Pitstop magazine November 2015

O ff ici a l Pu blication of t h e B e n a l l a A u t o C l u b I n c .

pitstop November/December 2015

SHELLEYS WIN WINTON 300

PLUS

MEETING THE NEW BAC CEO WAKEFIELD SHANNONS, LEMONS AUTHORISED PRINT POST NUMBER PP100001045

November/December 2015

Contents | BAC President’s Report................................................. 4 | BAC Treasurer’s Report................................................. 5 | BAC Group CEO’s Report.............................................. 5 | Meeting Chris Lewis-Williams................................... 6 | News Briefs....................................................................... 7 | Members at Play............................................................. 8 | BAC Black-Tie Ball.......................................................... 13 | Valvoline Winton 300 Report ..................................... 14 | Valvoline Winton 300 Photos and Stats................. 16 | BP Midland/Pedders “No Bull” Sprints Rd 4......... 18 | BP Midland/Pedders “No Bull” Sprints Rd 5......... 20 | Wakefield Park Shannons Nationals Report........ 22 | Wakefield Park 24 Hours of Lemons Report......... 24 | Matt Baragwanath - new WP Ops Manager........ 26 | What’s on at Wakefield Park and Winton............. 27

PITSTOP The Official publication of the Benalla Auto Club Inc. November/December 2015 Edition #603 BENALLA AUTO CLUB INC. 41 Fox Street Winton, 3673 Phone (03) 57607100 www.benallaautoclub.com.au Email: secretary@benallaautoclub.com.au Encompassing: Winton Motor Raceway 41 Fox Street Winton, 3673 Phone (03) 57607100 race@wintonraceway.com.au www.wintonraceway.com.au Wakefield Park Motorsport 4770 Braidwood Road Goulburn, NSW 2580 Phone (02) 48222811 info@wakefieldpark.com.au www.wakefieldpark.com.au COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT Vice President: Barry Stilo Secretary: Rex Monahan Treasurer: Geoff Calvert Neville Kettels, Bernie Mylon, Willie Van Wersch, Phil Wagner, Murray Edgar, Rob Hoskins, Daryl McHugh, John Morriss PITSTOP EDITOR Lachlan Mansell PHOTOGRAPHS Judi McDonald, Rene Martens, Phil Wisewould, John Smith, Shannons Nationals Media, Touring Car Masters Media, Porsche Carrera Cup Media

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pitstop BARRY STILO Acting President, Benalla Auto Club Inc. Welcome to the last issue of Pitstop for 2015.

Wow – what a year it’s been! I am writing this to you in my new role as Acting President, agreeing to step up from my elected role as Vice President. Since the last issue of Pitstop, our President Peter Lawrence had to resign for personal reasons, I wish to thank Peter on behalf of the members of the Benalla Auto Club for all his hard work over the past few years – his strong leadership through some troubled times has put our club in an excellent position for the future.

the committee, it is with great pleasure I announce that John Morriss, Geoff Calvert and Daryl McHugh have been invited to join the BAC Committee, re-instating the BAC Committee to its full complement of 11 for the first time in several years. John Morriss brings a lifetime of experience in corporate management and a passion for all things motorsport.

Geoff Calvert has accepted the position of BAC Treasurer, his 20 year banking and finance career placing the club finances in expert I am also pleased to report that Matthew Baragwanath was selected for the role of hands and Geoff is a racer too! Finally operations manager, Wakefield Park. Matt Daryl McHugh needs no introduction to has experience running Sandown Raceway the members of the BAC – his experience and is an accomplished race car driver. I am in running motor racing events is second to sure you will join with me in wishing Matt well none and his insight into the workings of a in his new role. With Matt at Wakefield and race day at our tracks adds a very important Wayne Williams at Winton we now have the insight for the BAC Committee. The full management team to “drive” our circuits into listing of the BAC Committee is listed the future. elsewhere in Pitstop.

We have also completed the recruitment process for our new CEO, and it is with both sadness and happiness that I report that Chris Lewis-Williams was successful. Unfortunately this means he has stepped down from his elected role as the Treasurer of the BAC. But having worked with Chris on the BAC Committee, I know we are in good hands.

I look forward to seeing you all dressed up at the Benalla Auto Club Black Tie Ball – a new social event for the club – I am sure it will be a great night. Best Wishes for the festive season, stay safe and I look forward to seeing you in 2016.

With Peter and Chris stepping down from

Barry

Cheers,

Benalla Festival Winton 300 Street Party.

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GEOFF CALVERT Treasurer, Benalla Auto Club Inc. This means we are compliant and up to date for the first time in many years. It is a busy Firstly, I must thank the BAC Committee for time for the Finance Team, putting their faith in me as the Treasurer of the preparing for the end of our financial year, and preparing budgets for 2016 but the BAC. I’m certain that my extensive career in banking, finance and management consulting information I have seen so far indicate that in the coming months we will be able to report to will allow me to contribute strongly to the club, and its businesses and the oversight you an excellent result for the group in 2015, and we will be well equipped for a financially of its finances. As the incoming Treasurer I successful 2016. must thank Chris Lewis-Williams and Yvette Campbell for their efforts in the past year to With only a few weeks on the team I am tidy up the club’s finances as they are in far better shape now than when Chris was elected busying myself learning the intricacies of the treasurer. I’m looking forward to working with Group finances and have already met with our accountants and auditors as part of this both the Management team at our businesses and the process. I look forward to providing you BAC Committee in developing strategies and regular updates in 2016. plans that will strengthen the Benalla Auto Regards, Club for years to come.

