Motorsport News Issue 410 - August 2011

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No.410 August 2011

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THE DIRECTOR'S GUIDE TO MOTOR RACING'S GREATEST FILM

WALKINSHAW

THE NEXT GENERATION

ZANARDI

ITALIAN LEGEND'S OLYMPIC DREAM

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RICCIARDO ARRIVES IN FORMULA 1

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The Holden Racing Team bounced back into form in Townsville, and Garth Tander showed the whole field the rear bumper of his Commodore on Saturday afterhoeih. He gave our photographer Dirk Klynsmith the same view.

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NEWS

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THIS MONTH’S FEATURES Unusual Suspects

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The Grid

rw I ii There's actually three Australians In Formula l;Mark Webber, Daniel Ricciardo, and MNews snapper Dan Kalisz.

Here, two ofthem pose like, well, a pair ofDans.

Andrew van Leeuwen was the best person to interview Ricciardo. Why? Because the two once went head-to-head in West Australian Formula Ford.

Very briefly. Before Ricciardo went offto become an FI driver.

Ryan Walkinshaw has a heck ofa bigjob on his hands. And as Phil Branagan found out, he knows all about it.

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fr AsifKapadia took on a huge task, using old footage to tell one ofsport's great stories, that ofAyrton Senna. And there's little doubt that he absolutely nailed it.

BEHIND‘SENNA’ Senna director AsifKapadia tells Motorsport News all about bringing a legend's life to the big screen.

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''Mi cl;.- i There are people who race V8 Supercars, and people who race atfamous European circuits like Spa-Francorchamps and the Nurburgring 24 hours at a time. Mai Rose falls into both of those categories

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He's been a champion on four wheels, and now,he's aiming to win gold on three. We're talking about Alex Zanardi,and his Olympic dream.

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NATIONAL FEATURES

NEWS

Editorial Executive Editor Phil Branagan editor@mnews.com.au Assistant Editor Andrew van Leeuwen andrew@mnews.com.au Special Projects Editor Steve Normoyle snormoyle@chevron.com.au National Editor Mitchell Adam mitchell@mnews.com.au

The Grid

Editorial Enquiries 357 Nepean Highway, Brighton East, VIC, 3187 (PO Box 7072, Brighton, VIC, 3186) P 03 9596 5555 F 03 9596 5030 admin@mnews.com.au

It's a heck ofa number to live up to, especially as a Kiwi. But DanieIJilesen is doingjust fine.

Contributing Writers

Mark Glendenning, Bruce Moxon, Geoff Rounds, Richard Craill, Lachlan Mansell

Photography

Sutton Motorsport Images, Dirk Klynsmith, John Morris, Andrew Hall,James Smith, Geoff Grade, Phil Williams, Rob Lang

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Taking a V8 Supercar to the Nurburgring That's what Mai Rose does for fun. This month, he wrote to us about it

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Smart Move Ryan Smart is as surprised as anyone that he's leading this year's ARC...

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Radicals? They’re Radical!

Just ask Tim Berryman and Ed Singleton from the Radical Australia Cup

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The Swift side of Saloons Harley Phelan is racing in two very different cars in 2011 - Swifts and Saloons

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The Wolfe Pack Lucas Wolfe is one ofAmerica's speedway up-and-comers... and he spoke to us!

Cover Design: Chris Currie

Advertising National Sales Manager Oriana Ruffini oriana@mnews.com.au ■p 03 9596 5555 F 03 9596 5030 Advertising Sales (Sydney) Luke Finn lfinn@chevron.com.au Director, Advertising Sales Jon Van Daal jvandaal@chevron.com.au P02 9901 6100 Chairman, Chevron: Ray Berghouse Circulation Director: Carole Jones

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REGULARS 08

The Front Row

10

Motor Mouth with Phil Branagan

12

On The Limiter with Chris Lambden

14

Bits & Pieces

16

Winding Back

18

Box Seat

88

Model Behaviour

94

Trade

96

Classifieds

98

The Final Word with Paul Cruickshank

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y motorsport news

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THE FRONT ROW since we last met

FORMULA 1 Ferrari has leapt back onto the podium in Formula 1, with Fernando Alonso scoring an emphatic win at the British Grand Prix.

Red Bull Racing dominated the early running at Silverstone's heavily revamped GP circuit, Mark Webber taking pole and Sebastian Vettel leading early in the race. But when both suffered slight delays in the pits, Alonso grabbed the lead and stretched away - while Vettel and Webber tried to find a way past Lewis Hamilton. When the McLaren driver started to conserve fuel, the pair sliced by and set-up a close finish, Webber ignoring team orders to try to steal second. He didn't, but by then, Alonso was almost 20s up the

road to win,60 years after Ferrari scored its maiden win at the circuit.

The race was a bad one for McLaren, with Jenson Button's hopes of a good finish dashed when his car was released from a pitstop before a front wheel was secure. JB ground to a halt at the pit exit, still to stand on any step of the podium at his home race.

Second keptVettel's amazing season on-track,the World Champion scoring six wins and three seconds in the nine opening races of the season. His sixth win came in Valencia, Alonso hinting at his British win with second ahead of his local fans. Webber was third, and now sits second overall in the points.The signs are though that Red Bull will not have such a performance advantage over the second half of the season.

INDYCAR The battle for the 2011 IndyCar title got down and dirty in Toronto, with drivers clashing on the track, off it and later, on social media.

Will Power and Dario Franchitti

were fighting for the lead when the Scot touched the Aussie, sending him spinning. After retiring. Power criticised the defending Champion on his driving.

"It was a pretty dirty move," he said.

'Does anybody penalise that guy? He drove me into wall at St. Pete, but 1 didn't say anything about it. He did it again

today. I'm really disappointed in Dario.

The guy who mouths off about everyone races the most dirty."

When Franchitti defended himself on Twitter, Power called him 'Princess'!The incident made it two DNFs for the Penske star, who now faces a long battle to haul in Franchitti's points lead.

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eNews of the Month RICCIAF,DO IN AT HISPANIA Daniel Ricciardo made his Grand Prix debut at Siiverstone.

The West Australian stepped up from his role as Friday driver for Toro Rosso to join the Hispania Racing Team, qualifying 24th and finishing 19th. Ricciardo, 21, will stay with the team for the rest of the season though the man he replaced, Narain Karthikeyan, will rejoin HRT for his home GP in India in October.

V8 SUPERCARS NAMES ITS MEN

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V8 SUPERCARS The recent changes at the Holden Racing Team have resulted in a win - but TeamVodafone still heads the V8 Supercar Championship.

Garth Tander put the Red team back on top in Saturday's race at Townsville, but Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes roiled to a 1 -2 result the day after, and continue to head the pointscore. Tender's win was set up by a stunning middle dash in the race, his car faster on Control tyres than most of the opposition were on Sprints.

But the horror story on the other side of the HRT garage continued in north Queensland,two bad days resulting in James Courtney plummeting to 19th in the championship points.

V8 Supercars has named the members of its Commission.

As expected in many quarters, Mark Skaife will be the Chairman of the body, which is charged with overseeing the sporting activities of the category.The commission is separate to the V8 Supercar board, which will continue in its role with the commercial and business aspects of the category, and its long-term planning.

Skaife's commitments to TeamVodafone mean that he will be Chairman-elect until after the Bathurst 1000, with FPR principal Tim Edwards to act in the role until then.The other board members are V8 Supercars CEO Martin Whitaker and its COO Shane Howard,team owners Ross Stone and Brad Jones(who also sits on the board) and independent member,and Motorsport News founding publisher, Chris Lambden.

TWO EIGHTS ARE ENOUGH TeamVodafone and Paul Morris Motorsport will not merge into one four-car team next year.

Triple Eight Race Engineering boss Roland Dane has said that his current priority is to focus on his two current entries, rather than expand into four. Dane said that he was working with Paul Morris"to help with what is the best situation for PMM,"he said.

FORMULA 1 PICKS V6s FOR 2013 Formula 1 has changed its future engine regulations, and V6 turbos will be all the rage in 2013.

The FIA last month shelved plans to allow only fourcylinder engines to be used in the future. Instead, a much more installation-friendly V6, still of 1.6-litres capacity, will be run in all events.The engines will be tuned to a maximum rev limit of 15,000rpm.

CHANGES IN THE WEST

MOTOGP Dani Pedrosa has fought off a huge challenge to win the German MotoGP round at the Sachsenring.

The Spaniard scored his first win since his return from a broken collarbone. Jorge Lorenzo outdragged Casey Stoner to the flag for second but the Aussie still leads the current World Champion in the points standings, prior to going to the US race at Laguna Seca.

www.mnews.com.au

Work has started on the circuit upgrades for Perth's Barbagallo Raceway.

The track's old mid-circuit Control Tower, which was built 35 years ago, has been demolished to make way for a new pitlane, as part of the circuit's new look. Construction is expected to continue until March 2012.

Motorsport eNews available 8pm Mondays. www.mnews.com.au

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HE Stars at Night, are Big and Bright, Deep in the Heart of Texas.

It is 70 years since a lyricist named June Hershey set those words to music written by Don Swander.The song Deep in the Heart of Texas goes on to mention a whole bunch of otherTexan icons, like cowboys, coyotes, dawgies and, er, rabbits. Now, Commodores and Falcons, and some V8 Supercar drivers, might just get a mention. Perhaps, The Stars at Night and Jason Bright...

The announcement that the Circuit of the Americas in Austin will host V8 Supercars from 2013 is a fascinating one. For V8 Supercars and the teams, it is a massive coup to go play in the gigantic US market, and to do so on terms that are, apparently, lucrative for all concerned. Any professional category sport in the world (and certainly, any touring car category, like the WTCC or DTM) would give their right arms to such an opportunity, let alone on the terms that appear to be attached to V8 Supercars'deal.

We have noted in the past

that races conducted in other international markets, like the Middle East, have tended to be less broadcast time-friendly in V8 Supercars' heartland markets, Ausffalia and New Zealand. We Have no actual insights of the race formats or times that the event will run to in Austin, but with talk of attracting a substantial numbe r of spectators-to the COTA, one would reasonably expect an early-to-mid afternoon slot.

As I write this, I do so in Melbourne, currently 15 hours ahead of Texas - which is on Daylight Saving Time. In 2013, the Lone Star State will be on Central Daylight Time between March 10 and November 3 almost the duration oftheVS Supercar season. So it is fairly safe to assume that the COTA races will be held in the wee small morning hours, our time.

The news for US viewers is somewhat more user-friendly.

The races will be broadcast, live, by pay-TV network SPEED, which claims a total audience of "more than 80 million homes in North America" on its website .

While plenty of folks would

like that to mean more than 80 million people watching Supercars, it does not.

For comparison, February's Daytona 500 NASCAR race drew an average of 15.6 million viewers (with an 8.7 share) on pay network Fox, while May's Indianapolis 500 drew about 8m viewers (a 4.3 share) - and that was on free-to-air network ABC. Usfng those events as a guideline, if the V8s draw the same percentage as the Indy 500 (a race that just celebrated its centenary) the US audience would be close to 3 million.

But, here is what I wonder.

What effect will racing in the USA have on the teams?

By the time that the cars are pushed into what I bet will be palatial garages in Texas, there are likely to be other international races on the V8 calendar, in Singapore and, maybe, india. If we brand Hamilton as a 'home' race, and we count Abu Dhabi, that makes four'international' events on the calendar. Not all sponsors operate, or operate in the same manner, in all those markets.

For example, if you look closely at the McLaren Jenson Button drove to that remarkable victory in Canada, you will see Verizon on its

back wing. Vodafone does not operate in Canada or the USA but it does own 45 percent of Verizon, which is now the US's biggest cell phone carrier, so the'local'branding made sense.

So, could we see some teams do'split'deals, with one set of sponsors and livery for the home events and another for V8's flyaways? We already see that very thing in NASCAR's Sprint Cup. Teams have a list of sponsors and events and match them up - hence, Jeff Gordon in cheeky Pepsi colours for the Coke Zero 400, Tony Stewart in Burger King hues and M&Ms giving way for Interstate Batteries on Kyle Busch's car. What price a local sponsor for the Aussie events and different, regional brand for the international part of the V8 Supercar season?

One more thing; even if teams and sponsors do stick together for the long haul, V8 Supercars' broadening horizons present a great opportunity to do some special liveries. As our artist James Cormick shows here, a little imagination might just lead to a lot of attention.

Even if it is not in the USA or for 2013, but for this year's Gold Coast 600; go on, Dick, give this a run. I reckon the merchandise sales will be bigger than Texas.

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Could we see some teams do some 'split'deals, with one set of sponsors and livery for the home events and another set for the fiyaways? w

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CHRIS

LAMBDEN ON THE LIMITER

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HESE are pretty good days for Australian motorsport on the international stage - and with Daniel Ricciardo's Formula 1 debut at Silverstone, things took an even better turn.

It's funny how, over time, people become'used to'things being a certain way. I remember standing, literally, in the Minardi garage as Mark Webber strode out purposefuily to jump in the car for his first practice session at his first Grand Prix at the Australian Grand Prix of course. It was a huge moment.

Most of Australia was looking on and, in order to blot that out and concentrate in the job at hand, Mark emerged from his little room out the back with helmet already on, at the very last minute, and just got on with it.

It had been so long since Australia had a presence in Formula 1 that his every step

as it came closer and closer was a bit like watching a child learning to walk - every little step, every different nuance attracted attention. The first'test', the first real test, the test-driver role and, finally, the deal with Paul Stoddart - just for three races initially.The rest is welldocumented history.

I mention it because we have become almost blase about it. Since then, Webber 'made it', big-time, and was in the frame as a World Championship contender last year. It is now expected that he be competitive - if he's not, then the tabloids want to know why!

So it's against this completely different back-drop that Daniel Ricciardo makes his entrance to Formula 1. It's similar, in that he's with the back-of-grid team and so the measuring stick will be his team-mate, but there the similarity ends. Because we currently have an FI star, his

build-up and entrance has been far more low-profile. And that's both a good and bad thing.

The relative lack of'you're our only hope' pressure is probably a good thing. In as much as it's possible in Formula 1, Ricciardo will not have the constant microscope on him that Webber had - maybe it toughened Mark up or educated him in terms of dealing with that pressure, but I'm sure it's going to be a little easier without it.

On the other hand, I hope the lower-key entry doesn't diminish recognition of the achievement.

Simply getting to Formula 1, simply starting that first race, is something that thousands, possibly even millions, of young men around the world would give almost anything for. Like Webber, Ricciardo has done most of his'getting there'while based overseas - adding to and confirming the notion that if the highest level, FI, is your aim

then you have to get'over there' as early as possible.

As you will read elsewhere, Daniel's first race proved to be a big learning exercise. Coming from a test driver role with one of the top cars on the grid, to having to make the best of clearly the worst car on the grid is, I would imagine, a pretty big ask - and by the way, he didn't even get to drive the car until PI on Friday!

What happens over the next few races is crucial for Daniel.

The fact that his backers. Red Bull, have gone to the trouble of arranging this mid-season debut is telling.They clearly have plans for him. Right now, over the next few races, Ricciardo has to repay that faith, has to get on terms with his team-mate - Vitantonio Liuzzi - and show he's ready, for whatever they have in mind.

Well done this far, young man, and the best of luck.

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BITS & PIECES

Coming Attraction Who’s the next big thing?

Ben Gerswkowski - Australian Formula 3

What is he currently doing?

After time in karting and state Formula Ford, Ben Gerswkowski moved into wings and slicks, with an ex-LeanneTander F304 Dallara Formula 3 car.

The Queenslander raced it in state competition last year, and contested the final three rounds of the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship, starting with his home round at Morgan Park. With the experienced Brett Francis overseeing his program, Gerswkowski has stepped up to do the full season in 2011, running in the National Class for older-model cars.

In a closely-matched pack, the 19-year-old leads the way after the first three rounds.

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Where does he want to go?

Gersekowski is currently living and completing an apprenticeship in Toowoomba, Will Power country, but is more likely to pursue a career locally.

An added carrot for young National Class competitors in 2011 is F3's Forkpark Australia National Class Scholarship. With a panel to judge the most-deserving recipient based on a number of factors, one driver will receive $50,000 to put towards an outright Formula 3 season in 2012.

If Gersekowski gets the nod,finding next year's budget is suddenly a lot easier.

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The following people have won double passes to see'SENNA', all thanks to our good friends at Universal Pictures joelstrickphoto(JoelStrickland) Just the emotion he had for his dedication to the sport, with quotes like "if you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver", and "racing, competing,is in my blood. It's part of me, it's part of my life. I've been doing it all my life. And it stands up before anything else."

Gougoodthing64(Gordon Anderson) Adelaide Grand Prix, 1985,Qualifying.

Crowd mesmerised,spell-bound and applauding.The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Best ever.

CALFEARN(Cal Fearn) I will never forget the dog fight at Monaco with Nigel Mansell in 1992. Ayrton Senna and Mansell battles were always exciting!

Raymondo_7(RayJaneson) My favourite Senna moment was actually watching Bruno drive Ayrton's McLaren MP4/4 at Goodwood in 2009- because I was seeing that great car in the flesh.

Special moment.

QUICK QUIZ 1

In which region did Daniel Ricciardo first race after he left West Australian Formula Ford?

2 In 2008, Ricciardo raced in two Formula Renault Championships; what were they and which one did he win?

3

Ryan Walkinshaw is the chairman of a football team. What code?

And what is the team called?

4

What year and for which team did Alex Zanardi make his Formula 1 debut? And when he did return to Formula 1 for a second time?

5

Who won the inaugural Italian Superstars Series title back in 2004?

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motorsport news

ECIAL SENNA EDITION DrYobbo Easy to say the first lap at Donington in 1993 or something like that- but it's got to be punching Eddie Irvine in Japan in '93.

rob_mckay (Rob McKay) My best Senna memory? My first Grand Prix, i win tickets in the ballot to sit at the chicane - at Suzuka, in 1989. Enough said, reaily.

■IT.

AUGUST

NASCAR Pennsylvania 500, Pocono Raceway, PA, USA

Aug 14

Indycar New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, NH, USA

Aug 14

MotoGP Cardion AB Grand Prix of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic

Aug 14

NASCAR Heluva Good!

Sour Cream Dips at the Glen, Watkins Glen, NY, USA

Aug 18-21

WRC ADAC Rally Deutschland Trier, Germany

Aug 19-21

V8 Supercars City of Ipswich 300 Queensland Raceway, Ipswich, Qld

Aug 21

NASCAR NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 400 Michigan International Speedway, Ml, USA

Aug 26-28

FI Belgian Grand Prix, Spa -Francorchamps, Belgium

Aug 27

NASCAR

Aug 28

MotoGP Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Aug 28

Indycar Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, Calif, USA

A o"

Don’t forget to tweet us your thoughts @motorsportnews! k

If Lewis wins by 50 seconds it’s not down to the exhaust regs or the fact that he can’t change the differential by a bee’s dick.

The always perfectly politically correct Mark Webber weighs in on the off-throttle diffuser regulations ... in a way that only Mark Webber could

www.mnews.com.au

TOURS

Indycar Honda Indy 200, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, OH, USA

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micwoodward (Michael Woodward) Adelaide, 1985 - the first time I saw Senna live.The pole lap he put in on that hot Saturday afternoon was awe-inspiring.

