Motorsport eNews Issue 210 - June 21-27, 2011 by V8 Sleuth

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Issue No. 210 June 21 - 27 2011

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Issue No. 210 | June 21 - 27 2011

news 5

Qualified Success SVG looks to better quali 6 LDM confirms GRM interest Will Luff end up in a Garry car? 9 Loeb in a Vee Dub? WRC newbies want a big name 13 Webber’s cog woes Will Valenica be better? 20 Emerald Gold Is this the best karting track in Oz?

chat 24 Five Minutes With ... Shane van Gisbergen Chief Executive Officer, David Gardiner Commercial Director, Bruce Duncan Motorsport eNews is published by nextmedia Pty Ltd ACN: 128 805 970, Level 5, 55 Chandos St, St Leonards NSW 2065 © 2009. All rights reserved. No part of this e-magazine may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the prior permission of the publisher.. The publisher will not accept responsibility or any liability for the correctness of information or opinions expressed in the publication. All material submitted is at the owner’s risk and, while every care will be taken nextmedia does not accept liability for loss or damage. Privacy Policy We value the integrity of your personal information. If you provide personal information through your participation in any competitions, surveys or offers featured in this issue of Motorsport eNews, this will be used to provide the products or services that you have requested and to improve the content of our magazines. Your details may be provided to third parties who assist us in this purpose. In the event of organisations providing prizes or offers to our readers, we may pass your details on to them. From time to time, we may use the information you provide us to inform you of other products, services and events our company has to offer. We may also give your information to other organisations which may use it to inform you about their products, services and events, unless you tell us not to do so. You are welcome to access the information that we hold about you by getting in touch with our privacy officer, who can be contacted at nextmedia, Locked Bag 5555, St Leonards, NSW 1590.

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comment 26 Adam: GT’s New Era 27 Lambden: Back to Karting

race 28 V8 Supercars 38 Touring Car Masters 40 V8 Utes 44 IndyCar 48 NASCAR 52 World Superbikes

trade 60 Classifieds 3

INDYCAR DRIVERS UNITE OVER GOLD COAST WITH POST-SEASON COMMITMENTS MAKING A GC600 TRIP HARD WORK, THE INDYCAR STARS ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE AVAILABLE V8 SUPERCARS

OME of the leading drivers in the IndyCar Series are making plans to ensure that they can make it to Queensland for the Gold Coast 600 in October, in spite of a number of potential obstacles. One of the potential problems for the drivers may be the number of media commitments that the 2011 Champion would be required to perform during the week after the final round of the series at Las Vegas on October 16 – the week before the Gold Coast weekend. One plan being considered in that the group of drivers share a private jet and fly direct to SE Queensland immediately after the season-ending banquet. There are also a number of personal commitments drivers have, one in particular for Scott Dixon. “I haven’t signed anything yet,” explained Dixon, who confirmed that he is talking to the Stone Brothers. “We are in the talking stages. Last year I had a great run with Kelly Racing. It works out I will have Kiwi Shane van Gisbergen as a team-mate and I’ll be driving the #9 entry. “My wife Emma is due with our second daughter around that time. And, the last IndyCar race is in Las Vegas on October 16. Then we have the season ending banquet we have to participate in. So if we leave on Tuesday, with such a long flight, we won’t get there until Thursday and we’ll miss the Wednesday open test day [at Queensland Raceway].” Team Ganassi team-mate Dario Franchitti felt unsure as well. “I don’t yet know what my commitments will be from my Ganassi team,” he said. “I’d love to go back to Surfers again and race the V8s. I loved it and it was awesome. I have a great opportunity this year with a championship-winning team, which I can’t 4

reveal yet. I’d love to do it but it’s up to my Target team.” Helio Castroneves confirmed that he is keen to return, after his drive alongside Tim Slade last year. “I’d love [to be] going back,” the Brazilian said. “I’m talking to the Stone Brothers who I drove for last year. I’m excited about it. The V8s in Surfers is such a great event. I hope to last a lot longer. I’d even love to see the V8s come to America for a race.” Ryan Briscoe does plan to compete, joining forces with the Holden Racing Team. “That’s the plan at the moment. We’ll have to see how this works out since the Surfers race is a week after Vegas. I had a lot of fun last October. It was a great race. I’d love to go back to Surfers for the V8s but I’d also like to go back to compete there in an IndyCar.” Briscoe won the only Surfers IndyCar event in 2008. Alex Tagliani thoroughly enjoyed his run with Kelly Racing at Surfers last October. “It was a great experience last year,” said Tagliani, “I hope to be back again with the same team. I’m still trying to work out the logistics.” In the meantime, there are drivers without seats who might be ‘on standby’ should the need arise. “I would love to race in the V8’s at Surfers,” said Tony Kanaan, “I’ve sent a number of emails and am waiting to hear back. I hear it’s a lot of fun from the Indy drivers who participated last year. And, I’d love to go back to Surfers.” “No one has invited me,” said Oriol Servia, the 2005 Champ Car Pole winner for the Surfers Paradise race. “I would love to drive the V8s. They have lots of power and look like so much fun. And I want to go back to Australia. When I retire from open wheel racing, the V8s are the next championship I want to compete in.” – MARY MENDEZ motorsport news

NEWS

VAN GIZ TARGETS BETTER GRID SPOTS V8 SUPERCARS

HANE van Gisbergen is looking for an improved performance in qualifying in coming rounds of the V8 Supercar Championship. The Kiwi, Ford’s only race winner in 13 starts this season, is focusing on improving his starting position over the rest of the season. “Week to week, I just can’t get the tyre to work at the front,” he said after taking the win in Darwin. “I can’t get enough front grip to maximise the new tyre. This morning it was better – the car was fairly different to yesterday. I just couldn’t adapt to it. In saying that, I was only 0.3s off pole but that is what the game is like, it is so close.” The SBR ace’s race performances do not reflect his struggles in qualifying, and he is now third in the pointscore, only 251 behind series leader, Jamie Whincup. “There was a depressing article on the V8 website that my qualifying performance was 13th or 14th,” said van Gisbergen. “That is the thing I need to work on, and that is the focus every round. It showed that I have qualified in the top 12 in the last few rounds. “That article also showed that our race average position was fifth, or something. To 13th, there is a big difference there and these guys [Mark Winterbottom and Craig Lowndes] are qualifying very close together. Our race set-ups and our qualifying set-ups need to complement each other, like the better guys.” Ironically, Fords have started the last three races from pole – or rather, one has. Winterbottom is having a purple patch after starting the Sunday race at Winton and the two at Hidden Valley from pole.

