and Neal werethe together but, behind, all for the lead on lap 94. The gap went hell was about to break loose. Ian out to 3s but, sure enough, Steven Spurle lost his Nissan on the nm to stabilised it and started closing 10 Skyline on lap 85, smashing the laps later. On lap> 119, sensing the nose into the inside concrete. While S40 was doing it hhrd for grip, he the car struggled down the went around the outside of his Mountain a driveshaft was left sit father in exactly the same spot. ting plum in the middle of the This intense battle was drawing them away from McConville at track.

Jones, the next car through, just around is a lap.

Sure enough their final stops missed it but Morris, right on his hammer, was unsighted and nailed came together on lap 125, a tangled it, tearing a hole in his sump. There window net costing Steven four sec onds and Neal the lead. The Volvo was oil aU over Skyline ... looked comfortable, Rydell turning Ingall and Harvey arrived at warp speed, out of control. They on the speed to pull the biggest gap both crunched headlong into the of the race (14.8s) but the Nissan tyre-lined concrete wall, destroying team wanted pace cars to help mileage. their cars.

PLAYING WITH THE BIG BOYS ... A Vectra and a Volvo carve their way through the backmarkers, headed by the Playboy BMW. (Photos by Marshall CassJ T-BONE... Robson’s BMW gets involved in an unwelcome waltz with Wakefield’s Toyota.

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They got them; one for Elstrek’s beached Mondeo at McPhillamy on lap 134 and another for the Johnson/O’Reilly Honda when it was helped into a spin at the Chase. It was recovered and resumed the race.

The biggest change for the second Safety Car period was that it put Jones within reach of the leaders, with only Cleland between him and the Nissan.

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ut it made no difference; Rydell was straight into the low 18s (and even a 2ml7.9s on lap 153) to shake the Nissan but, despite hav ing first one and then both front mudguards flapping on the side of the car, Neal still pursued him.

It all came down to the final laps.

Sure enough, towards the end Neal was within a second of the Swede, both driving brilliantly and hammering through traffic. RydeU was locking the odd brake but he stayed cool.

Then, on lap 160, a crack appeared. Maurice O’Reilly had nowhere to go in the Dipper; Rydell sneaked past but Neal couldn’t fol low. By the Elbow the big Pom had lost two seconds.

That was that. Neal closed again but the gap at the end was those two lost seconds. Neal was flabber gasted; he’d given the best in the business a real fight and, to his credit, would not blame the errant

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9October 19%

Final Results

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AMP Bathurst 1000 ~ Mt Panorama,4 October t996

FIRE FRIGHT... There was drama aplenty when Derek Warwick departed the Vectra pit with the refueiting gear stiil attached, sparking a pit fire which injured three crew members. With one crew member down and fiames licking the heeis of another(above), John Cieiand runs down to remove the fuei bottie from the car before (right) the marshais move in to put out the fire and attend the injured crew.

(Photos by Dirk Klynsmith)

Pos

Drivers

Car

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 NC NC NC NC DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF , DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF

R. Rydell/J, Richards S. Richards/M. Neal B. Jones/C. McConville C. McLean/T. Scott J. Cleland/D. Warwick P. Hills/D. Beninca T. Searle/L. Searle R. Wilson/R. Forbes P. Neison/J. Matthews/B. Holden K. Bell/R. Hicks D. Chapman/B. Bradshaw A. Harris/M. Worsley D. Auger/L. Kyte T. Watkinson/C. Gardiner P. Kirkham/M. Lehmann G. Short/G. Goudie K. Talbert/C. Rolfo M. Newton/J. Miller W. Johnson/M. O’Reilly A. Robson/R. Shaw M. Leslight/D. Cribben P. Pickett/P. Rushton/N. Stones B. Smith/J. Cornish J. Richards/B. Tomlinson T. Jarvis/T. Rutherford P. Morris/P. Radisich G. Murphy/R. Ingall T. Harvey/J. Nilsson P. Elstrek/D. Digby/H. O’Neil M. Ream. Wakefield B. Miles/M. Cleland D. Ratcliff/R. Searle Pr Breugel/I. Spurle/M. Eady T. Newman/M. Williamson R. Gravett/L. Brookes B. Gillon/P. Pedersen B. Tunzelmann/M. Udy A. Letcher/A. Macrow/C. Edwards A. McGlII/C. Haynes W. Luff/M. Zonneveld M. Fitzgerald/J. Thompson M. Adderton/J. Wall

Volvo S40 ST Nissan Primera ST Audi A4 Quattro ST BMW 320i ST Vauxhall Vectra ST Ford Mondeo ST BMW 320i ST BMW318i ST BMW 320i ST BMW 320i NZ BMW 320i ST BMW 325i NZ Alfa Romeo 155 TS ST Mazda 626 3E Mazda 626 3E Ford Telstar NZ Mazda 626 3E Vauxhall Cavalier ST NZ Honda Integra BMW 318 ST ST Toyota Carina GTI ST Hyundai Lantra Nissan Primera ST BMW 320i NZ NZ Toyota Corolla Audi A4 Quattro ST ST Holden Vectra Volvo S40 ST Ford Mondeo ST ST Toyota Carina E BMW318i ST 3E Toyota Camry Nissan Sentra 2.0SSS NZ ST Peugeot 406 ST Honda Accord NZ Toyota Corona NZ Peugeot 405 3E Honda Civic ST Peugeot 405 ST Ford Mondeo ST Peugeot 405 ST Honda Accord

Class Race time 6:54:23.4756 6:54:25.4731 6:54:49.2272 159 laps 157 laps 155 laps 152 laps 152 laps 145 laps 144 laps 144 laps 141 laps 137 laps 136 laps 135 laps 131 laps 130 laps 128 laps 120 laps 112 laps 110 laps 107 laps 139 laps 128 laps 111 laps 84 laps 83 laps 82 laps 78 laps 76 laps 63 laps 59 laps 56 laps 52 laps 49 laps 47 laps 40 laps 34 laps 24 laps 18 laps 17 laps 14 laps

Fast lap

On

2:17.9558 2:18.3822 2:19.1226 2:21.0153 2:18.5743 2:24.0491 2:24.8263 2:26.9481 2:28.9112 2:38.3095 2:33.5794 2:41.6480 2:33.8304 2:49.1927 2:46.0071 2:41.5707 2:53.4532 2:35.4651 2:45.7319 2:30.7852 2:35.9819 2:35.1076 2:25.6768 2:35.6571 2:59.3514 2:19.3453 2:18,9341 2:18.9532 2:26.3607 2:27.3603 2:32.3409 2:46.5808 2:38.0741 2:27.1521 2:21.0655 2:44.2131 2:50.8662 2:54.6716 2:33.2159 2:25.9365 2:37.6917 2:30.5309

153 104 148 112 153 5 3 93 14 93 4 40 4 53 133 5 48 12 50 17 10 12 118 7 61 23 68 82 7 66 11 41 12 14 47 14 13 15 10 5 11 13

Current Lap Record:2:16.8034 by Jason Plato in a Renault Laguna in 1997

tailender for his demise.

Jones was a resigned third from McLean, whose final laps were a smokey cruise to the flag after a late-race oil leak. Cleland sped home to fifth (setting his quickest lap four from the end) ahead of a ‘ deserving Hills, whose drive with Beninca was clever and dogged and

a reward for a small but hard-working team.

Apart from the podium the other great battle was between the Searles and Wilson/Forbes. Both had problems; Luke Searle spun at the Chase on lap 61 and Forbes overshot his pit to break up the battie on lap 116 but the final pace

cars got them together again, the two BMWs only 10s apart at the finish. Great stuff.

Nelson/Holden/Matthews got home to ninth in another BMW despite a late-race misfire, from NZers Bell and Hicks, Chapman and Bradshaw and Harris/Worsley.

Auger and Kyte held off ProdCar victors GardinerAVatkinson, while Kirkham/Lehmann took second in the standard class,

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ere were the usual tales of _ woe. After their conservative build-up Cornish and Smith had a steady run until the car crashed at

the Chase with four laps to go.

The NewmaiVWilliamson Peugeot stopped for good at the Cutting with a broken clutch, not far from where Lee Brookses parked the powerless Rock-it Accord on lap 64.

Adderton’s run lasted only 14 laps after starting from pit row.

After a precautionary spanner eheck on lap eight he resumed but the damaged car had wonky steer ing, especially in right handers.

To save risking the car he parked it.

Just like last year’s race the detractors were out before the hghts went green.

Some of what they said was right; the crowds were down on pre vious years, with a claimed 16, 280 spectators on race day. Circuit sig nage was also noticeably absent and the local traders complained about a lack of long-weekend busi ness.

Super Touring racing in this country does need more manufac turer support and quality cars, and this race really needs World Cup status to attract a larger and deep er field.

But 1997’s Bathurst 1000 was a teiTific race - and this year’s ver sion was just as sensational. n

Povuer is nothing tn/^ithout controi Motorsport Concepts and Pirelli would like to take this opportunity to thank and acknowledge our customers for their continued support during 1998.

We would also like to congratulate Geoff Morgan and his team for their tremendous effort in taking out the 1998 Porsche Cup and Rodney Forbes for his domination of the Porsche Cup Bathurst races.

Porsche Cup Series Geoff Morgan Peter Bradbury Rodney Forbes Peter McRae Peter Bolton Martin Wagg Colin Ivory Michael Downard Roger Paterson Max Dunn Ojars Balodis Gordon Sutherland Greg Keene Mark Forgie Rusty French Simon Froude Kerry Hayes Warren Luff Warwick Miller Rosalyn Poon

Porsche Cup Series John.Potter Ross Seller Chris Stannard David Withers GTP Series Dominic Bennica Garry Waldon Ed Aitken Rodney Forbes Terry Bosnjack Alfie Costanzo Ross Halliday Ross Almond John Cowley Rob Thorn Jamie Cartwright Marcus Marshall Perry Spiridis

1S9S Porsche Cup Champion - Geoff Morgan

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Australian Motorsport Distributor

Motorsport Concepts 14a Thornton Cres Mitcham Vic 3132

Ph:03 9872 4522 Fax:03 9872 5862

Rickard Rydell&Jim Richards

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9 October 1998

FORMULA 1

Mika turns tables on Michael Hakkinen eyes the big prize after ‘doing a SchumV Report by JOE SAWARD

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cLaren had a dreadful time in qualifying for the Luxembourg GP, but in the race Mika Hakkinen gave the team a huge emotional boost by beating Michael Schumacher in real Schumacher style.

Noimally we watch as the FI dri vers bow to Schumacher, but at Nurburgring he was forced to kow tow to a dominant Hakkinen... ...and that is great news for FI racing. And a hell of a relief for McLaren after a series of rather poor races.

Qualifying the Formula 1 racing dri-

Today vers think that the Nurburgring is a pretty good place to go racing.

How things have changed. Fifteen years ago when the new track was first opened it was greeted with con tempt.

In those days the new circuit was considered to be a bastard offspring of the original Nurburgring. It was, in modem parlance, about as inter; esting as paint drying on the side of a Stewart.

It was very grand and very expensive but it wasn’t a pafch on the real Nurburgring out there in the hills, where legends used to get scared and \vhich killed racing dri vers with machine-like regularity.

As killing racing drivers ceased to he considered fair game, the old Nurburgring went by the board and it faded from the international rac ing scene.

The Grand Prix boys of today know nothing about the old Ring with one little-known exception.

When he was a gawky 17-year old

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(as opposed to a gawky 24-year-old) Alexander Wurz took a touring car to class victory in the famous Nurburgiing 24 Hours event, which is held every year on the old King.

It would have been quite fun to have watched Michael Schumacher race on the old Nurburgring for it would have suited his press-on style of driving and would have offered the opportunity to produce a little of his celebrated magic.

He certainly did in qualifying for the Luxembourg GP, blowing the socks off the McLarens, despite the fact that the Ferrari is still, clearly, not as fast a car as the McLaren.

The fact is that McLaren screwed up again with the set-up.

“We didn’t get the best out of the car today,” said Ron Dennis. No shit, Sherlock.

Still, it wasn’t quite as embar rassing as the Formula 3000 screwup which saw McLaren Baby Team driver Nick Heidfeld serve the title on a silver tray to his rival JuanPablo Montoya. at the has moment?

There are too 1 What got into McLaren many mistakes being made for them to seem to be serious World Championship contenders.

Of course, if you are a conspiracy theorist, you can say that it was all very strange that there were two Ferraris on the front row ofthe grid, but the fact that Giancarlo Fisiehella’s Benetton was right up there with the McLarens suggested that this one could not be blamed on Bridgestone and that the only real explanation had to be a McLaren problem.

Whatever the case, Ferrari found itself in the perfect position on

Saturday night with Michael Schumacher on pole and Eddie Irvine alongside.

If both Ferrari boys could make good start, aO Irvine would have to do would be to spend his Sunday afternoon behaving like a Sunday afternoon driver and let Michael disappear into the distance.

That would send the FI circus to Japan with Michael ahead in the points, giving him the tactical options of winning again at Suzuka or simply driving Hakkinen off the track, which is much more his style.

“This is a fantastic result^ said Schumacher. No shit, Sherlock.

Irvine for once hit the nail on the head.

“The McLarens have really underperformed a lot more than we expected,” he said. “The Benetton is right with them. It doesn’t seem to make sense. While they have imderperformed I have been able to get the most out of myself and the car today.”

As a result, Hakkinen had to make do with third place on the grid, nearly six-tenths slower than Schumacher and probably a second slower than he should have been.

“It is not as good as I would have liked it to be,” said Mika, “I found

that the balance of the car was not quite right in some corners and I was not able to carry the speed into certain sections ofthe lap.”

David Coulthard was even more disappointed as he was down in fifth place, despite being only twotenths slower than his Finnish teammate.

“I didn’t manage to sort myself into a perfect lap,” he admitted.

Fisichella’s fourth place was a good one for Benetton and the Italian actually felt that he should have done better than he did because he made a mistake on his final flying lap.

“If I had not made that mistake,” Fisichella said later, “I would have been faster than Hakkinen and maybe even Irvine. Today the tyres worked perfectly. We used the same compound we had in Canada and Monaco where we were really com petitive and got results.”

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e black art of tyres makes it _ very hard to explain what was going on. Perhaps, we mused, the Benetton wqrks better on these Bridgestones tdian the McLaren does. The problem is that this is something which can never be mea sured by FI observers...

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FEELING BLUE... Alex Wurz finished just out of the points in seventh, but was right behind his Benetton teammate, Giancarlo Fisichella.

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Given Fisichella’s speed, Alexander Wurz was not particular ly happy with his eighth position on the starting grid, despite the fact that he was only half a second slow er than Fisico.

“It was a really close qualifying session,” he explained, “but I am reasonably happy with my perfor mance.”

Alexander found himself slower than both Ralf Schumacher in his Jordan and Heinz-Harald Frentzen in his Williams.

This being Germany, both men seemed to have been willed along to do better than their respective teammates and Ralf would probably have done even better if he had not spun off on his final qualifying run.

“In order to make up a place you have to take risks,” he explained. “It was worth a try although I do not think I could have caught Coulthard in any case.”

The gap between the pah- of them was three-tenths, which in FI terms in a lot oftime.

Schumacher’s teammate Damon Hill was not having a particulaj-ly enjoyable time, suffering from a bad cold and struggling to find a good set-up.

“I have tried several changes to my set-up but could not manage to find a balance to suit me. There is obviously nothing wrong with the car but I am not getting the best out ofit.”

Damon was four-tenths slower than Raff, but this meant that he was down in 10th place on the grid.

Frentzen’s seventh position on the grid made it the fifth time in 15 races that Heinz-Harald has been able to outgun Jacques Villeneuve this year.

“I was fighting a combination of understeer and oversteer,” explained HH,“and my biggest con cern was to ensure that my tyres would last.”

Villeneuve was a tenth of a sec ond slower but this meant that he had to make do with ninth. He com plained of a lot of understeer and seemed unable to find a cure for the problem.

While no-one involved seems to be wanting to mention it, one got the very distinct impression that the WUliams team is in cruise mode for the last couple of races. The team is looking forward to new drivers and the drivers are looking forward to new teams ...

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BODY LANGUAGE... Michael Schumacher looks downcast as a happy Mika Hakkinen acknowledges the crowd on the rostrum after taking his McLarenMercedes to victory (left).

POWERING AHEAD...

Schumacher races out of the pits, but not fast enough to prevent Hakkinen from slipping ahead.

The top five teams: Ferrari, McLaren, Williams, Benetton and Jordan had a complete lock on the top 10 at the Nurburgring and as usual this meant that it was Jean Alesi who was stuck in 11th, twotenths faster than Johnny Herbert.

The Frenchman reckoned that he could have done a lot better if he .

had not been suffering from quite ^o. much understeer but'had only man- aged to dial out about half of the problem. “At least we have made -some improvement,” said Je^.

Herbert than he in 13th has was been a lot at happier recent races and reckoned that he might have matched Jean’s pace but for a bit of a moment on his fastest lap when the back end skipped out.

Splitting the two Saubers was the Stewart-Ford of Rubens Barrichello, which was not a bad effort for the team.

“Generally the balance of the car is pretty good,” explained Rubens, “but we probably went a step too far in our search for the optimum set up and it brought about a bit of understeer.”

Things were not nearly as good for Jos Verstappen - who does not seem to be enjoying his stint with the team. He ended up 18th, down

with the small fry.

The Frost team had looked to be quite good on Friday when Jarno Trulli was able to set the ninth fastest time but come Saturday things did not go well. Trulli said it was down to “feel”.

“On my last set of tyres I did not have the same feeling that I had had tin the previous sets. I just could not make the improvement I expected.”

Olivier Fanis was right behind his teammate in 15th, which was quite a good effort given that he missed most of the Saturday morn ing session with a transmission problem.

Next up were the two Arrows with Mika Salo beating Fedro Diniz on this occasion. The team was using the latest D-spec engine and these proved to be very reliable.

“The engine power has improved immensely,” said Salo, “but, because of the lack of testing recently, a lot of work needs to be done on the car to make us more competitive.”

You just cannot please racing dri vers!

Diniz said he would probably have done a little better if he had not had an hydraulic problem with his car and had to use the spare.

Down at the back we had the usual melange of Tyrrells and

Minardis with the Ford customer game being won on this occasion by Tora Takagi, who snuck in ahead of Shinji Nakano, Esteban Tuero and Ricardo Rosset.

Q riace

e-7 Of laps

On night there wason a lotSaturday of head-scratching going in the paddock, not least at

McLaren where the idea of another screw-up on Sunday did not really appeal, Obviously the engineers did their homework well because on Sunday

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30 9October 1998

FORMULA 1

%

morning the McLarens were domi nant in the wann-up: Hakkinen and Coulthard nearly a second ahead of Fisichella’s Benetton, Schumacher was fourth and, while Michael seemed relaxed and ready to blow them away in the race, there were perhaps a few doubts in his mind.

His major wony on race morning seemed to be during the drivers’ parade when the 22 FI drivers are driven around on the back of a truck.

The Dekraheads were in fine form and launched hundreds of fire works in the direction of their hero.

Do none of them ever consider what might happen if one of them hit Michael on the head?

What a shame it would have been if he had not been able to take part in the race because of a firework ft'om one of his idiotic fans.

The rains did which had been promised not materialise, although the clouds looked very ominous as the grid fomed up.

There were plenty of psychologi cal games going on with Schumacher adjusting his wing set tings and McLaren adding more fuel to the cars.

When they finally lined up for the start, Schumacher got away slightly slower than Irvine while both McLarens shot away, Coulthard moving past Fisichella and follow ing Hakkinen down into the first comer.