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tnoske(Tim Noske) Best Senna memory;it would have to be the 1993 European Grand Prix at Donington in the.McLaren-Ford. Absolutely brilliant.

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maccaSI(Mitch Williams) Senna's absolute brilliance in the rain - Monaco'84, Portugal '85, Donington '93.Take away the grip and the real drivers show their true colours.

JWPC71(James Cusack) The first Grand Prix I ever watched was Portugal 1985 in the wet- his first win.

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WINDING BACK the year that was...

12000

GREECEIS THE WOR T HE arrival of Sebastien Ogier in the Citroen World Rally Team has made for interesting times in the World Rally Championship.

After years of being in a league of his own,Sebastien Loeb finally has some competition; and surprisingly, it's coming from the same team. Even more surprising is that the team is letting it happen - to the point where Citroen allowed Ogier to pull the wool over Loeb's eyes at the recent Acropolis Rally, the younger Frenchman gaining an advantageous road position at the expense of his team-mate, and ultimately winning the event.

But, like most things in professional sport, it's all been done before. Back in 2000, Ford was faced with having arguably two of the fastest WRC drivers of all time in its team - Carlos Sainz and Colin McRae.

Having been bashed around the head by Tommi Makinen and Mitsubishi for four years straight, and with Marcus Gronholm and Peugeot looking very racey indeed,the pressure was on the Blue Oval to turn its big budget and top-flight driver line-up into World Championships. However, Ford WRC boss Malcolm Wilson was about to learn that having two'gun'drivers can be tricky business.

Having taken just one victory from the opening six rallies of the year in 2000, Ford had clearly marked the Acropolis as its place to shine. Back then,the Greek event was still the ultimate car killer, and the Ford Focus was widely regarded as the strongest, hardiest piece of kit in a WRC field that featured Mitsubishis, Peugeots, Subarus, Skodas,SEATS and Hyundais. With searing hot temperatures and wheel-smashing rocks.

this was Ford's event to lose.

Right from the start, it was obvious that Ford was well in control. While the rest of the cars were suffering from broken wheels, suspension and engines,the Focuses kept going (along with the Skoda Octavias, which were rather slow, but built like tanks).

The final crew that was causing the Fords of Sainz and McRae trouble was Richard Burns and Robert Reid, and when their Subaru suffered an engine failure on SSI 4,the second stage of the final day, the pressure was off. Wilson acted quickly, asking his drivers to stay in their current position, which was McRae leading Sainz.

"Now that Richard's out of the equation, we've implemented team orders,"said Wilson at the service before SSI 5.

"The positions will stay as they are. It's a difficult position to be in, to do something

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Even before Rubens,Michaeland Austria,there werepublicshamings when itcame to team orders in World Motorsport ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN recalls a time when Ford's World Rally Championship team gotinvolved in politics like this, but I think both drivers have driven absolutely fantasticaliy, and it's so important for us from a manufacturer's championship point of vie\AT to get the maximum points."

McRae played the game,going only seventh fastest in the depleted field on SSI 5.

The problem was that Sainz had already been quicker than McRae on SSI3 and SSI 4, and fancied his chances of winning. When he was asked to finish second, he responded by going 21s faster than the Scot on SSI 5, cutting McRae's lead to basically nothing.

"We've basically driven cautiously to save the car,"said McRae's navigator Nicky Grist at the next service.

"We've kept a nice pace through these last three [stages], we've kept the same pace throughout. Obviously... things have happened."

Grist looked nervous, and when quizzed with what had happened with the team orders, he grinned and said "I don't know."

Sainz, meanwhile, was keeping his cards close to his chest. A TV crew asked him what was going to happen,to which he responded by smiling and saying "nothing."

By the final stage of the rally, Sainz was nearly two minutes ahead of McRae. Ford insisted that he take two spare tyres with him, when he had been risking it with one all day to be lighter and faster, exploiting the strength of the Focus. So, Sainz loaded up two tyres, and promptly dumped one at a refuel point before the stage. By this point, everyone - Ford management included waited to see what would happen. Sainz responded by eventually obeying the team orders in a way that was humiliating to Ford; by stopping his car for two minutes on the side of the road just 100 metres from the finish board. He lifted the bonnet of the Focus to look like he had a problem,doing so safe in the knowledge that nobody was dumb enough to actually believe it.

When he eventually drove the car past the boards, Wilson offered praise over the radio and even through the static it was clear that the words were emerging through clenched teeth.

"Carlos, many congratulations on a professional job.Thank you very much."

During his victory interview, McRae was

Movistar

asked if he was surprised by Sainz's attitude on the final day.

"Yes," he said."There was no need to push that hard and put the car at risk. The brief was to get two cars to the finish, and that's what we were doing."

After the rally, Sainz revealed that his problem wasn't with team-orders, but that they were being implemented so early in the season,at a point where he and McRae were essentially level on points.

"I don't think there is any problem between Colin and myself," he said.

"I understand the team orders more at the end of the year. I absolutely agree to help a team-mate - but at the end of the year. It is not a problem with orders; it is the situation."

Fast forward 11 years and Wilson has no such dramas at the Ford World Rally Team.

Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala are both excellent drivers, but Hirvonen goes from being blindingly fast to inexplicably slow almost rally by rally, and Latvala goes from being blindingly fast to a wreck in the scenery at a similar rate. Unfortunately the two mostly fail to nail the blindingly fast part at the same time. Ford's last 1 -2 finish happening way back in May 2009, in Sardinia.

In fact, Wilson has recently admitted to AUTOSPORT magazine that he wishes he had drivers as strong as he did back in 2000.

"I'm older and wiser now than I was then. and I would have managed that situation differently," he said.

'I know I could handle that situation now. 1 know what Citroen is going through [now] and it is an extremely difficult and delicate one to manage. But I would really like to be in that position again - 1 would relish it. For me,it's always a nice problem to have."

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F you weren't following Formula 1 during the late 1990s and into 2000, when Mark Webber seemed permanently suspended in a state of being 'the driver aiming to become the first Australian in FI since David Brabham', then you won't appreciate quite hOw mind-bending the British Grand Prix was for those of us who were.

Over the last few years, we've kind of gotten used to having an Australian FI driver again. It's possible that we've even begun to take for granted the fact that he's rather good; a fact that a large number of people stubbornly refused for ages despite all the evidence to the contrary. Nevertheless, if you've only tuned into FI during the Webber era, then it might be hard to appreciate what a big deal it was when he lined up on the Melbourne grid in 2002.

The lead-up to Webber's first FI deal was excruciating enough for fans, so God only knows what it must have been like for him. At various times he was linked to Jordan, Arrows and repeatedly with Benetton (naturally enough, given his management deal with then-team principal Flavio Briatore). A rumour connecting him with McLaren had one magazine sufficiently convinced to issue a cover image with Webber's helmet Photoshopped into one of the team's cars.

Sometimes the chatter was about a race drive, other times the speculation would be that he'd get a year's testing followed by a race seat. But for all of the buzz, the one constant was that Webber was still without an FI contract. The arrival of Stoddy and his Minardi ended a lot of false starts.

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Ryan Briscoe messed with our heads, too. I recall being in the Motorsport News office one day in 2001 (the old office, with the cool buil>in fish pond) when we got word that a young Australian had been signed to a long-term Toyota deal, and we spent the next 24 hours racking our brains trying to figure out who i.t was. I'm ashamed to admit that Briscoe's name never came up once. He'd spent his entire career in Europe, and embarrassingly, we'd kind of forgotten that he existed.

Briscoe eventually did a ton of testing and was very strongly linked to a race seat with Jordan for 2005 when the team did a deal for Toyota engines, but the deal never came together.

The other great hope was James Courtney, who'd become part of the set up at Jaguar Racing. His first experience of an FI car came in the form of SO laps around Monza in July, 2001J almost t| 2 months later to the day, his R3 suffered a rear suspension failure on his 13th lap of the same circuit and hit the barriers at 306kmh. It took him months to recover from the impact, which was estimated at 67G, and he never drove an Fl car again.

The two Monza sessions, coupled with a few laps of Sllverstone a few weeks before the crash, left him the equivalent of oneand-half Grands Prix worth of running to his credit.

There were other flirtations, the most memorable being the day that Will Davison and Will Power were granted half a day each in a Minardi at Misano towards the end of 2004. The pair's careers had already run in tandem for a few years, with the one unifying thread being that neither of them ever had much in the way of a

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budget. Chances of haif-a-day's running translating into anything Substantial always looked slim, particularly when you take Into account that Briscoe racked up 17,2l7 test kilometres across 5i days between 2002 and 2006, and still never managed to get himself into a race seat.

But seeing the two Wills Tp the Minardi was Cool nevertheless. Only a couple of years earlier we'd been bemoaning the drought of Australians in FI cars, and all of a sudden it seemed impossible to find a timing screen at a test without one.

Testing is one thing though; racing is quite another. And at Silverstone we had two FI drivers On the grid. TWO! Forget Brabham in the Simtek -'last time there were two Australians on the grid. Star Wars was just hitting the cinemas for the first time. When the chequered flag dropped at Austria in 1977, Alan Jones had delivered the Shadow team its only win, and Vern Schuppan was 16th in a Surtees.

The sight of two compatriots at the very highest level is one that we'll have the pleasure of getting used to, at least for the foreseeable future. That Red Bull went to the effort of placing Daniel Ricciardo into an HRT says all you need to know about how seriously it is taking him, and regardless of what you read oh various bedroom-generated websites, Mark Webber will race a Red Bull RB8 in Formula 1 next year.

Beyond that, who knows? In the meantime, having two Australians in FI should not be something taken lightly. It won't last forever. And how long we might have to wait for it to happen again is anyone's guess.

That Red Bull went to the effort of placing Daniel Ricciardo into an HRT says all you need to know about how seriously It is taking him r^F^tk

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WE ALL KNEW THAT WEST AUSSIE DANIEL RICCIARDO WAS KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF FORMULA 1, RUT THE HISPANIA RACING TEAM OPENED THE DOOR QUICKER THAN ANYONE EXPECTED. IN THE WAKE OF HIS RRITISH GRAND PRIX DERUT, RICCIARDO TALKEDmmmmTimmm through his fi dedut, and REVEALED WHAT HE NEEDS TO GET OUT OF THE REST OF 2011

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WAS surprised that I didn't find that extra bit in qualifying. Not to be too... confident, but I was a little bit quicker than Tonio in practice, so I expected it to be closer in qualifying, if not quicker. When he did me by half a second in qualifying on the first set of tyres, I thought'okay ...'"

That was the point during the British Grand Prix weekend when Daniel Ricciardo realised that Formula 1 was a whole new ball game to what he was used to. British Formula 3, Formula Renault 3.5 are very competitive championships. But Formula 1 is Formula 1, and the rude shock Ricciardo got in qualifying drove that message home very hard.

Let's back-track a little bit to give this scenario some context. In case you've been stranded on Mars for the last four weeks, here's the news; Australian has a new Formula 1 driver. While he expected to spend 2011 happily racing in Formula Renault 3.5 and doing Free Practice 1 duties forToro Rosso, Red Bull grabbed Ricciardo by the OMP collar a week before the British Grand Prix and dropped him straight into the deep end, as a race driver with Flispania Racing Team.

"From my side it was a huge surprise," recalls Ricciardo.

"I basically got a call from Dr[Helmut] Marko the week after Valencia, and he broke it down for me quickly and simply, as he does.That was it, basically. He sent me the contacts, and we went from there.

"Whether the deal was in the making for a week, or two months, I have no idea, but I have the feeling it was fairly last-minute.

"The night of the announcement, I slept pretty well! It was a bit of a broken sleep. I'll admit that, but you know, I still managed five or six hours, and that's pretty solid for me. It certainly wasn't the deepest sleep I've ever had.

"This is the biggest thing that's happened in my career, so there was a split second where I thought'is this the right move for me?'But at the same time, it's Formula 1 and, you don't know, it may be the only opportunity I ever get, so I wanted to make sure I took it. I don't ever want to sit there and wonder what could have been. I don't want to be sitting back thinking that at the end of the year.

"So it was basically a big opportunity and I was very excited to hear it. I knew pretty much straight away I had to take it with both hands.

And I also knew it would be a steep learning curve, and Silverstone proved that to me. But I'm confident we can be doing some good stuff for the rest of the season."

It sounds like a dream come true, and that's how Ricciardo described it at the official announcement. But of course, as wonderful as the opportunity was, and is, it's not all peaches and cream. Let's not forget that the Hispania Racing Team missed the first two practice sessions at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix because they hadn't finished building their cars. When they got on track at Albert Park, neither driver made the 107 percent cut to qualify for the race. Even in Minardi's final years, they were never that disorganised.

Since then, HRT has lifted its game significantly. Making the 107 percent isn't an issue any more, and Tonio Liuzzi has even given the guys at Virgin a bit of a scare a few times this year. But still, HRT is the worst team in Formula 1, and to call their car a dog is probably cruel to the world's canine population. So here was Daniel Ricciardo, a 22year-old guy,facing the prospect of making his Formula 1 race debut, in a car of unquestionable crappiness, without any track time before Friday morning's Free Practice 1. Oh,and all of this happened less than a week after a Formula Renault 3.5 round in Budapest, Hungary.

That's not a steep learning curve Daniel, it's a learning Everest.

"I got back from Budapest for the World Series round on Monday evening, and Tuesday I was in the simulator at Red Bull Racing for the whole day," he says.

"Wednesday morning I went straight to the track, met the team, saw my car, did a seat fit, and we were there until about 9:45pm in the evening. So the whole week was full-on.

"Wednesday we got everything sorted,Thursday we did track walks and the usual stuff, and all of a sudden it was Friday and we were into the weekend."

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Even that seat fitting process on the Wednesday at Silverstone was different to what Ricciardo is used to.

Whenever he's had seats poured for Red Bull Racing or Toro Rosso, it's been an exercise in infinite adjustments and ultimate precision, making sure he is as comfortable as possible. For example,straight after the British Grand Prix, Ricciardo flew to Italy on the Sunday night for a Monday morning body scan at STR HQ;just in case he ends up as one of their race drivers in 2012,they want to start building a car around him.

But at HRT it was a different story.

"Because we did [the seat fitting] at the track we were limited in our resources.The team basically had a carbon shell, a bucket,just a universal one.Then it gets filled with foam,just like you'd use in a Formula Ford. We just tried to find a decent mould for me.

"It was all we could really do. Honestly, it wasn't the comfiest seat.

The cockpit is very, very tight - as they all are. I seem to have pretty wide hips for a driver! It was always going to be a compromise, because the steering column couldn't be changed,so we couldn't move it further away. If you see any close-up photos from the race, you'll see I was basically resting my head on the steering wheel because I was so close.

"I'm not saying these things affected me on track, but hopefully over the next few races we can work on getting me a bit more space and making me a bit more comfortable in the car."

With the basic pre-race ins and outs sorted on Wednesday and Thursday, Ricciardo arrived at the circuit on Friday morning ready to take part in his first session as a full-time Formula 1 driver. Walking into the circuit, he started to realise the enormity of what he was doing.

"It was different. It was a different feeling," he admits.

"I had my helmet and my little bag and ... I don't know, but you could feel in the air that something was different. It was cool. It was a surreal feeling.

"Getting that attention for the whole weekend was strange. Even seeing the other drivers, and knowing that you're one of them, was pretty cool. I never thought I would start a Formula 1 race with Michael Schumacher. It's just amazing."

While Ricciardo is now very acclimatised to driving a racecar on a Friday at a Grand Prix, the one thing that he doesn't usually do is the official FIA press conference.That all changed on that dreary Friday afternoon at Silverstone, when Ricciardo joined Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Paul di Resta and Rubens Barrichello in front of the media.

While the four other drivers sat there looking bored, mumbling answers and playing with their smartphones, Ricciardo's spent the whole time with a toothy grin on his face.

"It was hectic," he adds.

"That press conference, it was good fun. I was pretty nervous for it, because it was my first one.You walk into this dark room,and there is about 70 photographers flashing away at the same time. You know when one of the drivers cracks a smile or does.something different, because the cameras just go off.

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Welcome to Grand Prix Racing:Ricciardo brought a little piece of Western Australia into Formula 1, with the Perth skyline on the back ofhis helmet,left. While Ricciardo is used to driving out ofa garage on a Froday morning,above right, he had to get used to the other parts of being an FI driver, like signing autographs,above,and TV interviews, below right. By the way,check out the image from the Friday FiA press conference below, and guess who the first timer is...

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motorsport news

'The photographers are just trying to get every facial expression.That was cool.

"Over the weekend I did so many interviews. It started Wednesday and went right through to Sunday. I literally got half an hour to myself before each session to warm-up,and that was it. That was the only half hour out of the car I would get to myself It was an intense experience.

"I imagine it will settle down as the year wears on. Because Silverstone was my first race, everyone wanted to know how I was feeling.That will settle down overtime. Hopefully I'll have time to scratch my arse in the future."

Friday afternoon and Saturday morning were little victories for Ricciardo, because he was 23rd fastest in those two practice sessions.

On paper, it doesn't sound hugely impressive, but beating Liuzzi in those sessions was no mean feat.The Italian is essentially an FI veteran now,and he's been in that HRT car since the start of the season. Ricciardo hadn't driven the car until Friday morning,so to be quicker than Liuzzi just a few hours later, in the rain, was a hugely impressive effort. That wasn't lost on Ricciardo, but it did make it all the more disappointing when Liuzzi went 0.5s faster than him in qualifying.

The fact of the matter is that Ricciardo may well have gone quicker than Liuzzi if he'd got his second run on new tyres in before the rain started. But he didn't, and while he happily admits that he was unimpressed with being so far behind Liuzzi, Ricciardo made sure being last on the grid was a lesson learnt.

"It was good for me to be in that position. It made me realise that this is Formula 1, and all of those guys know howto bring something different to qualifying and make those laps count when they have to.

"That comes down to some experience on the tyre as well, especially with the option,the soft tyre.They have a very short life at peak performance,so even small things like managing the out-lap is vitally important. If you are two seconds too slow, or two seconds too fast, it makes a huge difference.

"These are things I will learn over time. I probably should have done the out-lap a bit quicker before my fastest lap. The tyres weren't quite ready in the first sector, so I would have done that differently if I had another crack. I have full confidence I would have gone quicker if I'd got a second run before the rain started. I think I would have been able to close the gap [toTonioj.

"I wanted a bit more out of qualifying, but I probably was expecting a bit too much."

All the while, throughout the opening practice sessions and then qualifying, Ricciardo was trying to get his head around the car.

Remember, many of his FI miles so far have been in pace-setting race-winning Red Bull Racing cars(the first FI car he drove on a circuit was Mark Webber's 2009 German GP winner), and even his Friday role at Toro Rosso sees him in cars that are capable of making Q3. So to suddenly be in an FI car that had little interest in playing the game was an eye opening experience.

"It's definitely a difficult car to drive," he admits.

"It simply has less downforce, and that makes it harder on tyres as well. It's working the front end so hard that you go through tyres so much quicker. It was clearly more difficult than driving one of the top cars, because you have to manage so many more things.