Hello BAC Members,

I can also report that both our 2013 and 2014 Consolidated Financial reports have been approved by Corporate Affairs Victoria (CAV),

Geoff

CHRIS LEWIS-WILLIAMS CEO, Benalla Auto Club Group We are in a position at the BAC that we have never been in before, where we have complete Just a quick note to thank the members of the independence between the Committee, the BAC Committee for selecting me as the CEO of CEO and our entities. It is indeed a brave new the Benalla Auto Club Group. My time on the world for the BAC and I am excited to be a part committee as treasurer was invaluable for me of this future. We will continue to share our to be able to learn and understand the club’s plans as they develop and provide to you the information your deserve as club members. various business interests. It is true that we have undergone a great deal of change over the last 12 months, but I would not have accepted You will read elsewhere in Pitstop some the CEO role and left my career in Melbourne if background on me, please come up and say hi when you have the chance – I look forward to I did not see a bright future for the club. meeting you all.

Hello BAC Members,

pitstop

Meeting Chris Lewis-W In mid-November, the Benalla Auto Club welcomed Chris Lewis-Williams as the new Chief Executive Officer for the BAC group of companies, encompassing Winton Motor Raceway, Wakefield Park and the Australian Auto Sport Alliance.

Chris comes into the role with a formidable combination of business experience and motorsport passion.

After studying commerce at Deakin University, concentrating on marketing and management accounting, Chris held a couple of jobs in the industry including a position with Mitsubishi Australia’s general merchandise department, which imported a range of products from overseas including thermal paper.

One of the Sydney-based thermal paper companies wanted to open up an office in Melbourne and offered Chris the position of running the branch when he was just 22.

As the printing industry evolved from black-andwhite to colour, and then to more advanced graphics and digital signage, Chris prided himself on keeping the technology at the cutting edge, and diversifying the business activities to keep up with industry trends.

The Sydney-based company went into receivership and Chris did a deal with the receivers to buy the Melbourne branch, taking it to a $7 million business by 2007.

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The business, branded Imedia, was identified by global company Paperlinx who wanted to expand into the Australian market with the expertise of Chris and his team in sign and display printing – so Paperlinx bought Chris’s business, and he continued working for them until he recently accepted the BAC role.

Between 2007 and now, Chris managed to expand the business considerably, taking it from a $7 million business to a $42 million operation.

While Chris’s business achievements alone are impressive, his passion for motorsport was fuelled from an early age. Like so many racing drivers, his early interest in the sport was created through family involvement; his father, Peter Lewis-Williams was the race mechanic for legendary driver Norm Beechey before working in advertising for the Holden and Nissan racing teams.

Chris started racing go-karts at the age of 12 before concentrating on finishing high school. During his university years his adrenaline activities turned to jetski and motorcycle competition before his attention turned towards his business activities.

Once business started going well enough to fund a return to motorsport, Chris returned to the go-kart scene, competing against drivers such as Greg and Mick Ritter, Marcos Ambrose and others in the ICC Series (supporting the CIK Series). He converted his kart to a superkart, but with a young family, decided

November/December 2015

Williams, BAC Group CEO a move into car racing was a sensible option… and saw the Porsche 944 Series as an attractive option.

After running consistently in the top three for several years, Chris wanted to become a more serious contender for race victories and championships, so he and fellow 944 competitor Vince Misuraca enlisted the services of former Subaru World Rally Championship engineer Duane Evans to prepare their cars.

This led to an immediate improvement in results, Chris crediting Duane for turning him into a driver that could win. Chris has since won the Victorian 944 Challenge three times.

Chris now moves into a role that will see him in charge of two of the permanent racetracks that exist in Australia, along with the AASA sanctioning body.

Chris’ thoughts: “Unfortunately I never met (former CEO) Mick Ronke, but the vision he and the committee had at the time has put the Benalla Auto Club in a truly unique position, where it owns two racetracks, which is a testimony to Mick and his tenacity, and the vision of Denis Williams and Bruce Robertson – this is what we have to keep alive.

“We have to turn ourselves into good, professionallyrun businesses. We’ve been fortunate enough to get as far as we have, but business is a dynamic space and you have to keep evolving with the times.

“We’re in a very good space and my role is to make it better; I was fortunate to spend the time I did on the committee because it gave me a great grounding in the business; I learned a lot about the history.

“There’s an amazing amount of passion from the members about the club, and we have to harness that, and turn it into something good. You do that by good business management, creating good alliances, having good events and looking after your members.

“We need good trading entities that make money to maintain the facilities of the club, and we need to be able to do nice things for our members. There are a lot of ideas floating around and there are exciting times ahead.

“I’ve had some introductions to local government representatives in both Benalla and Goulburn, and they’re all mindful about the importance of the two venues to the local economy. If we can show it’s a win-win situation, it’s only going to lead to stronger partnerships and better outcomes for our members.

“We have to do the best job we can with the assets we have; we have to be mindful of our market and tap into that the best we can.

“It’s about knowing why you do what you do, and forging the best pathway to get there. The ‘why’ for us is easy – we love race cars – if we can keep running with that, these businesses will always be strong.”

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Members at Play

by Lachlan Mansell

The months of September, October and November have been very busy for members of the Benalla Auto Club, with a number of state and national race meetings occupying everyone’s attention.

Wilson Security Sandown 500 - 11-12 September, Sandown Raceway The Sandown 500 was an active weekend for BAC members, who participated in two of the weekend’s support categories along with the main race.

In the Porsche Carrera Cup, Steven Richards endured a rare DNF in Race 1 after a collision with another competitor. He charged from the back of the field to seventh in Race 2 and fourth in Race 3 to minimise the damage inflicted on his points lead by his rivals.

Nathan Pretty was on duty in the V8 Ute Racing Series, finishing third in Race 1 and fourth in the reverse-grid Race 2. A fifth-place finish in Race 3 secured an overall podium for Pretty for the weekend.

In the Sandown 500, Taz Douglas made his first appearance for the Pirtek Enduro Cup. As has become tradition for this event, a pair of sprint races were held on the Saturday afternoon, to set the grid positions for the main endurance race on the Sunday.

James Moffat qualified the Nissan Altima in 18th position, with Douglas finishing 20th in the co-driver sprint race. Moffat also finished 20th in his race, giving the duo a starting position of 20th for the 500km enduro.

After a tough afternoon, Moffat and Douglas finished the race in 18th position; they were still on the lead lap at the end, demonstrating what a competitive race it had been.