For more with Shane van Gisbergen, see ‘Five Minutes With ...’ on page 24 www.mnews.com.au

SINGAPO THE 2012 V8 SUPERCARS

Dirk Klynsmith

LDM Options: more WR, GRM or sit tight Dumbrell considers updates – or a move into Rogers VE V8 SUPERCARS LUCAS Dumbrell is considering his racecar options for the rest of the season – and they include swapping his current Commodore for a Garry Rogers Motorsport version. Dumbrell confirmed at Darwin that he has had discussions with Rogers about acquiring a car similar to those raced by Lee Holdsworth and Michael Caruso. But he also has the options of either a significant update of the current car raced by Warren Luff – which was Garth Tander’s racecar in 2007 – or moving into a later Walkinshaw Racing VE2. “All of the above,” Dumbrell told eNews. “We have gone all through the car, to see what it can do. The car has been restored to ‘as new’ for this weekend. We may not prove anything but I think that it shows how hard James is trying. For the leading HRT car to be 11th is not where they should be, is it? I think that shows that a lot of this is about personnel.” One of the factors that complicates the team’s decision process is that regardless of what they do, the team will need to have a new Car of The Future racecar ready in 18 months’ time. “It’s bad timing,” he admitted. 6

“I am definitely wanting to meet with the Walkinshaw Racing to see if they have a chassis at the moment. There is no guarantee that updated cars will be a massive leap forward.” That opinion is borne out by LDM’s qualifying performance at Hidden Valley. On Saturday Luff qualified 28th but he was within 0.5s of James Courtney, the fastest of the Holden Racing Team or Bundaberg Racing drivers in 11th. On Sunday, Luff qualified 24th, 0.25s behind Tander and only 0.18s behind Courtney. “It is no secret that a Walkinshaw car is hard to tune. Garth is the champion at getting a result out of these cars, and at the moment, he isn’t.” As for a GRM car, Dumbrell is not absolutely convinced that is the way to go. “I chatted to Garry a few months ago. But Bruin [Beasley, LDM team manager] came on board and we decided we needed to give the car a birthday, to see where we are. It is better to spend a couple of grand on it, than to spend a couple of hundred grand. “If we made a switch, it would be almost like swapping to a Falcon. It’s all about getting the backup, and we need to work out the best way to get to the Car of The Future.” – PHIL BRANAGAN

DARWIN’S V8 Supercar round took on something of an international flavour at the weekend, with a delegation of officials from the Singapore Grand Prix travelling to the Territory for the weekend and Tony Cochrane arriving in Darwin straight from the Singapore amid fresh talks about a V8 Supercar race in the city. The V8 Supercars Chairman was actively discussing a V8 Supercar race while in Singapore, with Channel News Asia reporting that a shortened version of the street circuit used for the Singapore Grand Prix could be used for a standalone event in 2012. Like the GP track, the V8 Supercar circuit would be centred around the existing pit facilities, extending to Republic Boulevard and Republic Avenue. It would be approximately 2.2 kilometres

motorsport news

NEWS

ORE ON Thommo Outed 12 MENU Kart shunt sidelines co-driver

V8 SUPERCARS

Dirk Klynsmith

shorter than the 5.55km Grand Prix circuit. “Singapore is really the perfect hub for us in this part of Asia,” Cochrane told Channel News Asia. “There is obviously a lot of expats who live in Singapore. It has great accessibility from Australia, well over 120 flights a week from Australia. “So we know that our event here will bring a huge Australian crowd up, so it will be a really great tourism driver for the government.” Meanwhile, a total of 27 officials from Singapore made the trip to Darwin, which follows on from a similar happening at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide in March. Clerk of Course Gabriel Tan was the most senior official present, with a number of sector and pit marshals present, as part of the ongoing training program prior to the Singapore race on September 25.

All-7mate debut not totally smooth V8 SUPERCARS

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THE telecast of the Darwin round of the V8 Supercars was notable, but not in all the ways that was planned. The Hidden Valley broadcast was the first to be shown in its entirety on Seven’s digital channel, 7mate. This allowed the broadcast to run from 12:30pm to 5pm on Sunday, ‘alongside’ the regular programming on Seven, which often requires racing to be completed by 3pm Eastern Time. But all did not go according to plan. There were problems, with Saturday’s Touring Car Masters,

which was due to be shown on Raceday Extra, did not go to air. “Channel Seven experienced technical difficulties at its Master Control in Melbourne causing some delays at the beginning of the scheduled telecast of Raceday Extra,” V8 Supercars spokesman Cole Hitchcock explained. “These issues were rectified by Seven and the broadcast resumed. V8 Supercars qualifying, the Armor All Top Ten Shootout and the first race from Hidden Valley were not affected. The Touring Car Masters is being rescheduled to be shown at another time.”

TEAMVODAFONE was reduced to a one-car team for two practice sessions at Hidden Valley after Andrew Thompson was forced to miss Friday’s two co-driver sessions. Thompson, the pilot of Triple Eight’s Fujitsu Series entry and Jamie Whincup’s nominated endurance co-driver, missed the Northern Territory weekend after suffering a wrist injury in what the team described as ‘a go-kart at a team partner ride day last week’. As a result, car #88 skipped the two sessions, during which Mark Skaife completed 24 laps in Craig Lowndes’s entry. Coincidentally, the team conducted a major test recently, which depleted the tyre bank on which Thompson would have had to run. Whincup downplayed the effect of Thompson’s absence after setting the fastest time on Friday. “We are forever developing the car and we have a few different set-ups and things, that we need to try – mainly because we have got guys like Brighty who step it up, and show that there is another place to go,” said Whincup. “So we have these set-ups that have question marks on them, and we were going to use Thommo to give some feedback, and a little bit more direction on those things. He is at home resting, making sure that he is good to go for Townsville, so those things that have question marks will still have question marks. “It would definitely be better if he was here.” Thompson is expected to be fit for the co-driver sessions in Townsville, where he will have double duty over the weekend in the Monster FV8 Commodore. 7

WRC TACTICS reared their ugly head at last weekend’s World Rally Championship round in Greece, with Sebastien Ogier backing his way off to an Acropolis Rally win. After Petter Solberg took a huge lead thanks to his favourable road positioning on Friday, he was hit hard by

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OGIER WINS, TACTICS LOSE

running first on the road on Saturday, putting the two factory Citroens of Ogier and Sebastien Loeb in the box seat. First it was Ogier who took the lead, but he backed off on Saturday evening to make sure that Loeb would lead into the final day. The tactic worked to perfection, with the younger of Citroen’s two

Frenchman taking the lead late on the final day and going on to win by more than 10 seconds. Mikko Hirvonen finished third, after another low-key event for Ford. “This perfect result, rewarded by 28 points, is going to do our championship hopes a lot of good,” said Ogier.

“I’d really like to thank the whole team for two things. One, it gave Seb and I the same chances to battle for victory, and I’m proud to have honoured their trust with a win. Secondly, I have to underline the reliability of the DS3 WRC, which had a problemfree three days in a race that was run at high speed.”

ARC OUTLINES SUV SPECS ARC NEXT year’s new class for SUVs in the Bosch Australian Rally Championship won’t cater for turbo-petrol engines. The basic framework for the new-for-2012 class has been announced, with final regulations set to be released at September’s Rally Australia. Vehicles in the SUV class will remain primarily productionbased, with some freedoms to be afforded in areas such as suspension and brakes. On the engine front, the class

will cater for naturally-aspirated or turbo-diesel powered SUVs only. Organisers have identified over 50 eligible vehicles in the SUV marketplace, including the Toyota RAV 4, BMW X6, Subaru Forester and Holden Captiva. “The SUVs can be two wheel drive or four, can come from any segment of the SUV market from small, to medium, large and even luxury, and their engines can be any size and capacity,” ARC CEO Scott Pedder said. “The only limitation is that we won’t allow turbo-petrol engines, it will be open to

only normally-aspirated and turbo-diesel power plants. We’ve done this to keep the playing field as level as possible and to encourage as many manufacturers and types of vehicles as possible. “I know this decision limits some manufacturers from using their signature performance SUV model variants but I hope that these manufacturers see this an opportunity to prove how great their highest selling base model vehicle is, providing a great up-sell opportunity to their performance SUV options.

