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No. 305 March 23 - April 5 2005 Australia $5.95 NZ $7.50 incl GST *,●

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news and opinion 5

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Party like it’s 1985 What about an Adelaide GP?

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Wiil, Wilis, Wiison Teann Dynamik; 2 races, 4 drivers 8 Remote Contoi How will AR¬ TY deal affect V8 Supercars? 11 I didn’t mean it Michael’s sorry (when outnumbered) 15 Account for this Now, the V8 Supercar Credit Card 25 Motor Mouth Murray Walker, Adelaide aficionado 26 Box Seat Saward has doorknobs « on the brain 82 Talk Converter We already know what we think ...

foatnros 28 Five Minutes With Mike Gascoyne Toyota's FI tech guru is laughing now 30 Five Minutes With Kenny Brack Former Indy winner, V8 Supercar rookie? 32 Gored Blimey If you ever thought that Craig Gore was insane, this chat might

race coverage

■ 38 Parting Gift Marcos Ambrose will not be back at the Clipsai 500 next season so he left all the Ford fans a can of whoop-ass they will not soon forget 48 Renault Mega Just as Fisi showed in Melbourne, it was another case of watch the Renault pull away from the pack in the Malaysian Grand Prix 56 Gatorz-ade This just in: Dean Canto is way, way fast in a V8 Supercar STECBii

60 Street Parties The supports at the Clipsai had something for everyone a 62 Mexican Jumping Beans Petter Solberg wins. Chris Atkinson stars in the WRC

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The former stands ready 1 Marshall, Gore and Walker combine to fo^ OZ-ll^team

THERE will be an Australian driver and Aussie-owned team in this year's Champ Car World Series. Marcus Marshall has been confirmed as a driver with Walker Racing alongside Alex Tagliani in two Lolas. While no comment can be made for about two weeks, MNews believes that Wright Patton Shakespeare and WPS Racing boss Craig Gore will take a share in the team. "We are in the final process of putting together a platform to market and develop our brand in the United States," Gore said in Adelaide last weekend. "And unfortunately there are some sensitivities that I just can't disclose today because they involve Government." Team principal Derrick Walker said that the team, which has struggled with pay drivers in

recent times, is afive and kicking. "Media speculation had us gone from the series and closing our doors," said the Englishman, "but the reality is we have had the elements of our two car multi-year commitment for nearly two months now. It takes time to find new sponsor partners. This commitment is clearly an indication of how the series is gaining strength and the renewed interest of companies in the future of the Champ Car World Series." An announcement about the team is expected in the next few weeks. Marshall has tested with the team twice recently though his second test at Fontana in California was cut short when he had a crash. The opening race of the Champ Car World Series will take place at Long Beach on April 8-10.

Wellington readies for V8s AUCKLAND'S loss could be

Wellington's gain in V8 Supercar racing. The V8s, which will race at Pukekohe for the last time next month, may cross the Tasman again next season after Wellington City Councillors last week voted 9 to 4 in favour of the race proposal going out for public consultation, a four-week period which started last week. Residents and otlier interested parties will be able to submit their views on the race directly to the Council over the internet at http://www.wellington.govt.nz/ haveyoursaypublicinput/ v8supercars.php The local government has backed the race to the tune of NZ$24 million ($22.5m)in works along the course, which will run along the tourist district in the small(2km across) city. MNews believes that IMG,which would promote the race in conjunction with the Council, is seeking a three to seven-year deal for a three-day event. A recent residents' survey reported that 72 percent of respondents supported the race. Wellington is the capital city of NZ and the world's southern-most capital The city's population is 163,000 while a total of 423,000 live in the immediate region. The city last hosted V8 Supercars in a non championship event in 1996. 4

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AUSTRALIA'S 2005 round of the World Rally Championship will be the last to be held in Perth. The Western Australian state government has advised CAMS that it will cease its support of the event after the November event. ARCom Chairman Garry Connelly said on Monday that there was a great opportunity to grow the event but only in the right circumstances. "We have to make sure that

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lelaide Return?

home of FI for GP in 2008

by CHRIS LAMBDEN in KUALA LUMPUR and PHIL BRANAGAN FORMULA One's teams may be heading back to where it all started in Australia - Adelaide. Should the current battle between Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Management and the manufacturers' organisation, result in a breakaway series, rather than a joint resolution, Adelaide stands ready to assume the mantle of the home of the race in Australia. Ron Walker's close Unks with Ecclestone have seen the Australian Grand Prix Corporation Chairman come out strongly in favour of Bemie's cause over recent months,counselling others to steer away from the potential 'breakaway' manufacturers' series. While the GPWC looks prepared to play hard-ball, most within the sport expect, and hope for, a negotiated settlement that will see the teams benefit more from the revenues coming into FI. If not, however, the manufacturers are prepared go their own way and are already talking to circuit promoters around the world. The potential for change comes because of the fact that the AGPC has a contract to conduct the Grand Prix until at least 2010, with options beyond that point. But the current Concorde Agreement runs only until the end of the 2007 season and,at this point, only one team has made a formal commitment to stay in the current structure beyond that time. Ferrari recently signed a deal to stay with the FOM until 2012 but the five manufacturers in the sport- BMW, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Renault and Toyota - are still discussing what they will do post-2007. Furthermore, all five makers have agreed in principle to supply engines to second teams at an affordable cost, meaning that there would potentially be 10 two-car teams in any

