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Issia 328
23 Ntvanler-6 Dacanbar 2005
www.mnews.com.au
news and opinion \
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Dick’s empire A telco, a mortgage co and a Davo It’s the ToiiHSVDT Can we call them Team Alphabet? Newey gets wings Red Bull snares McLaren's design ace
*10 Tassie V8 fans rejoice Symmons gets V8s to 2010 12 Chip’s new donks GanassI goes Honda in the IRL 25 Motor Mouth DJR’s new plans put in perspective 26 Box Seat How to be politically correct... in FI? 82 Taik Converter Things V8s need, and A1 corporate
28 Five Minutes With Mark Winterbottom Frosty's will be a factory man soon 30 Five Minutes With Jarno Trulii Things are on the up at Toyota FI 32 Championship Bouts With Phillip Island on our minds, we look at some of the classic final rounds in Australian touring car history 36 He’s been promoted Paul Cruickshank on making the step up to the big show 38 Hoiden it ali together Meet Simon McNamara, Holden’s motorsport manager 45 How the titie was won MNews details how Renault and McLaren's 2005 title challengers were put together
race coverage iJi
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48 Tander clean sweeps Tassie All the action from Symmons Plains, where Holden takes the podium spots as the Fords fought for the title lead 56 Duval wins After a year as a tree magnet, the Belgian comes up trumps in the West as Atkinson stars on home soil
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62 Tatnell’s juggernaut Brooke clears out In World Series, but Johnson has a win now ...
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Photos: Cover; MNews Contents; Dirk Klynsmith, Joel Strickland. sutton-images.com
regulars 20 Stateside 64 Speedway
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Drag Racing
60 Rallying 68
National Scene
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Marketplace 3
WHEN YOU
NEED TO KNOW
there’s only one choice OTORSPORT News continues to lead the way in providing factual, head-of-the-pack news. Its team of professional motorsport journalists have once again streeted the field when it comes to keeping you, our readers, ahead of the pack when it comes to knowing for sure what's going on in Australian motorsport. This issue sees a raft of confirmations from teams and drivers - most of which you read first in MNews. And that's before today's exclusive on the re-branding of Dick Johnson Racing... ■ MNews November 9
WINTERBOTTOM: FACTORY RIDER Yep, an MNews exculsive. Frosty to FPR (see page 28 for more)
Winterbottom: Faaor^ider
■ MNews November 9
ATKO SORTED Subaru. Told you so two weeks ago. ■ MNews November 9
SIGNED? SEALED? Whincup to Triple 8: Will Davo to DJR. Done deals.
■ MNews November 9
MORTON READIES FOR 2006 We told you Michael Caruso would get the Decina Fujitsu series gig. Confirmed this week. ■ MNews October 26
SUPER CHEAP GRABS CAM
3E3
The team's confirmed Weely's gone and everyone knows who's coming!.
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■ MNews October 26
TOLL DEALER TEAM Yep, we told you four weeks ago that HSVDT was winning the race for Toll ■ MNews October 26
IS SETON ON THE OUTER? Confirmed just days ago; Seto out, Davo in.
Stick with MNews - we'll keep you informed ahead of the rest... 4
Johnson telco to bankroll DJ by GRANT ROWLEY ICK Johnson Racing's Ford Falcons will carry new primary sponsorship in 2006 ... from Dick Johnson himself! The Dick Johnson Group has recently entered into an branding agreement with Telstra Wholesale to become a licensed reseller of fixed line and mobile telephone services. Johnson's Falcons are expected to sport signage from the yet-to-be-named telecommunication business, as well as the V8 Mortgage Centre venture, which is also part of DJG. This news confirms the news carried in our last issue that Westpoint will have its last race as DJR's major sponsor this weekend at Phillip Island. The Westpoint/DJR sponsorship agreement was initially a multi-year deal, but MNews
understands that Westpoint will have no involvement with the Queensland team in 2006. Dick Johnson Racing's general, manager Steve Chalker would not.be drawn on the specifics of the new deal, although he did tell MNews that;"We are doing things differently next year," Johnson's telco deal is similar to that of other resellers such as AAPT, Virgin ‘Mdbile'&nd Primus. Basi'caTly, Telstra supplies the hardware, and Jphnson'S company will resell it to its customers. Initially, only land-line and mobile services will be offerect. MNews understands that DJG will not be an ISP (internet service provider) for the first 12 months while the new business is established, but that it does plan to target the broadband market within the first two years. Interestingly, Johnson first looked into
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Seton Ponders GLENN Seton does not know in which direct to head now that he knows he will not be with Dick Johnson Racing next season. The two-time V8 Supercar champion was told last week he was being released from the team next year in favour of Will Davison, while Steven Johnson will stay with the team. i Seton,40,says that he is in two minds as to whether to pursue a full-time drive with another Ford team next season or to
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seek a co-driving role with a potential race winner. "There are a few things there," he said on Monday."Larkham has a seat and so does Briteic but 1 have not spoken to anyone yet. 1 have not pursued a drive at this stage. "If it is an endurance drive, it can be hard to be competitive at the front of the field in today's competitive climate. I would also like to work with a team full-time and contribute to moving them forward." One thing that remains tantalising for Seton is a Bathurst win, having finished on the podium twice in the last three years without winning the race. "A Stones (Brothers Racing) or a Triple 8 opportunity may excite me. But [if] another team would offer the opportunity to move forward, that
interests me as well. 1 need to take a little time and understand where 1 want to be right now." One thing of which Seton was certain was his desire to maintain his links with Ford. "1 want to be in the Ford fold. 1 believe strongly in sticking with what you have. Ford have always been good to me and I want to be faithful to them. 1 motorsport news
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nt us mortgages.com.au yo u Dick Johnson Racing, Steven Johnson and new full-time signing Will Davison will launch the telco company and the team's new DJ 'brand' warpaint on December 15 in Brisbane. Long-time DJR sponsor Shell will continue to have a presence on the #17 and #18 cars but, as was the case this year, its involvement remains limited.
Dick Johnson will soon announce a majofl national telecommunications-business of his own. The new company will also sponsor his V8 Supercar team in 2006 and beyond.
Future
think that the people at the tracks expect that." Another factor that Seton is considering is how close he is now to resetting some of the records in the category. The Phillip Island round this weekend will be his 201st round start, one behind Dick Johnson, who made 202 starts, the most for any Ford driver. Peter Brock holds the total record at 212 starts, meaning that Seton would surpass him next year - if he can find a seat... 23 November 2005
BY the time you read this. Steven Johnson will have put pen to paper on a new deal with DJR. The deal's not signed yet, although it should be done by Phillip Island, Johnson told MNews on Monday. "But I will be re-signing with them. Johnson said that he expects that the new arrangement will be for two years, probably with an option for a third season that could potentially see him remain in DJR colours until at least 2008. Johnson will line up alongside young Victorian Will Davison who was last week confirmed as part of DJR's 2006 line-up (see separate story). - MARK GLENDENNING