It was Irvine who got thez-e first with Schumacher behind him and then Hakkinen, Coulthard and Fisichella. Next up was Wurz, who had made a good start to go from eighth on the grid to sixth.

Villeneuve also made a good start, but arrived just a little too hot and went slightly off onto the dirt.

This enabled Frentzen and Ralf Schumacher to stay ahead of him.

COUNTDOWN...

On home ground and in the moments before the start of the race, Ralf Schumacher contemplates his second-last race with the Jordan team. It was not a good one, though, the car retiring with a brake probiem late in the race.

“Going into the first comer I was slightly behind Eddie,” Michael said. “If I had wanted to do so I could have tried to pass on the out side but I didn’t see any reason to because I knew there would be an opportunity to go ahead of Eddie later on.”

Michael did not have to wait long.

The Ulsterman arrived a little too quickly at the chicane, bumped clumsily over the kerbs and lost momentum. As he accelerated out he found Schumacher alongside him and that was that.

Michael was ahead, protected by Irvine in second. It looked as though the race was effectively over...

The thing was that Michael could not build up much of a lead. The

gap went from 0.2s to 1.3s to 2.0s to 2.6s and so on. By lap 10 he was 3.8s ahead, but it was clear that Irvine was not holding up the McLarens.

That was strange. Could it be, we asked, that Hakkinen and Coulthard were caiTying more fuel than the Femari?

And then beganthe to close on Hakkinen Irvine, setting fastest lap of the raqe on lap 10. On lap 11 he was on Eddie’s tail.

“I think Eddie must have had a problem n with his car^” said Halddnen later,“because I could see it was all over the place in the corners.”

On lap 13 Eddie made a bit of a

hash of the chicane and Mika tried to out-accelerate him outhe run up to the fmal comer. It didn’t work.

A lap later, though, as they hurtied down towards the chicane.

Mika pulled out and sailed right past Eddie. The Ferrari did not even drive into the side of the McLaren ... Good Lord, good sport!

“Everyone knows Eddie’s reputa tion,” said Mika,“but he did nothing wrong today.”

Once he was ahead, Mika left Eddie behind. While behind Irvine, he had lost over four seconds to Schumacher, but he immediately began to claw it back-with three fastest laps in the course of the next four laps.

As Mika continued to make ground, Schumacher pitted.

Hakkinen realised that this was his chance put his foot down and dipped dramatically into the lm20s for each of the next three laps. It was impressive stuff.

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On lap 28 he came hurtling into the pits. In fact the Finn spent more time in the pitlane than Schumacher had done, but his quick laps made the difference. He came outjust ahead ofthe Ferrari.

“I was a bit surprised that he had been able to get in front of me,” admitted Michael, “because I had built up a lead of more than five sec onds before I came into the pits. I thought it was enough, although I Imew it would be tight.”

For the next 10 laps the two cars ran nose-to-tail in a tense battle of nerves, neither of them making any mistakes. And then Michael’s tyres began to lose their edge because the balance of the car was not as good as that ofthe McLaren.

“We just have to accept that we said weren’t fast enough, Schumacher.

By the time the second stops came around, Hakkinen was 2.3s ahead. It was plenty. The McLaren

Grand Prix of Luxembourg World Championship, round 15 Nurburgring, September 27th, 1998 -67 laps

RUNNING WIDE... Jacques Villeneuve made a good start, but ran wide into the dirt at the first corner.

TRYING HARD... Eddie Irvine locks a wheel on his Ferrari on his way to finishing fourth.

1 Mika Hakkinen, McLaren-Mercedes MP4/13,1h32m14,789s 2 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari F300, 1h32m17.0s 3 David Coulthard, McLaren-Mercedes MP4/13,1h32m48,952s 4 Eddie Irvine, Ferrari F300, 1h33m12,971s 5 H.H. Frentzen, Williams-Mecachrome FW20, 1h33m15,036s 6 Giancarlo Fisichella, Benetton-Mecachrome B198, 1h33m16.148s 7 Alexander Wurz, Benetton-Mecachrome B198, 1 h33m19,578s 8 Jacques Villeneuve, Williams-Mecachrome FW20,66 laps 9 Damon Hill, Jordan-Mugen-Honda 198, 66 laps 10 Jean Alesi, Sauber-Petronas C17,66 laps 11 Rubens Barrichello, Stewart-Ford SF2,65 laps 12 Olivier Panis, Prost-Peugeot AP01,65 laps 13 Jos Verstappen, Stewart-Ford SF2,65 laps 14 Mika Salo, Arrows A19,65 laps 15 Shinji Nakano, Minardi-Ford Ml 98, 65 laps 16 Tora Takagi, Tyrrell-Ford 026,65 laps NC Esteban Tuero, Minardi-Ford Ml98, 56 laps Fastest Lap; Hakkinen, Lap 25, 1m20,450s Lap Leaders; Lap 1-24 Schumacher, Lap 25-67 Hakkinen Retirements; Lap 6 Lap 6 Lap 36 Lap 37 Lap 53

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Pedro Diniz, Arrows A19, hydraulics Jarno Trulli, Prost-Peugeot AP01, gearbox mainshaft Ricardo Rosset, Tyrrell-Ford 026, engine Johnny Herbert, Sauber-Petronas Cl7, engine Ralf Schumacher, Jordan-Mugen-Honda 198, brake disc

World Drivers’ Championship Points Standings; 1 Hakkinen 90; 2 Schumacher 86; 3 Coulthard 52; 4 In/ine 41; 5 Villeneuve 20; 6 Hill and Wurz 17; 8 Fisichella 16; 9 Frentzen 15; 10 R.Schumacher 14; 11 Alesi 9: 12 Barrichello 4; 13 Salo and Diniz 3; 15 Herbert, Trulli and Magnussen 1 Constructors’ Championship standings: 1 McLaren-Mercedes 142; 2 Ferrari 127; 3 Williams-Mecachrome 35; 4 Benetton-Mecachrome 33; 5 Jordan-Mugen-Honda 31; 6 Sauber-Petronas 10;7 Arrows-Hart 6;8 Stewart-Ford 5; 9 Prost-Peugeot 1

LUXEMBOURG GR

9October m

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pit crew did a great job and Mika was soon disappearing up the road again, leaving Schumacher in his wake.

The gap came and went according to traffic but Mika seemed com pletely in conti'ol. Michael could do nothing.

“Winning this race obviously gives us the advantage in the cham pionship,” said Hakkinen. “It will also give the team even more moti vation to get the car prepared even better for the final race in Japan.”

Ron Dennis gave the win rather more significance.

“This is probably the most impor tant race in the history of the com pany,” he said.

Coulthard’s third place - a long way behind - took McLaren to with in one point of the Constructors’ title. Even if Ferrari finish 1-2 in Japan all the team has to do is score a single point.

David was not very happy, but a podium is a podium and should not be sniffed at.

Irvine came home fourth, blaming understeer for his troubles.

“I could not have pushed any harder or I would have gone off the track,” he admitted.

A couple of seconds behind Eddie at the flag was Frentzen, who had spent the afternoon dicing with the two Benettons.

Initially he had been behind them and under pressure from Ralf Schumacher, but good strategy put him ahead of both Fisichella and Wurz after the first stops and in the middle part of the race he was crawling all over the back of Irvine’s Ferrari, while also keeping Fisichella and Wurz at bay.-.

On lap 38 Giancarlo managed to sneak ahead during a festival of wild weaving, but a lap later the Benetton driver slid off on oil and Heinz-Harald and Wurz were both able to pass him.

Fisichella fought Wurz during the back, secondpassed stops and was right behind Frentzen for the last stint with Wurz right behind them.

It was not a great day for the Benetton team as it fights for third place in the Constnictors’ title with Williams and Jordan.

Ralf Schumacher ran behind Frentzen and the Benettons in the early part of the race but a clever strategy by Jordan managed to get him ahead of all three after the sec ond stops.

Unfortunately Ralf went out with brake failure on lap 53 and Jordan lost two points.

At the finish it was Villeneuve who was closest to the Benettons

I

didn t retire vi/ith any loose tools in the cockpit of my Red Bull Sauber Petronas in the GP of Luxembourg, but my fortunes didn’t really improve in terms of hard results at the Nurburgring.

But I was much more relaxed in my mind after making my recent decision to join Stewart Grand Prix - and I think that showed in my driving in a way that it wasn’t able to at Monza because of how the weather disrupted qualifying and my problem with a mechanic mistaking my car for a tool box in the race ...

On Friday in Germany I had a and goodI run and morning my engineer Tim Preston experimented with a change in the set-up which yielded a slight improvement in the han dling. Unfortunately, however, I lost 10 min utes in the afternoon’s free practice session when my car suffered electrical trouble. Right at the end of the day my last run was also spoiled, this time by intermittent fuel surge.

In between those problems, though, I managed a reasonable lap on old tyres which compared quite well to Jean’s best, which he set on fresh rubber. So I was cautiously optimistic for Saturday. After all, the handling was good and so at that stage was the balance.

We carried on changing the set-up slightly as qualifying continued on Saturday, trying as ever just to make the balance that little bit better.

On my last run I had a very good first section time, faster than Jean. But under braking for Turn 6 the back end stepped out as I downshifted and braked, so I was on slightly the wrong line for the back straight. That cost me time and I couldn’t quite make it all up again, even though I tried a bit of a do or die move at the chicane That left me 13th, just two places behind Jean. but it was not much to write home about.

Originally the team had planned for a one-stop race and it might have worked well if the Williams refuelling had not gone wrong. As a result Jacques had to stop again, which ruined his afternoon. Oops ...

Hill finished right behind Villeneuve in an unimpressive ninth place.

Tenth was Alesi in his Sauber, the Frenchman having made a bad start for once in his life and suffered for it all afternoon. As no-one retired he gained nothing.

Herbert was unlucky as ever, his

1‘

Nevertheless, it was good to have things going back in the right direction again after my recent run of problems. I was generally happy.

M

In the pipeline so P to end mv Sauber career i in the points.

y race wasn’t too bad, either. I passed Jean at the hairpin after he’d made a poor start, but unfortunately I got the wrong gear coming out so he repassed me on the exit.

Then I started to get some serious understeer, In the morning warm-up we’d tried a change from our qualifying set-up and that had lost me a massive amount of front-end grip, Though we reverted to the original set-up for the race, the problem persisted. Trying to turn the car into corners was a nightmare, I changed my cornering style to cater for the understeer when I stopped for my second set of Goodyears on lap 26 and that worked quite well. The car was more driveable and I began to catch Jean.

I had the gap was down to 1,5s on the 38th of the 67 laps when the engine suddenly blew up. I had absolutely no warning at all: nothing even registered on the telemetry in the garage, It was all a bit of a mystery, but the one thing that was crystal clear was that yet another race in my 1998 season had gone by without me scoring any championship points to add to that lonely one I scored in Melbourne back in March.

race ending on lap 38 with engine failure.

Barrichello came home in 11th and, with Verstappen finishing 13th, this was quite a good event for Stewart. The team finished two cars for the first time since the French GP. Between the two Stewarts was Panis’s Prost, the Frenchman remarking that the car had handled well in the race. The only problem was that almost everyone was reli able and so no advantage could be gained.

One of the few retirements was that of Trulli, who disappeared

early in the race with a gearbox fail ure which was hardly an original excuse-for the transmissionallychallenged French outfit.

Arrows managed to get Sale to the finish, the Finn chasing Verstappen across the fine in 14th.

- Diniz was less fortunate and retired after six laps with an hydraulic failure.

Nakano won the Ford customer VIO class this time, outrunning Takagi wdth a one-stop strategy.

Minardi also managed to get Tuero home, although he was not classified because he was eight laps behind as the result of a transmis-

A

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We now have a five-week before the Japanese GP. Suzuka is gap a fabulous cir cuit. It’s exciting and demanding, and features such a wide variety of comers that you are for ever finding little ways to go faster.

The 130R corner is a Japanese version of Spa’s Eau Rouge. If you get it right you can just take it flat without a confidence lift, but you really have to be very sure of yourself and your car to do that. The feeling when you get it right is exhilarating!

To be honest, I’m expecting a tough race, but we have some developments in the pipeline, which Jean and Jorg Muller will have tested at Barcelona and Mugello before we go to Japan, so I am hoping to end my three-year career as a Sauber driver with some points, After scoring in the opener it would be apposite I suppose to score in the closing race. Book-ends, if you like. It would be a good way to say goodbye to Sauber and a nice gift to all my fans in Japan, who are among the most supportive in the world. n

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sion failure on the first lap. The problem was repaired and Tuero used the rest of the afternoon as a test session...

TYrreU’s number two Rosset also failed to finish, going out with a Ford VIO failure.

It was a race of various levels. For the diehard FI fans it was a brilhant and intense fight between the two best drivers of the day, but for TV viewers around the world it seemed rather dull.

Things are likely to be a little more exciting when the FI circus gathers again in Suzuka at the end of October... n

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34

AUSTRALIAN MOTORCYCLE OR

9October W9S

Report by DARRYL FLACK

Repsol Honda star Michael Doohan clinched his fifth con secutive world 500cc champi onship after scoring an all the way win in the 1998 Qantas Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island on October 4.

Starting from pole position, the 33 year-old Queenslander dominat ed the meeting in front of a jubilant and par-tisan crowd.

“I set out to win two consecutive world championships, which I did and I thought any others would just be a bonus,” Doohan said after the race. “But winning my fifth - and especially in Australia - is just marvellous.”

Doohan’s dream run at Phillip Island was almost thwarted on the warm-up lap when his Honda NSR500 starting firing on only three cylinder's - lucikly, his team was able to fix the problem before the start.

Relaxed and effusive, Doohan stayed on in the media centre after the official press conference for over 30 minutes, chatting and signing autographs.

He also said he will be riding for Honda again in 1999, which will almost certainly be his last year.

In announcing the news, Doohan sought to reposition his bitter rival ry from 500 debutante Max Biaggi by nominating Alex Criville and Simon Crafar as equal title con tenders next year.

In the 125cc GP,ILazuto Sakata’s fourth place was good enough for him to secure his second eighthlitre world championship, while Tetsuya Harada’s sensational crash in the 250 GP has left the quarterlitre title wide open with just one round to go. ,

Another World Championship as Doohan decimates his Island opposition

places behind and it was only Okada, Criville and Abe (Rainey tovlafds the end of the session that Yamaha), with Ralf Waldmann he pushed into the top five and (Modenas Roberts), Nobby Aoki finally, second fastest in the ses- (Suzuki), Kenny Roberts Jnr 500 Qualifying (Modenas Roberts) and Regis The first qualifying session got sion.

“We got lost this morning. We Laconi (Red Bull Yamaha) on the off to a spectacular start with^ Movistar Honda’s Carlos Checa’s tried some new settings and though third row.

Checa’s pre-crash time was good high-speed front-end lose in turn 1 the bike was steering fast, it was enough to hold down first spot on very unstable through the fast cor on lap 6.

The Spaniard, who suffered a ner and bumps,” the four-time the fourth row from the Honda Vsimilar accident at the British GP world 250 champ said. “We went twins of Jurgen van den Goorbergh, several months ago in which he lost back to our standard settings this Sete Gibemau and Aussie wild card Craig Connell. his spleen, escaped serious injui-y, afternoon and the bike felt better.”

American Matt Wait and Run in 22 degi-ee Celsius temper but did not take any firrther part in the session. atures and a changeable wind, Connell’s team-mate Juan Borja > Equally shocking was team-mate Doohan was able to hold off Biaggi joined the other local 500 wild card, John Kocinski’s sizzling 1:33.712 on with a 1:33.162 on his 30th and Mark Willis, on the fourth row. final lap, compared vrith his adver his 13th lap.

PRESSURE’S OFF... A jubilant Follovring on from their hot free- sary’s 1:33.712 on his last circuit.

Try as he might, Crafar couldn’t Mick Doohan was in fine form at practice times, Doohan and Crafar (Red Bull Yamaha) were soon hard l eclipse Kocinski’s time and was the post-race press conference, where he announced his plans to ^on the American’s heels, with forced to settle for the last position * Barros, Okada and Criville (Repsol on the front row and first Yamaha again ride for Honda next season and campaign for his sixth World Hondas)next in line. on the grid.

Barros led the second row from Championship.(Tony Glynn pic) Biaggi languished several more OUCH!... It was a wild ride for #21 Franco Battaini in the 250cc GP, after his Edo Racing Yamaha ran off the track and cleaned up the Padgetts HRC Shop TSR-Honda of Jason Vincent, which was sidelined two laps earlier. Vincent was the runner-up to Phillip Island race winner Valentino Rossi in the Rookie oWmYear^kes.(Thunder-Pics/Agfa sequence)

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-'k. ' -

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9October 1998 Held in blustery, but cooler and less humid conditions, only one rider was able to launch into the top ten. n Red Bull Yamaha rider Laconi was able to lop off over a second from his first qualifying effort to jump from 12th to eighth position, while the provisional front row of Doohan, Biaggi, Kocinski and Crqfar didn’t get close to their earli er l;33s.

Willis, despite not riding for eight weeks after breaking his collarbone at Lakeside, showcased his impres sive talent by quickly getting into the 1:36s, before finally reeling off a 1:36.036 on his last lap to claim 15th position. ‘.‘I’m feeling better today and I can predict more of what will hap pen,” Willis said. ‘‘I feel happier sliding the rear today, though I know these bikes can bite very hard.”

Connell improved marginally to claim 17th spot with a 1:36.536 before his engine seized.

Garry McCoy completed nine laps before his Shell Advance Honda NSR500V suffered a seizure at MG Comer.

Earlier in the session, Biaggi suf fered a fi’ont-end lose past the hay shed and bairell rolled his number one Marlboro Honda at enormous speed - the Italian escaped unin jured and returned on the team’s spare machine.

“My number two machine didn’t feel so good; the front-end wasn’t giving me any confidence, so we. must ti7 and fix my favourite bike for tomoiTow. It’s a shame, because I felt good at the start of the session and I think I could’ve got dawn in to the 34s,” Biaggi said.

Still, things were seemingly only marginally better for Doohan, who

J'

I

35

struggled with the swirling wind and an unresponsive bike, “The wind is the worst. It’s gusty and not constant, so you don’t real ly know what’s got going on - plus the bike doesn’t want to steer, so you’re always fighting against what it wants to do,” Doohan explained Continued on next page HARD CHASE ... Tetsuya Harada closes on poleman Loris Capirossi in the 250 GP - but Harada, hav ing set the fastest lap on lap 7, crashed out four laps later, while Capirossi went on to claim the runner-up spot behind winner Valentino Rossi.

NOT SO HAPPY ... Max Biaggi (below) lost the psychological bat tle for the 500cc title.

(Tony Glynn pics)

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Continued from previous page 125 GP(23 laps) Masao Azuma (Honda) won an all too typical 125 GP with a last SENSATIONAI^... Kiwi Simon Crafar’s Red Buii lunge across the line from Tomomi Yam^a WCM was the only serious challenger to Manako (Honda) and Italian 16 DooMrt’s dominance, Crafar^MUm fastestijme year-old sensation Marco Melandri ’ on lap If. Unable to haulin the Australian champion,'-i' (Aprilia)- as his first-ever GP vic Crafar settled for runner-up status and sixth outright tory, it will be all the more memo in the SOOcc series points.(Tony Glynn pic) rable, the winning margin being only 0.025sec.

Manako made the holeshot and pulled out a safe buffer in the open ing laps, while pole-sitter Melandri, Azuma and Arnaud Vincent (Aprilia) engaged in a some heavyl duty sparring, leaving the Frenchman on his backside on lap 3 at Honda Comer.