Shannons Nationals - 18-20 September, Phillip Island The IROC Challenge Series, run by BAC member Rowan Harman, appeared on the Phillip Island Shannons Nationals program, supplemented by the

8 Taz Douglas, V8 Supercars, Sandown 500.

November/December 2015

Stan Armstrong, BMW Drivers Cup, Winton.

Winton..

Corey Gooch, Super TT,

Porsche 944 Challenge.

BAC member Chris Lewis-Williams was competing in his Porsche 944 and qualified in third position, before a consistent performance netted finishes of third place in all three races and third place overall.

Flying the BAC flag in the Super Six Touring Car Series was Euroa boy Glen Postlethwaite, who qualified his VT Commodore 14th out of the 27 car field, missing the second of two qualifying sessions due to loose flywheel bolts.

Postlethwaite worked his way into the top 10 in Race 1 but spun off the circuit at turn 1 while trying to overtake another competitor. He recovered to 15th at the chequered flag, In Races 2 and 3, with better tyres at his disposal, Postlethwaite clawed his way up the order, finishing 12th in Race 2 and 10th in Race 3 to take 11th for the round.

VMRC Round 3 - 26-27 September, Winton Motor Raceway

Phil Alexanderm

Pulsar Challenge,

Winton.

It was a hectic weekend at Winton for the third round of the VMRC, with no less than 10 different categories in attendance and a large number of BAC members competing.

In the BMW Drivers Cup for E30 and Invited Race Cars, Stan Armstrong was in attendance and running competitively; he qualified third and finished second in Races 1 and 2 before winning Race 3, and finishing second for the round, just one point behind winner Sean Bell.

The Super TT races were especially well populated

by BAC members with no less than 10 on the grid: Stephen Harrison, Corey Gooch, Ross Wood, Matt Thewlis, David Dixon, Greg Jones, Phil Alexander, Ross Wilson, Ethan Wilson and Steve Murray. While not all members participated in every race, it was quite a spectacle to have so many on track at once.

The best performing member was Harrison, who finished fourth for the round, while Gooch was seventh and Wood was ninth.

Thewis and Alexander were on double-duty, also

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Steven Richards, Carrera Cup, Bathurst.

competing in the Pulsar Challenge. Thewlis finished fifth in the opening two races before being knocked off the circuit at turn four on the opening lap of Race 3, a 16 lap feature race.

Fortunately for Thewlis, a great job from the Winton recovery team enabled him to stay on the lead lap and he was able to join onto the back of the queue behind the Safety Car, from where he recovered to finish seventh.

Phil Alexander had a relatively trouble-free albeit quiet weekend, and finished 14th, 12th and ninth in the three races.

Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 - October 8-11, Mount Panorama Bathurst After finishing second in the dramatic Bathurst 1000 of 2014, expectations were high for BAC member Taz Douglas and his team-mate James Moffat in their Nissan Altima.

Things looked positive for the pair after qualifying; Moffat made it into the Top 10 Shootout - just - but then took advantage of wet weather to improve from 10th to fifth on his flying lap.

The dry-weather pace in the race was not as strong as the wet pace, but Moffat and Douglas still pressed hard for a 10th-place finish after 161 laps around the hallowed turf of Mount Panorama.

The BAC was also well-represented in the support

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categories, with members competing in the Dunlop Series, Touring Car Masters, Carrera Cup and V8 Ute categories.

In the Dunlop Series it was Matt Chahda behind the wheel of the Cavalier Homes Ford Falcon, and he qualified in 19th position, in his first visit to Bathurst in a V8 Supercar.

Unfortunately, the 250km endurance race did not go according to plan for Chahda. He speared into a sand trap while trying to avoid a pack of spinning cars and, after losing a lap, was working hard to make up ground when the gearbox expired - his day was done after 14 laps.

Steven Richards had a rather more successful weekend in Carrera Cup, qualifying third and finishing fourth in Race 1.

Race 2 was declared a non-event due to a heavy shower of rain just before the race start, and lack of equipment for the teams to change to wet tyres.

Richards finished third in Race 3 to finish third for the round, equal on points with title nemesis Nick Foster.

After missing the Touring Car Masters round at Muscle Car Masters, Tony Hunter was back in action at Bathurst in his Chevy Monza, and he finished 11th in Race 1 after qualifying 14th.

Dramas befell Hunter in Race 2 - he completed little more than a lap before retiring - and his weekend

November/December 2015

concluded with 18th in Race 3.

Nathan Pretty enjoyed a consistent weekend in V8 Utes; after qualifying 10th, he worked his way up to seventh in Race 1, before finishing fifth in Races 2 and 3.

Shannons Nationals - 17-18 October, Wakefield Park Raceway Glen Postlethwaite was back in action for the final Super Six Touring Car round of the year, and recorded personal-best race finishes of fourth in Races 1 and 2, followed by sixth in Race 3.

The results placed Postlethwaite fifth for the 2015 national series, and third in Division 2 - an excellent result considering it was his first full season in the category.

Castrol Gold Coast 600 - 24-25 October, Surfers Paradise Street Circuit The concrete canyon of the Gold Coast played host to BAC members in the V8 Supercars, Utes and Carrera Cup. Taz Douglas had his most competitive run of the Pirtek Enduro Cup campaign alongside James Moffat; after an impressive performance by Moffat to set the fifthfastest time in Saturday’s Top 10 Shootout, the pair finished 10th in Saturday’s 300km race, and eighth in the Sunday leg of the event.

The V8 Ute races were nothing short of pandemonium, especially Race 2 which was riddled with incidents including a multi-car pileup on the final lap.

After finishing sixth in Race 1, Nathan Pretty narrowly dodged the drama to come home 10th in Race 2. A strong third place in Race 3 was a solid way to complete a weekend in which few drivers escaped without panel damage.

Back-to-back Carrera Cup titles were not to be for Steven Richards, who did himself no favours by qualifying 10th on a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult.