breakaway series. So the obvious question would be, would it be better to watch 20 cars race or two? With Melbourne so strongly linked to Ecclestone, MNews understands that Adelaide has indicated its willingness to step up to the mark if the opportunity arises. SA Premier Mike Rann's current public stance is a simple no comment",but reliable MNews spies assure us that preliminary conversations have taken place and that the South Australian government, which acted swiftly to secure the race in 1985,is looking favourably at the possibility to reclaim the event. Should the event take place,it would be unlikely to greatly impact on the commercial backing enjoyed by the Clipsal 500, which receives goverrunent support,and the Adelaide Parklands tracl« has already hosted two events in the same year before. But any event would be unlikely to be called the 'Australian Grand Prix'. That title is reserved for the event so nominated to the FIA by CAMS on an annual basis (currently Albert Park and, prior to 1985, a variety of venues). But'Grand Prix' is a generic title (unlike 'Formula 1' or 'FI', which are trademarked by FOM)so the race could be the 'Adelaide Grand Prix', The other fascinating aspect of any event in Adelaide is that it is not alone. In Japan, Honda owns Suzuka and Motegi and Toyota owns the revamped Mt Fuji track, so there are a number of world-class international venues with the heritage, and facilities, that may potentially play host to a 'breakaway' GP series. Regardless of a title, the message to Mr Ecclestone is simple - the manufacturers are serious and,in Australia and other countries, there are alternatives to FI ...

PERTH DUMPS WRC AFTER 2005 any new location has the correct funding and structure," he said. "We have to make sure that any structure protects the events itself." For some time, it has been thought that a probable successor to Perth as a host city for a WRC round was either Melbourne or Canberra. MNews believes that a feasibility study, with a positive recommendation, was submitted to the Victorian government for appraisal in 2002 23 March 2005

but the event failed to meet with approval due to commercial shortcomings, despite the fact that Melbourne-based manufacturers and importers supported the plan. That would appear to leave Canberra, the host of Australia's Asia Pacific Championship round, ideally placed. However, late on Monday night, the Queensland government became to first to officially register interest in the

event in a media release. "I think that there is an excellent opportunity for this event to find a new host city," Connelly says. "A lot of the commercial sponsorship issues can be addressed more easily on the east coast." But clearly, the WA event, which has been conducted since 1987, has run its course, with less than 35,000 paying spectators at the '04 event.

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Clipsal 500 date change for 2006 THE 2006 Clipsal 500 may find itself on a different date, as a result of various forces in both Victoria and South Australia. With the Australian FI Grand Prix looking likely to be in late April, there have been moves to see the Clipsal event move forward to occupy a date in early March, That 'traditional' GP date next year in Adelaide will be the opening weekend of the Adelaide Festival of Arts, a huge event in Adelaide that is based in the east end of the city, where the street circuit is also based. It is felt that Adelaide may not be able to accommodate both events in a way that would take advantage of their huge potential. "Until the Grand Prix date lands. no motorsport dates are done," said Andrew Daniels, CEO of the Clipsal 500. The Adelaide Cup long weekend has been moved from wintery May to March 13, and the SA State Election will be the weekend after that. The SA Government, the promoter of the Clipsal 500, is said to be keen to see the event held before the state election. It wQuId be unlikely that the event would be held during the Commonwealth Games period, so it would now seem as though it will be an early March start to the season next year, so despite the Grand Prix date change, the V8 season may still begin around the same time. n Further to our news story postAGP, we hear that Todd Kelly is now fully signed up as a member Team Red. No details forthcoming but, as we reported previously, we believe that the deal runs until the end of the season, which could place The Toddler on the market in December, n Steven Ellery will use a new BA Falcon shell at the next V8 Supercar round at Pukekohe, after extensively damaging his #88 car in a Turn 8 crash at Adelaide. Triple 8 has until April 9 to fit out the new shell, which is already sitting at the team's Queensland workshop, before the boat leaves to cross the Tasman. Another Race 1 turn 8 victim was Orrcon Racing's Jason Bargwanna, whose car was able to front up the next day, after an overnight repair valued at $80,000. n The Australian entry of the A1 Grand Prix Series will be launched next Wednesday, March 30 in Sydney. As well as Christian Jones being confirmed as the team's first driver, we hear that the Sydney launch may be used to announce that the Australian A1 GP round in November will be held at Eastern Creek, although Phillip Island is also said to be keen to host the local round of the 'World Cup of Motorsport'. 5