Inexorably, the top four were drawn together, but it wasn’t until lap 13 that Azuma used the top speed advantage of his Honda to blast by Manako.

Within a matter of laps, Melandri was inspired by the cut and thmst up front and levered by Manako, 250 GP(25 laps) the race, until the gifted teenager who had just dispatched Azuma, Wild-card entry Shinya Nakano finally pulled the pin with five laps who was now in third.

(Yamaha) made a sharp start from to run.

The foursome were never more third on the grid, but the 1998 He took the lead out to over three than a second apart, until Manako Japanese 250 champion was soon seconds from the Frenchman, who made a decisive one-second break dispatched by the Aprilia freight was soon passed by the fast-finishwith three laps to go. train of Loris Capirossi, Harada ing Capirossi.

The Honda rider did all he could But Azuma fought back to nar and Valentino Rossi and the injuryrow down the gap, along with ridden Honda rider Ohvier Jacque. to hold off Capirossi, but failed by Melandri, who dropped off Sakata The foursome staged a dice every just 0.1 sec, while Rossi had eased in fourth place. bit as good as the 125 race and then off to win by 1.34sec.

On the final lap, Manako made a some, with Jacque particularly With just one round to go. decisive pass, but Azuma was able hungry to humble the Italian V- Capirossi leads the title chase with to draught him onto the straight, as twins, which have dominated in 204 points from Harada 200 and Melandri tried to take advantage of 1998 - he stuck it right to the Capirossi 176. a duel slipsteam across the line.

Aprilia team with daring moves The teenager almost made con right around the circuit.

500cc GP(27 laps) tact with Manako’s Honda as the Harada was in the thick of it, too.

All I was thinking about was three bikes weaved across the track but'uncharacteristically crashed on “lap 17’ - everybody [in] the press, and was forced to settle for third as the approach to MG and injured his had been drilling in to me about the Azuma claimed a stunning victory right leg. crash last year, so once I got by on the line.

His best lap time of 1:35.253 was that, I knew it would be okay,” Away from the madding crowd, ^ good enough to eclipse Ralf Doohan sedd after the race.

Sakata secured his second 125cc Waldmann’s 250 record set in 1997.

In a performance more reminisworld championship with a safe Jacque continued to spar with cent of Wayne Rainey, whose fourth place.

Rossi during the middle stages of jackrabbit starts were designed to

i

break the opposition early, Doohan blasted away to a comfortable and incredibly consistent buffer of about two and a half seconds to Biaggi, followed by a string of 3.1sec splits back to Norrick Abe (Rainey Yamaha) and then three laps at 2.8secs.

Soon though, Biaggi faded - “the pain was veiy bad, from my shoul ders to the bottom of my back,” he said in reference to his 220km/h practice get-off.

Criville and Barros joined the fray, along with Crafar.

With Abe back in fifth, the foruway tussle grabbed most of the attention, as Doohan clicked off the laps inexorably to his fifth and most popular world title.

As Crafar secured second place,

Criville and Ban’os fought furiously over the last podium position, with the nod going to the Spaniard who came from a long way back.

“I got a bad start again and so it was just impossible to catch Mick,” he said later.

Indeed. Doohan’s 53rd career victoiy was not his hardest fought, or most memorable, but will go down as a defining moment in his career.

“When I crashed at Czecho, I was sliding into the gi-avel trap think ing,‘there’s goes the championship.’

I really did,” Doohan revealed.

“So, to come back and win it with a round to spare is a real tribute to my team, Honda, Michelin and Doctor Costa. If it wasn’t for him, I probably wouldn’t have had a leg left after the crash in 1992.”

RAPID ROOKIE... Benetton Matteoni 125cc Honda rider Marco Melandri has already claimed the 1998 Rookie of the Year prize.(Tony Glynn pic)

’ SURPRISE RESULT... Masao Azuma stunned his peers with a mighty victory in the 125cc GP. Azuma’s Mac Motors Llegeols Comp Honda having the legs on the Hondas of Manako, 16 yearold Italian star Melandri and the Aprilia of new World Champion Kazufo Sakata, back in fourth place. Azuma currently ranks fourth in the championship pointscore.(Tony Glynn pic)

AUSSIE 125...

Peter Galvin’s splendid Teknic Motorcycle Clothing Honda.

Galvin came home 23rd in the 23-lap GP, which featured four local riders.

(Tony Glynn)

WHOOPIN’IT UP... Randy Mamola (left), cruising the pits on Sunday morning, shares a moment of levity with Erv Kanemoto’s ace tuner George Vucmanovich and MoviStar Honda Pons rider John Kocinski.(Glynn)

NUMERO UNO... Astounding teenage talent Valentino Rossi, Rookie of the Year in 250cc and Phillip Island winner on his Aprilia.(Tony Glynn)

NASCAR AT BATHURST

i',

Report by GRANT NICHOLAS NASCAR rookies Russell Ingall and Matthew White both flour ished in the AMP Bathiu-st 1000 one-hour support race - the Boh Jane Telecommunications 100 - last Saturday afternoon at Mount Panorama by finishing on the podium in their debut appearance in the Stck Car cat egory.

Ingall won the opening round of the 1998/99 Australian NASCAR Championship series in Scott Williams’ Vision/No Fear Chevrolet Monte Carlo from the Bob Jane TMarts Chevrolet Monte Carlo of reigning champion Kim Jane and young AUSCAR racer Matthew White in his Maxi Cube/Freighter Chevi'olet Monte Carlo.

The double Bathurst Touring Car enduro winner headed Thursday and Friday’s practice and qualify ing sheets with a two to six second advantage over the rest of the field as he sought a good race package, Ingall’s Super Tourer and V8 Supercar exploits on the mountain circuit highlighting his enormous dominance over the dozen other competitors in the 100 kilometre race.

Pole position went to Ingall with a 2:20.7550 lap, some 3.95 seconds clear of Sprintcar star Todd Wanless in the Wanless Truck Ford Parts/BXT Trading Thunderbird and then young White - it was a small, but quality field.

Next was Terry Wyhoon from Marshall Brewer,^Neville Lance, Ken James, Eddie Abelnica, Graham Smith, Rodney Jane, Terry Byers, Bob Middleton.and defend ing series champion Kim Jane.

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07

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^ The intimate IB

DOMINANT DEBUT... Russell Ingall quickly settled into left-hand drive mode,leaving his opposition in his wake.(Dirk Klynsmith pic) Kim Jane’s Chevrolet suffered Jerico gearbox problems in the final practice'session and during qualify ing, while the similar machine of his younger cousin, Rodney, had overheating problems during quali fying,,the drpmas providing the John Sidney Racing crew with plen ty of night-time work.

Several drivers visited the kitty litter, oi:touchedthe concrete walls around the 6.13 kilometre circuit during the practice sessions, as they searched for the right set-up and a good brake balance.

The rolling start saw Tngall immediately burst into the lead when the starter waved his flag, the pole-man never to be headed for the balance ofthe 16-lapper.

As the field streamed through the left-hander at McPhillamy Park for the first time, Wanless had a massive moment, resulting in a trip to the sand trap just short of arriv ing in the lap of the Network Seven cameraman.

“I just entered the corner too hard,” stated a disappointed Wanless. “The car was handling

good and I was sure that I would be able to put some pressure on Russell and Kim for the lead.

“But I’ll just leave for Parramatta City Raceway a little earlier now, as I’m racing a Sprintcar there tonight.”

Several laps later, Rodney Jane spun his Fast Fone Chevrolet Monte Carlo at Hell Corner - he restarted but, unfortunately, parked the car just before Reid Park with teminal driveline prob lems.

V T just don’t know Miat happened

as I turned into the comer,” said Jane Junior. “The next thing I knew, the car had spun around; then I couldn’t get proper drive maybe the clutch, or an axle, has broken.”

By lap 4, the Bob Jane T-Marts car of Kim Jane was in second posi tion and chasing hard after the flee ing Ingall.

As the leading group of Ingall, Jane, Wyhoon and 'White pitted for two tyres and fuel, Brewer inherit ed the lead in his PennzoiVCigweld Continued on next page

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BATHURST

Bathurst Briefs -

W'

n It appears that five Australian NASCAR teams could be invited to compete in the forthcoming Japanese Stock Car races, with Jim Richards, Marshall Brewer, Terry Wyhoon and the Jane cousins possibly being nomi nated for the trip.

,»r.‘

MOVERS AND SHAKERS... Traditional first corner congestion at daunting Mount Panorama. (Dirk Klynsmith) A.

■ After the Bathurst NASCAR event. Bob Jane stated that the cars would return next year - however, the Stock Cars wiU be lighter in weight, fitted with alloy wheels, bigger Goodyear tyres and larger disc brakes.

■ Todd Wanless announced at Bathurst that he would not be contesting the remaining rounds of the NASCAR series, unless he can source a corpo rate backer for his Ford Thimderbird.

His brother, Dean, is also in a similar position, leaving his Ford Taurus and new race engine in the US until extra financial support can be gained.

PEAK HOUR... Compulsory pit stop saw the big V8s produce plenty of excitement. (Dirk Klynsmith pic) Continued from previous page Chevrolet Monte Carlo fi-om Perth’s Neville Lance in the Autopro/Kihg Koil Ford Thunderbird.

Jane’s crew performed a splendid stop, allowing, him to be right on

the tail of the Vision car as they exited the pits.

- After^the compulsory pit stops between laps 10 and 12, the race order was Ingall, Jane, Wyhoon, White, Brewer, Lance, Smith, James, Al^lnica, Byers and Middleton.

Rudd tops Martinsville

R^ky Rudd kept ahve a 16-year streak of winning at least one race each year after emerging victorious at the half-mile Martinsville Speedway on September 27.

It was a complete tumai-ound for Rudd, who had recorded no top five results during the year - and just four days previously crew chief Bill Ingle qmt, only to return the foUowing day.

'Rudd, who started on the outside pole overcame extreme heat in his car and bums to his back when his helmet pooler system failed to work with temperatures in the car around 200 degrees - his crew had Hut Stricklin standing by early in the race for a possible driver change.

Rudd who became the sixth different short track winner in six races, held on to win by .533 seconds over Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin, who both failed to lead a lap.

But Gordon added five points to his championship advantage over Martin and led by 199 points.

Dale Jarrett succumbed to a broken camshaft and finished 42nd eifter just 299 laps and fourth-placed points contender Rusty Wallace holed a radiator on the start to finish 28th.

With Jarrett 47G points and Wallace 581 in arrears, it’s a pretty safe bet that the championship will come down to Gordon or Martin, except ing any major mechanical failures by both the Hendrick Chevy and Roush Ford.

Final positions: Rudd (Ford) 73.350 mph, Gordon (Chevy), Martin (Ford), Bickle (Ford), J Burton (Ford), T Labonte (Chevy), Elliott (Ford), Irvan (Pontiac) 499 laps, Benson (Ford), B Labonte (Pontiac).

Points standings: Gordon 4297, Martin 4098, Jarrett 3827, R Walace 3716, B Labonte 3553, Mayfield 3513, J Burton 3507, Earnhardt 3209, T - MARTIN D CLARK Labonte 3104, Andretti 3051.

By three-quarter race distan ce, White squeezed by Wyhoon’s BP Car care Ford Thunderbird after it went out onto the grass at the Chase.

On lap 14, the Melbourne’s Cheapest Cars Chevrolet Monte Carlo of Abelnica parked on the top of the mountain with a broken transmission, as Byers slowed with expensive noises from his machine’s transmission.

●’Only running a limited cam paign this season is Matthew White in the ex-Ian Thomas Chevrolet Monte Carlo, as he is only planning to run at the 1999 Qantas Formula One meeting with a full assault planned in 2000.

■ FeOow AUSCAR racer Eddie Abelnica expects to run his NASCAR at the Adelaide International Raceway, the Albert Park event and the final round of the series on the Calder Park Thunderdome in April with his ex-John Faulkner Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

■ “My first two laps around Mount Panorama were years ago, when I was drunk in the back of a panel van,” com mented Revell/Wet Paint NASCAR driver Ken James before he went onto the track for his first official practice session.

■ Following a successful test session at Calder Park, young Legends and Commodore Cup driver Matthew Coleman will be contesting the GT Production race at the FAI 1000 Classic race meeting next month at Bathurst in the Maserati Ghibli with Alfredo Costanzo.

Coleman was surveying the Mount Panorama circuit on the weekend in preparation for his GTP debut next month.

He is delighted with the prospect of competing in a car that has the potential to win the event, following Costanzo and Dean Canto’s success in the OAMPS One-Hour race last month at Sandown.

The final finishing order was Ingall, Jane, White, Wyhoon, Brewer, Lance, James, Smith, Middleton and Byers.

Ingall said that Kim had given him a hard time, as he was plan ning to take things reasonably easy and conserve the brakes on the 3300 pound machine.

“We fumbled our pit stop a bit, allowing Kim to get close to the me; however, I was able to open up a four-second break by the end,” Ingall said.

“Right fi'om the start, I was aim ing to save the brakes and, at one stage going into Caltex Chase, I had both feet on the brake pedal and it wouldn’t lock any of the wheels,” the ultra-cool Ingall explained.

At the post-race media confer ence, Kim Jane stated that Ingall would not be getting assistance from him when the V8 Toui’ing Car driver makes his super speedway debut on the Thunderdome on November 1!!

Lwky seventh for Mark Martin

Mark Martin came up the victor on October 4 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway after starting fi’om the outside front row and dominating proceedings to lead the most laps and take his sev enth -win of the season.

“Ernie Irvan showed me a line to run around three and four and that helped me out some. There were a lot of drivers that could of had a shot to win today that had trouble,” remarked Martin, who was making reference to the ten caution periods that wiped out several top running teams.

As for points rival Jeff Gordon, he miraculously escaped the wrecks - but, with minor damage to the rear, the height of his rear spoiler was affected and, after running with Martin earlier, his car lost it’s edge.

Gordon still managed a fifth place result, after passing the Roush Fords of Chad Little and Kevin Lepage in the waning laps.

Derrike Cope was the surprise pole sitter with a 181.690 mph speed, Gordon equally surprising when he posted the 26th fastest speed of 178.974 mph, his worst starting position since Atlanta in March when he wrecked his prima ry car and reverted to a back-up Cope’s pole was the ninth this year for Pontiac, the most since NASCAR’s ‘modern era’ back in 1972.

There was a red flag for fortyplus minutes due to water flooding the track from a broken sewer in the backstretch grandstands because of this and the cautions, the chequered flag fell some five hours later than the race staif.

1998 WINSTON COP SERIES RESGETS UAW GM 500 = Charlotte, NC. October 4th, 1998. 334 laps I. Z 3.

4.

5.

6.

Mark Martin, BatEsville,Arlc, Ford 334. $151,950.

Ward Burton, South Boston, Va, Pontiac, 334, $96,700.

Jeff Burton, South Boston, Va, Ford, 334, $76,250.

Bobby Hamilton, Nashville, Tenn, Chevrolet 334, $83,300.

Jeff Gordon, Vallejo, Calif, Chevrolet 334, $79,450.

Kevin Lepage, Shelbume, Vt, Ford, 334, $54,700.

7.

8.

9.

Joe Nemechek, Lakeland Fla, Chevrolet 334, $46,400.

Chad Lhtie, Spokane, Wash., Ford, 334, $36,500.

Geoff Bodine, Chemung, N.Y, Ford 334, $45,000.

10.

Jimmy Spencer, Berwick, Pa., Ford, 334, $50,600.

It.

BUI Elliott, Dawsonvi«e,Ga,F=ord, 334, $37,900.

li 13.

14.

15.

johnAndretti, Indianapolis,Pontiac,334,$41,100.

Michael Wahrip, Owensboro, Ky, Ford, 334, $35,850.

Derrike Cope, Spanaway, Wash., Pontiac, 334, $68,289.

Todd Bodine, Chemung, N.Y, Chevrolet, 333, $28,300.

16. Kenny Wallace, St Louis, Ford 333, $25,400.

17. Rich Bidde,EdgertDn,Wis., Ford, 333, $30,000.

18. Kyle Petty, Ran<8eman,N.C. Pontiac, 332, $28,800.

19. Brett Bodine, Chemung, N.Y, Ford 332, $28,400.

20.

Kenny Irwin, Indianapolis, Ind, Ford, 326, $35,050.

Ward Burton was a welldeserved runner-up in his Bill Davis Pontiac after hounding Martin in much of the late going.

Burton’s brother Jeff came home third after fighting from a lap down at one point.

The remainder of the top ten saw some unusual names that have not featured recently.

Final positions: Martin (Ford), W Burton (Pontiac), J Burton (Ford), Hamilton (Chevy), Gordon (Chevy), Lepage (Ford), Nemechek (Chevy), Little (Ford), G Bodine (Ford), Spencer (Ford).

Points standings: Gordon 4457, Martin 4283, Jarrett 3758, R Wallace 3641, J Burton 3512, B Labonte 3444, Mayfield 3441, Earnhardt 3125, Andretti 3018, T Labonte 2993.

- MARTIN D CLARK

i ms J :7

r

Standings After Rd 27 ,4,457 1. Jeff Gordon . . .

4,283 2. Mark Martin .

3,918 3. Dale Jarrett . .

3,801 4. Rusty Wallace 3,672 5. Jeff Burton . ..

3,604 6. Bobby Labonte 3,601 7. Jerry Mayfield 8. Dale Earnhardt 3,285 3,178 9. John Andretti 3.153 10. Terry Labonte

DRAG RACING

9October m

33

Rain delays Topeka

Persistent rain showers put the final eliminations for the Parts America Nationals at Topeka on October 4 on hold for two weeks.

Gary Scelzi, Cruz Pedregon and Mark Osborne were the top quali fiers in their respective classes, the weather playing a big role in some of the teams laying down usual big numbers.

Pro Stock Truck concluded their eliminations on Saturday with Craig Eaton driving his Atsco/Mopar Dodge Dakota to victo ry in the final round over John Lingenfelter’s Chevy S-10, 7.747/172.24 to 7.808/172.54.

Eaton qualified third and stopped Bill Henderson, David Nickens and Bob Panella Jr in the early rounds.

Lingenfelter took out Dave McConnell, Todd Patterson and

Brad Jeter en route to the final, retake the lead. moving to within 47 points of point Funny Car saw the Interstate leader Larry Kopp, who failed to Batteries Pontiac of Cruz Pedregon qualify for the show. grab the number one spot at Scelzi put his red hot, Winston 4.941/293.82, with Chuck EtcheUs’ fueller on the pole with the fifth Kendall Camaro right behind at 4.951/306.74. quickest run in history at 4.561 sec onds at a whopping 321.77 mph.

Ron Capps put his Copenhagen Doug Kalitta led the qualifying Camaro into the third slot at early with a 4,561/315.78, while 4.986/303.84, with Tony Pedregon Larry Dixon put the Miller Lite ending up fourth at 4.992 at a new dragster third with a 4.620/318.92. track speed record at 314.46 mph.

Connie Kalitta laid down a good Tim Wilkerson (5.071/295.56), 4.631/308.85, right alongside Scelzi Whit Bazemore (5.117/303.841, Jim to quahfy fourth.

Epler (5.170/309.49) and John Force The run was not without inci (5.193/297.81) round out the top dent, as Connie drifted behind eight. Frank Pedregon, pioloting the Scelzi in the shutdown area, Geronimo Camaro, rounded out the putting the car on the two left-side program with a 5.767/221.56.