The weekend became more difficult from there, Richards finishing 12th in Race 1 after receiving a post-race time penalty, and coming home 12th again in Race 2. Ninth in Race 3 was not enough to stem the loss of points, and he fell to fourth in the final standings.

Victorian State Circuit Racing Championship - 24-25 October, Phillip Island Chris Lewis-Williams was back behind the wheel of his Porsche 944 at Phillip Island, and his weekend started well with second place in the weekend’s opening race.

A crash at the start of Race 2 involving title contender Adam Mills saw the race abandoned, and with Mills’

Glen Postlethwaite, Super Six Touri

ng Cars, Wakefield Park

Matt Thewisl, Winton 300.

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Terry Denovan, Winton

300

Hayley/Walter Swanson, Winton 300.

car too badly damaged to start Race 3, his title hopes appeared to be in tatters.

However, in an extraordinary act of generosity, Lewis-Williams decided to sit out the final race and allow Mills to drive his car. Mills capitalised on the opportunity, charging from the rear of the field to fourth to score valuable points in his title quest.

24 Hours of Lemons - 28-29 October, Wakefield Park Raceway There was one BAC member competing in the inaugural 24 Hours of Lemons, Phil Alexander who was part of the Healex Racing Team, in a Nissan Pulsar along with his son Gene Alexander, and the father-andson combination of Graeme and Josh Heath.

Like many of the teams competing in the 24 Hours of Lemons, there were plenty of stories of mechanical challenges, whacky penalties and heroic fixes; in the end, the Healex Racing Team completed a total of 613 laps in their 16 hours on track (eight hours each day), placing them sixth overall.

Valvoline Winton 300 - November 7-8, Winton Motor Raceway The annual Winton 300 endurance race was again well attended by Benalla Auto Club members.

The highest-placed BAC finisher in the B-Main was Matt Thewlis, who finished 12th outright in his Pulsar

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alongside David Bernardi, and second in Division 6. It could have been an even better result for Thewlis and Bernardi, who were on target for a top 10 finish before running out of fuel on the circuit.

Sharing a Suzuki Swift with Katilyn Hawkins and Wayne Williams, Ross Wood finished the race 13th outright and third in Division 6 after a consistent performance.

Another BAC member scoring a division podium was Ian Kegg, who brought his trusty Hyundai Excel home 15th outright and third in Division 7, sharing with Mark Nottage.

In ear early stages of the B-Main, it looked like the father-and-daughter pairing of Walter and Hayley Swanson were going to be the best-placed BAC members; they ran second outright in the early stages but retired with a broken axle.

Also retiring was Grant Phillips, in the Motorsports Training Australia V8 Ute, after some niggling issues that necessitated a number of unscheduled pit stops.

In the main race, Terry Denovan led home the BAC contingent, finishing ninth outright with his fatherin-law Geoff Stockley; also well-placed was Terry Nightingale, who received a last-minute callup to drive with Mark Mackay in the Targa Racing Mazda MX5; they won Division 3 and finished 11th outright.

November/December 2015

The Benalla Auto Club Proudly invites you to our first

Black Tie Ball Saturday 19th December, 2015

at Winton Motor Raceway 41 Fox Street, Winton VIC 3672 Arrive at 6:30pm for a 7pm start Dress code is Formal Attire $60 per existing BAC Member $80 for BAC Member partners and non-members Registered Officials in 2015 are free $80 for Registered Official’s partners

Dinner and live band included Drinks at bar prices

RSVP by Wednesday 9th December 2015, on (03) 5760 7100 Limited seats available and no tickets will be sold after 25 th November 2015 (Strictly no ticket, no entry)

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Valvoline Winton 300 Report

STEVE AND JAKE SHELLEY WIN M Steve and Jake Shelley drove their Lotus Elise to a commanding victory in the Valvoline Winton 300 on 7-8 November, winning by over a minute from the Ginetta of Craig/Adam Burgess and the BMW M Coupe of Calum Ballinger/Neil Dedrie.

for us, they really suited our strategy,” Steve Shelley said.

After qualifying fourth, the father-and-son Shelley team led 64 of the race’s 100 laps, also clinching the Australian Endurance Championship title following their win in the Valvoline Wakefield 300 earlier in the year, and top five finish in the Willowbank 300.

“It’s a really cool thing, it’s the kind of thing you dream about when you first start racing,” Jake Shelley added.

The Shelleys had qualified in the fastest division, and were required to make two compulsory five-minute pit stops, but were able to complete both those stops under Safety Car conditions, Jake taking over from his father on lap 42 for the run to the chequered flag.

“The Safety Cars came at a wonderful time

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“I had some fun battles and to win two 300s in the same season is a fantastic result for the Deputy.com team.”

“We started in a Mazda MX5 a few years ago and since then we’ve stepped up to faster cars.

We’re having an absolute ball racing against all these awesome people and these events just keep growing every year.”

The Shelleys became the third different combination to have their names added to the coveted Michael J. Ronke Memorial Trophy, following Nick Cancian/Rob Hay in 2013 and Nathan Jess/Matthew Thomson in 2014.

November/December 2015

MICHAEL J. RONKE TROPHY The second-placed Burgess car was also in Division 1, while the Ballinger/Dedrie car was the highest-placed Division 2 runner.

The Division 3 win went to the Mark Mackay/ Terry Nightingale Targa Racing Mazda MX5 in 11th outright, Nightingale receiving a lastminute call up to substitute for the ill Andrew McKay. The gruelling endurance race claimed a number of victims, the most spectacular incident occurring on the first lap of the race when polesitter Glenn Townsend spun his Lotus at turn 7, and was collected by the BMW M3 of Anthony D’Anna.

Other high-profile casualties included Michael Caine/Gerry Murphy (electrics), Daniel Deckers/Luke Otten (brakes), Nick Cancian/ Malcolm Cancian (harmonic balancer) and Dylan Thomas/Jacob Andrews (lost hub assembly) while the defending winners

Nathan Jess/Matthew Thomson retired after 50 laps, while battling with the Shelleys for the effective race lead, due to an engine failure for their Future Racer.

