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VERSTAPPEN AND RED BULL CHARGE INTO HISTORY MONZA 2023 WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS THE SCENE OF MAX VERSTAPPEN AND RED BULL’S DOMINATION AND WRITING THEIR NAMES INTO F1 FOLKLORE. THOMAS MILES REPORTS.
WITH AN unbeaten streak stretching from Miami to Monza, Verstappen became the first driver to score 10 Grand Prix wins on the bounce. In doing so he also pushed Red Bull to an unprecedented 15th straight win and a staggering 24th in the last 25 races. Monza was a fitting location for Verstappen’s record. He arrived in Italy on nine straight wins, which was the previous record held by another Red Bull #1 driver in Sebastian Vettel who achieved the feat a decade earlier. Alberto Ascari also took nine wins in as many starts across the 1952 and 1953 seasons, but his run was interrupted by not participating in the 1953 Indianapolis 500 championship round. Despite Ferrari’s best efforts, it felt right
that at the venue Vettel scored his maiden Grand Prix victory in 2008, and Ascari tragically lost his life in 1955, Verstappen entered a league of his own in 2023. The Dutchman was aware of how special the achievements were. “It’s something you don’t expect to happen,” he said. “I never thought at the beginning of the season that something like this was possible, so I am very proud of the whole team effort all year. “What we are doing at the moment, winning every race this year, is something we definitely are enjoying because I don’t think these kinds of seasons come around very often.” To make the occasion sweeter for Red Bull it achieved the feat in style with Sergio Perez putting in a fighting drive to
secure a one-two finish. Unlike previous occasions this year, it was no walk in the park for the five-times constructors champions. Carlos Sainz put Ferrari on pole and led the first 14 laps, but after mounting a dogged defence, he could not resist Verstappen. By the end of the race Perez snuck his way past to put the cherry on top of another dominant Sunday. The man steering the ship, team principal Christian Horner, was extremely proud to lead the team to the milestone. “Finishing one-two is extremely hard and that gives Max 10 wins in a row to break Sebastian’s record from 10 years ago and 15 in a row for the team which is an incredible moment,” Horner told Sky Sports F1.
“It is a huge effort from every single department because it is not just what happens here at the track, but what goes on behind the scenes. “Formula 1 is the biggest team sport in the world and you need every member doing their job with investment in this car. “To think we are leaving Europe unbeaten is insane and the success is a credit to everyone in the team who has done such an amazing job.” The mastermind behind the genius of the all conquering RB19 is chief technical officer Adrian Newey, who believes Verstappen is at the peak of his powers. “Max is clearly one of the all-time greats and he’s at the top of his game,” he told Autosport. “He’s totally in tune. The thing about Max, like all the real greats, is that you have the impression he almost drives the car on automatic, which leaves plenty of processing power to think about everything. “For both the driver and the team to achieve that level of consistency and reliability is fantastic. Everything just gels.” The last team to win a Grand Prix is old rival Mercedes, however, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff played down the achievement. “I don’t know what he (Verstappen) cares about the record, it is not something that would be important for me,” he told Sky Sports F1. “Those numbers are just for Wikipedia and nobody reads that anyway.” Wolff’s comments slightly contradict those he made when Mercedes achieved a similar feat in 2020, breaking the record for the most successive constructors titles. Wolff described it as “something we can all be proud of (and) we made sure everyone could commemorate and reflect on the remarkable achievement.” Despite what others think, the record books will show Red Bull has the most sustained run of dominance in Formula 1. The scary thing is that the juggernaut shows no signs of slowing down and the question is if it can be stopped at all in 2023?
UP COMING RACE EVENT CALENDAR Brought to you by www.speedflow.com.au ISSUE 1869 SEPTEMBER 7-20 • WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP RD 10 RALLY GREECE SEPTEMBER 7-10 • MOTOGP RD 13 SAN MARINO GRAND PRIX SEPTEMBER 8-10 • SPEEDSERIES MELBOURNE SEPTEMBER 8-10 • WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP RD 6 FUJI 6 HOURS SEPTEMBER 10 • NASCAR RD 27 PLAYOFFS RD OF 16 HOLLYWOOD CASINO 400 KANSAS SEPTEMBER 10 • INDYCAR RD 16 LAGUNA SECA SEPTEMBER 10 • FORMULA 1 RD 16 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX SEPTEMBER 15-17 • SUPERCARS RD 9 SANDOWN 500 SEPTEMBER 15-17 • NASCAR RD 28 PLAYOFFS RD OF 16 BASS PRO SHOPS NIGHT RACE BRISTOL SEPTEMBER 16 • IMSA BATTLE ON THE BRICKS INDIANAPOLIS SEPTEMBER 15-17
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SUPERCARS TO RACE AT GRANDS PRIX… BUT MAYBE NOT IN MELBOURNE!
THE NEWCASTLE 500 IS ON AS GRANDS PRIX IN THE MIDDLE EAST EMERGE AS OPTIONS TO REPLACE THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX ON THE CALENDAR SHOULD NEGOTIATIONS FALL OVER. ANDREW CLARKE AND BRUCE WILLIAMS REPORT ... IT IS likely Supercars will support Formula One next year, but maybe not in Melbourne despite ongoing negotiations. As we closed for press, negotiations between the Australian Grand Prix Corporation and Supercars Australia are still at a stage where nothing can be confirmed for the 2024 AGP, with the latter apparently not overly excited with the offer on the table to run as a support to the Australian F1 Grand Prix. Our sources say the deal is not yet commercially acceptable to Supercars, which is continuing to explore its options and is now talking with Formula 1 GP commercial rights holders in the Middle East as a possible support category for F1 races there. When approached for comment, Supercars declined to speak to Auto Action about the AGP situation, but they have in the past stated they wanted to stay on the program if it was the right deal. However, with the FIA F2 and F3 categories on the undercard, there has been increased pressure from Formula 1 for them to get the pit lane and push Supercars back out into the support paddock. This, along with a suggested reduction in dollars on offer from the AGP, is putting strain on a deal to race at Albert Park. The loss of the popular Supercars at the
Supercars at Albert Park? Maybe ... Image: MARK HORSBURGH
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AGP and possible appearance at other Grands Prix would further hurt Victoria’s sporting credentials on the back of the Commonwealth Games cancellation. While the grumblings seem to be indicating a negative result for the negotiations, Tom Mottram, the General Manager of Operations at AGPC, says that while the Supercars contract is yet to be finalised, the AGPC is staying positive that a deal can be done, and that negotiations have been very positive. (see separate story on page 5). In Auto Action earlier this year, the head of RACE (which owns Supercars), Barclay Nettlefold, indicated a desire to have a 24car grid to make fly-in fly-out races easier logistically. With that now locked down for 2024, Supercars is exploring how to capitalise. Supercars has previously raced at Sakhir in Bahrain and Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi, but it is believed Qatar’s Lusail International Circuit, which hosts the Qatar F1 Grand Prix, is now leading the pack for a race, and it may come as early as November-December next year. The Lusail circuit is a half hour’s drive from Doha which sits on a peninsula in the Persian Gulf. Qatar Airlines was recently blocked from running extra flights to and from Australia in a controversial move by the Federal
Government, designed to prop up the profits of Qantas. The Qataris believe sport may be the answer to breaking down the barriers, hence its interest in Australian Supercars which also has many millions of international viewers of Supercars races. Saudi Arabia is also a possibility with its race two weeks before the Melbourne event, while the Singapore Grand Prix is 29 September, two weeks before the date that is expected for Bathurst. Auto Action understands there is no commitment with any of the tracks in the Middle East, but the new Camaro versus Mustang formula is creating more interest than when we had Commodores racing Falcons there a decade ago. Back in Australia, the Newcastle 500 has a stay of execution, with a one-year extension of its deal with Supercars leaving open the door for the race to be retained despite less than flattering results of a survey commissioned by the local council. But Auto Action believes that is not the final piece in the puzzle for the 2024 calendar, with a possible return to the Middle East as early as next year, with Qatar nudging in front of the other tracks in the region. New South Wales Premier, Chris Minns, has indicated his government will continue
to support the Newcastle race through Destination NSW which is one of three stakeholders in the event, along with Supercars and the City of Newcastle, but it is only able to commit to one year at the moment, while the council is chasing another five-year deal so it can plan properly. A survey commissioned by the City of Newcastle found residents in the online part of the survey didn’t support the event, but the more accurate largely pro-race sentiment in the phone polling wasn’t open to ‘campaign’ distortions. It is expected that the Newcastle 500 will again open the season. With a return to New Zealand confirmed for Taupo and likely for April, the final puzzle remains Supercars’ desire for more overseas running and the possibility of returning to the Middle East. At The Bend, Supercars CEO Shane Howard indicated to Auto Action that he was hoping to announce the calendar before Bathurst, but it appears there is now plenty to play out before that happens. MIDDLE EAST GRANDS PRIX 2024 Bahrain 2 March Saudi Arabia 9 March Qatar 1 December Abu Dhabi 8 December
HIGHEST SPORTING ATTENDANCE IN AUSTRALIA SINCE 2003 DATE 2 Apr 2023 1 Apr 2023 4 Nov 2006 10 Apr 2022 9 Apr 2022 31 Mar 2023 4 Nov 2003 7 Mar 2004 6 Mar 2005 1 Nov 2008
EVENT 2023 F1 Australian Grand Prix (d4) 2023 F1 Australian Grand Prix (d3) 2006 Victoria Derby 2022 F1 Australian Grand Prix (d4) 2022 F1 Australian Grand Prix (d3) 2023 F1 Australian Grand Prix (d2) Melbourne Cup Australian F1 Grand Prix Australian F1 Grand Prix 2008 Victoria Derby
STADIUM Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit Flemington Racecourse Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit Flemington Racecourse Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit Flemington Racecourse
CROWD 131,124 129,748 129,089 128,294 123,247 122,927 122,736 121,500 118,200 117,776
F2 (and F3) were introduced to the Australian GP this year – and have their sights set on the Supercars pit lane ... Image: MOTORSPORT IMAGES
BUT... AGP AND SUPERCARS STILL TALKING ABOUT 2024 COMMERCIAL AND LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES ARE MAKING THE CONTRACTUAL NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX CORPORATION AND SUPERCARS AUSTRALIA A LITTLE MORE COMPLEX THAN EITHER PARTY DESIRED ... WHILE BOTH are confident a deal can be done, there is no guarantee the Supercars will race at Albert Park. Auto Action Publisher Bruce Williams spoke with the AGPC’s Tom Mottram about negotiations and the build-up to the 2024 event. THE AUSTRALIAN Grand Prix Corporation is facing all the sorts of hurdles it would like to overcome as the race weekend continues to grow in terms of domestic and international appeal, and shifting demographics which creates a set of unique challenges. With several factors limiting the crowd to 130,000 on each of the four days, the challenge is to expand the appeal of Thursday’s on track program a little more – given it is the only day with any real room for growth – by creating a more exciting on-track package. At the core of that will be a round of Australia’s Supercars Championship, if a deal can be struck. Tom Mottram, the General Manager of Operations at AGPC, says there are challenges in getting that deal done but that he is confident differences between
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the two entities can be solved and the best show can be created for the fans. Part of the issue is Supercars’ expected loss of its dedicated pitlane with Formula 1 pushing the case for F2 and F3 for that space, and that is creating tensions between the two entities along with the financial package on offer. While the pitlane change is not guaranteed, it is more likely than not, so that leaves new AGPC boss, Travis Auld, with some challenges to get the popular Supercars onto the four-day event. According to Mottram, the door remains open for Supercars to race in Albert Park. “We caught up with Shane [Howard] only last week, firstly to get those two (Travis and Shane) saying g’day to each other, and then for the discussions on the race ... but it’s all moving along. “There’s just a lot of moving parts to it, and it’s mainly around the operations or logistics of making it all work. “It’s not that black and white,” he said of whether Supercars would be booted from its pitlane. “We’re trying to work through an arrangement where they can still have a part that they play in there. Whether they
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are there the whole time or not, they’ll still be able to have a footprint in there. “And that’s, I guess, the logistical challenge that we’re working with to make sure it works. They want to be involved with our event for obvious reasons, as do we them. “They are our premier domestic category. We see a long-term future with Supercars. It’s not just about 2024 – it’s also about beyond next years program. “We have to work out how we make it work, and that takes a little bit of time. We’re very confident we’ll get there. “I think, commercially, we’re on the same page. It’s definitely more around logistically if we can make it work for them doing a championship round. There’s things that they potentially need to change around a little bit, but we only just had our first meeting with their operations team last week, so there’s plenty to do. Auld started his role as the Chief Executive Officer of the AGPC last month after nearly a decade with the AFL and has wasted no time getting his around his new sport. Last weekend he was at Monza on the Friday for Formula One and then went to Barcelona for MotoGP.
“He’s shaking hands over there, it was in the Corporation’s best interest for him to meet the right people while they were all there together. This week there’s an F1 promoters meeting where all the promoters get together and hear from Formula 1 about what the vision is for F1 on a number of things.” Mottram confirmed. The crowds at Albert Park have been booming since the 2020 event was cancelled after all the teams and drivers were already in Australia. Last year’s race had the two biggest sporting crowds in Australia in the past 20 years on Saturday and Sunday, with five of the six biggest crowds in that time also being at the Grand Prix. Mottram said with Friday to Sunday being near or at the 130,000 capacity for each day, the AGPC is trying to make Thursday bigger as they come to grips with the shifting demographics that is seeing a younger crowd and more females flocking to the race. If the Supercars are not running in 2024 it would be a significant blow to the AGPC plans to make Thursday program more significant.
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DAVID REYNOLDS CV 2004..................Australian Formula Ford Champion 2007..................Australian Carrera Cup Champion 2009..................Walkinshaw Racing 2011....................Kelly Racing 2012-2015....... Rod Nash Racing/Tickford (3 wins, 11 Podiums 2012 Bathurst Runner Up) 2016-2020...... Erebus Motorsport (4 Wins, 20 Podiums, 2017 Bathurst Winner) 2021-2023...... Grove Racing (9 Podiums) Barry Sheene Medal Winner 2017/18
Reynolds and the Groves, father and son – time for a change. Image: MOTORSPORT IMAGES
BITTER-SWEET MOVE FOR REYNOLDS
TEAM 18 HAS SNAPPED UP DAVID REYNOLDS TO REPLACE SCOTT PYE IN ONE OF PITLANE’S WORST-KEPT SECRETS. ANDREW CLARKE DEBRIEFED WITH HIM BEFORE THE ENDURANCE RACES BEGIN ... DAVID REYNOLDS has told the Auto Action RevLimiter Podcast that, while it was hard to leave Grove Racing, it was easy to go to Team 18. The 2017 Bathurst winner for Erebus, moved to Grove Racing two season ago, bringing with him Penrite support, but with only a one-year offer on the table for 2024 he was forced to weigh up his options. “I really wanted to stay where I was, to be honest,” he said last week. “I really love the Groves – good people, really smart, really hungry, and they’ve got all the ingredients there. I’m doing this because it’s a better deal for myself. “Winterbottom has been on me for ages to drive with him. For years he’d say ‘Ccome here, it’s really good fun, it’ll get the most out of you’. And when push comes to shove, that’s what I’m really trying to get to, at the end of the day, I’m trying to get the most out of myself. Generally, when you get the most out of yourself, you’re enjoying everything you do in this sport, and you perform at your best. “So I’m just going to try and see if Charlie’s team is the best place for me. I know Charlie, I know how he operates, and he puts his heart and soul into it. We’ll be trying to end up right at the top of the heap.
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“The opportunity came up to join Team 18 on a longer-term deal, and I jumped at it.” The 429-race veteran is yet to put together a season good enough to take the title, although most seasons he hasn’t been too far out of contention, with a best result of third in 2015, He has finished in the top 10 of the series seven times, won Bathurst in 2017 and was runner up to Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell in 2012 when he pushed the GOAT all the way to the flag. Switching teams, he said, is never easy, with a bit of ‘devil you know’ sometimes easier that embracing change, although he remains confident with this move. “You’re not really sure what you get until you walk in the door and check out the operation, but I know a lot of the people there; I’ve worked with them before. These days, moving is a bit easier because everyone’s supposed to have the same cars, same roll bar system, same this, same that. It’s all about where you set them up to make the most speed. “That is the very fine detail between winning races and coming 10th or 15th. The team I’m going to has actually won a race this year. It can be a really good transition, but it can be a really difficult one. It depends on the engineering group
and I don’t really know who my engineer is going to be. I know Crusty (Richard Hollway) runs that car currently, but I’m not sure whether he’s going to continue … I hope he does.” Reynolds worked with Team 18 team owner Charlie Schwerkolt when he was a customer team inside the Prodrive (now Tickford) stable, and he says that was part of the attraction of the move. As well as reuniting with Mark Winterbottom who was also there at the same time. “It’s the best place for me. I’ve always loved how Charlie operates, loved how he always seems to be happy, having a good time. I love that sort of character. When I worked alongside him at Tickford (or whatever they were called), I really loved who he was and what he stood for. “I always thought in the back of my mind, I could end up driving for him one day. And here I am driving for him next year – but that’s next year and I’ve got four races to concentrate on. These are the four biggest races of the year.” This year has been frustrating for Reynolds who started the year at the head of the Ford pack, bit slipped back as the team held onto its test days for the endurance races. He enjoyed the opening of the season but hasn’t been so happy of late.
“It’s a pretty bad feeling, to be honest, because you know in yourself you should be at the front competing with the best, but your car is always the biggest factor at first. It changes so much from day to day and weekend to weekend and tyre to tyre. “It’s really the fundamental of what’s around you to make the difference, and that’s the car itself and the people in the team that make the car faster. “Our sport is all about people. So, when you’re not on the pace, you’re kind-of looking around the people you’ve got around you to try and bring yourself up with them. You’re looking for positivity, and that’s the good thing about our sport. Everything’s changeable, and you can engineer yourself to the back of the grid or engineer yourself to the front of the grid. It’s pretty simple. “I’m a competitive person. I’m just trying to do things better, faster … everything. It’s just who I am. If I’m going for a run, I’m super competitive. If I’m doing a handstand, I’m trying to do a longer handstand than I was last week. I’m just trying to always be better. Reynolds will share the Grove Mustang at Sandown and Bathurst with Garth Tander, whom he believes is the best codriver available this year.
BLANCHARDS FINALLY GET A PAIR
BLANCHARD RACING TEAM HAS BEEN TALKING SINCE ITS INCEPTION AS A ONE CAR TEAM ABOUT EXPANDING. FINALLY, IN 2024, IT WILL BE A TWO-CAR TEAM. TIM BLANCHARD SPOKE WITH ANDREW CLARKE THE FATHER-and-son-run Blanchard Racing Team is the biggest beneficiary of Tickford Racing selling two of its Team Racing Charters to Supercars, snapping up one of the TRCs to grow into a two-car team for 2024. With Supercars’ ideal 24 cars split between 11 teams – Brad Jones Racing remains the only team now with more than two cars – BRT now has the opportunity to follow its business plan and, hopefully, move up the grid. The one-car team has struggled at times since going it alone but has also shown great promise as well. Tim Blanchard, the son, has always spoken about wanting an extra TRC (formerly a Racing Entitlements Contract) and said when one became available the team would bid for it, which was always the thorn in the side for outspoken sponsor Peter Adderton who could only be considered after all the existing teams. The Blanchard business plan was assessed and almost in unison with the Tickford reduction, came the Blanchard expansion. “It’s always been part of our five-year plan, when we started the team we always wanted to move to two cars. To get there going into our fourth season is really exciting for everyone involved.” The deal has been on the table for a few weeks with Tickford, despite public denials, indicating it was willing to sell two of its TRCs to Supercars which wants the 24-car grid supposedly to assist with fly-away
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races. The business plan was in place well before then, and it clearly stacked up when it was assessed. “It’s all happening. We’re well progressed with all our plans for 2024 in staffing, sponsors, drivers, cars and all the equipment and all the other things you need. But we’re still focused on finishing out the year strongly with our one car. “We’ve been heavily involved in running a car as a sponsor and then run the car ourselves for a number of years now. CoolDrive, as a business, and the family have been supporting Supercars through the implementation of Gen3, and I think we’ve got a pretty solid business case supporting and growing with Supercars. “It’s a big scale-up now, it’s probably more than double the work. I think it’s very easy to think it’s just double the workload, but you can quite easily crash two cars in one race, so you’ve got to have more depth of spares. And you can’t micromanage things as well as you could with a onecar team, you’ve got to have a lot more processes and things in place. “There’s a huge amount of work to do, which is partly the reason for the wild card this year in preparation for next year.” He said the Super2 program with Aaron Love was also important, and the recent completion of BRT002 will allow him to run at Sandown and Bathurst in what might be a very public job application for next year. “We put on a few extra staff for the Super2 program this year, and doing the
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wild card with BRT002 is the next step. It is all the equipment that goes with it, making sure you’ve got all the toolboxes and all the basic equipment for our second car, we’ll need it for Bathurst and Sandown this year, so that puts us in a good position for a relatively normal off-season leading into next year.” Exactly how the cars will look is not perfectly settled, but there will be an element or more of CoolDrive on both cars, the livery launch for Sandown this weekend and then Bathurst will give some hints at the direction. We may even have a sponsor launch for the 2024 season before Bathurst. As for the driving line-up, Love is clearly in the box seat for car #7 (the number of the wild card at Bathurst) and it appears it is his to lose. It is also expected that James Courtney will replace Todd Hazelwood in the #3 car and that maybe Snowy Mountain Caravans will come with him. “I think Todd’s done a pretty good job this year. We’ve thrown a lot of curve balls at him with the new car, and being a one-car team it’s very tricky. He’s done a pretty solid job for us and we’ve got a number of options with the way the season played out this year for us. I think we’re in a pretty good position driver-wise for next year. “BRT is a long-term proposition and is something that’s really important to my dad, myself and the Blanchard family. We’re quite passionate, quite excited about 24 onwards and taking another
significant step towards hopefully building a successful long-term Supercar team.” For Tim, himself, the expansion may see the end of his driving career in Supercars given the extra load expected. Not that it will be the end of his racing either way. “I’ve always said I love driving myself and I don’t think there’ll ever be a point in my life that I don’t want to race. But we want BRT to be competitive, so we’re fully conscious that there will be a point, and it might be soon, that there are options out there that might be more competitive in the car than myself. “If that happens, I’ll have to go and find something else to drive, because the team always needs to come first. I’m confident that my last Bathurst will be in a BRT car at some point and most likely wearing CoolDrive colours, which will be pretty cool. To finish my career at some point in Supercars at the top level in our own family team will be very special.”
WILDCARDS GET FIRST TASTE OF NEW CAR A BIG week of Supercars testing began on Monday with the Blanchard Racing Team wildcard in the thick of the action. At Winton Aaron Love and Jake Kostecki jumped behind the wheel of the #7 Ford Mustang that will expand the BRT squad to two cars at Sandown and Bathurst. After a busy build period, Monday was the moment the team could witness its new chassis grace the track for the first time. “It has been a good first day, ticking off all the boxes and shaking down the new wildcard car without any issues,” BRT’s Tim Blanchard told Auto Action on Monday. “The car is fairly new to them (Love and Kostecki) so it will be a bit of a challenge getting them up to speed. “But they are both adapting pretty well to it this early.” Love and Kostecki also enjoyed wildcard laps on Wednesday, while regular Todd Hazelwood and Tim Blanchard himself got behind the wheel of car #3 Cooldrive on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the #7 wildcard Mustang’s Sandown 500 livery will be revealed to the public on Saturday.
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KOSTECKI NOT FEELING CHAMPIONSHIP PRESSURE
Images: MARK HORSBURGH SUPERCARS SERIES leader Brodie Kostecki does not feel any added pressure as ‘the hunted’ ahead of the season of endurance. Kostecki arrives at the two biggest and most troublesome races of the year at Sandown and Bathurst in charge of the championship. He and Erebus are full of confidence, having extended their lead in the drivers championship from 41 to 137 points by sweeping the Bend SuperSprint. Despite being so impressive across the first eight rounds, even bigger challenges lay ahead. Whilst he has the target on his back and the most to lose, Kostecki does not feel the heat having full confidence in himself, the team and experienced codriver David Russell. “No I don’t feel any pressure,” he told Auto Action. “I know I can do the job and the team around me is more than capable of delivering me a fast car. “We have had great form all year and we just need to keep on executing and minimising the
mistakes as much as possible. “I am really excited going into the enduros. I get the share the car with David Russell as I have done for the last two years.” A week prior to The Bend, Kostecki made an impressive NASCAR Cup Series debut ate Richard Childress Racing at Indianapolis. Despite stating he wants to return to America, he made it clear he will not
follow Shane van Gisbergen and will be racing in Supercars for a long time to come. “I want to race more NASCAR over there and hopefully do some more events, but I really enjoy racing Supercars here,” he said. “Until I stop enjoying it I will keep doing what I am doing. “I am not leaving anytime soon.” Thomas Miles
LOWNDES WONT STOP RACING
CRAIG LOWNDES and Triple Eight Race Engineering will continue into an uncharted second decade after the fan favourite signed a contract extension. Lowndes is not hanging up the helmet anytime soon, with his time at the team set to hit two decades, having extended his contract for another two years until the end of 2025. This will mean the smiling assassin will race on until he is at least 51 and be the first driver that is not a team owner to race at a Supercars team for over 20 years. After a tough spell at Ford Performance Racing, Lowndes took a chance at the then unproven Triple Eight and felt so much at home he has never left since. He drove car #888 all the way up to his full time retirement in 2018 and has remained as a co-driver. During that time he has cemented himself as an all time great, taking 58 of his 110 wins. Across 18 Bathurst 1000 starts he has claimed six victories in Triple Eight colours and stood on the podium in half of them. Lowndes could not hide his delight behind the news that he will continue racing, with his new deal set to bring him to a total of 32 Great Race starts, closing in on the record of 35 set by Jim Richards. “I’m absolutely delighted to be continuing my racing career with Triple Eight for the next two years and I’m excited to reach a 20-year milestone with the team in 2024,” he said. “I’ve shared some amazing moments with Triple Eight over the past 18-and-a-half years, and I want to thank Jamie (Whincup), Jess (Dane) and the team for wanting to extend this successful partnership. It’s crazy to think we’ll be celebrating two decades together next year!” Triple Eight managing director Jamie Whincup is thrilled to keep the three-time champion as a co-driver. “Lowndesy is obviously a huge part of Triple Eight’s DNA, and for him to continue his legacy with the team into a 20th year and beyond is truly remarkable,” Whincup said. “I’ve personally shared so many memories with Craig, highlighted by our Bathurst 1000 three-peat which I’ll cherish forever. We wouldn’t be where we are now without his contribution to the team and the sport as a whole. “Lowndesy’s worth is just as valuable off the track as it is on it. His mentorship of the youth in our sport, as we’ve seen from the success of our Supercheap Auto Racing Wildcard program over the past two years, has been unbelievable.” For the second year in a row Lowndes will be leading a Supercheap Auto-backed Wildcard with Zane Goddard jumping on board. They will go racing at Sandown on September 15-17. Thomas Miles
FOR SALE 1969 TCM CAMARO ULTRA-COMPETITIVE - PROVEN RACE WINNER
As raced by Ryal Harris and Cam McConville with outstanding results, including pole positions, race wins including Bathurst and round wins. Car has been upgraded since those results and is capable of podiums again.
Freshly rebuilt in September 2022, 350 Chev with all the best parts including; • Light Weight Callies crank • Dart block • Light Weight Carillo Rods • 5 stage dry sump etc • Light Weight JE custom pistons • Comes with Dyno sheets Freshly rebuilt in September 2022 G/Force transmission
Other features of this race car include; • Race Products cambered diff, with floating axles • Brembo front & rear calipers • Adjustable watts link
• Tilton floor mount pedal assembly • Comes complete with 3 x 9” diff centres in alloy cases - 3.00, 3.25, 3.5 and a set of mounted wets, the list goes on.
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TICKFORD DROPS TWO CARS TICKFORD HAS REVEALED ITS TWO-CAR PLANS FOR 2024 AND BEYOND. ANDREW CLARKE LOOKS AT WHAT IT MEANS ... TICKFORD HAS finally told the world what we already knew – that it has sold two of its four Teams Racing Charters back to Supercars, with one being retired and the other being on sold to Blanchard Racing Team. The downsizing of Tickford has been the centre of many rumours of late, and the confirmation of the move answers some questions but leaves many unanswered. Tickford has repeatedly denied rumours of uncontrolled debt, but the need to focus its efforts and not spread itself too thin appears to be the real reasons behind the move. “The sole motivation behind the decision is to focus all the team’s energy and resources toward again becoming a Championship-winning team in the 2024 season and beyond,” Tickford Team Principal Tim Edwards said in the media release of the announcement. “The business has been working on a number of strategic plans on how best to position Tickford Racing into the future for greater success in all its racing programs. “Further information on what the team will look like in 2024 will be released in
Randle and Waters are expected to keep their Tickford deals. due course. “The entire Tickford Racing team remains focused on the 2023 Championship, especially as we head into the Enduros, and maximising our results at the last four events of the year.” For much of its time as Tickford Racing, Prodrive Racing Australia or Ford Performance Racing, it has run more than two cars, starting with three cars in the immediate era post-Glenn Seton Racing
and four cars since 2013 after scaling back momentarily in 2021. The team has won two Bathurst 1000s and a Championship and feels its best chance to climb back to the top in the Gen3 era as two cars. In terms of drivers, we expect Cam Waters and Thomas Randle to remain. Waters is a superstar of the sport and is tied to Tickford until the end of 2025, with Tickford confirming there are performance clauses
in his contract, but that they hold them. Thomas Randle, on the back of his starring performance at The Bend and his strong relationship with Castrol, will likely drive the team’s second car, leaving Declan Fraser and James Courtney on the driver market. Courtney will be snapped up. The 43-yearold driver is still on the pace and his fan and sponsor appeal makes him too good to not be taken by one of either Blanchard Racing Team or Matt Stone Racing who are both in the driver market. We think he will go to Blanchard Racing Team, as will other staff from Tickford as a result of the scaling back. This leaves Fraser looking for a full-time drive for 2024 after a tough rookie season that hasn’t seen him finish in the top 10 yet. The 2022 Super2 champion is running last in the championship of the drivers to have entered every race. By our reckoning, there are only two seats left, discounting incumbency. Fraser will be competing against probably Nick Percat, Scott Pye, Tim Slade and Todd Hazelwood for a drive, with two of those drivers in a seat they may yet lose.
HANSON AND MURRAY GET LONG-AWAITED EREBUS LAPS JAY HANSON and Cooper Murray enjoyed a long awaited first taste of a Gen3 Supercar at Winton on Monday, thanks to Erebus Motorsport. Championship-leading squad Erebus Motorsport held the evaluation day that was supposed to be staged in May, but was washed away by rain. But 97 days later the youngsters finally got their chance at Winton behind the wheel of Will Brown’s #9 Coke Camaro. Despite not being his first evaluation day, it was still a special moment for Erebus Academy driver Hanson. “The Erebus Camaro was a completely different ball game from my Super2 car,” he said. “From the vision, to the sound, to the way you drive the car, it was completely different experience. “It was cool to see how the Erebus
engineers structure their programs for tests like today and it’s been a real eye opener into what the main game consists of.” It was also a big opportunity for Murray, who exploded onto the Supercars scene with a win on Super2 debut at Newcastle after a year off racing. Murray said it was a tremendous chance to soak up valuable information for his future. “This was my first time driving a Gen3 car so it was amazing to get some laps under my belt and see how I go in one,” he said. “These opportunities are vital for my career as it gets me in front of a Supercars team and allows me to showcase what I can do and how I operate. “Working with Will, Brodie and their engineers was great, it was definitely a big learning day.” Thomas Miles
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ARG BROADCAST SHAKE-UP THE AUSTRALIAN RACING GROUP’S EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF BROADCASTING, ANDREW JANSON, HAS PARTED WAYS WITH ARG ...
SA TEENAGER FACING LENGTHY FIGHT AFTER SPEEDWAY INCIDENT SOUTH AUSTRALIAN teenager Mitchell Rigney has been transported home via plane after his time in a Darwin hospital following a serious incident in the Wingless Sprints at Northline Speedway two weeks ago. After the incident on August 18 – the opening night of the Chariots of Thunder Series – Rigney was taken from Northline Speedway to the ICU at the Darwin Hospital after sustaining serious head injuries and was placed into an induced coma. On the Tuesday, he was taken off his sedatives to pull him out of the induced coma, but sadly, the medical team did not see any significant change to his condition. His extended family and his partner Amee were by his side and generous public donations through a GoFundMe campaign has enabled the teenager to be airlifted back home to SA, where he will face a lengthy period of recovery. Caleb Gotts and the great people in the Wingless Sprints NT helped set up the funding campaign to help the family with the expenses. A talented second generation racer, Mitchell’s father raced in the AMCA National ranks and, more recently, the Roll Racing events at The Bend. Mitchell himself then donned a helmet in 2018, working his way up through the AIDKA Dirt Karting ranks. He was soon given the opportunity to race the Steven Schwarz S99 Super Sedan, and soon after notched his maiden feature victory, which the 17-year-old then followed up with two more trips to victory lane in quick season. After transferring to the Wingless Sprints for the 2022/23 season, his notable achievements included a third place in the South Australian Championship at the Whyalla Speedway. Mitchell was setting himself for a big 2023/24 campaign, but his battle has been sadly deflected off the race track. Our thoughts go out to Mitchell’s family and friends, and to the tight knit Speedway community, and we wish him a speedy recovery back home. TW Neal
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THE DEPARTURE has been confirmed to Auto Action by ARG’s Barry Rogers who said that he finished with the organisation last week. Janson joined ARG after many years as an executive with Supercars TV, including event producer of the Bathurst 12 Hour and Inside Supercars program, and joined the ARG group in early 2020 to head up an expanded program. ARG’s Barry Rogers says the departure is more about a change, looking into the future, than anything else. “AVE has been doing a great job and, to be honest with you, we didn’t need the extra resource. We’re just changing direction a little bit,” he said. “We went back to AVE at the start of this year. We worked with them in the past and they did a good job then and they a producing a great package for us now. We know it’s not up to the same level as Supercars, but by the same token it doesn’t need to be. “It’s not the same product, so we’ve changed direction and allowed AVE to have the full production rights rather than a bit of a hybrid where it was AJ and AVE. “It’s simplified it and consolidated it a bit.” Rogers confirmed. There has been growing uncertainty around the ARG categories as part of the Motorsport Australia SpeedSeries coverage on Stan and Nine Network this year. The broadcast deal expires at the end of this year. Janson was the executive producer responsible for producing the broadcast packages for SpeedSeries events which included ARG’s TCR Australia, GT World Challenge, Trans Am, S5000 and Touring Car Masters categories. Other responsibilities for Janson included the production of ARG’s own
The current ARG commentary team includes Greg Rust, Molly Taylor and Fabian Coulthard. Image: DANIEL KALISZ major events, including the Bathurst 6 Hour production car race and the Bathurst International which is to be run over the weekend November 10-12th this year and includes a round of the TCR World Tour. ARG’s broadcast package had, up until the start of 2023, been produced by Supercars Media with Gravity Media, but from the start of this year has been handled by production house AVE under the guidance of Janson. ARG was said to have wanted more control over its prime asset. AVE had previously produced the broadcasts for the first TCR Australia season which kicked off in 2019. At that time the series was shown on broadcaster SBS as a free-to-air package. AVE also produced the TV package in 2021 when it was on the Seven Network. For Rogers, these changes are about fine tuning the product it is taking to the market for a new broadcast deal.