"You're basically fighting the car a lot more than you are in a Red Bull or a Toro Rosso. In those cars you might be flat in a corner, and then in the HRT you might be lifting, or even using a little bit of brake.

It keeps you a lot busier.

"I don't think the driving style was any different, but during the race I had to manage the tyres more than I ever have."

In a press release from Toro Rosso at the start of the year, Ricciardo put any fears that his Friday role would be pedestrian component testing by saying that the team will want him to "rag the shit" out of the car (a quote straight out of the Mark Webber book of sound bites). And while the complex principles of driving do change between a good car and a bad one,the idea of'ragging the shit'out of the car in qualifying stays exactly the same.

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'In qualifying, well, you're just driving the car the same as you would any car.The lap time isn't the same, but you're still trying to use all of the track and take the car to its limit. That's all still a lot offun. You just have to be prepared to not see the lap times."

Blue Flags are not something that Ricciardo has had to worry about much in his short racing career. He's been a front-runner in basically every category he has raced in, so worrying about faster cars lapping you numerous times during a race has never really been an issue At Silverstone, it very quickly became an issue.

With the HRT well off the pace, Ricciardo was not only fighting the car, managing the tyres, and trying to make the finish, but he was also trying not to get the front-runners off-side by holding them up.

It sounds strange, but letting guys through without ruining your own race is a skill, and it was that skill that Ricciardo realised he lacked during the British Grand Prix.

"It is a different race. It's not the race you dream of, you want to be fighting up the front and do what you've been doing for the last few years.

"The guys in the team could see it was my first time having to yield for a blue flag, because I was losing four seconds per carl The guys who have been racing the Hispanias and Virgins all year, they're only losing about a second per car.

"I was very cautious. I spent a lot of time looking in my mirrors.

28

making sure I wasn't getting in the way of the fast guys. I was over cautious, but it's not something I've done before.

"It's a vicious cycle. When you pull off line to let someone through, you end up with so much crap on the tyres.That takes a few corners to clean up, and then you've got someone else on your gearbox.

That's where I was losing all of my time. As the year wears on, I should get better at managing the faster cars and get faster myself, so it will become less of an issue."

With those first few Grands Prix under his belt, Ricciardo is now at a point where he must look at the immediate future.The loan to HRT is undoubtedly an expensive exercise, so getting something out of it is crucial, particularly if there is a Toro Rosso or Red Bull drive on the line for 2012.

So, apart from the basics (learning the Pirelli tyres, getting used to pit-stops,finishing races), what does Ricciardo need to get out the remainder of 2011?

"I want to be in front of Tonio and maybe even the Virgin cars. I want to get stronger as the season goes on. If I'm still not on Tonio's pace by the end of the year, then I won't be happy. I've really got to be in front of him, and maybe even do one spectacular race where we do both the Virgin cars somewhere along the way.

"I think for Silverstone it was cool,just showing where I am. For the first time, we'll take that. But from now on we have to get closer and closer, and at some point get in front." motorsport news

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He told PHIL BRANAGAN about what he drives, what he plans and living in the shadow of his famous father, Tom Walkinshaw

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OOGLE can be a real help in doing this job - but not on this occasion.

Approaching an'interview with Ryan Walkinshaw,a writer would need to know a little about his background.

So, I Googled Ryan Walkinshaw.

The first results showed a number of comments he made in the papers about Gloucester Rugby,shortly after his father Tom passed away last December. On the face of it, not a great start - but, upon further examination, perfectly understandable. As much asTW was known for his automotive exploits here in Australia, in the UK, it was Formula 1 and Jaguar first and foremost, then Rugby,and antipodean racing cars a long last. With the Silk Cut Jags long since silent and Benetton, Ligier and Arrows well in the past, it is perfectly understandable that a son should step forward to reassure the fans of the club his father supported, in many senses of the word,for such a longtime.So, he gets a tick for that.

Next, music - or rather, DJing.There are references to Ryan doing whatever it is that DJs do [okay, I admit it, I don't understand] in

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Ibiza. Shortly before I sit down with him, his mother Martine tells me that some'nights' Ryan did not get on stage until Sam - by which time(and it seemed to be as much a mystery to her as it remains to me)these things are in full swing. So, up all night, and partying. Hmmmmmm.

Then he appears. He looks almost exactly as you would expect a 23-year-old son of Tom Walkinshaw to look;same nose,square jaw, eyes clear but, maybe, not quite as menacing as The Old Man's could be, when it came to it.The details are a subtle piercing and some even more subtle tattooing, and he is in a smart business suit where Tom usually voted for the immaculate sports coat and tailored slacks.The handshake is firm but not overly so -just like TW's - and he speaks clearly, confidently and up.

First, he talks about Melbourne, where he bases himself more at the downtown apartment than the house in Toorak that his father favoured,and about what he has coming up.

"I do want to come here for a few months, atone point," he says.

"I have a lot of commitments around the world, in India in particular, which I need to concentrate on. We are looking at doing something with single-seaters in India over the coming months; I think you will see something of that in the future.There is also some rugby-related stuff in Russia, so I am jumping around all over the place. If I can get a few months and really concentrate on getting involved here, I would love to do it."

India, Russia, then back to the UK. Later, it comes up in conversation that there will be a trip to the US to talk to Rockstar Energy Drinks, about extending and possibly expanding their HRT sponsorship. Yep,that sounds like a Walkinshaw intinerary to me.

But the focus this day is in Australia. He has a big job in front of him; to sort but the Holden Racing Team and to restore it to what he, and probably many fans,see as its rightful place; at the sharp end of V8 Supercar racing.

But, here is the thing; why this? After all, Rugby is clearly a passion (he is on the Board of Gloucester and played for the First XV at school) and so is music.

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Down to Business: Walkinshaw acted swiftly to re-sign Garth Tander to a new three-year deal that ties him to HRT until atleast2014.

His father died a weaithy man and since then, as the hoiders of three V8 Supercar RECs,the famiiy has coiiected a significant income,as part of the sport's change of ownership, if he wanted to foiiow his own path, he cieariy has the means. Why Hoiden Speciai Vehicies and HRT? And for a moment, he doesn't answer.

"No one has ever asked me that, to be honest," he says,"i have done a fair bit of media and that has not come up.

"My dad had been preparing me for this for a iong time, i was aiready doing my own business stuff, but when it came down to it, it was the timing of my dad passing away and ieaving me the company, i was iooking forward to stepping up for my famiiy,for the company and for the things that he has created.

"So the reason is, reaiiy, to do him proud, and to expand and maintain the company that he has ieft us."

Fair enough. He wouid not be the first son to pick up his father's baton and carry it forward - motor racing is not short of such peopie. But nobody,surely, would have blamed Ryan, or his younger brother Sean, for choosing a different direction. Jamie Packer and any number of other sons of successful fathers have done just that.

"But that is not what my plan was, at all," he counters."That is not what I wanted.There was no concept of that.

34

"I could have easily done anything. I could have continued running my own businesses and producing music, and that sort of thing.

I chose not to. I have always been hugely passionate about motorsport as well. You mention Gloucester, and I am happy to chat about that because when I am in England, that is what I am doing. It needs a lot more attention.

"HSV and HRT are not like that. HSV, particularly, is a very solid company. It is at the top of its game. It doesn't need me there on a day-to-day basis. The rugby club is struggling with the same issues that every rugby club is struggling with after the GFC. Rugby in the UK is struggling and it needs a lot of care and attention. That is why, obviously, it has been a priority so far.

"Now, it's HRT. We have Just re-signed Garth Tander as a part of the process of getting the team back to where we were. We have got the most prestigious team in Australian history, and we mean to make sure that continues to be the same. For the next 20 years, I want to make sure that HRT has the same reputation as it has had for the 20 years previously."

There is much to do. At the time of this interview, the most recent event was the Triple Crown in Darwin. So far as the history of the team was concerned, it was nothing less than a disaster. Yes, there have been dark times before,from the engine failures at

Bathurst in 1995,toTanderand Will Davison colliding at Winton last year. But at Darwin, the cars were not fast, the drivers struggled and the team made errors in the pits.

Walkinshaw is clear about what needs to be done, and he is keeping a calm head.

"We need to, very carefully, find out where we have been going wrong. At the end of the day, it is no secret that the results we have had are not the results we should have been having. Darwin was a pretty obvious example of that. I do think that a lot of what happened In Darwin are the standard racing mistakes that happen even in the best teams.

The pitstop stuff-up that happened there [to Tander, on Saturday] is not that different to the Red Bull pitstop that happened to [Sebastian] Vettel in Monaco.That sort of thing happens and in motor racing, that sort of thing is always going to happen.

Otherwise, it would be pretty boring!

"We need to find out what areas we are lacking in. We need to put some good people in place,to try to fix those areas up. It Is all too easy to blame people who are not here for what has happened in the past, or to just go out and hire people. We need to get the team dynamic back to where it used to be.The morale In the team, according to the team, is better than it has been,so that is a really good start. Good morale is something that money can't buy, it is important to have a team that is close together and wants motorsport news

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The Walkinshaw Years: When Tom Walkinshaw appeared at Bathurst in a Holden in 1988,it was the start ofan era -and his son Ryan was an infant. HRT won the 1000 two years later with Win Percy and Allan Grice and by 1996, Craig Lowndes and Peter Brock made a formidable combination. By the turn of the century, HRT was near-untouchable, though the Mark Skaife ownership era was notsuccessful, on-track or off.

In 2009,the team took a famous win on the Mountain,and arrived a year later in 20th anniversary 'retro'livery. Ryanjoined the team and his mother Martin on the grid in Adelaide in March for a minute's silence to remember Tom Walkinshaw. r-

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to work together, and to all have the same ambition. Driving initiative is something that is very difficult to get at.

"We are lucky to have a very good team.

We need to make sure that we learn from the mistakes that we have made,and get a couple of new, good people in to headline it."

One thing that is different about HRT this season is that James Courtney does not live in Melbourne. As he has done since he returned to Australia from his international exploits, he lives in Queensland. In the past the team has required its drivers to live nearby, so is that part of Walkinshaw's plan to get the team back to its mojo?

"I don't think that it is anything that needs ■ directly changing," he says."James seems to be getting to everything that he needs to be here for. He has a family life up in Queensland.

"He has mentioned it. He has talked to his wife about moving down. I think that they quite like the climate up there. So, I don't know. I hasn't been discussed [here], and you get used to these sorts of things. We will have to see what his personal views are on it."

Does he see that there is some kind of timeline for returning HRT to the winners' circle and, perhaps,to a title-winning team?

"No,there is no timeline for that. In motor racing, it is tough to give yourself a timeline for anything, you just need to make sure that you work hard, learn from whatever mistakes you have made and look at what made us win previously.

"At the end of the day, V8 Supercars is a much more competitive series than it used to be.To say,'in two years'time, we are going to be winning again', is impossible."

One thing that is common among many sons of racing dads, who managed to make a quid out of the sport, is that they follow him onto the track. Ryan would appear to have the means and the contacts to do that, but so far, he has not aimed high.

"I used to do karting but at the end of the day, being overshadowed by Tom Walkinshaw is quite daunting," he admits.

"The competitiveness of racing today is massively different to how it was in the old days, and people think that Tom was a great racing driver. He was an incredible driver, a real talent, and maybe I don't have that to quite the same degree.

"My little brother is racing in Formula Renault. He did a few years in karting and we are letting him do his first season to learn how a Formula Renault car works. Next year we will try to get some results, and the season after that, do some winning."

So; the future of the Holden Racing Team rests in the hands of a young man, who is almost exactly the same age of the team itself. Impressive he seems, but there will still be those in the sport who will be watching to see whether he falls flat on his face and fails to move the team forward. While there will be obvious comparisons to be made between him and his father, there will be 36

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Like father,like son:In 1988, Major Tom showed off his new Holden Commodore racer to the world. Ryan was a baby the but now has the reins at HRT, where James Courtney is locked in for the next two seasons, at least.

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those who will first jump to the negative conclusion and comment, rather than examine what might really be going on.

Right after our chat, the Melbourne International Motor Show demands his attention. HSV is showing its new black range, and there is work to be done. Shortly after that, there is the Townsville V8 Supercar weekend which, you will know by now, resulted in Garth Tander stemming the bleeding with a Saturday victory. HRT is back in the winners'circle but, clearly, it is not quite what even George W Bush might describe as'Mission Accomplished'.

I had one last question before I left him to his business; what car does he drive at home in the UK?

.

"I drive an HSV GTS, black with matt black rims," he grins, excited as a schoolboy."The neighbours are used to it; let's face it. Dad had plenty of loud, powerful cars!

"The GTS turns a lot of heads, whenever I drive it in London, people point, they take photos, ask what it is, where they can buy it. I see more heads turn in that thing than I would if I were driving a Mercedes or a BMW." Which is not unlike something I would expect a party-mad DJ to say. But then he adds; "But I wish that the exchange rate was a bit better than it is, so that we could sell a few more of them."

Yep. He's a Walkinshaw, alright... motorsport news

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DOCUMENTARY ABOUT AYRTON SENNA’S LIFE “ AND THE RESULT IS THE BEST MOTOR RACING MOVIE EVER MADE. PHIL BRANAGAN SPOKE TO THE DIRECTOR IN LONDON 38

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KNOW a bit about movies - but nowhere near as much as a director who has won a BAFTA and a World Cinema Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival.

So, with little time to take in a screening of Asif Kapadia's Senna before speaking to the director, I needed help.The person I wanted to take in the preview with me was my brother who, when I was a teenager wondering how the hell to turn an obsession with motor racing into a career, was busy studying for a degree in film and television. Chris Branagan has had a successful career as an editor; if you have seen any drama or comedy on ABC Television over the last two decades, chances are you have seen some of his skills.

So, when the end credits rolled and the lights came up,there were two Branagans in the theatre, and I was the one looking for advice.

"There was only one fade cut," I commented.

"Was there?" he asked.

"Well, I only noticed one. Didn't you?"

"No,"CB said."I wasn't watching the editing. When it's that good, you don't see it.'

So much for that theory.

Director Kapadia and writer Manish Pandey have done a remarkable job with the movie (see the separate review) and the in spite of what must be countless media commitments since Senna premiered in Brazil last October, Kapadia is still enthusiastic about his first documentary.

The two mined Formula One's massive archive of race vision and have produced an acclaimed profile of the three-time world champion who,17 years after his tragic death at Imola, remains one of the sport's most revered figures.

But getting the story to the big screen was a mission that took years.The Senna family gave their approval to producer James Gay Rees and Pandey in March 2006, and they brought in Kapadia - who knew about FI but was not especially a fan.

"Before the film I had never read a book on Senna, never looked at one website and never read a book on Formula 1," he said.

"I had never been to a race. So that's where I came into it. 1 felt very much the outsider at the beginning of the process.

What I find exciting is the journey, learning about the subject through the research and interviews, having a fresh set of eyes on the material."

What the men produced is a startling homage to the man - but not III! in the form that they originally

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39

proved little Handicap. Over the time line of the envisaged.Senna is composed completely movie, Senna himself ages from a shy-ish kid into of material that was already shot and contains nothing expressly captured for the movie. everything one would expect from a triple World champion; handsome,dashing even, unrelenting "That was not the intention to begin with,"says Kapadia. yet emotional. Alain Prost is the perfect foil, a man who looks like someone nicknamed The Professor'.

"When we started, originally it was set up so that "Every time I looked at the film I though,'If you we were going to have 40 minutes of film from the had written this, no one would have believed it'. archive,40 minutes of Bernie Ecclestone footage and shoot the rest of it ourselves.

The story is unbelievable. He really is a victim. He "Then,after I was looking at it, during editing, the really is the most talented driver in the world. He more we looked,the more usable footage we had. had this way of being which is what movie stars used to have.

So then it became an issue of,'Look, actually, can I "Just think [if it was a conventional feature]; choose that bit? We have so much amazing footage'. someone was going to be pretending to die in a So bit by bit by bit, I kept using less and less of the interviews. Eventually I said,'I don't think that car.They are not really doing it. You would know we need them at all'. I didn't think that there was that it was all computer-generated crap."

And,at the other end of the scale,the brusque, anything that I could shoot that was going to be some would say Machiavellian FIA President Jeanbetter than what we got.

Marie Balestre makes a near-perfect villain.

"Senna was amazing. He was the best. But there was a lot of drama and action in the footage we "Balestre? You can't make that up!" Kapadia says.

"You can't believe that that guy actually existed! got. It was much better for a feature. So, because I knew a bit about the driving stuff, but! didn't all my films are very visual, I could see that in the really know much about what went on behind the film.The locations were vital, it was a good,stable scenes. I had never seen Jean-Marie Balestre before. story, with plenty of emotion. It had a strong lead When I saw him, I couldn't believe it. character. Whatever it was that you wanted,the "I think that if someone had tried to make a footage had it. It was all there.That became a big drama of Senna's life, I don't think that it would part of the journey, and the more we did that, the have been believable. Nobody could play it better more interesting it became.

"The timeline worked. Our characters were all than him.The same with Muhammad All; I don't think that an actor could 'get' Muhammad Ali; he getting older; they aged by a decade.The cars were changing, even the steering wheels changed. could try, but it's not the same.There is something about Senna, his very presence, his manner. He has At the start they had nothing on them; I think got the charm but he is a tough guy. I think in a that now,they have 20 or 30 knobs on them!The movie, I don't think that they would get all that." technology in broadcasting changed; by the end As the roller-coaster ride that was Senna's of the film,the vision becomes technically amazing. career unfolds, the film follows, with highs and So it contained all the parts we were looking for." lows until its conclusion.The end of the film is not Kapadia's previous features include Far North Senna's death - though that is included in detail (which, coincidentally, stars Michelle Yeoh,the more graphic than was broadcast in Australia all partner of FIA President Jean Todt) and BAFTAthose years ago - but with what might have been winning The Warrior, which was looking like an Senncj's'Rosebud'moment. In a media conference Academy Award nominee until it failed to be admitted into consideration on a technicality. Both in Adelaide,journalist Mark Fogarty asks Senna to feature dramatic visuals, something that Kapadia name the man he enjoyed racing against the most had no direct control over with Senna. But, if and the answer was as unexpected as it is uplifting. famed British director Alfred Hitchcock often said It was not Prost, or Nigel Mansell or any of the FI heroes he conquered; it was the man he could that directing actors and shooting film was about his least favourite part of the process, was that never beat in a go-kart,Terry Fullerton.

"I didn't know about it before we made the film," inspiring to Kapadia?

"I am a Hitchcock fan," he admits,"but no, I love says Kapadia.

"It was really interesting. I saw that footage,the shooting.There is nothing more interesting than go-kart footage, it came from France. It was shot by being on location and being in the middle of this guy in Italy, back in 1979 or 1980.Then I found nowhere - in a desert or on the top of a mountain, the footage from the Australian Grand Prix in 1993 or wherever you might be.That is why most of my -just before the final race. Senna's final race for films are very complicated.