“First and foremost the technical rules needed to be simple, so we’ve kept the cars as ‘production’ based as possible. “In time, we’d love to open the technical regs up to more modifications, but this is a first for rallying and as such we wanted the rules to be easy as possible to build a car to. “We did this so competitors and manufacturers can get a toe in the water without a large financial outlay especially in terms of components such as dog gearboxes and fancy differentials.”

ONE MILLION DOLLARIDOOS NASCAR MARCOS Ambrose has a million and one reasons to score his breakthrough NASCAR Sprint Cup win in California this weekend. Ambrose will race his Richard Petty Motorsports Ford Fusion in the colours of Stanley Tools, which will donate US$1 million to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals if he wins. The company has already made a $100,000 donation to the 8

program to get the ball rolling. “It’s a very big event for myself and the whole Stanley crew,” Ambrose said. “We’re completely focused on bringing home a victory there.” Infineon Raceway has been the scene of some of the Tasmanian’s heartbreak performances, coming close to a win on a number of occasions. Last year, Ambrose led 35 laps in the California wine country, but dropped to sixth after his JTG Daugherty Toyota would not

restart after he cut his engine to save fuel. He dropped to sixth, and he finished third the year before after a bad strategy call. “Last year was unfortunate, but I’ve learned these cars better over the past year and my new team is really heading in the right direction, so I feel confident that we’ll have a better result this time around,” said Ambrose, who is currently 21st in the Sprint Cup points. “I’m really starting to get a good rapport going with [crew

chief] Todd [Parrott], he’s very experienced, and a cool head calling the shots. “The other big factor this year is being a part of the Ford family once again. The Ford engines are the class of the field at the moment, and I’m certain we’ll have a solid road course chassis too.” The #9 Ford will run a special livery this weekend, including the names of a child from each of the USA’s 50 state and Washington DC. motorsport news

NEWS

VW EYES TALENT

WRC VOLKSWAGEN will target a Top 5 World Rally Championship driver before it makes its WRC debut in 2013. It was recently announced that the German auto giant would cancel its Dakar program immediately and focus its resources on a WRC program, which will be based on the Polo and start at some point during the 2013 season. And in an exclusive chat with Motorsport News, VW motorsport boss Kris Nissen confirmed that one of the sport’s stars will be courted for the team’s maiden season. “We need that,” said Nissen. “There are four or five drivers around at the moment, who are improving race-by-race. They are front-runners, and it must be our goal to have one of these drivers in our car. “At the same time, we need to have a young talent that can one

day be the future of rallying. “I’m sure you know the names of the guys in rallying as well as I do, and every time I mention a name we are linked to that name – so I don’t want to do that. “But we are aware that we need, minimum, one of the Top 5 drivers [in the WRC].” But Nissen fell short of confirming that gravel rally specialist Nasser Al-Attiyah, who won the Dakar for VW in 2011, will get an automatic start in a Polo WRC. “Looking at his results in rallying, I have a feeling that he is quite good on gravel, so he deserves to have a fair chance. We are talking to Nasser and trying to find a way to continue to work with him. Our wish is to see Nasser driving for us in one of our cars.” – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN For more with Kris Nissen, check out the July issue of Motorsport News, on sale this Wednesday

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NEWS

QUINN BUYS GT AUSTRALIAN GT

John Morris / Mpix

THE Australian GT Championship has changed hands. VIP Petfoods’ Tony Quinn has purchased the championship, in which he and son Klark compete, from Martin Wagg and his daughter Rachael. The pair will remain involved in the short-term to assist in the handover, including the next round in Townsville, with Quinn appointing Spherix as the new category managers – a role they currently play with the V8 Ute Racing Series. “Having a personal interest, and playing an active role in the motorsport industry of Australia – I am excited to have acquired the rights of the GT series, which I believe could become one of the premier motor sport series in the region,” Quinn said. “This series has enormous potential, and it’s our plan

to invest significantly in the development of the Championship. We have exciting plans for 2012, however our current focus is on the next months race in Townsville and a smooth transition of ownership and operations.” Martin and Rachael Wagg, along with former director Terry Little, have overseen the category since its inception in 2005, following the demise of Nations Cup. “In considering the offer we believe that the new owners will take GT to the next level in a more corporate approach,” Martin Wagg said. “Given the strong support and the initiatives taken at the midyear review and the number of new cars coming for season 2012 we believe it to be the appropriate time to move on allowing the new management the last half of the season to get established in preparation for season 2012.”

JB WANTS IN AUSTRALIAN GT

Dirk Klynsmith

JOHN Bowe is keen to get back into GT racing. The veteran driver, who raced Darren Berry’s Ascari GT3 car at Albert Park in 2010, has told eNews that he fancies some more competition in the category. Bowe’s race ended badly when the car was damaged in a shunt, after he had parked the car on the side of the pit straight when a fuel pump failed. “Darren and I have spoken about it and it’s a terrific car to drive, so it’s definitely possible,” said Bowe, who had placed the Ascari in the leading bunch at Albert Park prior to the incident. “It will depend on a number of things currently brewing, but I would love to do it.

Darren has upgraded the Ascari to the latest spec and I feel sure it would be competitive. “I have driven all the top GT cars with the exception of the Audi and Porsche and they are awesome things to drive.” Bowe also confirmed recent rumours that he had a number of options, including racing a Porsche. “I have also been approached about Carrera Cup so who knows what might happen?” he said. “I love racing and will continue to race as long as I can hold my own, but driving in a stable series is important to me. You would have to say that at the moment Carrera cup offers the most stability, all the cars are the same and the rules never change . “That is very appealing!”

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‘SENNA’ OUT 11 AUGUST FORMULA 1 THE documentary on the life of Ayrton Senna will be released officially in Australian theatres on Thursday 11 August. Senna, which has already been released in most markets around the world, will have its official premiere at Crown in Melbourne on July 20. The movie, which is directed by Asif Kapadia, has been shown in limited screenings in the Adelaide and Sydney Film Festivals,

and will feature in the Melbourne Film Festival next month. The almost two-hour film documents the arrival of the Brazilian in Formula 1 in 1984, his rivalry with McLaren team-mate Alain Prost and his death at Imola in 1994. It uses archival vision of races, behind the scenes moments from the events and even film and video from the Senna family and has already set new records for documentaries in several markets.

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Perez Back for Valencia FORMULA 1

azine

www.gpweek.com motorsport news

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SERGIO Perez is expecting to be fit to race this weekend in Valancia. The Mexican, who crashed heavily during qualifying at Monaco last month, withdrew after practicing his Sauber in Montreal after feeling nauseous. His seat was filled for the remainder of the weekend by McLaren reserve driver and former Sauber man, Pedro de la Rosa. “I flew home from Montreal, and back in Mexico I spent the time preparing myself for the next race and trained together with our physiotherapist,” the 21year-old said.