The relationship between ARG and Motorsport Australia brings extra complexity to the table when planning things like TV, and Rogers says it is important to make it work better for both parties, both on and off the track. “We probably need to work a bit closer together and work it out, and that’s starting. There’s no doubt stream is the future, but is the market ready for it now? “At the moment you know that’s sort of debatable, but we’ll be looking at our options to get the right product broadcast in the right way. “We need to produce a reasonable quality broadcast, and that’s quite expensive, so you need some income from somewhere to assist in the cost of producing that broadcast. “But you’ve also then got to line up the commercial aspects of it; you’ve just got to balance it all up and hopefully make the right decision at the end of it.” Bruce Williams
LAWSON’S TEMPLE OF PROMISE IT’S BEEN a rollercoaster two weeks for 21-year-old Kiwi racer Liam Lawson, who has gone from competing in the highly competitive Japanese Super Formula (JSF) series, to taking on the Formula 1 grid at Zandvoort and Monza. Following Daniel Ricciardo’s transition into the Alpha Tauri seat at the expense of Nyck De Vries, Lawson was one of the names floated for the briefly vacant seat before his more experienced and F1 racewinning fellow Antipodean got the nod. In a proud history of F1 representation, Lawson is the first Kiwi since Brendon Hartley – who has since won the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times – drove 25 races for Toro Rosso in 2017-2018. After being thrust into the AT04 at short notice, with no Friday running, Lawson started last at Zandvoort before finishing in a hugely respectable P13 in highly difficult conditions. And now, at Monza, after having to wait on the grid due to his teammate Yuki Tsunoda breaking down on the formation lap with a Power Unit failure, Lawson had the weight of the Italian team on his shoulders. He produced an assured P11 to be just 6.582s behind Valtteri Bottas in the points, and 2.436s in front of Oscar Piastri (who was put there after being in Lewis Hamilton’s ‘blind spot’) at the finish. Lawson’s sudden visit to the F1 grid isn’t over either, with Ricciardo’s broken hand expected to have him out for at least another two race meetings. “I don’t think there’s any chance he’ll be ready for then (Singapore), and It would be optimistic for Japan,” Red Bull’s Christian Horner confided on the Aussie’s timeline.
Image: MOTORSPORT IMAGES The Red Bull junior has a very calm demeanour about him, and he’s also pretty hard on himself despite his limited experience in F1. After qualifying in P12 behind his teammate, he lamented not getting more out of the AT04 after getting caught behind a car spraying loose gravel over the track, and also declared that he was disappointed with his race effort, owing to the fact that he was on the cusp of points. “Just a little bit disappointed with the race,” Lawson said after the race. “We maybe had the pace for points – I’m not sure, we’d have to look into it. I had a bad start, and that’s where we really lost the chance. A bit disappointed to be so close.”
On his short space to improve he added that: “There’s a lot to do behind the wheel of the car, and it’s obviously better if you don’t have to look down at what you’re doing, and that’s something that takes a little bit of time. “It definitely helped with all the work we did leading up … these races are longer than I’m used to, so definitely adjusting.” The future situation for Lawson is one of mystery following Singapore or Japan, and despite the soon-to-be departing Alpha Tauri team boss Franz Tost saying recently that Tsunoda’s seat is “more or less already fixed,” there is still doubt over that being a certainty. As for the seat he’s currently sitting in …
who knows? Has Ricciardo changed his mind about being in a mid-pack team? Two more similar efforts might pry open some wandering eyes for Lawson’s potential future in the F1 paddock. Lawson’s next outing outside of F1 will see him go back to Japan should Ricciardo recover as expected, where the Kiwi Team Mugen driver is only eight points in arrears of Ritomo Miyata in a bid to win the title with a double header at Suzuka International Racing Course to come on October 27-29. At the beginning of his Japanese season here’s betting that Lawson didn’t expect to enter that JSF round having raced on the same circuit – in an F1 car – one month prior. TW Neal
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GRM TO CONTINUE NURTURING THE YOUTH GARRY ROGERS Motorsport is continuing to nurture the department of youth through its Combine, which returns in 2024. The program is spearheaded by two-time Supercars champion and NASCAR Cup Series race winner Marcos Ambrose and will take place for a third time in January in Tasmania. The four-day coaching program, which started in 2022 is designed to provide up and coming drivers with the chance to get a taste of what is to come by driving high-level machinery. It also includes an apprentice program which will also make a comeback. It will be spread across Symmons Plains and Baskerville Raceway from January 21-25 2024.
MCLAUGHLIN TO RACE ‘BUCKET LIST’ PETIT LE MANS SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN will return to Tower Motorsports for the IMSA finale at the Petit Le Mans event at Road Atlanta. The Penske IndyCar driver will drive the #8 ORECA 07 LMP2 prototype he assisted to fifth at the 24 Hours of Daytona, and victory at the 12 Hour of Sebring. “Petit Le Mans is one of those bucket list events that I’ve had my eye on for many years, and it’s exciting to get to check this off,” McLaughlin said. “I’ve really enjoyed competing in the LMP2 class with this team and I’m confident we can build on our success from earlier this year.” The Petit Le Mans will be held on October 11-14.
NEW 2024 F2 CAR REVEALED THE NEW Dallara F2 2024 was unveiled at Monza and will replace the 2018 model with some modifications bringing it closer to the F1 machine. The car has been redesigned to promote more wheel-to-wheel racing with alterations being made to the nose, front and rear wings, and the floor. The front wing side plates and nose is far more accentuated, as is the shape of the rear wing and side pods, giving a far more flowing appearance in design to take it closer to the F1 style of handling, while the 3.4 litre turbo-charged Mecachrome engine is largely the same.
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CAMERON SEARCHING FOR A ‘PERMANENT’ SUPER2 SPOT SPEEDSERIES FRONTRUNNER Aaron Cameron is chasing more Supercars seat time as he prepares for a Super2 debut at Sandown. One week after steering his Peugeot TCR around the historic Victorian venue, Cameron will also go racing in a former Grove Racing Gen2 Ford Mustang. The current S5000 series leader will be racing car #27 for SCHRAMM Group Racing. It will not be Cameron’s first time steering a Supercar, having completed an evaluation day with Walkinshaw Andretti United at Winton recently. But he wants more than just a taste, making his future ambitions clear, stating he hopes this opportunity could lead to a permanent spot on the grid. “It’s great to be able to get a start in Super2,” Cameron said. “This is something I didn’t think was going to be possible after being so close for the last couple of years. “We have been working really hard to get something together for the second half of the season. “I hope Sandown is the start of a permanent spot on the Super2 grid.” It will be fascinating to see how Cameron goes against the Dunlop Series regulars as one of the stars of SpeedSeries.
The Garry Rogers Motorsport driver has soared to the top of the S5000 standings with four wins from the last six races with the hope of adding to his 2021 Tasman crown. Cameron has been one of the regular contenders at TCR level, scoring five race wins across four seasons. At the age of just 19 he announced himself by scoring six podiums on his way to third in the championship in his inaugural season. Cameron is once again in the mix this year being 32 points away from the series lead having been a consistent force in his Peugeot. Still just 23, Cameron is one of the most highly rated talents in the SpeedSeries world and if this move pays off he could find himself on the Supercars radar.
The only other obvious comparison on the current Super2 grid is Lochie Dalton, who sits 13th in the Dunlop Series and second in Trans Am. Cameron said he is not chasing a particular result and is simply seat time in a Supercar. “There are no big expectations results-wise,” he said “There isn’t much time to test in the car prior to the round so we will still be learning on the fly during the weekend. It’s more about learning the car, the tyre and staying out of trouble. “I just want to get through Sandown for now, then we will reassess for the final two rounds at Bathurst and Adelaide. “Once we start doing away races the expenses add up and we need to ensure it makes financial sense.” Thomas Miles
MOFFAT AND DALTON AIMING FOR THE UPPER HAND THE TRANS Am title fight will step up a gear at Sandown this weekend, with little separating James Moffat and Lochie Dalton as the pointy end of the season approaches. With three rounds left, Moffat (pictured) holds a 13-point advantage over Dalton, who lost some ground at the previous round at Queensland Raceway. The blue and white #45 Ford Mustang finished seventh and second in the two races around the “Paperclip” which was a drop in form following his Winton clean sweep. Going forward, Dalton said staying out of trouble will be key, having been caught up in the first race carnage at QR before being lucky with the red flag, but still labelled Moffat as the clear favourite. “We feel like we are in a really good spot,” Dalton said. “Moff (Moffat) is going to be quite strong in these final rounds, so he is definitely the driver to beat. “Going into Queensland Raceway, I wanted to be relatively conservative. Although, in race one I did a lot of damage to the car but the red flag saved me – that could have been me done for the title race right there. “Now I know I need to finish the races and try not to take as big of risks as I would like to take, but still maximise every opportunity I can. “Hopefully we can match Moffat at Sandown – the goal is to keep up the front and keep finishing races.
Image: DANIEL KALISZ
“I love the circuit and have a lot of confidence going in. As long as we get our preparation right, I feel like we are in for a shot.” Moffat started the season on fire by dominating at Tasmania and being in a league of his own. Although no follow-up wins have arrived since, the #34 GRM Mustang has remained a consistent force, scoring six podiums in eight races. The only major setback for Moffat was finishing a lap down in the Phillip Island opener, but Dalton also found troubles on that occasion. Although Moffat and Dalton have been the most consistent across the season and are the favourites, it is far from a two-horse race. A wildcard has suddenly emerged in the championship picture in the form of Tom Hayman. Hayman threw himself into contention by smashing the field at Queensland Raceway, converting his first Trans Am win into the perfect weekend. He is not only 49 points away from Moffat and has the momentum. Whilst Sydney Motorsport Park and Bathurst still lie ahead, the events at Sandown will have a major say on the Trans Am title race. Thomas Miles
TCR TO HOST AN ICONIC REUNION WALL RACING TWINS UP FOR SMP
Ben Bargwanna, Clay Richards and Jason Bargwanna ... getting the families back together. BARGWANNA, RICHARDS, and GRM, an iconic trio of names in Australian motorsport, will reunite once more through the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series at Sandown on September 8-10. In a throw back to the 1990s the three will reunite in representing another chapter in a span of generations, with Jason and Ben Bargwanna, Clay Richards, and Garry Rogers Motorsport in a Peugeot 308 TCR. Richards will drive the Hangcha Forklifts Peugeot alongside Ben as part of a five-car team after he initially made his TCR debut in a Melbourne Performance Centre-prepared Audi RS3 LMS TCR, scoring a P2 in Race 2 at Winton in June. The son of Steven Richards and grandson of the great Jim Richards (who boast 12 Bathurst 1000 victories between them), will race with Jason as his team owner, a Bathurst winner in his own right who also shared a VS Commodore at the Great Race with Jim for GRM in 1998. “It’s great to have the Richards name back at GRM. My dad raced with Garry Rogers Motorsport when he first entered
Supercars and also my grandad as well,” the young Richards said. “It’s great to partner up with the Bargwanna’s, Benny and I’ve got to thank Jason for the opportunity, it’s really exciting. The historical significance of the reunion doesn’t escape the younger Bargwanna either, and whilst there’s a natural respect between the two, he also looks forward to an on-track stoush. “It’s one of those things in history that comes full circle and it doesn’t happen very often, it’s very exciting,” Bargwanna said. “We have a very good relationship with Hangcha and to stick Clay in the other Peugeot ... he can get a taste of what I’ve been driving all year, which will be exciting. “He will really benefit from having a big team around him. But once we get in the cars, the gloves will definitely be off, and we’ll be going head-to-head! “Clay is talented, he’s a good driver and he held me off pretty well for a podium spot at Winton, so he can do it. I think he’ll do just as good a job at Sandown in
the Peugeot.” Team Owner of Bargwanna Motorsport, Jason, says he is delighted to be able to work with Richards. The story also goes full circle in that respect, with GRM having played a big role in giving both he and Steven a leg up. “When I watched Clay drive at Winton, he became an obvious choice. The plan was to give a young guy a go… Garry (Rogers) gave me a go many years prior, he did the same for Steven, and Jim and myself finished on the podium at Bathurst. “Watching Clay through karts, Formula Ford and Toyota 86s, he was an easy choice. “I think it’s going to be exciting for him to debut in the Hangcha Peugeot at Sandown.” In a fairly tight championship season, Bargwanna sits seventh in the standings in his Burson Auto Parts Racing GRM #71 Peugeot, with one strong round capable of delivering some championship inroads. TW Neal
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WALL RACING has confirmed a third TCR entry after the recent expansion of its Honda fleet, with Will Harris bound for Tony D’Alberto’s Honda Civic FK7. Harris, the twin brother of recent TCR winner and Wall Racing’s Brad Harris, will take the wheel of D’Alberto’s current #1 car (re-numbered #76) for the Sydney and Bathurst legs of the TCR World Tour. The expansion comes after the acquisition of its new Honda Civic Type R FL5 TCR, which will debut at SMP. It’s also the first time that two siblings will share a track in the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series. From a similar racing pedigree to his brother, Will previously raced in the Improved Production and Mazda RX8 Cup prior, and is looking forward to stepping into the championship winning TCR team. “TCR is incredibly competitive and the chance to get out there with my brother and join the field was too good to pass up,” Harris noted. “We’ll be in the same machinery and in a great team like Wall Racing so it’s something I think we are both looking forward to. “Traditionally we’re both evenly matched so I’m confident that having seen how Brad has gone that we can both be on the pace in Sydney and at Bathurst. It’s a great time to join the team and the category with the World Tour rounds bringing so much international talent.” Team owner David Wall is excited to add the competitive factor of twin brothers into the set up. “The pair have raced each other for a long time, they’re both very competitive and come from similar racing backgrounds,” Wall said. “As we saw in Queensland, Will has become an outright contender in just a few rounds so he’s an exciting prospect.” TW Neal
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REIGNING CHAMPS TO CHASE 12 HOUR HAT-TRICK SUNENERGY1 RACING has confirmed it will launch an assault to take a hat-trick of Bathurst 12 Hour victories in 2024. The team, led by Aussie Kenny Habul, is the first official entry for the 22nd edition of the 12 Hour. Although Habul is currently recovering from a broken back sustained at June’s Spa 24 Hour race, he will “definitely be fit” come February 16-18. “It has been a tough couple of months for me, but I will definitely be fit and ready to go by February and we are coming to win three in a row,” Habul confirmed.
FULL COURSE YELLOW TO ARRIVE AT 12 HOUR THE FULL Course Yellow system will make its Australian debut at next year’s Bathurst 12 Hour. Similar to a virtual Safety Car in Formula 1, when a FCY is implemented, cars must slow to an 80km/h limit within five seconds and proceed at single file before racing resumes with a 5s countdown. The pit lane will remain open during the period, while the familiar full Safety Car will still be part of the event. The FCY procedure has been commonly seen in the FIA World Endurance Championship and Formula E over the years.
SUNDAY SELL OUT FOR 2024 AUS GP RACE-DAY tickets of the 2024 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park are already gone, having sold out within hours. The initial grandstand and general admission ticket allocation for race day Sunday on March 24 2024 is already exhausted. The final release of Sunday General Admission and grandstand tickets went on sale on August 29 and were snapped up in under two hours. However, there is still a limited number of hospitality options available for race day, while tickets are still available for the remainder of the weekend. Over 100,000 people pre-registered for early access to tickets, the biggest for a sporting event in Ticketmaster Australia’s history.
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THE CALENDAR for the 2024 Australian Rally Championship has been confirmed, with the season opener returning to the nation’s capital. Motorsport Australia confirmed that it will keep a six round calendar for the 2024 ARC season, with The National Capital Rally – which this year closes the championship – returning as the opener after the Apple Isle had the honour in 2023. With this season being reduced to six rounds from seven to make it more realistic for ARC teams to get around the country, the same approach has been adopted for next year after this season has seen strong entries from TAS to WA, QLD, and VIC. After Canberra kicks things off IN 2024 on April 5-7, teams will then travel across the country for the Forest Rally in WA on May 17-19. The field then makes a return to Gympie for the resurgent Queensland Rally on June 28-30, before making a slightly earlier return to Victoria for the Middle
of Everywhere Gippsland Rally on August 9-11. The Adelaide Hills Rally has been kept as the penultimate round, with the Launceston Rally in Tasmania being given the switcheroo to host the season closer on November 15-17. Motorsport Australia’s Director of Motorsport & Commercial Operations, Michael Smith, was pleased to provide the calendar early to allow teams plenty of time to prepare for their 2024 campaigns. “The ARC has grown substantially in the past two years and we’re thrilled to be able to have the same six events on the 2024 calendar as this year,” Smith said. “With four rounds complete and two more to come in 2023, the health of the Championship and our individual events is as strong as ever. “Having the same six events highlights that stability within the championship which also allows spectators plenty of opportunities to return to events they have enjoyed already.” After Harry Bates returned to the winners podium for the second successive rally at Gippsland to take the championship fight up to his brother (see Pages 50-51), the next ARC outing heads to SA for the Adelaide Hills Rally on October 13-15. TW Neal 2024 AUSTRALIAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP Round 1: National Capital Rally – April 5-7 Round 2: Forest Rally – May 17-19 Round 3: Rally Queensland – June 28-30 Round 4: Gippsland Rally – August 9-11 Round 5: Adelaide Hills Rally – September 20-22 Round 6: Rally Launceston – November 15-17
SVG BOOKS IN SOME NZ SEAT TIME SHANE VAN Gisbergen is continuing on his healthy appearance trail at New Zealand events, with two more confirmed appearances in both Rally and Sportscar. After his win in NASCAR’s Chicago street race, and his subsequent appearance in Indianapolis, the three-time Supercars champion will be a popular fan addition to the South Island Endurance series in September and October. Aside from his Supercars Pukekohe appearance in 2022, the September 8-9 race in Ruapuna will be his first NZ circuit race since he ran and won in the open wheel Toyota Racing Series at Hampton Downs in 2021. He perhaps didn’t need a second invite from local Dwayne Carter who he’s raced and won with before in the NZ SIE Series, as they’ll be competing in the rare Brabham BT62, a mid-engined 5387cc, dry sump, quad cam V8 beauty of a machine (pictured), the first Hypercar to ever be made in Australia. The pair will compete in the Carter Tyre Motorsports entry in the 3 Hour enduro, as well as the Round 3 event at Timaru on October 13-14. SVG will miss Round 2 however, as he’ll be competing at Round 4 of the NZ Rally Championship
against fellow Kiwi racing star and recently crowned champion of Europe Hayden Paddon. The two last met at the Whangarei Rally, and prior to that, both scored top level WRC championship points at Rally New Zealand. Round 4 of the NZRC is the returning Daybreaker Rally which, after being absent from the fixture since 2013, returns to the bottom of the North Island in the Manawatu and Rangitikei districts. SVG will once again steer an Audi S1 AP4, where he’ll be hoping he doesn’t encounter the same mechanical issues as he did last time out at the Whangarei Rally. “I’m looking forward to my next round of the NZRC. We had a
tough time at Whangarei with some issues, but a lot of work has been done to make sure we are ready to go for the Daybreaker,” Van Gisbergen said. “We did a test event a couple of weeks ago and the car was feeling great. From history, the Daybreaker was always an awesome event and it’s great that it’s back on the calendar this year. I can’t wait.” The Daybreaker Rally was first held 40 years ago, and used to start at 10pm, running through the early morning. This time the rally will kick off in the morning/ daybreak, with eight stages covering over 150 kilometres, starting on September 23. TW Neal
SPORTS SEDANS SET FOR HUGE DES WALL CUP OUTING THE PRECISION National Sports Sedans series returns to SMP for the Sydney Master Blast on September 8-10, and will compete for the perpetual Des Wall Cup in Race 3 – named in honour of the Wall Racing founder who was also an important figure in the series’ history. Round 3 sees the halfway mark of the 2023 season, and they’ll hit Sydney’s Eastern Creek with a near full quota of entries which includes a special overseas guest from NZ, Angus Fogg, who’ll be competing in the stunning 800 hp, Black & Gold JA Russell Ltd 1970 Fastback Mustang (below). There will also be another new entry from debutants Ingram Racing Brothers that will be an expected frontrunner, but first … Another solid round from Queenslander Ashely Jarvis at his home race in Round 2 saw the #44 Monaro driver keep the series lead with a nine point break over 2022
champion Jordan Caruso in the Audi A4, whilst Tony Ricciardello is just five points behind him in the iconic Alfa Romeo GTV. Last year it was Caruso who claimed the Des Wall Cup, and category manager and competitor Michael Robinson told Auto Action that it’s an important tradition to uphold: “It’s a great feature in our season, he was a significant person in the history of our category and a past champion (2009).” “It means a lot to his
family and us to compete for a perpetual cup named in his honour, no doubt.” The weekend will see a combined grid of National (27) and State entries (10), and will also feature a double entry from the Ingram Racing Brothers team for their first national meeting. Peter Ingram will debut a brand new Mazda RX7, a state-of-the-art car capable of running up front, and his brother Michael will race an RX8. Round 1 race winner and national TA2 frontrunner Josh Haynes will also return, but this time in a Nissan 300ZX. But the biggest news is the first
international entry for 20+ years with the familiar Touring Car Masters name of Angus Fogg. The Kiwi’s stunning modified Fastback is a TCM lap record holder at Bathurst from 2019, where he won three races in the brutal looking Mustang and clocked 300 kph down Conrod Straight. Fogg will not only appear at SMP, but he’ll also race at the year’s final events at the Bathurst 1000 and the Gold Coast 500. “I’m stoked to be heading over to race in Australia, we didn’t leave ourselves much time to prepare and modify the car, but it got a well-deserved mechanical birthday, and a few ‘stick ons’ to make it faster,” Fogg declared. “The goal is to go and have some fun at three of Aussie’s coolest motorsport events rather than any aspirations of winning, The National Sports Sedan Series features a vast array of cars and will be quite a different challenge from last time we were there”. Also new to the national series at SMP will be Stewart Eustice and Tony Groves in a pair of Mazda’s, adding to what will be a truly fantastic weekend. TW Neal
THE VICTORIAN STATE RACE SERIES
ROUND 5 - PHILLIP ISLAND
SEPTEMBER 22-24 Presented by the Victorian Mini Club
Always great racing and fantastic entries across many categories.
All the Victorian State Race Series categories will compete with big fields and the event will also feature Round 6 of the Australian Formula Ford Series • Historic Touring Cars and HQ’s • Saloon Cars • MG’s and Invited British • Formula Ford 1600 • BMW E30 • Formula Vee • Improved Production Cars • Porsche 944 Challenge
VSRS HP AD
• Sports Sedans
• Hyundai Excels
• Round 6 - Calder/Combined October 27-29 TBC
Spectators are always well catered for with full access to the paddock and the racers.
Images: REBECCA HIND-REVVED PHOTOGRAPHY
For further information visit www.VSRS.com.au autoactionmag
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NATIONALS NEWS
Images: REVVED PHOTOGRAPHY
EXCITING RACING SET FOR STATE TRIP TO THE ISLAND
Image: BENALLA AUTO CLUB
WINTON 300 BACK AT THE ACTION TRACK FOR VRMC ROUND THE HI-TEC Oils Winton 300 is back, on September 16-17, running in conjunction with Round 4 of the Victorian Motor Racing Championship (VRMC). There’s a healthy dose of entries already registered for the race that has always captured imaginations, broken hearts, and consistently delivered the unexpected. This year also has some star driver entries from the TA2 Muscle Car Series. After it ceased to be in the early 90s, the Winton 300 initially made its comeback in name as a V8 Supercar round in 2003-2004. The race then made its more traditional return after a hiatus in 2011, reverting back to its production car roots. And whilst last year saw the popular
entry of Steve Johnson and Matt Mackelden take part in a AU Falcon (they broke down on lap 5) it was taken out by BYP Racing Benny Tran and Ben Connell in a Honda Civic on the penultimate lap. In living up to the traditional drama that the race generally serves up, fellow BYP team racers Jimmy Tran and Tom Vucicevic suffered throttle issues with the chequered flag in sight to be run down at the death. Whilst Benny will be returning to defend his crown along with the other BYP Racing entry, popular TA2 frontrunners Jackson Rice, Josh Haynes, and Brag Gartner are also getting involved at the track they know all too well. Haynes, a National Sports Sedans and
TA2 race winner this year, was a class winner alongside Michael Ricketts at the Sydney 300, and they’ll be hoping for the same as a pairing in the #41 Nissan Pulsar. Haynes fellow TA2 competitors are pairing up for this one, sharing the #1 Hyundai Veloster. The format will see qualifying and the top-10 shootout on the Saturday, with the race on Sunday afternoon. Competing at Round 4 of the VMRC round is the Australian Super Truck Championship, Australian Hyper Racer Championship, Victorian Excel Trophy Series, Victorian Excel Masters Series, 2L Sports Sedan, Victorian Sports Car Racing, and the Legend Cars. TW Neal
BIG FIELDS and exciting racing is promised for the Victorian State Race Series trip south to Phillip Island. Round five of the season sees racing return to Phillip Island on September 22-24 for the second time in 2023 after a previous visit in May. On this occasion Improved Production, Saloon Cars, Sports Sedans, Porsche 944 Challenge, Formula Vee, Historic Touring Cars, BMW E30, MG and Invited British Sports Cars, Holden HQs, Hyundai Excels and most notably the national Formula Ford series will be entertaining the fans. HQ Holdens and Historic Touring Cars will be racing as a combined series together. For the second Victorian State Race Series meeting in a row the Australian Formula Ford Series is the headline act. They also raced at Winton, where Matthew Hillyer extended his points lead with two victories. Next best is Zak Lobko, who had a lowscoring round as a tight battle for second emerges between himself, Jake Santalucia, Xavier Kokai and Harrison Sellars. Reef McCarthy will be looking to defend his solid 55-point lead at the top of the Formula Vee standings over Nicholas Jones. The Excels arrive after recently going racing at Calder Park where Masters and Trophy honours went to David Musgrave and Bradley James respectively. Rod Raatjes (HQ Holdens) Luke GrechCumbo (Improved Production) Trevor Lindsay (MG and Invited British Cars) Chris Lewis-Williams (Porsche 944) Keven Stoopman (Saloon Cars) Francois Habib (Sports Sedans) and Royce Lyne (BMW E30) will be the others with targets on their backs. Thomas Miles
NEW DATE FOR THE PHILLIP ISLAND CLASSIC THE DATE for the 2024 Phillip Island Classic has been revealed with the Victorian Historic Racing Register event to maintain its early March window. The 2024 running of the Festival of Motorsport will be held on March 6-10 2024 with entries opening in around three weeks time. There is plenty of anticipation around the return of the Phillip Island Classic after the 2023 edition was hailed as the “best ever”. With a field of former Formula 1 cars, five-time Bathurst 1000 winner Steven Richards racing his father’s 1990 ATCC winner, ex Ferrari star Eddie Irvine in attendance and countless classic cars, there was something for every motorsport fan and they responded. Record Friday and Saturday crowds attended, while over 250 cars practiced on Thursday alone. The same schedule will be on the cards in 2024 with practice kicking things off before three days of racing unfolds.
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Image: MARK HORSBURGH-MOTORSPORT IMAGES VHRR president Ian Tate said there are hopes to make 2024 even bigger after the 2023 event’s success. “It was massive. The year before was the biggest crowd we had on a Saturday, but this year it was up 26 percent, so we did something right,” he told Auto Action.
“The weather was perfect and the crowd loved the racing, with incredible feedback. “Plans for 2024 are underway with entries possibly open in the next three to four weeks, so it is all systems go. “The expressions of interest so far have been incredible.” Whilst it is still early days Tate hinted there could be a special spread of five-litre touring cars (pictured) to give fans a dose of nostalgia from a famous era of V8 Supercars racing. “If it does not clash with Newcastle or wherever the Supercars season opener is, we are in for some of the best five litre cars in Australia with top drivers,” he said. “We are focused on the five-litre cars because they drew a massive amount of interest.” Entries are expected to be open later in the month, but those thinking of attending are already encouraged to arrange accomodation with places already believed to be booked out. Thomas Miles
VALE: ‘GENTLEMEN’ JIM REED ‘GENTLEMEN’ JIM Reed, the driving force behind the Reed Racing dynasty has passed away at the age of 86, leaving behind a 70 year legacy of influence, performance, and innovation in Australian drag racing. Reed was a pioneer in the sport both on and off the track, heading up a family of successful drag racers, and was inducted into the ANDRA Hall of Fame in 2014. Over the last 30 years, his son Steve Reed was one of the Reeds to further carry the torch as the reigning 400 Thunder Pro Alcohol Champion and a multiple Australian champion. His daughter Kerri also raced, as did his late wife Nelma, his daughter in law Debbie, his grandson Daniel, Daniel’s wife Fiona, his granddaughter Sally, and her husband Matty Watts … quite the competitive bloodline! Nelma, who passed away in 2015, was also a pioneer for women in the sport, and was known publicly in the 60s as “the fastest woman on four wheels in Australia.” Jim was a co-founder of the Queensland Drag Racing association and driving force behind the creation of the Pro Alcohol category. Reed’s first foray into the sport came at age 13 when he modified his fathers 1928 Essex, upping the compression to significantly increase its power. He started racing in 1955, running
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16-second times over a standing start quarter-mile competing in a modified flathead V8 powered 1935 Ford at the Strathpine ex-WWII airstrip. From 1957 – the year he married his wife Nelma, who shared a mutual love of the sport – the pair didn’t miss a season of competition for the following 50 years. In 1966 he competed in the 1966 Dragfest – USA Tour as part of the opening meeting for Surfers Paradise International Raceway, with a string of Supercharged Altereds following suit.
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His battles with Bob Dunn and Graeme Cowin became the stuff of folklore on the Aussie scene, with Reed also winning the first Winternationals at Surfers Paradise International Raceway. Reed became the leading authority on methanol-fuelled engines, which he was prominent in using through the 1980s, spreading his knowledge to others in helping to grow the category. In 1977 he started to share the driving duties with his son Steve, until stopping racing in 1982.
Prior to that he had been a big part of the horsepower revolution in the sport, where he won a significant number of races, meetings, and titles, resetting record after record as the quarter-mile times dropped into the eight second zone. Following 1982, Reed was instrumental in the formation of the Top Alcohol Eliminator category that was, and is, a favourite with racers and fans, with Reed Racing now having competed in the category for over 30 years, collecting plenty of championships. His tuning, fabrication and innovative skills kept him at the helm of Reed Racing, only ever missing one race day in 20 years, which was due to being in hospital in November of 2022. Jim will be forever remembered as an icon of the sport on Australian shores. Auto Action sends its condolences to the Reed family, friends, and the drag racing community. TW Neal
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LATEST NEWS
SVG SUFFERS TESTING CRASH PIRELLI SET TO REMAIN FORMULA 1’S TYRE SUPPLIER PIRELLIA IS expected to continue being the offical tyre supplier for Formula 1 until 2027 with a new deal “in the final phases” in Italy. Rumours emerged the Italian tyre manufacturer was poised to seal the deal with the FIA and Formula 1 on home turf at Monza last weekend where it was also the title sponsor. Pirelli has been supplying Formula 1 tyres since 2011 after taking over from Bridgestone and it made the bold switch to 13 to 18-inch tyres in 2022. The current contract ended at the end of 2024 and the FIA recently opened a tender for interested parties for the 2025 to 2027 window with an option to extend another year. Pirelli’s F1 chief Mario Isola told Sky Sports F1 the process was approaching the finish line when asked for an update. “Not yet but I hope we are in the final phases,” he said. “I believe F1 and the FIA have all the elements to make a final decision.” After beating Hankook to win the previous tyre tender, Pirelli was rumoured to be facing stiffer competition from the previous control tyre Bridgestone. Back in June Isola revealed the latest tyre tender was “a lot more complicated” than previous instances. But these fears are now no more with Pirelli expected to remain part of Formula 1 for a record 17th season come 2027.
A PIVOTAL Gen3 test for Shane van Gisbergen and Richie Stanaway ahead of the Sandown 500 on Tuesday did not go to plan at Queensland Raceway. Van Gisbergen was flying down the last of the four long straights at Ipswich before things went astray as he approached the right-handed turn six. The Kiwi suffered a brake failure and could not stop the #97 Camaro from skating through the gravel trap and going head on into the tyre barrier at the final corner. Van Gisbergen is okay after extracting himself from the passenger
door with the driver’s side blocked from being wedged in the barrier. However, the car has sustained significant frontend damage and there were fears it would not return for the remainder of the day. However, the team put in a mighty rebuild to get car #97 back out on track before the end of the day. “Unfortunately Shane had a brake failure,” Stanaway told Supercars.com after the incident. “The main thing is he is okay, because he had a pretty big impact. “Disappointing test for us, because we had a lot on the programme for
today. I didn’t get any laps this morning before the incident. “Not an ideal lead-in to Sandown, but that’s the positive thing about the team giving me a lot of running this year.” Triple Eight teamates Broc Feeney and Jamie Whincup in car #88 and Craig Lowndes and Zane Goddard in car #888 following their Monday test. All other Queensland based teams Dick Johnson Racing, Matt Stone Racing and PremiAir Racing also ran around the “Paperclip” including the DJR wildcard where teenager Kai Allen cut his first Gen3 laps.
PIAC CELEBRATE AWARDS NIGHT THE PHILLIP Island Auto Racing Club (PIARC) was in celebration mode at the start of the month with a special dinner. A total of 54 people gathered at Sandown to honour and toast the winners of the 2021 and 2022 PIARC Annual Awards. These awards included some of the most prestigious in the club such as the Winston Maguire Clubman of the Year, the John Lanyon Competitor of the Year, and the Clubsport Competitor of the Year Awards. The Winston Maguire Clubman of the year award has been a long running PIARC tradition and has been presented ever since it first appeared in 1965 when George Thomas received the prize. The latest to receive the honour are Roger Sinclair and Jen Campbell, who were the 2021 and 2022 winners respectively for their tireless efforts around the club.
Another long running award is the John Lanyon Competitor of the Year Award which was first won by both Alfredo Costanzo and Alan Hamilton in 1981. It has remained a big part of the club and Robb Splatt won the award 40 years after it was first presented, while Tony Groves was the 2022 recipient. The Club Sport Competitor of the Year is not only presented to a member who has been a prolific event winner, but also someone who represents the PIARC in speed events and motorkhanas. In 2021 Graham Bentley stood out, while Scott Appledore performed in 2022. In addition to the night of festivities, a total of 80 enthusiastic members also paid a visit to the Fox Classic Car Museum. The next PIARC event is a Supersprint on November 11-12.
PIASTRI IN THE MIDDLE OF “UNACCEPTABLE” MCLAREN CLASH MCLAREN TEAM principal Andrea Stella was not happy Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris made “unacceptable” contact at the Italian Grand Prix. The battle between the Aussie and the Brit was one of the more intriguing duels during the first half of the race. Piastri held the track position during the first stint, but after Norris complained over team radio he was allegedly faster than car #81, the more experienced Brit was given the preferred strategy. Car #4 was serviced first, which meant after Piastri was boxed he was suddenly at risk of losing his position. The two McLaren’s went side by side into turn one battling for 10th on lap 24 and Piastri, who was on the inside at the tight right hander, could not stop his front right tyre from glancing his teammate’s sidepod in the middle of the condensed chicane. Both cars survived the incident with the undercutting Norris gaining track position and driving onto eighth, while a separate
clash with Lewis Hamilton restricted Piastri to 12th. Despite both MCL60’s surviving Stella was not happy to see them come together. “This is not acceptable. There should never, ever be contact between two McLaren cars,” he said. “There was a contact, which doesn’t fit the way we go racing at McLaren. “What is important is to have clear parameters as to what you deem acceptable and what you deem unacceptable. “It’s not an emotion thing, it’s just like you do with other things. “You deal with racing in a similar way. This is very clear that for any driver, there’s something bigger than them. It’s the team.” When pushed if he felt either Norris, Piastri or the undercut was to blame for the incident Stella said there could have been “a little misjudgement” by the Australian, but put it down to an “issue with execution” from all parties. “It’s always a little tricky when you leave
the pits, especially on hard tyres,” he said. “Certainly, Oscar was trying to see where he could place himself so that he could keep the position, but on colder tyres, this could be slightly more difficult than he might have anticipated. “I think we could absolutely conclude that this is just a little misjudgement, therefore it means there is no problem at all. “Both drivers race and they were aware that there must be no contact between two McLarens, and it was just an issue with the execution. “In terms of having the skill sets to say, ‘the tyres are a bit cold, maybe I need to take more margin,’ it’s not for me to say, I’m not in the car. “It’s just they need to appreciate that there’s no way the line should be crossed.” When reflecting on the battle from the cockpit Piastri said he was on the verge of locking up. “I am sure we will talk about it as a team because it was not an ideal
scenario,” he said. “I broke where I broke, I couldn’t really slow down much more than that and was at the limit of locking up. “It was tight and fortunately we were both fine after and nothing happened. “Of course the intention is never to get that close.” Norris downplayed the incident stating “we gave each other space”. “I guess he was just on cold tyres or something so he just had a bit of understeer,” Norris said. “I tried to leave enough of a gap. It’s just very difficult to see in the mirror. “I left a big gap but just hard and cold tyres is not a nice combination and I guess he just ran into my rear tyre. “We respect each other. We give each other space and it’s unfortunate but nothing happened, so it’s OK.” Formula 1 has a week off before the Singapore Grand Prix on September 15-17. Thomas Miles
DRIVER CHANGES A FOCUS FOR SUPERCHEAP WILDCARD THE NEW look Supercheap Auto wildcard Camaro had a busy first day of testing at Queensland Raceway as preparations for Sandown ramp up. Craig Lowndes and Zane Goddard resumed testing before they will team up together in car #888 at Sandown and Bathurst. Although Triple Eight has held a handful of wildcard test sessions and even took part in a sprint round for Goddard, the latest is vital as they fine tune for the enduros. Lowndes said the first day was a success with pit stop practice a focal point. “It was a good day and we have really been getting down to the fundamentals as well as practicing driver changes and pitstops,” he said. “Zane and I have our (driver changing) routine, and we’ve got our way to get in and out of the cars.