Pro Stock saw its share of sur tires and almost rolling it - Kalitta saved the car, but grazed the wall, prises, with Mark Osborne taking suffering no major damage. the number one position with a Bob Vandergriff(4.648/318.92), 6.924/197.71, Jim Yates following Kenny Bernstein(4.655/321.08), at 6.950/197.19.

Mike Dunn(4,671/314.13) and Cory Jeg Coughlin put his Oldsmobile McClenathan(4.672/317,68) round third with a 6.955/197.10, with Tom ed out the top eight.

Martino going fourth-best on his Eddie Hill anchored the field last shot at 6.960/197.02. with a 5.013/307.58.

George Marnell (6.961), Kurt The first'round should have an Johnson (6.962), Bruce Allen interesting outcome on the points (6.963) and Warren Johnson (6.965) picture, with Bernstein taking on roimded out the top eight.

Joe Amato, who ended up 11th at Larry Morgan held onto the 4.800/317.90, making the show on bump spot with a 7.004 in his his last pass.

Raybestos Chevrolet Camaro.

If both Scelzi and McClenathan Look for complete results from advance into the second roimd, they Topeka, along with the Memphis would face each other, where Scelzi report, in the following issue of can increase his lead, or Cory can Motorsport News.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI close the distance and possibly

Aussie Jet Boat World Champ wins Stateside r

A;-

DYNOMAX BACKS POIITO AGAIN... Dynomax Performance Exhaust will once again be the major sponsor of Joe Polito, Australia’s quickest Pro Stock driver, during the upcoming season. ^ Polito ^ whose Dynomax Ford Probe holds the 7.71*sec national e.t. record and ranks as the word’s fastest 6.5-pounds per cubic inch Pro Stocker ^ was runner-up to Rob Tucker last season.

New track for 116

i

The new home for Perth’s ■Ravenswood International Raceway and Claremont Speedway will be an Alcoa red tailing site in industrial Kwinana.

With Claremont Speedway recently given a two year extension at the Royal Agricultural Showgrounds, the hunt continued for a new, puiyiose-built motorsport pai’k in Perth.

The companies that run WA’s leading speedway and the state’s only drag racing facility recently become one in an attempt to find a new home to take motorsport into the next century on the West Coast.

In announcing the new venue.

State Government Planning Minister, Graham Kierath, who, along with Premier Richard Court, helped broker a deal for Claremont’s extension, said the decision would benefit both the motor sports involved.

He said there would be a signifi cant spin-off for the local communi ty in terms of business, employ ment for up to 200 people, youth involvement and plans for exhibi tion floor space.

Kierath said the racing motor plex would rejuvenate industrial land into an international standard facility that would attract overseas visitors to motor racing events.

He said the facility would also be available for other uses like sport ing events, displays and open day events when not being used for drag racing or speedway.

Kwinana is a southern suburb near the end of Perth’s main free way, providing easy access to the venue that will be located between Thomas and Anketell Roads.

Motorplex spokesperson Gary Miocevich said the venue would create extensive tourism opportuni ties.

He said the site was the result of four year’s comprehensive investi gations and was well separated from residential areas.

“The Motorplex will be designed to minimise noise emissions using sound walls and sound bunding,” Mr Miocevich said.

“This will play an important role in ensuring the new Motorplex will give great benefits to the local com munity, while being an environmentallyresponsible neighbour.

“The Rockingham Road site also has excellent dual carriageway traf fic areas having very local impact on local residential areas.”

There are also plans to establish community-based driver training activities - Miocevich said Perth had very few places where family groups could attend “hands-on” training.

The new motoi-plex site is sched uled to be completed by mid-2000 to take over from both Claremont Speedway and Ravenswood International Raceway, venues that must close at the end of the 1999/2000 season.

The area, known as ABC Lakes, is owned by the State and is leased to Alcoa’s Kwinana Refinery for dis-posal of residue from alumina pro duction. The site was leased under the 1961 Alumina Agreement Act, which created the Kwinana Refinery - the Act allows the State to request the return of the land.

See photo on page 41.

- DARREN O’DEA

Wangaratta Jet Boat racer Stephen Dittko and his wife, Kim, dominated the second round of the ’98 World Jet Sprint Boat Championship in Spokane, Washington State, in the USA on September 26.

After finishing ninth overall in the opening round in Boise, Idaho, the weekend prior, Stephen and navigator Kim recorded the quick est lap time in their Pennzoil spon sored racecraft during the elimina tion finals, some three seconds quicker than the US and fellow international competitors.

“We’re delighted to have been able to show the American and New Zealand teams how hard we can run,” commented Stephen, the defending World Champion.

“The next round of the series is to be held in West Austraha in a cou-

pie of months time and Kim and I will be out to be on top of the win ner’s rostmm once again.”

The team’s crew chief Tony Brooks and his son, Cameron, cur rently the world’s third-fastest Top Doorslammer team with their drag racing Pennzoil Chevrolet Baretta, altered the boat’s fuel management system after experiencing problems with stale methanol fuel a week earher.

Holden Racing Team endurance star Greg Murphy managed to score third place in the A- Class Jet Sprint Boat final for restricted per formance craft, while fellow V8 Supercar hero Jason Bargwanna was hospitalised with a suspected crushed vertebrae after his racecraft slid off the course at high speed.

- GRANT NICHOLAS

Calder and AIR cancelled

The season-opening events scheduled for both Calder Park Raceway and Adelaide Intemational Raceway were unexpectedly cancelled late last week. , _ , .. u i i No reasons were given for the sudden announcement by the Calder Park management, but spokesperson Sharon Elder stated that Bob Jane was contemplating the possibility of producing some form of press release to Lart^WedMsday night (September 30). a meeting of Ucence holders and vehicle ownera was convened m Melbourne to discuss lie increased entry fees levied by Calder Park for the upcommg season and the revised

« app~ch «®RA

T«„,

Thornton, to express the competitors’ concerns about the new fees and pnzemoney structure with the Jane organisation and act as a negotiator during any subsequent dialogue - and. contrary to rumours, there was never any consideration given to any form of boycott by the group.

News of the event cancellations came from CMder Park the previous day.

-10 In a 1998 season full of rule changes, controversy and tur moil, Scotty Cannon clinched his sixth IHRA Pro Mod World Championship with a win at the Presidents Cup Nationals at Mai’yland on September 27.

After overcoming a mid-season rules change which slowed down how fast he could spin his super charger, Cannon came into this event faced with a new rule that added another 100 pounds to his Cable TV Magazine ’53 Studebaker.

Cannon, not one to hold back his feelings, told those responsible for the new rule where they could stick the 100 pounds!

Cannon put his familiar “Killer Red ’Mater” into the program sec ond with a 6.452/217.00, behind Shannon Jenkins’ 6.424/212.49 in l what was the quickest field in histoiy.

It took a 6.495 to crack the top eight and you had to go better than the 6.518 of Billy Hai’per to play on Sunday.

Cannon wasted no time in eliminations, using a 6.522/215.41 to erase Tim McAmis’ 6.747/184.19 in roimd one.

A 6.516/216.27 stopped the Firebird of Harold Martin in round two.

But the semi-final round would prove to be one of the best, as Cannon lined up against Tommy Mauney.

Following burnouts, the two lit the pre-stage bulbs and just sat there -for over a minute!! starter Clyde Peak took a seat on the starting line, waiting for the drivers-to stage.

When the two finally came in, it was Cannon leaving on Mauney and turning the quickest pass of eliminations at 6.483/217.04, while Mauney’s engine let go at mid track.

In the filial round. Cannon lined up with the ’63 Coiwette of Wally Stroupe, whd had earlier taken out Dale Brinsfield, Shannon Jenkins and Ed Hoover to reach the final.

While Stroupe cut a great .417 reaction time, his 6.633/213.30 was no match for the 6.500/215.48 fired

by Cannon.

“Our morale was awful low when we came in here,” explained Cannon.

“We honestly didn’t think we had a chance to win at this race. We made a bad mn in the first session of qualifying and it was at that point that we knew that we had to get our heads out of our butts and race. We did just that and things cam6 around.”

Tom Lee scored the win in Pi-o Stock in an all-Ford final round battle.

Lee drove his “Tennessean' Probe to a final round win over new point leader Daniel Seamon, 6.768/204.85 to 6.791/204.29.

Lee had made his way into the final round with wins over Larry O’Brien, Dwayne Rice and John Montecalvo, while Seamon had stopped the machines ofPete Berner, Ron Miller and Angelo Alesci.

The field was also the quickest in history, ranging from the 6.678 of Stewart Evans to the bump spot of 6.750, held down by Rice.

RAMMIN’IT HOME... Scotty Cannon very effectively made his point by adding another Championship to his impressive tally. (David Ostaszewski)

Cannon takes sixth title Quickest IHRA Pro Modfield ever!

The 6.678 of Evans was backed up for another new national e.t. record, while the 208.36 mph pass from Chris Holbrook’s Ford set a new speed record, Tony Gillig’s Oldsmobile became the first GM-powered car to dip below 6s70 when he clocked a 6.699 during qualifying.

Going into the final event in 1998, the Pro Stock point race looks like it will go right down to the final round of racing, Seamon sits on top of the point standings with 4570, followed by Holbrook (4470), Gillig (4250), Miller (4220) and Montecalvo (3870).

The Alcohol Funny Car Championship was wi-apped up for 1998, as Von Smith claimed the title with a win at Budds Creek.

Smith and his Kooler Engine Treatment Pontiac defeated the Ethanol Dodge Avenger of Mark Thomas in the final round in what was the closest race of the day, 6.021/231.87 to 6.043/229.24 - the better .454 to .476 reaction time by Thomas made the race a mathematical dead heat.

Smith advanced with wins over Mark Poyser, Jim Lape and Scott Weney, while Thomas scored round wins over Mick Steele, Melinda Green and defending series champion Jimmy Rector, - DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

¥

:2

1

ANOTHER QUICKEST-EVER... Tom Lee defeated the quickest IHRA Pro Stock Field ever. (Ostaszewski)

m I

\ V'

SENSATIONAL SEMI ... Tommy Mauney (right) and Cannon tried to burn each other down in a pre stage duel - Cannon went on to take the win, while Mauney blew his engine at mid-track.

(David Ostaszewski pic)

1998 IHRA CHAMPIONSHIP DRAG RACING SERIES - POINTS TO OCTOBER 1ST, 1998.

1998 IHRA Top Fuel Championship 5,540 I. Tommy Johnson Jr .5,1 80 2. Paul Romine .4,590 3. Doug Herbert... .3,400 4. David Bieneman . .2,4 80 5. Don Lampus .... .2,370 6..' Danny Dunn .2,350 7. Jack Ostrander ..

1,670 8. Bruce Litton ....

1,560 9. Luigi Novelli ....

1,340

1998 IHRA Top Fuel Hariey Championship 5,351 I. Johnny Mancuso .4,441 2. Bill Furr .4,01 1 3. Ray Price .4,001 4. Jim McClure .. .3,980 5. Bob Spina .... ,3,951 6. Jay Turner 3,21 1 7. Jamie Emeiy ..

1,860 8. Mark Conner .

1,470 9. Mike Romine ..

1,391 10. John Russell ...

1998 IHRA Pro Mod Championship .8,440 I. Scotty Cannon .4,600 2. Ed Hoover ... .4,270 3. Shannon Jenkins .4,170 4. Fred Hahn .... .3,460 5. Carl Moyer ...

3,440 6. Tim McAmis .. .3,300 7. Dale Brinsfield .

3,030 8. Mike Castellana ,2,720 9. Tommy Mauney .2,690 10. Quain Stott ...

I-

90ciot)eim

Williams Grove win by Mark K Mark Kinser - who’s been out of the spotlight more than his 15times championship-winning car owner father would like recently - hit back with victory in what should have been the preliminary night of the 36th Williams Grove National Open.

When rain set in last Saturday, the main event was postponed till Sunday afternoon; but that, too, was lost to rain, forcing officials to cancel the remainder of the pro gramme.

Kinser, the llth-fastest qualifier in the 49-car field, received plenty of help in the heat races - only three of the eight fastest drivers in time trials qualified for the feature through the heats, putting Mark on the front row in the Channellock dash, which he won.

Steve Kinser, Danny Lasoski, Tim Shaffer and Billy Pauch were forced to qualify through the BMain.

Kevin Gobrecht, wbo won the Outlaws race here back in July, started on the front row alongside

Kinser and jumped into the lead.

Joe Gaeiie and Sammy Swindell tangled on lap 2 and Donny Schatz hit them and flipped over the guard rail.

Swindell d idnt make the restaiT, but on the restart Gobrecht’s top wing come off the #1G and he hit the wall hard - Swindell returned to the field, but a lap down.

Following some cautions, Greg Hodnett challenged Kinser for the lead before Kinser opened a gap by the fall of the flag.

Hodnett snared second, ahead of Lasoski, Chris Eash, Tyler Walker, Jeff Shepard, Steve Kinser, Tim Shaffer, Pauch and 19th-starting Johnny Herrera.

The result now sees Steve Kinser leading the points chase on 8891 from Mark Kinser (8797), Sammy Swindell (8776), Stevie Smith (8752), Lasoski (8653), Andy Jac (8484), Hillenburg Haudenschild (8378), Herrera (8332), Jeff Swindell (8205) and Dale Blaney (8120).

-BRETT SWANSON

-MARTY’S OPENING NIGHT PGR SPRINTCAR WIN ..j Young (Sprintcar hotfoot Marty Perovich is celebrating after a hardfought win over Robbie Farr and Mark Blighton in the first i Sprintcar featwe race of the season at Parramatta City Rapeway j -WADEAUNGER i last weekends Report ne^ issue.

Jamie McHugh took out (he opening round of the Australian Garages Super Sedan Series with an effortless win ^at Gympie’s Mothar Mountain Speedway o^ September 26.

McHugh, in his first competitive outing aboard the Miami Smash Repairs Camaro formerly cam paigned by Lyndsay Hawkings, started the 15-lap featm-e event from pole position and led throughout.

In a welcome return to foirni, Chris Albert steered his Mecano Sheds Commodore into second position, ahead of Don Birt (Gympie Bearing Supplies Falcon), Lee Noon (Universal Contracting Commodore), Darren Bates (Fibretech Camaro) and Kev Barkle (Elf Commodore). .

McHugh earned the right to start from pole with two heat wins.

Defending series champ Cameron Meehan took out the other heat, but failed to slow after the chequer and slammed hard into the turn 1 concrete, inflicting significant dam age on his immaculate Australian Garages Falcon.

The only other incident on the night came in the early laps of the feature, when Kelvin Hamilton who had earlier been mistakenly

¥ )

4

/■

-t, f

LOOKING TO THn FUTUKE ... Raveuswood lutematioual' Raceway’s Gary Miocevich (left) and Claremont Speedway’s Con Migro assess the industrial land that will be turned into sm internation al standard motorsport pm?k in the next two years in Western Australia (see “New track for WA” - DARREN O’DEA story on page 39). (Daniel Wilkins pic)

Scare’s USA team set

The driver line-up for the 1998/99 John Soares USA Super Sedan test match series team has been finalised, with Soares being joined by super-popular regular visitor Charlie Swartz and first-time toiu’ist Don Shelton.

Shelton, a 33 year-old Antioch-based facer, has been competing in California and Oregon for 14 years in both sedans and Dirt Modifieds.

This season has by far been his best at the banked Antioch clayway, with 17 top five finish es fi-om a possible 22 featm’e starts - 11 features resulted in podium finishes.

Soares has already had one container arrive in Australia with race parts and another is due late this month - the Soares team will first appear on December 5 at Kingaroj' in Queensland.

Effortless victory for McHugh Australian Garages Super Sedan Series kicks off at Gympie

disqualified fi-om a heat - rode the wall in the main straight and retired.

Modified Productions contested the opening round of the Autobam Series and put on a quality display of racing.

Greg Raymont (Cooroy Auto Wreckers Cortina) and Mark Pagel (Speed Shop Commodore) swapped the lead throughout the 20 lap fea ture and were joined in battle through the closing stages by Queensland champion Gary Pagel (Madills Commodore), who had ear lier been banished to the rear.

Raymont held on to win from Gary Pagel, with Mark Pagel rele gated to third just a few laps from home.

Glenn Pagel (AmpoT Commodore) finished fourth, ahead of Andy Geppert, Brock Clifford and Glenn Truin (Ford Wreckers Falcon).

Raymont (2), Gary Pagel, Mark Pagel, Todd Doyle (Betta Electrical

The familiar mid-mounted Panteras campaiged by father and son team Bert and Craig Vosbergen will not be seen in action at Claremont Speedway this com ing season.

The #8 car driven by Craig has been sold to a driver in Victoria and the #4 car that has tested the mechanical mind of Bert has been put further back in the shed.

Taking priority is a pair of new-look Pontiacs that will feature all the latest run ning gear that has just been sliipped in from America.

So, after persisting with the high-perfor mance Panteras that looked the fastest cars on the track only to break down on so many occasions, the Vosbergens have decided to join the rest of the pack and run with frontmounted engines.

The team is hoping the change will pro-

Commodore) and Maryborough’s Steve Thomson collected heat wins.

Formula 500s made a rare appearance, but couldn’t muster a very big field for the occasion.

Gordon Papps, Eddie Schewle and Ken Murray took out the heats and fi nished the feature race in that order.

It took three attempts to get the Street Sedan feature race under way, but when it did get started it went the full 20 laps without inter ruption.

Craig Harm (Pomfret Plumbing Supplies Falcon) clocked a new track record on his way to victory over Paul Hussey, who started back

in 10th - then came Mark Wilcox, Mark Kelly and Mark Hibbett.

Frank Packer (Hervey Bay Wreckers Commodore) was victori ous inthe Super Street Sedan fea ture, leading home Paul Rushton, Shane Skene, Mark Harrison and Jim Springate.

- CHRIS METCALF

Adelaide Sprintcar innovations Adelaide’s Speedway City is to introduce two innovations to its Sprintcar scene this season.

Promoter Wendy Turner plans to run the inaugural Australian Sprintcar Stampede as feature atraction at the closing show m April 10.

This event will coincide with the Sensational Adelaide 500 Street Race for V8 tourers and should pro vide race fans with plenty to whet

their motorsport appetites.

The speedway hopes to attract a top-class line-up for their Stampede event, with a view to turning the race into an aimual event.

Turner is also introducing a Drive of Your Life scheme.

During each meeting, spectators can enter a lucky draw competition entitling the winner to drive the house Sprintcar, which is nearing completion under the spannership

Pontiac move by Vosbei:gens

duce the consistency that has been lacking in recent times.

And, while Vosbergen fans, particularly those of Bert, will have to get used to him dri ving in a less-i-adical style of car, there is no need for complete despair - that Pantera hasn’t been completed banished from the clay.

The Grand Prix-style diff has been con verted to a normal one and the suspension that collapsed regularly, particularly when running on rough tracks, has been altered.

Occasionally, the Pantera will be loaded up in the team’s Hollywood-style transporter for a bit of fun. The transporter, a bus, has to be seen to be believed.

It sleeps 10, with nine beds, has seating

for 15 while on the highway and has all the modem comforts of home, including a fridge, stereo, lounge suite and television.

It also houses two race cars, spares, including engines and has a sun roof and hydraulic ramp at the rear.

But the main focus is on the Pontiacs, with around 32 race meetings penned in, includ

ing 10 at Claremont Speedway.

Crew chief Brian “Bear” Chalmers has revealed that a fair bit of racing will be done on the eastern side of Australia.