“I feel perfectly well and I’m very much looking forward to racing in Valencia. “Without doubt it is an advantage that I know this track well. In 2009 I was on the podium after both GP2 races and last year I had pole position.” In the meantime, team owner Peter Sauber has defending his decision to put de la Rosa, 40, in his car rather than use the team’s nominated backup driver, Esteban Gutierrez, who races in GP2. “I understand the question, but we have a responsibility to Gutierrez,” Sauber told For full F1/ MotoGP/W Germany’s Speed Week. RC coverage/news, “It is important to bring him CLICK HERE to get to slowly towards Formula 1.” GPWeek mag

NEWS

Webber OK for Valencia [unless his gearbox goes crazy] FORMULA 1

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IF Sebastian Vettel names his Red Bull racecars after women, Mark Webber may want to think about doing likewise after his car developed a mind of its own during the Canadian GP. The Aussie has revealed that his RB7 Renault started changing gears by itself during the race. The fault was caused by water getting into the car’s electronics. “The car was downshifting itself,” Webber said on the Red Bull website. “There was water that had got into the steering wheel so that had to be changed at one of the pits stops.” Automatic shifts have been outlawed in Formula 1 for some time. Webber’s transmission,

which by regulation must complete a minimum of four events, was not damaged during the course of the race. In the meantime Webber returns to the scene of his biggest F1 crash, Valencia, this weekend with his eyes fixed on taking his first win of the season. “Valencia hasn’t been an incredible venue for me in the past but I’m looking to try and break the duck this year,” Webber says. “It’s a circuit that’s yet to provide a phenomenal F1 race, but we’ve seen some special ones this year, so hopefully this is an opportunity for Valencia to add its name to the list. “There’s no reason why the car shouldn’t perform well there, but as we’ve seen in the past few races, we’ve certainly had our fair share of competition.”

LOTUS SIGNS DEAL WITH GE FORMULA 1

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TEAM Lotus has signed a sponsorship and technology deal with General Electric. The team – that’s the ‘green Lotus’ – will carry GE’s corporate branding from next month’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone. GE has interests in a number of varied businesses, including automotive engineering, materials development and e-infrastructure.

When Lewis met Smoke

Last week, Lewis Hamilton and Tony Stewart swapped rides at Watkins Glen

IRST it was Jamie Whincup and Jenson Button at Albert Park, then Craig Lowndes and Button at Bathurst in March. Now, Tony Stewart has become the latest tin top driver to step into a McLaren, after he and Lewis Hamilton swapped rides at Watkins Glen in New York last week. After a few sighters together for the cameras, the 2008 Formula 1 World champion in the Stewart Haas Chevy Impala Sprint Cup racer, before Stewart eased himself into a McLaren MP4-23 which, because of a damp track, was fitted with Pirelli rain tyres. “I just felt like a kid today,” said Hamilton. “It’s good to be a kid again. It’s like when I used to do go-karting I used to have so much fun. “Whilst driving a Formula 1 car is very fun, the competitive side of it is so serious, whereas today I think, after even such a tough weekend ... I was already still also feeling the tough weekend this morning. But as the excitement built up and when I got in the car, once I got out I

forgot about last weekend. “And I was just saying to Tony it would be quite cool – in the old days they used to have drivers who were able to do different races in different classes week after week. And I said if you wanted to come and drive a Formula 1 for a weekend and see how it went and then vice versa ... I know that’s not possible nowadays but it would really be cool.” One of Hamilton’s surprises came from the braking performance of the NASCAR which, in spite of its relatively crude technical specifications (compared to a GP car), performed better than Hamilton expected under brakes. “I think it’s three times the weight of a Formula 1 car, but actually [the Cup car] doesn’t feel that heavy,” said Hamilton. “The brakes were surprisingly good and Tony was telling me where they usually brake in the dry and I don’t think I was braking too far away from it with the damp conditions. I was braking early thinking, ‘this car is not going to stop’ and in actual fact I could brake a lot later.

“Whilst on the TV it looks like I was drifting all the time, I don’t feel like I was drifting the car. It felt quite a stable rear end. I was picking the power and the grip was quite good through all the corners.” While Stewart he has been a Stock Car man for almost a decade, he is not just a former open-wheeler driver but the 1997 IndyCar champion, and found that adapting to the F1 racer took some work. “I have a background from IndyCar racing so I’m familiar with downforce but not at this level of downforce and I’ve never driven [an IndyCar] on a road course,” said Stewart. “But I think probably the thing that stood out the most was just how incredibly efficient and good the brakes are and how far you can go. “I never got to the full potential of what the car is capable of doing in a braking zone but it’s just amazing how far you can charge the corner and it’s easy to see why it’s hard for these guys to overtake because is not a long distance from the time you get out of

the throttle and on the brakes to where you’re changing direction. “It gives you a much greater appreciation for how hard is for these guys to overtake each other and what that car is actually capable of. It’s just incredible the technology behind it.” And, as for racing a McLaren? “Well the first think I’d have to do is lose about 25 pounds right off the bat,” said ‘Smoke’. “I would actually have to go and work on the gym again. But what I think the limit [of the car] is, is probably – the reality of it is probably further that what I still imagine it is. “I know I could not reach the potential of what that car is capable of doing, but you don’t want to make a mistake, you don’t want to find that you’re five percent over the limit and put yourself on a bad spot. It’s incredible how well these cars handle.

motorsport news

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“Obviously being out on rain tyres they’re a really grippy tyre and if you run them more than three or four laps [in the damp] you’d probably have a handful but just had a tonne of grip. I don’t know, I would say I was running probably 80 to 85 per cent of my potential – or what I think my potential would be. “Now the car is probably 20 per cent more than that on top of it so you definitely would have to learn it. There’s no way you’re just going to jump on these cars and get to the calibre of what those can do.” It was not the first time that a swap between the two disciplines had been conducted. In mid-2003, Jeff Gordon got to sample a BMW.Williams GP car while its regular pilot, Juan Pablo Montoya, drove a NASCAR for the first time. The irony of that day at Indianapolis was that the two men are now rivals, in identical cars, in the Sprint Cup. It’s probably a bit much to expect that Stewart, now 40, could land himself an F1 seat – but at 26, Hamilton has a lot of time to race in NASCAR, if that sort of thing appeals to him ... www.mnews.com.au

When Smoke met Louie: Hamilton and Stewart pose with their cars, opposite. Former Indycar ace Stewart wore wets when he drove the McLaren, above, and looked a relieved man when he brought it back, below. Hamilton prepares to wriggle through the window of Stewart’s Chevy, left.

BAIRDO’S FACTORY MISSION CARRERA CUP CRAIG Baird will compete at the upcoming Porsche Carrera World Cup – but he won’t officially be representing New Zealand or Australia. The Porsche specialist, who has won 109 Porsche races, will be in a special ‘works’ car, where he will take on more than 100 drivers from 25 countries at the Nurburgring Nordscheife in Germany on June 25. “With his skill and experience, he is the ideal person to drive our ‘works car,” said Uwe Brettel, head of motorsport sales at Porsche AG. “More than any other driver,

Craig embodies the customer sports philosophy of Porsche.” “It’s a huge honour for me to be given the chance to contest this race against the world’s best Porsche Cup racers at the wheel of a factory-backed 911 GT3 Cup car,” added Baird. “To bring the Porsche Carrera World Cup to the Nurburgring Nordschleife is a fantastic idea and will most certainly be an unforgettable experience for drivers and fans.” Baird’s car will feature a special ‘Green Hell’ livery, pictured. In other Carrera Cup news, four more cars will arrive in Australia soon, with the new-for-2011 series to undergo a mid-season

expansion. The cars will be offered to existing teams, with an unsold cars going up for general sale. “The category has experienced strong demand for cars since the start of the season, so we felt the timing was right to bring more cars in to Australia,” said Porsche Cars Australia’s motorsport manager Jamie Blaikie. “When we re-launched Carrera

Cup at the start of the year, we were only able to secure and ship 22 cars to Australia for Round 1, plus an additional Guest car. We then reached a capacity grid of 23 cars at our opening 2011 event at Albert Park. “We have had more enquiries on vehicle availability over the past few months so we decided the time was right to extend the field by a few more cars.”