“(But) for the first time, it is different from what I am normally used to. “These new cars have a lower profile roof, which means you’ve got to put your left leg in and then slide down into the seat, dragging your head and right leg with it. “A little bit different, but it’s the same for
everyone. “Although it doesn’t relate directly to Sandown here at Queensland Raceway it still helps us to understand how the car reacts with changes and I feel like we’ve got a good understanding of that side of it.” Goddard backed up Lowndes’ comments
and believes they are finding a way through the challenge of changing in and out of the new cars. “It’s been a super third test day and driver change practice has been going well,” he said. “I’m not finding much of an issue with getting in and out of the car. I’m quite lucky that I am not one of the taller drivers on the grid, but I’m sure everyone will find a way that works for them. “When you add in the airline, fuel guys, and all those additional factors the space gets a lot tighter. “You can practice the changeovers at the workshop as much as you can but you are missing the ‘race’ factors. “With the changeover practice today it’s been good to get a bit more insight into what it will be like during the race.” Thomas Miles
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YOUNG AUSSIE GIRLS GO FOR GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY TWO YOUNG Aussies Joanne Ciconte and Jure Portelli will receive a golden opportunity this week as part of the FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars Program. Ciconte and Portelli are just two of 16 youngsters hand picked from around the world to take part in the program aimed at drivers aged between 12 and 16 years old. The two Aussies will attend a special training camp at the Franciacorta Karting Track in Italy where they will be up against six other girls aged between 14 and 16 years in the Seniors program. Ciconte and Portelli will hope to be one of the four selected to advance to the second stage at Ferrari’s famous Maranello test track. From there, the winner from the final four will be awarded with a berth in the prestigious Ferrari Driver Academy in 2024 where a drive in the Formula 4
Championship is also on offer. Ciconte and Portelli are following in the footsteps of fellow Aussie Alice Buckley, who made it into the final four. Both girls preparing for the 2023 program have risen up the Karting Australia ladder and gained valuable experience in doing so. Portello started just two years ago, but hit the ground running winning 20 of her 40 races held last year, plus a podium in the Townsville State Cup. The Queenslander may have only raced karts, but is determined to give it everything at the dream opportunity. “This has been my goal since I started karting. We had been hoping for it for a long time and have been working towards it,” Portelli said. “Even though everything is ready to go – it doesn’t feel real. “I guess once you achieve your biggest
dream, it doesn’t feel like it’s happening. “We are just really excited for this – we even spoke with Alice about her experience and got advice, to which she gave me a few pointers, which was good. “Alice has been a role model for me since joining, and I am hoping I can be successful like her and inspire other young girls to continue into the sport.” Ciconte heads to Europe with five years of racing experience already under her belt at the tender age of 14. Since starting racing at nine, she has raced in many events collecting state level wins and podiums. This year Ciconte won the Australian Pink Plate Ladies Championships and she has also tested a Hyundai Excel. She cannot wait to see where the FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars Program takes her. “I am so excited for this opportunity
and to what it may lead to in the future,” Ciconte said. “To be up against some of the best young female talents from around the world is extremely cool and I am really looking forward to this opportunity and doing my best. “It would mean the world to me to make it to the final four and race at Fiorano, let alone win the whole Girls on Track Rising Star Program and earn a spot in the Ferrari Driver Academy. “This wouldn’t have been possible without the support of many people around me, including my mentors – in particular Rohan Ambrose who has taught me so much over the journey.” The FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars program begins at the Franciacorta Circuit in Italy tonight and runs to Thursday. Thomas Miles
ESTRE GAINING CONFIDENCE AFTER FIRST SUPERCARS DRIVE FRENCHMAN KEVIN Estre is feeling “confident” after an initially “quite tough” first drive of a Gen3 Supercar at Winton. Estre is one of the two internationals in the 2023 class of co-drivers and will share the #19 Grove Racing Mustang with Kiwi rookie Matthew Payne. The French driver arrives in Australia with a wealth of experience from taking class wins at Le Mans and championship success in the French and German Carrera Cups. But after jumping behind the wheel of the Grove Racing Mustang for the first time at Winton on Monday, he admitted a Supercar was a “tough” beast to tame initially. “It was my first time in a Supercar at Winton and everything was new, so it was quite tough at the start,” Estre recalled on a Grove Racing video. “Thinking about the heel and toe, driving on the right hand side and changing gears
differently were all things I am not used to. “It was tough but we made good progress and we understood well what the car needs.” With the first baptism of fire out of the way, Estre can now focus on the road ahead. As he gets further up to speed with the new Mustang, the current Porsche Penske Motorsport driver feels he and the team can begin making progress for the enduros. “I think it was a good first test day for me to get a feel and know the car and team,” Estre said. “It was nice to know the team and how to ask feedback and now we just need to put it all together. “I feel good and confident for the rest of the testing and ready to race in 10 days.” Grove Racing has conducted another test session today at Winton as preparations for the Sandown 500 continue.
MSR OVERCOMES TYRE SCARE ON THE same day Shane van Gisbergen crashed, Matt Stone Racing suffered at testing scare of its own at Queensland Raceway on Tuesday. Full-time Supercars rookie Cameron Hill lost some track time after the #35 Camaro was seen beached in the gravel. This was not down to a driver mistake, but another mechanical gremlin with a wheel unexpectedly coming loose. Despite the scare the Chevrolet returned to the garage and was quickly back on track with Hill stating the incident was just “a minor inconvenience”. “We had a pretty busy day in Car #35. We ran through a number of items, some procedural stuff,
some setup stuff in the morning,” he said. “We had a wheel come off, unfortunately, but it was only a minor inconvenience and the boys got it fixed up pretty quickly. “Then we put Jaylyn (Robotham) in the car for most of the afternoon to log some laps and get his eye in. “Looking forward to working on a few more things back at the factory tomorrow then we should be all good to go for Sandown next week.” His co driver Jaylyn Robotham also enjoyed a “good day” behind the wheel. “It was a good day for me - always good to be back in the car,” he said. “I did a longer run today and worked on saving the tyre
because for the endurance races I’ll be doing a couple of stints. “Just trying to work on my fitness as well and keep on top of it. It’s been good to spend the day with the MSR boys and really looking forward to Sandown.” For team leader Jack Le Brocq it was also a strong session of pre-Sandown milage. “Today we were out at Queensland Raceway for our preenduro test day,” he said. “Juice (Jayden Ojeda) was able to get plenty of laps and get his eye in behind the wheel of the #34 Gen3 Camaro. “Good to get out on track before Sandown; we’ll do some more driver change practice at the workshop tomorrow and then it’s all focus on the 500.”
OLIPHANT TO MAKE TCR COMEBACK AT SANDOWN TOM OLIPHANT will be back behind the wheel of the Ashley Seward Motorsport Link & Co TCR at Sandown this weekend. Oliphant was not racing in round four of the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia season last month as he tied the knot in his home country England. Supercars driver Tim Slade stepped up as substitute at the “Paperclip” and qualified a strong third before finishing 11th, 12th and 4th across the three races. But the Brit will return to steering the #115 Lynk & Co 03 TCR machine at Sandown having won in his last round at Winton. Oliphant scored a breakthrough win for
Ashley Stewart Motorsport on the most unexpected weekend where the team had to switch from the Lynk & Co to the old Alfa Romeo last minute. The Lynk & Co car was debuted in Australia by Oliphant at the second round in Phillip Island and recorded two top 10 finishes after an opening race retirement. Whilst a second race in the Lynk & Co will arrive a bit later than first anticipated, the BTCC race winner is excited to jump back into the hot seat. “It’s a bit of a whirlwind coming back from an amazing time getting married, but I’m really pleased to be getting back in the Lynk & Co and to get cracking,”
said Oliphant. “I learnt a lot at Phillip Island and the test day we had at Winton, the team learnt even more with Slade in Queensland and I’m keen to delve in with the crew to unpack that information. “It’s also our last round before the World Tour joins us, so we’re really pushing to get the best understanding of the car as possible before those drivers join the field. “It’s exciting times moving forward, and I’m keen to get into it.” Sandown is a scene of happy memories for Ashley Seward Motorsport as Michael Caruso collected the team’s only win of
2022 in soaking conditions. However, the famous Melbourne circuit will be a new proposition for Oliphant. “Sandown is another new track, but it’s one that I’m really eager to learn,” he said. “From the footage I’ve been watching it looks like a very interesting and exciting track. “I know a lot of the drivers in the paddock enjoy racing around it as well. You’re never really sure what you’ll need when going to a new track but I’m really confident that we’ve got a very good race car.” TCRs go racing at Sandown this weekend from September 8-10.
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F1 TEAMS IN THE CLEAR TAYLOR FOR FIA’S 2022 ANNOUNCES ARC RETURN COST CAP THE FIA has confirmed that all ten Formula 1 teams have been reviewed and cleared of any Cost Cap Administration breaches for the 2022 season. After the much talked about $145 million dollar Cost Cap (USD) was introduced for the 2021 FIA Formula 1 season, last year’s process saw three teams in breach of the new regulations, Which resulted in the championship winning Red Bull team fined and stripped of a percentage of its aerodynamic testing time for this season. For a 1.6% overspend, the Milton Keynes team was fined $7 Million to go with the 10% reduction of access time to its aero testing facilities. Aston Martin ($450,000) and Williams ($25,000) were also fined for breaching the spending limit, but this year all teams were found to be under the spending limit, receiving certificates of compliance. For the 2022 season, the Cap was reduced to $140 million, but it was given a mid-season boost of 3.1% (4.3 million) owing to the inflation of race dates on
the calendar from when the initial sum was calculated. Introduced to ensure the long term financial stability of the sport, the FIA said that the process covered the entire gamut of a teams on and off track spending. “The FIA Cost Cap Administration has issued certificates of compliance to all of the ten Competitors,” an FIA statement read. “The review has been an intensive and thorough process, beginning with a detailed analysis of the documentation submitted by the competitors. “Additionally, there has been an extensive check of any non-F1 activities undertaken by the teams, which comprised multiple on-site visits to team facilities and careful auditing procedures to assess compliance with the Financial Regulations. “The FIA Cost Cap Administration notes that all Competitors acted at all times in a spirit of good faith and cooperation throughout the process.” Despite Red Bull’s penalty from last season, it hasn’t stopped the juggernaut
team breaking all winning records this season, with the 1988 McLaren team win streak of 12 going by the wayside, as well as Max Verstappen going past Sebastian Vettel’s 2013 streak on nine wins, registering his tenth straight at Monza. As it stands after Monza, Red Bull has won 24 of the last 25 races. Despite breaching the cap in its winning 2021 season, the FIA released a statement saying that in winning the 2021 F1 title that it “did not act in bad faith, dishonestly or in a fraudulent manner”. Lewis Hamilton was inclined to disagree however, making the claim that if Mercedes had spent the extra money that he would have indeed won the championship. And in regards to Aston Martin and Williams the FIA said the fines were due to the fact they “inaccurately excluded and/or adjusted costs in the calculation of its relevant costs”. For this current season, the Cost Cap was set at $135. TW Neal
MOLLY TAYLOR will return to the Australian Rally Championship for the remainder of the 2023 season at the Adelaide and Canberra rounds. The 2016 ARC champion will return to compete in the ARC Production Cup class in a Subaru WRX STI with the support of both Subaru Australia and Castrol. For the last few years Taylor has focused on competing on the international scene, which has included twice taking on the Dakar Rally for the South Racing/CanAm team, where in 2022 she was the first Australian woman to take on the world’s most famous off-road rally. The inaugural 2021 Extreme E champion, Taylor also currently races for the Veloce Racing in the 2023 Electric E edition where she sits third in the title race alongside Swede Kevin Hansen. Taylor will reunite with co-driver Andy Sarandis for the two ARC events, with the two last tasting national success in 2020 in Tasmania. “I’m incredibly excited to be rallying back on home soil. The ARC holds wonderful memories for me and I’m excited and proud to be competing again in the Subaru WRX,” Taylor commented. “With Castrol, Subaru and Craig Brooks’ support, I know that I have the team behind me to succeed and I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel.” The former Junior WRC competitor and two-time British Ladies champion said she’s also looking forward to taking on childhood friend/competitor and 2019 ARC champion Harry Bates, who just so happens to have her famous mother Coral Taylor as his current co-driver. “going up against Mum and Harry just puts even more of a fire in my belly. This is family feud (the friendly competitive kind) at its best”. Prior to competing at the Adelaide Hills Rally on October 13-15, Taylor will be seeking some Extreme E redemption in Sardinia on September 16-17 after her last visit to the mediterranean island in July didn’t go to plan. Steering issues derailed her in the qualifying race, whilst her teammate also ran into problems to leave them third in the standings for the penultimate round at the same venue. “We had the speed, and we know we have the team and car to fight at the front, but it didn’t all come together,” she said at the time. “Nevertheless, we scored some solid points, the title fight is close and we will come back stronger at the next one.” Following the Adelaide Hills Rally in October, the National Capital Rally will be held on November 18-19. TW Neal
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ADELAIDE RALLY RETURNS UNDER NEW MA TARMAC REGS
THE ADELAIDE Rally will be taking place on November 17-19 this year as the first tarmac-based event run under Motorsport Australia’s (MA) new licence and vehicle eligibility regulations. The rally will go ahead with an expanded amount of categories that fall under the approval of the new regs, but there is expected to be a greatly reduced field owing to the new speed and powerto-weight ratio restrictions which will exclude the majority of the more exotic and high powered entries such as the Lotus Exige, Nissan GTR, or Porsche GT3 models etc. All eligible cars must have 0-100kmh time performance of slower than 3.6 seconds for Competition or Challenge categories, with competition categories limited to 200kph, and Challenge limited to 130kph, whilst the power-toweight ratio must be less than 4.2kg/hp (5.6kg/ kW). And whilst Classic car owners will find that the rule changes won’t have a big technical impact, 4WD turbocharged cars are also required to run restrictors (competition entries only). “In respect to vehicle eligibility, the new regulations go further than what was in the original set of recommendations that we supported,” Event director Tim Possingham said. “The greatest impost is probably to turbocharged four-wheel drive cars that now have to run a
restrictor and there are a handful of exotic cars that are now ineligible to run. “Some of those ineligible cars were star-cars at the event and it’s a shame to see those go. However, there’s relief on things like licensing fees and we have managed to deliver a massive benefit in entry fee relief.” Following the release of MA’s new licence regs, to assist with promoting entries, the governing body is wavering the fee for any driver needing to upgrade to an International Licence, which is needed for competition entries that would exceed 165 kph. The main event sponsors NAPA Auto Parts and Shannons have also slashed the $6600 to $1800 for the first 25 entrants. Drivers and navigators are still required to complete the mandatory $75 online competitor training course for competition categories however. As it stands, with most other tarmac rallies around Australia sanctioned by the AASA, the Adelaide Rally is currently the only tarmac event sanctioned by MA after its recent split with the Targa group. “This is an important milestone in the return of Targa style tarmac rally events in Australia,” MA CEO Eugene Arocca said. “We worked closely with Tim Possingham and the entire team at the Adelaide Rally to permit this event. “A big thank you must also go to the Australian Rally Commission members who have spent much time preparing these regulations alongside our Motorsport Australia staff who are committed to seeing these events return.” There are 30 stages planned all up, with the longest stage being 20 km, which will be run twice.
CALDER GAINS MOTORSPORT AUSTRALIA LICENCE FOLLOWING A successful return to circuit racing with the recent Victorian Motor Racing Championships, more progress has been made towards a full return to racing at Calder Park Raceway. In a positive step towards a full Motorsport Australia licence, the Calder Park Raceway National Circuit has just been granted a MA Category C licence. This enabled the famous track located just 25km from the Melbourne CBD to host a Phillip Island Auto Racing Club event that included a sprint on the National Circuit and a Motorkhana on the back straight of the Thunderdome. There were four Standard and Modified Car classes on show ranging from up to 1600 cc to over 3000 cc. Closed Racing Cars up to and over 2500cc also participated, plus all open wheelers. All entrants were offered 4-5 laps of the
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Thunderdome behind a Safety Car to complete the special day. The event comes as a further boost after Calder Park enjoyed a celebrated return to racing on August 12-13 when the Victorian Motor Racing Championships ended a 15-year race-less spell. Calder Park Raceway venue manager Rowan Harman confirmed the news of the track inspection and race meeting to Auto Action. “David Stewart from Motorsport Australia did the inspection, and we paid the licence fee today. “Over the last two to three months he has been out here several times and kept an eye on what needed to be done,” Harman said. “Under a MA Category C permit
Image: VICHEN PHOTO private testing, track days, test and tune days and sprints can be held. The PIARC meeting is the sprint meeting.” With the Victorian State Race Series scheduled to return to Calder Park on October 27-29, the next step is to obtain a Category B licence. “Our planning deadline to get a Category B licence for state meetings is before the end of September, leaving three weeks before the scheduled round,” continued Harman. Thomas Miles
INTERNATIONAL AUSSIES
ALLEN’S AWESOME LOVE TAKES ARAGON EFFORT SOLO GT WCE CLASS LEAD
Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES JAMES ALLEN and the Algarve Pro Racing team keep delivering against the odds in 2023, taking a remarkable podium at the European Le Mans Series in the LMP2 championship. Alongside Kyffin Simpson and Alex Lynn, they took their #25 ORECA 07 from the very back of the field to third at the Four Hours of Aragon in Spain, gaining vital points in a tight championship battle with the #30 Duqueine Team car. With their rivals finishing fifth, the podium sees them just one point behind with three rounds remaining, in a season that has included winning at Paul Ricard, and also at the non-
championship point paying 24 Hours of Le Mans in the Pro Am class. “We were really on the back foot after qualifying, so to come away with a podium to challenge the championship lead is amazing,” Allen said. “I handed over to Lynn and Simpson who did a fantastic job, as always! I can’t thank APR enough for always putting in 100%, even when it looks like we’re out of contention. “It really gives me confidence and we continue to push on at Spa.” It was a disastrous start in Spain, with Allen stopping on track in qualifying with brake issues, and their championship hopes took a dark turn.
Allen took the first stint before the race pushed on into the dark, and after only 25 minutes, the Aussies’ surgical-like brilliance had the car into the top-10. Simpson then took the car into third before Lynn even held the lead under the pit cycle, before they eventually clinched P3, 25.257s behind the United Autosports winners of Marino Sato, Oliver Jarvis, and Phil Hanson. The next outing for the team is at the Four Hours Spa Francorchamps on September 24, before a double header at Portimao on October 21-22 due to May’s cancellation at Imola, where APR will look to win it on their home turf. TW Neal
MERCEDES AMG Junior Factory Driver Jordan Love (above) has continued his breakthrough 2023, with the Perth born driver taking a double podium at Hockenheim in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup. The Haupt Racing driver took out a Race 1 victory in the Silver class aboard the #77 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, backing up from his maiden series win in Misano. It was a challenging start to the weekend however, with his regular teammate and good friend Frank Bird tragically losing his father (former MotoGP team owner – PBM Racing Team) before the race, with Swiss driver Alain Valente taking his spot for the weekend. After Love qualified the car in P12 overall and first in Silver class, the two drivers maintained the position amongst several yellows in the opener, taking the eventual win by over five seconds from their nearest rival to take an emotional win for the team. Both drivers paid tribute to the missing #77 regular, whistle Love heaped praise on Valente for his performance in a late call-up. Race 2 saw the team again take the class pole in P13 overall, but they were overhauled by the Lorenzo Patrese/Alex Aka pairing in the Audi R8 by just under a second. With the strong weekend in the Rhine Valley, Love’s debut season the GT WCE Sprint series now has him as a stand alone leader drivers standings of the Silver Class due to Bird’s absence in Germany. The two will reunite in Valencia on September 16-17, with Love will go in with a slender lead over the Race 2 Winning pair. TW Neal
ARMSTRONG AND HUGHES FINISH US CAMPAIGNS
FUTURE INDYCAR hopefuls Quinn Armstrong and Lochie Hughes can hold their heads high in their respective USF Juniors and USF2000 seasons in the US, finishing second and third in two racewinning campaigns.
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The Newcastle born Armstrong (above) finished second to his DEForce teammate Nicolas Giaffone, taking wins at Sebring, Mid Ohio, and Road America, as well as six podiums, finishing the year at COTA with back-to-back P2s in his #16 Tatuus JR-23.
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“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to win the USF Juniors Championship, however I do believe that in finishing runner-up I’ve learnt many valuable lessons that will help me continue on my path to being a more well -ounded driver,” he told Auto Action. “I am now confident that with the right backing we can continue representing Australia and competing at the front in the USF Pro Championships ladder in 2024 and beyond.” Armstrong is due to test with some USF Pro teams at the end of the year in his
hopeful journey up the famed Road to Indy ladder. Likewise, last year’s F4US champion – Gold Coaster Lochie Hughes (left) – also had a great step-up campaign. After leading the series into the Indianapolis Motorsport Park Oval race in the USF2000, a slight drop off in results through Mid Ohio and Toronto saw his rival Simon Sikes win that arm wrestle, as Hughes dropped to third by the year’s end. The #8 Jay Howard Driver Development racer steered his Tatuus USF-22 to four wins at St Petersburg, Sebring, Indianapolis Motor Speedway (RC), and Road America, including five podiums. Hughes has spent two seasons already with JHDD, and his obvious talent will hopefully carry him to the step below Indy NXT in 2024. TW Neal
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INTERNATIONAL AUSSIES
PRICE FIGHTS THE GOOD FIGHT IN ARGENTINA
TOBY PRICE’S FIM World Rally-Raid championship hopes looked shot after Stage 2 of the Desafio Ruta 40 in Argentina in the penultimate round of the championship but, in a typically gutsy effort, he kept the show alive in a bid for a second world title. Heading into the five-day race, the KTM Factory Racing Aussie held a slender championship lead over local Husqvarna racer Luciano Benavides, but the tables were quickly turned when Price suffered a shock absorber failure after a refueling stop, 135 kilometres into the trip up to Belen. In a remarkable display of selflessness, Price’s teammate Matthias Walkner stopped to assist, giving Price his KTM parts and sacrificing his own rally to keep the Aussie’s Championship hopes alive ahead of the season finale at the Rallye du Maroc. Despite being an hour behind and having a bad starting position for the two proceeding Belen loops, Price fought back into the top-10 to gain vital points in the tough and Dune heavy stages, taking P5 and P4 over both stages. He then stormed home to win the final stage on the run home to Salta, before a six second penalty in the Liaison dropped him to fourth, but he had already gained a the maximum available points to him to finish in ninth overall (effective eighth, as the the winner Tosha Schareina was a privateer). He sits only nine points behind the new leader heading into the rally he won to take the title out in 2018. “I’m happy to get through the race all in one piece, but that day two really knocked us back,” Price said. “Obviously, there’s still a chance and you can be sure I’ll be giving everything in Morocco, but for now it’s frustrating.” The Rally du Maroc takes place on October 12-18. TW Neal
Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES
BITTERSWEET FOR JONES AT MONZA HARRI JONES has taken his first ever Mobil 1 Porsche Supercup rookie victory, at Monza, but in a bittersweet moment lost out on the rookie championship on the very last lap by a single point. A hectic race on all fronts in which both the main and rookie championships swapped leaders, saw the BWT Lechner Aussie racer take his highest finish of the season in P4, but he twice held third spot over the timecertain laps which would have given him the prestigious rookie title, falling short by only one point. “Bittersweet … it was my best weekend in Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup,” Jones said. “However, we missed out on claiming the Rookie Championship by 1 point. A tough pill to swallow but I gave it my all
and that’s all I will remember. Thank you to Lechner Racing and everyone else involved in making this championship happen. “I’ve grown so much as a driver and as a human. My eyes have opened to the intensity and competitiveness of racing at this level and it fuels me for the future. “We will celebrate tonight the Outright Championship win for Buus Bastian and the 13th Teams Championship for Lechner Racing. Cheers everyone.” It was, however, his first ever rookie victory after a handful of P2 finishes, and after eventually starting in third for the final race of the season, his direct competitor for the rookie title, Frenchman Alessandro Ghiretti crashed out of the race, giving Jones the chance to finish as
title winner should he take third place. In a massive battle between Jones and Italian Simone Iaquinta, the two traded P3 back and forth in a race that saw plenty of action and yellows on the fast and twisty Monza track. Jones looked as if he’d sewn up the spot but ran wide into the gravel on the penultimate lap with the more experienced Iaquinta putting on the heat at all times in front of his home crowd. It did however shore up a top-10 in the championship in his debut season for Jones, finishing in overall ninth. Jones is still alive in the German Rookie Cup battle in the Deutsch Carrera Cup, with his next outing coming at the Red Bull Ring in Austria on September 22-24. TW Neal
WILLIAMS RETAINS GT WCE SPRINT LEAD CALAN WILLIAMS and his German teammate Niklas Kruetten (right) have continued on their winning ways in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup for Team WRT. The Aussie youngster and his teammate headed to Hockenheim to contest the third last round of the Sprint Cup, and their strip to the Rhine valley in the country’s south west again came up gold. Leading both the overall pointscore and the Sprint Cup table in the Gold Class during his debut GT3 season, Williams would go on to add a third Sprint win after claiming victories at Brands Hatch and Misano prior. The former F2 driver now retains the lead in both tables after a win in Race 1 before backing it up with a fighting P4 in the second. “A good weekend for us, especially in Race 1, with a class win and a great overall
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result,” Williams said. “We had good pace the whole weekend but today there was this contact resulting in an extra pit stop, and in a Sprint race you can’t recover 40 seconds.
“While the puncture might have hurt our chances in Race 2, it’s still a weekend to be proud of and carry with us into the next round at Valencia.” After qualifying in third for the opening
race, a flag-interrupted outing saw Krutten work his way up to seventh overall before the first driver change, which saw Williams emerge for the pits in sixth. From there Williams was clean and commanding to move the #30 BMW M4 GT3 up into fifth outright to secure a comfortable Gold Class win. He then qualified the car in P2 and 12th outright for the finale, before he had to pit early after taking contact and a puncture, with a resulting five second penalty dropping them into fourth. With two rounds remaining, the #30 pair hold a useful gap to the #9 Audi R8 pair of Alberto Di Folco and Aurelien Panis in both the Sprint and Overall Class, with the penultimate meeting at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia on September 16-17. TW Neal
CO-DRIVE HEAVEN COLUMNIST WEST REJOICES AT THE GREATER INJECTION OF CO-DRIVERS – EXCEPT IN ONE REGARD THE SANDOWN 500 is back and looming large in the windscreen as the next event for Supercars. Now, more than ever, our premier series needs its traditions and foundation stones to rebuild for the future. At a time when other pillars have evaporated – Holden and a grid populated by household names – it’s wonderful we’ve got Melbourne’s September enduro back. Bathurst’s little brother fits the bill nicely, signaling the opening of endurance season and shifting a ho-hum mid-year stretch up a gear. Sport is all about people-focused storylines and a sudden influx of new characters provides so many additional narratives for fans to follow. The category has been poorer for lacking a proper enduro phase. It struggles to garner meaningful media attention these days due to a lack of star power. For me, co-drivers provide a much-needed interest boost – the returning superstars (Lowndes, Whincup, Tander) the redemption stories (Goddard, Stanaway), the token international ace (Kevin Estre), old favourites (Moff, Woody Woodpecker, Luffy) and maybe even a rookie eager to make a name for himself. What’s the downside, I ask? If it’s having to pay co-drivers a little bit more coin to do another race, it’s a small price. Waiting for the Sandown 500’s return has been like waiting for the Olympics – four years between drinks. Five for an S500 in September. We can blame COVID and we can blame short-sighted team owners working against its return on the grounds of cost. I’d argue the greater cost to the category was not holding the Sandown 500 last year. It’s a little disappointing, though, the Saturday arvo qualifying sprints – a much-loved feature of the Sandown 500 weekend between 2012 and 2019 – have bitten the
with Luke West
REVVED UP dust. These highly entertaining 20-lappers have not survived the four-year hiatus. The co-driver race was particularly enjoyable. It’s possible the qualifying races were knifed to appease the team owners who were against the Sandown 500’s return. A political assassination you could say. Regardless, Saturday September 16’s schedule is light on for maingame Supercars action, with just a 30-minute practice session late morning, 20 minutes of qualifying at lunchtime and a late afternoon shootout rounding out the day. It was a lack of premier series track time that led to the qualifying races being introduced at this event a decade ago. For the record, Craig Lowndes was the last winner of the codriver race, with 2019 being his first year as a part-timer since
the mid-1990s. He won from Will Brown, Garth Tander, and young ’uns Bryce Fullwood and Thomas Randle. Three of the five would soon be full-timers, surely a glowing endorsement of co-driver qualifying race concept. A scan of the full entry list for that most recent Sandown 500 – held in November! – reveals very few changes to the 50-plus driver enduro field in four years. I counted just nine drivers from 2019 who have gone MIA. Among the regular drivers and co-drivers who have since exited stage right are Rick Kelly (and his Nissans), Scott McLaughlin, Luke Youlden, Dean Canto, Ash Walsh and enduro royalty Steve Richards. The latter, as a five-time Bathurst winner, never got the farewell he deserved, such is
the co-driver’s lot in life. Steve Richo is typical of a longtime full-timer, who slims down to a co-driver’s role, then slips into retirement with zero fanfare. Yet many full-timers get the full retirement send-off, including the gold watch, then keep on racing regularly in our biggest events. It must confuse the hell out of casual observers of our sport. I know I find it bizarre. Anyway, the other three 2019 starters missing from 2023 enduro entry lists are Alex Premat, Alex Rullo and Richard Muscat. I think we are in for bigger turnover in the near future, due to unintended consequences of SVG’s move to NASCAR and the biggest game of driver market musical chairs in ages. Those left without a full-season drive will become much valued enduro codrivers. This in turn will push out some long-standing co-drivers. Well, see. As much as I love races with co-drivers, I think it’s a mistake to allow them to start, especially at Bathurst, as the recently released
Supplementary Regulations for the 1000 have confirmed. I reckon it should be mandatory for main drivers to start an enduro – and not just for safety reasons. My rationale goes way beyond minimising the chances of early race exits and expensive racecar rebuilds due to strapping rusty or inexperienced part-timers into the cockpit to perform the most dangerous and difficult task of year. My logic for banning codrivers from starting stems from improving ‘the show’ and ‘the optics’ during the sport’s most anticipated moments on its biggest stages. Simply, what must once-a-year viewers think as they tune in for the start at Bathurst and see many guns sitting on the bench? Casual followers must be utterly confused by a grid full of no-names. Has anyone within Supercars considered the idiocy of their stars not actually performing during the sport’s highest-profile moment at Bathurst? The category is struggling for star power as it is, yet teams call up the understudies and keep the lead actors in the dressing room. Madness.
2019 Sandown 500 podium – name the line-up! Image: MOTORSPORT IMAGES
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEW HYPERCARS BUILDING MOMENTUM ALL THREE new Hypercar teams that are entering the World Endurance Championship and IMSA in 2024 have begun testing, with the Lamborghini SC63, Alpine A424, and Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6 Competizione all having had their first sessions – or stepped up their programs. Only the Lamborghini LMDh will race in both championships in 2024, whilst the Alpine LMDh and Isotta Fraschini LMH machines will be WEC-focused at first. All three programs have seen positive news come out of the French and Italian stables, as they prepare to join up with what could be the approach of a new golden era of sportscar racing alongside current participants Ferrari, Toyota, Porsche, Peugeot, Cadillac, BMW. After a brief shakedown at Vallelunga, Lamborghini had a breakthrough moment with its on-track test sessions at Imola after first revealing the SC63 at Goodwood in July – the first LMDh car to sport a Ligier optioned chassis. Drivers Mirko Bortolotti, Andrea Caldarelli, and Daniil Kvyat shared the seat over 1500 kilometres at the famous Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, giving
input on the in-house built 3.8-litre twin turbo V8. The Iron Lynx team who will run the car also started collecting data on its electronic systems, aerodynamics, and cooling systems over the two-day test. “We didn’t have any major issue so far,” said Iron Lynx Team Principal and CEO Andrea Piccini. Step by step we’re driving longer stints, learning the car and getting faster. Still a long way to go, a lot of debugging and development needed, but the first impression is definitely positive!” Lamborghini’s first round will be the WEC opener in Qatar. The new ORECA-chassised Alpine first hit the track for three straight days at Paul Ricard in Early August after being unveiled at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. WEC veteran Nicolas Lapierre was its first pilot, whilst LMP2 drivers Matthieu Vaxiviere and Charles Milesi took the last day only, clocking 1000 kilometres with particular emphasis on mapping its Mecachrome built V6 3.4-litre engine (a heavily modified Formula 2 engine). “The first overall impression is rather positive, and the absence of blocking
problems since the first laps has enabled us to get to know the car fairly quickly,” Alpine team principal Philippe Sinault said. “Seeing it on-track was a real thrill. Our knowledge of the car will grow as the development tests continue.” The A424 will also join the WEC field at Qatar. Last but not least is another boutique manufacturer entry into the WEC field - an Italian car brand that has not been seen since 1949! The Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6 was the first of the three to roll out of a garage in April, but recently appeared for testing at Monza – livery and all. They initially hoped for a debut at Fuji but this was shelved with the start of 2024 a lock. Made to LMH specs, giving total freedom of design, carrying an 3L V6 twin turbo engine developed by German engine specialists HWA, it was driven by Former Audi LMP1 driver Marco Bonanomi. “We did many laps and tried many different systems, configurations and car balances, all of which gave good results,” he said.
“Considering that it was my first test and the second for the team and car, we lapped consistently and at an interesting pace. “I think we can all be happy because the car seems born well, even if there is still a lot of work to do and data to analyse.” IF’s motorsport managing director Claudio Berro said that in a cautious approach, the car lapped at a similar pace to the Jota and Prema LMP2s that were also on-track. TW Neal
The Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6 debuted at Monza in full livery, while the Lambo (top) at Imola, and Alpine (above) at Paul Ricard, have appeared in base carbon. All three will join the WEC next year. Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES
INDYCAR TESTS NEW HYBRID SYSTEM INDYCAR’S NEW Hybrid system, which will make its debut in the 2024 season, has had its first on-track test at the Sebring International Raceway. Chevrolet and Honda’s antipodean rivals Will Power (pictured) and Scott Dixon turned a mammoth 800 laps over 2,253km in two days at the Florida track. There were no mechanical issues reported over the period, as the first real look at how the retro-fitted hybrid unit married up with the 2.2 litre, turbo V6 700 hp engines. The MGU (motor generator unit) is fitted to the rear of the car, attaching to the gearbox, whilst the supercapacitor is within the bellhousing. The key use of the supercapacitor – a lightweight addition to the gearbox
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casing – is that its stored energy will be utilised for the cars push-to-pass system, increasing boost from 60bhp (current power) to 150bhp. It also adds a new challenge for the
driver as they will need to learn how to harvest the energy under braking. “It will change the strategy, especially if you have to regen and you’re being attacked and it’s going to be hard to
regenerate,” Dixon said. “It adds a different dynamic. Not only from a strategy but for the person in the seat. You have to be thinking pretty quickly and making the right decision at the right time, which will make the racing even more spicy – which will be pretty cool.” Power in the meantime is chomping at the bit to get an extra dose of his namesake. “A lot of things have to be decided, but ultimately you can have more power all of the time, which would be good,” the Aussie said. “We all love more horsepower. I think you want the most regen that you can have and use the engine to its max. It’s exciting.” TW Neal
IT’S TIME WOW, WHAT A SILLY SEASON WE’RE HAVING IN 2023 ...