This kicks off with the Tasmanian Title on January 30, followed by the big-dollar Cascade Apple Isle Grand Prix at Latrobe on Febraary 4-6.

of Jeff Harris - this is a stack tube, low-bar car, which hasn’t run in Australia since being imported from America by co-promoter Bob Sincock.

The lucky draw winner will be entitled to turn in.some hot laps during interval, with time to change their underwear- and catch the rest of the programme from the grandstands.

- DAVID McNABB

A week later and the WA duo will be com peting in the Garry Devlin Memorial at Hobart, followed by the Victorian Title at Wamambool on February 20.

This all leads up to the National Super Sedan Title at the Mt Gambler Bullring from February 26-28.

Bert’s main poweiplant fo)- the big attack is a new engine built by Rob Benson of Touring Car fame, while Craig’s engine has been freshened up from last year-.

The team will then head home to complete the rest of the WA season, including the three-round State Title that takes in Claremont, Collie and Boulder.

Sponsorship for the team has come from Shell, World Wide Machinery, ICI Autocolour, Dale Concrete, Bert Vosbergen Head Reconditioning, Voscorp and Nuford.

-DARREN ODEA

Maitland driver Stu Robertson is known as the Quiet

-r

.ByChris Metcalf n The 1998/99 Toowoomba season kicked off on September 19 with the annu al Carnival of Flowers meet ing at Charlton Raceway.

The program featured AMCA Nationals and Litre Sprintcars and, while neither divisionwa able to muster a veiy big field for the occasion, they did put on a reasonably good display on a per fect racing surface.

The 10-car Litre Sprintcar field became smaller as the night progressed, with a series of mechanical maladies leaving just six cars to contest the feature race.

Brendan Leggatt went to the lead at the drop of the green and was untroubled in taking the 10lap event ahead of Stuart Farmillo, Scott Nicholls and

Brian Eldridge.

Farmillo topped qualifying with two heat wins, the second of which resulted in a new 6-lap track record.

Leggatt and Nicholls - the lat ter in his first drive in the divi sion after previously campaign ing a Modified Production - also collected wins.

AMCA Nationals are hailed by many as the boom category in Australian speedway, yet they produced just 11 competitors for their events.

The three preliminaries werp taken out by Chris Bell, Jim Knight and former Sprintcar pedaller Neil Lorenz, who also collected a new 8-lap track record.

With Lorenz absent from the feature race field, Knight proved that you can’t contrive competi tiveness in motor'racing when he annihilated his opponents to fin ish almost a full lap clear of his nearest rival.

Bob Dennis, after a sluggish start, looked likely to challenge Knight until a flat tyre on lap 8 forced him onto the infield.

Bell finished in second spot, followed by newcomer Brett Rigby, Neil Nowlan and Michael Lake.

Formula 250 Speedcars pro vided the support progi-am and it was John Giersbergen and Bob Herbert who dominated proceed ings - they collected a heat win apiece and then finished first and second, respectively, in the feature, ahead of Geoff Taylor, Des Carsburg and Peter Mullen. n Work is continuing at the new Gatton Speedwmy circuit in preparation for the inau gural season of competition.

Wire catch-fencing is currently being installed atop the existing timber barrier and other neces sary improvements are on sched ule for the opening show on October 10.

The track itself is extremely large - if somewhat narrow and should produce plenty of high-speed racing in all cate gories.

An indication of the size of the circuit can be gauged by the fact that an Australian Rules football field is situated in the middle.

Although the Gatton township only comprises around 5000 peo ple, the complex is centrally Continued on page 43

Achiever” of the NSW Super Sedan ranks and, on the open ing night of the 1998/99 Wynns Newcastle Speedway season on September 25, he snuck up on Waratah’s Robert Carrig and stole the loot in the 20 lap NBN Television main event.

Robertson, driving the brand-new #4 Terry Olsen Transport/O’Brien Aluminium Pontiac, started from the third row in the feature event and ran down Carrig’s #16 Tool Specialist Camaro as they exited the final turn.

With the chequered flag in sight, Robertson drew up alongside then leader Carrig as the duo ran into turn 3.

Carrig’s machine suffered a slight push into the turn and that was all that Stu needed to find a gap.

As the two sped to the chequers, Robertson’s new blue Pontiac edged ahead by a front bumper, relegat ing Carrig to second place as they crossed the line.

Carrig was visibly disappointed, but still managed a hearty hand shake and a warning of “next time, Stuey,” for the man who defeated him when the trophies were hand ed out.

Robertson was quick all night in the beast that replaces his Falcon from last season.

He ran from the rear of the field in his first heat to challenge for the lead, but pushed wide coming out of turn 4 on leader Darryl Farrelly ■an.d was disqualified for the impending contact.

Stu’s fans were rewarded not long after when he trounced the opposition to win the next heat and the dash in record time.

“There’s still plenty of go left in this girl, too,” said Robertson. “I don’t think we’ve got the motor 100% right just yet, but it won’t be lofig before we really get this place by the neck.”

Third in the main event was Raymond Terrace driver Bernie Roberts, who put up his best perfor mance in many seasons in the #44 Carline Mufflers/Video Ezy Camaro.

Roberts was juggling commit ments with his son racing karts at Oran Park and had to travel between the two venues overnight.

Fourth in the main was Max Randy Tiner, the hearing and speech-impaired California racer, added his name to the long list of winners of Outlaws events when he won the open ing Preliminary feature of the 1998 Gold Cup Race of Champions at Chico, California.

Rookie of the year contender Tyler Walker, also looking for his maiden Outlaws feature win, led the opening 18 laps and was dicing with Tiner when he hit an infield tyre marker, stopping with a bro ken drag link.

Tiner resumed the race in the lead and held off Steve Kinser to take his maiden Outlaws feature.

Tiner had set fast time, after Danny Lasoski’s time had been dis allowed for exceeding the 95dba noise limit.

Tiner started fifth in the feature and passed both Bobby McMahan and Johnny Herrera on the opening lap and then demoted Kinser, who had started on pole, on lap 2.

Walker, who had outdragged Kinser off the line, had opened a big gap, until numerous cautions conspired to negate his advantage.

Following Walker’s exit, Kinser challenged Tiner for the lead until another stoppage.

Over the final sprint to the flag, Tiner opened a gap and pulled a

Robertson holds out Carrig at Newcastle wide open and give Eden an unscheduled feel for what the machine does under full load.

He got it out of gear before going AWOL and was treat ed trackside for a minor L right foot injury.

Baulkham Hills truck dri ver Jason Gates ran sec ond to Clarke in the main WINNING DEBUT... Victorious Stu Robertson and his brand-new Pontiac Super Sedan. event in the #5 O’Brien Truck Bodies/200 Club Baigent, who drove the ex-Shane the USA that gives me an advanYoder (USA) Camaro consistently tage over these guys, but I can’t get Esslinger and appeared to be mak all evening. complacent,” Clarke said after the ing some ground on the leader Heat wins were shared by Darryl main. “I’ve set, some big goals this before the chequers.

Farrelly, Bernie Roberts, Stu year and it will take plenty of hard Gates suffered the indignity of a Robertson and Max Baigent. work to attain them. Some of these piece of clay knocking the external Probably the most unlucky driver other guys have really improved fuel tap off during his final heat, of the evening was Greg Smith. too.” but still showed plenty of potential in the main.

Driving the #13 Church Air He wasn’t whistling dixie.

Falcon, Smith was enjoying a hot Australian Litre Car Champion Making it two Esslinger motors lap session in his honour to rectify Dean Eden made a stunning full in the top three was fellow talented steering problems when the car got time debut in the Eddy Burke-pre youngster Warren Ferguson in the very' loose in turn 3. pared Ron and Lorain Hoettels- #20 SuziWreck/Walker Engines Alach machine. owned #18 Snap-On Sesco V4.

Digging into the hooky clay sur face, the car vaulted into the air The youngster blasted away to Ferguson won a heat earlier in and rolled several times, severely win his first heat, showing uncanny the night, but suffered a mystery feel for the track and machine. damaging what was once a very oil leak in his first appearance, which made life uncomfortable in In his second appearance, he had pretty machine. the track record shot to bits, but got the beginning.

Newcastle Speedcar ace Adam The AMCA Nationals main event Clarke gave fans a brief glimpse of loose in turn 3 and spun to the the tricks he learned in the USA, infield with a country mile up his was won by local driver Bruce sleeve in front.

Fletcher in the #8 Kitchens on the easily bagging a heat win, the Stars Dash and the main event in a small Though he was outgunned in the Move car, with Frank Clarke Stars Dash by Clarke, the young recording second and Peter Garland but talented line-up of cars.

After 23 shows in two months in turk started o® the front row of the third. main event and looked as though the USA, “the Hunter "Valley Second-generation rookie Luke Hurricane” looked predictably he may hold out the big guns for Pyne was holding down a strong top some time. smooth and fast in the #76 four placing in his new self-built That was until a sizeable chunk ENZED machine, but pulled infield Midnight Spares/Clarke Food of clay tore the floorpan up near his when the oil light came on and had Service Infinity, but he did have his colours lowered in the first heat by right foot and took the throttle shoe to watch the remainder of his firstDave Lambert. towards the ground with it - what ever main event as a spectator.

-WADEAUNGER that did was stretch the throttle “I tbink it’s been my seat time in

First Gold Cup victory

by Outlaw Haudenschild

wheelstand as the chequer waved.

Kinser, Brent Kaeding, Herrera, Lasoski, McMahan, Mark Kinser, Greg DeCaires, Shane Scott and Joe Gaerte completed the top ten.

Aussie-bound Californian Randy Hannagan was 11th, while Aussie Pete Murphy had a reasonable night, timing 14th fastest, running second in his heat and then finish ing 12th in the feature.

The second half of the field con tested Friday’s second Preliminary feature and this time it was Andy Hillenburg who won the money.

Hillenburg, the 1994 and 1995 winner of this event, led all 25 laps and claimed third starting position for Saturday’s A-Feature.

Hillenburg, the third fastest qualifier, won the Channellock Dash and started from pole, but had to fight off Jac HaudenschUd’s Pennzoil Maxim throughout the race, which at times saw the pair only separated by inches.

Hillenburg’s only scare occurred while trying to lap his cousin, Lance Blevins.

Following Hillenburg and Haudenschild across the line were Jeff Swindell, Brad Furr, Stevie Smith, Sammy Swindell - who ran second in the B-Main - Paul McMahan, Jason Meyers, Tommy Tarlton and Jason Satler.

Money night was Saturday night and front row starters Tiner and Haudenschild were determined to take the $20,000 home - but, in the end, it was Haudenschild, having the best yeai- ever of his Outlaw career, who took out one of the few major events to have eluded him so far.

After a false start thanks to a Bud Kaeding spin, Tiner led away on the restart and diced hard with Haudenschild over the opening laps as the pair traded the lead. Tiner established a lead until lap 7. when he encountered lapped traffic.

Haudenschild used the high line

to grab the lead and, as Walker tried to pass Tiner also, they tan gled and Thursday’s winner dropped five places.

Haudenschild led away from the green again and Brent Kaeding passed Friday’s winner, Hillenburg, for second place on lap 23 - 1996 champion Jeff Swindell also demot ed Hillenburg, but then clashed with a backmarker and dropped back to eighth.

With five laps to go, Tiner was back in fifth place with Steve Kinser just ahead - but Kinser couldn’t get the pass for third done on Hillenburg.

Mark Kinser crossed for sixth, ahead of Stevie Smith. Jeff Swindell, Lasoski and Sammy Swindell.

After winning the B-Main after an exciting race with Donny Schatz, Peter Murphy finished back in 25th position.

- BRETT SWANSON

SPEEDWAY If not for a painful shoulder injury which resulted in Jac Haudenschild missing races, “The Wild Child” would be up there contesting the Pennzoil World of Outlaws points cham pionship in the best season ever of his Outlaws career.

But, while his championship hopes may be dashed, that hasn’t stopped him from winning.

Hot on the heels of his first Gold Cup Race of Champions win, Haudenschild has continued the win ning foiTO by taking a clean sweep of the inaugural Cornhusker Outlaw Showdown at 1-80 Speedway.

*6

Haudenschild led all 30 laps of the preliminary feature, but his best move came on the last lap of the Channellock Dash when he passed Steve Kinser with a daring last turn move to earn pole.

Of the Aussies in action. Skip Jackson timed well at 15th fastest, expat Jaymie Moyle was 19th and KeiTy Madsen 26th.

Jackson and Moyle went straight into the feature with their fourth and fifth place finishes in heat three, respectively, while Madsen’s seventh in heat two forced him into the B-Main - Madsen graduated from the B-Main after a fourth.

In the main event, Moyle finished 14th, while Madsen (22nd) and Jackson(23rd) had problems.

Award to Bill Miller

South Australian Super Sedan driver Bill Miller was named as the national recipient of the Jacko Award at the Adelaide ASCF Conference.

This is the second time in the past five years that Miller has been successfully nominaed as SA’s candidate for the prestigious award, which perpetuates the memory of Phil Jackson, an east coast sedan driver who became a giant-k£ler in his Mini during the early ’70s.

Miller is the current Sedan drivers rep for the Speedway Drivers Association of SA and the Jacko Award is the culmination of a particularly successful 1997/98 season for the veteran of 17 years of speed way competition.

Last season, MiUer started in 76 races, finishing all 76 and claiming first placings in the Riverland

Billy Hamill, the World Champion, will 1996 be seeded through to next year’s Grand Prix series.

The back injuries suffered in his first race at Bydgoszcz in the Polish Grand Prix meant Hamill failed to make the top eight in the series and he would have been included in the Grand Prix Challenge Round at Pardubice in the (Czech Republic.

But the crushed vertebra-e injuries will not allow the Californian to ride again this sea son, so the Grand Prix organisers are set to allow just the top seven from the GP Challenge, with Hamill counting as the eighth to join the 13 riders already qualified.

The GP top eight, World Under 21 Champion and the first two in each of the Continental and Inter Continental Finals of the World Championship are automatic entries for next year.

Australians Craig Boyce and Leigh Adams race at Pardubice,to try and join them, t least one additional Grand iPrix round is planned for next year, with Poland set to stage a second event.

Speedway Cup at Renmark, the Wally Francombe Memorial at Waikerie and the Riverland Sedan title ’ and came home as runner-up in the Speedway City Super Sedan Cup. A nationally known driver. Miller was also the j recipient of the Ian Campbell Award at this year’s Victorian Super Sedan Association cabaret, the criteria being sportsmanship, comradeship and race car presentation.

Miller’s unselfish approach to racing has often seen him loan parts to rivals, along with helping out Sprintcar and Speedcar competitors wherever possible.

At this year’s SDA cabaret. Miller was awarded Best Turned Out Car and Crew, Runner-up in Feature Races and the prestigious Sportsperson of the - DAVID McNABB Year trophy.

that clubs' will be restricted to just one GP rider per team and one .other foreigner if new plans are adopted.

Cij.:

9 1?^

By Tony Millan The FIM track commission was delighted with the 25,000 capacity crowd at Bydgoszcz - and, with Lech, the Polish Brewing Company, as sponsors, the viabili ty of a second round in the country makes sense to everyone.

The possibility of an Australian round is among others also being discussed. ritain’s Elite League is threat'ened by clubs who believe competing in the top[ level is finan cial suicide.

Next year, it is expected seven man teams will be the order of the day and it may be that the Premier League will split into two divisions and less world class riders will participate.

Already the Grand Prix series has disrupted the team plans of several top clubs and it may be

'orld Champion Tony Rickardsson is the first top rider to suggest he will not be rac ing in Britain next year.

“The constant travelling for meetings in Sweden, Poland and England, as well as for the Grand Prix, has taken its toll, “ he said.

Rickardsson led his club, Valsarna, to the Swedish title just four days before clinching the World Title, but he may be tempted to ride for his hometown club Avesta, who are set to compete in the Swedish Elite League next year.

Czech Mario Jirout, Republic who missedrider the season in England due to Army service in his home country, is set to return to British speedway next year.

Having already qualified for the Grand Prix after a fine perfor mance in the Continental Final of the World Championship, he believes he needs British League racing to keep him sharp.

In any case, he plans to race at

^hce again, thanks to his second dash win in two nights, Haudenschild lined up alongside Steve Kinser for the 30 lap AFeature race.

On the final lap, Haudenschild had a scare when his Pennzoil Maxim jumped the cushion and clipped the wall - he recovered quickly, though, to take his 11th AFeature ofthe season.

Steve Kinser passed Danny Lasoski on the last lap to follow his cousin, Mark, across the line.

Jeff Swindell was fifth, ahead of Blaney, Stevie Smith, Andy Hillenburg, Travis Cram and Johnny HeiTera.

Skip Jackson was the best of the Aussies in 13th - Jackson had timed in as 17th fastest and then managed fifth in his heat, which put him in the B-Main where he ran third.

Moyle timed 19th and Madsen was 22nd - a fifth and eighth in their respective heats saw them both join Jackson in the B-Main, where Moyle finished fifth and Madsen ninth.

- BRETT SWANSON the indoor ice meeting at Telford in February and, if his former club Peterborough races in the top League again, he will be with them when the outdoor season starts in March. ick Powell, the Sydney sider who has raced for Glasgow in the British Premier League for the last few years, will miss the rest of the British season.

Powell, 28, broke a bone in his right arm and is in plaster for six weeks. The injury happened while racing in the Premier League Riders’ Championship at Sheffield when Tie collided with Paul Thorp and Glenn Cunningham,

G

rand Prix rider Stefan Danno from Sweden,who has enjoyed a good season in the GP series to finish 12th in the series, is unlikely to have his contract renewed at Eastbourne.

His British League form has dropped alarmingly in recent weeks as Eastbourne has plunged down the Elite League table.

Fellow Swede Stefan Andersson may also stay at home next year, as he also has a full-time job in his father’s joinery business.

located between several major population centres.

Although the existing safety fence is inadequate for the highpowered racing categories, there will be plenty of variety in the programming for car and bike enthusiasts alike.

With spacious grounds provid ing ample competitor and specta tor parking, this new venture has all the ingredients for success. n Toowoomba Modified Production competitor Graham Erhart will have a new mount at his disposal this season, after taking delivery of Peter Jacobsen’s Australian Championship winning Commodore.

The car originated from Toowoomba in the hands of anoth er Australian Championship win ner in Hany Brazier, before head ing to Victoria.

Jacobsen then steered it to victoiy in the 1996/97 title at South Australia’s Muiray Bridge circuit, Erhart also has an immaculate transporter to house his new mount and is preparing for a hec tic season of racing that will take in all the major events around the country, including the Australian Championship at Mildura’s Timmis Speedway on

April 3-4. n Western Australia’s Mark Drew/Stephen Blair were in devastating form at Ai’unga Park Speedway on Septem ber 18, when Col Winzar’s travelling Sidecar troupe hit town for the opening meeting of the Alice Springs season.

The Drew/Blair combination scorched through their five quali fying heats without a loss, clock ing the five fastest times on the night and lowering the 3-lap track record on two occasions along the way.

Victoria’s Col Winzar/Craig Fordham and Queensland’s Gary Moon/Kevin Waters collected two heat wins apiece, with Chris Pym/Winton Stokes the only oth ers to visit victory lane.

Drew/Blair’s domination con tinued in the 4-lap final, where they blasted away from the tapes, cleared away from the field and collected another track record.

The battle for the minors fell in favour' of MoonyWaters over Dave Bottrall/Kerry Hoare.

A last lap pass propelled Grant Harris to victory in the Street Stock feature, ahead of Colin Continued on page 44

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Northern Notes Continued from previous page

with Modified Productions, Street Sedans and Super Street Sedans on the card.