TROY TO TAKE A BREAK WORLD SUPERBIKES TROY Corser is battling to be fit to race in the next round of the Superbike World Championship at Brno on July 10. The veteran crashed off his BMW after being struck by another rider in the second race at Aragon on Sunday.

After a solid 10th place in Race 1, Corser was knocked off his bike, and taken to the track’s medical centre right away. X-rays showed that he had broken both the ulna and radius in his left forearm. “I braked at the end of the back straight, passed two other riders and braked a bit late,” said Corser.

“I overshot the last corner and went straight for a bit. When I turned in I saw Maxime Berger coming. I could see that his rear wheel was off the ground when he was braking and he just went straight into me. “I am not blaming him. It was my fault for being off the track. It was just unlucky, really. But I am happy that I only suffered

a broken arm, after the injury that I just suffered a week ago. I do not have any bruises, nothing is sore and my neck is fine.” He will now return to the United Kingdom for further examinations and treatment, where a decision will be made whether he can be fit for racing next month.

SYMES IN FOR COMMODORE CUP SHANNONS NATIONALS FORMER HQ racer Jordan Symes will make his Commodore Cup debut at Winton this weekend, in the category’s Endurance Challenge for the Ashley Cooper Memorial Trophy. 16

The 20-year-old will race a brand-new VS Commodore, built at his family outfit’s Central-Victorian base. After testing at Winton recently, Symes will be joined in the two-driver format by Porsche regular Steve Courtis, with 18 cars entered for the pair of 45-

minute races. Also at Winton’s Shannons Nationals round, Tony Evangelou will rejoin the Saloon Car ranks as part of a 25car field, after selling his 2010 title-winning V8 Touring Car, and a field of 20 Sports Sedans is expected.

The third round of the Radical Australia Cup has attracted 16 entries, while the new Australian Swift Racing Series has lodged a 10-car entry list, looking to build on the seven competitors that contested its maiden round at Mallala last month. motorsport news

NEWS

FORMULA 3 MOUNT Panorama will host Formula 3 racing next year. Wings and slicks categories have been absent from Bathurst for over 40 years, going back to Formula 5000’s last appearance in 1970. In 2012, though, the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship will make its debut at the circuit, with management aiming to create an F3 weekend with

international participation and significance. Formula 3 had tried to run at Mount Panorama this year, but now that their application to the National Track Safety Advisory Committee has been successful, they’ve been given the green light for 2012. A date will now be finalised, likely to be on the card of the Bathurst 12 Hour or Bathurst Motor Festival. “The decision made by the NTSAC is welcomed by the

entire Formula 3 community in Australia and indeed, around the world,” F3’s Ian Richards said. “The lure of Bathurst is truly international and the news that there was a chance Formula 3 could race there in the near future has been doing the rounds overseas and it’s created a lot of excitement. I’m sure that now it has been confirmed the interest will grow further. “Part of the strategy in

Dirk Klynsmith

F3 GETS BATHURST OK

growing the sport in Australia is centred around building a major international presence within a Bathurst Formula 3 race. Not only will it benefit Formula 3 in Australia, but it will give the category another marquee circuit globally.” Already, former champions James Winslow and Tim Macrow have indicated they’re keen to be on the grid for the event. “It would be the one to be in a car for,” Winslow said.

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BORLAND LAUNCHES US RIDE AUSSIES OVERSEAS BORLAND Racing Developments has confirmed they have shipped the first of their F1600 Formula F Spectrums over to the United States for its debut at Mid Ohio next month. After some lengthy delays, BRD team principal Mike Borland is confident the car will meet its deadline in the US, with the car packed in transit

at Melbourne Airport awaiting departure. Similar to their Australian Formula Ford Championshiprunning Spectrum 012, the US car is powered by a 1500cc Honda engine, and runs on a control Hoosier slick tyre. Along with slightly smaller side pods and different aero components, the car is quicker than its Australian Duratec brother after early testing at Calder, despite having considerably less power.

Driving the car will be Borland Mechanic and Victorian Formula Vee runner Mitch Martin, with Wayne Taylor’s championshipwinning Cape Motorsports outfit overseeing the car’s progress over the first weekend of July. It won’t be Borland’s first international venture, with Spectrums already being used by international customers in the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

NZ GT3 CUP TOO BIG A CHALLENGE NEW ZEALAND

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NEW Zealand’s Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge will not go ahead with its 2011/12 season. After eight seasons, GT3 Cup Challenge organisers have decided to pull the pin on the ninth, due to “a difficult couple of years for all parties to find the funding to put a competitive package together in these challenging economic times.” The series’ championship coordinator Douglas put out a statement last week confirming the news. “After a number of potential proposals, a lot of discussion and soul searching, it is with some remorse that we must advise that after eight seasons there will be no ninth season of Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge in the coming motorsport season

of 2011/12,” read the statement. “We are of the view that it is probably best to exit the current competition altogether at this time, rather than struggle to put on a show that may not be up to the high standard that we are

all accustomed to and proud of. This does not mean that there will not be a return to what has been fantastic Porsche GT3 Cup Car racing at some point in the future, and in fact we look forward to putting a new series

together in the next few years. “However for now, we believe it is best for all parties to finish on a high at the end of last season and preserve the strong reputation of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge series brand.” motorsport news

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Don’t miss your chance to join Yamaha as a VIP guest at the 2011 Australian Moto GP on Phillip Island from 14 - 16 October. 2011 is a special year for Yamaha Racing because it marks the 50th anniversary of Grand Prix competition. Situated trackside along Gardner straight, Yamaha’s new and improved VIP suite offers

unrivalled views of three days of racing and includes buffet catering with private cash bar, grandstand seating and superscreen viewing. Plus you will get a chance to meet Yamaha’s Moto GP riders. In addition to the VIP hospitality, a Dinner with the Stars is organised for Friday 14 October 2011.

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NEW QLD KARTING FACILITY NEARING COMPLETION KARTING WORK is well and truly underway on Australia’s newest karting facility in Emerald, Queensland, with a state of the art track in the process of being laid. What looks set to be one of the country’s premier karting facilities it will also be one of the longest and probably the widest on offer for racers Australia wide. Track-sa CIK Stars of Karting team member John Grother contested the IAME International Challenge in Spain at the Alcaniz

International Circuit, and while there took photos and notes of things that could benefit the new venture back home. More recently Grother, who works in the region, paid the construction site a visit and confirmed the base of the track and the kerbs have been laid while everything is in readiness for the bitumen to be laid. “I’m not sure of the exact length at this stage, but I do know the track will be over 1000 metres in length, is a full 10 metres wide and has a six metre fall from top to bottom – this is without doubt going

to be right up there with the international specified tracks,” Grother informed eNews. The new venue will also have full lighting for use at night, a proper pit-lane similar to that used in V8s and Formula 1, and spectator viewing mounds with the ability to see the entire track from any vantage point. A full drainage system has been put in place, while the entire infield is set to be landscaped with lawn and will include a sprinkler watering system. In fact, the sprinklers have also been placed around the edge of the circuit for

the ability to create a wet racing meeting in totally dry conditions. “This whole venture has been heavily supported by the State Government and it is going to be a major piece of infrastructure for the region,” Grother added. “It was always going to be a dual purpose facility with the inclusion of a driver training centre to assist people with getting their drivers license, while there is also a stage two in the plans which include a oneeighth mile drag strip and skid pan with rotating disc.”