AND THAT was before Lewis Hamilton confirmed he is renewing for another two years, taking him to age 40 when he races with Mercedes-AMG in Formula One through 2025. This morning alone, September 1 – not April 1 – came news of the two-car Tickford contraction we first predicted as far back as the Friday at Sydney Motorsport Park, then the knock-on Blanchard Racing Team expansion for next year with one of the Tickford licenses, then the promotion of youngster Ryan Wood from Super2 to the second Supercars’ seat at Walkinshaw Andretti United. It was all anticipated, because Supercars leaks like the Titanic, but the roll-out was more like an avalanche dropping into the inbox at the start of the day. Surely someone could have ensured the timing worked better – even if NewsCorp managed to get things aligned for the first editions of its Friday papers? Does one story hidden in the back of the dailies actually still
with Paul Gover
THE PG PERSPECTIVE out-rate the combined peoplepower of all the motorsport websites in 2023? It’s something for another discussion, that one. But soon will come the announcement of Nick Percat at Matt Stone Racing, if the AA spies are – as usual – right. His move has also been rumoured for some time and apparently Percat has been in active discussions with Matt Stone for some time. Then it’s likely we’ll see James Courtney confirmed at the Blanchard squad, because there is no-one on the driver market who is better as a driver or even close as a company front man. So it’s been churn and turmoil through this year’s Supercars silly season, ever since we picked up the first pointers to Shane
van Gonebergen’s graduation to NASCAR. What will it all mean in 2024? Your guess is (nearly) as good as mine. We can definitely expect to see a better battle between the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang, after more than six months of parity wrangles, and it will be great to see how the driver moves pan out. Will Davy Reynolds spark fire up at Team 18? Will Will Brown be better than ever at Triple Eight? And can Erebus turn Jack Le Brocq into a regular winner? It will also be interesting to see how SvG races as a regular in NASCAR; if Brodie Kostecki can join him; if Cam Waters gets the break he craves in the USA;
Left to right: Some of the current Supercars TV crew – Chad Neylon, Garth Tander, Craig Lowndes, Mark Skaife. Time for some movement? ... Image: MARK HORSBURGH
and if Chaz Mostert gets back to Gen3 cars, even when there have some regular GT3 racing on the clearly been things going wrong. international circuit. He often talks about the It’s all sounding fresh and new closeness of the field in qualifying, and exciting and entertaining. but is that an accurate measure in But . . . Supercars? And would you expect There is one move which could anything different in a parity make things even better – and it’s category with so many common not removing Craig Baird from components, including the Race Control or having another lacklustre Dunlop racing rubber crack at Mark Larkham on the mandated by the Supercars commentary team. technical team? Baird is as ageless as ever, and Does he need to wind back on doing a top job in a thankless his roles, and potential conflicts, in task, and ‘Larko’ is still a giant fan Supercars? favourite. Looking into the central So what is needed? commentary position it’s Plenty of people in the pitlane, impossible not to compare the as well as ordinary viewers of the Crompton-Skaife pairing with their television pictures and fans who obvious successors, Chad Neylon speak through the Auto Action and Garth Tander. website, say the final countdown Chad and GT have been has begun for Neil Crompton and groomed for the role since Tander Mark Skaife. was punted – far too early, by No-one questions their skill any measure – out of his full-time or commitment, and they have driving seat in Supercars. provided the broadcast bedrock He could (and would) have done for a generation, but they do a better job than many racers appear to be tired and a bit jaded. through this year’s sprint season, Crompton is still the and quietly admits there have professionals’ professional, among been approaches, but he needs the very best in the world at what to stay on the television treadmill he does, and his connections to achieve his next big goal in up and down the pitlane are Supercars. impeccable. Just watch him work Neylon, meantime, has been the garages on Sunday night, shadowing Crompton – watching talking to anyone and everyone, and learning the whole craft, from and you can see his deep presenting to commentary – for connection. several years and is ready for his But Skaife has become the next step. Eddie Maguire of Supercars. He Will it happen? When will it is ’Skaifey everywhere’, from the happen? How will it happen? board of RACE in the ownership “They need to go. But they role to the action man for Gen3, cannot both go at the same time,” as well as a commentator and one Supercars’ power player told analyst. me recently. I was a huge supporter, and “There needs to be a transition. fan, when Skaife first joined the Look what happened the last time, commentary team. He didn’t tell with the Larko move. That didn’t me what I was seeing on the go well.” screen, he told me what was going Crompton and Skaife are great to happen. And when. And why. blokes, both of them, and they are Through season 2023 he has as committed and connected as Shane van Gisbergen and Richie Stanaway – SVG’s likely replacement? become a serious spruiker for the always. But . . .
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FORMULA 1 NEWS – LUIS VASCONCELOS
Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES
HAMILTON COMMITS FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS LEWIS HAMILTON will extend his career for at least another two years, Mercedes announced on Thursday at Monza, with both the seven-times World Champion and George Russell being confirmed as the team’s race drivers for 2024 and 2025. While for the younger English driver this was just a case of Mercedes taking the option it had over his services (but also committing for an extra season), in Hamilton’s case the negotiations took many months, as the two sides discussed what both the driver and Team Principal Toto Wolff insisted were “minor details” before reaching a deal the previous weekend. It was Hamilton who revealed that, “we were able to finalise all the details last week, so we sat down and sign the contract during the last weekend, in Zandvoort.” Insisting the deal was never in question, the British driver said that, “I definitely
wanted to continue. In life there is always ups and downs – like last year, was a difficult year. I am pretty sure everyone was questioning whether I wanted to continue because it is tough at the top and it is such a tough sport. But that thought quickly goes away and you put your mind and your energy into being the best you can be and dealing with the situations you are faced with. “So, I am really proud of what we achieved last year to get through it. Whilst we started on the wrong foot this year, to have some really great results ... we are second in the Constructors’ Championship and the plan is to keep that. Then close the gap to the guy ahead.” Asked if he was surprised by his own longevity, as he’s now committed to race in Formula One for 19 consecutive years, something no-one has ever done before, the Mercedes driver admitted
that, “I definitely didn’t think that I’d be the age that I am and feel the way that I do physically and mentally, and still love what I’m doing as much as I do. And that’s something I’m incredibly grateful for. “A lot of people stay in the same jobs and roles for a long period of time, and fall out of love with it, but just keep going because it’s maybe the only thing they can do. But for me, I genuinely still have that love for what I’m doing. I still love getting in the car, I still love racing with my peers, I still love working alongside Bono and all the guys in the garage and in the team, like chasing that common goal and dream. I love that feeling of when you have the lows together and when you have the highs together. There’s nothing like it.” Interestingly, Toto Wolff revealed that it was more than mere details that kept the negotiations going on for so long, as he wanted to make sure his driver wouldn’t
be tempted to jump ship should the 2024 season be a disappointing one for Mercedes: “This is a dynamic environment and signing a five-year contract means that you need to discuss about if there is any escape clause, in case we’re not providing him with a car that is performing So, we didn’t entertain that. We said we see the foreseeable future is two years. And that’s what we are committing to each other.” But, quoting his good friend Pep Guardiola, Wolff also concluded that, “we need to make a quick car; we need a quick driver. Like a very famous football coach once told me, if a good player wants to go elsewhere then he’s never stopped him going elsewhere. So, when somebody wants to move – either the team or the driver – then you’ve just got to move.”
ALONSO, VERSTAPPEN, HAPPY TO SEE HAMILTON STAY IN F1 ALTHOUGH THEY are generally considered the three greatest drivers on the grid, Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso have never had a close relationship with Lewis Hamilton, although the Red Bull and the Aston Martin drivers have cultivated their own relationship quite openly. Nevertheless, both the Dutchman and the Spanish driver were full of praise for their rival after Mercedes announced Hamilton will be racing with the German team for at least another two years. Fernando Alonso, who has had a difficult relationship with Lewis Hamilton since they were teammates at McLaren back in 2007, was very quick to state he’s very happy to see his old rival stay around for another two years: “Yes, yes, absolutely. I think that shows his commitment. His love for racing
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Champions all: Alonso (two), Verstappen (two, about to be three), Hamilton (seven) ... and Adrian Newey, whose designs have won 12 (about to be 13) Drivers World Championships!
is clear and he didn’t take a break, like I did, or Schumacher and Raikkoen. Yes, it is good to have him racing for two more years.”
He then went on to publicly admit for the first time that, “I think he’s one of the greatest of the sport and as long as he is
still in Formula One, I think it is a benefit for the sport in general and for everyone here. So, I hope he stays more than two years.” Verstappen, who fell out with the Mercedes driver during their 2021 title battle, also said that the news of Hamilton’s contract extension was, “for sure, good for the sport. And, at the end of the day, it’s good for him and Mercedes, because they have been already teamed up for a long time and for them to continue that partnership is of course great.” But when asked if he was looking forward to more on-track battles with the English veteran, Verstappen was not too sure they’ll be happening anytime soon: “We just have to wait and see what happens between the teams, and how everyone is going to perform next year ...”
THE SEASON HEATS UP IN SINGAPORE REMARKABLY, WE have already done 14 F1 races and now only have eight races remaining on the calendar. My debut season has absolutely flown by in the blink of an eye. The next challenge is the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore, a race known as one of the most demanding for the drivers. I’ve never raced there before so it’s another new one for me after tracks like Melbourne, Miami, Montréal and Zandvoort. I’m gradually ticking them off. Singapore is going to be a hot one. In the cockpit, it can reach up to 60 degrees Celsius with 80% humidity and the race regularly runs for two hours. There are plenty of heavybraking areas and lots of corners to contend with too, so there is absolutely no let-up whatsoever. I’m expecting to lose several kilograms of bodyweight in sweat by the end of the race so
Oscar Piastri’s
FORMULA 1 WORLD could be looking considerably different when I finish to how I started. It’s also a street track so any mistake or brush with the walls will end in tears, like at Monaco or Jeddah. Your concentration levels as well as your physical fitness must be super high. It’s therefore a case of making sure that you get your preparation right. Usually, we would not do specific training for a particular race. We do a lot of training in pre-season to set us up for the season and then just top those fitness levels up at various points.
However, Singapore is a different beast, and the majority of the drivers will be doing humidity training to try and get used to performing in those conditions. It’s not pretty but it has to be done. Nutrition and hydration are also massively important for this one, so I’ll have special plans built up in advance so that I’m in the right shape at the right moment. I think if you can take on Singapore, you can pretty much take on any of the races from a physical perspective. It’s going to be a cool race for
me off-track as I’ll be able to have some friends and family over from Australia. There aren’t many races near my neck of the woods (I say ‘near’ loosely) but it’s about a seven or eight-hour plane journey across so it’s more manageable for them to come and watch me in the flesh. I think there is usually quite a big Aussie contingent in the grandstands too for this race so I’m looking forward to seeing, hearing and meeting plenty of Aussies on the ground over there. It’s going to be a strange one as all the teams and timings stay on European time which mean we will be having breakfast at night and our evening meal in the morning. I will actually be having a special race helmet design for this one. I’ve come up with a little play on my usual helmet so without giving too much away,
you should be able to pick me out during the night race. Because of how technical the designs, production, painting and logistics around specials are, we usually have to finalise them around 5-6 weeks before the race so this is actually one that I settled on during the shutdown. Let me know what you make of it when I reveal it over in Singapore. Things really start motoring now with eight flyaway races in 10 and a bit weeks, so plenty of more new tracks for me and plenty to give you some insight into in my next column. First though, I’ve got my hands full with Singapore, as you are now well aware. Take care, OP
A rare dry lap at Zandvoort ... Oscar took points after a challenging wet-dry-wet race ... Image: MOTORSPORT IMAGES
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email: letters@autoaction.com.au Postal: Suite 4/156 Drummond Street. Oakleigh Victoria 3166 If there was a three-round Supercars Night Racing Series a driver and a team could each be awarded a night title within the overall Supercars Championship. It would add spice to the championship, be very popular with the fans and could generate strong Saturday night TV ratings. Malcolm Webster Boronia, Victoria
The Bend saw a positive move forward for Tickford and Ford fans. Image: MOTORSPORT IMAGES
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SUPERCARS IN A DOWNWARD SPIRAL SUPERCARS IS in reverse gear and I’m not sure there’s any way back for them. The crowd looked to be very poor at The Bend and a mate who knows a bit about TV reckons the figures there were terrible too. A big part of the problem is that the sport was handed over to pay-TV a few years ago and sometimes the only real free TV coverage is in the wee small hours of the night, worse than the worst old days on Seven in the ’90s. For years we’ve seen the football codes hog the limelight during the winter but for a while, a few years back, it seemed like Supercars was starting to gain a bit of traction, but now all that has turned down again. Gen3 is a dud and the best drivers we’ve had in the past few years have been New Zealanders. The general public don’t know our Australian drivers. It’s a big backward step from the days of Brock, Moffat, Johnson, Lowndes. Usually it’s rugby league that gets all the attention, occasionally AFL and soccer and rugby union to some extent, but now the Matildas are the biggest thing in Australian sport. They’re hot and Supercars is not. We just get pushed further and further down the pecking order. Now we hear the regular field is dropping down to 24 cars from 25 and Tickford – the oncemighty Tickford!!! – is going to two cars. What on earth is happening to Supercars? At least Bathurst isn’t far away. That’s one thing to look forward to at least. What happens after that though? Dennis English Chatswood, New South Wales Editors note, Thanks for your thoughts Dennis, a lot is going
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on in Supercars land and in some ways it makes sense to reduce the number of cars racing …. Apparently 24 cars fit into a plane better than 25. Also, Tickford did go back to a three car team in 2021 … and then bought back their licence in 2022 and returned to a four-car team.
HERE COME FORDS – ENDUROS COULD BE BLUE HEAVEN
HOW GOOD it was to see more blue on the podium of the ‘Camaro Cup’ round recently held at The Bend. The blue oval overall had a better weekend. All the little adjustments over the past months may finally be working. The true outcome of what has happened will be in a race longer than 20 laps. With the enduros approaching over the next couple months this will become reality. Nomadic Phil
Before every visit to Sandown we all think that there won’t be many more years left there as the Melbourne Racing Club (which runs horse racing) want to rezone the site to build housing. Don’t get me wrong, we need more housing built, but I don’t want to see it built at the expense of one of the best racetracks in this country. So how about a radical solution? A Sandown street track! OK, it sounds crazy, but hear me out. Why can’t we turn the site into a street track that can be opened a few times a year for racing like Bathurst. It can only have five events over 95 decibels a year anyway. Build houses, shops and everything around the track, but leave the track and pits alone. Just make sure that anyone buying in the area knows about the racetrack and can’t start complaining later. Plus they can’t do anything about the grandstand anyway because it’s heritage-listed. Probably not going to happen, doesn’t make the developers enough money, but why not? It would require some work, but I think it would be worth it. Thomas Hayes Miranda, New South Wales
TIME TO SEE THE LIGHT – LET’S HAVE MORE NIGHT RACES ARG ‘SHOW’ IN NEED THE SUPERCARS Championship OF ARGY-BARGY has its annual night round at Sydney Motorsport Park, but why not include two more night rounds – at Barbagallo Raceway in Perth and Calder Park in Melbourne? When Barbagallo had a night event it looked great and when the Supercars used to race at Calder Park at night that too looked better under lights. Now that motor racing has returned to Calder Park, and with further upgrade plans so it can regain its national licence, it would be great to see the Supercars return there as a permanent night round.
THERE WAS a story on your website headlined ‘ARG BROADCAST SHAKE-UP’ (August 25). There most definitely needs to be a shake-up with ARG. Don’t know whether the guy who has ‘departed’ has been the problem, but the ARG/TCR/ SpeedSeries ‘show’ is just about invisible. This was going to be an alternative to the V8 taxis. It’s a case of over-promising and under-delivering. Rex Hardy Wollongong, New South Wales
SOCIAL DISCOURSE MA BANS CARS FROM TARMAC RALLIES Matt Bantick Who are they trying to appease by “banning” these cars? An accident in a 1985 Cambria could be deadlier than any of those on the list! Nathan Page The old “quick, ban them before they quit on us anyway”. May as well rip the tarmac rally regs out of the MA manual as it would be a waste of paper. Chris Waters While I don’t happen to agree with a lot of this, especially the licensing. If something didn’t change there would be no tarmac rallying.
SUPERCARS SILLY SEASON
Peter Alexander Would be cool if two Tickford TRCs would lead to something real but I cannot see it happening. The field will now reduce further and we will have one less Mustang on the grid. Jason Cook If you are looking to build Team 18, Pye should have stayed. He was a Super2 champion and never got to a powerhouse team in their prime. Seems rough. Paul Robinson You may as well write contracts on toilet paper.
VERSTAPPEN DOMINATION
Michael Lyten Verstappen’s dominance, as opposed to Hamilton’s or Vettel’s or Schumacher’s in past years? I believe we should be admiring the excellence in driving and engineering to create this level of absolute dominance, in an environment where all teams face the same challenge. Mark Beaumont Max is definitely one of the most special drivers in the world right now. Gary Starr That (Verstappen record) says more about the car than the driver. Usually starts on the front row and passes nobody and is just a procession.
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MERCEDES’ MOVE BLOCKS 2025 MARKET Image: MOTORSPORT IMAGES
TOTO WOLFF has shown he’s still got it. Ten years ago the Austrian had replaced Flavio Briatore as the man who really controlled the drivers’ market, having the Mercedes drivers on long-term contracts and placing his other men – Bottas, Ocon, Wehrlein and so on – in key positions with other teams. But the Austrian was suddenly overtaken by events close to the end of the last decade and, for a while, seemed a bit stuck as Ferrari and McLaren started hiring drivers with more than 12 months’ notice, something that caught the Mercedes man by surprise. A couple of months ago, many believed Wolff was a little bit stuck regarding the future drivers for Mercedes. Yes, George Russell was in his hands, as Mercedes had an option over his future services, but Hamilton was believed to be more interested in securing a future role as brand ambassador for Daimler than anything else.
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F1 INSIDER With Verstappen and Norris stuck on long-term contracts with Red Bull and McLaren, respectively, and Charles Leclerc swearing his allegiance to Ferrari, Wolff’s options for 2025 seemed limited. Yes, Pérez and Sainz would be free, but the Austrian doesn’t seen any of them as World Champion material, putting Wolff in a difficult position. Now, by guaranteeing Hamilton’s services for another two years and making sure George Russell will remain as his team mate until the end of 2025 as well, the Austrian has not only given himself breathing space to find a future replacement for Hamilton, he’s also put Pérez, Sainz and Leclerc in weaker
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negotiating positions for 2025, as two appealing seats have gone off the market. His friend Frédéric Vasseur probably feels like treating Wolff to a lavish dinner – for his own drivers now have nowhere better than Ferrari to go to and, always a bonus, are not in a position to demand big salary increases, as there’s never lack of drivers willing to join the Scuderia ... even for free. And while Leclerc was always unlikely to be tempted to move elsewhere, Sainz is contemplating a change of environment, even if negotiations to renew his contract are already ongoing, with Audi as his main alternative – but if there was a seat available at Mercedes at the
end of next year then, obviously, the Spanish driver would have to be tempted by it. Now, among the top teams, only Ferrari has two seats available for 2025 while Red Bull will have to find a replacement for Pérez, as the Mexican’s position inside the team is weaker than ever. With Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri locked in contract with McLaren for at least another two years and Alex Albon determined to never go back to the Austrian team, it’s Christian Horner and Helmut Marko that will have to find a suitable partner for Verstappen in 2025, before the most promising young drivers are free to join them. That means Red Bull will largely remain a one-car team for 2025, weakening it against driving pairs like Hamilton-Russell and NorrisPiastri, as well as, eventually, Leclerc-Sainz. And then, at the end of that year, especially if Mercedes manages to get back to its winning ways during the next two seasons, Wolff will be
able to make interesting offers to Norris and Piastri, who should be free at the end of that year, in direct competition with Horner – always a challenge the Austrian relishes, as their personal animosity is well documented. In conclusion, if the 2024 drivers’ market is now essentially closed, Ferrari now has first call on all drivers out of contract for 2025 and, knowing how Vasseur operates, you can be certain that early next year he’ll have secured long term contracts with Leclerc and either Sainz or another solid front runner, taking the Scuderia out of the market discussions for 2026, when Red Bull and Mercedes will be fighting hard for the best youngsters available. Wolff, in the meantime, can relax for the next 18 months before having to make key decisions for 2026 and beyond, which will free his time to work on getting his team back to the position he so much enjoyed between 2014 and 2020.
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FORMULA 1 NEWS – LUIS VASCONCELOS
ITALIAN GP PROMOTER SUSPECTED OF TAX EVASION JUST ONE week before the start of the Italian Grand Prix weekend in Monza, the man who fronts the promotor’s negotiation with Formula 1 landed himself in hot water, with Italian tax authorities announcing they’ve launched an investigation into the finances of 78-year-old Angelo Sticchi Damiani, who is suspected of false declaration and tax evasion in the last few years. According to Italian media, Sticchi Damiani is suspected of vastly exceeding the limit of 240.000 Euros established to all state-employed managers, having gone to earn more than one million Euros in one of the most recent years, leading to the investigation that has now been launched by the Italian public prosecutor. The investigation had been launched a few months ago. Back in 2017 Sticchi Damiani exceeded the maximum income he’s allowed to get in one year, having declared earnings of 246.000 Euros, which is already marginally above the limit. But, while his income as president of the Automobile Club of Italy was 125.000 Euros, the public prosecutor believes he received a lot more than that, claiming his total earnings from the ACI alone was of 231.000 Euros with a lot more money coming from other commitments. According to the investigation, Sticchi Damiani earned in excess of 300.000 Euros from being the CEO of an insurance company, Sara Assicurazioni, a company owned 80 per cent by the ACI! The numbers are even higher for the years between 2018 and 2020, with the Italian public prosecutor believing the man who has been the face of the Italian Grand Prix for more than a decade actually earned more than one million Euros per year. For the Italian Grand Prix organisers, this investigation and the leaked news couldn’t come at a worse time – one week before the start of this year’s event and at a time when Sticchi Damiani should be fully involved in negotiations to renew the contract of the race with Formula 1, as 2024 is the last year in the current contract. It remains to be seen if the ACI keeps the 78 year-old in charge of the negotiations with Stefano Domenicali, or whether someone else is appointed to finalise a new deal with the Commercial Rights Owner – something that has to be decided very quickly as Monza, like Suzuka, Shanghai, Mexico City, São Paulo and Las Vegas, is fighting to keep its place in the calendar beyond the end of the 2025 season.
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Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES
RICCIARDO’S RECOVERY LIKELY TO BE LONGER
DANIEL RICCIARDO’S hopes of being back at the wheel of his AlphaTauri AT04 sooner rather than later have been dashed by the Spanish doctors who performed surgery on his left hand, with the revelation the fractured metacarpal didn’t suffer a clear break, and, therefore, will need more than a couple of weeks to be fully healed. Red Bull’s advisor Helmut Marko said that much to the German branch of Sky TV, saying that, “unfortunately, the break is complicated because it’s not a straight break.” The Austrian went on to admit that, “things are looking bad for the next two races.” In one of his first outings as AlphaTauri CEO, Peter Bayer also explained that, “I just spoke to his manager, the good news being that the surgery went well, even if the fracture was more complicated than expected.” The German then explained that, “he’s staying in Barcelona for a few days for observation.” Having been seen by the local doctors in Zandvoort immediately after hitting
the wall at Turn 3 during the second Free Practice Session for the Dutch Grand Prix, Ricciardo returned to the team’s hospitality unit with his left hand already in a cast. But it was immediately decided to fly him to Barcelona, to been seen and have surgery performed by the same team of doctors that looked after Lance Stroll after the Canadian crashed his mountain bike in pre-season training. On the Sunday, Dr. Xavier Mir and his team analysed the extent of Ricciardo’s injury and performed the necessary surgery. With the Australian having a compound fracture – meaning the broken bone had one part moved out of position damaging its internal structure – they had to put every broken piece in its correct place and repair the internal damage as well, meaning that a full recovery is unlikely to take less than four to six weeks. This means Ricciardo’s hopes of returning to Grand Prix racing at the Singapore Grand Prix are now extremely slim and it’s also believed the Australian will have to sit out the Japanese Grand Prix as well.
His best hope of being fully fit to get back into the cockpit is at the Qatar Grand Prix, that will be held in the first weekend of October. While this is devastating news for the veteran, who was hoping to build on the experience he acquired in the Hungaroring and Spa-Francorchamps to secure his seat with AlphaTauri for 2024, it’s a great opportunity for Liam Lawson, who stood in for the Australian in Zandvoort. The New Zealander knew he’d be racing at Monza, a track he knows well from his Formula 2 and Formula 3 years but is now already preparing to race in Singapore and Japan. While the Marina Bay track is new to him, Lawson will be on familiar ground and have high hopes for the Suzuka weekend, as he’s accumulated quite a few racing miles in the Japanese track during his current Super Formula campaign. That weekend may be a decisive one for the Kiwi’s future with Formula One, in general, and the Red Bull group in particular.
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ZHOU IN POSSIBLE WILLIAMS MOVE 2022 COST CAP FINDINGS EXPECTED SHORTLY THE FIA has informed the Formula 1 teams that it will shortly issue the certificates of compliance relative to the cost cap limit for the 2022 season, amidst a lot of speculation regarding the number and identity of teams that may have spent more than they were allowed to. Having promised to speed up the process of checking every team’s accounts after last year, it took all the way to the Mexican Grand Prix weekend, at the end of October, to announce Red Bull had a serious breach of the cost cap regulations during the 2021 World Championship, while Aston Martin got away with a fine for what was considered a clerical error. The Federation found it impossible to complete the process relative to the team’s 2022 accounts in the first part of this year. That was despite the FIA nearly trebling the number of people working on its financial department. With the teams only submitting their accounts only at the start of April and with a lot of clarifications being necessary, the whole process proved to be quite lengthy. The FIA was expected to send the certificates of compliance to the teams that were in full compliance with the budget cap rules in the past week, while notifying others that were in breach of the regulations. Asked if he was concerned by the lengthy process required to find out who spent what during the previous season, Ferrari’s Frédéric Vasseur made it clear that was not the case, explaining: “concerned, no, I’m not, because I think the FIA made a communication in July, I don’t exactly remember the date, explaining that the result of the investigation will come by the beginning of September or something like this. I know it was a matter of weeks, but the plan was beginning of September.” The Frenchman went on to make it clear that “I fully trust the FIA and the fact that they are doing the job, and they will come with the result of the cost cap investigation as per the planned beginning of September.” The fact Ferrari hasn’t been mentioned in any rumours regarding a possible breach of the 2022 Financial Regulations may explain Vasseur’s relaxed approach to the situation, as Red Bull, Aston Martin, Mercedes and McLaren have been the teams most talked about regarding a possible breach of last year’s budget cap. All teams have strenuously denied they’ve exceeded the allowed amount of expenditure in 2022, but that was also the case last year and, in the end, two teams were found to have breached the regulations. The FIA is due to announce its findings any time now – and then all the speculation will end ...
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ZHOU GUANYU could make an unexpected move and leave Alfa Romeo Sauber at the end of this year to join Alex Albon at Williams, replacing Logan Sargeant, who’s having a difficult first season in Formula 1. When everything looked set for the Swiss team to keep both Zhou and Bottas for next year, sources close to Sauber have admitted there are difficulties in the negotiation with the Chinese driver and that, even the prospect of having a local driver in next year’s Chinese Grand Prix (the first since 2019) is not enough to keep Zhou for another year, as there’s a big gap between what the team is asking from his sponsors and what the Chinese are now willing to pay. From Zhou’s point of view, the fact he has more or less matched Bottas since the middle of last year proves he’s a lot more than a pay-driver and, therefore, he wants to have a new contract that is considerably different from the one he signed two years ago. Sauber, on the other hand, seems to believe there are better alternatives in the market, at least as competitive as Zhou,, but willing to bring a substantial amount of sponsorship money into the team. For Zhou, a move to Williams could be considered a step backwards, as Sauber has been taken over by Audi and, from 2026, will race under the German manufacturer’s banner. But the Chinese driver has seen what being with the British team has done to Alex Albon’s career and may believe a similar move could boost his Formula 1 career. As for Alfa Romeo Sauber, the alternatives to Zhou seem to be two: current reserve
Will Alex Albon have a new team mate at Williams in Zhou, or will Logan Sargeant keep his seat... and test driver Theo Pourchaire and 2022 Formula 2 champion Felipe Drugovich, who’s currently linked to Aston Martin. The Frenchman is doing a good job in his third Formula 2 season, but has very limited Formula 1 running done and isn’t also able to raise a lot of sponsorship. Drugovich, on the other hand, has been doing quite a lot of private testing with Aston Martin, using a 2021-spec car, since the start of the year, and is believed to have a couple of very big Brazilian sponsors behind him that would be very welcome to Audi.
And while it can be argued China is a huge market for Audi, that’s also the case for Brazil so, from a commercial point of view, the German manufacturer may not actually lose much with this driver swap. For now, negotiations between all parties are going on at full steam, as both Zhou and Drugovich’s managers are already working hard to secure a seat for their drivers in the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship, in what is an unexpected turn of events in the drivers’ market as everyone believed Zhou was more than secure at the Hinwill-based team for another year.
VASSEUR SAYS “NEW SIGNINGS KNOWN NEXT MONTH” FERRARI WILL announce a few new signings sometime in October, the Scuderia’s Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur (right) told a selected number of media outlets, including Auto Action, during an online interview organised by the Italian team. With a lot of questions being asked about the arrival of new senior staff for the technical side of the Scuderia, the Frenchman reminded everyone that, “we’ve already had this discussion – it’s a very long process”, before revealing that, “we have some people that will be joining us in a couple of months, some other people will be starting at Ferrari on January 1 next year, others on July 1 and some will start at the beginning of 2025.” Understanding that many Ferrari fans want results immediately, Vasseur admitted that, “this is a very long term process and somehow it’s a little bit frustrating, because you have the feeling that the results of your work will only be there in two or three years from today.” As he did in the past, though, the Frenchman insisted that, “on the other hand, if you don’t start this process, you’ll never get to the end of it, so you have to keep pushing on with it.” He then showed confidence on the quality of the new elements that will soon arrive in Maranello, stating that, “we’re doing some good steps forward, we are making a good recruitment.” Then, in a direct dig at Red Bull, who announced Laurent Mekies (pictured above right with Vasseur) would become AlphaTauri’s new Team Principal without making any contact with Ferrari, he added that, “we never give you names before we finalise everything and before we do a deal with the current team of the guys. It’s important to keep it confidential and it’s important to work in good faith, with the correct approach. I don’t want to jeopardise something but soon you’ll have some announcements.” While the hardcore Formula 1 fans understand that getting the services of a senior engineer is always a lengthy process, Vasseur had, again, to explain that, “we have all the same type of contracts, we know we have a lot of inertia on the recruitment. Some people
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are on long-term contracts with lengthy ‘gardening leaves’ so, between them agreeing to join your team and actually starting to work for you, it can take up to 24 or 30 months – and there’s nothing you can do about it.” There is, as well, the issue of remaining inside the Cost Cap regulations, as the Frenchman explained: “You have the cost cap and it means you can’t just say ‘we’ll increase the salary’, because with the cost cap, that approach would create a nightmare. It means that we need to be efficient in the recruitment, to choose the right people, to take time to understand where we are weak, where we have to improve and take the good ones, on a good project, because the main topic is to build up the right project with the people that you are recruiting.” With Vasseur promising announcements for the next month or so, the new arrivals in Maranello should be known before the US Grand Prix, scheduled for the third weekend of October. Until then the tifosi will have to keep guessing who’s coming to help Ferrari and hope for the best.
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SKIPPING STONES: MATT STONE RACING ON THE RISE
MSR had been building and the Le Br sign of things to come, with another f
MATT STONE GREW UP AROUND MOTORSPORT. HE WATCHED HIS FATHER, JIM AND UNCLE ROSS BUILD A DOMINANT TEAM IN THE SERIES WITH STONE BROTHERS RACING. WITH A RECENT WIN UNDER THE BELT OF THE TEAM HE LEADS, HE IS LOOKING TO REPEAT THE HISTORICAL FAMILY SUCCESS. ANDREW CLARKE SPOKE WITH STONE AT ‘THE BEND’ SUPERCAR ROUND ... MATT STONE is one of the quieter people in pitlane. He doesn’t shoot from the hip, and he seems to think about every question he is asked. When he wants to talk, you listen. Like his father and uncle, Jim and Ross Stone, he is a racing person at the core. There is none of the fluff that others like – if it doesn’t help his cars go faster and his team get better, it won’t happen. What is clear is that he is in Supercars to win and not just make up the numbers, and Gen3 has given his team the chance to take a leap that may not have happened with the previous generation of cars. To the start of this year, MSR had a best result of fifth three
times and just a handful of top 10 finishes. Leading into the Darwin round a couple of months back in the first races in Gen3 guise, the team had matched that best twice and more than doubled the number of top 10 finishes. Darwin returned the team’s first pole position and its first win, with Jack Le Brocq. Gen3 did what was promised. It levelled the playing field and brought the battle back to engineering nous, and not money. Like Erebus, Gen3 had been the focus for the team in the dwindling year of the previous cars, and the change couldn’t come quickly enough. “We were building our plans around Gen3 over the last few years,” Stone said of the
improved performance of the team. “If it could’ve come a year earlier it would’ve been nice, but we knew that we would get a bit of a revamp. We put a lot of effort into the new cars and the new philosophy around everyone having the same equipment. “It’s good to see that that’s sort-of coming through, as advertised, and we’re able to capitalise on it and start racing the way we want to go racing and getting some runs on the board. “We were still putting in every effort possible last year, but our cars were probably getting a bit older. The other teams had a lot larger design resources in the
background and they were still developing the old cars at a much higher level than we were. With the new car, where that design infrastructure is not as important, it plays more into our strengths. “We were telling everyone that we were building up to it (the Darwin win) even though it may not have been obvious to the general public. That was our first win for the year, but it was our fourth or fifth shot at the podium, with all the other ones we had earlier this season not coming to fruition. “We saw the pieces and we were telling everyone that it was coming. To be able to go out there and knock it out of the park and deliver it, it’s just good validation.”
MSR’s decision to concentrate solely on its twoGen3 Supercars has paid dividends.
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rocq front row start in Tasmania last year was a front row start in 2023.
Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES, MARK HORSBURGH
Le Brocq battling with what has turned out to be his 2024 employer (above), and recording the team joy of the Darwin win, (below). Bottom: 2023 season launch – Matt and father Jimmy, with the team’s two drivers. No one races in Supercars without a lot of money, so talking minnows is still taking a few million a year for a team like MSR. With the build and changeover cost estimated at more than a million dollars a car, it doesn’t take much to do the sums. Gen3, so far, has been expensive. “Motorsport’s expensive on a good day, and obviously there’s a lot of things that are probably a little cringe-worthy that could have been done a bit more economically. But I always said there are three things that Gen3 is going to be marked on. “One is the look and feel,
and I think they look and feel great. “Another one is cost and sustainability. That one obviously didn’t tick the boxes that we’re after. There are opportunities that have been missed and maybe we could get some of them back over the next few seasons. “The third one was the racing. And I think the racing has been better this year – the cars can follow closer. There’s a bit of work to do around the tyre but, all in all, I think the Gen 3 concept of equalising the field has been a huge success.” Once you win, the other teams start to pay attention. Was it luck? Was it the engineers? Was it the driver? Who can we poach? While Le Brocq wasn’t targeted as such, when he reached out, he was grabbed by the hand and pulled into the championship-leading team for next season. Stone’s a pragmatist. He understands.