In the B-Main, it was the Porsche 944 of Jason Miller/Paul Crocitti that charged to the front after a late Safety Car, overhauling the Peugeot 205 GTI of Parry Anastakis/John Taylor that led the opening phase of the race. The BMW E30 of Brad Rodwell and Cruz Cody finished third, all of the top three B-Main teams running in Division 4.

Other division winners were Scott McGuinness/Matthew Atherton (Division 5, Toyota Celica), David Bailey/Matt Shylan (Division 6, Toyota 86) and Andrew Walker/ David Lo-Iacono (Division 7, Hyundai Excel).

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VALVOLINE WINTON 300 PHO

The winning drivers in the main race celebrating on the podium.

Mechanical problems prevented the Future Racers repeating their success of past years.

In the hands of Rod and Craig Markland, the Fiat 500 Abarth made its first racing appearance since last year’s Bathurst 12 Hour.

B-Main outright podium.

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November/December 2015

OTO HIGHLIGHTS

RACE STATS

T

he Winton 300 was interrupted by four Safety Cars (above the average of 2.75, but short of the record of six).

S

teve Shelley/Jake Shelley led 63 laps, the most any team has led in a single Winton 300

T

he pole curse struck again the car starting on pole has recorded a DNF in four of the five Winton 300s.

A

Division 1 car won the race for the third year in a row, and it was the first time Div 1 cars finished both first and second.

G

rant Sherrin/Iain Sherrin/ David Ayres finished sixth, the second time in a row a three-driver team has finished the race in sixth position.

The Daniel Deckers/Luke Otten Mazda MX5 was strategically wellplaced at the half-way mark, but retired with brake problems.

I

t was the second race in a row where the winning car started fourth on the grid, and the fourth time in five events the winner has come from the second row of the grid.

J

ust 17 of 30 starters finished the race for a finishing rate of 56.66% - the lowest in the race’s history.

N

athan Jess/Matthew Thomson have led all five Winton 300s since 2011.

P

aul Crocitti/Jason Miller won the B-Main by just 3.1 seconds, the closest winning margin in any Winton 300 race.

T

hese stats were compiled by Lachlan Mansell, who clearly needs a girlfriend.

In a thrilling finish to the B-Main, the Porsche 944 of Jason Miller/Paul Crocitti prevailed over the Parry Anastakis/John Taylor Peugeot 205 GTI.

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BP MIDLAND/ Pedders No Bull Winton Sprints Rd 4 Results Class A Pos

Driver

Vehicle

Cap

Total

1

Chris White (135)

Renault Clio

1998

03:35.6

2

James Newton (128)

Renault Clio Sport

1998

03:38.3

3

John Cutting (154)

Nissan Pulsar

1998

03:41.0

4

Graham Stewart (117)

Ford GT

5400

03:41.4

5

Russell Ramsdale (131)

Mazda MX5

1998

03:41.9

6

Paul Edwards (156)

Alfa Romeo 75

7

Russell Stewart (115)

Ford Escort

8

Aaron Lu (165)

Honda

03:42.6 2000

03:43.0 03:49.2

9

Greg Paynter (109)

Ford Escort

2000

03:50.9

10

Mark Gibson (105)

Ford Escort

2000

03:54.8

11

Richard Frost (132)

Ford Falcon

4000

04:08.6

12

Darren Viney (121)

Alfa Romeo 75 TS

1962

04:13.8

13

Stephen Brooks (112)

Suzuki Swift

1300

04:22.6

Class B Pos

Driver

Vehicle

Cap

Total

1

Richard Gay (113)

Datsun 1600

2389

03:26.0

2

Sam Mennen (114)

Datsun 1600

2389

03:31.1

3

Chris Hall (116)

Datsun 260Z

4

Chris Rebeiro (155)

Holden LJ Torana

3300

03:38.1

Vehicle

Cap

Total

1587

03:26.2

03:35.3

Class C Pos

Driver

1

John Buxton (159)

Clubman

2

Jim Follan (143)

PRB S2

03:24.8

3

Cilve Baker (146)

Chevron Shadow Clubm

1600

03:26.4

4

Charles Haynes (120)

Haynes Clubman

1600

03:29.2

5

Ian Tavare (106)

Chev Legend

1200

03:34.4

6

Scott Feldtmann (144)

Open Wheeler

1998

03:37.0

7

Graeme Feldtmann (127)

Open Wheeler

1600

03:38.8

1600

8

Gary Schlibs (152)

Birkin PRB Clubman

9

Noel Clancy (162)

Clubman

03:40.0

03:40.0

10

Darrell Anderson (157)

Aussie Legend

03:40.2

11

Anthony Duvoisin (267)

Nota Formula Vee

03:49.7

Class H1 Pos

18

Driver

Vehicle

Cap

Total

1

Terry Maher (141)

Honda Civic

1800

03:32.7

2

Lachlan Jorgensen (148)

Ford Laser

1600

03:34.9

3

Joel Watson (125)

Holden Gemini

2000

03:36.0

4

Craig Watson (150)

Holden Gemini

2000

03:36.1

1400

5

Darren Milner (124)

Datsun 1200

6

Ivan Frazer (168)

Toyota Corolla

03:38.4 03:43.2

November/December 2015

Class H2 Pos

Driver

Vehicle

1

Henery Ingold (169)

Holden Commodore SV8

Cap

Total

2

Colin Adams (138)

Holden Commodore VX

3

Phillip Deane (166)

Ford Falcon

03:23.7

4

Stuart Ingold (123)

Holden Commodore SV8

03:23.8

5

Wes Deane (163)

Ford Falcon

03:29.0

6

Brad Lawrence (110)

Ford Falcon

4000

03:33.5

7

Terry Selwyn (149)

Datsun 1600

2022

03:35.9

8

Bernie Mylan (68)

Ford

5000

03:46.3

9

Pete Gaspero (133)