LEIGH WINS CLUBBY CHALLENGE KARTING VICTORIAN Arrow driver Leigh Nicolaou was victorious at Round 3 of the Yamaha Clubman Challenge, held in support of the CIK Stars of Karting Series in Melbourne over the weekend. Competing in his first round of the series, Nicolaou left his run until the last minute in the 21-lap final, diving down the inside of Jordan Ford on the very last lap. Ford had led the majority of the race, however when Nicolaou made his move 20

it opened the door for Sarron Caddy to make his way through to second, leaving Ford to cross the line third. The results were again altered post race after a stewards hearing and once the dust had settled, Nicolaou was awarded the win over Ford, Caddy and Leigh’s brother Jordan Nicolaou. Current series points leader and CRG driver Lydon Dodge crossed the line fourth but was relegated to fifth. Dodge was still the highest placed driver in contention for the series and stretched his

lead over Aaron Borg to 50 points. The Junior National Yamaha Challenge was an equally tight affair with local Victorian drivers Damon Strongman and Jake Klein battling out the final with South Aussie Luke Marquis. Fujitsu Cool driver Strongman was too strong in the end aboard his Karcher-backed mount, taking the win over Klein and Marquis. Despite suffering a DNF on the opening lap of the final, Stefan Stankovic narrowed the gap on leader James Abela in the series points chase to six points. motorsport news

RUSSELL INGALL OPEN AND HONEST ON HIS RACING FUTURE

WITH UNCERTAINTY OVER HIS FUTURE IN V8 SUPERCAR RACING, ‘THE ENFORCER’ OPENS UP TO MOTORSPORT NEWS ABOUT RETIREMENT, WHAT HE WOULD CHANGE IF HE HAD HIS TIME OVER, AND WHAT HE PLANS TO DO WHEN HIS FULLTIME CAREER COMES TO AN END

No. 409 July 201 1

PLUS, WE GO BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE INDY 500 WITH DARIO FRANCHITTI AND BRYAN HERTA, SPEAK ONE-ON-ONE WITH JAMES MOFFAT, CHAT EXCLUSIVELY WITH F1 DRIVER HEIKKI KOVALAINEN, TAKE A DETAILED LOOK AT VOLKSWAGEN’S WRC PLANS AND GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH THE NEW MERCEDES SLS AMG GT3

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NEXUS IN DRAG RACING NEXUS MG has been appointed by Drag Racing Australia Group to handle all the rights valuation, commercial strategy sponsorship, marketing and partnership acquisition for its drag racing series. “Nexus MG have a great track record in rights valuation, sponsorship and commercial strategy in both the sports and entertainment spheres and will be the ideal partners for us as we head into the next stage of our growth of ANDRA Pro Series,” said DRAG Ltd CEO Paul Casos. “Our goal is to build on our foundations to create an even better sporting product for our sponsors, fans, TV viewers and competitors. The Board of DRAG Ltd are really looking forward to working with Nexus MG to make this happen.” Nexus MG director Luke Jenkinson said he and his team are excited by the work. “As a sport ANDRA Pro Series drag racing has an extremely solid foundation. It has very healthy numbers of spectators and professional competitors and boasts an elite pathway that is backed with a number of investors, which is crucial as the sport is not cheap to compete in. “DRAG Ltd has a fresh vision and national expansion plans for competitions in Victoria and the Northern Territory. We are excited to power its valuation, partner strategy and acquisition components.” – LUKE NIEUWHOF

CANNULI ON DOUBLE DRAG RACING 2011 NITRO Champs winner in Top Alcohol John Cannuli is making another venture into Top Doorslammer, with the debut of his Camaro in the category at the Castrol Edge Winternationals.

The Powercruise-supported car ran a 6.19s pass, which would have been enough to put him into the early field, but unfortunately it weighed in light after the pass and it was disqualified. Amazingly after his win in May, Cannuli was actually sitting out

of the Top Alcohol field also with his 5.86s best in ninth position – no good for an eight car field. Regardless, Cannuli is keen to get back into the driver’s seat in July. “I really like driving the Doorslammer,” he said. “It’s a real challenge to drive and I can’t

LAMATTINA GETS ENERG DRAG RACING ANOTHER high-profile sponsorship has been announced, with Phil Lamattina signing up a personal deal with the Monster energy drink brand. “The crew at Monster has been fantastic, working closely with our team all season,” he said. “I

feel honoured to be welcomed into their family and to be sharing this journey with their support. The brand’s correlation between high energy mixed with 8000 horsepower is a perfect fit. “Energy drinks play a major part in our sport, Monster helps me to improve my reaction time as heightened senses are

paramount on the startline.” Monster athlete manager Dave Ellis was happy to join with the team and support them in their racing. “Most companies spend their money on ad agencies, TV commercials, radio spots, and billboards to tell you how good their products are,” he said.

motorsport news

NEWS

SEASON TESTING JUDD’S PATIENCE DRAG RACING

John Morris / Mpix

E DUTY wait to get behind the wheel again; it’s a lot of fun. “The Doorslammer is surprisingly very comfortable and after doing just a handful of runs in it, I feel totally ready to take on the world class Winternationals.” – LUKE NIEUWHOF

ROBIN Judd has been a driver out of sorts this past season, with his near-championship winning efforts of 2009/10 almost a distant memory. A win at the opening round of the season, the Australian Nationals in Sydney, has been of the few beacons during the ANDRA Pro Series. The early part of the postponed Castrol Edge Winternationals didn’t get any better, with tyre shake again hampering his efforts, as

it has done for just about every event. “It has been a mixed season for the Aeroflow/Mickey Thompson/William Buck team,” he said. “We made a good start to the ANDRA Pro Series with a win and points lead, but then struck some issues with the car that we have had trouble overcoming. The car’s performance has been inconsistent, which has really tested our brains trust all season.”

Judd confessed some new ideas did not work as planned as he and crew chief Stuart Rowland scratch their heads. While having the latest in most equipment, Judd’s chassis is one of the oldest in the field. “We made several changes to the car throughout the season, most of which did not work,” he said. “We have decided to go back to our old Willowbank track baseline tune-up and run consistent 5.80 (seconds).” – LUKE NIEUWHOF

GY John Morris / Mpix

“Instead, we support the scene, our bands, our athletes and our fans. We back athletes so they can make a career out of their passion. In signing the deal with Phil, we feel we have a guy with great passion for winning and healthily respect for hard fast competition.” – LUKE NIEUWHOF

Next ANDRA Pro Series Round:

2011 Castrol EDGE Winternationals. Willowbank Raceway, July 15-17 www.mnews.com.au

FIVE MINUTES WITH ...