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He knows what the lure is of lining up in the first pitbay, but the move by Le Brocq came out of the blue and blindsided him. Now he has to find someone else to work with ... maybe another bird with a broken wing to fix. “Obviously when you get the likes of Shane going overseas, it creates a ripple effect that most people get dragged into one way or another,” Stone said during a break at The Bend.
You know, we were telling everyone that we were building up to it even though it may not have been obvious to the general public ...
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“We were all ‘business as usual’ and not really affected by it – I guess we didn’t see Will Brown being released from his contract. “Once he was, that created a situation that unfortunately meant that we’re seeing Jack depart the team at the end of the year. That is motorsport and that is the business of it. Every few years we have all our renewals up at the same time so that we can work on renewing our partners and drivers and ensure all combinations are well-versed with each other. “We’re in our renewal year. So having, I guess, a bit of an upset in pit lane with Shane leaving in the year when we’re renewing, there’s every chance that we could get dragged into it as we have been. It’s not unexpected – it’s a little
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disappointing because of the momentum we’ve got going, but we’re committed to bringing in a driver that’s ready to keep on going and keep winning races. “This year, a top 10 championship finish is really the goal, and we’re obviously on a good track to get that. Next year we’ll want to one-up that, so we’re planning on bringing in a driver capable of doing that.” His options have narrowed given he wants someone driving Gen3 cars today and who is available. There are four or five, but if you want a race winner that drops to just two – James Courtney and Nick Percat. The other three, for the record are Todd Hazelwood, Scott Pye and Tim Slade. We think the rest are accounted for but, of course, Brown was contracted too ...
“I think there’s certainly a few at the moment,” he says of his targets. “I think we do a good job with unlocking the potential in a driver. I think we’ve done a great job in getting the most out of Jack and getting him to the point where he is being poached by the team that’s winning the Team championship. “I think that’s a credit to him, and he’s taken a big step up in his driving, but also a credit to our team that we’ve helped him get to that level and that he’s desirable by one of the top teams. “We have a good environment where everyone’s working together, and I think that’s been something that’s allowed him to really thrive. He always had the talent and it’s great that we’ve been able to unlock it, like we saw it last year. But last year was a bit of a horror year with on-track incidents and mechanical failures and just things that we’re not usually known for really plaguing our season. “But we certainly saw the potential in Jack, hence why we obviously wanted to do the multi-year thing with him in the first place. it’s great that we’ve been able to unlock that this year. “We’re very happy with our rookie of choice in Cameron Hill. We see a lot of potential there and the intention is that he will stay. But we’ve run a whole rookie operation before, and it can be a hard slog not having that experienced guy to really drive the team forward. “It’s certainly our intention to grab someone who is ‘Gen3-ready’, and given that this is the first year of Gen3, that’s obviously someone who’s already on the grid and someone who’s capable of winning races and performing.” Negotiations with Hill are well underway, but they also were with Le Brocq who had agreed to terms for a new multi-year deal, but was yet to sign when the Erebus option opened up.
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“Until that Erebus opportunity popped up, he and I had certainly agreed on a direction and we were in the process of finalising that. And then that unfortunately changed things. But that is the nature of the silly season. And every year I say, I am going to sit it out, and every year it gets a little sillier. It’s part and parcel of it and no one is immune. “It’s competitive sport, and it’s a team sport, so we all get very attached to each other and want to work together. But it’s also a business and the business of sport can be more brutal than anything else out there. You can’t get too carried away with all of that and just have to make sure that everyone works together. “We’re excited for Jack that he’s got opportunities and that he’s being soughtafter on the grid and that he is moving into a car that’s currently performing very well. But we’re also driven to get a replacement in and show him what he left behind was probably not worth leaving.” Le Brocq’s time with the team has coincided with Truck Assist as the naming rights sponsor, but Stone says they are not tied to each other with the Truck Assist deal being done before the Le Brocq deal. Whether his sponsor remains, he says, is not related to the departure of Le Brocq. Stone’s plans were not always to run a Supercars team. He has worked outside of motorsport, and he started just with a small operation that he thought may not get bigger. But it did. “I loved working at Stone Brothers Racing. I loved that large team and competitive spirit growing up. Then, when the opportunity came with the help of my parents to step out and do my own much smaller operation, it was a great challenge that I really enjoyed. “Getting back into Supercars wasn’t on the agenda. I was very much enjoying running
This year, a top 10 championship finish is really the goal, and we’re obviously on a good track to get that ...
Left: the Darwin rostrum top a smaller team in multiple step was justification for categories. And we got a lot of Stone’s approach to the new success. It was a great challenge, Gen3 era. Above: En route but ultimately every year we want to the massive morale to challenge ourselves a little bit boost a first win can harder and that led us back to bring. Right: MSR won the Supercars. 2017 Dunlop Series with “If we want to keep challenging Todd Hazelwood. The ourselves, we’ve got to be challenged team ran Zane Goddard (#35) in 2021 after the at the top level. We went away from Supercars squad had Supercars, grew up, and have now grown to two and come back into it and had to grow up Goddard had ‘shared’ a lot more. a car in 2020. “We probably grew a little bit too much last year in the sense that we were trying to do a whole bunch of different categories and getting sidetracked from what is the core goal of the team, which is to race in Supercars. “This year we’ve really consolidated that, downsized any other operations that aren’t focused on winning the Supercars championship and stopped the growth of the business and the team to focus on doing what we’re doing here.” Growing organically contained some surprises, but he is pleased he has done it this way rather than inheriting a team from his father. This is his team, he has built it from the ground up and he believes that gives him a bit of an edge. He knows the underbelly of the team and the sport, and he can work around that. “At the moment we’re going against what we’ve traditionally done, which is try and do more and more each year. We’re not particularly looking at the development series or any other support categories. A few years ago we were looking at the third car, but even if one came available, it’s not what we’re after at the moment.
“We’ve got interest in wildcards. We are building a brand new car to bring into circulation next year and we’ve got that ticking away in the back of the workshop at the moment. We want to have a turnkey spare chassis, just for the nature of the redundancy of racing, and that gives us the ability to run some wildcards and go back to our roots of really bringing in rookies and giving them their first opportunity, without having to do it with two cars in the main game.” Part of the desire for the third TRC a few years back was the bottomed-out price, and he saw that as a potentially great investment. Today a TRC is too valuable to consider on those grounds, but he’s happy with two cars – that’s enough to get right, especially given the nature of where the cars are at in terms of the build and reliability. “I think the technical working group is a great concept. I guess it’s a little bit against the nature of teams to cooperate with the enemy I guess you’d say, but I think all the teams are really embracing it and working together to better what we all have. “There’s a huge amount of engineering strength in pitlane and all these problems seem to be solved relatively simply. It’s a bit of a shame that the Technical Working Group wasn’t more engaged in the design of the cars because I think there’s yet to be a problem that’s arisen since these cars have gone into production that didn’t partially exist in the prototypes. “I’ll say this while touching wood and praying to the gods of motorsport, but we are fortunate that we haven’t had a large string of steering rack issues this year. Last year, that was a different story, so now we are running a very over the top preventative maintenance. “We’re definitely over-servicing the steering components to make sure that we don’t have issues on track. But given that this rack is obviously not fit for purpose, I think there’s just as much luck involved as anything.
“I think everyone I talk to would love to have more spares given the unreliability of them, but it also involves the balancing act of not throwing good money after bad when we know a new part is coming and the current ones will be landfill.” He said there were other parts MSR is over servicing, like the front undertray, while he and the others wait for permanent fixes to the issues. He doesn’t want to throw money at a solution that will be superseded unless he really has to, and that is the challenge that currently lives at the crux of running a Gen3 team. How and where do you invest your money? Stone’s answer is simple: he’ll invest where he gets speed and reliability, and so far that’s working. Even if he hasn’t had the meteoric rise of Erebus, his team is in line for the ‘most improved’ ribbon at the end of the year and hopefully that will bring him a new race-winning driver.
MSR debuted in the Supercars championship in 2018, initially with an ex-DJR/Penske Falcon, before reverting to their own Super2 Series-winning Commodore mid-year, with Hazelwood at the wheel.
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IT’S HI-TECH, BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT THE OUTSIDE WORLD SOMETIMES WRITES OFF NASCARS AS TECHNOLOGICAL DINOSAURS, BUT A TRIP TO TEAM PENSKE AND A CHAT WITH THEIR NASCAR TECH GURU MIKE NELSON IS ENOUGH TO WELL AND TRULY DEBUNK THE MYTH. ANDREW CLARKE SAT DOWN WITH HIM TO TALK THROUGH IT ALL ...
MIKE NELSON is the Vice President of Operations at Team Penske in Mooresville, which to me is a part of Charlotte. His job is on the NASCAR side of the massive motorsport business. The NextGen racer has changed it up a lot for the teams, along with some critical rule changes over the past few years that have changed the way they go racing. The two critical ones are the reduction to only seven cars per driver and the cut in track testing time – the latter shifting the between-race focus to simulators. Throw in an uplift in road courses and you can see how the world has changed from having a dedicated chassis or two for each different type of oval to a more ubiquitous chassis that needs to be fine-tuned. James Small (in the last issue of Auto Action) commented that, in terms of technology and the way it is applied to racing, NASCAR is second only to Formula One in the motorsport world. Nelson gives that view guarded agreement. “From a technical standpoint I haven’t
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worked in Formula One, and obviously I have a lot of respect for what those guys do, but I think it’s different in terms of what you’re allowed to do, how big the box is,” Nelson says of the comparison. “From what I do know, I would put anybody here against anyone in the world in terms of their capability or what we can do with what we’re allowed to do. “It’s definitely different than maybe someone that doesn’t know much about the sport or only watches Talladega Nights or Days of Thunder. We love to laugh about them, but it’s not like that. It’s definitely cutting edge in terms of trying to optimise what we do have.” Data is the key for all engineers, whether it is motorsport or not, and NASCAR is no different. What NASCAR has done has shifted the data set – it is not about engineers and crew chiefs watching squiggly
Above: NASCAR engineers – and drivers (Austin Cindric in centre) spend an inordinate amount of time in front of a lap-top ... Right: Mike Nelson. Image: NIGEL KINRADE PHOTOGRAPHY
Penske's Austin Cindric (2) runs with Trackhouse Racing's Daniel Suarez. Image: MOTORSPORT IMAGES Below: Penske's Ryan Blaney at work in his office ...
Ford Performace's race simulator. Image: FORD PERFORMANCE
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We are still able to go to some organisational tests that NASCAR puts on, but we have limited testing ...
lines during a race (and yes there is live data), but it is limited. Our Supercars people would struggle with what to do on race day if they only had so little information. But the data is there. “It’s changed a little bit in the last few years in terms of data that you have access to during the race. It’s not at the level of full data like we have at a test, but I think that’s what makes it challenging as well.
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“You’re trying to marry the data that you do have from a test or from a Dyno test or a simulation to what you’re actually experiencing at the racetrack. You’ll hear the guys talk a lot about SMT data (live data supplied by SportsMEDIA Technology Corporation which is a story in itself) that we have during the race, where you can replay the restarts during the race and other things too. We’ve been doing that for a few years
now in NASCAR ... it’s a little bit more data than what we’ve had in the past.” That data allows the engineers to analyse racing lines and the like during races to see what is happening, which can be critical on the ovals, less so on a road course. But it is live. The rest of the technology is saved from testing and fed into multi-million dollar simulators which are so accurate Shane van Gisbergen said he could feel the corrugations on the edge of the track when testing for Chicago. But there is more to it than drivers learning racing lines. From this data set, the teams are able to determine the physical makeup of their cars for the races which – given you can’t make changes during the race weekend – is critical. The simulators can be set for all manner of variables, from outside influences such as weather to running on 20 lap-old tyres with a half tank of fuel. Whatever parameters you want, it is there. The data driving the simulator has been collected over the years and has allowed the manufacturers to fine-tune their simulators, and teams and drivers are allocated time between the races. Each team is able to feed some of its own information into the sim to make the analysis their own. “We’re not allowed to test very often, which is trying to keep things from escalating. There were times in my career here when we might test 20 times a year from race to test to race to test. Over time, for cost measures and for just keeping people sane when you run 38 events a year, we’ve limited testing. “We are still able to go to some organisational tests that NASCAR puts on, but we have limited testing and you’re trying to leverage all the information you can get from those tests.” The seventh-generation NASCAR is by far and away the most technological of all the generational cars, but it is also one with the least amount of team input into the design and manufacture of different components. Everything is tied down, like our Gen3 Supercar, and you have to buy from the designated supplier. The power is not in building a better tool, but in using the tools better.
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Ford Performance's NextGen simulator ... Inside it's set up as the real thing. Image: FORD PERFORMANCE
Below: Ryan Blaney in front of his laptop in the pit box and (bottom) hooked up to the engineers in pit lane. Image: MOTORSPORT IMAGES Below right: With less cars, the Penske workshops are spacious, with room for the transporters inside ... Images: ANDREW CLARKE
And by tool, we’re not referring to the driver. “It’s the seventh generation – we call it Next Gen. It’s a big departure from what we’ve had in the past where we constructed the chassis and a good portion of the car. Now, everyone has the same chassis and the majority of the components are all the same for all of the competitors. “You could potentially as a team be the
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manufacturer of the part, but you have to build it for everyone. But for the most part, the components are made by vendors that we know, whether it be Dallara (the chassis), Visser Precision or those types of companies that have classically worked with us. Everyone has to have the same components. All the uprights are the same. So, there are no variations there or anywhere.”
With the commonality of parts, it is the application of the technology that is available that unlocks speed. The simulators which are developed by the vehicle manufacturers – Ford, GM and Toyota – are multi-milliondollar units that are continually evolving. Van Gisbergen and Brodie Kostecki have spoken about the relativity of what they learned on the simulator and how that played out on the track. “Currently we don’t have a lot of practice time. We have a short practice that rolls right into qualifying at most of the tracks. That’s where the variability comes in – can you hit the track running and have the car where you want it to be, have it balanced when you arrive? “If you do, that gives you a pretty big advantage. But sometimes it may take you three-quarters of the race to get where you want to get if you’re not prepared properly.” In the Wurth 400 at Dover in May, qualifying and practice were washed out due to rain, and NASCAR’s pandemic formula was used to set the grid – which is a matrix devised in the 2021 season to keep racing. The pandemic formula is a piece of mathematical art overlayed on data from the previous race for the driver and the car owner using finishing results and fastest laps. The cars hit the track for the race without turning a single lap. What went on in the simulator meant they could race with a level of certainty over set-up and safety that wouldn’t have been possible pre-simulator.
“That’s pretty rare in our sport. I can only remember that happening one other time at a Super Speedway race. I think the industry pushback would’ve been pretty hard with some of the things we do today if it weren’t for what we learned during COVID. We learned you can show up and just race. “So, there was more of a comfort level that was developed that’s this fed into some of the things that we do today.” The seventh-generation NASCAR, like our Gen3, was designed to cut the costs of operating a team by reducing the level of bespoke engineering, and at the same time improve competition – not that NASCAR has had that issue like Supercars or Formula 1 – but even if there is a skew, you don’t hear them talk parity. The season was initially a Chev and Toyota feast. Now, heading into the playoffs, the pendulum has swung and there are six Fords, five Chevs and five Toyotas in the 16 after there was only one Ford win in the first half of the season. From Team Penske, under Nelson’s care, two of his three cars have won races and are fighting for the title over the next 10 races. The differences in body shells have been creating issues with aerodynamic parity. The NASCAR is less close to the original body shape and certainly doesn’t look as good as a Supercar, but they work better and still carry the DNA of each car. Even the twodoor (well, two windows) Camry that doesn’t exist on the road is recognisable which wasn’t true of past generations.
“They’ve got the identity right of the manufacturer and they’re different, but they have some of the same overall dimensions, right from a length and width standpoint and a roof height. They’re general things that they’re required to try to keep them in a box, so that no car has a huge advantage from an aerodynamic standpoint. “There’s a submission process for the cars that attempts to keep all the manufacturers within a certain aerodynamic box but still allows them to have their identity. Ford is doing this to showcase its product, so it’s got to look right. I think it all works really well to try to achieve what the OEMs do want to achieve as well as NASCAR.” Driving to Team Penske down Mazeppa Road you pass A2 Wind Tunnels (windspeed up to 85mph, and starting at US$595 an hour) and Aerodyn Wind Tunnel (windspeed up to 135mph) – I’ll check these out on my next visit – as well as an independent centre of gravity and moments of inertia test facility called Centroid. With that sort of stuff buried in Mooresville – and that is just the tip of the iceberg – which is pretty much where the bulk of the teams are based, getting independent testing is easy. Looking at parity, without data, Nelson wondered how you could get the aero right without a wind tunnel to validate the data. But that is an aside. “NASCAR uses wind tunnels from time to time as far as a benchmarking. They’ll take cars after the race, and from each manufacturer and go and test them. Each of the OEMs has some time that they allow their teams to use for wind tunnel testing to sort out your car’s simulation for aerodynamics.” One of the biggest changes under the new cars was the reduction in the number of chassis to seven cars per car number, which is down from the up to 20 Team Penske used to have. There’s a lot of spare space now that can be redirected to something else. “If you have a four-car team you can have 28 cars. It’s a big shift, but I don’t know that you could sustain the number of cars we had those days either, because the technical acumen is increased so much that the cost I think would be out of control. “There’s times you had a car for a specific racetrack. Now, the cars that we race at Chicago could race on a superspeedway or another road course, no matter what it is. It’s pretty flexible.”
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Cindric and AJ Almendinger – Ford and Chevrolet – side-by-side ... Above left: the NASCAR chassis and bodies are supplied to Penske Racing from single suppliers (Images: ANDREW CLARKE). Below: In action ... Penske's Joey Logarno leads at Daytona. Image: MOTORSPORT IMAGES
“ ”
Currently we don’t have a lot of practice time. We have a short practice that rolls right into qualifying at most of the tracks ...
Without locking in an exact cost, he estimated it was way less than half the cost of building a Supercar. The current NASCAR has live data from SMT, but it is limited. When they are allowed to test, there is no limit so they measure everything they can for the simulators. There is the physical simulator for the drivers which is critical, but without the computer simulation for the engineers, the driver simulator would be little more than iRacing. SMT data is fascinating because it is shared – each team can see what others are doing in terms of driving lines, steering input and braking points. Crew Chiefs discuss this with drivers during the race, and the drivers analyse and adjust in practice and qualifying. “That’s been good and it really helps some of the newer drivers who don’t have the amount of testing that some of the veteran drivers had when they came in. There used to be a standard system where if you were a rookie, you got X number of
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tests. Now if you’re a rookie coming in, you’ve got nothing. So, it helps from that aspect. “But our veteran drivers use it as much as our rookie drivers do to assess. So, someone like Shane van Gisbergen running his first ever in NASCAR race (this was preChicago) can walk back and have a look and see what the others are doing.” As it turned out, the veterans probably wanted to see what the rookie was doing, but you can see a driver like van Gisbergen next year who is used to analysing data, will learn quickly on the ovals from the other drivers without having to exchange a word. Even though practice is short and sharp, he can view a screen in the car and go straight out and adjust. The engineers use all the at-track data with what they already have and spend hours on computers during a race weekend trying to improve the car by adjusting what they have, given physical component changes are not allowed unless there has been a crash.
Could you imagine a Supercar team not being able to change springs or shock absorbers over a weekend,? That is NASCAR. For a team like Team Penske, there are people back in the shop – or at home, like we reported recently that Triple Eight’s Jeromy Moore has been doing in IMSA – collecting and analysing the live data and working with those at the track. “It depends on what you need. We don’t have 30 people sitting in a theatre running the race car. We do what is necessary when we need it.” While the driver simulator is built and run by the manufacturer, the engineers sim on the computer is owned and developed by Team Penske from a base package. As Nelson says, there’s no point reinventing the wheel with some parts of the simulation, using commercially available modules that work in bespoke interface. What is clear when you dig under the skin is that the tech in NASCAR has increased massively in recent years. It is there, but it is different, and in some ways it is way beyond what we do in Supercars. After sitting with Mike Nelson and James Small, what is very clear is that the idea that NASCAR is a low-tech class of racing is an ancient view that no longer holds true.
Image: MOTORSPORT IMAGES
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A HOME OF HORSEPOWER MEETS GEN3 THE SANDOWN 500 IS BACK, KICKING OFF A VITAL ENDURO DOUBLE THAT WILL SHAPE THE RUN HOME FOR SUPERCARS’ MAIDEN GEN3 CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON. TIMOTHY W NEAL REPORTS …
FOR THE first time since 2019 the famous Victorian endurance round returns to Historic Sandown on September 15-17 as a formidable prelude for the 60th anniversary of ‘The Great Race’. In a season largely dominated by the SuperSprint format, it’s another first for the new Gen3 Mustangs and Camaros, as the teams prepare to tackle the 3.1km, 13-corner track with its ultra-fast straights and, at times, unforgiving kerbing over 161 laps, for around three hours. The tyre allocation for the 49th edition of the Sandown enduro will be the Dunlop Super Soft, and the short and sharp corners will help to make the degradation less extreme on the softer compound, whilst most of the load will be going into the right-side tyres on a left-heavy track. Although the Supercars season has featured at Sandown over the past two seasons as a Sprint format, the last Sandown 500 was in 2019 when current Triple Eight boss Jamie Whincup took the win for T8 alongside Craig Lowndes in a ZB Commodore, both of whom are again driving in this edition. Fast forward three years, and the Supercars championship has become a different
Will the steering issues which have plagued th defending champion be resolved in time? Image: Ross Gibb Photography proposition with the new and, at times, volatile Gen3 machines where the machinery is in limbo as something of a work in progress. This year will feature 27 entries which includes two Wildcards, one each from Triple Eight Race Engineering and Blanchard Racing, and plenty of drivers that haven’t had a taste of the Victorian pre-Bathurst enduro before. Vitally, Round 9 offers up 300 points for the winner and, with Bathurst on the horizon, that makes 600 points in total across the two coming enduros in a championship that’s currently split by only 137 points between the top two. Four drivers are mathematically within reach of the 1895 points held by the leader heading into Sandown.
A HOME TEAM HOLDS THE CARDS THE CHAMPIONSHIP advantage is being held by Erebus’ Brodie Kostecki, who stamped his authority on his title credentials with a dominant sweep of The Bend on August 18-20. Erebus are also leading the Teams Championship in the fight for the number one pit garage in 2024, with Triple Eight 137 points behind in a season where little love has been lost between the two outfits. After taking his maiden Supercars victory at the Australian Grand Prix in a short and wild Sprint round back in March, the leading #99 Camaro driver, from Perth, has since taken four more wins with six other trips to the podium. Prior to the Round 8 encounter, his teammate Will Brown was making it a two-
way Coca-Cola Camaro battle after briefly holding the lead at Townsville, but heading into Sandown, three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen has moved into third, 137 points in arrears. Having the #97 SVG show breathing down your neck certainly should sound like an ominous proposition, but Kostecki is as laidback as they come on and off the track, and takes the proverbial from no-one. His Erebus Camaro is operating at a premium thanks to the likes of engineer George Commins and team owner Barry Ryan whom haven’t wilted under any challenge: it’s extremely strong under braking, and aside from a brief blip at Darwin, it’s had the speed to run up front all season. In 22 races the Melbourne based team has won 10 of them, including eight poles and 14 podiums. Kostecki’s car has also proved far more reliable than the #97, with a spate of steering rack issues having seen SVG cut a frustrated figure in many a garage around the country in 2023. Outside of the #99 and #97, the next contender is T8’s Broc Feeney, leapfrogging Brown after the #9 driver put in a poor show in SA. Feeney tops a tight bunch of drivers, 228 points behind Kostecki, and after a strong run of four wins and five podiums, his last two rounds at SMP and The Bend would have to be considered below average, seeing him drop back from the points leader.
It's been four years since Supercars last ran an enduro 500 at Sandown – won then by Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes. The pair are now co-drivers for separate Triple Eight cars ...
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SANDOWN 500 2023 PREVIEW
The Erebus team leads the championship and goes in as 'on-paper' favourites. It's been a while since Triple Eight hasn't occupied that role ...as it did, successfully (left) last time there was a Sandown 500, in 2019. Images: MARK HORSBURGH-MOTORSPORT IMAGES Will the active GT3 seat time of Whincup help put a cracker up 'Mr. Sunday' at Sandown? Brown is the only other driver that can mathematically go top after Sandown; he sits in fourth place, 258 behind his teammate, while the next best contender is Chaz Mostert in the WAU Mustang, 313 points back.
HOT TO TROT
ALTHOUGH THE championship standings can only swing one of four ways at Sandown, the co-driver element and the recent resurgence of the Gen3 Mustang brings more stronger contenders into play than it would have several rounds ago. Due to the enduro’s absence of late, there’s only seven previous 500 winners in the field: Whincup, Lowndes, Richie Stanaway, Garth Tander, Cameron Waters, Warren Luff, and Mark Winterbottom. On the Camaro front, Kostecki is joined by David Russell for their third enduro together – with the pair having taken a podium at the 2021 Bathurst 1000. Russell last competed in the 500 in 2018. With the great pace in the #99, Russell is a safe pair of hands for the leader to rely on. SVG is joined by 2017 500 winner Stanaway for an all-Kiwi Camaro, and ahead of Stanaway’s return to the championship with Grove in 2024, they have to be seen as a big threat. Van Gisbergen is yet to capture a Sandown 500 and, with his assumed exit to NASCAR next season, it could be his last chance to take it out, but plenty will depend on the car's reliability. If the garage can 'steer' things in the right direction, it’s almost the favourite.
Joining Feeney is his T8 stable boss Whincup, who in the Supercars points scoring era of the event (points toward the championship began in 2003) holds the Sandown enduro record with five wins, fourth of all-time behind Peter Brock (9), Alan Moffat and Craig Lowndes (6). Whincup’s been a pretty solid performer in the GT World Challenge without setting the world on fire for a form guide. Brown, in the meantime, is partnered with Jack Perkins, who last raced the 500 with James Courtney in 2019. But you’d have to say his Erebus teammate has the nod on recent form, with both Russell and Perkins pretty evenly balanced as dependable co-drivers. Of the Mustang drivers, Chaz Mostert and Cam Waters have predominantly held the Mustang torch up during the Blue Oval’s struggles with Gen3. A look at the top Mustang contenders sees 2018 winner Waters paired up with James Moffat. With the pair having taken two straight Bathurst podiums together, they’ve a proven track record of enduro dependability. On paper, the pairing of David Reynolds and Tander looks pretty good too, although Reynolds has had a torrid time of late and hasn’t captured a podium since Wanneroo in Round 3. Mostert and the returning Lee Holdsworth (2021 Bathurst 1000 winners) is also a good team on paper, though the former Grove driver hasn’t had any seat time of late. But Mostert has been putting in a good shift or two of late to be the highest Blue Oval point scorer. Any tip for a smoky has to probably go to a Camaro driver, and in recent form that’d be Jack Le Brocq, who’s paired with the fairly versatile talent of Jayden Ojeda.
TECH FACTOR COULD CREATE WAR OF ATTRITION
IT’S HARD to talk about any potential winner without thinking about the equipment they’ll be handling. On one hand, SVG is an obvious driver to consider as a main challenger, but his second place in the championship doesn’t tell the story of his recent troubles with steering rack issues (he changed five of them at The Bend!) In fact the whole field has had steering rack issues, with it being the recent hot topic upon the Gen3 carousel. Even at The Bend, with kerbing being less of an issue, SVG and even Kostecki encountered problems – as did many others – and with the hard impact kerbing at Sandown, particularly in the first sector, it will be an issue for every car. It’s not like you can’t hit them carrying big speed out of the straights ... After The Bend, some teams (including T8) stayed back as test dummies to trial new steering rack components, as well as front wheel bearings and brake elements.,But there’s no confirmation that the new rack components being tested will be used at either Sandown or Bathurst, so it will be a problem. As one example for an approach to that issue, Brad Jones told Auto Action that BJR will look to utilise racks that have some proven miles in them so they don’t unexpectedly pop a seal, meaning they’ll be switching them in and out in the leadup, minimising the potential for harm as best they can. At this stage, it’s all that can be done. And for some perspective, they take around one and half hours to change. Expect retirements! Hate to bring it up, but has parity been fixed for the Mustangs? After The Bend you could argue it’s improved, but due to the big
track variables from round to round … No? Yes? Who knows? Tickford’s Tim Edwards said that they’ve lost straight line speed because of the new aero packages introduced at Townsville as more drag is created on straight line speed. And if Sandown is anything, it’s a horsepower dominated monster of a track, defined by two big straights. The long sweeping aero-friendly corners at The Bend saw the Mustangs fill every podium spot behind Kostecki after the Coyote V8s went in with an improved engine mapping, but it’s the pit and back straight speeds that will hold the key back in Melbourne. The tyre degradation also seemed to improve in SA, but it was also a fairly low deg track, and Sprint formats don’t really offer the best comparisons in that regard.
REVAMPED QUALIFYING FORMAT
BEING THE first Sandown 500 in four years, the event features a tweaked format to what had become the norm at the pre-Bathurst enduro. When the 500km enduro moved from Sandown to Phillip Island in 2008 a pair of Saturday sprints were used to set the grid for the main event on Sunday. This remained the custom when the race returned to its traditional home in 2012 with championship points even on the offering in 2019. But for the event’s comeback the qualifying races have been scrapped and the Top 10 Shootout will make a comeback in a 16-year first. The last time the well known one-lap dash was used at the Sandown enduro was 2007. On that occasion current Team 18 driver Mark Winterbottom stopped the clock at 1:10.6405s to put the #5 Ford Performance Racing BA Falcon on pole position.
Have the latest parity changes bridged the gap – especially in terms of tyre deg? Chaz Mostert will be one of Ford's key challengers if that turns out to be the case.
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NEW BLANCHARD BOYS READY FOR STEP UP NOT ONLY DOES THE SANDOWN 500 RETURN, BUT SO DOES THE WILDCARDS. BLANCHARD RACING HAS AN EXTRA CAR ON THE GRID WITH A PAIR OF YOUNGSTERS KEEN TO GET AMONGST IT. THOMAS MILES CAUGHT UP WITH BOTH IN THE LEAD-UP TO THE BIG RACE ... BLANCHARD RACING will get its first taste of being a two-car team at Sandown and youngsters Aaron Love and Jake Kostecki are ready to lead the charge into the unknown. For both drivers, the wildcard Mustang is a tremendous chance to show not only their own, but the team’s credentials to the Supercars world. In 2024 BRT will expand to two cars with Love widely tipped to race the extra entry, having completed his apprenticeship through Super2 and the enduros in 2023. The 19-year-old has raced open wheelers and Porsches both in Australia and globally, but has committed to Supercars in 2023 and his dream debut will materialise at the Sandown 500. With Sandown the start of the exciting journey, Love said it is important to treat the main game debut as just another race. “It is pretty cool because I have been looking forward to this for a long time,” he told Auto Action. “It will be an amazing feeling to hit the track for the first time in the main game but I have just got to approach it like any other race. “If I try to hype up to be something special then things could go wrong, so we will
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approach it as a normal race, keep our heads down, work hard and learn as much as we can. “It is a big learning experience for not only me but the team, expanding from one to two cars. “We just want to stay out of trouble and put in the best performance we can without making any mistakes.” Whilst Love is a newcomer to Supercars, he has accumulated a lot of racing miles in his short career. Last year alone he raced in the Australian and French Carrera Cup Series, plus the prestigious Porsche Mobil 1 SuperCup. He also recently contested a poair of S5000 rounds. This means he feels prepared for anything Supercars will throw at him despite having just three impressive Super2 rounds under his belt. Love also likened the Gen3 Mustang to the old Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. “I feel (ready),” he said. “Yes I have only done three Super2 rounds but I have done a fair bit of racing internationally in Carrera Cup and SuperCup, so racing a Supercar is not all that new to me. “Learning different cars and driving styles have been the biggest things.
“Obviously they (Gen3) move around a fair bit more than Gen2 which will be a bit of a challenge, but coming out of Cup cars, especially the older one, they also liked to move around a fair bit so it won’t be something completely new.” Although Love is inexperienced in Supercars, his co-driver has 83 starts and two full-time seasons. In an added bonus Love revealed he and Kostecki are childhood mates and they are looking forward to bringing that connection into the car. “Jake and I grew up with each other and even raced for the same team for a small portion of time,” he said. “We are friends outside of motorsport which makes it easier, so being able to race with someone who not only I know but also has experience means I have full faith in him.” Kostecki returns to the Supercars grid as a co-driver having lost his Tickford full-time ride in January. Despite the setback, the 23-year-old does not come back with a point to prove. Instead, he just wants to give BRT the best platform to perform. “You never know what the future could hold but I am not there to prove too much of a
point,” Kostecki told Auto Action. “I know my ability and want to do the best I can. I am just looking forward to the challenge; being part of the team and helping out as much as I can.” Kostecki will head to Sandown as a “pretty fresh” figure having not done any racing in 2023, but got back up to speed with a couple of test sessions this week. The Perth product has previous experience of Gen3, driving an early prototype at Phillip Island in 2022. Watching from the sidelines, Kostecki is determined to not worry about any of the Gen3 'issues', while enjoying racing at a team which rekindles memories of the Kostecki Brothers Racing squad he made his debut with in 2019, which was also a Wildcard. “BRT is a small team and gives me some memories of when we ran the KBR family run team as a Wildcard too so it is cool to be in this environment again,” he said. “Just by watching on the TV there has been a lot of whingeing from the drivers and teams, I guess not really getting on with it. “Hopefully we can just get out there and have all of our ducks in a line to do the best we can and show what the Ford can do without any of the whingeing.”