McLaren, Alain Prost's final race in Formula 1. Mark "If you don't like shooting, then do your shooting in a studio, in a controlled atmosphere. You don't Fogarty actually asked it - I think that he has about have to stand in the cold or the rain. No,even in three of four quite good questions in the film. He the most extreme locations, that will be me. No is one character in it. He asked the question and it turned into a very long press conference. It was phone, no internet, all you have got is a camera and a crew. just a brilliant answer.

"It wasn't until I looked at that that I thought, "Hitchcock is an inspiration because he planned 'Who is the guy that he is talking about?'It was every part of his films. He would look ahead and fate; the words from 1993 and the vision from say,'What do I want to say and how am I going 1980.They just sat beautifully together. From very to say it?'That side of him, very much, was in my early on, I knew that was how I wanted to end thinking. I like to plan, I don't like making things the film. They were just beautiful together. It was up as I go along. You need to pay attention to your always going to be the end of the film; Senna plan and follow it through." talking about why he wanted to drive. This is what Having to deal with Real Life, rather than fiction. nil

40

it means to be a driver. mfk "What we didn't know then was that vision was going to open the film.That decision was taken very late. It is one of the most beautiful moments ' in the film.

AS a hardcore fan of Grand Prix racing,there is one question to ask Asif Kapadia about his movie; why "It was only much later that the gentleman who leave out the 1993 European Grand Prix? was revealed back In 1981 [Terry Fullerton] had Ayrton Senna drove through the first corner in fifth never seen that footage. He only heard about it in place. Barely a minute later, he was leading, having 1993; when he saw it, he was very emotional. danced around some of the world's best drivers. But "Anyone who knows go-kart racing knows Terry that lap does not make it into Senna.

Fullerton. Not only was he a brilliant kart racer, he "That is the recurring question that keeps coming up was the one guy that Senna never beat. He never in Q&As,"Kapadia admits. won the World Karting Championship. He beat "But, why are they interested in that? Because they Frost, he becjt Nigel Mansell, he beat everyone.

But he never beat Fullerton. He won World have seen it on YouTube,or read about it in a book. It was a great lap, but people talk about that lap and not championships but he never made it to Formula about the race. And a lot happened; it is one of those 1. Senna always regretted not winning a kart title.

That moment worked on so many levels." races! Prost got every tyre call wrong. Senna was in a terrible car and he does amazing things in that vehicle.

It did. What needs to be remembered, perhaps, But generally, people know about that race for the is that this was 1993 - before WiFi, with very few opening lap. laptops and no Google.The FI press corps, most of "In the context of a best-races-of-Senna's-life film, them half a world away from their comfort zones, you would put it in. When you are doing a feature film suddenly rushed about to find out who the heck about Senna, when you get to that point,two-thirds 'Full-ar-ton'was and v,/hy the great Ayrton Senna of the way through, we have had this amazing ride. had suddenly made him world famous.

We have done Monaco; he wins at home in '91. He [Also, we must say this, it is a common practice has won two championships - no,three!- and you that many regulars in the FI press corps do not are coming up to a key moment in his life he needs ask questions at media conferences, preferring to decide to switch teams and go to Williams. At that to save their questions for one-on-ones - which point in time,to say,'Okay, and here is one really good are becoming more and more rare these days. lap'doesn't quite cut it. We would be going backwards.

Because of that, FI press conferences are often dull.

We already know that he can cut it, he can do great That mesmerising vision from the Adelaide press things in a car. We know that. conference, and the ending to this movie, would "For me,that race really wasn't big enough,even not be what they were had Fogarty not thought to though everyone loves it. We have it in the ending; we ask Senna,there and then,something nobody ever have a shot of him winning the European Grand Prix. had to that point. For that, Mark Fogarty deserves Some people don't know that it was the European credit and he gets it - literally - in this film.]

Grand Prix, and therefore don't know that Grand Prix Kapadia was well aware of the mountain he faced in making Senna. made it into the film. Also, the sound at that particular moment is that of Richard Williams saying,'he drove "This one was quite particular. We had a challenge on,to make a film that would work for the Senna some of his most brilliant races in that particular year'. fans. It had to work for people who love Formula 1 A lot of people say that was his best year ever. 1992, '93 and the Lotus years were the three sections that we and for people who know everything about Ayrton had to shorten, so that we could find time to put in Senna. But what was important to me was that other places." it also had to work the'opposite'way - it had to work for people who have never heard of him, who Kapadia is right. In terms of defining Senna's brilliance, the job was done. No need for more. had never seen a race before and for people who The first cut of the movie was seven hours.Then, it cannot stand the sport. was sliced down to five, then three hours.Then, a two"That is the challenge we wanted for ourselves; hour cut was presented to the producers, before it was we wanted it to work for both groups at the same time." cut down to its current 106 minutes (it is two minutes it does. Comments about the movie have been longer in Japan).

Which means one thing; when Senna is released almost universally positive. Reviews, even from on DVD - Asif, a two-disc set, please? - the Extras are cinephiles who knew nothing of the subject matter, going to be worth seeing all by themselves... have praised the sensitivity and passion that the film shows. People who have never seen an FI race, even on TV, have left cinemas around the world in tears.

Just as Ayrton Senna did on the racetracks of the world. Senna has left its mark in the world of feature films. Producer Gay Rees, writer Pandey and director Kapadia have not only done justice J. CUURIAUUA to the great man's legend,they have raised it, and .1 presented it to a new audience.

O I Senna is so good as to prompt me to ask the trio Shell! one more thing; Fellas, have you ever heard of Dale Earnhardt?

See Review, page 42

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Review: SENNA Written by Manish Pandey Produced by James Gay Rees Directed by AsifKapadia 106 minutes Released by UniversalPictures on August 11

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as a bitter, biased autocrat and, in a movie so F motor racing movies may be considered to have a genre of their own, smooth in its structure that barely an edit is noticeable, it cannot be an accident that the that genre contains a mixture of the JMB's first appearance is as he stalks pitlane, good,the bad and the downright ugly. dressed in black. All that missing is Darth At the top of the list, surely, is Grand Prix, in Vader's laboured breathing and theme music. which John Frankenheimer captures some What follows is a drama in three acts. of the drama of the 1966 season. Fighting Senna's talent is established, glimpsed first in for podium finishes are Le Mans, which a Monaco monsoon before it takes flight in was a personal passion of Steve McQueen, Talladega Nights, which was a hoot and Bobby Portugal with his maiden GP victory. In Act Deerfield,featuring a morose Al Pacino, a love II, Senna arrives at McLaren and smiles for interest with a fatal disease and an audience photos with team-mate and incumbent Prost, before the two men take to each other in a possibly praying for one. In the pack are battle of wits, words, cars and whatever else Stoker Ace, various Herbies, the underrated Heart Like a Wheel ar\d the overrated Speed they can lay their hands on. In Act III, Prost Racer. Starting from pitlane is Days of Thunder is moved aside at Williams to make room for Senna, whose stay is short and, ultimately, and behind it, with a dropped cylinder, is Driven, the worst movie Sylvester Stallone tragic.

What is clear is the care and effort that ever made (unless you count all the others).

Now there is Senna.The genre has has gone into this project. The makers had access to Bernie Ecclestone's Aladdin's cave changed,for the better. of FI vision, but what impresses is the behind Writer Manish Pandey and director Asif the scenes, never-before seen home movies Kapadia took on the challenge of satisfying and almost incidental vision. When Senna, an audience comprised of three tribes; those trapped in his McLaren by shoulder spasms who like racing, those who do not and those like me, who will tear them to pieces if they after winning at home in 1991, is being treated in the car, the coverage we see is from got anything wrong.They got a few things a home video shot by a brave Brazilian punter wrong, but the wrongs are so minor and the who leapt the fence with his VHS camera. rights so many and so... right that it seems There are great moments in this film, made just plain vulgar to complain. greater than they ever could have been in any Without resorting to anything other than purpose-made drama. Ray Kinsella sought existing TV and film images, news coverage to reconcile his teenage split with his father and home movies, Pandey and Kapadia through voices, ghosts and baseball in Field have delivered a deeply satisfying homage ofDreams but in Sao Paulo, when Senna is to Ayrton Senna and presented him to the feeling both that spasm pain and the elation world as a flawed, complex genius of a man.

Senna, Alain Prost and Jean-Marie Balestre of his greatest victory, it takes only a second for his real father, Milton da Silva, to ease his are cast perfectly as the hero, the adversary pain. Likewise, in the final scenes from the and the villain, respectively. Balestre appears 42

now-famous 1993 Adelaide press conference.

Senna speaks not of the fame,the money or the glory but of the joy in'pure driving, real racing'. It took all ofOrson Welles's talents to do that in Citizen Kane, with a dying Charles Foster Kane yearning not for the money,the power or the women in his life but for the sled he loved, and lost, as a child.

Thankfully, Pandey and Kapadia allow the viewer to make up their own minds about Senna.There will be as many opinions as people who see the film, and such is the complexity of the man himself that it is probably no two opinions will be the same.

What we get is an paradox; a man passionate about safety yet, on occasion, one who drove as if he placed absolutely no value on human life, even his own. Fie was devoted to his craft, but walked out on contracts with Toleman and Lotus as it suited him. In the end, perhaps he not so much stared down death as raced inexorably towards it.

Just as Ayrton Senna is a sporting icon worthy of standing in the same company as Muhammad Ali, Senna deserves to be talked about in the same breath as When We Were Kings, the 1996 documentary about All's legendary Rumble in the Jungle. Senna is an emotional, heartbreaking and exhilarating ride. If you have any interest in FI, and since you are reading MN,that seems a safe assumption, it is a must-see movie.

Senna, a Working Title film, released through Universal Pictures, had its official Australian premiere on Wednesday July 20. It is featuring at the Melbourne International Film Festival (July 21 - August 7)and premieres nationally on August 11.

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Alex Zanardi has taken his passion for racing to a new arena, as he seeks Gold for Italy in the 2012 London Paralympics.

By MARK GLENDENNING

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for the Paralympic Games,and I said, Sirs my mind to go tobeLondon )wdream what?in Superstars would great, but this is more important for me’ Zanardi explains why he has left motor racing -for now -for handbike racing

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F you wandered into the conversation mid-way through - easily done, considering that Alex Zanardi is a formidable talker even by Italian standards - you could be forgiven for assuming that he's sharing an anecdote from his motorsport career.

His account of the race in question begins with his surprise at the amount of grip available despite it being a wet day, peaks with him becoming engaged in a two-way scrap for the lead, and reaches a heroically tragic climax with his right-rear wheel falling off within sight of the finish line.

Worse, he'd suffered similar misfortune a few weeks earlier.

"I was leading,and in very good shape," Zanardi says."Going into a downhill section I was followed by Dane Pilon, who was in second.We had a very small touch he hit my left-rear wheel with his front one, and I had a little jump,a very slight thing, but I landed kind of sideways on a little dip and that ripped my right-rear tyre off the rim."

Despite the setback,Zanardi recovered back to eighth courtesy of a neat bit of 4&

sportsmanship when a rival who had retired loaned him a wheel. It was a good result given the circumstances, but it's only when pondering what might have been that he mentions his previous career for the first time.

"If it was one of my car races I would have had better assistance from my team," he considers."Maybe with an earlier pitstop I would have been in a position to rescue a better result."

It is almost a decade since the Champ Car accident at the Lausitzring in Germany that cost him both of his legs and,according to most medical literature, should have killed him.(His injuries were so severe that NASA had originally classed them as unsurvivable,and the American space agency rewrote its guidelines in the aftermath of the crash). Zanardi's career made impressive reading even before the accident.Various factors conspired to dampen his two forays into F1,first with Lotus and later with Williams, but his two Champ Car titles in the US - at a time when the series was seriously competitive - tell a different story.

The immediate aftermath of the

Lausitzring accident was obviously devoted to extensive rehabilitation, but with his recovery came further highlight reels.Twenty months after his crash, he was back in the cockpit of a Champ Car, modified to feature hand controls,to symbolically complete the 13 laps of the Lausitzring that he'd left unfinished.

Shortly afterwards he was racing full-time again in the WTCC,taking four wins in a similarly-modified BMW. At this point, many people would be tempted to scale things back a bit and take some time to chill out by the pool.

But having run out of worlds to rule in motorsport,Zanardi has now decided to go for a gold medal in the handbike class of the marathon at next year's London Paralympics.

Handbikes are similar to wheelchairs, but are driven via hand-operated pedals rather than by pushing directly onto the wheels.Zanardi originally took them up as a way of staying in shape for motorsport, but over the past couple of years they have increasingly become his main focus. And in keeping with Zanardi's propensity for overachievement, he's

Fateful Day:Alex Zanardi was on target to win at the Lausitzring in 2001, making a finalsplash for fuel late in the race, main pic. He went on to taste success racing sedans for BMW,left. In the smaller pics there are some insights into how much effort Zanardi is putting in to competing in the London Games.By the time the Games start,Zanardi will be almost46 years old.

is ticking. I'm not going to last forever in had an extraordinary amount of success, with wins in the Rome, Milan and Venice terms of having this opportunity available for me, because once you get over a marathons last year and the near-misses in Florence and New York that were certain age you cannot at that point say, 'OK,it's time to do this'. You no longer have recounted earlier.This year's results have this possibility. included a podium in the World Cup "I had this dream in my mind to go to meeting in Sydney a couple of months ago, London in 2012 for the Paralympic Games, held, appropriately enough,at Eastern Creek. and I said,'You know what? Superstars would be great, but this is more important "I never raced there in cars,"Zanardi says.

'But I did race a kart there once!" for me'. So OK,I'm going to stop with Zanardi claims that the decision to turn motor racing, at least for now,and concentrate a little more on this'. away from motorsport was a relatively "This decision gave me the opportunity easy one.

"At the end of 2009,1 sat around the table to train... I wouldn't say'harder', because when you prepare for something in a with all the nice people from BMW Italy personal way,there is nothing hard to to discuss a programme for the upcoming do.You always enjoy yourself, even when season," he says."I was offered a chance to you sweat and spit blood. It is always very continue in the Superstars championship exciting,especially when you are at the in Italy. I thought,'OK,this is fantastic, but very beginning of your learning curve, like I have to be honest with myself. In my handcycle racing is for me." racing career I have been lucky enough to drive beautiful cars;the best machines on The Paralympic qualification process is complicated, at least where handcycles the planet when you are talking about car are concerned. Athletes in others sports racing.To hang onto a steering wheel,it's generally get in on a pure performance something that goes beyond passion. basis - beating a benchmark time,for "So I thought,OK,I've got other things in my life that are important for me.The clock example. But handcycles are split into'

several different classes according to levels of disability, and competitors have to accrue points in recognised events to make it onto a shortlist, with the head of the national team then selecting the squad on a basis of who is most likely to deliver a medal.Zanardi is not a fan.

"It is a little bitter", he says."I would rather have a system where you score points for yourself and you make your own qualification. But this is the way it is, and this is what we will try to accomplish as a team,and hopefully I will be in that team."

"It sounds funny to say this, but unfortunately, I have no competition in my country. In my country,in my class, I have no competition.There are some guys that I race against, but they either don't have the time to train as much as I do,or they don't take it as seriously as I do.The result is in that in my class I have no serious opponents at the moment, not because I am really strong, but simply because it's the way it is.

"When I go and race at an international level, it is a completely different game.

There is a group offive or six athletes who make it very difficult iiii^

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to bring a medal home. Paracycling is divided into 14 categories, so with men and women, you potentially have 28 categories. Realistically, you can only take a team of eight or 10 athletes to the Paralympics. So a lot of competitive people are going to remain at home with the dream to go to the Paraiympic Games not realised. And I could well be one of them, because in reality there are categories that are not so populated where you could get a medal just by going to London, not because you. have incredible sporting merits, but simply because you have lack of opponents.

"The [Italian team] chief has to deal with the dilemma of either bringing somebody who has worked very, very hard but in his category may have some very strong opponents, so even if he does a beautiful

Job he might finish fourth or fifth, or he could bring somebody who really treats it as a hobby but because in his category he has no opposition, he will bring home a gold medal.To the country, a gold medal is a goid medal no matter whether it was won with a lot of sweat and pain or won 'free of charge'. It's still a gold medal. That's why this new passion of mine is bittersweet."

Considering his motorsport background, it should come as little surprise to learn that Zanardi is not adverse to set-up changes - when you're dealing with a guy who makes tweaks to his prosthetic legs, a handbike doesn't stand a chance of remaining tinker-free. But Zanardi actually tried to take things several steps further by designing and building his own bike. The results were... educational.

"I would call it'innovative', but innovation

means not only bringing something that does not exist, but is also better than what previously existed,"Zanardi explains."And my bicycle was certainly not better than what previously existed! So I basically switched back to something more conventional and immediately I was able to raise the level of my performances.

"Now, I am using something more conventional, but there is always something you can do. I always play with my sitting position, the length of the levers, the weight of my bike... I am actually in the process of building a new one that will be identical to the one that I have In terms of measurements but hopefully lighter than the one I have. So I don't stay still."

Zanardi retains close ties with the motorsport world, and drew upon some of his connections to help him with his bike

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On Target:Alex Zanardi and Jimmy Vasser made a formidable pairing in Champ Car,far left.

Zanardi carried his winning ways into the WTCC and has already played a partin the Olympics, carrying the torch in the relay for the 2006 Winter Games in Turin.

mmce to win something against the world

Zanardi sounds impatient- he sounds iike a racing driver...

on the engineering side.

"The friends I still have working in motor racing, have been a great help to cover the learning curve more rapidly than it took for other athletes," he says."And it is a good thing, because I am not young.

I have to rush, because these games in London are probably my only chance to win something against the world."

But has he really turned his back on motorsport forever? Despite being in his 40s and not having raced anything since 2009,Zanardi is still in demand.IndyCar boss Randy Bernard has been in touch to gauge his interest in going for the $5 million bonus prize on offer to any'guest' driver who can win this year's seasonfinale at Las Vegas(Zanardi:"I thought he was joking"), and there has also been an approach from the WTCC about a possible

return next year. For now,Zanardi is keeping an open mind.

"I am a very optimistic person," he said.

'What you lose with age is not so much the capability to be fast. It is the passion to play your role in motorsport in the same way that people in their 20s do.When I was in my 20s, my life was completely dominated by this passion of mine. When you have that kind of attitude, you have a huge advantage over someone who may be very talented but has other things in life to worry about,or who allows other things to dominate his life. When you are in your 40s, you have a nice house, you have a wife, you have kids, you have a dog,and normally'passion'has not such a huge place in your life because you simply cannot fit it.

"But for me,I have reached a level of

life - and I would call myself a very, very lucky person for this - where I can still put a lot of attention to my passions. Now,it is handcycles. If one day I focus again on motor racing, I think I would still have what it takes to be competitive. Not because I am the best driver in the world; I absolutely never thought that. But I always thought I am good enough to win if I am given the right equipment at every level.

If I sit in a race car again it will only be if I find a project for which I can be naturally and passionately completely dedicated, and also to be sufficiently competitive to enjoy it in terms of results collected.

"So of course, it is not guaranteed that this will happen. It could well be that my career in motor racing is already finished.

But the good thing is that I don't know that yet! So it will be fun to find out."

