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No. 325 21 Dec 2005 - 3 Jan 2006 Australia $5.95 NZ $7.50 inc GST 'j-
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ROCK OIM! DJR unveils its brave new look
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motorspoif news
Issue 325 21 December 2005-3 January 2006
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Living on Bourbon Street The Jack Daniel’s is on LP!
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Reverse of the Nerds V8 team owners still not thrilled
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Hello, Ron? McLaren signs a 10-year Vodafone deal io Not a Xmas card Wildcard! And Britek wants it for Seto 12 Frank and Bernie Williams signs up for some Concorde 25 Motor Mouth The Ed must be phone shopping again 26 Box Seat Nightie night Joe. Snuggle up warm, now 82 Talk Converter Seton for HRT? Urn, not likely
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28 Five Minutes With Larry Perkins LP, we will bring the ice and mixers ... 30 Five Minutes With Ryan Briscoe No job (yet) but he has been very busy 32
ingall, out loud He celebrated, went home, moved house and then spoke to Motorsport News. The Enforcer tells it like it is 38 No black smoke here Audi's new Le Mans challenger goes ‘burn’, not 'bang' 42 V8 Supercar Review Looking back on another classic season for V8s 52 Fernando Can Do The FI year had some great racing and a new Champion
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Photos: Cover: Peter Bury, DJR and Marshall Cass Contents: Dirk Klynsmith, CCWSLAT/Greg Alleck, suttonimages.com
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Back in black
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ARRY Perkins has announced a major three-year sponsorship deal with US-based bourbon brand Jack Daniel's. The three-year deal,said to be worth $10m over that time,removes any doubt about the future of Perkins'team and brings a new household-name, non-automotive sponsor to V8 Supercar racing. "To say I'm happy would be an understatement," LP told MNews this week.
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"This is a major international brand, and their involvement with my team will very much mirror their successful involvement in NASCAR in the US. "We win run a pair of Jack Daniel's cars,for Steven Richards and Paul Dumbrell. This package certainly enables us to maintain the continuity within the team and should allow us to challenge even harder for the championship." Interestingly,Jack Daniel's 'brand' number is seven, the race number under which Rod Nash has run the Autobam entry,from Perkins' workshops, this year. Perkins and Nash have thus,for obvious reasons, negotiated a swap of numbers, leaving LP with numbers 7 and 11 -
DICK Johnson is no longer just a team owner of a V8 Supercar team. The motor racing legend launched his two new brands V8 Telecom and FirstRock Home Loans - plus the team's new livery, merchandise and further corporate support in Brisbane last week. The famous #17 Ford Falcon will be piloted by Dick's son, Steve in First Rock colours, while the team's new signing Will Davison will drive the V8 Telecom-branded car. FirstRock and V8 Telecom is an independent, Australianowned organisation that is part of the Dick Johnson Group of companies - which was 4
subject, it seems, to V8 Supercars Australia rubber-stamping: "Yes,it was the obvious thing to do,so that's in their hands. We'll run Richo in number 7 and Paul in number 11." Existing sponsor Mack Trucks has also increased its backing for the team. Michael McShane,Regional Director for Brown-Forman
Beverages, the local importers of the Jack Daniel's brand, told MNews the sponsorship would match its NASCAR one,concentrating on a 'responsible driving' message: "The US involvement is grounded in that message -Pace Yourself, Drink Responsibly. Our message will be Designate a Driver," he said. "While some alcohol companies have shied away from motorsport.
Jack Daniel's and V8 fans have, really, been together for years! "The V8 Supercar audience is 70 percent adult- the average age of the TV audience is, I believe, 41. It fits us perfectly. "And I'd have to say that when we told our staff the news,they were thrilled!" For more, see Five Mimites luifU Larry Perkins, page 28.
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exclusively reported by MNews in late-November (issue #323). Another interesting backer that DJR has introduced to the fold is Warner Brothers, the popular name behind some of n the world's most prominent cartoon characters. Car #17 will have the Flintstones on the rear quarter panel, and Davsion's car will feature characters from the Wacky Racers. motorsport news
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Perkins expects to unveil his first Jack Daniel's car in February, but MNews'graphics whiz has come up with an electronic version of what Steven Richards'2006 challenger will look like ...
The Price is Perkins Price will make the step up into V8 Supercars after finishing second and the top rookie in the 2005 Australian Formula Ford Championship. Price has dabbled in V8 Supercars previously, racing in the 2004 Development Series support race at Bathurst for the Holden Young Lions team and both he and Jack have been accumulating V8 Supercar experience in a Perkins's ride car this season. "It should be really good next year driving for Larry," said Price. "It is . good to be doing it as a two-car team and I'm glad to be running with Jack." "It is nice to have next year's plans Ford Championship,as well as sorted early so Jack and I can start working as a part of Perkins working towards next year." Motorsport in this year's V8 Supercar -CHRIS JORDAN Championship.
JACK Perkins and Shane Price will spearhead a two-car campaign from Perkins Motorsport in the 2006 Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series. Larry Perkins's Holden squad will make its first full-time foray into the V8 Supercar feeder championship just as the main series Perkins squad has secured backing from Jack Daniels, but the Fujitsu Series cars will not run Jack Daniel's are their primary sponsor. MNews first linked Larry's son Jack to racing in the Development Series last issue. Jack has previously driven in the Victorian State Formula
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21 December 2005
You did what with Lowndsey? THE pre-Christmas period sees a number of sponsor/fan ride days as V8 Supercar teams round out their year. But a Ride Day can be a risky thing - ask Tripie 8 or Tasman. With his race car sideiines briefly, Craig Lowndes was chauffering passengers around QR in a roadbased T8 showcar, only to suffer brake failure at the end of the back straight and wall the car. No-one was hurt, but we hear the passengers were actually elated - it's one thing to ride with Lowndsey, but how many get to crash with him?! "We always have concerns about n ride days," said TEGA Chairman Kelvin O'Reilly. "It is a subject we continue to look at as a whole. I know the benefits they bring to the teams but, like anything to do with racing, safety is paramount." During the same frenetic week, Tasman Motorsport also suffered a mechanical problem, which pitched one of its cars into the wall at Winton, again with a passenger along for the ride. Again, was no-one hurt, thanks to the stringent safety requirements. n Tony Manson has been appointed to the role of Special Projects Manager at Cup Car Australia. Manson previously worked for V8 Supercars Australia as Operations Manager for five years. Manson's role will include the identification and development of expansion opportunities for Cup Car Australia within all forms of motorsport. MNews hears that the expansion could be offshore. n BMW has confirmed that Australia's Michael Patrizi will be receive a fully-funded deal from BMW Motorsport to drive in the 2006 Formula BMW UK Championship. As we reported last issue, Patrizi will relocate to England early next year for the deal, which makes him a part of BMW's junior driver ladder system, "This is a great opportunity provided to me by BMW," said Patrizi. "To be linked with a manufacturer at this stage of my career is very important for any young racing driver." This will be the second year in Formula BMW for Patrizi, who this year finished second overall and was the rookie champion in the Formula BMW Asia Championship this year. n Super Cheap Auto Racing's Christmas party at last week's Mornington Cup horse races near Melbourne proved to be a profitable affair with every member of the team collecting from the bookies on the Race 2 winner... Ambrose!
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