SANDOWN 500 2023 PREVIEW
LOWNDES LOOKING TO MAKE MORE SANDOWN HISTORY WITH GODDARD FOR THE second time this year, Triple Eight’s Supercheap Auto wildcard Camaro will return to the Supercars paddock with a notable upgrade. Joining Zane Goddard, who raced at Darwin, the face of car #888 Craig Lowndes jumps on board for what he does best, the enduros. Lowndes is preparing for his 30th season of endurance in 2023 and second in the Wildcard, having scored a record eighth place for an additional entry at Bathurst last year. Whilst the three-time champion’s Bathurst record is most talked about, he is also a winning machine at the Sandown 500. Lowndes is tied with Allan Moffat with the second most wins at the famous race with six, only behind Peter Brock. The #888 driver also needs just one more podium to join Brock for the most visits to the Sandown 500 podium. Whilst driving for separate Triple Eight entries in 2023, Lowndes and Jamie Whincup are the defending champions
having dominated the last Sandown 500 held in 2019. This was his first as the co-driver having won as the main driver in 1996, 1997, 2005, 2007 and 2012. In an ominous sign for the field, Lowndes has liked his time testing the new Gen3 Camaro stating the car “suits my style and reminds me of the VT days” when he won
2023 SANDOWN 500 SCHEDULE
2023 SANDOWN 500 ENTRY LIST
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 TIME
CATEGORY
SESSION
0810-0830
V8 SuperUtes
Practice
0840-0900
Toyota 86
Practice 1
0910-0935
Porsche Carrera Cup
Practice 1
0950-1030
Dunlop Series
Practice 1
1045-1115
Supercars
Practice 1 (All Drivers)
1130-1150
Toyota 86
Practice 2
1200-1225
Porsche Carrera Cup
Practice 2
1240-1310 1330-1350
Supercars V8 SuperUtes
Practice 2 (Additional Drivers) Qualifying
1405-1445
Dunlop Series
Practice 2
1500-1512
Porsche Carrera Cup
Qualifying Group 1
1518-1530 1545-1615
Porsche Carrera Cup Supercars
the 1998 and 1999 championships. But Lowndes is insistent the Wildcard program is about getting Goddard back in the frame for a full-time return with the pair having developed a strong relationship over testing. “For Zane, it’s great because he’s never had a brand-new car,” Lowndes said. “Zane and I talk the same language which
I think is really positive. “Although Zane has already been there, hopefully through this Wildcard we can get him back into the main game.” The Triple Eight Wildcard is a huge opportunity for Goddard, who has been fulfilling co-driver duties since his last full time season in 2021 for MSR. The 23-year-old got an early taste of racing at Darwin, where he scored a best result of 21st, and is looking to build on that having felt on the same page as Lowndes. “If you are ever going to get an opportunity to display what you can do this is it,” Goddard said. “It can be difficult to tell how it will translate to different tracks but overall, it feels like we have learnt a lot of good things. “The more we can learn the better position we will be in and hopefully we can reap the rewards.” With the sprint round and testing out of the way, it is now time for business with car #888 a potential dark horse. Thomas Miles
Qualifying Group 2 Practice 3 (All Drivers)
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 TIME
CATEGORY
SESSION
0905-0920
Toyota 86
Qualifying
0935-0955
V8 SuperUtes
Race 1 (10 laps)
1005-1030
Porsche Carrera Cup
Race 1 (18 laps)
1045-1115
Supercars
Practice 4 (All Drivers)
1135-1150
Dunlop Series
DS3 Qualifying
1200-1215
Dunlop Series
DS2 Qualifying
1230-1250
Toyota 86
Race 1 (10 laps)
1300-1325
V8 SuperUtes
Race 2 (13 laps)
1340-1400
Supercars
Qualifying
1420-1445
Toyota 86
Race 2
1455-1515
V8 SuperUtes
Race 3
1525-1605
Porsche Carrera Cup
Race 2
1620-1700
Dunlop Series
Race 1 (7 laps)
1720-1750
Supercars
Top Ten Shootout
CAR 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 14 17 18 19 20 23 25 26 31 34 35 55 56 88 96 97 99 888
DRIVER 1 Nick Percat Todd Hazelwood Jack Smith James Courtney Cameron Waters Jake Kostecki Andre Heimgartner Will Brown Anton De Pasquale Bryce Fullwood Will Davison Mark Winterbottom Matthew Payne Scott Pye Tim Slade Chaz Mostert David Reynolds James Golding Jack Le Brocq Cameron Hill Thomas Randle Declan Fraser Broc Feeney Macauley Jones Shane van Gisbergen Brodie Kostecki Zane Goddard
DRIVER 2 Fabian Coulthard Tim Blanchard Jaxon Evans Zak Best James Moffat Aaron Love Dale Wood Jack Perkins Tony D’Alberto Dean Fiore Alex Davison Michael Caruso Kevin Estre Warren Luff Jonathon Webb Lee Holdsworth Garth Tander Dylan O’Keeffe Jayden Ojeda Jaylyn Robotham Garry Jacobson Tyler Everingham Jamie Whincup Jordan Boys Richie Stanaway David Russell Craig Lowndes
DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP
TEAM Walkinshaw Andretti United Blanchard Racing Team Brad Jones Racing Tickford Racing Tickford Racing Blanchard Racing Team Brad Jones Racing Erebus Motorsport Dick Johnson Racing Brad Jones Racing Dick Johnson Racing Team 18 Grove Racing Team 18 PremiAir Racing Walkinshaw Andretti United Grove Racing PremiAir Racing Matt Stone Racing Matt Stone Racing Tickford Racing Tickford Racing Triple Eight Race Engineering Brad Jones Racing Triple Eight Race Engineering Erebus Motorsport Triple Eight Race Engineering
MAKE Ford Ford Chevrolet Ford Ford Ford Chevrolet Chevrolet Ford Chevrolet Ford Chevrolet Ford Chevrolet Chevrolet Ford Ford Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet Ford Ford Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet
20 YEARS OF SANDOWN 500 WINNERS
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
POS 1
DRIVER Brodie Kostecki
POINTS 1895
2
Shane van Gisbergen
1758
3
Broc Feeney
1667
4
Will Brown
1637
5
Chaz Mostert
1582
6
Cameron Waters
1460
7
Andre Heimgartner
1458
8
Jack Le Brocq
1271
9
Bryce Fullwood
1188
10
Will Davison
1183
11
Mark Winterbottom
1150
12
Anton De Pasquale
1134
13
Scott Pye
1086
14
Thomas Randle
1079
15
Tim Slade
1041
16
David Reynolds
1038
17
James Golding
1026
18
James Courtney
989
19
Matthew Payne
935
20
Todd Hazelwood
873
21
Nick Percat
819
22
Macauley Jones
814
23
Cameron Hill
771
24
Jack Smith
703
25
Declan Fraser
662
TEAMS CHAMPIONSHIP
YEAR DRIVERS 2019 Jamie Whincup/Craig Lowndes
TEAM Triple Eight
MAKE Holden ZB Commodore
POS 1
TEAM Erebus Motorsport
POINTS 3532
2018
Jamie Whincup/Paul Dumbrell
Triple Eight
Holden ZB Commodore
2
Triple Eight Race Engineering
3395
2017
Cam Waters/Richie Stanaway
Prodrive
Ford FGX Falcon
3
Brad Jones Racing #8/14
2616
2016
Garth Tander/Warren Luff
HRT
Holden VF Commodore
4
Tickford Racing #5/6
2449
TIME
CATEGORY
SESSION
2015
Mark Winterbottom/Steve Owen
Prodrive
Ford FGX Falcon
5
Walkinshaw Andretti United
2401
0915-0930
Dunlop Series
DS3 Qualifying
2014
Jamie Whincup/Paul Dumbrell
Triple Eight
Holden VF Commodore
6
Dick Johnson Racing
2317
0940-0955
Dunlop Series
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PRODUCTS AND INDUSTRY NEWS
RACER INDUSTRIES OPENS LANDMARK QUEENSLAND OUTLET Racer Industries have opened their massive new Queensland retail outlet in Yatala. The new store is located in a high-profile facility close to the M1 Motorway at 9-13 Dixon Street Yatala. The huge 4200 SQ building is centrally located in the heart of QLD’s motorsport industry precinct, in what was previously Tekno Autosport Supercars’ home base. ‘Gold Coast’s Motorsport Valley’ houses many of Australia’s most important motorsport businesses, including Pace Engineering, Dick Johnson Racing, PWR, Mod Concepts, McElrea Racing, Herrod Performance Engines and Matt Stone Racing, which are all within 2 km of the new Racer Industries headquarters. Many other top race teams and suppliers including Triple Eight Race Engineering, PremiAir Racing, Norwell Motorsport Complex, Aussie Race Cars and KRE Engines are also within a 20min drive. In confirming the store opening, Dale Durden, General Manager Sales & Branch Operations (AUS & NZ) - CoolDrive Auto Parts, told Auto Action that the Blanchard family is very proud to open the new facility in this prestigious Gold Coast location. “From our perspective we see it as a great opportunity to expand our range and stock of products and services and provide our customers with a really great experience as well. It enhances the services we can offer the motorsport
industry all around us here on the Gold Coast. “The store is in a great location right on the M1 which is the main corridor between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. “It’s convenient for our customers to call in and see the great range of products we stock.” Durden confirmed. Apart from being one of the biggest stockists of quality motorsport equipment in Australia, with premium brands from around the world. Racer Industries are also a Sparco Premium dealer and lifestyle store. Other motorsport related services to be provided include the warehousing for all Gen 3 Supercar components, servicing, testing and maintenance of all FIA and Gen3 fire and fuel systems. The new QLD Racer Industries outlet is part of the expanding Cooldrive network, and the Queensland home of Cooldrive which distribute a huge range of auto parts to mechanics around the country. With the new Racer Industries Queensland store up and running, focus has been placed on opening another Racer Industries superstore in Melbourne’s Box Hill. Located in Lexton Rd, it’s also the headquarters for the Cooldrive and Blanchard Racing Team Supercars workshop. For more information on the huge range of motorsport related products visit www.racerindustries.com.au
SPEEDWAY
GOODYER THUNDERS IN THE NORTH THE 2023 Chariots of Thunder series at Darwin’s Northline Speedway again lived up to all expectations in what has developed into one of Australia’s premier Speedway festivals. Above the cavalcade for Sprintcars and other Speedway machines down Mitchell Street, the heart of the Darwin’s CBD, to the many functions bringing the Speedway to the community, there was the racing, where 40 Sprintcar teams from around the nation gathered for four nights of competition over a nine-day period. Tasmanian young gun, Jock Goodyer proved beyond a shadow of a doubt why he is the reigning and undisputed Australian Champion winning the final three rounds of the series (and a fourth placing on the opening night) to claim the 23 COT series Championship. Trailing him were a trio of South Aussies – Ryan Jones, Luke Dillon and Matt Egel – while reigning Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic winner Brock Hallett rounded out the top five. Let’s take a look at how it unfolded
NIGHT 1 – BROCK TO THE TOP
THE 30-LAP final on the opening night saw Luke Dillon make the most of his front row start, clearing out to a handy lead before a challenge from Tate Frost. As the two locked horns, Ryan Jones was able to slip by and take command of the prime position. With 10 to run Hallett had moved to second and continued a strong rhythm as he continued to chase Jones. As the duo negotiated lapped traffic, Hallett got a cleaner run and shot to the lead with seven laps to play out. As this unfolded, Ben Atkinson Jr brought the race to a halt after blowing a tyre. At the restart Jones would reclaim the prime position – however Hallett would quickly come back to lead and from that point go on to take a well-deserved victory over Jones. Matt Egel was next by a bare seven thousandths of a second from Goodyer, Frost, Trent Pigdon, Grant Anderson, Todd
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Moule, James Inglis and Glen Sutherland rounding out the top 10. Kale Quinlan was the best of the locals, followed by Jordyn Charge, Dillon and Bobby Daly the final driver on the lead lap. One lap in arrears were Jason Pryde and Cameron McKenzie. Joining Atkinson on the infield were Hayden Brown, Callum Williamson and Chad Ely.
EMBY SETS THE TEMPO
CHRIS TEMBY put on a driving master class in the 25-lap Wingless Sprints final. From Pole Position, he powered on to claim a flagto-flag victory – despite two stoppages to regroup the field Temby was never headed. Jason Davis and Nathan Dicker would square off the podium placings. Matt Sealy, Daran Humfrey, Blake Walsh, Bronson Mauro, Zack Grimshaw, Freddy Walsh and Daniel Goldoni completed the top 10. Newly crowned NT Champion Mitchell Broome was next trailed by Cameron Jaenke. One lap behind was Jack Barlee, Josh Norman, Tyson Newcombe and Kyle Wiseman to close out the finishers.
NIGHT 2 – GOODYER GETS GOING THE 30-LAP Sprintcar final would see Matt Egel claim Pole Position. For the second successive night Tate Frost would share the front row – however
Ryan Jones – runner-up on opening night.
Jock Goodyer took three finals from four ... Images: SCOTT KERNAHAN, NAKITA POLLOCK, RICHARD HATHAWAY AND PARIS CHARLES
SPEEDWAY NEWS
followed by Round 1 winner Brock Hallett, from Mitchell Wormall, Jordyn Charge, Hayden Brown, Glen Sutherland and Jason Pryde in a heavily depleted field. Adding to the list of non-finishers were Ben Atkinson Jr, Taylor Prosser, James Inglis and Frost.
with Paris Charles
HUMFREY TAKES A COMFY WINGLESS WIN
things would quickly go south for him after he turned hard right as he stomped the throttle. Following drivers did everything possible to avoid the out-of-control Frost, who took out Matt Dumensy. The restart elevated Goodyer to outside front row. Egel jumped to lead but the lights soon blazed yellow for the first of many stoppages. Steven Loader, Callum Williamson and Grant Anderson were out with only a lap run. The final would become a race of two halves. Egel dominated the opening 15 laps before Goodyer took control and from that point banking maximum points into the account. South Aussies Egel, Luke Dillon, Ryan Jones and Scott Enderl were next
WEST AUSTRALIAN Daran Humfrey proved too strong in the 30 lap Wingless Sprint final with a flag to flag win, despite several red light stoppages along the journey. Second generation local racer Daniel Goldoni turned in a fine second as the pair traded places three times on the final lap. Humfrey hung on by a slender 89-thousandths of a second, but the drive of the race was Mitchell Broome who catapulted from 19th to the final podium step. Fourth to the line was Josh Norman, Jason Davis, Jack Barlee, Cameron Jaenke, Kyle Wiseman, William Caruso, Jamie McInnes, Thomas McDonald and Nathan Dicker, completing the dozen from 20 starters to go the full journey of an incident packed event.
LEE FLEE’S TO AMCA VICTORY
LEE MCKINNELL also went flag-to-flag in the AMCA National 15-lap final. New South Welshman Shane Newstead would become the meat in a Queensland sandwich as Kevin Stow started where he finished, in third. Deegan Sherwood was the best of the locals followed by Spano Gutierrez, Nicholas Glazbrook, Peter Harding, Mark Allcorn, Jimmy Keane, Paul Carmody and Erica Glazbrook to round out the finishers.
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NIGHT 3 OF COT GOODYER AGAIN! AFTER A five day break the teams returned to the Northline Speedway for the penultimate round of action. While some reset their ambitions, others remained focused on their earlier game, especially those at the pointy end as Matt Egel, Tasmanian’s Jock Goodyer and Tate Frost would all start again in the front two rows. However the driver who upped his game plan best was West Australian Callum Williamson, who claimed Pole Position after a strong win in the Dash. Williamson led the charge for the opening third of the 30-lapper before the hounding Goodyer worked his magic on the bottom side disposing of Egel then Williamson in quick succession to take command. Williamson raised a mini challenge over the next few laps as he was determined to make the top side work, however Goodyer looked
racy on the bottom and, from that point, opened a handy margin until the yellows came on with 11 laps to play. With clear track ahead at the Indian file restart there was no catching Goodyer as he set his sights on the chequered flag. Egel grabbed his second consecutive runner-up position and third podium in a row. Jordyn Charge turned in his best result to date, taking the final podium step. Luke Dillon was next as Williamson slipped to fifth, chased by local crowd favourites Ben Atkinson Jr, Ryan Jones and James Inglis. Grant Anderson was next, but one lap down, as were Bobby Daly, Dane Court, Jason Pryde and B Main winner Chad Ely. The list of retirees was long – Trent Pigdon, Mitchell Wormall, Taylor Prosser, Glen Sutherland, Brock Hallett and Matt Dumesny.
ZACK ATTACK / DAVIS CONSISTENT FOR COT WINGLESS SPRINTS
TEMBY IS TRENDY AGAIN! AN ALL-Victorian front row for the Wingless Sprints final saw Blake Walsh and Chris Temby square off, but it would be the newly crowned NT Champion Mitch Broome who led the opening two laps before Temby claimed the lead and held sway – until Zack Grimshaw made a successful challenge to lead momentarily before Temby snatched it back and onwards to Victory Lane. Territorians Grimshaw and Jamie
McKINNELL AMCA WIN
LEE MCKINNELL (above) went back-toback in the AMCA National feature races. Spano Gutierrez and Mark Allcorn had strong runs to make the podium. Kevin Stow, Peter Harding, Shane Newstead were followed by the Glazbrook’s, Nicholas and Erica, Darren Vanderhaar ninth and final finisher from the 14 starters.
NIGHT 4 – GOODYER GRABS COT THE FINAl night of competition was in conjunction with the running of the Pope Challenge. Jock Goodyer continued his winning ways, claiming the Dash to qualify
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McInnes would flank him on the podium, chased by Daran Humfrey, Broome, the Walshes Blake and Freddy, Jason Davis (pictured), Keelan Edwards, Travis Armstrong, James Bissaker and Matt Sealy the top dozen. William Caruso and Nathan Dicker finished on the lead lap while Josh Norman, B Main winner Steven Hateley, Bailey Jones, Jamie Dicker, Bronson Mauro and Tony Moule made it a full field of finishers.
on Pole Position for the final. Should Jock elect to start from the rear and win he would earn a bonus $40,000. However, Jock decided to forego the temptation and started on the front row for the drop of the green alongside round one winner Brock Hallett. Goodyer quickly checked out, opening a handy lead as the race ran express until Matt Egel halted the race, hanging his car off the fence. Goodyer set sail at the recommencement and on to Victory Lane and the COT championship. Hallett was the meat in an Apple Isle sandwich as Tate Frost turned in his best performance with a fast finishing third. Callum Williamson, Luke Dillon, Jordyn Charge, Chad Ely, Ryan Jones, Ben Atkinson Jr and Taylor Prosser were the first 10 home, followed by James Inglis and Todd Moule. A lap in arrears were Mitchell Wormall, B Main winner Jason Pryde, Kale Quinlan, Hayden Brown and Jack Crossin while Grant Anderson joined Egel on the infield.
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MITCHELL BROOM made the most of his front row start, jumping to lead. Chris Temby made good ground and challenged as the duo put on a textbook display of slide job passing. Sadly, the pair made contact while negotiating heavy traffic. Zack Grimshaw inherited the lead with just five to run and from that point would power home for the win. Jason Davis’ second placing would earn him the COT Wingless Sprints Championship over 47 other hard chargers. Josh Norman was third followed by Blake Walsh, Nathan Dicker, Cameron Jaenke, Jack Barlee, William Caruso, Tony Moule, Daran Humfrey, Bailey Jones and Bronson Mauro completing the dozen. Jarrod Goldoni, Broome, Temby, Tyson Newcombe and Matt Sealy were the final competitor to go the journey.
LEE’S CLEAN SWEEP OF AMCA
A FLAG-to-flag victory in the 15 lapper gave Lee McKinnell all three finals, plus all nine heats to go undefeated and win the COT AMCA Nationals Series in dominating fashion. Kevin Stow was second, making it a Queensland 1-2. Third was New South Welshman Shane Newstead, leading home a gaggle of Territorians – Spano Gutierrez, Deegan Sherwood, Mark Allcorn, Peter Harding, Erica Glazbrook, Paul Carmody, Nicholas Glazbrook and Sarah Gordon the final finisher.
Jason Duell
NORTHERN TERRITORY TITLES
THE TOP end has been a busy haven, producing some top shelf events. The Katherine Speedway hosted the Northern Machinery Northern Territory Street Stock Title. With 20 competitors from South Australia, Western Australia, Victoria, and the Territory visiting the outback venue. After an exciting
battle, South Australian Jason Duell claimed his second NT Championship. outgoing champion Justin Brumfield was second with Victorian’s Matt Nelson and Dale Morrison next, West Aussie Lenny Bates fifth over Samantha Radford and Jayke Budd rounding out the only competitors to travel the 35-lap journey of an incident riddled final.
Grant Anderson
CHARIOTS OF THUNDER SPRINTCARS – TOP 20 1: Jock Goodyer 592 2: Ryan Jones 558 3: Luke Dillon 550 4: Matt Egel 548 5: Brock Hallett 546 6: Jordyn Charge 542 7: Tate Frost 526 8: James Inglis 514 9: Ben Atkinson Jr 510 10: Callum Williamson 508
CHARIOTS OF THUNDER WINGLESS SPRINTS – TOP 10 1: Jason Davis 566 2: Daran Humfrey 562 3: Zack Grimshaw 550 4: Blake Walsh 534 5: Mitchell Broome 534 6: Nathan Dicker 532 7: Chris Tenby 530 8: Josh Norman 528 9: Cameron Jaenke 508 10: William Caruso 502
CHARIOTS OF THUNDER AMCA NATIONALS – TOP 10
1: Lee McKinnell 247 2: Shane Newstead 184 3: Spano Gutierrez 174 4: Kevin Stow 161 5: Mark Allcorn 143 6: Peter Harding 134 7: Deegan Sherwood 127 8: Nicholas Glazbrook 106 9: Jeffery Tiedeman 106 10: Jimmy Keane 106
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NATIONALS WRAP Image: SEVEN70 PHOTOGRAPHY Knucklehead Garage were the class of the field. Image: GEOFF COLSON
NISSAN CLAIMS SANDOWN SHOWDOWN
IT HAS been a busy period in the Motor Events Racing world with two big race meetings held in on either side of the Victorian and South Australian border. There was plenty of colour on the grid at Sandown as a total of 24 cars took on the Sandown Showdown. The one-day race meeting was a gruelling endurance test with racing going for almost seven and a half hours. At the end of it all the Knucklehead Garage team prevailed after Grant Harrigan, David Beitzel and Darrin Breeden racked up 262 laps in their Nissan 350z. They finished a lap ahead of The Buccaneers, but the final margin did not paint the full picture. The leading duo wrestled for the lead all day across a tense back and forth strategy battle. Neither car could gain a clear advantage until the end when the Knucklehead Garage Nissan broke clear.
Despite being a lap up the road, it was still a nervy run to the chequered flag with just one slip-up enough to allow the lead to change hands. An early contender was Chop Chop Racing until the engine in its BMW 328i blew and restricted the squad to 21st with only 132 laps completed. Despite finishing second best The Buccaneers walked away with ME2 class victory, Lube Mobile took out ME3 and the ME1 class went to The Imposters. Over in South Australia, Mallala played host to an even bigger endurance test, a 12 Hour Day/Night race. There was a harmonious atmosphere around the track with teams raising money for Rare Cancers. The team which raised the most money claimed the team fundraiser award, which went to Five Dudes 1 Miata having collected nearly $1000.
On-track there was plenty of competitive battles for the class honours. In the car’s first ever race, BW Motorsport and its Mazda 3 drove to ME-2 class glory. They overcame the valiant Five Dudes 1 team, which battled hard with a failing wheel bearing before having to replace it with less than an hour to go. Strong reliability saw Team Scooby Doos take out ME-3 victory ahead of the Wriggles, who had an early spin. The Cogan’s Bogans squad tasted success on its very first trip to Mallala by taking out ME-Open. But the Cogan’s Bogans development team fell short in ME-1, which went to the Track Attack! Team, who drove their Ford Falcon all the way. The next Motor Events Racing event is a Morgan Park night race on September 23-24. Thomas Miles
MAHON TAKES OUT WINTER CUP FINALE He raised eyebrows by stopping the clock at 29.86s, which was enough to secure victory. Derek Foster responded with a near identical time to his previous time, but was not seen again. Allan Foster saved his best for the fifth run of the weekend, but it was almost 2s away from the ultimate pace. Eventually the Formula Libre driver Image: JOHN LEMM was in a league of his own being the only driver below the 30s bracket. THE 2023 Ray Pank Winter Cup wrapped up with a finale Mahon finished the day strong, staying in the 30s at the prestigious Collingrove Hill Climb course and no one window for the rest of the event with his final two times could catch David Mahon (above). also enough to win. After four rounds of action, the season finished with a It was a dominant way to wrap up the four-round battle bang after a huge 93-car field greeted the starter and a for the Ray Pank Winter Cup. tight battle for victory between Mahon and Derek and Paul Healey won the opening round back in April, but Allan Foster. fell 2.5s short to Derek Foster in the next encounter two Mahon hit the ground running by posting a 32.58s in his months later. first run, but was only two tenths faster than Allan Foster. However, the last two meetings have been dominated by Although Derek Foster improved by almost 2s in his Mahon, with the driver winning round three by the huge next run, Mahon found even more time and lowered the 3.21s margin before going back to back in the finale. benchmark to a 31.32s. The final championship standings of the Ray Pank This set the scene for run three where track conditions Winter Cup were not finalised at the time of print. were at their fastest and the two top times of the weekend Attention now turns to the State Motor Racing were posted. Championship round at The Bend on September 16-17 Although Derek Foster thought he had thrown down the and the Barossa Vintage Collingrove Hill Climb on gauntlet by posting a 30.66, Mahon went even faster. October 1. Thomas Miles
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ACKLAND VICTORIOUS AS MAHON COMPLETES HAT-TRICK TRAVELLING DRIVER David Mahon completed a hat-trick of Victorian Hill Climb Championship titles in the final round held at Bryant Park won by Gregory Ackland (pictured). Mahon sealed his third successive championship success by finishing fourth in the finale, which attracted 76 competitors. But the driver who set the eye-popping time was Ackland, who smashed records on his way to victory. The Ninja G8 driver produced an untouchable 31.81s time which not only beat the field by more than two seconds, but also rewrote the record books. Ackland broke an 11-year record of the Bryant Park layout previously set by Brett Hayward in 2012. He started strong by going 2s faster than all comers in the first run. After only achieving the fourth fastest time in run two, Ackland was back in his groove for the rest of the weekend. After being the first to dip into the 32s window on attempt three, Ackland made the knockout blow with his fourth and final run. Next best 2.04s off the pace was Alan Foley in his RFOLEY Formula Libre after emerging on top in a tight battle for second. Foley edged out Mike Barker by one tenth of a second after the Hayward 06 driver recorded a 33.95. No other drivers were able to break the 34s barrier with Mahon, Wim Janssen rounding out the top five. Mahon completed his championship win after a season that included four wins at Bryant Park, Mount Leura and Rob Roy. It was an impressive effort for the driver who travels at least 576km from Nuriootpa to the Victorian border to compete. Thomas Miles Russell West (Datsun 180B) Image: JILLIAN GRAHAM
NSW HILLCLIMB CHAMPS WRAP UP IN STYLE THE 2023 New South Wales Hillclimb Championships finished with a flourish at Ringwood where Dean Tighe was crowned champion. Tighe wrapped up his successful season perfectly by destroying his rivals in the seventh round of the season held at the twisty and undulating Ringwood circuit. The Empire Wraith driver was lightyears ahead of the rest of the 59-car field to score his fifth win in seven rounds. Tighe’s winning time of 63.95s was four seconds faster than his nearest competitor, who was notably Peter Brown. Although the championship was already Tighe’s for the taking, all eyes were on the battle for second with just one point separating Matthew and Peter Brown.
Despite Matthew Brown holding the slim high ground coming into the event, it was Peter Brown who had the momentum and performed to steal second at the death. Peter Brown pushed hard in his Pro Sport Mulsanne and ended up being the only driver other than Tighe to set a time under the 70s barrier. With Steve Moxon, Wayne Penrose and Searle Courtright all finishing ahead of Matthew Brown and relegating him to sixth, this ensured Peter Brown could seize second spot in the championship. The minor placings at the Ringwood round itself were hard fought with less than five seconds separating positions three to 13. Thomas Miles
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HABY AND EGGERS RIDE LUCK TO VICTORY AARON AND Chelsea Haby/Dana Eggers (Element Prodigy/Toyota – pictured) had a bit of help from lady luck to lead home a very classy field in the AMY Nominees Wynarka Enduro recently. Aaron Haby was facing off against his own brother and team mate Carl Haby, plus navigators Wayne Tabe and Chloe Roehr (Element Prodigy/Toyota). They were the top qualifiers and led the opening laps on Saturday until their charge was brought undone by electrical problems. This saw the #56 Element in the pits on lap three and effectively going a lap down and pushing the Haby/Eggers crew en route to victory. Adam Bierl and Nyree Burmingham (Jimco/Chev) had a trouble free run at last and scored a well earned second. They were less than a minute ahead of third-placed Victorians Evan Lampard and Josh Gaskin (Southern Cross/Nissan). Carl Haby salvaged fourth and the fastest lap of the race while WA’s Jared Percival and Element designer/engineer
Rowan Eggers were next home in the newest Element Prodigy/Toyota out for it’s first run. There was a bit of a gap back to Nick and Alex Burt in the Chev powered Rush Truck closely followed by Hamish Lochert having his first run in his recently acquired RIDS Joker/Honda. Mark and Ryder Taylor (Cobra/Mazda) may have been 29 minutes down on Lochert but they notched up their fourth Super 1650 win in four races and were the last survivors. Brenton Forsyth (Southern Cross/Nissan) had been looking good for second until breaking the gearbox on Sunday morning. Incredibly this occurred just a lap before David Hall and Corey Hayworth (Murphy/ Nissan) suffered the same fate. Darren and Lewis Oliver were
looking certain winners in Super 1650 but the Tiny Built/Suzuki spat out the chain early on Sunday morning. Pat Byrnes and Tamara Amber (Byrne Truck/Chev) were also running away from the Extreme 2WD opposition only to have the steering break after only four laps. Trent Gravestock and engine builder Tyson Proud cut some fast laps on Sunday in the Chev powered F100 after day one’s early exit with power steering failure only to have the fuel tank spring a leak. Toby Reimann and Chris Redding (Scorpion/Volvo) were out before the race had even started with the ring gear delaminating and bringing them to a standstill in the prologue. After all the drama, class wins went to Aaron Haby (Pro Buggy), Evan Lampard (Prolite Buggy), Mark Taylor (Super 1650), Nick Burt (Exteme 2WD) and Hamish Lochert (Sportslite). David Batchelor
Image: DAVID BATCHELOR
LUCK GOES TUCKERS’ WAY AFTER A season of disappointments, luck finally went Simon and Lucy Tuckers’ way as they won Mini Pave 250 at Port Germein . The Tuckers duo perfectly combined in their Next Gen Southern Cross Nissan (right) to take out the event for the second year in a row. They resisted a late challenge by Darryl Nissen and Andrew Harness who were the pacesetters on day two but just fell short of knocking the Tuckers off the top step of the podium. Northern Territorians Andrew and Tegan Mowles (Razorback/BMW) didn’t have the pace they showed in 2022 but kept out of trouble to claim third. Rich and Lauren Andrews (Woftam S&S/ Nissan) had another solid run coming home P4 comfortably clear of Tom Hicks and Lachy Rochfort (Can-Am Maverick). Gavin Chant and Ian Langford (Southern Cross/Honda) were an outstanding sixth but only just beat home the V8 Falcon of Andy and Makayla Maxwell. Mark and Ryder Taylor (Cobra/Mazda) continued their strong form claiming eighth with Jason Flavell and Stephen Rosier (Can-Am Maverick) from the NT not far behind hiding in the dust. Rick Chambers and Maryanne Forster
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Image: DAVID BATCHELOR (Tinybuilt/Suzuki) also made the trip down from Alice worthwhile by rounding out the top 10. Adam Bierl and Nyree Burmingham’s chances of a good result in their Pro Buggy Jimco/Chev ended with a rollover on Saturday. However, they still completed Sunday’s section with enough laps to claim the class win. The Tuckers were on top in Prolite Buggy with the Taylors notching up Super 1650 win number five in a row. The Maxwells blitzed the opposition in Performance 2WD with Hicks/Rochfort
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comfortable winners in SXS Pro. Aaron and Breanna Harre (Nissan Patrol) did a gearbox on Sunday but their lap count was good enough for the Extreme 4WD win while it was all Chant and Langord in Sportslite. Luke Mudde and Todd Curgeneven (Can-Am Maverick) were the ones to beat in SXS Pro but it all went wrong on Sunday when a drive belt let them down. Speaking of a lack a drive, a similar problem on Saturday robbed Darren Oliver and Corey Hayworth (Tinybuilt/Suzuki) off what looked like certain victory in Super 1650. David Batchelor
Image: BRUCE THOMAS
RENAULT CONQUERS BASKERVILLE 1000 RENAULT HAS taken out the 2023 Autocraft Baskerville 1000 six-hour endurance regularity event. Nicholas Della, Stellios Kaponas, Rod Bender and Daniel Holt steered the Team Yello Ren-O Clio (above) to glory after amassing 1105 points from their 275 laps. The race, which began in 2019 and run by the Hobart Sporting Car Club, saw a field of 29 cars and 100 drivers facing the challenge of nursing an “affordable car” to the finish line. Each team has three to six drivers, who collect points by achieving their nominated lap time and race a car initially purchased for no more than $1000 for six hours whilst conducting two compulsory seven minute fuel stops. Della, Capons, Bender and Holt pushed their Clio to victory lane having scored 1105 points from their 275 laps and around 550km of driving. They emerged 75 points ahead of Myrage Racing driven by Stephen Smith, Nigel Evans and Peter Doran. The trio scored 1030 points over their 275 laps in the Mitsubishi Mirage. Completing the podium was the Hurd Brothers Racing Falcon of Roger, Daryl and Greg Hurd with 990 points and a record 277 laps. The podium finishers were embroiled in a battle for outright glory for the major of the race with the Yellow Ren-O not establishing the winning break until the latter stages. The fight for second was also decided during the last hour when previous winners Myrage snatched the spot from the Hurd Brothers. Racing ran smoothly with only two Safety Car periods, one to recover debris and another to remove the BB Racing Honda which lost a wheel after a minor altercation with the Madaz Mazda 323. Whilst large groups of cars diced for position throughout the day, there was also a unique and positive atmosphere on pit straight. This was highlighted by the Dakar Motorsport Hyundai Excel team which featured three generations of drivers – Grandfather Phil, father Damian, and grandson Levi, supported by Clinton. They were one of multiple family based teams in the event also including Heather Butler who made her motorsport debut along with her two sons. The next Hobart Sporting Car Club’s next event is the Formula Vee Nationals at Baskerville Raceway on November 11-12, while the Symmons Plains 6 Hour on December 3. Bruce Thomas
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NATIONALS WRAP
Carlos Ambrosio, Dean Hill, Jack Caiulo and Zane Rhodes fought out the Excel Cup. Image: SPORT PIXX SPORT PHOTOGRAPHY
STATE CHAMPS TAKE ON TRACK ATTACK
AMOS CONTINUES LEYBURN LOVE AFFAIR
Greg Bull – crossed-up Escort. Images: TRAPNELL CREATIONS
DEAN AMOS’ love affair with the 27th Historic Leyburn Sprints continued last weekend when he blazed to a recordextending eighth straight outright win. Amos was in a league of his own in the British-built Gould GR55B and finished almost four seconds ahead of his nearest competitor. The Lismore based driver received the Col Furness Memorial Trophy after setting a 40.795s time around the 1km street course in Leyburn, which hosted the Australian Grand Prix in 1949. Next best was Brett Bull, who could only manage a 44.677s and Warwick Hutchinson rounded out the podium. They were the only drivers within five seconds of Amos also driving Formula Libres. The leading non-Formula Libre entry was Phil Heafey, who was sixth overall with a 47.982s lap time, which topped the Special interest 4 Wheel Drive category. Reflecting on the eighth successive victory, Amos admitted the track conditions and tight nature of the course made perfecting the time a challenge. “Track conditions were a bit slower this year and cones had been placed on the corners that made it a challenge to get through them fast without clipping a cone and earning a time penalty,” Amos said. “However, everyone was in the same boat so it didn’t matter much and as usual I just had a great time.
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Jayden Manteufel shakes the bales ... “I love this event, it’s such a great time and I can’t wait to come back every year.” Of the 220-plus cars on show, ranging from 1925 to the present day. it was the most historic rather than the fastest the fans were out to see. Claiming back to back wins in the Historic division behind the wheel of a 1971 Mazda R100 Rotary was Matthew Clift. Steering what was possibly the loudest car on hand, Clift recorded a 53.694s. Although this was the 23rd fastest time of the event, it was the fastest in the Historic division. There was also a prize for the Juniors, aged between 14 and 18, and Sophie Devitt emerged victorious. The 17-year-old drove cleanly behind
the wheel of her BMW sedan in her first ever motorsport event to claim the Mike and Ann Collins Memorial Junior Trophy from the legendary Colin Bond. The event had a wide range of categories from Sports Sedans, Touring Cars, Sports Cars, Formula Vees and Libres. Amos, Bull, Hutchinson, Steven Woodbridge and Luke Weiss ensured Formula Libre entries completed the top five before Special Interest 4WD runner Heafey was sixth. Matthew Read (Special Interest Race Cars) was the only other non Formula Libre car to record sub 50s lap times. Plans are already put in place to make the 2024 Historic Leyburn Sprints “bigger and better” in the third weekend of August next year. Thomas Miles
SIX WA state championship categories took on the Collie Motorplex in a busy Track Attack Race and Time Challenge meeting. Whilst there were six separate championships going racing, the Time Challenge event was one of the highlights of the jam-packed two-day event. A total of 23 cars were separated into two groups where competitors raced against the clock across five trail sessions. The fastest collected the most points with Ivan Michelsen easily claiming Group 1 honours. However, Group 2 was much more competitive with Jamie Scott edging out Arran Birmingham by three points. Michelsen continued his success in the state Regularity by taking out Sports Cars category. His name sake Tony Michelson won Modern Cars, Scott beat Matthew Punt in a high-scoring Historic Touring Cars under 3000cc battle, while Garry Utterson was the winner in Historic Touring Cars over 3000cc. The fight for Excel Cup honours went down to the wire as all three races were shared and just three points separated the top three. Although the weekend was bookended by Carlos Ambrosio (62 points) and Zane Rhodes (60) wins, Race 2 victor Dean Hill (63) was able to cling onto overall glory. The Formula Classic races were controlled by a pair of Ralt RT4s with William Norman and Arthur Abrahams. Wins in races one and three were enough for Norman to secure the round win as Lance Carwardine finished third in his Jane Brabham BT23. Little separated the three Jacers in the WA Formula Vee 1200/1600 State Championships. Winning the first two races was enough for Ross Murray to beat Paul Moltoni by just two points, while the 1200 class honours were taken out by Andrew Lockett. The Saloon Cars Pro and Pro Am contests were both one-sided affairs. Despite losing out to Chase Hoy’s Commodore in the first race, there was no stopping Mason Harvey and his AU Falcon from storming to victory in the WA Saloon Car 3K Pro/ProAm State Championship. The ProAm stakes were swooped up by the dominant Michael Koberstein. There was a diverse field taking part in Historic Touring Cars, but the twodoor Ford Galazie of Don Behets proved unbeatable despite the best efforts of Mitchell Evans’ Morris Cooper S. Thomas Miles
MRA SMP • PIARC PHILIP ISLAND
DRIVERS SHINE AT SYDNEY THERE WAS plenty of action at Sydney Motorsport Park in the final weekend of August when the third round of the Motor Racing Australia State Championship was held on the Druitt Circuit and Auto Action’s Bruce Moxon unpacked the results.