Hyde, Darren Lynch and Ben The Street Sedan brigade stole Lennon. the limelight with over 30 cars and an impressive night of close, n Cameron Gessner,joint win incident-free competition that saw ner of last season’s National heat wins for Tony Hehir, Mark Sprintcar Poll Rookie of the Wilcox, Mike Webber, Cameron Year, has secured a significant Busiko, Barry Otto, Brendan sponsorship deal for the Cherrie, Darrell Retschlag, Craig upcoming season.

Harm and Chris Dailly.

Union Steel has thrown its sup Busiko started from pole in the port behind the talented teenager, 20 lap feature and was still in a former karting champion who command of proceedings when the achieved nationwide television chequer appeared. coverage last season when he Scott-Taylor annexed second emerged unscathed from a terrify spot, ahead of Retschlag, Lester Wilcox - who started from the ing crash at Archerfield.

Gessner has a bigger schedule rear of the field - and Harm. planned for his 1998/99 campaign, Modified Productions were only including several interstate forays able to muster eight competitors to tackle the ultra-competitive for the show and just four of World Series Sprintcars these took part in the feature.

Brett Barron (South Burnett Championship trail.

Transport Commodore) took out n The opening meeting of the two heats and the feature, lead season at Ai'cherfield Speed ing home Brian Learoyd, Troy way on September 19 featured Brittle - who also picked up a the burgeoning Limited heat win - and Craig Knauth.

Sprintcar division.

Ross Fraser was unstoppable Ed Thorley (Mechanical in the Super Street Sedan Network Baretta) took out the events, finishing the night unde opening heat, ahead of Adrian feated with four slashing wins O’Connell (O’Connell Smash aboard his Albion Auto Care Repairs J&J) and Shane Conradi Cortina.

(Queensland Colonial Homes Following Fraser home in the Gambler). feature were Ashley Peall (Fixit Commodore), David Barbeler Triple Queensland champion Peter Thorley (Brisbane Diff and (Kingaroy Wreckers Commodore), John Swarbrooke and Darren Gearbox Challenger) was unstop Truin. pable in the second qualifier and won in effortless fashion, collect Peall, Barbeler and Gympie’s ing a new 6-lap track record in Adrian Flikweert also collected heat wins. the process.

O’Connell again had to settle n The Junior Sedan feature was for the runner-up berth, with Ed a family affair, with Mark Raymont downing Aiden Thorley in third spot.

Ed Thorley was the early leader Raymont in a 10 lap battle.

Dustin Horne, Peter Matthews in the feature, until a restart on lap 2 after Terry James slammed' and Sal Dailly filled the minor placings. into the concrete and flipped over.

The first attempted restart was aborted when O’Connell suffered n Archerfield promoter Bill SJ Goode has confirmed that he a rim breakage and exited.

The race was further delayed will stage a two-night blue when Conradi somehow managed ribbon Super Sedan event on January 8-9. a spin in the back straight.

The event, to be known as the When racing resumed, Peter Thorley promptly moved to the fnint International Derby, will feature American drivers in open compe and cleared away from the field.

Ed Thorley finished a distant tition against a strong local and second, followed by Phil Allen (Pit interstate contingent.

With John Soares’ squad Stop Tyre and Mechanical Tognotti), Conradi, Rod Wilson, already confirmed starters and David Rochester, Brian Cooper David Lander’s Newcastle-based trio also available on this date, and David Rodgie.

Veteran campaigner Ken there is a real possibility that all Murray downed a dismal field of six Americans will be among the Formula 500s to take the feature starters. event over John Willmott and Derel Wode. n Anybody with material for inclusion in these pages can B Kingaroy Speedway also got now contact me via e-mail at underway on September 19, cmetcalf@one.net.au Speedway recently mourned the death of Kevin Yeoman, one of the founding members of the sport in Victoria’s south-west.

Affectionately known as “Yeowie,” he was one of the real characters and gentleman of the sport and passed away peacefully after a 12 month battle with leukaemia at his home in Nambour, Queensland.

He spent all his life in Warmambool and owned the Flying Horse Inn Caravan Park,

Australia will have at least two representatives in next year’s Speedway Grand Prix after some fine riding by Jason Crump and Ryan Sullivan in the final meeting of the series in Poland at Bydgoszcz on September 18.

Sullivan grabbed a top eight place in the series by racing superbly to finish as runner-up to Polish favourite Tomasz Gollob in the final.

Crump equalled the points total of former World Champion Billy Hamill - but, with Hamill in hospi tal, a ride-off was not possible, so Crump gained the eighth and final qualifying spot by default.

But it was Crump himself who was the hero.

In his first race, he and Hamill collided on the first bend.

Hamill was taken to hospital with back injuries and Crump dis located a shoulder, but it was put back in beside the track and he raced the rerun with the joint held in place by masking tape attached to the outside of his leathers.

Crump then jetted from the tapes to win the rerun, ahead of Henrik Gustafsson and Toni Kasper.

The Aussie, who won the British title four weeks earlier, then came second in his next race behind Hans Nielsen and that was enough to take him through to the main event.

He was then up against Chris Louis, Sullivan and Stefan Danno and, by now, he had received proper treatment Co the shoulder, which was strapped tightly.

A second place behind Adelaide star Sullivan took both to within a ride of the semi-finals.

But Crump came last in heat 17, which meant he would have to race again in heat 20 to stay in the meeting.

The strain was beginning to tell and he again trailed in last, but the eight points from the meeting were enough to get him sharing eight place with Hamill.

With the 1996 World Champion in hospital, there was no need for a rerun for Crump to go through.

For Sullivan, it was his best-ever GP - his performance from the British GP had meant a seeding to the main event in heat 12 and his victory there took him automatical ly through to heat 18.

A second place behind Nielsen was enough to get him through to the semi-finals, ahead of Jimmy Nilsen and Victorian Leigh Adams.

Another second place meant it was a grand finale alongside hometrack specialist Gollob, triple World Champion Nielsen and Grand Prix second-placed Nilsen.

Sullivan rode the race of his life to frighten Gollob, but second place

Impressive Polish GP for injured Crump was his reward and a rostrum place in front of the 25,000 crowd, the biggest to watch a GP this season.

For Adams, it was also a good night.

He was seeded to the main event following his efforts at Coventry in the British GP and his second place behind 1997 champion Greg Hancock took him through to encounter Sullivan, along with Nielsen and Nilsen in the competi tive heat 18, where he came last.

But he stormed back to win heat 19 and gain a semi-final place, only to come last again - but he won the consolation final to finish fifth on the night to take 15 GP points.

It gained him 11th place in the series and he will race for the fourth year running in the GP Challenge, which is being held at Pardubice in the Czech Republic next month.

Craig Boyce finished a disap pointing 18th In the series and will also be in the Challenge.

But Bydgoszcz was a day that saw him almost back to his best and he did not exit the event until finishing fourth in heat 15, having reached the main event.

A third place in heat 1 made him wonder if his luck was again out, but he stormed back to come second in heat 5 and then won heat 10 to reach a clash with the seeded riders.

But then came an all too familiar tale, with l^t place in heats 14 and 15 to send him home.

The event was won by home rider Gollob to send the big crowd away ecstatic, but the overall title went predictably to ‘Mr Consistent,’ Tony Rickardsson, despite only taking eighth place on the night.

Rickardsson’s effort to allow fel low Swede Nilsen to grab second place in his semi-final hardly pleased the crowd - if Nilsen had not made the final, Gollob would have been GP runner-up.

But it was a great night for speedway in a well-presented meet ing at which the whole town gave

Vale: Kevin “Yeowie” Yeoman Ocean Beach Caravan Park and built the fomer Amoco Service Station, where Team Southwell Mazda is now located.

Racing in Super Modifieds (now Sprintcars), saloons and TQs (now Formula 500s), Yeoman was victorious at national and state level championships.

Max Dumesny Motorsport

His finest hour was winning the 1968 Australian TQ Championship at Myrtleford which was closely followed by a second in the 1974 Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic behind Adelaide legend Bill Wigzell.

He drove a Super Modified for Ron Suttey of Geelong and began the racing career of

its support - Bydgoszcz knew it was the focus of attention and speedway is Poland’s biggest sport.

The 1998 GP series has probably provided some of the best entertain ment in the four years of the GP and the organisers are considering expanding to take in the USA, Australia and South Africa in years to come as the whole series becomes a global one - the key once again will be sponsorship and TV cover age.

Polish GP Points 1. T. Gollob 25, 2. R. Sullivan 20, 3.

J. Nilsen 18, 4. H. Nielsen 16, 5. L. Adams 15, 6. M. Loram 14, 7. A. Smith 12, 8. T. Rickardsson 10, 9= J. Crump 8, 9= G. Hancock 8, Il.T. Kasper 7, 11= S. Danno 7, 13.C. Louis 6,13= H. Gustafsson 6,15. A. Castagna 5, 15= C. Boyce 5, 17. B. Amndersen 4, 17= J. Gollob 4, 19.

P. Protasiewicz 3, 19= Z. Adoijan 3, 21. S. Ulamek 2, 21= J. Jensen 2, 23. B. Hamill 1, 23= R. Dados 1.

Final GP Pointscore 1. T. Rickardsson 111, 2. J. Nilsen 99, 3. T. GoUob 97, 4. H. Nielsen 76, 5. C. Louis 75, 6. G. Hancock 69, 7. R. SuUivan 68, 8.

J. Crump 62 - top eight auto matically qualify for 1999 GP series - 9. B. Hamill 62, 10. M. Loram 52,11. L. Adams 51,12. S. Danno 49, 13. H. Gustafsson 43, 14. A. Smith 43, 15. B. Andersen 31, 16. A. Castagna 23, 17. Z. Adoijan 21, 18. C. Boyce 18, 19.

P.Protasiewicz 16, 20. J. Jensen 14, 21. S. Ulamek 10- riders 9-21 will ride in GP ChaUenge, from which the top 8 will qualify for next year’s GP - 22. P. Karlsson 9,23. J. Kryzanial 3.

The following poiints were won by riders racing as wild cards T. Kasper 50(rode in all meetings), P. Karlsson 18 (two meetings as wild card), B. Karger 12, G. Riss 6, B. Brhe! 5, J. Screen 5, L. Gunnestad 5, J. Gollob 4, R. Barth 2, M.Dugard 2, R. Dados 1.

-TONYMttlARD

Phil Johnson.

Johnson drove for Yeoman on many occa sions in both a Mini and an XUl-Torana Johnson won his one and only state ehampionship in a Yeoman-owned car when he won the 1970 Victorian B-grade championship at Laang Speedway Yeoman was 69 and is survived by his ; wife, Bev, son Wayne, daughter Cheryl and : four grandchildren,

- GEOFF ROUNDS

1998 WORLD OF OUTIAWS/SKOAL OUTLAW SERIES

Australian Distributors for

POINT STANDINGS TO OCTOBER 3RD, 1998

Steve Kinser 8,891 2. Mark Kinser 8,797 3. Sammy Swindell ....8,776 4. Stevie Smith 8,752 8,653 5. Danny Lasoski 6. Andy Hillenburg 8,484 for more information on Hoosier Drag and Speedway Tyres call: 7. Jac Haudenschild ... -8,378 NSW: 02 9679 1990 Fax 02 9679 1187 8. Johnny Herrera ..8,332 ..8,205 VIC: 03 933! 6477 Fax 03 9331 7444 9. Jeff Swindell .. ..8,120 SA: 08 8332 0800 Fax 08 8364 0296 10. Dale Blaney ..

rj

^^ RACING TIRE

Rkkardsson World Champ

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11. Tyler Walker ..

12. Donny Schatz ..

13. Joe Gaerte ....

14. Lance Blevins ..

15. Craig Dollansky 16. Greg Hodnett..

17. Dion Hindi ....

18. Brooke Tatnell .

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WILLIAMS GROVE RACEWflr :wetK inu A-FEATURE(20 Rahmer I. Mark Kinser 12.' Andy Hillenburg 2. Greg Hodnett 13. Dale Blaney 3. Danny Lasoski 14. Jeff Swindell 4. Cris Eash 15. Stevie Smith 5. Tyler Walker i 16. Jac Haudenschild 6. Jeff Shepard 7. Steve Kinser 17. Oonny Schatz 18. Sean Michael 8. Tim Shaffer 19. Todd Shaffer 9. Billy Pauch 20. Lance Blevins 10. Johnny Herrera

KARTING

-Zy'U

j, nn

!

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DOMtNATOR... Sydney's John Pellicano was simply too good for his peers at Oran Park, his 2S0cc International Superkart blitzing the field.(Mplx photo)

Oceania date set for next January International television for Eastern Creek event

It’s official - Eastern Creek Karting Raceway will stage the Oceania Championship on January 30-31, as a likely prelude to another international event with pre-Olympic status in 2000.

Karting supremo Ernest Buser gave the green light to the new $3.5 million Sydney circuit’s promoter Gany Holt during the World Karting Championship at Ugento, in Italy. . The go-ahead came after lengthy discussions between Buser, Holt and Tony Kart importer Jim Morton, who is on the committee of the North Shore Kart Club which will organise the Oceania Championship.

Agreement was reached to postpone the Oceania Championship from its tradi tional November date to the end of January, to give Holt sufficient time to prepare for the event.

Holt had taken the initia tive to fly to Ugento - despite being under the organisation al pressures ofthe Australian Kart Championship on October 10-11 - when it became obvious that he was in danger of losing the Oceania Championship.

“I’m delighted,” he said after the confirmation, as he distributed illustrated infor mation packs to Europe’s top karting teams and drivers.

“It was worth coming all the way here. Now I can approach potential sponsors and tell them there will be inteimational television cov erage for the Championship.”

Eurosport, which has mil lions of viewers, will show Oceania Championship high lights under an agreement it

has with Karting Vision TV, which is co-owned by Buser and will be filming the action at Eastern Creek.

Coverage will also be pro vided by the US ESPN net work, which is a shareholder of Eurosport.

Holt has the Australian TV rights and is committed to making karting a popular spectator sport.

Buser, president of the Federation Mondiale de Karting (FMK) since 1978, told Motorsport News he would be favourably disposed towards an Australian appli cation to run a future World Championship, provided there were guarantees of assistance for travel and accommodation costs.

But he ruled out any possi bility of an FMK-FLA World Championship to coincide with the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

This is because the Geneva-based FMK - the governing body of world kart ing - has a regulation in which World Championship places and dates are allocat ed two years in advance.

Next year’s World Championship will be held in Marienbourg, Belgium, while the 2000 titles are already scheduled for Estoril, in Portugal.

Buser revealed, however, that he is seeking International Olympic Committee and FIA recogni tion for what could be a sec ond successive Oceania Championship at Eastern Creek in 2000.

Olympic supremo, IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch is also president of the Catalunyan Automobile Club, which

stages the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.

Samaranch and Max Mosley - president of the FIA - already have had pre liminary discussions about a form of motorsport being included as an Olympic event.

While they reportedly agree that FI is too commer cial to receive such status, the two men are said to be enthusiastic towards the inclusion of karting because it is a youth-oriented sport with a worldwide following.

The concept originated in Melbourne during this year’s FI Qantas Austrahan Grand Prix, when the idea was put to Mosley.

“It’s a dream that karting might become an Olympic sport,” Buser said.

“One could say it’s not realistic. But the first step will be to ask for authorisa tion to use the words preOlympics for an event in 2000.

“If this is granted - and I think it will be - we would have a foot in the door.

“Maybe, in the future, we could apply for karting to become a demonstration

9October ^S98

IW

Pe//f fleans up run Park

John Pellicano dominated the 250cc Inter category at Oran Park on September 19, yet was upstaged by a spectacular incident involving the lOOcc ngb Superkarts of Peter Loprieato, Bill Nelson and Andrew Davison.

The entry list included a few surprises, none more so than the return of Warren Peny in the #11 Hart Racing 80cc dual-championship win ner (Warren must be glad that the kart hadn’t won four titles, as he may have been driving #1111!) - other entries included Peter Worrall in a 250 National, Sam Zavagha driving both a 100 ngb and a 250 Inter and Scott Stockman in a 125.

250cc National Michael Crossland’s victo ry was impresive, as he har ried many of the faster 250 Inters throughout the day, including that of team-mate Kidd.

Worrall drove steadily for second, while Viv Coady ran consistently to claim third.

]l25cc Stockman scored a good win, while Roy Francescato and Stephen Wood staged a tremendous battle for the minors.

Roy’s superior fitness and constant sugar level monitor ing enabled him to take sec ond from Wood.

80cc Warren Perry decided to 250ccInter go Superkart racing, so This class can be summed ~ Garry Hart loaned him the kart and most other 80cc up in one word -PelU! John Pellicano totally competitors wished that it dominated the category, run- had never happened!

Warren drove through the ning throughout the day in the low 40-second bracket. field to win race one, domiMinor places were fought nated race two and was among Geoff Kidd, Steve finaslly beaten by the flying Hewlett and Zavaglia, with “toohe,” Malcolm Cancian, in Hewlett and Zavaglia finish- the red-flagged final, Warren’s only blemish was ing in that order.

in victory lane, when he tried to celebrate “Brad Jones Super Touring-style” - but, unfortunately for Warren, Superkarts don’t have roofs! lOOcc ngb Zavaglia triumphed over Matthew Aaron and Chris Williams in a close-fought struggle, while Loprieato probably wished he’d stayed in bed, as he was a victim of racing incidents in both the second and final heats of the day - the final incident brought out the red flag, as Loprieato lay injured on the race track at Momo-Recaro comer.

Bill Nelson hit the wall on the exit of the corner and then bounced back into the path of the following Loprieato and Davison.

Though bruised, both Nelson and Davison were okay, while Loprieato was taken to hospital for observa tion.

The afternoon enduro was shortened as a result ofthese incidents and final placings had not been decided by the close of proceedings.

-JOHN MORRIS

^J^ING EVENTS in KARTING kmm

Bendigo Country Titles Bendigo Kart Club Enquiries 03 5443 60B5 Star Round 5 Ballarat Kart Club Enquiries 03 5335 7313 Val Findlay 6MHig Kart Club Emfms 03 5275 7041 Wimmera Titles Wimmera Kart Radng Chib - Horsham Enquiries 03 5384 0242 2-

sport.

“We are watching, for example, what the water-ski ing movement is doing.

Water-skiing needs a motor.

“If it gets Olympic status, then we will press our appMcation immediately.”

The FMK has affiliates in 80 countries, with 75,000 registered karters, compared with only 15 affiliates in 1977, when the only member bodies outside Europe were the United States and Japan.

-MIKEKABLE

‘i.

V

Ph 03 5449 6362 y or 03 9362 1144 Our Web site is; www.kartguide.com.au/vka/vka.htm Our Email address is: vka@bl40.aone.net.au Victorian Karting Association Inc Registered No: A13837D

4S Report by JON THOMSON After the winning Australian Safari in 1996 and taking part in over seas rally raids such as the Paris Dakar and UAE Desert Challenge, Bruce Garland clinched victory in the 18,500 kilometre Sony Playstation Round Australia rally at the wheel of his Holden Jackaroo.

Garland captured the lead before the end of the first week in the three-week event and, despite a concerted effort by Peter Brock, was never headed as he took an intelligent and cautious approach to the event.

Brock would finish just under 29 minutes behind the flying Garland, while the surprise of the event was the 25 year-old Datsun of David Lowe and Robert Gambino in third place, 2 hr 30 mins behind the Brock Jackaroo.

Garland claimed the secret of his victory was to minimise the risks and only drive at about 70% to ensure that he stayed out of trouble.