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VER in a far-off part of the world, known to its inhabitants as Europe, there is a V8 Touring Car series. And no, I'm not talking about the DTM. I'm talking about Superstars, which runs both an Italian and International series, and is expanding faster than a fat woman with cake. After a hesitant start in its home nation, the series is spreading its wings to cover a number of European countries - and it's attracting manufacturers and top class drivers as well.

Okay, I know that a percentage of you reading this will shout at me to stop this noise. Surely no one can do V8 Touring Cars like Australians? Well, no they can't - but look a bit deeper and you will see that it is being taken seriously on a number of fronts.

Let's start at the top - the promoter. The Flamini Group is behind the category, and if that doesn't mean a lot to you, think bikes.

Maurizio Flamini, who was a decent Formula 2 racer in the 1970s, has been the man behind the success of the World Superbike Championship over the last 20 years, and his sports marketing knowledge doesn't just cover motorsport. There is a serious brains trust at work here, and it has a proven track record.

Secondly, the manufacturer count is 54

impressive. Porsche (which ran the bloatedlooking Panamera) has gone for now, but the grid still comprises of BMW, Maserati, Jaguar, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Mercedes, Audi, Lexus and Chrysler, with two more to be added to the list. Then look at the fact that one of the BMW teams is run by veteran BMW racer Roberto Ravaglia and is factoryblessed, and you start to see the importance that the Bavarian manufacturer is placing on the series.

And it isn'tjust the German squad; over at Maserati, the charismatic Quattroporte is driven by reigning FIA GT1 World Champion Andrea Bertolini and fellow Italian Alessandro PierGuidi. So what? Oh, didn't I mention that they are both factory-paid Maserati drivers? You start to realise that manufacturers are starting to look at this as the shop window of choice ...

Then there are the drivers. Okay, it isn't an entry list dripping with ex-Fl drivers, or on a par with the Armor All Gold Coast 600, but Johnny Flerbert is still a draw amongst fans, and many of the others have a decent reputation. Bertoloni and fellow former FIA GT Champion Thomas Biagi are the pick of the bunch, while former FI racer Andrea Chiesa has raced for Maserati, and multiple Touring Car champion Fabrizio Giovanardi has been involved in the past. Sure, it's not

stellar, but with a limited budget, teams have to spend money wisely. And that explains why there are still quick amateur racers, like Max Pigoli who can still win on his day, and young guns such as 19-year-old Alberto Cerqui, who put his BMW on pole at Donington on his first visit to the UK. It's a bit like John Bowe and Chaz Mostert being able to whip Jamie Whincup's arse on a regular basis.

The races are designed to fit a TV slot. At 25 minutes plus one lap - a gnat's noodle under 30 minutes when you add in the slowing down lap - they are long enough to be serious, but not too long to let a viewer's attention span turn to watching wood warp.

Forget pit-stops, forget DTM-style 90-minute races, and forget weird qualifying systems as well. It is the same grid for both races (barring any Race 1 penalties) and they are short, sharp and lively battles. With success ballast gained for the top three finishers carried (therefore ballast changes during a race afternoon), results are seldom mirrored.

To take two wins in a day, like Biagi and Bertolini have done this year, is far from easy.

The cars are comparable, if quite different.

Engine sizes vary, but all start at 4.5-litres and have to be V8s. But while rear-wheel-drive is the favoured option, the Audis run fourwheel-drive. And, as a result, they are heavier, motorsport news

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The cars are also run by independent teams (only the Ravaglia BMWs and Swiss Racing Maseratis are factory-blessed), so in many ways it is hard to know if it is the car, driver or team that is the weak link. Yes, teams are taking steps forward all the time, but many have a long way to go in order to threaten the establishment.

The paddock? Well, here it falls down. It isn't impressive. There is very little in the way of colour or any paddock structures - in fact, at Donington, in was just the transporters with one inflatable structure for the Romeo Ferrari's team. It doesn't look great, but Flamlni's company argues -justifiably - that the teams are spending money on the right things, like cars, drivers, equipment, rather than on peripherals.

It is a fair point, but the overall paddock presentation needs a shot in the arm before the wow factor kicks in.

The venues are improving, though.

From its Italian origins, it is inevitable that Monza and Misano feature heavily on its calendar, but trips to Valencia, Donington, Portimao and Spa all prove that the series is spreading its wings, and doing so to proper circuits, which are popular with drivers but don't command massive track hire fees.

So where does it go from here?

Manufacturers are interested, but not yet www.mnews.com.au

prepared to throw a fortune at it. So, while it lacks the professionalism of the DTM or V8 Supercars, it is also a very cost-effective category. The cars aren't technical exercises; rather they slide, overtake and move around. As long as those regulations can be restrained, the racing should remain exciting and not become reliant on pitstops as is the case of the DTM, for example.

In turn, keeping the cars to a given technical level also helps keep down the budgets. Moving away from Italy Is a good thing to help promote the championship to a wider audience, but one thing it does need is star names. Yes, it is good to have a proper mix of different driver backgrounds, but if no one in the outside world has heard of them, you ain't gonna get a crowd. And who can afford the stars? Yup, manufacturers. And when they get involved, everything changes. It is a problem that doesn't have an easy solution ...

It isn't going to rival V8 Supercars but It has a place in Europe - and there is a nice nod to Australian racing. Take the Chevrolet Lumina of Fabrizio Armetta. In Australian, Chevrolet Lumina translates as Holden Commodore. And what number does it run? Correct-05.

You see, some things don't get lost in translation.

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MOTHER year, another European adventure. This year, it was a double-header, consisting of the Spa 12 Hour and my eighth straight Nurburgring 24 Hour on consecutive weekends.

After I raced a Subaru in 2010, we were back in the Holden, my ex-Garry Rogers Motorsport V8 Supercar, which isn't like any other Australian car - among other things, it has carbon panels, an extralong distance fuel system, a bigger engine and 18-inch wheeis for its overseas racing.

As usual, our trip had two 'starts'. The racecar left for Europe at Easter, and the personnel left Australia about six weeks later, before the Spa 12 Hour on June 17-19. We all flew into Frankfurt in Germany on June 14, picked up the rental cars and made the 300km drive to Belgium and the famous Spa Francorchamps. Traveling on German Auotbahns is great, with trucks staying in the slow lane and the fast cars respecting each other to aliow anyone that wants to do 180260kmh to do so. As a result, we arrived at Spa quicker that it takes to

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drive from Sydney to Wakefield Park.

The hotel we stay was only 500m from the racetrack so the excitement started straight away.Traveling with children also makes the trip exciting, particularly when you need to plan strollers and fit car seats and all the of kid's things. The first night was my 49th birthday, so, of course, you need to try snails when you are in a French-speaking city and some French wine. Being a sensible Australian team, we kept the drinking till after the race... (Yeah right!)

The container arrived on schedule and was unloaded in the paddock.

It certainly gets some attention, when the container is unloaded between some of the fancy transporters in Europe. The other teams watch as everything (including the kitchen sink) is brought out and set up. While we are not a professional team, the facts are that we must be self-sufficient; it's hard to find a part for a GRM-built V8 Supercar in Europe.

The team was led by my friend Dixon Matthews, who has been to nearly every international race that I have done since 2004, with ■ 3:tt

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another regular friend Ryan Mcliveen, who brought his wife, Zara, and kids.This was a big help to my wife, Jen, and my two kids to assist with making meals for the team and some sight-seeing together while the boys play race cars all day.

New to the team was Hayden Pullen, who I met in the Australian GT Championship running a Corvette, his knowledge of V8s in set up and tuning was very good. Mike Elkington had come from a background with some of the bestVS Supercar teams and assisted in the preparation of the VY Commodore before we shipped the car, and could use this experience to meet some of the top German and UK teams to further his own international ambitions.The other member was young Aaron Tebb, who has just started his own racing career in a GRM VY Supercar in the V8Touring Car Series, so his experience with these cars was very valuable and appreciated. So we were only a small team, but a few expat Australians came to Belgium on holiday and some stayed to help during the 12 Hours of Spa. At Spa you get a bit spoilt as the pit garages are FI size, so unloading

the 40ft container was easy. We set up our own tyre machine and a carpeted catering area for the team to enjoy.The best thing about bringing an Aussie Holden is being asked'what is it'so many times. I also have some blow-up kangaroos that get more photos than the racecar. As the 12hr was a round of the Belgian Touring Car Series,the quality of all of the cars was amazing. We had the fastest car in the straights, but to beat the locals on their own turf was a big ask. Peter Leemhuis was my only co-driver, so we both had plenty of track-time to learn this challenging circuit.The biggest and best part of Spa would have to be Eau Rouge - the approach is downhill In fifth in our Holden, with an entry speed of 240kmh,cresting the top at 220kmh, followed by a flat-out straight to reach 265kmh.

Overall, we qualified 13th outright and first in class T4.The hardest part I find at events like Spa is that the drivers'briefing was conducted in French and Dutch,then as there were several other English speaking drivers, they did a short translation.The other Australians were nil the West Aussie team of Malcolm Niall, Mark Pilatti, Brett Niall

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and Clint Harvey(who rented my Mitsubishi Cup Car for Spa in 2009 and won class T2)in a UK-based SEAT Leon Supa Copa, and Martin Bailey, Keen Booker and Paul Stubber in a local Renault Clio Cup car.The goal was to.be the first Aussie home,and we all shared the same FI pit bays, with the English language ngaking us -i ail feel at home.

The race started at 2.30pm on Saturday under rainy skiesfso sitting on the grid with many ex-FI drivers and Touring Car stars was a bit daunting. Most ofthe cars around me had wet tyres and slicks in tyre warmers in trolleys waiting for the last minute to swap,I now realise just how serious this BTCS really is. We sat on the grid with slicks, knowing if it rained we would need to go back to the pits and not start the race from PI 3. i As we came around for the rolling start, I believed that wifh my 650hp Chev,I could out-accelerate these Dutch and Frenchpams.As the green light went, I went into Eau Rouge to find the car have a big wobble,that I thought could only be cold tyres. But the leforear had a puncture and a trip around the seven kilometre track at slow speed put us two laps down ...When I returned to the race, I was determined to get the laps back so I did a triple stint, across three hours and 10 minutes.

The best part was when I saw the leader of the race behind,that I could hold him out for the entire stint. Rain was a big factor atB Spa and the crew was kept busy changing from slicks to wets and back in each one-hour stint.

Peter did a two-hour stint and by Hour 8 we were back to the Top 15 from last, and catching teams one by one. Next was a thee-hour stint for me as a thunderstorm had come to the mountains in the night to make the job even harder.You could not see the sides ofthe track with <^111

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all the spray,and many cars crashed, bringing out multiple Safety Cars.

We had many laps behind the Safety Car.That helped, but we still had three hours to go. Peter found the night and wet a bit unsafe and eleaed to stop till the conditions settled and we dropped in the standings. Luckily, all the cars in our class T4 had problems that allowed us to stay in the class lead.

The race ende^t 2.30am on Sunday,with a little Aussie crew taking the class win as an excited Peter and I stood on the podium at Spa Francorchamps! As expected,the Aussie crews partied into the early hours until the sun came up,then it was time for a sleep.The next day was the big pack up and the trip.to the Nurburgring.The truck arrived on Monday morning and delivered the container to the paddock and, by mid-afternoon, we were on our way.One race done and one to go.

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UR next stop was checking into our next pension(Home Host), with my fnend Edgar Steffens and his family,in a town within the Nurburgririg Nordschleife called Herschbroich.The great thing is that you are in the middle of a 20km racetrack in the Eifel Mountains known as the Green Hell, along with 200,000 spectators,and you only have to drive 10 minutes or walk 20 minutes to the track itself.

Herschbroich, which is located 10km from the pits, is one ofthe most popular villages for teams to stay at the Nurburgring.There are many five-star hotels within walking distance to the pits, but with a team of 10, we can't afford the 500 Euros a night. Being inside the racetrack,the noise of racecars is music to the ears and while Edgar offered a traditional German breakfast each morning,with meats, cheeses and breads, we also had our own toaster, Vegemite and tea bags.

The spectators camp onsite in all kind of contraptions,from tents

and motorhomes to man-made structures.They arrive over the previous weeks to claim their spots,to the late night music,fire and general craziness goes on well into each evening leadir^ up to the f event, it makes Bathurst look very tame.

It was my eighth consecutive year at the Nurburgring, however the quality of the cars and teams amazes me each year, with factory entries from Audi, Mercedes,Opel,Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin,SEAT,Subaru BMW,Lamborgini, Mini, Renault and Toyota.

It all started at 7am on Tuesday June 21,with over 210 teams fighting their way into the paddock under strict controls of the ADAC (the German CAMS). Because our container was in place a day before, it gave us a clear advantage in getting the best place irithe pit garage; unlike Spa where we had our own FI pit garage, we had to share a garage with eight other teams at the Nurburgring.There was only inches between each car; you couldn't open the doorsand you could only bring in a bare minimum of wheels and equipment.

We got the front row in the pit box. Behind us was an Astra from Holland,two Porsches from Sweden,and beside us,the Aussie SEAT Leon,two German Renault Clio Cup Cars and local Suzuki Swift.

We needed to do a full rebuild, so the crew got into the job before the other teams moved in. After a full engine check,the GRM-built Chev is good for another enduro,and we changed the differential and gearbox. Amazingly,the car was in great condition after a 12-hour race.

It was certainly hard to concentrate on preparing our own car when there were some of the latest models of racecars that have never been seen by the public, including technology like the Hybrids and CNGpowered cars. The thing that attracts attention to my car was the fact that we are one of only a few four-door sedans in the event,and when the Chev is running,the crowds swarm the pits to hear the rumbling V8.

We also have our mascot,a Kangaroo that spends all day on the roof of the car, even when we push it around the paddock. And we've even got a local Aussie fan club,just before the famous Carousel corner,that has many Australian flags, kangaroos and the teams'flags.

The next big challenge Is the paddock space that is shared by 210 teams with transporters and tents.The entire place is packed to the maximum by Wednesday afternoon,and the major car manufacturers build temporary buildings that represent a five-star convention centre, but will be dismantled by Monday morning.

We had our 40ft container placed beside the Kiwi team and a 6x3m space for all our tyres,tables and catering. So this time,the girls needed to cook on our BBQ beside the container and somehow managed to make it work, but unfortunately the weather wasn't so

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kind in the lead-up to the race weekend and most of our stuff was soaked.

Peter and I were joined by a new co-driver, Damien Flack for the grueling 24 hours. Damien has never raced a V8 Supercar, but has raced at the tJurburgring a few times in a BMW M3 GTR,and is experienced in Carrera Cup and the Australian GT Championship.He brought his young son,so we now had five kids in the team.While we were at the track,the wives and kids spent time shopping in a quaint little town in the circuit called Adenau,one offive around the circuit.

Among the crew, Mike,Aaron and Hayden were complete newbies at international races and just got their passports. After the excitement of winning*the class at Spa,they were now confronted by the biggest touring ca^ and GT race in the world.

After scrutlneerlng and all of theon jobs we needed toon do, weatheaded out for the first practice session Thursday.

Right cue the start of the 90 minute session, it started raining,so we played it safe until the rain clears before giving Damien and Peter some laps, before I did two laps, which put us 60th outright and eighth in Class SP8.You never get a clear lap, as you're on track with 210 other cars with various speed differentials.

Then,the weather changed again and we waited until 7:30pm for the start of qualifying, it doesn't actually get dark until 10:30pm at this time ofthe year...

The quicker cars, including our class,SP8,are allowed to start qualifying fives minutes before the rest of the field,to have a chance to get a quick lap in before traffic becomes an issue. Peter started the session,followed by Damien, but it didn't go to plan. He ran out of fuel when I only gave him 50 litres, the car was using 12 to 14 a lap. I went out on my scooter with a drum offuel to the camping grounds some 15km away to find the car with Damien sitting in the driver's seat, having a sleep.

The car was tucked into an opening in the safety fence,so I simply jumped the fence and started siphoning fuel into the tank.The German flag marshals were keeping the fans away until we started the car up and Damien drove back to the pits. Can you imagine stopping at Bathurst and having a driver or crew member go and find a racecar, then fix it and drive back to the pits?

At this point, we were out of the Top 100 cars, but we had a set of new tyres, so it was my chance to qualify. With an average lap about 10 minutes,a four-hour session passes really quickly.The new tyres prove to work on the 1450kg Holden (we have a minimum weight) and on my first lap with only a few slower cars, I did a 9m29s

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lap. By the end of the session, we'd each done four laps and we'd qualified 75th out of 21 Gears and eighth in SP8.

There was another session on Friday that was needed to give Damien and Peter a few more laps - there is never enough practice at the Nurburgring - and to get a clear lap and remember all of the corners is the biggest challenge to drivers. After eight years, I can confidently say I can remember each crest and turn, however even in a racecar capable of 288kmh,the factory cars with pro drivers still turn up in the mirrors without warning...

Unlike Spa,English-speaking drivers are looked after in the briefing.

After 30 minutes of German,we get a proper go in English. With three or four drivers and a team manager for each car and officials, there was about 1000 people in the room,a big difference to Bathurst with 31 cars and 62 drivers.

Everything was now in place and we got ready for the 4pm start on Saturday.Saturday is the most hectic day of all, and the team got a sleep in, leaving for the track at 11am,knowing that they wouldn't sleep again until Sunday night.

We all rolled onto the grid at 1 pm even though the race didn't start for another couple of hours, and we sat among over 200 cars with tyre trolleys, and tyres in warming blankets. As it was raining,everyone turned up on wets.We were starting in Group 1, pole position was down at Turn 1 and our spot was just at the end of the pit exit, followed by the second group of 75 cars and the final group of about 70.

The grid was filled with eager spectators as well - with over 200 cars, 2000 team personnel, 1000 promo girls and over 30,000 fans in one spot. It was hectic. And that's what sets the Nurburgring 24 Hour apart from the rest. I have watched the Le Mans and Daytona 24 Hours on TV, but they don't have anything like that.

Finally, it was time for the big race,and our group headed off behind the Safety Car, 20 minutes before the 4pm start. We were greeted on the track by thousands offans and flag marshals, there are over 250 flag points and about 800 volunteer flaggies. I was on wet tyres that had already done many hours at Spa,so my plan was to keep going when the track dried out, to avoid the congestion with all of the other cars going back to slicks. If we had new wets,a lap without rain would stuff them.

We did a pitstop for fuel with one of the 30 bowsers in pitlane,then changed to slicks while I stayed in the car for a two-hour-and-10minute stint. Then it was Damien's turn,and just when he had moved up into the Top 50, Damien radioed in to say that he had ran out of fuel

with only 3km left on the lap.

Once again, I jumped on the scooter and headed offto find the car, but this time I wasn't as lucky,they had moved the car to the inside of the track,so after an hour of walking through the forest in my racesuit and a heavy jacket with a drum of fuel, I was thrashed.The German marshal on the opposite side gave me a signal that the car was on a side road,so I jumped back on the bike after another trek through the forest to fuel the car to get back to the pits.

It was then Peter's turn,and everything was going well. At about 11 pm,seven hours into the race, Damien got back in the car as I was too exhausted to drive, after sitting on the grid for two hours,the twohour opening stint and the hour trek through the forest.