David Bailey and Rob Boaden – battling BMWs. Image: BRUCE MOXON
BMW E36/ALFA ROMEO
HAVING WORKED well at the last outing, the BMW E36 and Alfa-Romeo fields were once again combined at Sydney. A few of the fastest Alfas hadn’t entered this meeting which opened-up the racing and the less-modified BMWs won all three races. Matthew Thewlis took the first from David Bailey and Shaun Penwarden. The second race was a closer fight as Rob Boaden took the win after a tense scrap with Bailey and Penwarden, while Thewlis retired. In the final, Boaden built up a big lead on Bailey and won at a canter with Penwarden completing the podium. In the battle of the Alfa Romeos Andrew
Wilson took three from three in his 156, but on each occasion he had to fight off Peter Tillett’s 147. Urs Muller had three third places, also 147-mounted.
MX5 CUP
THE FIGHT for the Mazda MX5 Cup took off to a competitive start as Mathew Fraser took pole and the first win. Behind him was Verne Johnson, before they swapped places in the second race. With Fraser retiring from the final Johnson went on to win race three and therefore the round. The Herring Family was well-represented, with Tim taking third in the opener, then Richard taking over in the second race. In the final, Tim was second from Robert and Jacob Giovenco.
SUPER TT
THERE WAS a smallish entry in Super TT, as the meeting was only a few weeks after its big 300 km event. Todd Herring put the disappointment of the Sydney 300 behind him, taking three from three in his MX-5. Trailing him on each occasion was Barry Kellaher. Dennis Pana took third in the first two races, but the car started running rough in the final and dropped to fifth. This opened the door for David Miller to fire a shot and he took the final podium place in his unique and wild Mazda 800.
Josh Craig dominated Pulsars; Race 1 Excel winner Jack Wood (below) Images: RICCARDO BENVENUTI
NISSAN PULSARS
A FULL field of 28 Nissan Pulsars provided plenty of entertainment across three ninelap affairs. However, no one could stop Josh Craig from collecting all three races, while the battle for the minor places was between Dan Smith and Scott Tidyman. Smith ended up getting the honours from Tidyman having finished 5s behind Craig in the deciding third race.
times and destroying his car. He was taken to hospital for checks and was released later that night with lots of bruises but nothing broken. Before the action stopped Race 1 went to Queenslander Jack Wood from Lewis Buhagiar and Dylan Debono, while the second went to Blake Tracey from Buhagiar and Debono. Round four will take place on the SMP GP Circuit on October 15.
HYUNDAI EXCELS
THE HYUNDAI Excels also had a big entry list with 41 cars taking on Sydney Motorsport Park, but a major shunt in their final race saw it red-flagged then cancelled. Jeff Neve had a massive crash at the first corner of the race, rolling several
THE ISLAND BELONGS TO GARDNER RACING RETURNED to the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit last month for the PIARC August Access meeting, with several categories headlined by Radical Cup Australia. Auto Action’s Thomas Miles reports
RADICAL CUP AUSTRALIA
FOR THE second successive round, the top spot was in the possession of one driver, Alex Gardner (pictured). After announcing himself by delivering a pasting at the ‘Paperclip’ the teen did it again at the Island to fly to a 61-point lead in the championship over Jordan Oon. A dominant double was not looking likely after a super tight qualifying session topped by Oon, who pipped Cooper Cutts by just 0.0031s. A tenth back was Barton Mawer, while Gardner was down in fourth. But once racing began the Volante Rosso Motorsport racer came into his own. Gardner charged into the lead on the opening lap, while front-row starter Cutts did not get beyond the start. After pitting early on lap six, Gardner was on his way to a crushing 47s win over Elliot Schutte and Oon. Whilst Gardner still claimed another convincing win on Sunday, the second race was a much more fraught affair.
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Cuts, Oon and Peter Clare all shared stints in the lead as the dominant #94 sat third before stopping on lap nine and dropping as low as eighth across the first half of the race. But after Mawer retired, and by lap 18 Gardner was back at the front and was never challenged, pushing to a win. The question will be can Gardner be stopped at the next round at The Bend Motorsport Park on October 13-15?
Image: REBECCA HIND/REVVED PHOTOGRAPHY
VICTORIAN SPORTS CAR CHAMPIONSHIP
THE VICTORIAN Sports Car Championship did not fire up until Sunday, but it was worth the wait as Andrew Hall and Jamie Lovett conducted an arm wrestle. The first race was a last lap thriller with Lovett looking in control for nine of the 10 laps. However, on the final tour he dripped from first to third as winner Hall and Sven Burchartz charged through. After falling short in the opener, Lovett hit back by leading home Hall by 5s, while Burchartz led early before drifting back to third. Lovett completed his comeback in style by scoring a dominant lights to flag win in the finale. He led all 10 laps to beat Hall by 4s with Burchartz once again in third to wrap up a
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Porsche dominated weekend where the German brand filled the top five in all three races.
SUPERKARTS
THERE WAS plenty of Superkart action with three separate fields taking on four races each. The opening NGB race was a thriller with Sanuka Perera beating Russ Occhipinti by just 0.0138s. More photo finishes were required for the rest of the weekend as Occhipinti snared overall win with a fast finish. Despite only winning one race, Nicholas Schembri was easily the most consistent in 125cc, collecting 22 more points than Bradley Marsh-Stepne.
The fight for 250cc glory was set to go down to the wire between Russell Jamieson and Ilya Harpas. But a last-race DNF to Harpas allowed Jamieson to take the spoils.
FORMULA 5000
JUST FIVE cars lined up on the Formula 5000 grid and David Hardman’s Chevron B24 was the pacesetter. Hardman dominated the opening race winning by 19s over David Crabtree as Rodney Carroll and Malcom Oastler were first-lap victims. The second race was a clean affair as Hardman completed the sweep with Crabtree 12s in arrears.
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NATIONALS WRAP
REEVES TAKES VRC GIPPSLAND IN CLASSIC DATSUN
ROUND 3 of the Victorian Rally Championship was taken out by Brendan Reeves and Italian co-driver Alex Gelsomino, (pictured) with the pair now on top of the table after their victory at Ada River back in April. The duo took out Heat 2 in their punchy #50 Datsun 1600 (Datzilla) to seal the deal after finishing runners up in Heat 1 in challenging and varied conditions against a 29-car field. They took the win by 39s over Mitsubishi EVO VIII team Danny Traverso and Anthony Carr, which was their first VRC podium, as well as taking outright 10th as a registered ARC entry to cap a fantastic effort. Finishing third was Warren Lee and
David Lethlean in an EVO IX, who were a further minute back on Traverso. Sporting both a tribute to Ken Block on the side of his Datsun and Block’s long time navigator as his co-driver (Brendan’s brother in law), Reeves paid homage to the late great American. “It was an honour to have Alex in the car with me! We took a bit of inspiration from Ken this weekend, sometimes under the limit, sometimes over the limit, but always having fun,” Reeves said. “It feels great to win here today, we pushed really hard out there on the stages but it felt really comfortable and the car ran perfectly.” Gelsomino also gave his thanks and praised the quality of the event.
“I want to say thanks to everyone for the hospitality and to the Marshalls and everyone in the stages. It was wet, cold and foggy, so they did a fantastic job. “The roads were really world class.. when you drive them flat out with a driver like Brendan and in a car like that, I had a very great time.” Starting out from Heyfield in Victoria’s east, dry and sunny conditions saw Justin Dowel top Reeves by 4s in his #14 Mirage, as well as him topping SS2 over Tim Clark in muddier conditions. Reeves and Gelsomino then turned it on the higher altitude SS3 in the thick fog to take the stage over Dowel, who then hit back on the descent to take the final Heat stage and the Heat to lead
Reeves by 15s with Traverso in third. Heat 2’s opening three stages were a repeat of the morning runs, but the fog returned in even greater force for the SS7 mountain range return. After taking five seconds back from the #14 in SS5, the leader then lost four minutes on SS6 which the Datzilla prevailed over Traverso for the lead. In the hard visibility of SS7 and SS8, Dowel and co-driver Tracey Dewhurst then hit back for the next two stage wins but the damage was done, as the world class pairing took the classic Datsun to victory. The next VRC outing is the 176km, 10 stage Valley Stages round on September 23 in the Yarra Glen/Healesville region. TW Neal
Image: WISHARTMEDIA
Image: S.GAWEN
HURLEY HAULS IN SPECIAL EVENT MAL AND Regan Hurley (pictured) drove their Subaru to glory in the 2023 Kosciusko Automotive Monaro Stages event. The Hurley duo dominated, winning six of the eight stages at one of the larger club-level rallies in NSW. The rally was run in honour of Debbie Quirk, one of the long-term organisers of the event, who passed away in June. All profits went to a range of charities and event director Kim Winks declared the rally a
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success, raising over $6000. The Hurley combination was seeded first in their Subaru WRX and made the most of it taking the first five stages to build an unassailable lead. Rob Bishop/Jacklyn Hughes also produced some strong speed in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X. They were the only other stage winners, taking the two that the Hurleys left to finish second, just 23 seconds adrift. Next were Jody and Brody Mill in an Evo 8.
Joe Chapman and Tommy Flegl (WRX) might have been expected to trouble the leaders, but retired early after just one stage. Andy and Seb Pierce would have been in the mix for a good result too, but dropped out at lunch with a failed alternator. Best of the 2WDs was the brandnew Escort of Michael O’Hagan and Eoin Monyhain, who finished seventh overall. Bruce Moxon
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Bates and Taylor dominated to take a second ARC win for the year.
CLINICAL BATES MAKES GIPPSLAND STATEMENT HARRY BATES and Coral Taylor’s dominant Saturday in the Middle of Everywhere Gippsland Rally set them up to secure backto-back ARC victories for Round 4 of the Australian Rally Championship. The #2 Toyota GR Yaris pair became the first multiple winners in this year’s ARC title race, taking the outright win in Victoria’s south east over championship leaders Lewis Bates and Anthony McLoughlin. Bates topped his brother by one minute and 17 seconds after clinching the final Power Stage, their second stage win of the day after topping seven stages on the opening day of the year’s first two-day combined endurance rally. After a rough start to the season for the new driver/co-driver partnership where their WA lead was snatched away at the death by a penalty, the #2 machine is now on an ominous roll with two rounds remaining. “It’s all going well at the moment. It’s documented that we had a tough start to the year, and it left us with some work to do, but we’re definitely going well at the moment,” Harry said. “Coral and I are very focused on rally by rally at the moment, and I think that’s paying off. But I think we’re the first ones to win two rallies this year. “A big thanks to our whole team (Toyota) as they’ve been working so hard, to have both cars first and second in the event is incredible. “That really is a testament to them. It was a tough event, clearly lots of cars either had a DNF or ended up with problems by
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Eddie Maguire/Zak Brakey took the other podium spot. Below: Bodie Reading/Mark Young took another Production Cup win. the Power Stage, whereas both of our cars were still strong right up until the end. Tasmanian pair Eddie Maguire and Zak Brakey made it two podiums on the trot in their Skoda Fabia R5, one minute and a half back in arrears of the #1 Toyota, surviving a day long battle Luke Anear and Malcolm Read by just 18 seconds. The big movers on Sunday went to Saturday’s battlers, Nathan Quinn and Ray Winwood-Smith, who endured a continuation of their recent mechanical issues on the opening day to storm back with three stage wins to finish outright fifth. A dejected Quinn suffered a broken rear diff, leaving them in eighth overnight, a second successive rally after Gympie where they were out of podium contention early. Also putting in an impressive run was the Tasmanian pairing of Bodie Reading and Mark Young, whose seventh place outright secured them another ARC Production Cup win in their debut full-time season to keep their lead in the second tier class.
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They took the Production win by a whopping six minutes over Daniel Traverso and co-driver Anthony Carr, who finished in tenth outright. The opening day saw eight stages, covering off the first half of a 182km rally over 16 stages with 54 crews - 28 of which were ARC entries, with 26 state entries for the Vic State component. Following on from their Queensland dominance, Bates and Taylor stormed out of the block to capture seven of the eight stages on the Saturday. The top four were as stated in the finishing
results by the day’s end, only Anear was 40s off Maguire, whilst Jamie and Brad Luff were in fifth place holding a one minute lead over Reading. After being competitive early and the only team that could near the #2 Quinn’s mechanical ire came about on Stage 5, as he lost four minutes to end the day in eighth, while Harry led his brother by up to one minute. Sunday’s final 8 stages saw plenty of challenges come at Bates for the stage wins, but the leader could afford to back off and stay ahead when needed. After Vic driver Troy Dowel took Stage 9, Quinn then started his climb back with Stage 10, 11 and 13 wins, whilst Anear won the 14th to stay in touch with Maguire. Bates then put his foot down for the final Mount Ray and Boisdale (Power Stage) to take a comfortable win and sure up second in the championship. It was a familiar story in the ARC 2WD Cup with Ben and Cathy Hayes taking a fourth straight class win, whilst David Thompson and Matthew Sanders were the only finishers in the ARC Classic Cup. Rounding out the class wins was Josh Wiedman and Nick Reid, taking a 2WD podium and the Junior Cup victory. The next ARC outing is the Adelaide Hills Rally on October 13-15, the penultimate round of the season before the championship could come down to another Bates vs Bates showdown in November’s National Capital Rally. TW Neal
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NATIONALS WRAP
TIME ATTACK TURNS ON THE POWER AT SMP By Timothy W Neal
THE 2023 Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge (WTAC) took to Sydney Motorsport Park once more, with two days of action and a huge bevy of some of the most high performance machines on the planet. Eastern Creek played host to the Emtron Pro class, the GCG Turbochargers open class, Plazmaman Pro Am, and the Haltech Clubsprint class. On top of that, the weekend also saw two nights of the global drift party with the 2023 International Drifting Cup, completing the Time Attack by day and Drift by night philosophy. With some of the most famous Time Attack drivers from around the planet also taking on SMP, there was constant action on track with plenty of displays throughout the two days,
Pro Am Corvett
as well as aerobatic displays from former Aussie fighter pilot turned Red Bull Air Race Champion, Matt Hall! In true WTAC style, a packed SMP didn’t have a moment to rest on and off the track, and here’s how the competition side of the weekend went down.
Tim Slade took out runner-up spot in the Pro class. which included the presence of the “Founder of Drift”, Japanese star Keiichi Tsuchiya, who tested the limits in the Hyundai’s highperformance IONIQ 5 N. There was also the Lamborghini ‘Bulls on Parade’ V12 on and off-track display, the Head-to-Head Flying 500 down Brabham Straight, a visit from another Japanese
legend in Tarzan Yamada, who ripped up the track in a Honda Spoon Sports FK8 Type R Endurance Racecar, on-track demos from Ryan Tuerck in his incredible Judd V10-powered Mk5 Supra, the Exedy Drift Team who went on track with three of the most powerful drifters ever built in OZ … (and an armoured troop carrier/a tank),
EMTRON PRO CLASS - MAWER CEMENTS WTAC LEGEND STATUS THE WTAC is all about that one perfect lap, and nowhere was this better displayed than with a fourth straight outright event victory, and Emtron Pro Class victory, from NSW’s Barton Mawer. With the Mawer family having been active on the Australian Motorsport scene for over 50 year’s Barton continued to fly the flag when he broke his own lap record in his famous RP968 Porsche by over 1.5sec. WTAC drew a few fans ... Images: WORLD TIME ATTACK
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te ...
Bart Mawer took out the Pro class (above right), but his exuberant celebration on Day 1 had an unplanned outcome (left) ... Trdent Grubel and his Subaru won the Clubsprint category. (right)
Yusaku Shibata, saw him finish fourth over Robert Nyugen’s NISMO Super GT, posting a 1:29.596s on WTAC in the beautiful HondaFerrari machine that only carried 450 hp in comparison to the monsters up the top.
Keiichi Tsuchiya and his hot Hyundai. Above: The drifting went to the locals! His fourth straight WTAC win equals the overall wins record alongside Tilton Evo, the progenitor of the current WTAC format. With the new rules allowing slick tyres for both Pro and Pro Am classes, records were expected to tumble, and Mawer didn’t disappoint with a Day 2 lap of 1:17.860s, the first sub 18 lap at SMP. His overzealous celebrations saw him leap from the roof of his RP968, breaking his heel in the process, which didn’t stop him coming back out for the last session. “We finally got it done!” Mawer said after breaking his own record on Day 1 with 1:18.7 flat. “It is what we set out to do for the car’s owner as we wanted the outright record and it has been a long time coming. We felt the cooler conditions on the racetrack would offer more outright speed this morning even though there was a little oil down on Turn 8 and it was a little more slippery than what I was expecting. To be honest, though, I think there is a little more in it, and more to come from us.” The rest is history. Second in class went to Supercars driver Tim Slade with a 1:20.456s in the Tanuki S13 Silvia, and he had plenty more to give in the 1100hp VR38 V6, but unfortunately it lost a wheel between Turns 1 and 2 with owner Wayne Lee behind the wheel in the Pro Am session. Third in class went to the Lyfe Motorsport R35 GT-R of Cole Powelson, who turned a 1:25.945s. The US crew had to bounce back from a broken transmission on Day 2 to get that time with GT-R also doing the rounds in the Pro Am. An impressive performance from another Japanese star in
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CGC TURBOCHARGERS OPEN CLASS – SLADE AVENGES 2022 GREMLINS SLADE DIDN’T go home empty handed after being swallowed up by the unbeatable RP968, taking to the GCG class in an Xtreme Nissan Skyline GT-R. Sladey was taken down by mechanical gremlins in 2022, but the reverse fortune went his way as his nearest challenger, Nathan Morcom – last year’s class victor – suffered constant issues in his Mitsubishi GAS Evo. Morcom looked to have the class sorted for a second straight year heading into the shootout, but Friday night saw them needing to replace the engine, before breaking a drive shaft right out of the gate on Day 2. Despite that, they rallied into the shootout to record a 1:27.366s. Slade then went ahead and locked in a 1:25.926s to take gold, avenging the disappointment of last year when his RB was knocked out with mechanical gripes. Veteran Benny Tran, the 2022 Winton 300 winner, rounded out the podium in his BYP Integra, posting a 1:28.581s which knocked Rob Nguyen’s S15 down to fourth by just two-tenths of a second. PLAZAMAMAN PRO AM – TEXAN GOES BIG AT SMP TEXAN FERAS Qartoumy flew in to Sydney as a WTAC newbie and left as a class winner with an authoritative win in his slick looking C6 Corvette. Despite the learning curve of a new track and staying up all night in the sheds after a transaxle shattered his second-gear, the
Texan took the class with a 1:27.016s in his twin-turbo 7-litre Z06. “We don’t have anything like Turn 1 at home and, if you ruin Turn 1 you ruin the lap,” Qartoumy explained. “So I ruin that every single time. The difference is the corners are a little bit slower but very long. It is a smaller track, but very technical and everything here is really late; it requires patience and I don’t have a lot of that!” Despite his professed lack of patience, his near 27-flat was enough to top Richard Perini by just 0.511s. Heading into Day 2, it was Lee in the Tanuki S13 who was at the Corvettes wing, but the VR38-powered Ginetta G55 was on song to take second. As earlier stated, Tanuki S13 lost a wheel between Turns 1 and 2 after collecting the wall rear-first and knocking it out of contention, but it had thankfully seeking the podium spot with a 1:27.540.s In another tech issue for one of the 15 car Pro Am entries, fourth went to Drew Hall’s Croydon Racing Developments R34 GT-R Skyline who missed the chance of a shootout time after a cam sensor went the way of the WTAC gremlin gods. HALTECH CLUBSPRINT CLASS – GRUBEL DOES IT TWICE Trent Grubel took his DC Jap Subaru to the Clubsprint win, breaking the lap record twice, ultimately laying down a 1:32.919s on Day 2 to elevate the class into a new time bracket. On Friday, the Australian Formula Open regular used his familiarity with the SMP surrounds to break Jimmy Asaad’s 2022 lap record by 0.283s before pulverising his own time by 0.574s. Last year’s aforementioned victor put down a Day 1 time of 1:34.031s in his
Mitsubishi ESR Evo, which was enough to retain P2 after Day 2 was done and dusted, and he had to settle for that at any rate after got loose into a concrete wall, tearing off his front left suspension. Despite the retirement of the two-time WTAC champion, Michael Garland’s flying Day 2 couldn’t surmount the ESR Evo, as he rounded out the podium GotItRex GC8 with a 1:34.198s in the shootout. He finished over the busy Adam Casmiri who drove two classes within the class, running fourth in the Lamspeed GR Yaris, and fifth in the JDMYARD/Hardrace Integra. INTERNATIONAL DRIFTING CUP – AUSIES SPOIL THE US INVASION AFTER ALL the on track action over two days of mad speed, the SMP WTAC show drifted into the evening with a grand old battle between the US, Australia, with a Kiwi thrown in for good measure. Billed as the most impressive assembly of talent ever seen on Aussie soil, Mad Mike Whiddett from the US was the big draw card, returning to drift competition for the first time since 2018. He brought his RADBUL MX-5 with its ear shattering peripheral ported 20B rotary engine, whilst the said Kiwi international entry happened to be the well known Gaz Whiter in his Harrop-blown LS3 Silvia with its eight-into-one exhaust system producing around 800hp. Also present was the legendary US drifter Ken Gushi, sporting the Kazama Auto Lexus RC-VR he runs in D1 Japan which has 1000hp Nissan VR38 heart … but despite that power he was nearly knocked out in the first round by talented Aussie youngster Jake Jones! Also putting in a big showing was Diago Saito, who turned up with a 1100hp nitrousbreathing 2JZ. But in the end, it was two Aussie lads who faced off for the win in a pair of S13s, with Luke Veersma and Matt Harvey going head-to-head. A tight, high-speed battle saw the 21-year-old Veersma take it out, with a little paint even traded between the pair in the last run of the night.
Ryan Tuerck – Judd V10-powered Supra. Really!
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INTERNATIONAL
ESPARGARO GETS CATALAN REDEMPTION
Espargaro sneaked past Bagnaia to take the Sprint win. Things got worse for the world champion on Sunday (below) with a horrendous highside at Turn 2 on the opening lap of the GP, with Binder unable to miss the stricken rider’s legs. Images: GOLD AND GOOSE - MOTORSPORT IMAGES
TWELVE MONTHS on from an infamous early celebration, Aleix Espargaro got to enjoy the winning feeling for real in his home Catalan Grand Prix. It will be a race Aprilia will never forget with Espargaro crossing the line with teammate Maverick Vinales in a formation finish. It was a significant win for Espargaro, who wrote the wrongs of last year when he celebrated too early. But in addition to Aprilia’s first ever one-two finish, the race will also be remembered for the shocking first lap drama. Bagnaia got the jump from pole and led the field into turn one where the first of two major incidents occurred. Ducati’s Enea Bastianini struggled to slow down in the braking area and collided with the Pramac of Johann Zarco. This then triggered a domino effect where Fabio Di Giannantonio, Alex Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi were all wiped out. All those riders appeared to walk away unscathed, but sadly Bagnaia was not so lucky one corner later.
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The reigning champion appeared to be in control before he suffered a huge high-side on the exit of Turn 2. Bagnaia was thrown off his #1 Ducati and landed in the middle of the pack where, shockingly, a helpless Brad Binder could not avoid hitting the Italian’s leg. The race was stopped immediately, while marshalls and medics were instantly on the scene assisting Bagnaia, who was reported as conscious and was taken to the medical centre before going to hospital. The weekend had started so well for Bagnaia as he broke the lap record to take pole position with a 1:38.639. THE #1 DUCATI remained at the front of the field when racing got underway in the Sprint, leading Vinales, who went around the outside of Jorge Martin into second. By the end of lap one Espargaro was the charging Aprilia and he shot past both Martin and Vinales before taking aim at Bagnaia. By lap seven the #41 was on the Italian’s back wheel and tried to make another move at Turn 1.
Despite the Ducati not giving up without a fight, Espargaro’s pace was too much and he sneaked down the inside with a smart slipstream move and soon checked out. Attention then turned to Vinales to see if he could make it an Aprilia one-two. Despite having looks at Turns 1 and 3 on the final lap, Vinales could not overhaul Bagnaia as Espargaro scored his first victory of the weekend by 2s. Miller ran as high as 10th, but struggled to 16th having received a hip and shoulder from Alex Marquez at Turn 1, while Pol Espargaro showed promise before crashing. FOLLOWING SUNDAY’S scary start, racing resumed 25 minutes later than scheduled without a factory Ducati on the grid with both Bagnaia and Bastianini in the medical centre. Martin used the power of his Pramac Ducati to hit the lead, but by Turn 4 Vinales had steamed ahead. Miller got a great start climbing from 11th to sixth, but lost that place to KTM teammate Brad Binder at the start of lap two. However, a handful of laps later Miller recalled the position as Binder hit technical dramas. With Vinales leading Espargaro, Miguel Oliveira made it an all Aprilia top three when he made a bold move on Martin. The pair then had a ding-dong battle before Martin eventually prevailed. All eyes were at the front as Espargaro closed in on his teammate. Despite a mistake on lap 11 giving Vinales some breathing space “Top Gun” had the #41 on his tail nine laps later. Espargaro got a run up the main straight and lunged down the inside at
BAGNAIA ESCAPES SERIOUS INJURY MOTOGP CHAMPIONSHIP leader Francesco Bagnaia has escaped serious injury from a scary first-lap crash at Catalunya. A vicious high-side for Bagnaia produced the sight no one wants to see of a rider being thrown off his bike and being collected by the oncoming pack with Brad Binder unable to avoid running over the Italian’s legs. Bagnaia was taken to the medical centre before being transferred to hospital. A doctor described Bagnaia as “fine” while Ducati confirmed he sustained multiple contusions, but did not suffer any fractures and will head to Misano with the team. “Pecco is fine,” Dr Angel Charte told DAZN. “We have taken an X-ray and we have detected a small injury that we don’t know if it is current or old and need to do an urgent CAT scan. “At cranial and thoracic level everything has been normal.” At the time of print it was unclear if Bagnaia would be in a position to ride at this weekend’s San Marino Grand Prix.
Aprilia 1-2 – a first. Turn 1. The two Aprilias went shoulder to shoulder and Vinales was forced to concede defeat having run wide. Despite the clash there was no animosity as the rest of the race was an Aprilia procession and the teammates joyfully embraced, celebrating after the chequered flag and even swapping bikes. Miller managed to salvage eighth after starting 13th. Thomas Miles MOTOGP CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER ROUND 11 1 Francesco Bagnaia 260 2 Jorge Martín 210 3 Marco Bezzecchi 189 4 Brad Binder 166 5 Aleix Espargaro 154
MOTOGP • CATLUNYA I NASCAR DAYTONA • DARLINGTON
BUESCHER TAKES DAYTONA CLOSER
LARSON HITS THE PLAYOFF SWITCH DESPITE HIS recent lack of form, Kyle Larson has kicked off the 2023 NASCAR Post-season in fine form, conquering South Carolina’s famed ‘Lady in Black’ (Darlington Raceway) to earn an automatic berth into the Round of 12. Going into the Round of 16, the Hendricks Motorsports Camaro driver has carried an undistinguished average finish of 17.5 over his past six outings. And despite transmission issues and nervous brush with the wall, the 2021 champion ticked off career win No.22 by 0.447s over fellow Playoff contenders Tyler Reddick and Chris Buescher. The leading contenders across the night were poleman Denny Hamlin who led a race-high 177 laps of the 367, followed by Reddick (90) and Larson (55). Larson lauded his ability to finally stitch together a full race. “Finally, from start to finish, 18th to third in the first Stage, I didn’t think that was possible. Our race car was really good when the sun was out. Just had to work on it,” Larson said. “I messed up once and it got hung in neutral, and I slid and hit the wall, and I bent the toe link a little bit, so it was kindof a struggle from there. “Definitely had to fight it more than I was earlier, but we kept our heads in the
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Kyle Larson (below and above) – first into the final 12 ... Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES
game. That was really important. This race is all about keeping your head in it … “What a great way to start the playoffs, and hopefully we can keep it going.” It wasn’t until lap 313 that the Californian took the lead for the first time, holding it for the final 55 circuits, with Reddick unable to find an avenue past after rolling out of the pits into second for the run home. Hamlin was looking all the rage after taking Stage 1 and 2, but a belief that he had a loose wheel caused him to pit under green on lap 274, losing plenty of
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time before he got caught in a five-car wreck on lap 331, ending the race in P25 and a lap down. Harvick was also in for a shout when Reddick had the lead, before he got caught with a penalty when he entered the pit lane with a badly timed no-entry red light sign due to a crash behind him, sending him to the rear. Two more Round of 16 races remain, with a trip to the Kansas Speedway on September 10, and then the Bristol Motor Speedway on the 16. TW Neal
THE REGULAR season closer of the NASCAR Cup Series last week saw RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher take his third victory of the year at the Daytona 400 in Florida. With a helping nudge from his team owner/driver/fellow postseason contender – Brad Keselowski – Buescher took out an eventful closing stage in extra time which saw the final 16 locked in for the 2023 playoffs. Buescher, who started the final few laps in second place, finished 0.098s up on his helping teammate, with Aric Almirola a close third over Chase Elliot. “That’s as much Brad’s win as ours right there,” Buescher said. “That was the right help, aggressive, and sticking with us. “I was waiting for him to do something there coming to the finish. “Just so thankful for all those pushes at the right time. “Found each other here and there throughout the race, lost each other, and got back on it when it counted.” The extra time came as a result of a heartstopping crash on 156 when Ryan Preece slid out of the pack after contact with his Stewart-Hass teammate Chase Briscoe. His Mustang hit the grass sideways then took to the air before flipping 10 times into the infield and catching fire. Thankfully, the completely destroyed Mustang landed on its floor, and Preece was lifted out safely and placed on a stretcher, with the driver largely unscathed. The big news to eventuate after was that Elliot’s season was over after needing a win to qualify, missing the playoffs for the first time in his career. The repeat winner also ensured that 24XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace qualified in the final 16th spot as one of three qualifiers without a season win (Kevin Harvick/ Keselowski). Preece’s scary crash wasn’t the only action of the evening, as Stage 2 also closed with a mammoth 16-car pile up when rookie Ty Gibbs moved down onto Ryan Blaney after getting a helping bump from his teammate Christopher Bell to try and take the Stage win. The crash ended Gibbs’ hope of taking Wallace’s playoff spot, as he finished the season in 18th behind Trackhouse’s Daniel Suarez. After surviving the chaos, that allowed Elliot to push for the chance of a win in the final stage (at one point getting his nose in front on the inside which caused the crowd to liven up) he was eventually swamped from the outride at Turn 2 however, and never had the space to get free after the final restart. TW Neal
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INTERNATIONAL
PALOU CLINCHES SECOND ASTOR CUP SPANIARD ALEX Palou has become the first driver since Sebastien Bourdais in 2007 to clinch the IndyCar title in the penultimate round, at Portland International Raceway. The Chip Ganassi Racer who has been at the centre of a two year contract storm took his fifth win of the year to clinch his second title in three years, giving CGR its 15th title, second only to chief rivals Penske (17). The 26-year-old overcame McLaren’s Felix Rosenqvist by 5.435s, as well as his evergreen teammate Scott Dixon, whose late title push came to an end despite reaching the steps for a third straight race. In an incredibly dominant season, Palou has finished eighth or better in all 16 races thus far, mixing unrivalled consistency with victory, and will head into the final round at Monterey with a 91 point lead over Dixon, with Newgarden yet to secure third from Pato O’Ward. Commentator Townsend Bell said it best at the chequered flag: “If there was ever a mic drop in IndyCar racing, we just witnessed it. That was a dominant, perfect day from the professor of precision.” An ecstatic Palou gave his thoughts amidst the celebrations. “It was an amazing weekend overall – we just had really fast cars,” he said. “We knew we had to go for it and we just raced how we’ve been doing the whole season. “Super proud to be here in victory lane, super proud of the second championship and 15th for the team. “I never thought I would be an IndyCar
champion and to be a two-time IndyCar champion is amazing … like a dream.” The race got going with pole man Graham Rahal leading Scott McLaughlin and Colton Herta off the line whilst Palou made his move into third from fifth early. Dixon tagged Herta to slip back early, as Callum Ilott and Romain Grosjean also made contact. A yellow flew early after Will Power spun into the grass, with Palou going to the front after the restart on Primaries after the front three pitted.