SHANE VAN GISBERGEN There have been two wins by Fords in the 2011 V8 Supercar Champinoship – and SBR’s flying NZer has won both of them. After he took out Sunday’s race in Darwin, The Giz was one happy lad

Do you remember the lap after you passed [Craig] Lowndes, going downhill at Turns 10 and 11? What were you thinking? Someone had left oil down there [Ed: It was Karl Reindler] and the lap before I went through, it was fine. I went back 24

race passes like that, it was a pretty cool feeling to get the wheels smoking in fourth gear! It was a good feeling, and hopefully we will be as good at Townsville as this.

Dirk Klynsmith

QUESTION: The Safety Car helped today but it looked like you had the pace to move your way through, to take your second victory. SHANE VAN GISBERGEN: Definitely, the Safety Car helped today. We didn’t have the best car in qualifying but we felt that we had a race winning car this weekend. We were just talking then and both race winners came from 12th [on the grid]. Early on, there was oil down at Turn 1, everyone was on the inside and we were watching the people going down the outside, to test whether there was grip there. That was pretty interesting, early. The harder tyre pace was pretty good, but not quite good enough. In the end, we all came in on the same lap, and Frosty was a lap later. I was, sort of, not really pushing. They were able to do a high-nine [Ed: 1m09sodd lap] but I hung back there for a few laps, and it balanced out, just about when the Safety Car appeared. I started pushing on then, and I even though we only had a few laps under Safety Car, I knew that I had a fair bit of grip. I had been saving a bit, and in the end, the car was really good.

to my normal turning point, and I just lost rear and slid all the way out to the marbles. I just had to put my foot in it and get my way through it, and it was fine. There was enough grip there to be able to pull a little bit of a gap. When we came into this weekend, Craig was 252 points behind Jamie Whincup. You are now closer than Craig was before this event, 251 points behind Jamie in third place. What do you need to do as a driver and a team now, to legitimately take the challenge up to Jamie and Craig now?

I just need more weekends like this. We were consistently fast most of the weekend. Yesterday’s race was not as good as it should have been but if we can keep doing this, week to week … This track suited us last year as well and Townsville has never been our strong point. If we can put one together there, we will be pretty happy. We just need to take every chance we get to end up with the championship. You were ecstatic when you won on home soil [in Hamilton]. How does it compare to win on Aussie soil? I was pretty pumped then. It was pretty good to make late-

Can you talk us through a little bit of what determined your strategy? What determined you going late on your [Sprint] tyres? You were not tempted to run them early like others did? We thought about that. There was too much of a chance of a Safety Car, so we thought that we would go for the ‘Glory Run’! We had a consistent pace. We were never going to catch these guys, they were too far ahead on the hard tyre. So I conserved my tyres and tried to keep some speed. We probably could have caught Lee [Holdsworth] and maybe Jamie, I am not so sure. But I was pretty happy. The weakness of your weekend seems to be your qualifying. What’s the gap, the things you need to do to catch the people in front of you? If I knew that, I would be qualifying up front! Week to week, I just can’t get the tyre to work at the front. I can’t get enough front grip to maximise the new tyre. This morning, it was better – the car was fairly different to yesterday. I just couldn’t adapt to it. In saying that, I was only 0.3s off pole but that is what the game is like. It is so close. That is our biggest weakness, week to week. motorsport news

CHAT

Dirk Klynsmith

www.mnews.com.au

GT RACING - GETTING THER THE last month or so has been pretty big for GT racing in Australia. Peter Hackett’s pimpin’ new Mercedes-Benz arrived and made its debut in the Australian GT Championship at Eastern Creek. (Check out the July edition of Motorsport News, which is out on Wednesday, for a close-up look at it.) But Eastern Creek also saw a number of lingering issues come to a head, resulting in major changes. Eligibility and parity have been two thorns in the side of competitors and category management since Aus GT was born in 2005. Finding a set of regulations that both appeased those who have already invested $500k on GT racer, and appealed to those looking at forking out cash to buy a new car is a very delicate balance. The Eastern Creek saga has been well documented. A 26

post-qualifying rule change led to what’s been described as a crisis meeting between category management and competitors, delaying the opening race. Fortunately, good came out of it, with an overhaul of regulations decided upon for 2012. As of next year, Australian GT will switch to the standard FIA GT3 rulebook, one year behind the European regs. In other words, run the car as it would in Europe – no more additional weight, raised ride heights or rev restrictions – with ‘Pro’ drivers to serve a little extra time in pitlane. The other item in the Eastern Creek aftermath is the sale of Australian GT from Martin and Rachael Wagg to competitor Tony Quinn. The petfood magnate is switched-on and passionate about the sport and already heavily involved financially, through various VIP

Petfood sponsorships. Plus, he’s not a newbie when it comes to category ownership, having been involved in Carrera Cup’s first stint. Quinn has subsequently enlisted Spherix, who have built up the V8 Ute Racing Series, to be the category managers. They’ve got a good track record, so it’s a shrewd move. All of these moves – and not to take anything away from the efforts of the Waggs and Terry Little to get GT to this point – suggest it’s going to be a positive thing for the future of Australian GT. It’s copped a hit this year with the return of Carrera Cup, probably more than most thought it would, but niggling competitor frustrations about the rulebook can’t have been healthy. Personally, I think GT missed an opportunity when Carrera Cup disbanded in early 2009, by not welcoming – or at least

OPINION Mitchell Adam – National Editor allowing – more of those ‘Pro’ drivers and their 997s into the series. It’s largely been the domain of the ‘Gentleman’ drivers who make the investment in the machinery, but early noise suggests the ‘Pros’ will be more welcomed moving forward. Similarly, there’s also been movement on the Bathurst 12 Hour front. This year’s race was the first for GT cars and, understandably, there were some teething problems. Parity measures, such as more compulsory pitstops for newer GT cars, kept some potential competitors away and frustrated those who ran. motorsport news

COMMENT

GOIN’ BACK TO MY ROOTS

Dirk Klynsmith

RE?

BEEN a while, but over the weekend I abandoned the couch and dropped down to Port Melbourne’s kart track to have a look at the latest round of the CIK Championship (see page 54). Karting continues to get good PR as a breeding ground for the car racers of the future – the latest being a significant boost from the man himself, Ayrton Senna, in the doco-movie on his life, about to go on release in Australia. Senna describes karting as “pure motorsport”, and he was right. The three international categories encompassed by the CIK series feature exceptionally good (Dunlop) control tyres and there’s little to choose between engines. It promotes tremendously tight racing, as do many of the ‘domestic’ categories. The CIK series attracts, numerically, less than some of the popular domestic categories, but it is the link with international racing, which is where the really ambitious aim to be. Indeed, all three CIK champions get to race internationally as part of their prize. That is a significant investment. Karting has evolved a long way since Senna became the

OPINION Chris Lambden – Former MN publisher first to truly put its ‘legitimacy’ on the map. The standards, of preparation, of driver skill, and even the venues, are high. The Port Melbourne track now features a superb corner lighting system, centrally controlled, replacing the poor old flaggies (someone had to do it!) of old. The only other place I’ve seen such a system to date would have been the F1 Grand Prix at Albert Park. The quality in among the frontrunners suggests that, with the right breaks, there are drivers – Juniors and not-so Juniors – capable of going a fair way. And really, that’s what this level of karting, with its international links, should be about. The series moves on to Eastern Creek and then Brisbane over the next month or two – if you want a good day out, take the time and go along. A quick note of support to a good friend of mine and an absolute legend of Australian

karting, John Pizarro. Many around karting will know of his battle with Parkinson’s disease. JP is due to have radical ‘electrode’ surgery in a few weeks in order to hopefully defer the symptoms. That in itself is a big enough deal but, quite recently, he was also diagnosed with prostate cancer. I’m not sure of the degree, but that has to be treated first, and he is due in for surgery this week. He’s facing a testing time. But how about this – as a result of a recent overseas trip, and a reunion with Angelo Parrilla, head of the Italian DAP kart factory, for whom he once drove, John is planning to front up for a historic kart race in Italy, in September! There’s no stopping this bloke. Spare a thought for him and wish him the best – back then he was one of the most positive, competitive, persistent, gritty little bastards I ever came across, and nothing’s changed!