Then,after two laps, Damien reported that the car was overheating and wouldn't stabilise. We called him back to the pits to look at the problem and after much discussion, we decided to park the car, rather than cook my $50k engine. Changing the engine in a pitbox with eight other teams wasn't practical, so we packed up. Our race was over,another'what could have been'. As we couldn't pack the car in the container, we stayed all night and all day Sunday until the race was over, in case we needed to move the car for other teams.

It wasn't the way we wanted to end the racing side of the trip.

Overall,though, I had a ball, and I believe my driving was the best it had been in all of my years over there,and standing on the podium was Spa was a great moment.

After leaving Hersbroich, we dropped off Ryan and his family with Mike to head to Paris and London for their own holiday. Jen and I drove to Strasbourg on the border of France and went up the Stanshorn cable car ride to 6000m above the clouds to see the Swiss Alps covered in snow.Then we went through Italy, namely Lake Como, Verona,Venice, Florence and La Spezia,and a few days with one of Jen's friends in a beautiful little village in Rimini.Then it was Monaco, Valencia and Barcelona to look for accommodation for our next race, a 24 Hour race at the FI track in September.

Drivers are yet to be confirmed, but we've lodged an entry. After we packed up at the Nurburgring, we left the container in the Netherlands with Cor Eusor of the Marcos Racing Team until 1 fly back in September to prepare the car, namely swap the engines, and get ready to do it all again.

Without any opportunities to race the car at home,fortunately international event promoters have welcomed us with open arms. I've now raced at the Nurburgring, Spa,Sepang, Dubai and soon I'll cross Barcelona off, all before I turn 50!

:NQ SERVICE

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THE SECOND ROW national racing since we last met

FUJITSU V8 SUPERCAR SERIES Andrew Thompson was too good again in the Fujitsu Series, this time at Townsville, with theTriple Eight driver extending his championship lead with a round win.Thompson won Races 1 and 3, and came from the rear of grid to fifth in Race 2, after copping a penalty when the wrong official was notified about an engine change.

David Russell and Jack Perkins were second and third for the weekend, while Russell's team-mate Tim Blanchard won his first race of the year, the reverse Top 10 Race 2. Perkins, now second in the championship, had to do it the hard way,after a clash with a backmarker on Friday robbed him of valuable practice time.

PORSCHE CARRERA CUP With new backing securing his future in the series, Daniel Gaunt scored his first three Australian Carrera Cup wins in Townsville.

After qualifying third. Gaunt won all three races ahead of fellow New Zealander Jonny Reid, who moved into the lead of the series ahead of Craig Baird and Gaunt. Michael Patrizi took his maiden pole position in a Porsche and grabbed a pair of thirds in the races, to finish the weekend on the final step of the podium.

62

motorsport news

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FORMULA FORD

FORMULA 3

Cameron Waters sealed his maiden Australian Formula Ford Championship round win at Eastern Creek.

In Formula Ford's first visit to New South Wales since 2008, Waters dominated, winning all three races to extend his lead at the top of the championship.

Sonic team-mate Nick Foster won the final to secure second for the weekend,ahead of Trent Fiarrison. Jack LeBrocq was Waters'closest challenger in the first two races,finishing second in each, but was forced out of the final by a broken fuel pump.

Interlopers dominated Rounds 2 and 3 of the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship.

In a last-minute deal to run with Team BRM, Kristian Lindbom won took out the City of Darwin F3 SuperPrix at Hidden Valley Raceway. At Eastern Creek Raceway, Mat Sofi, pictured,took it further, winning all three races and the round in a one-off return.

Of the regulars, 2008 Champ James Winslow leads the standings ahead of Chris Gilmour and Bryce Moore, who won his maiden race in Darwin.

OTHER RACING Chris Either moved into the lead oftheVB Ute Racing Series with a round victory in Townsville. Either set up his weekend in Race 2, coming from 13th in a reversed top 18 to win, before taking out the final as well. He now leads Grant Johnson in the standings.

Also in FNQ, Klark Quinn extended his lead of the Australian GT Championship after winning Race 1 and finishing third in Race 2.

Eastern Creek hosted the biggest-ever Shannons Nationals round, featuring 10 categories.Tony Ricciardello had the upper hand in Sports Sedans,Terry Wyhoon took out V8 Touring Cars and John Goodacre claimed his first Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge win.

Adam Beechey and Sam Milton emerged victorious in Commodore Cup and Saloon Cars respectively and James Winslow and Ed Singleton teamed up to win Radicals. Warren Mcliveen (Superkarts)and Rex McCutcheon (Suzukis) were the other winners.

AUSSIES OVERSEAS Marcos Ambrose Motorsport's George Miedecke has moved up to fourth in the UARA Stars Series after scoring a pair of fourth place finishes at Hickory Speedway and Lonesone Pine Raceway.

Also In the USA, Mitch Martin gave the Spectrum chassis a stong debut in US Formula F, taking a pair ofseconds at Mid Ohio, while Nathan Morcom battled mechanical issues in F2000 Championship Series at the same meeting but salvaged a pair of Top 1 Os. In Europe, Scott Pye is 15th in the British Formula 3 Championship, having scored a new personal best result with fourth at Brands Hatch during the month. It was a quiet month for British Formula Ford, with Geoff Uhrhane instead grabbing a race win in the Euro Cup at Spa. Closer to home, Chris Atkinson won the International Rally of Whangarei in New Zealand,the latest Asia Pacific round.

www.mnews.com.au

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s

OMETIMES,things just happen.

In early 2010, Daniel Jilesen was looking for the next step in his racing career, jilesen had spent time in Formula Ford and the Toyota Racing Series in his native New Zealand, and after finishing fifth in the 2010 TRS, it was time for something bigger. The series wrapped up in March, and by May, he'd found that next step - the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series with Greg Murphy Racing, making his debut at Winton.

"The guy that ran me in theToyotas, he knew Kevin and Greg Murphy quite well,"jilesen explains.

"When we finished that season, we said 'we want to go to the next level and do this, can you help us out?'And he said he knew a few people we could meet, so he introduced us to Kevin and Greg at Hamilton's V8 Supercar round (Ed: in April) and it went from there.

"Greg was doing some hotlaps on the Wednesday afterwards, so Kevin said'why don't you come up to Hampton Downs and you can maybe do 10 laps in the car and see if you like it'.

64

"We did that, Kevin said 'oh yeah, you're going alright there in those 10 laps, why don't you come over to Winton, we'll do a test day'and the next round was the Winton race meeting."

As it was, the test day didn't happen, but a deal was struck for Jilesen to make his V8 debut at Winton, the third round of the 2010 season, in one of GMR's VE Commodores.Thrown into the deepend, he did an admirable job, moving from 17th to 10th in the opening race. That gave him pole position for reverse-Top 10 Race 2, from which he led the opening laps before keeping a cool head as the faster drivers made their way through.

"A Supercar was the first tin-top I'd driven, and without the test day I went to Winton having done those 10 laps," he recalls.

"I'd never driven the car before, and Kevin said 'well,just come over, do the race weekend and we'l! make it as a test day' but it was race laps. I just took it as, basically, testing and making sure I didn't get in anyone's way."

He missed the next round, in Townsville, while attending New motorsport news

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1 Zealand's Elite Motorsport Academy - "an opportunity I couldn't really turn down"- but returned for the final three rounds to continue to learn and eventually finish the year in 18th.

This year, Jiiesen will complete the full season with GMR. And he's impressed in the first three rounds; his racecraft and level-headed approach standing out as he gains speed in the cars, while many around him have had inconsistent runs. He kicked off the season with sixth for the weekend in Adelaide's season opener, and fifth in Barbagallo moved him up to fifth in the standings. With sixth again in Townsville, he's a strong fifth in the points, ahead of some more experienced and fancied rivals.

"Each round we go to, I'm getting more and more happy with how it's going," he said.

"After Townsville, I don't think I could be in a better place, really, I'm feeling pretty good about it all. At the start of the year, I wanted to be running in the Top 10 consistently and hopefully we would aim to be inside the top five in the points, if I could do that. www.mnews.com.au

"Now the goal's kind of changed a bit, well it did after Perth, I wanted to be running in the top five consistently and trying to get onto the podium."

Making Jilesen's performances all the more impressive is that he's still racing at circuits for the first time. After his partial schedule last year, the final three rounds of the 2011 season - at Bathurst, Sandown and Homebush - will be the first where he's driven a V8 Supercar before.

"I'm actually quite looking forward to going to a circuit where I've been before," he says.

"Bathurst will be the first one I've been to before, along with the others at the end of the year, so I'm looking forward to seeing how I go. But the main plan's to keep finishing every race and hopefully just get higher and higher up the grid as each round goes on.

"Hopefully we can gain a few more spots and, maybe, I'm hoping I can get into the top three by the end of the season."

I.Hlf Townsville featured a major breakthrough.

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With Adelaide's season opener the scene of his previous best result in qualifying, 11th, Jilesen threw it fourth on the grid, less than three tenths shy of a spot on the front row.

It's an area he's been working on.

"That's one thing that I struggled with, going to the track and getting onto the pace quick enough, in practice and qualifying," he admits.

"By the end of the last race, i was up to the speed I should've been at the start of the weekend. I worked quite hard on doing that after Perth and obviously it paid off at Townsville, it's great.

"The green tyre is something I've needed to work on and try to get my head around, how much it does improve. At Townsville, we actually ran two green tyres in practice so I could get used to that, and it obviously paid off a bit. It was good to run on a good tyre pretty much all weekend, not go there and start off on a tyre that's done 100 miles."

A little over a year in, Jilesen is enjoying life in the series and with GMR. He's hopeful of sticking around for another season next year, to capitalise on his 2011 inroads, and while running as a wildcard at Phillip Island and Bathurst this year remains and outside possibility, he's aiming at securing an enduro seat for 2012.

"We've never really looked at going anywhere else to run, because the first round we did, at Winton, you could see that Greg Murphy Racing was, in our eyes, the most professional and best team to be with, so we didn't change,"the 27-year-old said.

"We're pushing to try and do the season again next year. We want to do the wildcard program this year, but it all just comes down to funding. It would've been good to be able to do Phillip Island and Bathurst with a Main Game team this year, but there's always next year."

Should he secure an enduro seat, he'll be on the grid with the nil

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man whose name adorns his team,and a hero for most young New Zealand drivers, Greg Murphy. While his father Kevin runs the show, Murphy maintains a direct involvement, with his experience proving invaluable for Jilesen.

"He's always good for some advice, if you're stuck and want a bit of help you can ask him and 90 percent of the time he'll know what the answer is to make it better,"Jilesen said.

"At every race meeting, I do a track walk with Greg.That's probably the biggest help I get from Greg.at a race meeting, because he's so busy doing his own thing, but he always makes time for me to come on a track walk.

"One that stands out was Bathurst last year. It's, obviously, the trickiest track to learn, but to have him giving me insight into how to do things around there was a real eye opener and a big help.

"And it's good that Greg and Kevin have taken a little bit of a personal interest in me, too, and are trying to help me,so that's good too. It's the sort of thing you probably can't get anywhere else."

As an added synergy, Jilesen runs GMR's #51 Commodore. It's the number that's synonymous with Murphy's career, running it from 2001 for four different teams until his 2011 move to Kelly Racing.

Now,#51 is part of Murphy's team and having watched the four time Bathurst winner use it for many years, it's now on Jilesen's car.

"I looked up to him growing up,"Jilesen says of Murphy.

"It is like that for most Kiwis, actually, like most Aussies look up to Brocky.

"Everyone says to me'what's it like in the 51?'and,to be honest with you, you don't really notice it that much.You can't see it when you're driving the car or anything so you don't actually feel 'far out, I've got Greg's number!'a lot of the time. But it is a pretty special thing to have." motorsport news

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MUCH HAS BEEN MADE OF THE BOSCH AUSTRAUAN RALLY CHAMRONI 'UNRESTRICTED’ REGS, BUT AFTER WINNINGJHE FIRST.TWO EVENTS IN ilIJi >.SPOKE TOT mROLLiAiiiyZifJieWj :T? LEADS THE WHY. ●.

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OTORSPORT NEWS:You probably couldn't have hoped for anything more from the first two rounds of

the championship.

RYAN SMART:Yeah, it's a bit of a surprise to me, because our car's still the same spec as what we were allowed to run last year. It's not the new'Unrestricted'ARC car.

We're still running a restricted car on the Elf race fuel, and it's paying off, I think, that we've still got a reliable package, whereas the other guys are still trying to iron out a few problems.

Did you ever look at going down the Unrestricted path?

We did and for us it wasn't feasible, simply getting the car ready and the costs involved with that and getting to the events, we just couldn't afford to up-spec it. For us, it was a cost of approximately $20,000 to do that and it wasn't affordable for us.

Still, it doesn't look like you're lacking any pace.

No! I don't know if I'm out-driving the guys, or if the cars are still fairly equivalent. It's one of things where I think if you keep it consistent and drive fast, you'll pull good results, because gravel rallying's a lot different to tarmac.

Coming into the season knowing that other guys were taking advantage of the new formula and that you were sticking with the existing regulations, did you have any expectations about where you might slot into the pecking order?

Urn, I always knew that I could run in the top five, but to come out from the first round with two heat wins straight up, that was a big surprise. The first two stages on the Friday night were on tarmac and the Unrestricted formula cars were a lot quicker than what we were.

I was still quietly confident, but I thought'well, we'll just wait and see, the real rally is when you get into the forest'.

And I guess that's what happened. We had a consistent run and that's what set us up so far.

CHIP’S NEW HIS OLDER-SPEC TOYOTA IE QUEENSLANDER www.mnews.com.au

Speaking of WA,that was your first ARC victory, I imagine it would've been pretty satisfying to get that first one under your belt.

Yeah, I was pretty pumped over it. It's always something I've wanted to do and a few people are a bit sceptical saying that guys like Scott Redder and Simon Evans aren't there, but they're not there and i'll take it while I can.

The sport's got few people in it at the moment, it is struggling, but I just want to be at the front for when things pick up, so.

possibly, if manufacturers get back into it, then I've got a chance of getting a drive.

And, at the end of the day, you can only beat the people who are there...

That's it! I think it's still very competitive, guys like Justin Dowel and Mark Redder, they're respected guys and I've got respect for them. I think at the end of the day if we can all come home with a straight car having had a great weekend, no matter the result, that's an important part of it.

After WA, you rolled on to your home event and made it two-from-two, on the very last stage.

It was a bit of a crazy weekend. Justin Dowel, as well as myself, had some troubles all day on Saturday and Mark Redder was driving around not even putting a mark on his car.

Come Sunday, we got some things sorted and I think we won every stage except one. From the first stage on Sunday morning, we knew we could win the rally, it was just a matter of winning as many stages as we could. For it to come down to that last stage, where there was two seconds covering the three cars, I think that's the closest finish in the ARC for a long time.

It was a pretty crazy weekend. Some of the things we did in that car on the last stage, I don't think you should be able to do that!(Laughs) It was good fun!

The next stop's Adelaide, which was an obvious low point last year (Ed: Smart crashed heavily), how are you feeling looking ahead to that and the remainder of the season?

I've put last year's South Australian event behind us, I don't even consider that. I'm going to SA with the same attitude, I'm going there to try and win it and push on for the rest of the year.

If I can be consistent and win some heats consistently, then I think that will set us up really well. Mind you, out of the top three guys, we really haven't had a problem yet, so that's why we spend a lot of time trying to get our preparation spot on, so our car is reliable.

I understand you guys are a pretty small team, how many people are actually involved?

When we actually get to a rally, there's five of us. That's my parents, a mechanic, Geoff Foreshaw, who built the car's engine and did all of the engine work when he was with Toyota. He's basically what keeps our car going, if I didn't have him, we wouldn't be able to keep going, and there's myself and John Allen.

It's a very small team, we're on a very tight budget and we've 69

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IT PROBABLY SOUNDS VERY COCKY. BUT IT HAS BEEN EASY r' 'i

got a small workshop here where we prepare the car and most of the preparation is myself and Dad on weekends and weeknights. We've got a good relationship together with that and wejust enjoy the rallying and working on the car, too. nil

It's obviously a Neal Bates Motorsportbuilt car, are there any ongoing technical links these days?

Yeah, I talk to Neal a lot these days and he's helped me out as far as the car set-up goes and Darrell Bush, who had a big presence when they were building the Group N-P and 52000 cars, both of those guys together with Geoff Foreshaw, they're full of info.

They're always happy to help out, I ring them at eight at night sometimes, asking a question when I'm working on the car and they're more than happy to help out. With those three guys involved, I think that's another reason why were running this car.

They're familiar with it, it's not like we're on our own with it all. It's the whole package, I think, that you need to stay in it, and at the moment I need all of the help I can get because obviously there's not a lot of money around.

You mentioned John and obviously (sister and former co-driver) Rebecca's off having a crack at Europe with Molly Taylor, how has that change gone?

It's created a different feeling in the car. A professional approach, I suppose.

70

John's very serious about his rallying and everything he does is absolutely spot-on.

We gelled straight away.

We tried to get in the car earlier in the year to do some testing, but with the rain and the floods up here we just couldn't do it, because the forestry was so badly damaged. The first time we were in the car was in WA, testing, and I just said 'how did that feel?' and he said 'that's great'.

Everything's just been very simple.

It probably sounds very cocky, but it has been easy and I think that's how it should be. He's great, we get along really well together.

From what I've read, you're only fairly new to rallying itself. Your background's in off-road motorcycle racing and you only made your ARC debut in 2008, had you done much rallying before that?

I had done approximately five events in my old Datsun 1 SOB that I bought off eBay, of all places! I hadn't done any rallying prior to that, no ARCS or anything like that, so we were thrown in the deep end.

A guy up here, Bruce Fullarton, who had a couple of Mitsubishi Evo sixes, he sold one to me for a good price. That's what got me started and he gave me a bit of a kickstart there, and it went from there.

I got hooked and thought'this is great, because it's easy on my body compared to bikes!'

And obviously you're still hurtling

●SI];

through the forest, but it'd always be nice to know you've got a proper metallic structure around your body.

Yeah, it's good. When I was racing bikes, the next day you'd be flat-out walking because your knees would be so worn out, your back would be sore. It's good, it's basically motocross in a rally car, so the changeover to adapt has been fairly easy. I think it's definitely helped.

Let's talk about the future. You mentioned earlier the prospect of manufacturers coming back in and there's the new twowheel-drive format for 2013, what's your best-case scenario from here?

We go from event to event at the moment, financially. So we're trying to keep going and next year, who knows what's going to happen? If the funds are low, then we'll try to do a couple of events, but I just hope to stay in there.

Scott Redder (Ed: New ARC CEO) is doing a fantastic job promoting the sport and getting manufacturer interaction at the moment and the brand awareness is a pretty big thing. I think, come 2013, 1 hope there's at least a couple of manufacturers and hope that I'm in the hot seat for one of them. From what I've heard the regulations sound like they're going to be unbelievable.