Holden Commodore

03:47.6

10

Aaron Macadam (158)

Ford Falcon

03:55.0

Pos

Driver

Vehicle

Cap

Total

1

Ellexandra Best (137)

Hyundai Excel

1495

03:48.0

Pos

Driver

Vehicle

Cap

Total

1

Kaitlyn Hawkins (147)

Swift

3900

03:37.6

2

Jacinta Deller (145)

Ford Falcon

4000

03:44.2

03:20.5 5700

03:23.5

Juniors

Ladies

Super TT Lites Pos

Driver

Vehicle

Cap

Total

1

Damien Gambold (151)

Ford Falcon XD

5800

03:16.0

2

Peter Ryder (164)

Nissan Silvia

03:23.6

3

Ross Wood (118)

Nissan Skyline R31

2495

03:25.0

4

Joe Stickland (107)

Holden Commodore

5700

03:27.9

5

Russell Deller (134)

Ford Falcon

4000

03:28.4

6

Shane McDonald (108)

Nissan Bluebird

3800

03:36.6

Turbo and Forced Induction Pos

Driver

Vehicle

Cap

Total

1

Harry Zhao (119)

Lotus Exige S

3500

03:14.1

2

Oscar Kong (139)

Lotus Exige S

3500

03:16.0

3

Darren Best (136)

Mitsubishi Lancer

1997

03:16.1

4

Greg Keen (129)

Nissan GTR

2600

03:17.7

5

James Jorgensen (142)

Ford Laser

2720

03:17.9

6

Mark Fennell (160)

Holden Torana

7

Ken Jorgensen (122)

Ford Laser

8

Gary Lai (170)

Subaru STi

9

Nicholas Manks (111)

Suzuki Swift

10

Williams Vital (161)

Subaru

11

Adam Dowthwaite

Subaru WRX

03:34.6 3000

03:46.7 03:47.4

1300

03:52.1 04:03.3

2000

03:51.6

19

pitstop

Rd 5 Results Class A Pos

Driver

Vehicle

Cap

Total

1

Russell Stewart (115)

Ford Escort

2000

03:38.4

2

Toby Hobbs

VW Golf

1984

03:41.8

3

Wayne Williams (109)

Ford Escort

2000

03:43.3

4

Russell Ramsdale

Mazda MX5

2000

03:43.5

1998

03:43.5

5

John Cutting (154)

Nissan Pulsar

6

Greg Paynter (156)

Alfa Romeo 75

7

Brett Johnston

BMW

8

Geoff Dunlop

Diahatsu Charade

03:43.6 03:52.0 1600

03:55.8

9

Eric Mueller

Valiant Galant

3800

03:56.6

10

Steve McDonald

Ford Cortina

1998

04:18.5

Class B 1

Chris Hall

Datsun 260Z

2

Graham Stewart (117)

Ford GT

3

Aaron Macadam (158)

Ford Falcon

03:35.0 5400

03:43.8 04:13.6

Class C 1

Scott Feldtmann (144)

Open Wheeler

2

John Buxton (159)

Clubman

3

Jim Follan

Clubman

4

Darrell Anderson

1998

03:22.0 03:26.0

1587

03:26.1

1600

03:32.7

1200

03:33.8

5

Ian Tavare (106)

Chev Legend

6

Clive Baker

Clubman

7

Charles Haynes (120)

Haynes Clubman

1600

03:34.8

Honda Civic

1800

03:30.2

03:34.6

Class H1 1

Terry Maher

2

Lachlan Jorgensen (148)

Ford Laser

1600

03:31.1

3

Daniel Spain (68)

Datsun 120Y

2000

03:32.4

4

Craig Watson (150)

Holden Gemini

2000

03:33.7

5

Darren Milner

Datsun 1200

1400

03:36.0

2000

6

Anthony Claxton

Datsun 1600

7

Lachie Frampton

Toyota Corolla

8

Ivan Fraser

Toyota Corolla

03:38.5 03:39.0

1600

03:45.8

9

Kerrin Coleman

Toyota Seca

1600

03:46.7

10

Craig Barkla (123)

Nissan Pulsar

1600

03:50.1

11

Kerrin Coleman

Toyota Seca

1600

03:50.9

12

Robert Johnstone

Mazda RX8

1300

03:55.4

13

Nicholas Manks (111)

Suzuki Swift

1300

04:14.3

14

Stephen Brooks

Suzuki Swift

1300

04:22.7

Juniors Pos

Driver

Vehicle

Cap

Total

1

Joel Watson (125)

Holden Gemini

2000

03:33.7

2

Michael Johnstone

BMW 318i

1600

03:56.5

3

Josh Johnstone

Nissan Skyline

4

Brock Menere

Nissan Pulsar

1600

04:07.4

Pos

Driver

Vehicle

Cap

Total

1

Katilyn Hawkins (114)

Susuki Swift

2

Tanith Davis

Mitsubishi Lancer

2000

03:44.6

3

Jacinta Deller

Ford Falcon

4000

03:47.8

4

Lisa Stickland

Holden Commodore VB

4200

04:49.2

04:02.9

Ladies

20

03:40.5

November/December 2015

Class H2 Pos

Driver

Vehicle

Cap

Total

1

Colin Adams

Holden Commodore VX

5700

03:23.5

2

Phillip Deane (166)

Ford Falcon

3

Henry Ingold

Holden VY

6270

03:26.8

4

Stuart Ingold

Holden VY

6270

03:27.2

5

Colin Joss

BMW M3

4200

03:31.5

6

Brad Lawrence (110)