The early stoppers were hampered by traffic giving Palou an early 5s ascendancy, pitting on Lap 32 for Alternates, whilst Rosenqvist had moved into third from an initial 11th. Dixon cut into the lead whilst Palou went in again on lap 49 to ditch the unfavoured Softs, whilst Rosenqvist took Dixon for second. Palou enjoyed a 10s cushion, cruising until lap 80 for a final pit before a FCY was called after Agustin Canapino spun wildly. Palou had the tyre advantage to hold off
Fifth win and the championship – Palou dominance. Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES
Rosenqvist, whilst Dixon couldn’t gain any more ground, with the champion leading 69 of 110 laps to clinch a dominant title. The IndyCar finale heads to the repaved Laguna Seca in California on September 10. TW Neal
THE ICEMAN GOES BACK-TO-BACK IN ST LOUIS SCOTT DIXON took taken back-to-back IndyCar wins by taking St Louis at The Gateway, the week before Portalnd, which kept his slim title hopes alive. The six-time champion earned his 55th career victory, taking his Chip Ganassi Honda to a huge 22.225s margin in the final oval race on the 2023 calendar. His fuel saving strategy led to him taking one less stop than the rest of the field at the 2km oval, beating home Pato O’Ward and David Malukas, leading a race high 123 of 260 laps. The next highest lap leader (98) saw history beckoning for Penske’s Josef Newgarden, who was aiming for a season sweep of the oval events in 100 years. The pole starter drifted high on lap 211 to hit the wall, bringing that effort to an end. But by that stage Dixon was so well placed with a stop in hand that it mightn’t have mattered. With championship leader Alex Palou finishing seventh behind Colton Herta, Dixon was 74 points behind with two races remaining, but his Spanish teammate only needed to lead by 55 points after the penultimate Portland round to clinch his
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second title in three years. Dixon started in 16th after taking a ninespot grid penalty for an unapproved engine change, which was what brought about the fuel strategy. “It’s all these guys, man, Chip steers the ship,” Dixon quipped. “We took a pretty good grid penalty today and we had to go the alternate route, and it worked out perfectly. They gave me the fuel number I needed to be getting.” Also taking a grid penalty for the same reasons was fellow Kiwi Scott McLaughlin, who yielded his pole to Newgarden, but
fought back to take fifth behind Alexander Rossi. After the Indy 500 winner led 98 of the first 101 laps, Dixon would take his eventual lead on lap 113, and after Takuma Sato triggered the second and final caution of the race, Dixon was able to pit for fuel on lap 125. The ‘Iceman’ then measured out his gas until his third and final pit on lap 197, remerging in fifth whilst everyone above him needed to stop once more, with O’Ward in provisional but futile control over Rossi and Herta. He assumed the lead on lap 221 and was
pressured by Aussie Will Power, but he too had to pit for fuel once more with 21 laps remaining, as O’Ward and Malukas took the podium spots on the pit cycles. After Palou, Felix Rosenqvist, Power, and Marcus Ericsson rounded out the top-10. TW Neal
INDYCARS • ST LOUIS • PORTLAND I F1 AND F2 • NETHERLANDS • ITALY
POURCHAIRE AND VESTI HEAD FOR UAE SHOWDOWN THE PENULTIMATE FIA Formula 2 Round at Monza saw Prema’s Oliver Bearman take the Feature victory, whilst Frederik Vesti had a bitter-sweet weekend to remain in the title fight against Frenchman Theo Pourchaire. The pair will go into the finale at Yas Island in the UAE split by 25 points with 39 left on the table, with the ART Grand Prix leader attempting to take the title in his third attempt having finished second to Oscar Piastri and Felipe Drugovich two years running. After a farcical qualifying session at the Temple of Speed in which Pourchaire could dare to dream of a championship trophy with pole, many drivers hung in for a tow as more than half the field missed the clock to put in a final lap. Vesti managed to finish in eighth however, which gave him a P3 start for the Sprint, and the Nordic driver capitalised on the full available points, banking 10 of them whilst Pourchaire finished fourth behind Victor Martins and Richard Verschoor to negate the damage. Bearman was dominant in the Feature after taking the lead through a Turn 4 slipstream. The British Ferrari Junior driver was providing favours for Vesti by holding off Pourchaire to eventuate in a third feature win of the season (a season high), but the contending Dane came to grief, squeezed onto the grass by Roman Stanek, hitting
And the winner is? Oliver Bearman took the points, although the Safety Car was the lap leader in a race full of incident ... Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES
the barriers to put him out of the race. A second Safety Car came after Charles Leclerc broke down, with Bearman taking the early pit and emerging in front of Pourchaire. After a lap 12 restart, yet another yellow was called after Zane Maloney was turned around, and the field was called through pit lane for a debris clean up. Bearman held the front until a fourth
Safety Car after Maini blew a tyre, with a three lap sprint to the finish ensuing. Ayumi Iwasa took Pourchaire at Turn 1 to launch an attack on Vesti at the restart, before Stanek took damage to see the race end under, yes, a Virtual Safety. The decider at Yas Marina takes place on November 24-26, sharing the stage with the F1 finale. TW Neal
BORTOLETO SEALS F3 TITLE GABRIEL BORTOLETO was confirmed as the 2023 FIA Formula 3 champion at the earliest possible moment in the finale at Monza. The Brazilian trident driver clinched the title as he sat in the pit lane when qualifying was called due to a red flag. With teammate Oliver Goethe on pole, it became mathematically impossible for Bortoleto to be beaten. He celebrated the occasion by snatching second from Mari Boya on the final lap of the Sprint Race. The reverse grid affair was action packed with Caio Collet, Paul Aron, Jonny Edgar and Pepe Marti all caught up in a Turn 1 incident. Boya and Franco Colapinto had a thrilling duel for a lap before Colapinto broke free and secured his fourth win in Formula 3, matching an all time record. Further back Zak O’Sullivan and Gregoire Saucy made contact at Turn 1 leaving the former with a penalty and the latter with a puncture. The battle for the minors continued as Goethe locked up down the escape road at the Variante del Rettifilo and Bortoleto took until the last lap to get second. Jonny Edgar was Sunday’s hero, winning a Feature race decided by a one-lap shootout. After a fierce battle for the lead with Collet, Edgar found himself leading the field at the late Safety Car restart following Marti and Ido Cohen’s trip to the gravel. Edgar was able to keep his cool in the last lap shootout as Zak O’Sullivan and Taylor Barnard denied Collet a podium. Thomas Miles 2023 FIA FORMULA 3 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS 1 Gabriel Bortoleto 164 2 Zak O’Sullivan 119 3 Paul Aron 112 4 Franco Colapinto 110 5 Pepe Marti 105
CONTENDERS STRIKE OUT IN ZANDVOORT A DIFFICULT weekend in Zandvoort saw a maiden FIA Formula 2 victory go to Trident’s Clement Novalak, with the Frenchman surviving a chaotic and slippery Feature race that saw the top five championship contenders fall by the wayside. Novalak came from 13th for only his second points finish - holding off Zane Maloney by 2.183s, with Jack Crawford taking third. Of the entire top five in the standings, only Victor Martins took points, with the gap staying as it was with two rounds remaining. After Crawford took a maiden pole, the Sprint Race saw no points awarded with a red flag bringing the race to a halt due to heavy rain. The Feature saw a damp track play
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havoc with drivers opting for slicks to wait out a dry line, seeing several drivers come unstuck, including Aussie title
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contender Jack Doohan who spun into
the barrier at the final turn – who then cut a disconsolate figure sitting on the grass ... Oliver Bearman was also tagged by Juan Manuel Correa early, with the race restarting on lap three. Contender Ayumu Iwasa then caused a crash with Maini, which had Pourchaire moving up the order. He found P5 after pitting under caution, but he too then found the barriers at Turn 7 to keep the other contenders in reach – which included the second-placed Frederick Vesti, whose rear wheels then both came off under a Safety Carout lap after they weren’t attached properly ... With Novalak in the lead when the Safety Car went in on Lap 16, he held off the other contenders in a time certain race to take the win over 38 laps. TW Neal
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INTERNATIONAL
MAX ON CLOUD Report: LUIS VASCONCELOS Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES
THERE’S REALLY no stopping Max Verstappen this year – as the Dutch Grand Prix abundantly proved during his home race. On his way to equaling Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine straight Grand Prix wins, the Red Bull driver could even afford the luxury of pitting one lap too late when the rain started to come soon after the start, briefly giving the advantage to team mate Sérgio Pérez and the other drivers who eant for Intermediate tyres at the end of the first lap. He was also quite cautious when a downpour started to fall over Zandvoort later in the race, avoiding the mistakes many of his rivals made, nott going any faster than he needed to on his way to the pits, for Extreme wet tyres. And to prove his confidence is so high there days he even allowed Fernando Alonso to hunt him down on the first lap after the restart, as he asserted the track conditions after a stoppage of more than 40 minutes, before waving goodbye to the veteran Spaniard and opening a small gap that was enough to secure a win that was never in question. Uncertain weather made the Dutch Grand Prix a challenge for teams and drivers but it was almost fully dry when the race started and everyone lined up on the grid with slick tyres. It had started to spit on the formation lap and Valtteri Bottas twice asked his team to pit for Intermediates – he was starting 18th, with nothing to lose – but his request was denied and that, eventually, cost him any chance to score points.
By the time the drivers reached the final sector on the first lap the rain was falling heavily, so Pérez, Leclerc, Gasly, Zhou, Tsunoda, Lawson and Magnussen pitted for Intermediates, a wise move that put the Mexican in the lead, after starting only seventh. Stopping one lap later, Verstappen returned to the track in sixth place, immediately got past Charles Leclerc during the out lap, made quick work of Russell, who was still on slicks, and within three laps had already moved ahead of Gasly and Zhou to get back to P2, but a whooping 11s behind Pérez. In just four laps that gap was down to four seconds and, when Red Bull opted to call Verstappen in for slicks, leaving Pérez out for an extra lap, the final result of the race was settled. The undercut allowed the Dutchman to return to the lead 3.8s ahead of his team mate and from then on, even with the race stoppage following Zhou’s heavy crash when a downpour fell on the circuit, the ninth consecutive win was a formality for the local hero. Verstappen was open enough to admit he’s so comfortable about his superiority he is now being very conservative with his strategic decisions: “When I was seeing the rain coming down, it was tough to make the right calls. The team told me the rain was coming but maybe not enough to switch to an Intermediate tyre, or maybe survive for a few laps. So, we decided together to stay out for one more lap, but that was the wrong call. However, it made the race definitely more fun. From there onwards, I had to pass a few cars and close the gap
up front. But, luckily, within a few laps I closed down 10 seconds of the gap, so that was very important for the rest of my race. And when we went into the Slick tyres as well I think, the tyres were holding on quite well on my car for the stint. And it was very enjoyable to drive.” The only hiccup came when the race was stopped and it was expected that Alonso, in second place, would have a go at the lead. Verstappen expected that from the veteran but made enough of a gap on the rolling start to keep the lead in spite of Alonso’s push: “I judged the re-start well but was too cautious on the long last corner and Fernando certainly got a good tow. He was pushing very hard on the first lap after the re-start while I was being very careful, as I knew the conditions weren’t great. After one lap, though, I could push a bit harder and then I opened a bit of a gap, so it was all good.”
Top: Zandvoort’s iconic Turn 1 – with the track drying. Middle: Perez leads Alonso and Gasly, but ended up behind both. Lower: With no Friday running, just wet Saturday, Kiwi debutant Liam Lawson excelled in dreadful conditions to finish 13th, ahead of teammate Tsunoda. Below: Verstappen nailed the late race restart, and Alonso was never close enough to challenge.
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Formula 1 Round 14 DUTCH Grand Prix - Race report
NINE
,
Daniel’s downfall: hitting the fence to miss the spun McLaren (being craned away), Ricciardo broke his hand as the steering whipped around. Right: Gasley’s intelligent drive netted a well-deserved podium. Below: Ferrari had a shocker – Leclerc during one of many ‘offs’ ...
A LOST OF OPPORTUNITY FOR MCLAREN
The Spaniard actually paid the best compliment to his younger rival after hearing Verstappen explain why it’s not easy to keep on winning even when you have the best car in the field: “It’s never easy to win and to be at such a high level every single weekend, because you cannot afford a small slip – you have to be at 100 per cent of your game all the time. I think a few of us have been at a very high level all season, so far, but Max is the one that has been closer to being at 100 per cent of his top game and that is certainly not an easy thing to achieve.” A strong statement from one of the best drivers in the field and proof, if needed, that even those trying to beat Max Verstappen acknowledge his very high level of performance since the start of the season.
ALONSO BACK TO THE PODIUM
After a difficult month of July, with Aston Martin struggling to understand the upgrades introduced on the AMR23, Fernando Alonso was back on the podium on merit. A great first couple of laps saw him pass Albon, Russell and Norris in quick succession but Pérez seemed out of reach until the heavy rain came. As the Mexican QUALIFYING RACE 14
made two mistakes – spinning in Turn 1 and then brushing the pit wall as he pitted for Full Wets – the Spaniard moved up to second and stayed there to the flag. As he admitted, “the target was to attack Max at the restart, because he had a lot more to lose than I did and the team accepted my strategy. Unfortunately, I was never close enough to dive in, so second was the best I could do. But I’m so happy, because I’m back to feeling very connected to the car and that gives me a lot of confidence to push. And confidence, of course, is crucial to be quick in changing conditions.” With Pérez penalized for speeding in the pit lane after his brush with the wall, Pierre Gasly inherited third place, giving Alpine its second podium of the season. The Frenchman moved into P4 after stopping for Intermediates in the opening lap and won a race-long battle with Sainz to finish fourth on the road. He had no trouble keeping the Spaniard at bay during the first stint and, after being undercut easily regained the position, as he was much quicker than the Ferrari driver on fresher tyres. Ocon deserved better than 10th place but the team pitted him as the race was being red flagged and that cost him a couple of positions.
RESULTS RACE 14 72 LAPS ZANDVOORT
CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER RACE 14
Pos Driver
Time
Pos Drivers
Make
Laps
Margin
1
Max Verstappen
1:10.567
1
Max Verstappen
Red Bull
72
2:24.04.411 -
2
Lando Norris
+0.537
2
Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin
72
+3.744 s3
3
George Russell
+0.727
3
Pierre Gasly
Alpine
72
+7.058 s9
4
Alex Albon
+0.852
4
Sergio Perez
Red Bull
72
+10.068 s3
5
Fernando Alonso
+0.939
5 Carlos Sainz
Ferrari
72
+12.541 s1
6
Carlos Sainz
+1.187
6 Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes
72
+13.209 s7
7
Sergio Perez
+1.313
7
Lando Norris
McLaren
72
+13.232 t5
8
Oscar Piastri
+1.371
8 Alex Albon
Williams
72
+15.155 t4
9
+16.580 t1
Charles Leclerc
+2.098
9
Oscar Piastri
McLaren
72
10 Logan Sargeant
+6.181
10 Esteban Ocon
Alpine
72
+18.346 s6
11
+9.554
11 Lance Stroll
Aston Martin
72
+20.087 -
12 Pierre Gasly
+9.561
12 Nico Hulkenberg
Haas
72
+20.840 s2
13 Lewis Hamilton
+9.584
13 Liam Lawson
AlphaTauri
72
+26.147 s7
14 Nico Hulkenberg
+9.683
14 Valtteri Bottas
Alfa Romeo
72
+27.388 s5
15 Zhou Guanyu
+11.500
15 Yuki Tsunoda
AlphaTauri
72
+29.893 s2
16 Esteban Ocon
+11.543
16 Kevin Magnussen Haas
72
+31.410 s2
17 Yuki Tsunoda
+9.663
17 George Russell
Williams
72
+55.754 t14
18 Kevin Magnussen
+11.625
NC Zhou Guanyu
Alfa Romeo
62
+10 Laps t3
19 Valtteri Bottas
+11.693
NC Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
41
+31 Laps t10
20 Liam Lawson
+12.853
NC Logan Sargeant
Williams
14
+58 Laps t10
Lance Stroll
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Pos Driver Points 1 Max Verstappen 339 2 Sergio Perez 201 3 Fernando Alonso 168 4 Lewis Hamilton 156 5 Carlos Sainz 102 s2 6 Charles Leclerc 99 t1 7 George Russell 99 8 Lando Norris 75 9 Lance Stroll 47 10 Pierre Gasly 37 s2 11 Esteban Ocon 36 t1 12 Oscar Piastri 36 t1 13 Alex Albon 15 14 Nico Hulkenberg 9 15 Valtteri Bottas 5 16 Zhou Guanyu 4 17 Yuki Tsunoda 3 18 Kevin Magnussen 2 19 Logan Sargeant 0 20 Nyck De Vries 0 21 Daniel Ricciardo 0 22 Liam Lawson 0
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For Ferrari, the weekend was a bit of a nightmare, the team paying the price for running a lower downforce level than its rivals, planned to make the SF-23 more raceable on Sunday. But in changeable conditions it just made it nervous and terribly slow in the twisty Sector 2, Leclerc having many offs in practice and qualifying before destroying his own race after contact with Piastri on the opening lap. While his late decision to pit for Intermediates soon after paid off – even with the team not expecting him (the 10s loss in the garage was more than made up as others trundled around on slicks for one more lap) – there was so much aerodynamic damage his retirement was just a matter of time. Sainz, who accepted the limits of his SF-23, drove a steady race to finish fifth but made no bones about the fact that, “with Alpine making a step forward, we only had the sixrth quickest car this weekend…” Mercedes didn’t have the best of weekends either, Hamilton struggling in qualifying to start only 13th, while Russell shone and was third quickest. The roles were reversed in the race for, in spite of Mercedes keeping both drivers out way too long on slicks, dropping them to the back of the field, the veteran kept his Soft tyres alive and made up a lot of places to finish fifth, while his younger team mate, on Hards, moved up as others pitted one more time for fresh slicks but was already losing positions when the heavy rain stopped play. Fighting for P7 with Norris, a couple of clashes caused a left front tyre puncture that sent him straight to the back of the field. One final note, to praise Alex Albon’s efforts, the Thai being one of the stars of the weekend. With Williams unable to explain the speed of the FW44 on a track where it was expected to struggle, Albon was fastest in Q1, third in Q2 and finally fourth on the grid, showing a tremendous amount of speed. The decision to stay out on slicks early on was the wrong one, but he made that set of Soft tyres last 44 lap (!) and was heading to P6 when Williams jumped the gun and called him for tyres when the downpour came, costing him two places as the race was immediately stopped. Still, eighth place was a good result for the team, while the young driver surely deserved to be much more further up the standings.
WITH LANDO Norris starting from the front row, McLaren had high hopes for the race but everything went south for the English driver when the team kept him out on slicks during the first phase of the Grand Prix. Having been caught out by Alonso in Turn 3 during the second lap, Norris didn’t pit until two laps later, when it was way too late, after the team insisted he’d stay out. Given his experience, though, he has to share the blame with his team for not forcing the issue. Team Principal Andrea Stella admitted that, “with Lando we hesitated at that stage – we came in the lap after and we lost quite a bit of time. I genuinely have to review it, but I think we didn’t help enough the driver in understanding that if he wanted to come in, he should have come in a lap earlier.” After that Norris fought his way through the field but lacked the top speed to do more, ending the race in P7. No wonder he was in a bit of a foul mood after the flag: “I think it’s clear we made the wrong decision. It’s something we will review, talk about and discuss because I guess we’ve made a couple this season and we’ve lost too many positions and a lot of points throughout this year with a couple of these things. I “n the second part of the race we made the right decisions and we were one of the first ones to box and we gained some time. We gained a position on George, things like that. But the first one was just …. not great.” Oscar Piastri, who made a mistake on the only lap that counted in Q3 and started eighth when he had the pace to match Norris, stayed out on slicks all the way and on the same strategy as Albon was on course for a top six finish. Flat-spotting a front tyre into Turn 1, the young Australian had to pit on lap 16, but kept his head down, avoided the mistakes more experience drivers made. did all the right moves and showed his skills in difficult conditions, earning two points the hard way but paying the price for his mistakes. That’s why the McLaren driver was in two minds at the end of the race: “It was not a straightforward afternoon, for sure, and at one stage things looked a lot worse than they ended up being. Conditions were certainly tricky – we made some good calls, some bad calls, had a lot of battles, but I’m not sure if the glass is half full or half empty. We’ll take the points, but we surely had the pace to score a few more this weekend.”
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INTERNATIONAL
VERSTAPPEN TAKES 10 AND DASHES THE TIFOSI’S DREAMS Report: LUIS VASCONCELOS Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES MAX VERSTAPPEN and Red Bull established a new record with their convincing victory in Monza, the Dutchman becoming the first driver to win 10 Grands Prix in a row and his team scoring its 15th consecutive win as well. And yet, the biggest smiles at the end of an entertaining race came from the Ferrari camp, after Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc had the Scuderia’s most competitive weekend of the season, the Spaniard securing the last place of the podium after a very hard battle with his teammate. With Ferrari in P3 and P4, it was Sérgio Pérez who seconded Verstappen, after passing Russell and the two SF-23s on track. The fact Ferrari was actually happy with being beaten in its home race, because Sainz got pole position and led for the first 14 laps, with the pace of the two cars being the closest it has been the whole season, just goes a long way to showing how discouraging for the other nine teams Red Bull’s dominance has been Sainz did very well to keep the lead after two aborted starts – Tsunoda had been forced to park his car before the Parabolica
60 I www.autoaction.com.au
Sainz held Verstappen at bay for a scintillating 14 laps ... on the formation lap and it took quite a while for the stricken AlphaTauri to be removed from the grass – and then surprised everybody, probably even himself, by keeping Verstappen at bay for 14 lap, with the RB19 having the benefit of the DRS on every single lap once iot was enabled! The double World Champion had to bide his time, explaining that, “we trimmed the DRS flap to improve top speed and that mean the system was not as powerful as usual. Also, Ferrari was very quick down the straights, but Carlos was using his tyres up and I knew it was just a matter of time before I passed him, so I didn’t take risks.”
The Dutchman, who continues to say that records are not something he cares for, nevertheless admitted that, “it’s something you don’t expect to happen. I never thought at the beginning of the season that something like this was possible. So, yes, very proud.” With Sainz admitting that, “to keep Max behind, it was out of the question to do any tyre saving, so I was pushing all the way to the flag and that nearly cost me a podium finish, because, in the last few laps, I had nothing left on the tyres and Charles nearly got me.” For Verstappen, those first 14 laps were entertaining but with his newly found
maturity, he had a plan and that plan worked: “It was quite an interesting little battle in the beginning, to try and get a move into Turn 1, but we just didn’t have the top speed to do so. So, I had to wait for a tiny mistake or tiny lock-up or whatever. And, at one point, Carlos had a little lock-up, which then made me have a good run out of Turn 2 and once I got in the lead I could just focus on my own pace.” It sounds simple, doesn’t it? The fact Sérgio Pérez, starting fifth, managed to get up to second with five laps to go also demonstrates that while the RB19 was not as dominant as in the other Grands Prix of this year, it was still the fastest car on track. The Mexican, using an old spec of the Power Unit after an oil leak put his planned V6 out of combat during FP3, needed 16 laps to get past Russell, and just three laps to gain 2.5s on the Ferrari duo and catch them. But it took another 16 laps to finally split the red cars, passing Leclerc after a very tough battle. Sainz was equally difficult to pass and resisted 14 laps before accepting the inevitable, the Mexican explaining that, “all the way it was tough. First getting through George, which wasn’t very easy. Had to take the escape road into Turn 2 a few times. Once Charles had the DRS from Carlos, it was very
Formula 1 Round 15 ITALIAN Grand Prix - Race report ,
FERRARI HOPES ON THE WAY UP Atmosphere by the bucket-load at Monza. Fans (top left) and the unique podium (above). Liam Lawson, above left, was again superb in his second F1 race, while Albon’s pace and stoic defence reaped rewards for Williams. Bottom: Piastri and Hamilton came to blows after a torrid battle.
weekend – let’s not mention Alpine, which was all at sea from FP1 – with Fernando Alonso’s ninth place not enough to stop Ferrari from passing the British team in the championship. For the veteran, “we were slow from the beginning to the end, and not possible to fight better than ninth. So we take these points but hopefully many lessons.”
PIASTRI HARD DONE BY – TWICE!
hard to put him under pressure. After 10 or 11 laps, he lost the DRS from Carlos and that really made my race. When I was able to pass I had some contacts, like, I think into Turn 4 – I had no space, and ended-up touching. Luckily there was no damage for any of us. And then with Carlos as well. It was another very tight fight but that’s expected for those positions.” Hard but fair racing, according to all involved, making it up to the tifosi for the disappointment of seeing their dream of a Ferrari win in Monza dashed, yet again, by Red Bull and Max Verstappen.
DAMAGE LIMITATION FOR MERCS
With Ferrari having its best weekend of the year, Mercedes was comfortably the third quickest force in Monza but its two drivers had different ways to get to fifth and sixth place. Russell did extremely well in qualifying, even beating Pérez and had a quiet race to P5 after keeping the Mexican at bay for 16 lap, a clash with Ocon as the Mercedes returned to the track earning him a 5s penalty that never threatened his final result. QUALIFYING RACE 15
Hamilton, for his part, couldn’t get the Medium tyres to work in qualifying and was a shock exit in Q2, starting 13th, and opting to start on Hard tyres, needed clear track to start to show his race pace. Having been told to go all the way to lap 35 the Brit was upset that the team stopped him eight laps earlier, dropping to P10 and openly saying that, “there’s no way I’m going to make these tyres last the distance.” Having been told others had managed it, he started to chase his rivals, made quick work of Alonso but then, “I had to managed the tyres while trying to catch Albon and the McLaren, and that was not easy.” After clashing with Piastri he managed to get ahead of the trio and his result, combined with Russell’s put Mercedes comfortably ahead of its rivals in the battle for third in the championship. Aston Martin was the biggest loser of the
RESULTS RACE 15 53 LAPS 306.72 KM MONZA
CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER RACE 15
Pos Driver
Time
Pos Drivers
Make
Laps
Margin
Pos Driver
1
Carlos Sainz
1:20.294
1
Max Verstappen
Red Bull
51
1:13.41.143 s1
1
Max Verstappen
Points 364
-
2
Max Verstappen
+0.013
2
Sergio Perez
Red Bull
51
+6.064 s3
2
Sergio Perez
219
-
3
Charles Leclerc
+0.067
3
Carlos Sainz
Ferrari
51
+11.193 t3
3
Fernando Alonso 170
-
4
George Russell
+0.377
4
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
51
+11.377 t1
4
Lewis Hamilton
164
-
5
Sergio Perez
+0.394
5 George Russell
Mercedes
51
+23.028 t1
5
Carlos Sainz
117
-
6
Alex Albon
+0.466
6 Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes
51
+42.679 s2
6
Charles Leclerc
111
-
7
Oscar Piastri
+0.491
7
Alex Albon
Williams
51
+45.106 t1
7
George Russell
109
-
8
Lewis Hamilton
+0.526
8 Lando Norris
McLaren
51
+45.449 s1
8
Lando Norris
79
-
9
Lando Norris
+0.685
9
Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin
51
+46.294 s1
9
Lance Stroll
47
-
10 Fernando Alonso
+1.123
10 Valtteri Bottas
Alfa Romeo
51
+1:04.056 s4
10 Pierre Gasly
37
-
11
Yuki Tsunoda
+1.300
11 Liam Lawson
AlphaTauri
51
+1:10.638 s1
11
Esteban Ocon
36
-
12 Liam Lawson
+1.464
12 Oscar Piastri
McLaren
51
+1:13.074 t5
12 Oscar Piastri
36
-
13 Nico Hulkenberg
+1.482
13 Logan Sargeant
Williams
51
+1:18.557 t2
13 Alexander Albon
21
-
14 Valtteri Bottas
+1.646
14 Zhou Guanyu
Alfa Romeo
51
+1:20.164 s2
14 Nico Hulkenberg
9
-
15 Logan Sargeant
+1.650
15 Pierre Gasly
Alpine
51
+1:22.510 s2
15 Valtteri Bottas
6
-
16 Zhou Guanyu
+2.096
16 Lance Stroll
Aston Martin
51
+1:27.266 s4
16 Zhou Guanyu
4
-
17 Pierre Gasly
+2.251
17 Nico Hulkenberg
Haas
50
+1 Lap t4
17 Yuki Tsunoda
3
-
18 Esteban Ocon
+2.254
18 Kevin Magnussen Haas
50
+1 Lap s1
18 Kevin Magnussen
2
-
19 Kevin Magnussen
+2.298
NC Esteban Ocon
Alpine
39
+12 Laps t1
19 Logan Sargeant
0
-
20 Lance Stroll
+2.566
DNS Yuki Tsunoda
AlphaTauri
-
- t9
20 Liam Lawson
0 s2
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Oscar Piastri was on course for a strong points’ finish, leading Lando Norris during the first stint but without he top speed to have any realistic chance to overtake Alex Albon’s slippery Williams, but a team decision started to undo the good work of the rookie who had qualified seventh, two places ahead of his more experienced team mate, Norris. The Brit pitted on lap 22, telling us that, “I was faster than Oscar, I wanted to pit, he wanted to stay out”, and easily gained the position, without passing Albon with a quick out lap. As the Australian came out of the pits the two McLarens found themselves fighting for position and were lucky to escape serious damage as the two papaya cars touched in the first chicane. Piastri wasn’t a happy man at the end of the race, saying “I’ll have to ask the team why they pitted Lando first” but worse was to come as Hamilton pushed the young driver wide after overtaking passing him before the Roggia chicane, breaking the MCL60’s front wing and putting the rookie out of the points – a move for which the seven-times World Champion was penalised five seconds and immediately apologised for. Hamilton went on to pass Norris and Albon in quick succession and opened enough of a gap to beat the penalty, while the two friends spent the second half of the race battling without changing position, the Thai admitting, “I’m sure Lando is frustrated, I’d be in his place” before explaining “I was so slow in the last corner I basically had to defend into the first chicane in every single lap!” Norris: “I know Alex doesn’t make mistakes – I’ve been stuck behind him many times, but I had to try. He was really slow at the apexes sometimes, forcing me to brake, but it was all fair.” Behind them Valtteri Bottas benefitted from a successful alternative strategy to score Alfa Romeo’s first point since Austria (!), moving his team ahead of Haas in the championship in the battle for P8.
CARLOS SAINZ’S pole position and the way he held Max Verstappen for longer than anyone else had managed to do in 2023, as well as Charles Leclerc’s spirited battle with Sérgio Pérez, gave Ferrari hope that it will be possible to finally win a Grand Prix before the end of the year. Openly stating that, “this was our best performance of the season” Team Principal Fréderic Vasseur went on to say that, “after a weekend like this you can say that we are not that far away. In terms of pace during the weekend it’s one or two tenths, not much more, but they are still in front and both of them are not doing mistakes – at least this weekend. But let’s try again, let’s be a bit more performant to stay close to the two Red Bulls and it will be the best way to fight and to put them a little bit more under pressure.” Sainz, who had his best weekend since joining Ferrari at the start of 2021, was still delighted with P3. A superb lap in qualifying – his speed through the Variante Ascari was simply stunning – earned him his fourth pole position but it was his ability to keep Verstappen behind for 14 laps that impressed the most. The lock-up into Turn 1 at the start of lap 15 cost him the lead but, by then, his tyres were gone. Pérez also went past thanks to the RB19 being gentler on the Pirelli than the SF-23, but that didn’t take away the smile from Sainz’s face: “I’m very, very happy now, because a P3 in Monza in front of the tifosi is as good as it can get – at least for this weekend, because clearly Red Bull were, in the end, quite a bit quicker than us today, as we expected. It was a day to try and I tried everything I could to keep them behind, especially that first stint in front of Max.” And, with many surprised the team allowed for such a hard battle with Leclerc in the last five laps, the man from Madrid said that, “it’s always been a pleasure to race Charles whenever we’ve had the chance. And today was the same. Great racer, same as Max and Checo, so we had fun out there today and I hope you guys enjoyed it.” Even Leclerc, who missed the podium, was smiling at the end of the Grand Prix. The Monegasque recovered from a very bad Friday but was still unable to topple his team mate after a nail-biting battle in the last five laps. Laughing, Leclerc admitted that, “I feel good. OK, I missed the podium, but Carlos is on it anyway, so a Ferrari is up there. I would have been disappointed if it was a boring race and we just finished fourth like we did now – it was really fun. I’m sure many people did not enjoy that, the guys on the pit wall perhaps had one heart attack or two, the tifosi probably also, but this is Formula 1, this is what it should be all the time. With Max, I’ve had these kinds of fights in the past; today was with Checo and Carlos. I think, were always at the limit of the regulations, whether it was defending or attacking and that’s exactly how I enjoy racing. And congratulations to Carlos, he’s been really on it since the first lap in FP1, but I’m happy today.”
www.autoaction.com.au I 61
SANDOWN 500 CROSSWORD ACROSS
DOWN
5 Jay Robotham will race for which team at Sandown? (abbreviation)
1 How many laps is the Sandown 500?
6 Which manufacturer has won the most Sandown 500 races? 7 Championship leader Brodie Kostecki will be joined by who in the endurance season? (surname) 9 How many corners does the Sandown circuit contain? 11 Who will be Craig Lowndes’ Sandown 500 co-driver? (surname) 14 Glenn Seton won the 1986 Sandown 500 with what brand? 15 To the nearest kilometre how long is the Sandown circuit? 16 How many times did Paul Dumbrell win the Sandown 500? 17 Garth Tander will co-drive with which Bathurst 1000 winner in 2023? (surname) 19 Which driver scored his first V8 Supercars round victory alongside Jason Bright in the 2006 Sandown 500? (surname) 21 Greg Murphy won the race twice with whom? (surname)
2 The Group A era ended in 1992 – which brand won the Sandown 500 that year? 3 Who holds the record of nine Sandown victories? (surname) 4 What brand is the naming rights sponsor of the event this year? 5 Triple Eight Race Engineering won its first V8 Supercars enduro at Sandown in 2005 – who was Lowndes’ French co-driver? (surname) 8 Who won the Sandown 500 with Cameron Waters in 2017? (surname) 10 Fabian Coulthard will jump alongside which driver for the endurance season? (surname) 12 How many times did the VF Commodore win the 500km race? 13 How many Sandown 500s has Shane van Gisbergen won? 18 Driving a Nissan Skyline GT-R R32, Mark Gibbs won the 1991 Sandown 500, who was his co-driver? (surname) 19 Which driver has won the last two Sandown 500s with different co-drivers? (surname)
23 How many Sandown 500 wins did Mark Skaife score in his career?
20 Which Frenchman will make his Supercars Championship debut at Sandown? (surname)
24 George Fury had success in the Sandown 500 – how many times did he win the race?
21 Jake Kostecki will race in the BRT wildcard alongside which Super2 Series driver?(surname)
25 Super2/3 will hold how many races duringthe Sandown 500 weekend?
22 How many times has Scott McLaughlin has taken victory in the Sandown 500?
26 How many years consecutively did Brock win the Sandown endurance race starting in 1975?
23 How many Wildcard entries will be on the grid for the Sandown 500 this year?
1868 Anzac Drivers Crossword: 1 down – Herne, 2 down – AlphaTauri, 3 down – one, 4 down – nineteenth, 5 across – Allen, 6 across – Darwin, 7 down – Porsche Supercup, 8 across – Mercedes, 9 across – Glickenhaus, 10 down – sixth, 11 down – Spa-Francorchamps, 12 down – fourth, 13 across – Spa-Francorchamps, 14 across – BMW, 14 down – Burdon, 15 across – fourth, 16 across – Nasr, 17 down – twenty-two, 18 down – two, 19 across – twenty second, 20 across – two, 20 down – thirteenth, 21 across – nineteen, 22 across – Chicago, 22 down – CGR, 23 across – zero, 24 across – Americas, 25 across – Lawson, 26 down – VAR, 27 across – Andretti Autosport
We take a look back at what was making news in Auto Action 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago
1973 AFTER LOSING in Adelaide, Holden hit back hard in the second round of the Australian Manufacturers Championship at Sandown. Peter Brock led home Colin Bond in a dominant Holden Dealer Team one-two finish in the 250mile classic. This meant Ford had to settle for third with Fred Gibson the leading Falcon. Allan Moffat was the early hope, enjoying a 34s lead until his Falcon hardtop blew up an engine and cooked its brakes. Meanwhile, Sydney businessmen Laurie O’Neil and Ron Hodgson tried to give the defunct Warwick Farm a new lease of life with a huge financial offer of around $250,000 to keep racing there for another decade.
1983 WITH EXCITEMENT building for Sandown and Bathurst, all eyes were off the track to see how the cars were shaking up. ‘Shockwaves’ were sent through the sport when CAMS allowed the “controversial” Mazda 13B peripheral port rotary engine to race with fuel injection. There was also big news in Ford land as the “previously unacceptable” cylinder heads on the Falcon had been given the all clear. Meanwhile, Peter Brock and the Holden Dealer Team were busy testing the new bodywork on its Holden VH Commodore SS for the first time at Calder Park.
62 I www.autoaction.com.au
1993 DESPITE DOMINATING the 1993 ATCC season and winning the Sandown 500, Ford was considering its future in touring car racing. The news arrived after CAMS had rejected the requested changes for Ford’s 1994 Falcon which “surprised everyone”. On the track, a dramatic race of attrition played out with Neil Crompton being a surprise early leader in the GIO Commodore. However, Geoff Brabham and David Parsons in the sister Peter Jackson Ford were the last left standing after 161 laps. They finished three laps ahead of Bob Jones/Greg Crick as the likes of Allan Grice, Peter Brock, Glenn Seton, Larry Perkins and Crompton all failed to finish.
2003 JUST LIKE today, there was plenty of anticipation for the annual 500km enduro to return to Sandown after five years away. With Marcos Ambrose and Russell Ingall joining forces, SBR was the hot favourite as the then British-based Triple Eight officially took over from Briggs Motorsport. John Crennan spoke out for the first time since losing control of HRT and Kmart Racing and revealed he still had a behind-the-scenes involvement with the team. But the future at Team Brock was at risk with the face of the squad, Peter Brock held back by “an agenda minimising the effect of what I do at the team.” Elsewhere drivers were outraged to discover Phillip Island had been dropped from the 2004 calendar.
2013 DANIEL RICCIARDO was Red Bull’s new man and he made it clear “I am not scared of Vettel”. Despite only having raced for points at Toro Rosso Ricciardo was not afraid to reveal his lofty ambitions of not only winning a race, but doing so multiple times and beating Sebastian Vettel. Eventually the young Aussie was right, taking three wins in 2014, but at the time it sounded ambitious. But Vettel was at the peak of his powers and just cruised to victory at Monza. It was his second win of a record nine straight Grand Prix victories at the end of the 2013 season.
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