These cars are going to be like WRC cars, sound like WRC cars, but in a two-wheeldrive format.They're going to be fast and look really good, so it should be a good thing. motorsport news

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See www.fsport.com.au for your nearest Kumho Motorsport Dealer or call 1300 4 Kumho 3PDRT .GOM.AU www.mnews.com.au

71

THE TOP STAR NAMES DON’T EVEN RACE, AND THE NEWEST RACECARS ARE AT LEAST i AUSTRALIAN MUSCLE CAR MASTERS IS NOT YOUR AVERAGE MOTOR RACING MEETING, WHOLE POINT OF THIS ANNUAL CELEBiWlON OP AUSTRALIA’S HIGH PERFORMANCE C

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K, yes, it's our sister publication s event we're talking about here.

But let's face it, as motorsport weekends go,the Australian Muscle Car Masters is quite something.

Attracting a Fathers'Day crowd last year that wasn't far below the kind of attendance Eastern Creek used to get for its V8 Supercar Championship Series rounds,the AMCMasters is now arguably the biggest race meeting on the Australian motor racing calendar, outside of V8 Supercar events and the Albert Park FT weekend.

That's no mean feat, given that the event's big name drivers won't actually be taking to the track in anger, and that the star cars on the

day in fact don t compete in an actual race.

This year's event,on Fathers'Day,September 4, is the seventh running of the AMCMasters, and it will celebrate several important anniversaries in the history of both Australian touring car racing and the homologated road car specials the manufacturers built to go racing.

The headliner is the 40th anniversary of the Falcon GT-HO Phase III. This Is the car that's still regarded as the ultimate high performance Australian Ford and,to some,the ultimate Aussie muscle car of all time.

This was the car that burst onto the scene in 1971 like a sledgehammer - it nil was a whole 11 seconds faster around

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Bathurst than its predecessor, the Phase IIGT-HO and, as political events of 1972 would demonstrate, it was at the very limit of the authorities'tolerance of mass market high performance cars irj the early'70s.

But this year also marks the same milestone for the Valiant Charger R/t E38.

The unique Chrysler coupe with itS;4.3-litre hemi-six cylinder engine and three-speed gearbox never quite made the grade, but the Charger was perhaps unfortunate in that the car it had to beat at Bathurst in ,1971 was the aforementioned Phase III. Maybe it wasn't the racing success Chrysler Australia might have hoped it would be, but It did at least achieve Aussie cultural icon status with the now-classic'Hey Charger'TV ads of the early'70s.

The AMCMasters this year will also celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Holden Commodore VN SS Group A. Like the Charger of 20 years before it, the VN was one of those Bathurst homologation specials that just never quite delivered. Also like the Charger, the VN's timing was less than impeccable, fronting at Bathurst right when

www.mnews.com.au

the all-wheel-drive twin-turbo Nissan GT#R ' Javelin. The 5.6-litre V8 Javelin was the ■ . was at the heig ht of its powers. ~ product of the now-defunct American Speaking of the Nissan, 201.1 is also the ■ Motors Corporation, and it enjoyed a strong, histpry in thefrans-Am in the early 20^ anniversary of the .GT-R's (an^l.also '70s racing against thefprd Mustangs and Ni^an's) first Bathurst win. | O It is also the 30th anniversary of Dick I , Chev Camaros. Jim's been putting this thing together fpr some time and it'll be Jol|hson's first Bathurst win, whi will. spmething like we've never seen before in befcelebrated on the day by the^first AMCMasters appearance of Dick's old Tru-Blu Australian motorsport.

Falcon XD. One of the great things about this event Among what will again be a massive is the line up of past touring car stars. Some collective field of competing vehicles is a of them will drive in the Heritage Hot Laps round of the Touring Car Masters Series. and Master Blast demo runs, making this a chance to see the old stars in the cars that And this year's AMCMasters tCM races will made them famous, and also the chance to feature the debut of two long-awaited machines. meet them in the paddock. Thus far, those The first is the Jim Morton-owned XB confirmed to attend include Allan Moffat, Falcon hardtop to be driven by Glenn Seton.

Harry Firth, Bob Jane, Bob Morris, This is a fascinating project - not simply Leo Geoghegan, John Harvey, Colin because it'll be the former double Australian Master blast: Scenes from some past Touring Car champion Joining the ranks in AMCMasters events, above. Featuring this a Falcon, but because the big blue coupe year will be the only NSW appearance of the was built at Ford Performance Racing. So, two Le Mans-winning Porsches that ran at in a roundabout way, this is a 1970s Falcon the Phillip Island Historic meeting earlier re-imagined in a modern context by the this year: the 962 which won in 1987 and the current factory Ford team.

'Moby Dick' 935 '79-winner, right.

Then there's Jim Richards' unique AMC

75

Bond, Allan Grice, Fred Gibson, Kevin Bartlett,John Goss,John French, Murray Carter, Frank Matieh, Phil Brock, Des West,Tony Edmondson, Brian Foley, Garth Wigston, Peter McLeod,Garry Rogers,Charlie O'Brien, Andrew Miedecke, Bryan Thomson,Don Holland, Bob Holden, John Leffler, Graham Moore,Trevor Ashby, John Cotter and John Smith - and quite a few more.

The event is on Father's Day,so it's fitting that this year's Saturday night Legends Dinner will have a distinct father-son feel to it. Allan Moffat will be joined by son James, and they'll be accompanied on stage by Jim and Steven Richards - as well as the always entertaining Allan Grice.

Two generations of Moffats and Richards, plus Gricey, together live on stage in the Pit Lane Legends Suite high above Eastern Creek Raceway's pitlane, is something not to be missed.

Sports Sedans join the on-track bill this year.This is a category that boasts a long and important history in our sport. Sports Sedans are in some ways the very essence of the backyard-special ethos that has always been a feature of Australian motorsport, right from the beginning. A lot of things have changed over the years, but when nil

the Australian Touring Car Championship was linked with Bathurst for the first time, in 1973 with the advent of Group C,the old (modified)Improved Production migrated to the Sports Sedan ranks and ignited a golden era for the category.

While the current-day Sports Sedans take to the track,on display in the pits(as well as running demo laps) will be a collection of'70s restored and replica Sports Sedans and Improved Production cars.This is a burgeoning section of the historic touring car racing scene and it's likely to continue to grow into the coming years.

Des Wall's restoration job on the famous Pete Geoghegan Craven Mild Monaro Sports Sedan isn't likely to be ready in time, but his Bob Jane HQ Monaro GTS 350 Improved Production car wili be there - along with the ex-Geoghegan Mustang GTA,which Des most likely will race in the Group Nc events.

But look for other recreated or restored Sports Sedans,such as Frank Lire's amazing hand-crafted Buick V8-powered Torana XU-1 that caused such a stir in NSW racing in 1974,and Darren Gillis'recreation of the HOTTorana XU-1 V8'Beast'Sports Sedan.

The Formula 5000 Holden V8-powered HDT Torana replica is a really nice effort, and one whose accuracy has been verified by the

man who built the original,former HDT boss Harry Firth.

This is predominantly a touring car event, but there is a look in for Formula 5000 open wheelers.In yet another four-decade anniversary, Frank Matieh wili be honoured at the AMCMasters 40 years after he won the 1971 AGP,'down the road'at Warwick Farm. Matieh himseif will be there to watch a demo run of his old Matieh A50 F5000 car.

For sorhething completely different, this year's AMCMasters will feature a pair of Le Mans-winning Porsches:the 962 which claimed the 1987 24-Hour classic and'Moby Dick'935 '79-winner.The two Porsches (normally housed in Porsche's Stuttgart museum)remained in Melbourne after featuring as the star cars at the Phillip Island historic meeting earlier in the year.This will be their only Sydney appearance.

The German sportscars will add an international touch to what is a distinctly down under historic event. But the AMCMasters is celebration of our muscle car heritage and our touring car history from the last 40-plus years. It's as much about the road going sedan models that went racing as it is about famous old race machines.

If you like your cars a bit older than some, it is an event not to be missed.

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A celebralion of Australasian Muscle Car heritage anil a tribute to drivers who raced them Eastern Creek Raceway - Sydney - Australia AMC’s annual Father’s Day celebration of Australia’s unique muscle car heritage returns to Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway. Join us in 201 1 as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Ford Falcon GT-HO Phase III and the Charger RAT E3B, and 25 years of the VN Commodore Group A

So get to the Creek for...

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- The Sports Sedan Spectacular gg Don’t miss out on the > Touring Car Masters GSI AMC Legends Dinner presented by Autobarn 5 with Allan Moffat, Jim and - Groups IM, C and A C/a Steven Richards, plus by Histories Touring Cars popular demand Allan Grice - Master Blasts > Best of the Best SiVTURDAY ● Heritage Hot Laps 3 SEPTiMdiR ● Ulimate Race Replicas

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CAN THE RADICAL AUSTRALIA CUP SUCCEED WHERE MANY( HAVE FAILED? AS RICHARD CRAILL REPORTS,THE EARLY SIC

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ET US,for a moment,take stock of the success rate of onemake racing in Australia.

Between Lotuses, Daewoos and Minis,they aren't exactly batting at a particularly high average when it comes to sticking around and making a meaningful, long-term contribution to the sport - and that's just in the last decade.

Usually they are the brainchild of a motorsport-loving managing director of the car firm in question, who will invest heavily in the short term before pulling out when the costs mount and the competitors move on to pastures greener.The Radical Australia Cup, however, seems to be a one-make series with a difference,for three key reasons.

Firstly, it has grown organically out of corporate drive days and customer ride experiences,first into a state-based championship and now into a national series. Secondly,the cars are unique and fill a void in the sport. Essentially they cater to a unique market and in Business School 101,that's a big tick in the box.

And finally, the series is based on a global concept with hundreds of competitors worldwide and a massive network offactory-supported advice, parts and expertise literally just around the corner.

Perhaps that's why the Radicals have this year stepped up to the mark, growing from a sprint-based state championship focused almost entirely on New South Wales to a five-round National series along the East Coast, regularly attracting upwards of 20 cars per round.

By why? And why do the Radicals look more like succeeding than other one-make categories in the sport's history? We went in search of a couple of well-experienced gentlemen who might have the answer.

The first is Tim Berryman, a name some will recognise as the National Class champion of Australian Formula 3 in 2007,and from historic open-wheel racing. Formula Ford and even Formula 4000 over many years.The farmer from Wagga Wagga returned to the national scene this year to contest the Radical Australia Cup,and says the series was perfect for someone who wanted simply to'arrive and drive'.

78

"For me it ticks all the boxes," Berryman said.

"Firstly, the cars are awesome.They have a lot of aero, paddle shifting, slick tyres and plenty of grip, so they are a blast to drive.The competition is also surprisingly high and you have a couple of guys at the front there racing at a very high level.

"Secondly, is the arrive-and-drive program. It does cost, but they look after everything so you can literally just arrive at the circuit and jump in a car that is pretty close to the mark in terms of set-up and basically on the money from the first lap.

"The on and off-track support they provide is awesome and for someone like me who doesn't have time to prepare the cars, its ideal."

Berryman believes that the return on investment potential - at least in motorsport terms - was another reason why he jumped at the Radical opportunity rather than other categories.

"We did quite a lot of research into what category we could run and the value the cars hold once you've purchased it was one of the reasons we went the way we did," he explained.

"In other categories, you don't have as much confidence to buy cars, so I wanted to make sure the investment is worthwhile. I thought I had a better chance to keep equity in the car."

Our second subject is Edward Singleton, right. While Berryman is a relative newcomer to the category, Singleton - more well-known for hustling his ex-Allan Grice Group C STP Commodore around in Historic Touring Car racing - has been there since the very start.

As a director of Sydney-based MPA Construction Group, Singleton knows all about value and investment - but instead he says the appeal of the category lies in the competition as much as the business aspects.

"You go from wrestling big cars like the Commodore around and jump in the radical and say'hang on, how long as this been around!'" he laughed.

"The cars are excellent and you can probably drive them at 11 -tenths motorsport news

>THER ONE-MAKE CATEGORIES INS ARE POSITIVE more than you could a Touring or GT car and that makes for a lot of enjoyment. I love the Commodore,don't get me wrong, but these things are just fantastic to drive.'

Having been there since day one, Singleton believes the reason for the category's longevity is down to its steady rise to prominence.

Tve been in it for about four years, initially from corporate days through to NSW state racing and now the national series," he said.

'What they (Radical) are doing differently is that they already had cars on the ground - they developed from that initial base so when they went to a series like it is now,the cars and drivers were already there. To get 20 cars on the grid is not hard when they are already here.

'Other series have tried to bring in 20 cars and then find the drivers. but history has shown that's pretty tough.

'We have been able to work with the international rules and adapt them to suit the Australian conditions, and that's worked really well.

Off-track they have the marquee set up, or the corporate suite, and it's as much about bringing people together as it is the racing. I think that's one of the reasons for its success."

Both agree that the class is poised for continual growth, slowly and steadily as has been the case for the past few seasons.

'You've not got Greg Murphy Racing as a Victorian distributor, and I think they have a relationship with Paul Stokell in Queensland,so that's going help get more cars on the grid,"Singleton explained.

'It's relatively affordable from a racing standpoint and it's well supported,so it can continue to grow.'

'It seems to be getting a fair bit of momentum,"added Berryman."A lot of people are taking it seriously and I've been getting asked a lot of questions by people who are more and more interested in it.'

So, watch this space. A series that has the building blocks down for a long innings thanks to steady growth, solid investment and a unique product that appeals to a large audience. What a Radical concept. www.mnews.com.au

u

F

OR an Australian teenager aiming to make a professional career as a racing driver, there is a fairly typical path. Start in go-karts, gain experience before stepping up to an openwheel category like Formula Ford and then, if you have the money and the talent, you might be fortunate enough to make it to the big time.

Harley Phelan, an 18-year-old Victorian university student of psychology and mathematics, is not one to follow such a conventional path. After racing in the Victorian Improved Production Championship in 2010, Phelan has taken on the challenge of competing in two separate national tin-top series this year: the Australian Saloon Car Series and the new Swift Sport Series.

Phelan may have completely sidestepped the go-kart scene as a traditional entry into 80

motorsport, but as he explains, he was not short on driving experience before making his circuit racing debut.

"I did a lot of driving at our farm property," he explained.

"I started driving around the paddocks when I was 11, which taught me a lot about car control and finding the limits, in a safe environment.

"I decided I really wanted to get into circuit racing. I had always really liked Nissan Skylines, so we bought an R32 GTR in March last year, which we raced in Improved Production and Super TT in Victoria. For the Improved Production races, the car was restricted but I still managed to win the Class A title, which was really good for my first season."

While the Improved Production series was an ideal initiation to circuit racing, the natural progression was to a series with a higher

i-

level of competition and more exposure; enter the Saloon Cars.

"We decided during the 2010 season that we were going to race in Saloon Cars in 2011," Phelan recalled.

"The national Saloon Car series is cheap, but it is competitive as well. We bought Shawn Jamieson's 2009 title-winning car for a very good price, so we knew we had a good package for this season."

Despite having to adapt to a completely different type of racing car, Phelan was immediately competitive, running inside the top six in the first two rounds of the series at Wakefield Park and Winton, and currently siting eighth in the standings after three rounds. Phelan was actually surprised to be running so close to the front, with such limited experience in the car compared to his main rivals.

"I'm a bit shocked to be going so well motorsport news

wri

HARLE7 PHELAN MIGHT NOT BE ON THE MOST CONVENTIONAL CAREER PATH,BUT HE'S GETTING PLENTX OUT OF IT. LACHLAN MANSELL SI^OKE TO HIM ABOUT COMBR4ING already, to be honest," he said.

"At the beginning of the year, I would have been very happy to have been in the top 10, so I've exceeded my expectations. I think my results owe a lot to having a very strong car set-up.

"The racing in the Saloon Cars is enjoyable as well, because the other drivers are respectful. You might have a bit of panel rubbing here or there but everyone gives you room and they don't smash you off the track in the first corner."

While Phelan was originally planning to concentrate on the Saloon Cars, he has also driven in the first two rounds of the new, one-make Swift Sport Series at Mallala and Winton.

"I decided to race in the Swifts to see how I would go," he said.

"So far it has been a lot of fun and very close even with the small number of cars, but www.mnews.com.au

we're not sure at this stage if we will continue with the series due to finance, and also the logistical challenges of running In two separate series that are sometimes running on the same weekend.

"At Winton, I was racing in both the Saloon Cars and the Swifts and I actually had to miss the weekend's first Swift race, because it was back-to-back with the Saloon Car race and it was just impossible to do both."

Phelan has also had to learn to drive two new race cars with handling characteristics that are not only completely different from each other, but from his old Skyline as well.

"The Saloon Car is a lot lighter than the Skyline, and it's a lot easier to slide through corners as well," he said.

"Obviously, the Swift is front-wheel drive, so it's totally different again. Adapting between the Saloon Car and the Swift has actually been quite tricky and stressful, and I've had

to try and learn both cars separately, but at Winton where I was racing both, it did become quite hard, even though I know Winton well."

Phelan is already planning the next stage of his career, and like many others his age,a professional future in V8 Supercars is his long term aspiration. While some might question his lack of experience in more traditional feeder classes, Phelan already has race miles under his belt in a tin-top, rear-wheel-drive Holden.

"After I've spent some time in Saloon Cars, I will be looking to move into the V8 Touring Cars or even the Fujitsu Series, although we would need some good sponsors to be able to afford to race Fujitsu," Phelan said.

"In the meantime, I just want to keep banking points in Saloon Cars, and hopefully start contending for podium finishes and race wins by the end of the year."

87

BLOOD SPORT

im CSQlbQBC3grpCfii]0te[jO3(M]Dg[n3?%(^ ●;>4 'A-3 0sms3ifli©tejafflQ^gite^ VER the years, karting has been the breeding ground for Australian motorsport stars. Essentialiy, every current V8 Supercar driver cut their teeth in karting before stepping up the ranks.

Growing up, it is natural for most kids to want to be like their Dad, and history shows that in a lot of cases sons tend to follow their father's career path, whether that be a high-profile businessman or a builder. Motor racing is exactly the same.

Over the years, we've seen some famous names coming through karting, with the likes of Geoff Brabham's son Matthew recently stepping up to the Formula Ford ranks. At the moment, karting has no less than six famous sons from the V8 Supercar ranks, all trying to make their mark on racing.

Currently, Aussie karting has Macauley Jones, son of Brad Jones, in the higher end of the karting scene, with young Macauley recently winning his first CIK Stars of Karting Pro Gearbox KZ2 final.

In the junior categories, Aaron Seton (son of Glenn), brothers Dalton and Tristan Ellery (sons of Steve) and even more recently Ben and Jake Bargwanna (sons of Jason) are all going karting.

It's not just the four-wheeled or bitumen track categories reproducing these famous names in karting, with young Jack Doohan, son of five-time SOOcc World Motorcycle Champion Mick, having his first race in recent weeks at the Junior Top Guns event in Lismore.

The dirt tracks are also being represented with the recent Queensland State Championship event seeing no less than four kids in action all born to Australian Speedway Champions - Lachlan McHugh (son of Jamie) and Mitchell Gee (son of Michael) both sons of former Australian Super Sedan Champions, while Nathan and Natasha Herne's father Stuart was a multiple Australian V8 Dirt Modified Champion.