“Whenever I have full-on attacked a course like this, it has turned bad on me; this time, I took it easy early on and then protected my lead once I had it,” said Garland.

The final week of the Sony Playstation Round Australia took crews south from the rest day in Cairns to Mackay.

The rest day was a wel come break for the roadweary crews, after 14 long, hard and tough days of com petition since the start in Adelaide, with many looking forward to easier conditions in the more “civilised” sur roundings of the East Coast.

But the East Coast would prove just as tough and just as demanding as the more remote region's of the Outback.

Big news on the run out of Cairns was the retirement of the Holden Ute of Graeme Wise, after the car struck a massive rock on a creek crossing.

The team was running a sumpguard underneath both the GM-H undertray and the aluminium sump pan.

The rock pushed the guard and undertray up, cracking the sump and evacuating the oil, damaging the engne beyond repair.

With Wise out, it meant the elevation of the Reg Owen Nissan Patrol to third, a position he would have to defend from the strong chal lenge being issued by the old Datsun of Lowe and Gambino all the way down the East Coast.

Lowe had said early in the week that he had taken notice of event director Bob Carpenter when he had said the rally would be one for the thinking driver.

Heavy rain on the NSW North Coast meant that there were many disruptions to the rally schedule on the leg from Coffs Harbour to Sydney.

Several stages were can celled, which meant that the crews didn’t arrive in the NSW capital until late in the

-5^

SWEET VICTORY... Three weeks after the Sony Playstation - Round Australia 98 rally kicked off, the victors celebrate in Adelaide. (Phil Williams pic) At Horsham at the end of the penultimate leg, the order read Garland, Brock, Gambino and Warren Ridge, the Gosford panel-beater and his wife moving up into fourth after problems in the mid-stage of the rally - but he was now on a charge to make up lost ground.

Behind Ridge was Owen in the Nissan, Kevin Edwards in the Falcon, Ron Redder in the Holden Ute and Mark Griffith in the RAV 4.

The final run into Adelaide was a formality. Garland crossing the finishing ramp with a margin of 28 mins 16 secs over Brock, with Gambino a further 2 hours and 30 minutes behind in third.

It had been a tough, hard and extremely difficult Round Australia, worthy of the history of the event, but evening, with the prospect of before getting back up into seconds before the long haul finally caught out, rolling the unfortunately it failed to really gather the support of the top contenders’ group in south to Albury for the Jackaroo. an early start the next day.

The run down the coastal his private Jackaroo.

Garland stopped to help, the media, or competitors. overnight halt.

Garland’s lead at the giving his team-mate a tow Event sponsor Sony Two of the five special forests from Goffs was a long and tiring leg and the next stages were cancelled due to Albury halt was back to 29 to get the car back on its Playstation was happy with day from Sydney to Bathurst the sticky weather in the mins 11 secs over Brock, wheels, but instead pulled it the event and is talking Garland easing off safe in too hard, rolling Brock’s about the potential for stage and then on to Albury was . opening Jackaroo over twice another in the year 2000 equally taxing. more before it went let’s hope that event gains several Again, right-side up. more support and a higher stages were cancelled If that wasn’t profile, as a result of the sod enough, the car then den forests, a stark Sony Playstation started running down contrast to the run up Round Australia 98 the steep slope as the West Coast in hot Results Brock ran to get clear. and dry conditions.

1. Bruce Garland/ “I was running Owen, who had been downhill and the car Harry Suzuki under pressure from Holden Jackaroo was chasing me,” said Lowe and Gambino in 34hr 27min 19sec Brock.

“I wasn’t remarkable the Peter Brock/ scared when things 2.

Datsun, rolled the big Wayne Webster are happening that Nissan in the Dark Holden Jackaroo fast, you just act and Corner stage.

34hr 56min 03sec do what you need to He put the Nissan 3. David Lowe/ do,” he added. onto its side without Robert Gambino The decidedly shab causing much damage, Datsun 180BSSS

by Brock entry was or any injury, but cost 37hr 29mn 05sec patched up by the ing them 22 minutes ROCK SOLID... Garland/Suzuki Jackaroo did the job perfectly. (Williams) 4. Warren Ridge/ Holden crew and, and handing third Joy Ridge despite the rollover, the gap Blackfellows Hand and tree the knowledge that he had place to the car which was Mitsubishi Pajero an unassailable lead with between Brock and Garland felling operations in the built by the same company 37hr 50min 16sec changed little as a result. two legs remaining.

25 years earlier - Owen was Sunny Comer stage.

Reg Owen/ But the order of the rally 5.

After stages in the Brock, not surprisingly, pushed back to fifth outright, Robert Cairns had changed somewhat with Victorian North East around as a result. blitzed the opposition in the Nissan Patrol the demise of the Lockhart Peter Lockhart was in special stage around the Stanley and Bright the rally 37hr 55min 25sec moved south toward Jackaroo, which was now Mount Panorama Circuit. fourth place, having recov Kevin Edwards/ out of the rally after also 6.

The nine-times Bathurst Melbourne and the Mt ered ground after an up and Mike Reeves rolling the machine on the State down event which had seen race winner was fastest, Disappointment Falcon XR6 first stage of the day. him roll and lose places beating Garland by seven Forest, where Brock was

Playsiation Rally win by Garland

Runner-up Brock recovers from late-race rollover

17

By Peter Whitt Editor -Australian Rallyspor lews

Furd laiiiKhes Focus WRC Ford Motor Company i revealed its all-new Ford : Focus World Rally Car ; for the first time at the i Paris Motor Show on I,September 29.

The new car will make its competition debut on the Monte Carlo Rally in Januafy 1999, piloted by 1995 World Champion Colin McRae. In developing the World

fastest rally car,” M-Sport director Wilson said.

“The Ford Focus has many attributes which are

and all-round visibility is excellent - which is surprisingly important when travelling sideways,

- \Mp

Ci'

.

^ Rally Car, the Ford| Focus team from.the Small and i Medium Vehicle Centre at n Dunton (UK) and Cologne I If [(Germany) worked closely I with engineers | from Malcolm Wilson’s Ford World Rally team at their fimdamental to the creation new R&D base at Millbrook of a great rally car. in Bedfordshire(UK).

The chassis is inherently “In Cohn McRae,Ford has stiff, the long wheelbase the world’s fastest rally dri- allows us to optimise weight ver and we are determined distribution, the aerodyto ensure he has the world’s namics are very efficient

\m \

Ji

“I think the rally car looks like a Ford Focus on steroids and it is perfectly suited to carry the flag for the entire Focus range,” said an enthusiastic Wilson -PETER WHITTEN

Dunlop’s WA title

After drawing number one position in the top ten ballot. Gooseberry Hill driver Dennis Dunlop capitalised on the good fortune to take out the WA Rally Championship on September 12.

Dunlop was one of five dri vers in with a chance going into the final round, the Expert’s Cup, at Collie - he started the event second on the points table, just one behind leader Geiry McGroarty.

Dunlop and co-driver Alan Hoi, in their Mitsubishi Lancer, finished in third, 3

minutes and 20 seconds behind the fifth and final round winner.

Dean Herridge in a Subari Liberty RS Turbo.

The young Herridge fin ished in the overall time of 1.24.33, a solid 58 seconds ahead of his father and for mer Australian champion, Rob (also in a Subaru Liberty RS Turbo), with 1.25.31.

Dunlop’s Mistubishi (1.27.53) was 26 seconds ahead of the fourth-placed Tony Flood, driving a Toyota Celica GT4 in 1.28.19.

Fifth place went to the

Mitsubishi Lancer team of Simon Lingford and Duncan Jordan on 1.32.47 - this was enough for them to claim the Group N State title.

And, while he went into the event as one of the favourites, McGroarty had a day he would rather forget.

His Mitsubishi was one of seven cars to bail out in the slippery second stage after a toiTential downpour of rain.

The race was contested over 120 km of free-flowing gravel roads around Collie’s Wellington Dam. - DARREN O’DEA

Langley Superstage changes

The start and finish of the purpose-built 2.2 km Langley Superstage for this year’s API Rally Australia in Perth has been changed.

While the layout will be . basically the same as in the past, organisers have relocat ed the start/finish area into the heart of the popular stage, making it more acces sible to the big crowds on hand.

In the past, this area has been limited for some of the fans, as it has been along Perth’s beautiful Swan River.

While the track will still run along the river’s edge, the start/finish area is closer

to the main spectator areas.

Concrete slabs will be put in place to enable the cars, that run two at a time, to find some traction before hit ting the loose surface of the main racing arena.

“The start and the flying finish have both been moved inside the park proper to allow the vast majority of spectators to see these excit ing aspects of the stage,” clerk of course Garry Connelly said.

“There are few sights in the world to match watching top-class rally drivers racing head to head under the stars.”

It is also understood the new layout will help alleviate

traffic problems on the build ing side of the central city location.

This year’s biggest rally Down Under will be held in Western Australia from November 5-8, with the Langley Park stage being used on three of those days.

As usual, visitors to Langley Park will be able to witness much more than rally cars in action.

As the on-track activities finish, Australian band The Whitlams will take to the concert stage to keep the park rocking into the night.

Tickets are now available from Red Tickets on 08 9484 1222.

-DARREN O’DEA

MAKINEN ON THE MOVE? n Unconfirmed reports from the UK have hinted the reigning World Champion Tommi Makinen will leave Mitsubishi and drive alongside Colin McRae at Ford in 1999.

It is thought the the likelihood of Freddy Loix signing for Mitsubishi may force Makinen to move.

Loix would bring substantial Marlboro cigarette sponsorship with him, but one of Makinen’s personal sponsors is Pall Mall, a rival brand.

Mitsubishi has apparently said it would compensate Makinen for any loss of income, but it is thought his position at the team is not as secure as it might have been a few weeks ago.

LIATTI FOR SEAT WRC n Piero Liatti will drive the second SEAT World Rally Car in next year’s World Championship, Marcus Gronholm has signed with Peugeot for a six event program in their new 206 WRCar and Alister McRae has been mentioned as a possible second driver at Ford.

1999 ARC CALENDAR n CAMS has released the 1999 Australian Rally Championship calen dar, with the Saxon Safari in Tasmania now the final round in September.

1999 ARC Dates Coffs Harbour Rally l April 10-11 l June 5-6 Forest Rally(WA) l June 26-27 Rally Queensland l August 14-15 Rally of Melbourne Safari Tasmania l Sept 18-19 The Rally of Canberra, a round of the 1999 Asia Pacific Rally Championship, will be held from May 7-9, while API Rally Australia will run between November 5-7.

PUSH FOR BITUMEN ARC ROUND n Several of Australia’s leading drivers have stated their wishes to have a bitu men rally included in the Australian RaUy Championship.

Most see a lack of tarmac experience as the biggest single factor stopping an Australian driver from contesting the full World Rally Championship and believe a tarmac round of the national series in Tasmania would he just what is required.

“The event Tony W’right runs in Tasmania would be an ideal inclusion into the Australian Championship,” Neal Bates said.

“They’ve got the roads for it down there ^tid the Tassie authorities would get right behind it, as they do for Targa Tasmania."

Formula 2 front runner Ross Mackenzie also added his support for a bitumen event, saying it would obviously require a different suspension set-up and different tyres from other rounds, but couldn’t see why it couldn’t be a success, as it is in countries like the UK. WORLD RALLY CAR FOR POSSUM n Possum Bourne believes he has it all worked out to buy a Subaru Impreza World Rally Car for next year’s ARC, provided he sells his current Group A impreza.

Bourne’s Impreza, undoubtedly the fastest Group A Impreza WRX in the world today, is currently for sale for the sum of $250,000 - cheap compared to the asking price of around $350,000 for a secondhand World Rally Car. The Group A Impreza has been developed extensively by Bourne’s team over the past three years, and the Kiwi says it’s the toughest car he’s ever driven.

It is highly unlikely that the car will be sold to an Australian buyer, given the asking price, but like Neal Bates’ ’97 Celica GT4, the Subaru may find a home somewhere in the northern hemisphere, or in Asia.

1999 WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP CALENDAR n The Rally of Indonesia has been replaced by the China Rally in next year’s World Championship calendar, due to the current problems being experienced by the country.

New Zealand, thought to have run their last World Championship rally, have again been granted a date, although a major spon sor for the event is seen being sought.

Rally Australia again retains its November date.

1999 WRC Dates 1. Monte Carlo Rally January 18-20 2. Sw'edish Rally February 12-14 Pebraai-y 26-28 3. Safari Rally March 21-24 4. Rally ofPortugal 5. Catalunya Rally April 19-21 6. Tour de Corse May 10-12 7. Rally of Argentina May 23-25 June 7-9 8. Acropolis Rally June 17-19 9. Rally New Zealand 10. Rally Finland August 20-22 11. China Rally September 17-19 October 3-6 12. San Remo Rally November 4-7 13. API Rally Australia November 21-23 14. RAC Rally KANKKUNEN,THIRY TO SUBARU n Juha Kankkunen and Bruno Thiry will both leave the Ford team at the end of this season and will join Richard Bums at Subaru for 1999.

The shock signing of Kankkunen came only days after Kankkunen was released from his Ford contract, where it was believed he was unhappy having to play sec ond fiddle to Colin McRae, Ford’s latest multi-million dollar signing.

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43

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Escort Twin Cam, Lotus, 70 model, rebuilt motor, original running gear. Never raced or rallied. Excellent condition.

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Morris Cooper S, Group Nb, well known Victorian car. Very light and fast. All right bits. Very early shell. Choice of engine config, $8,800 neg. Ph: Len Read 03 5977 8771 (AH). 138 Datsun 18013858 club car. New engine, diff 4.6 Koni sus pension RX Falkens 4 spots and vented rear disks, spare shells etc. Priority baby on way so must sell. Assistance given. Log book. $9500. Ph 07 5547 7591 137 Escort Lotus twin cam 9/70 original car rebuilt engine: $7990. Quick sale. No tyre kickers. Ph 018 367 004 or 03 9499 3088 bh ,37 Thunderdone HQ all log books new sealed motor(as new) sealed box. Can be test driven before sale. $7200. Ph 03 9563 7072137

Post or fax your FREE (for private car and equipment sales only) Classifieds clearly typed or printed, maximum 30 words, plus photo if required, to Motorsport News Classifieds PO Box 1010 North Caulfield Vic 3161 or fax to 039527 7766.

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Suzuki Swift GTI 1987. Currently set up for production car/street sedan. Very competitive and fully developed car as raced. Exc condition. $6500 ono. Ph 02 4960 9032 .37 Torana SS Hatchback Fuel injected 304, t-5, 9" diff. $ wheel discs, Simmons wheels, ground up restoration.

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Group NB Ford Cortina 2 door. Very competitive font run ning car, all the best components, very reliable. With or without tandem trailer, ready to race. $13,000 ono. Ph 03 9532 1409 bh

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III Groiq> A.Low kms,red Inside and out. Big hp bench dynoed motor. Attronic rotating idle. Auto lag.

Twin plate clutch, 5 speed. Proflex. Chrome moly & carbon fibre everywhere.$52,000. Ph: Graham Vaughan 0412584859. 137 2Pulsar GTiR's, 1 GTP car with Koni susp, welded cage, blue printed etc $24,000. 1 road car with air, power windows, compli-" . anced etc, $26,000. Both in excellent cond. with low kms.$48,000 for both. Ph 0418 995581 137

Superkart. Wright Mklll. NZ built Rotax 250 Twin 6 speed power value 1985 engine, good club kart, also 81 engine. $5500. Ph 029763 3772 137

Spectrum Formula Fords. Team Arrow offers for sale its fleet of race-winning Spectrums (new cars on order) as raced

by Macrow, Zemer, Owen, Kelly and Savage. Contact Michael i Borland. Ph:039580 5236. ra

Elfin 622 Historic Group Q. Total restoration completed 5 years ago, now running F3 configuration. Quick, reliable car holds Group Q Under 1300 lap records at Amaroo and E. Creek. Full Cosworth Ford engine ex UK, specifically built for F3 with BDA crank and rods, gear driven camshaft etc, tvwn plate clutch and Mk8 Hewland. Flawless in finish and presentation.

Documentation available, spares incl. Ph Richard Harward 02 9789 8470 bh 029568 4147 ah 137

Vector MG94. Updated to 97 spec. Unused since complete ground up rebuild. Incl: Auriga FF engine, 3 sets wheels/tyres, other spares. $23,500. Also FF race engine, new '98, $6,400.

Ph: Stuart 07 5575 5001,0414 744 700. 13a Dino Midget/Rookie 95 model kart, suit 7-13 y.o. Won '96 Vic Champs, with super competitive J engine. Ready to race. $2,150. Ph:03 5250 2994,03 5275 2305(BH). i3e March 77B, Group Q, Peter Stuyvesant and Australia GP History. All right parts. Certificate of description, just rebuilt.

Spare ratios, nose mould.$50,000. Ph:07 5539 3079. 13a Swift FB91, ready to race, complete race package. Strong engine, spares, spare wheels and tyres. $20,000. Ph: Michael Borland 039580 5236(BH). .3a Mygale SJ95 F/Ford.Top ten national competitor 1997, front runner Vic series 1998. Numerous spares - wishbones, body work, wheels etc. $27,000. Also, Peter Lamer engine, latest spec. Ph: Alan or Cameron Shearer 02 6922 5387, 0418 572 679,0414 481 653. las

Camaro, 010 358 Chev engine, 550hp, BRC crank, JE pis tons, roller cam/rockers, Summers gear drive, Victor Jnr mani fold, 850 Holley, methanol carbie, 180 headers, Willwood brakes. Many spares. $17,500 or will separate. Ph: 02 6351 2914. 138

Commodore 3lt Mod, power quicksteer, 15' wheels,fully adj SUSP, full race motor, r/rockers, etc. Raedy to race, very comp car. Trailer, parts available by neg.$4,999. Ph:035331 5870. ra

137

Holden Gemini TX, unfinished rally car. 1600 lsuzu,'6 point roll cage, Velo seat (drivers) 3 inch 4 point Willans harness, extinguishers, new TE diff and heaps more. Out of rego. Ph Doug 07 3217 6975 13F Torana LH, ex show drag car. Sell less motor and trans.

Freshly rebuilt. Velour interior, detailed undercarriage, fresh paint. Big rubber, many new parts too much to list. $6950 Ph 08 83965607137 Ford Laser TX3 Turfjo 4WD, currently leading NSW rally c/ships P6. Motec computer, Sparco seats, new gearbox, com prehensive use of carbon fibre. Immaculately presented, heaps of spares.$13,800 Ph Simon 024365 5984 or 0412 377 414 137 Commodore Group A VS ex-HRT Benson engine. Harrop running'gear, Motec system, comes with spares package including wheels and pit equipment, $65,000 flat price. Ph 02 63555995137 Commodore Sports Sedan new 350 Chev mid-mounted, T10 gearbox, 9" floater, rear fibreglass panels all round, comes with spare springs, moulds, wets etc.$26,000. Ph 026355 5995137 AUSCAR VS. Immaculate. Complete roller less engine. Yellow light, fire bomb, fuel cell and churn, harness, complete Aulometer instrument panel, turbo brakes and M21 gearbox, new gears and bearings in diff, C,R"P cage. All new panels.

Needs engine and minor assembly. A sale is necessary to com plete new car. $9500 ono. Ph Tony 03 9781 2377 bh or 0419 155 635 ah 137 Sports Sedan Mustang. 1989 GT. 351 motor, dry sump, 3 plate clutch, T loader gearbox, 9" Harrop diff, AP brakes, Bilsteins, Zakspeed suspension, BBS wheels, Sabelt harness.