Ford Falcon

4000

03:33.5

7

Gerard Bruinier

Holden Commodore

5000

03:35.7

8

Max McKay

Holden VK

5000

03:36.0

9

David Meggs

Ford Falcon EZ

5800

03:36.1

10

Keith Hammond

Ford Falcon EZ

5800

03:40.5

11

Bart Van Dongen

Holden Commodore

3800

03:41.2

12

Steve Tavendale

Ford Falcon XD

4000

03:49.7

13

Pete Gaspero

Holden Commodore

3800

03:50.3

03:26.3

Super TT Lites Pos

Driver

Vehicle

Cap

Total

1

Kevin Mackrell

Datsun 260Z

6200

03:00.5

2

Jesse Rudolph

Ford Anglia

4100

03:19.4

3

James Atkinson

Honda Civic

1600

03:21.5

4

Caris Griffiths

Holden VA

5000

03:26.0

5

Joe Stickland

Holden Commodore

5700

03:27.2

6

Russell Deller (134)

Ford Falcon

4000

03:29.8

7

David Mangles

Holden Commodore VH

5000

03:30.5

8

Richard Sclater

Ford Escort

1988

03:30.8

9

Neville Kettels

Holden Commodore

03:32.4

10

Robert Godden

Nissan Skyline

3000

03:32.9

11

Darren Saddington

Holden Commodore

3800

03:34.0

12

Don Atkinson

Honda Civic

1600

03:41.1

13

Max Bridle

Nissan R33 GTR

3000

03:43.2

14

Arthur Van Orsoun

Holden Commodore

1997

03:44.5

15

Matt McDonald

Ford Cortina MK1

3800

03:45.3

16

Geoff Rudolf

Ford Laser

1600

03:46.2

17

Mark Johnston

Nissan Skyline

2500

03:53.6

18

Richard Bridle (118)

Nissan Skyline R33

3000

03:57.7

19

Chris Clark

Nissan Pular

2000

04:10.3

Turbo and Forced Induction Pos

Driver

Vehicle

Cap

Total

1

Greg Keen

Nisan

2600

03:16.4

2

Kerran Pridmore

Subaru WRX

2000

03:16.5

3

James Jorgensen

Ford Laser

2720

03:18.1

4

John Frampton (162)

Mazda RX7

5

James Callahan (168)

Mitsubishi EVO

2000

03:26.7

6

Kristian Dowthwaite

Subaru WRX

1300

03:28.5

7

Mark Fennell (160)

Holden Torana

8

Nic Berryman

Mazda 323 GTX

9

Adam Dowthwaite (170)

Subaru STi

10

Mark Berryman

Mazda 323 GTX

1600

03:42.8

11

Anthony Mayberry

Nissan Skyline

2500

03:44.7

12

Clett Mayberry

Nissan R33

2500

03:46.1

13

David Snelgrove

Nissan Skyline

2500

03:46.8

14

Anthony Duvoisin

Nota Formula Vee

1192

03:56.0

03:26.7

03:37.4

1600

03:38.1 03:38.5

21

pitstop

WAKEFIELD PARK Shannons Nationals Report IN ONE OF the most remarkable national championship turnarounds in recent memory, Ricky Capo stormed from 19 points behind to dramatically win the Australian Formula 3 Championship at the Wakefield Park Shannons Nationals round, 16-18 October.

Capo stormed to victory in all four races but was not without controversy due to contact between Capo and title rival Jon Collins in Race 1.

The first of two 22-lap encounters on Sunday would set the scene for Capo’s remarkable title run as he edged out Collins to win by 0.0183s in a breathtaking display of wheel to wheel racing.

Collins had led the majority of the 22-lap affair – that paid 20 points for a victory compared to 12 for Races 1 and 2 – and had fended off attack after attack from his year-long rival throughout.

However lapped traffic on the final lap allowed Capo to close one last time and run around the outside of a defensive Collins into the turn 10 hairpin on the final lap.

The pair ran side by side out of the corner and down the straight and, after nearly making contact crossed the line side by side with Capo in front – just.

Having grabbed a three-point title lead by virtue of that result, Capo then passed Collins midway through the 22-lap finale before pulling away to grab the City of Goulburn Cup trophy in style.

Had Collins won the finale’ he would have been champion – but it wasn’t to be.

Ricky Capo came out on top in the Australian Formula 3 Championship.

22

November/December 2015

Capo was presented with the City of Goulburn Cup by Goulburn Mulwaree Mayor, Cr Geoff Kettle.

The results show Capo the champion with 280 points to Collins on 272.

“It’s an amazing feeling and I’m not sure I can believe we’re here,” Capo said on the podium.

“It’s crazy and it’s such a great result for my family, my dad Frank, Carol my mum, my sister and everyone involved who has supported us this season.

“The third race was incredible and I didn’t know I’d beaten him until my engineer told me over the radio.. I couldn’t see as we crossed the line.

“I tried to pass Jon in the final race once and he closed the door but I had another go and was able to get through. From there I put my head down and went for it to the finish.

“It’s just an amazing weekend and I can’t believe it.”

McDonald’s Gilmour Racing’s Collins ended the year with the most victories – 10 – yet just miss the title despite leading at some point in every race this weekend.

“It’s a bitter pill to swallow to lose the championship by the amount of points you lost in getting taken out,” Collins said.

“We have got to be proud of the efforts of this McDonald’s Gilmour Racing team this season.

We had 10 wins, lots of pole positions and fastest laps and I’m really proud of what we have achieved.

“The team has done an amazing job. We did everything we could to win it but it wasn’t quite enough. In the end this weekend Ricky was just that little bit quicker.”

Trent Shirvington ultimately finished third in the City of Goulburn Trophy race after Roland Legge was penalised for passing under yellow’s at the start of a brief Safety Car period.

Dennie Rumble won the National Class and Shane Wilson the Kumho Cup. Other category winners at the Shannons Nationals were Jack Perkins (Sports Sedans), Rick Bates (Australian Manufacturers Championship), and Ben Grice (Super Six Touring Cars), while Canberra driver Cameron Hill clinched the national Formula Ford title with a clean sweep of race victories.

23

24 Hours of Lemons Report

INAUGURAL 24 HOURS OF LEMO The inaugural 24 Hours of LeMons Australia event, which wrapped up at Wakefield Park on 29 October, has been hailed a great success, with almost $13,000 raised for prostate cancer research thanks to the generous support of the participants.