One thing you notice when it comes to these kids from more famous fathers is that while a lot of people expect big things from them because of their surname, thereare very few expectations put on them from their dads.

"The main reason I've got [Aaron] involved in the sport is probably more about the life skills you get out of it," explains Glenn Seton.

"One; it's very handy for him for when he does get his licence to understand what skills are required to drive on the road and treat safety with respect.Two; there is the father/son bonding type of thing that is involved in the sport, and three; there is the life skills you learn from it. At the end of the day, you get to compete against other guys and learn in that capacity, and get to understand the mechanicals of the machines and the skills of making speeches on thepodium in front of others when you do well.

"For me it's not so much about making a career out of it, but more those important life skills. If he does want to go further into motorsport that is also fine with me."

Aaron has been victorious in the Midgets State Title in South Australia, and also won at the Lismore Young Guns.

"He's a third generation Seton, no doubt. 1965 is the year I was born and the year my Dad won Bathurst, I don't remember it, but I did follow his career from there on. I think the only Bathurst I missed was when I was racing at the New South Wales Karting Titles back in the 1980s. Besides that I went to all of the races back then.

We have a hell a lot of memories, which is probably what pushed me towards becoming a professional racing car driver, and Dad

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loves^nything motorsport. He's been a couple of times before to see Aaron race, and has been quite impressed with how he's been going."

Glenn also admits that he does get nervous watching Aaron, but more from a safety perspective.

"It's more a different level of nerves. I get more nervous for the first couple of corners from the safety side of things. Motorsport can be dangerous; I don't get nervous because of his ability to race or what the result is going to be. I get more nervous about the first lap.

While young Aaron is getting set to take the next step up into the Junior MAX category, at the other end of the scale you have the two sons of Jason Bargwanna, 10-year-old Ben making his debut in the Rookies class, and 16-year-old Jake inTaG Restricted.

Not unlike Seton, Bargwanna also sees the sport as a great place to learn.

"What I like about karting is that it's such a family thing, it's something you can do with your kids and it's good to see them actually learn and improve each time they go out there and have a big smile on their face," says Bargwanna.

"They come back, they want to know how to go faster, they enjoy the competition and there's some other great families there having a fun time so for us it's a great way to go."

Ben and Jake are actually fourth generation racers, with great grandfather Harry Senior, grandfather Harry and father Jason all being racers.

"Yeah, I do get nervous but it's completely different,"adds Bargs.

"I mean, I had my father [at Morwell for the first race], so there were three generations of racing there with Dad pit crewing and it was great. It worked really well, everyone had a good time and everyone wants to go again, which is fantastic.

"I was more proud of both the boys than I was nervous. I mean, even Jake had his first win on his first day, so that really was a pretty proud moment for me."

Winning on the first day of racing must be in the Bargwanna genes, with Jason looking back and recalling some of his motorsport memories from the past.

"My Dad started racing about 45 years ago I suppose, and my first go kart race was up at Oran Park in about 1985 or 1986. 1 never really achieved much in the karting ranks, I wasn't in karts for that long.

"I won a few trophies but I moved up into cars pretty quickly. My karting career only really included a couple of open meetings and some club days, but that was pretty much where it ended. In saying that I did have a win on my very first day, I do remember that much.

"Obviously motor racing has been a big part of our life for a long time, and it's good to see the kids get involved in it. But whether they want to carry on with it, who knows, but we'll see.They're only young and there is absolutely no pressure from me for them to go anywhere with it. For me it's just something that we can do together and enjoy as a family and that's it and everyone seems to be having a ball and enjoying themselves so that's great.

"I think a lot of people do forget that karting is supposed to be a family sport about getting out there and enjoying yourself; that's what the sport's supposed to be about. We have no future plans, for us it's all about having fun, enjoying ourselves, having a good laugh and we'll just see what comes of it."

WITH HIS FAMILV'S BACKGROUHD. IT'S HO SURPRISE LUCAS WOLFE IS MAKIHO WAUESIH SPRIHTCAR RAGIHO. OEOFF ROUHDS CAUOHT UP WITH THE AIYIERICAH RISIHG STAR

L

UCAS Wolfe may not be the biggest name to contest this month's 51 st Knoxville Nationals but he will lead the younger contingent of United States drivers who are expected to challenge for line honours.

The second-generation racer is a true gentleman of the sport and is already making tracks on the World of Outlaws series in his home nation, and setting lofty goals seems the natural progression for Wolfe.

The Pennsylvanian's father Randy was a Sprintcar driver and mother was a racetrack promoter.

Even the name of his hometown, Mechanicsburg,

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iviviv.

supports Wolfe's career choice. He's been around Sprintcar racing so much it's hard to remember he's only 24 years old.

"It's all I've ever known,"Wolfe said.

"I grew up around it, so it was always going to be a natural move and Mechanicsburg is the home of a pretty popular racetrack (so) it's all pretty convenient."

Racing in the highly competitive world of American Sprintcars since 2003 is due to a fair motorsport grounding when starting out in quarter midgets since the age of eight. At just 16, Wolfe ran his first winged Sprintcar race at

1

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his home venue, Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, qualifying for the feature in a tough field of regulars during 2003.

A year later he became the youngest winner in the history of Williams Grove and would win twice more there in 2005.These efforts saw him selected for Champ Car's'Stars ofTomorrow'initiative for up and coming racecar drivers, which was overseen by Indycar legend Bobby Rahal.

Wolfe's 2008 rookie season was severely interrupted with a serious back injury while racing at Granite City, Iliinois, but he bounced back to amazingly finish the season in hot form and win the World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year.

The 2010 Outlaws season would have a credible start even before a wheel was turned in anger, with Wolfe's father Randy again in his son's corner after being awarded the coveted World of Outlaws Crew Chief of the Year. An outstanding driver in his own right, Randy remains one of the most respected people in the business.

"My parents have been so supportive of my racing career and to have my father win that from the Outlaws was such recognition,"Wolfe says of Randy's nod.

"He's put so much into this sport and into my career - it was a very proud moment for our family."

A former member of the tough Pennsylvania Posse before joining the Outlaws full-time, Wolfe says going home to race is now tough, as

^..1

86

he's considered an Outlaw in a sport where the Posse and the Outlaws have never been close.

"It's a tough challenge and its fun to go back there and race those guys,since we don't get to race them (Posse) very often.They've had the upper hand lately and hopefully I can be the one that changes that," he said.

Wolfe's impressive motorsport resume had a further addition in 2010, when he gain selection into the All-American Racing Team as selected

by American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association.

He was the only driver to secure votes in the speedway category of top new stars in Sprintcar racing. His selection was alongside a who's who of motorsport in specific racing genres with names such as Dario Franchitti, Will Power, Jimmie Johnson, John Force, Kyle Busch, Ryan Briscoe,Tony Schumacher and Danny Hamlin also selected.

"I guess it's good to noticed for putting all the work in that I have. It's not really what 1 race for, but I do enjoy some of the recognition as it's good for the sport of Sprintcar racing," Wolfe said.

"It's all I know. I enjoy all the mechanical things about racing. I enjoy the travel and I really enjoy the fun on tour and I have been to some great racetracks around the world."

Of those was his third tour to Australia this year, campaigning in his second Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic in as many years, this time driving the #36 Maxim for affable Warrnambool-based car owner Harry Droste, eventually getting home in seventh after 40 laps, motorsport ne\«s

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IT’S ON EUERVONE’S GOLEHOaR... IT’S OBUIOUSLV BEEN 0 POPULAR DESTINATION FOR IKIANV AMERICANS OUER THE YEARS

WOLFE ON COMPETING IN AUSTRALIA'S GRAND ANNUAL SPRIHTCAR CLASSIC. ABODE. WHICH FALLS IH THE OFF-SEASOH OF HIS REGULAR OUTLAWS RIDE. LEFT

Wolfe said the Grand Annual was engrained in the sport's folklore in both Australia and the US and was"on par" with the Knoxville Nationals.

"It's pretty widely known," he said.

"It's on everyone's calendar, whether you're from there (Australia) or here (US). It's obviously been a popular destination for many Americans over the years.

"It's like Knoxville and always quite a tough race, but it's one you look forward to and again like the Nationals it has one of the biggest car counts, so it's quite competitive just to get into the A-Main."

The upcoming Knoxville Nationals(August 10-13) is just one meeting that will see the lanky Wolfe be away from his native home for more than 270 days, in his third full-time season on the busy Outlaws tour which itself accounts for 80 shows.

Wolfe believes the key to winning at the Nationals or at the famous Knoxville Raceway is a good eye and anticipation.

"You have to anticipate what the track's going to do and having the ability to read a racetrack is the key and that's something that you do have to do at Knoxville," he said.

"As an American Sprintcar racer it's the World Title. It's the best drivers who are racing at the time and just to get through to the Saturday night(US$150,000 to win) is pleasing. It's going to be tough again this year, but for me that's why I race; to try and beat the best and finish as well as I can." www.mnews.com.au

Wolfe is yet to win on the Outlaws circuit but he nearly beat the best in the business 12 months ago, when he took the lead on the last lap of the prestigious Ironman 55 at 1-55 Raceway, Pevely, Missouri, only to be edged out by reigning Outlaws Champion Jason Meyers in a wheel banging finish. Losing by a mere 0.092s, it was the closest finish of the season.

"I was close there and got a good opportunity at the end to slide (job) him and was pretty good the whole time,"Wolfe recalled."! was following him (Meyers) and kind of biding my time waiting to get a shot and it all came together good there at the end. I just wasn't quite able to hold him off."

Wolfe wrapped up his 2010 Outlaws season in a career-best eighthplace finish, on the strength of 28 Top 10 finishes, with 14 of those being Top Five performances as he banked just over $US114,000 in prizemoney.Thisyear he's already sitting in theTop 10 on the back of a Top Five finish and nine Top 10 results.

Prior to this 2011 Outlaws season, American Sprintcar journalist Chris Dolack said of Wolfe in the March issue of Sprintcar & Midget magazine:"Flow do you not root for Lucas Wolfe. Lie's competitive, no doubt. But he's also one of the most personable drivers in the pits."

It's a quote that really rings true and especially to us Aussies; he's not just one of the most exciting talents in Sprintcar racing, he's also a good bloke on and off the track.

87

MODEL BEHAVIOUR

A beautifully detailedXA Falcon coupe,Marcos Ambrose's Ford Fusion NASCAR,Mick Doohan's 1994 Grand Prix bike and this year's range ofGrand Prix cars,and a lot more besides-right now our model makers have gotjust aboutevery discipline covered.By BRUCE MOXON

T

HE feeding frenzy for Hot Wheels Falcons has eased a bit, but the Matchbox VE Ute search continues.

I found a few more since the last time I mentioned them, but there are a couple of new colours coming soon, or even available now (allegedly, but Tm yet to see them)in purple and red.

Now, I'm not normally a collector of bikes, but this one is going straight to the display

88

cabinet.TheTrax Legends series started last year, with the 1/43 scale Brabham BTl 9.This year, it's 1/24 scale, and it's Mick Doohan's 1994 Honda NSR SOOcc Grand Prix bike.

Presented on a wood display base (actually a thin veneer on MDF),the bike looks a million dollars. The detail is lovely, right down to a gold chain and carbon-fibre exhaust.The bike's fixed to the base so there's no alternative to displaying it that

way, but why wouldn't you?

There are two versions, the Signature Edition, which has a reproduction of Mick's helmet, and the Collector's Edition.

Buy the Signature Edition, and you not only get the bigger base, a replica helmet and an individually-numbered model, Trax will include a special edition of'Mick Doohan -Thunder from Down Under', Mick's biography.

The Collector's Edition model is $84.00 and the Signature

Edition,(with book), is $249.00.

You can order them from www. topgear.com.au.

Classic Carlectables follows up last month's Bartlett Camaro with a very nice road car, a Ford Falcon XA. Let's just say that this is rather more detailed than the Hot Wheels. iiii^ Flying the Coupe: Classic Carlectables' 1/18 scale Falcon XA GT Coupe is an amazingly detailed model, above, right. motorsport news

www.mnews.com.au

89

is making just 800 of the Wild Violet XA two doors, a reproduction of an RP083 car, which was the high performance option. Open the 1/18 scale bonnet and admire the Holley carbie, the extractors and the detailed Cleveland 351 V8.

Inside, soft seats, accurate wood-rimmed wheel and the full instrumentation is all there.

Outside,the purple looks a million bucks, with black-outs accenting that classic 70s look. There's even a louvre on the back window - remember them?

The car is a lot better than a Hot Wheels, as you can plainly see. But the Hot Wheels is only a couple of dollars. But you only get what you pay for, right? I reckon the XA coupe will be a good seller - wouldn't mind one for my own collection For Classic Carlectables in a smaller scale, look out for a couple of last year's V8 Supercars - both from Bathurst last year, the Lowndes/Skaife Vodafone car and theTander/ McConville'retro' HRT livery reproducing the 1990 winning car. Both these should sell in a hurry, so you might want to get in early.They won't be produced in numbers as limited as the XA, but neither FI-11: Minichamps'2011 Formula 1 models are here, available from Apex Replicas, above.

90

motorsport news

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43 in 1/43:Biante hasjust released a 1/43 resin model ofAllan Moffat’s 1983 Mazda RX7and the'94 Johnson/Bowe Bathurst winning Falcon, left. New from Trax is a 1994 Mick Doohan collector's set, centre, while Icon now has the latest Marcos Ambrose NASCAR models in stock, right. will there be an infinite number.

And how about a

a place in a collection.Tony and Tomas came from nowhere

1/18 pairofTeamVodafonecars in Townsville livery? Wouldn't they look just brilliant next to the 1981 Bob Muir/Pete

to win the hotly-contested event, defeating the might of Eggenbergerand DJR in other Sierras, Nissan, Holden and BMW works efforts. Not bad eh?

Geoghegan Army Reserve Falcon?

Finally this month, a couple of new 1 /43s of old cars from

If you're wanting a Marcos Ambrose NASCAR model,then you'll be looking to Icon Models.

Icon stocks pretty much every Ambrose stock car dating right back to his Truck series debut, and now the 2011 Richard Petty Motorsport Fords are here.There are four different versions, all in the standard 1/24 NASCAR scale. and while the prices do vary they're all under $100.

FI, meanwhile,fans can look forward to Minichamps'2011 FI cars coming soon. Apex Replicas has Mercedes, Renault and Force India cars in stock, with more to come. I wonder if there will be an HRT Daniel Ricciardo

Biante.The 1983 ATCC-winning Allan Moffat RX7 and the 1994

car?That'd be nice, really nice.

Also from Apex, a bit exciting. this ...A 1988 Bathurst 1000 winner.The Ford Sierra is (I reckon) one of the best-looking of the Group A cars and the Longhurst/Mezera car deserves

Bathurst-winning DJR Dick Johnson/John Bowe EB Falcon.

The difference is that these cars are being modelled in resin, not die-cast in metal.The cost of making models in die-cast is getting higher and higher and so Biante is trying out the resin route. We know the folk at Biante care greatly about quality, so we can be confident the new products will be up to the standard we've come to expect.

Better this than we pay too much for our models, right?

More news from Biante: Autobarn shops are now stocking Biante products, so you can grab your models while getting the bits together for an oil change on your 1/1 model!

You can even get a model of Paul Dumbrell's Falcon, another new release from Biante.

Winner 500cc

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92

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In fact, it's just the thing if your dad is a bit difficult to buy for when it comes to Fathers'Day. V8 Legends, Australia's all-time Top 40 race drivers, by Paul Gover, goes on sale August 1, at $45. It is published by Flarper Collins, and available through ABC Books.

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i THE FINAL WORD

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RIPLE Eight Race Engineering announced this month that they would not be pursuing a four-car'superteam'for next year.

This is good and bad. It's good in the sense that Paul Morris will continue to run his team from his headquarters at Norwell, which is a great facility that deserves to have a V8 Supercar team operating out of it. Paul is a character in his own right, and plays the game by his rules. We have seen some of the Dude's rules recently in several Fujitsu Series races, where he has tangled with Nick Percat and Rodney Jane. Not everyone agrees how the Dude goes about his racing, but you can certainly say he's his own man when it comes to V8 Supercars and motorsport.

You would have to assume that the team would perform better week-in-week-out being based out of theTriple Eight headquarters in Brisbane, because in reality, they have

never threatened to put a championship together - or even a race win. Russell Ingall and Steve Owen are more than capable drivers, and we are told they share exactly the same equipment as the Vodafone boys. But it takes more than a good car and good drivers in this era to win.

PMM's team manager Steve Robertson has come from T8, and is a championship-winning crew chief. The team also has good funding and excellent infrastructure, so in real terms they should be close to stepping up.

But the hardest system to implement is a winning culture, and that normally takes the longest time.The Dude knows what it's like to win, it's just down to If he realiy wants to do that as a team owner.

The bad news from the non merger is thatTeamVodafone will again only run two cars in 2012.This will leave Adrian Burgess and his two pilots to solely concentrate on the day-to-

day business of winning races and championships.

It would be fair to say that had the decision been made to merge with PMM and house four cars under the T8 roof, there would be a few growing pains along the way. It doesn't matter how much resource you have at your disposal, sometimes, when a major expansion takes place, there are growing pains. Given the small percentages we are now talking between success and failure, it only takes a tiny distraction to derail a championship. I am sure Roland Dane and all the team would execute the expansion well, because they do everything else well, but every car added into a team dilutes the intensity slightly, and that is the difference between first and second in this series come Homebush.

Craig and Jamie,therefore, will be happy they don't have to share their world with two other drivers for another year at least.

On a different note, I was absolutely staggered to see the difference in the Holden Motorsport and Ford Racing websites recently. Holden has all the latest news,all the drivers

The bad news from the non-merger is that Adrian Burgess and his two pilots can solely concentrate on the day-today business of winning races and championships.

and teams driving Holdens and a website you would be proud to be associated with. It's very evenly balanced across all the teams competing in the 2011 Championship series, having a range of news, merchandise and profiles.

The other one (Ford) is still proudly showing off their marquee drivers, including James Courtney and Steven Richards in all their 2010 glory!

This must make James Moffat, Will Davison and Paul Dumbrell feel very much part of the'Ford Family'(as Ford refers to itself), not to mention the Ford teams - not.

We have been told by Ford and its motorsport boss Chris Styring how much V8 Supercars had to be accountable for the funds allocated to the teams, and there must be marketing return for investment for Ford to stay involved in the sport.

So how can the teams be put to the task of marketing a brand or product when the mother ship (one of the world's largest companies) won't even attempt to make the smallest of efforts to update a website, particularly when their Championship winning driver jumped to the Red side?

QUICK QUIZ

Answers 1. Daniel Ricciardo went to Asia to race Formula BMW straight after leaving Formula Ford.

2.In 2008,Ricciardo raced in the European Cup and the WestEurope Cup for Formula Renault. He won the West Europe Cup. 3. Ryan Walkinshaw runs the Gloucester Rugby Union club.

4. Alex Zanardifirst raced in Formula 1 for Jordan in 1991.

He then returned in 1999 with Williams.

5.Francesco Ascani won the inaugural Italian Superstars Series in a BMW MS.

98

motorsport news

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