Comes with spares and wets. POA. Neg. Ph Kevin 02 4782 1145 or 0414 822 427 137

Lotus twin cam, complete motor and gearbox, top hp, Ivan Tighe cams, Wardsport head, Vernier timing gear, includes 45 mm webbers and extractors, full rebuilt. $5500. Ph 02 9520 9413 or 0419 233 595 13; GSXR 1100 suit litre or compact speedcar Hilbom injection extractors. Ready to race. $3000. Ph 029628 2238 137 308 Race motor. Dry sump system, triple plate clutch, Chev LT1 conrods, stroked to 323 cubic inches. Waggott cam,forged .040’ pistons, roller rockers Iski valve springs. Hi horse power and strong torque. Cost $20,000. Sell $13,000.

Ph John 08 8644 0283 137

P«r#s

Speedway

25th Anniversary GT Falcon, build no.200, one of 250.

Cobalt blue, manual. Factory sunroof, CD player, car bra, seat covers (front and rear), keyless entry with alarm, customised plates (MYGT93) low kms, immaculate condition. One of the best, reluctant sale. Some spares included in price. $POA neg.

Ph Amanda or Andrew 0419 347 037 or 035369 2271137

Ford SVO 302, A4 block, Bryant crankshaft, Carillo rods, JE pistons, Yates CNC head, titanium valves, Crane shaft rockers. Crane roller cam, Romac. Complete, fresh, may sep arate. $16,000. Ph:07 3878 2740,015 673 707. .38 265 Hemi engine. Fully reconditioned, never been started since rebuild. All good gear, competition cam. $3,600 spent, asking $2,000 ono. Ph 026351 2914 .37 Holden 3.3 blue motor full reconditioned and balanced bottomend, full reconditioned head, K-iine guides, stainless seats, reconditioned factory Garrett turbo and manifolds all reconditioned and as new. 38 mm Weber. $3000 ono, Ph 062 416 047 or 0414 776129 .37

Holden 202 race engine fully rebuilt balanced, blueprinted, fully worked head roller rockers ACL racing pistons, starfire rods. Crow Cams straight cut gears, hi-energy sump. $2,200 ono. Ph 03 5978 7679 or 0419 388 192 137 Chev 366 Crower 5/8 stoke crank, Oliver 6’ rods. JE pistons, roller cam, bowtie block, splayed caps. Daft 17' heads. T&D shaft rockers. 650hp. $17,500. Ph 0418 514 444 or 03 5176 1355 137

Open Wheelers Porsche 930 wide body 350hp turbo motor. 15,000 mis.

Immaculate condition. Rrst to see will buy. $70,000. Ph 9300 9996 (WA)or0412941 812

Dd

Van Diemen RF98. Rolling chassis engineered and main tained by Fastlane Racing. Proven race winner and 3rd in AFFC. Immaculate car. Available with Motec data logging sys tem (brand new), Ohiins 2 way shock absorbers, Ph Tim Leahey 0419 588 884,02 6361 9888 bh or 0263628264 ah. isa

Modified production VN Commodore. Current ASCF registra tion methonal 350 Holley carburettor V6, 5-speed gearbox, 9’ diff. Best of everything. All new. Only 7 meetings old. Huge potential. $14,000. Ph 0262971336137 Fender bender HG. One meeting old since full rebuild.

Motor sealed, competitive car. Ready to race less window net and harness. With spares $1600 ono. Ph Ed 0414 240 005 or 02 9628 5170137 Speedway cars. XF Ford and Sigma sedans. Cars are ready to race with spares. Both have feature wins A.S.C.F. or Board.$3,000 ono. Must sell. Ph 0269636367137 Modified production TE Cortina. Strong 250 x flow methanol motor. 4-speed, adjustable suspension, very com petitive car. Plenty of spares. Ready to race. $7,500 ono Ph 03 5978 7679 or 0419 388 1922 137

Howland Mk9 gearbox. As new, little use $4,000ono. Ph: 0419 777 229,08 85524000. 13B Datsun 1600 parts. Doors, struts, hubcaps, diff, harness, seats, tail light, headlight, gearbox, 1800 motor, oarbies, bumper bar. roll cage, boot lid. Priced from $5. Ph 03 5334 6364 ah Ballarat. 137 Bond Aluminium rollcage to suit LH/LX sedan. 6 point, fully polished. Cost $725, sell $580. Ph 08 8396 5607 137 Lotus Twin Cam head. Reco with new valves. No springs, $1500 Ph 039480 4040. 137 4 S/H wet weather tyres&wheels. 4 stud, 2 by 8', 2 by 10;2 by 13‘$500 Ph 039480 4040. 137 Ford 4 cyl L block - sleeved $500 Ph 039480 4040. 137 2 Lightweight 4 spot callipers with pads - Offers Ph 03 94804040. 137 BDA flywheel -Offers. Ph 03 9480 4040. 137 Lotus Twin Cam camshafts 4 pair @ $300 per pair. 1 pr vernier $350 Ph 03 9480 4040. 137 Lotus Twin Cam front cover $300. Tappet cover $200. Ph 03 9480 4040. 137 Hoosier historic tyres street TD 2x D60 x 13' $200. 2 x 205/60D X 13- $200 Ph 039480 4040. 137 Intercomp corner scales complete with 4 spare pads, (needs recalibrating) Ph 039480 4040. 137 Pioneer Component System Stereo. Tuner, tapedeck, graph ic, 2 amps,cost over $2000, sell $1450. Ph 08 8396 5607 137 Chew V8 350 TPI motor and harness and computer, 4 boll rebuilt $3900. EFI to suit 302 Ford Mustang. Harness comput et $1900. Ford 4 bolt 351 block $1600. 4 Mab crank $480.

351 Carillos $1500. Accel dist $380. All neg. Ph Kevin 02 4785 1145 or 0414 822 427 137 Brand new 2 litre Kombi heads, 48 x 38 Titanium stainless valves, Chev double springs. These are the best heads. $1,800. Ph 02 6655 5715 or019 125 965 137 Holden V8 top loader conversion. Box, bellhousing, shifter, flywheel, pressure plate, thrust bearing, clutch plate, hydrolic clutch set up, tailshaft to suit nine inch in LH/LX. Excellent condition, complete. $1450. Ph 08 8396 5607 137 500 Holley Carburettor factory methanol, imported from USA. Used once only on engine dyno. Suit speedway etc.

Brand new,$500 ono. Ph 026297 9763 137 3BBS 19' snake tongue touring car rims, centre lock nut style with Michelin slicks. Worth $6000. Sell $2,500. Ph 02 6655 5715 or 019 125 965 .37 Datsun 1600 R180 Detroit locker diff 4.1 $950, disc rear end $500, close ratio 5 speed suit L16. $450. Bridgestone RE71RS 195/60/14. As new. $320 pair. Other parts available.

Ph 029684 2353137 Tyres Hoosier racing wets, brand new Iff, 22 by 10-16(4). New $1200,sell fa $850, Also nnany used IS’slicks. Pti0412337 227 intercooler brand new for motor up to 400 hp. Measures 810 mm X 310 mm.Suit 6 cylinder or turbo rotary motor. $500.

Ph Ken 0412 546 157 137 Magneto MSD promag 10 times more voltage and spark than conventional magneto. Cost new $2,700. Sell $1,950. Ph 03 51761355 or 0418 514 444137

Traitsporters/f^aiiars Tandem trailer up and over style. Plenty storage under neath. Used for super sedan and modified production. $2,500 Ph 035978 7679 or 0419 388 192 m

Drag Raclwg

Formula Holden 92D, competitive car, with good HP engine. Trailer and spares package available. Contact Owen Osborne 039798 3680 or 0417 320 866.$78,000 neg. 137 Firefox off road frame including all aluminium and fibreglass panels, long front and rear arms, SAW drive axles, quick release sleeting wheel,63 litre fuel tank, RPM seat, aluminium pedals and cylinders, VDO gauges. Many extras inc log book. $5500. Ph Paul 02 4832 1321 ah 137

Torana LH drag car, freshly rebuilt. Sell less motor and trans. Drag suspension, letterbox scoop, harness, velour inte rior, SL/R dash and wheel, fully detailed undercarriage. Too much to list. $6950 Ph 08 8396 5607 137

inglwes Chew 350, built by JSR. Crower, Isky, Brodix, Roller cam, BG, dry sump. 600bhp, complete turn-key engine. $16,500.

Ph: Dale 03 9707 4673 (AH), 03 9584 7177 (BH). 0411 310 695. 138

Nissan C80 diesel car carrier. Tyre racks, spares compart ment, new injectors and pump,complete rebuild two years ago.

Reliable and efficient. Town truck, owes $15,000. Sett $8,500.Ph John English 07 3826 4111 (BH)07 3808 2943(AH) or 0418 73661913-

^9

9October m Transporters/ Trailers cent.

Wanted

Photographs

Photographs V8 supercars, Lowndes, Ingall, Johnson etc.

Super Tourers Richards, Jones etc. Various sizes framed and

Stack dash, tacho in middle of dash with LED readout below. Ph:0419 780 530. iss

matted. Some with original signatures. Ph Troy 0412 263 409 or Wayne 019 996 193 w

FI model cars 1:43 1980'sTameo wave western whitemetal kits or assembled. Ph Bill 03 5243 3660 ah u/

Other

Formula 1 videos pre 1985 VMS or Beta. N highlights tapes. Ph Bill 03 5243 3660 ah m Corolla RWD good new or used extractor system to suit 4AGE engine, Ph Rob 036339 4596. 137 Formula Ford (older model .early to mid 80s) rolling chas sis, complete, or incomplete. All considered. Ph Tom 02 9607 5908 evenings. 137 A mini Cooper 'S' body and parts. Ph Rob or Ryan 08 8383 7122 ah. ,37

1988 Chevy Sierra classic crew cab dually. 454 Itr, V8, power steering, air conditioning, dual fuel with 200 Itr tank. Best one around.$39,500. Ph 0351761355 or 0418 514 444 ,37

Formula Ford suitable for historic racing. Ph 039335 2090,37

Model Car & Toy Swapmeet. All types of model cars, trains, buses, NASCARs, Supercars, posters and many more collectibles. Sat Oct 31, 6.30pm - 9.00pm. Baptist Youth Centre, cnr Rothesay Ave & Dorene St. St Marys (SA). Ph: 08 82765649. ,3e Bathurst F/Ford transport available (ex Melbourne). Two spots. Ph: Keith 0414 328 109. ,36 Historic photos, 70s, 80s, Brock, Johnson, Senna, Mansell etc. B&W, colour. Tourers, sports cars, F5000, F2 etc. Search service also available. Fax for details. 029960 6552 137

Motor racing magazine book, program, yearbook col lection. 70s through to current. Some rare 60s. Ph Peter 02 9817 6228 ,37

Victor.port News' RACE SHOPqrve-. yrju tne opporru 47 prori .;or vot;r n : and seivices to the widest possible ’'ai ;ge of motorspoi rornperco:. at id enrih.

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511 9October W8

COMMENT More Makes - yes Dear Sir, After reading your front page article on the possibility of other makes competing in the V8 championship in the future, I felt I should write and lend my support to the concept.

From the outset I have to admit I have always hoped that something like this would happen as I felt that V8 Supercars were a step towards the exciting days of Group C compe tition, but with bigger and more even fields. -

Editorial ; David Hassali I ony GSynn . Phil Branagan i

jigg

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Contributors General' Mike Kcible, Jon Tfiomson, ; Brian Reed, Darryl l-lack I n: Joe Saward, Adam Cooper ; Europe. Quentin Spurring, ' US. Bruce Smith, ."hil Morns . NZ: John Havi'kiris , Speedway; Dennis Newlyn, David WcNabb. Vt/ade Aunger, Geoff Rounds, David tarnont, Chris Metcalf. ; Sue Hobson, Michael Anwell, ' rony Millard (UK), Darren O Dea ; Rally: Peter Wfiitren. Jon Ttiornson (Drag Racing. Gertild McDornan, i Greg Ward, Jon Asher (USA), ; Dave Ostaszew.ski (IJSAI, ; Nick Nicfiolas, Steven White, i Ken Ferguson. Scott Jug (Super Speedway Martin Clark (IJ.SA), ! Brett Swansdn,. Grant Nir.holas : Karts. Iari Saivestrin, Alla.n Roark, I Graeme Burns, Edward Krtiuse ; Photographers. EAT, Dirk KJynsrriitti, i Zoom Photographies, Neil Hammond, ; Nigel Snowdon & Diana Bur neu.

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I Phil Williams, Mike Patrick (UK) : MOTORSroiiT NEWS IS puKi.sh.;;i hy,Vj',:r.<las'd'' ,(k's-irarspOTi hy I rd ACM Mo 060 119 9J8 : Dr/'.vto.-v C U'Tibcic^ li) A Cjfynn

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(Wlke Color J 7-T9 Brovsrti Pel Clayton 31 OH ! Distributed by: i NDD Ltd ■ publi'Hicrf WC^rCRjEORT NEWS i*. i j copyright on.-J j.-vf/ not t;p rtpro-.l'JLeil iii fu!» o» -n I ; p.'irt without iho written pei rnis.'iion of' ihc' ; jpuhlishef. r-''ec!or;co cohinbution^ -●●fo lA'Oicohit. ! jcind w'hilo iill cHte wiii be Inktn, Auitriilustan ' ;Motofvpor: Nowi Pty Ltd rices rtor ci:.copt ● ' responiibiliry tor Oo/ri.igp or toss or riiarcnoi ; suboiitterJ. ; ; Opinions exprc?sscd in Mororspon News are net ; risVC’SSjnly tfl05C Ci'-'Vj'.lCdl-isi/dh Mrjtor.spo-t Nows I 'Pt>'i.rd or iLssimf. ●

I believe that this concept is the best thing possible for a number of reasons. Firstly, the biggest criti cism I have had of the V8s is the fact that it is only a two-make series, which detracts from the visual excitement and interest due to the lack of variety.

Secondly, it takes the pressure off Holden and Ford to bankroll the series. With one or two extra manu facturers in the championship, more teams would be able to step up to Level 1 with decent factory backing.

This development would be the best step towards a compromise between the two top touring car classes, as most 2-litre manufactur ers also have a vehicle which fits AVESCO’s criteria.

Anyway, the engines that power the current Supercars are not avail able in production versions, so that isn’t an obstacle to any manufactur er without a V8,in their range. All they have to do is slot in a V8 from a mutually acceptable rival manu facturer.

I hope your readers can see that this is a move forward that can only make the racing better.

Keep up the good work.

Ari Piirainen H^tage Park, QLD ED; Apologoes to Keke. Our man Saward isn't the sort to let that slip through - the story in question slipped through from an agency...

fitr

Senc'i ■ Talk :o 1 Bcsc lO'u Vic '.!6!. ou; E-OVD! adcxr- : ;a.. ‘.he 5iaff or MaonpoiT New- dcx ■ or.- nece-r agrrt

Saward befongs in a Tzu

believe the series will require a major overhaul. Here is a sugges tion:

as it is one which we can all associ ate with.

● change to 3L 6 cylinder mass production motors (most manufac turers have such a motor in their arsenal); ● inlet restrictors, rev limit and set compression ratio to even out performance; ● mandate space frame chassis for front engine, RWD and stan dard suspension configuration; ● wheels set at say 16" diameter to limit brake size; ● control components eg trans missions, diffs and tyres; and ● basic aerodynamic appendages eg blade-type rear spoilers.

R. Miljko Endeavour Hills, VIC

Peter Fienieg Meadowbank NSW ED: The V8s have quite a bit of your basic philosophy already.

But 6 cylinder engines? ... don't think so.

Keke Who? Dear Sir, Ref: latest issue, “Hakkinen is trying to become the FIRST Finn to wear the crown.”

Who was 1982 FI Champion? Keke Rosberg!

As a Finn myself (30 years in Australia though) I find it amazing that from Finland, population 5 million, there are so many world class drivers.

In FI there was Rosberg and Lehto, now Hakkinen and Mika Salo.

Then of course there is rallying where Finnish drivers are legend.

Motorsport is very popular there V—HT.

tm

■James Fowler Montmorency, VIC Dear Sir, 'Jn recent times there has been talk about expanding the V8 Supercar category beyond the two make battle.

If Australia is to follow this path we must ensure that the key ele ments a successful control formula are preserved: ● minimise the major variables (in NASCAR these are confined to body and engine); ● ensure that the formula can prosper without manufacturer involvement (manufacturers partic ipate for their benefit, not a love of the sport); ● minimise the impact of technolo gy (rampant technology raises costs and allows the free spending manu facturer to distort the formula); and ● make it cheap to keep vehicles competitive for long periods via simple upgrades (NASCAR and IRL, are good examples).

If Toyota, Mazda and so on are to join our premier championship I

DYNAMIC... Keke Rosberg, here heading for victory in Adelaide, 1985, was of course Finland's first FI World Champion. He now manages championship contender Hakkinen and other up-and-coming Finnish stars.

GTPs in October?

Dear Sir, 1998 AMP 1000? What a joke!

There were less spectators at this years event! The event cannot last much longer if it continues down its current path. Roll on November 15 as I’ll be there to see the REAL race.

You know what I’d really like to see - the GTP category doing the 1000km enduro on the first Sunday in October. This event was founded as an endurance test for production cars and should be returned to its original format.

However, as the 2L and 5L camps are fighting for top ‘tin top’ category at the moment I’ll contin ue to support the domestic category

and anyone with a licence becomes a good driver because of the harsh climate during -winter - believe me, it’s not easy. I’ve tried it!

I want to congratulate Joe Saward for his honest and fair reporting on FI. I enjoy his articles a lot.

While Schumacher is no doubt a great driver, my alliance lies with Hakkinen.

A few months ago I met Dr Jerome Cockings, the man who saved Mika’s life after that massive crash at Adelaide, He thought Mika’s injuries were very bad and that he would never drive on the “edge” again - but he is happy to say he was wrong.

Mika is quick, has talent, and ‘‘'deserves this year’s championship.

Dear Sir, I buy your mag every fortnight and enjoy Joe Saward’s articles the most.

I enjoyed his latest article but I recommend he read a book called The Art of War: Sun Tzu. I think it was written sometime in the first century, well before 1830.1 think it, was 510.1 am not sure.

It talks about the use of spies, economic warfare and winning at all costs.

Craig Cobbin Craig@texaspeak.com. au

Can do better, 10 Dear Sir, It’s now two years into Ten’s new motorsport coverage, and while it’s appreciated, the honeymoon must be considered well and truly over.

Watching the Tickford 500 I found myself confused for the majority of the race as the overall commentary and updates were poor.

The commentators preferred to tell stories amongst themselves, allowing some fantastic racing, demonstrations of car control and race shaping events go virtually unnoticed.

The first two positions seemed to be covered, but what was happen ing after that? And why not time the pit stops (they used to be) and do a post stop summary?

Team tactics and support can be summarised a lot better than “Gee, that looked quick”.

No problem I thought. I’ll wait for the pre-ad timing sheet. But even these were confusing and appeared to be always wrong!

Hot tip boys; if only the lead car has passed the start/finish line before the break, it doesn’t mean the rest of the field are a lap down (why not use the timing of the previous lap?).

OK, I’m down to the hourly updates now to try and piece together the race but these were poorly ad-libbed, disjointed and failed to explain the unfolding race.

It’s time to lift your game a notch Ten. You’ve laid a fantastic founda tion, V8 Supercars are reshaping for the future, why not join them?

Why not introduce the rotating Tndy’-style continuous timing sheets? It would at least keep us in the big picture better.

Mark Genders mgr@fan.net.au

By Barry Foley

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