The event pitted teams, each with up to six drivers, against each other in a marathon endurance trial over two eight-hour days; teams were only allowed to spend a maximum of $1,000 on the purchase of their cars.

The lap charts fluctuated significantly over the two days, with a number of different teams spending time in the lead, but in the end it was experienced racers David Raddatz, Nathan Jess, Nick Cancian, Daniel Byron and Harry Hayek who took the win in their Team Mater MX5 Mazda 3, completing a total of 641 laps – 1,410 kilometres – in their 16 hours on the track.

Raddatz and Jess have already tasted success in endurance racing at Wakefield Park – both are winners of the Wakefield 300 endurance race – but Raddatz said the 24 Hours of Lemons victory was particularly sweet.

“This is awesome, this is about six 300s in one,” Raddatz said.

“The little Mazda 3 went awesomely all day; we had a couple of long pit stops to change brake pads but we were able to pick up the laps we lost, and we hit the lead.

“The car only cost us about $300 and it just kept going.”

24

November/December 2015

ONS OZ A GREAT SUCCESS Second place went to the Ravage Raceworks Ford EL of Dean Lillie, Craig Piergrosse, Andrew Scott, Michael Wilson, Paul Joseph and Rick Newman. They held a commanding advantage after Day 1, holding an eight lap lead, but an exhaust problem early in today’s running cost them a number of laps in the pits.

After a consistent and reliable performance throughout both days, the Fanatstic Five Hyundai Excel of Dean Chapman, David Bailey, Keith Cronin, Chris Vrontas and Steve Molloy finished third overall.

Throughout the event, a number of drivers received penalties for indiscretions; rather than the stopgo or drive-through penalties typically applied in other forms of motorsport, competitors had to take part in challenges such as shooting basketball goals, solving a rubix cube or apologising in pit lane with a megaphone.

Drivers’ penalties were often reduced if they donated to charity.

In the end, a total of $12,890 was raised for prostate cancer research. The LeMons organisers have plans to improve upon the event for 2016, with announcements expected shortly.

25

pitstop

MATT BARAGWANATH

NEW WAKEFIELD OPERATIONS MANAGER Experienced facility, event and motorsport management professional Matt Baragwanath has been appointed as the Operations Manager for Wakefield Park Raceway.

Mr Baragwanath comes to the Benalla Auto Clubowned circuit with a wealth of knowledge in the field; he has previously worked in property and facility management, including several years as Motorsport Operations Manager at Melbourne’s Sandown Raceway.

Wayne Williams, who was acting CEO at the time of Mr Baragwanath’s appointment, said his interest in motorsport and enthusiasm for driving improvements will be of great benefit to the venue.

“Matt’s history in motorsport, as a competitor, volunteer and employee, combined with his experience in management made him an outstanding candidate for the position,” Mr Williams said.

“He has worked his way up through the grass-roots levels of the sport as a volunteer, and has already shown to be a highly capable circuit manager in one of his previous occupations at Sandown.”

Mr Baragwanath is excited about the new position and the challenges it will involve.

“It has been a long-standing dream of mine to

26

work in a management position in the motorsport industry, and this new role allows me to continue pursuing that dream,” Mr Baragwanath said.

“Wakefield Park is a circuit with great potential, and I can’t wait to start working on some big projects and improvements.

“One of my main ambitions is to raise the profile of the venue to make it the facility of choice for motorsport competitors, enthusiasts and spectators all over New South Wales.

“I’m looking forward to working with the Benalla Auto Club to improve some of the commercial and management aspects of the operation, and working with senior stakeholders in the motorsport community so we can continue running all forms of motorsport from club-level events to higherprofile national race meetings.

“The circuit is a valuable asset to the Goulburn region, it brings widespread benefits to the local economy and I’m looking forward to forming closer relationships with stakeholders in the wider community.”

Mr Baragwanath commenced his new role just before the Shannons Australian Motor Racing Nationals at Wakefield Park.

November/December 2015

WHAT’S ON

at Wakefield Park and Winton

Winton Events

Wakefield Park Events

4 December 5-6 December 11 December 12 December 13 December

Test and Tune - Cars ONLY Ken Leigh HQ Holden 4 Hour Test and Tune - Cars/Motorcycles Champions Ride Day Tampered Motorsport Track Day

7 February 20 February 21 February 27 February 28 February 5-6 March 11-13 March 19-20 March 10 April 29 Apr-1 May 20-22 May 28-29 May 4 June 11-12 June 2-3 July 30 July 6-7 August 20 August 27 August 28 August

2016 Major Events BAC Members Day Sprints/Officials Training Winton Sprints Round 1 Fun Day Champion of Winton Round 1 VMRC Round 1 24 Hours of Lemons Winton Car Mania Winton Sprints Round 2 Australian Superbike C’ship V8 Supercars Championship Historic Winton Winton Sprints Round 3 Shannons Nationals VMRC Round 2 Fun Day Festival of Speed Cruise and Shine Winton Sprints Round 4 Champion of Winton Round 2

2 December 5 December 6 December 13 December 18 December 19 December 20 December 21 December 23 Dec-9 Jan 10 January 14 January 16-17 Jan 21 January 23 January 26 January 28 January 29 January 30 January 31 January 4 February 7 February 10 February 11 February 12-14 Feb 17 February 18 February 19-21 Feb

GEAR PCRA Circuit Club FXRRC FX Ride Day Trackschool Speed off the Streets Race Car Only Day Closed Trackschool Speed off the Streets Goulburn Bowl Speed off the Streets Tilley’s Auto Day Circuit Club Speed off the Streets Test and Tune MRA Round 1 Impreza WRX Club FX Ride Day Test and Tune Trackschool Speed off the Streets V8 Race GEAR Speed off the Streets Valvoline Wakefield 300

The 24 Hours of Lemons will be held at Winton in March 2016.

27

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Quality Hotel Wangaratta Gateway 29–37 Ryley Street Wangaratta

P. 03 5721 8399

E. info@wangarattagateway.com.au www.wangarattagateway.com.au