Ironically, Tony Quinn led the chorus against many of these rules in the post-race press conference ... But, like Australian GT, the playing field has been re-laid and will be much less regulated, instead utilising the set of rules used in the European Blancpain GT3 Endurance Series; letting in new cars and removing the sticking points of 2011. Along with a new partnership with Creventic, who run a number of long-distance races overseas, it should pave the way for the event to grow. Overall, it looks like GT racing in Australia has a positive future. www.mnews.com.au

V8 SUPERCAR CHAMPIONSHIP RACES 12/13 – HIDDEN VALLEY, DARWIN

NEW ZEALAND, TAKE

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The Northern Territory and NZ don’t have much in common – except V8 Supercar results. Yep, Rick Kelly and Shane van Gisbergen were back on top at Hidden Valley, and PHIL BRANAGAN was there

Dirk Klynsmith

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ARELY has a race gone from not-sointeresting to whatthe-heck-happened so

Dirk Klynsmith

quickly. Until lap 35 when the Safety Car appeared for the second time, the order seemed settled. Mark Winterbottom led, as he had done since the start. Jamie Whincup had not been second for all the race; indeed, until the top 13 cars made their pitstops, he had struggled to stay close to the back of Shane van Gisbergen. A faster pitstop redressed that situation, though the news was not all great for TeamVodafone as Craig Lowndes had to wait for his tyres, ‘stacked’ behind Whincup. Then the Safety Car, which motorsport news

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Safety First: One minute the SC was out and the Top 3 were in position, above left, and the next the SC was gone and so were the Top 3, above. Garth Tander tried to take some pit equipment out for a ride, left, while Mark Winterbottom was so close to a breakthrough win, below.

Dirk Klynsmith

E 12: HITS AND MISSES had been prompted by Tim Slade’s master switch being inadvertently triggered (while he was running fifth and after a tap from another car) pulled off. At the last corner, there was contact between Whincup’s nose and Winterbottom’s rear; in a flash, the #88 was alongside (but still behind) the #5, and a drag race was on. It was a four-way sprint; van Gisbergen grabbed some of it, so did Lee Holdsworth and in an instant, there were four entry lines in play at Turn 1. “I could see what was going to happen,” said Lowndes, who was close behind. Frosty went around. Whincup went off. So did Holdsworth. In the melee, Lowndes missed www.mnews.com.au

Steve Johnson (Craig said later he had his eyes closed, but Craig does say those things …) and a number of cars emerged from the melee in close proximity. Except Rick Kelly’s. He had taken that Slade-less fifth, a solid position after starting 12th, and somehow, the Jack Daniel’s Commodore emerged from the ruckus with a near-2s lead. He held his nerve to take his second win of the season. “I drove like a bit of a monkey for a couple of laps, then I settled down,” he said later. “I am pretty stoked, but I am sitting here, wondering what happened. Any number of people were. The new-for-2011 rules states that drivers may pull alongside another from the last corner but

may not overtake, and there were some problems cause by that rule. The lap chart showed clearly that as the cars crossed the line, van Gisbergen’s was ahead of Whincup’s. For Winterbottom, there was not much to be said. “We fix it and go again,” he said, more downcast than any of the characters in Cars 2. “I had to wait for the Safety Car to go. I didn’t accelerate then. He [Whincup] got to the inside and I couldn’t get across.” Frosty illustrated the last part with one hand sideways and one, slightly behind, not. The stewards acted. The Giz was docked 25 championship points, but there was more to come. Both Whincup and

Winterbottom admitted to driving in a careless driving in the act of hitting each other and were similarly penalised, as was Michael Caruso for contact that saw Paul Dumbrell leave the track at speed. Holdsworth was fourth ahead of Will Davison, whose race was ruined when he flatspotted a tyre in qualifying, leaving him to start from an unrepresentative 20th. Tony D’Alberto was an excellent sixth, a good result considering a close escape when he only barely missed the car of Jason Bright, who was limping with a damaged tyre, and which was struck by the Stratco car of David Reynolds, which had been going well in the midfield up to that point. 31

RACE 13: GIZ, NO GRIP,

HERE is a moral to be learned from the two races at Hidden Valley; NEVER … no, make that ALWAYS qualify 12th fastest. Rick Kelly did on Saturday and on Sunday, Shave van Gisbergen repeated the dose to score his, and Ford’s, second win of the season. The SP Tools Falcon was not the fastest car on the track on either Control or Sprint rubber but the Stone Brothers team got the strategy right, the Giz drove it beautifully and, even if the conditions were way too dry to allow the Kiwi to show his skills to perfection, there was enough oil on the circuit to allow him to pretend it was wet. Or, enough to scare the hell out of everyone else, one of the two. In taking the win, van Gisbergen also became the first 32

driver to win in Darwin after starting on Control rubber and finishing on Sprints. In 2009, Michael Caruso started on soft rubber and held on, and Jamie Whincup repeated the strategy last year. So, under the circumstances, it was perhaps a little unusual to see only two drivers, Jamie Whincup and Lee Holdsworth, following that line this time. Their fortunes might have been a little better if not for a late-race Safety Car, triggered after an off from Karl Reindler, which allowed those drivers on relatively fresh soft tyres to, in many cases, halve the gaps to the leaders. Craig Lowndes became the man to lead, but Giz’s rears, in particular, were in better shape, and while Lowndes fought him off,

the pass and the result was inevitable. For Whincup and Holdsworth, the Safety Car was a hammer blow, as the Commodores fell to sixth and 15th, respectively. That was because the Sprint tyre worked a treat, a point emphatically underlined by Greg Murphy, whose mid-race dash carried him from near the rear to close to the lead before, inevitably, the tyre speed fell off the planet. Mark Winterbottom was third, not quite the reward he might have been considering with a few laps of Saturday’s race remaining when the Triple Crown – pole from the Shoot out and two race wins – looked to be a goer. No driver has yet managed to collect the prize, which is becoming just about

as achievable as peace in the Middle East. Tim Slade completed an impressive weekend in fourth ahead of former team-mate Russell Ingall, Whincup and the Davison brothers. Both had upand-down races, neither the results that they would have been looking for. And from the ‘What might have been’ file came Steve Johnson. The Jim Beam Falcon was stone motherless last when the rest of the grid took off and he didn’t but by the end of the race, Junior was ninth, just over 11s behind the winning Ford. It was a pretty good example that HRT is not the only team that has undergone change this season, and that the defending Champs are nowhere near being a spent force. motorsport news

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The Jones fairytale came crashing back to earth, or rather, came to an oily end. When Jason Bright blew his motor when he was about to brake at Turn 1, it was a hairy moment for him and many of the drivers who followed. Likewise, the other oil that added to The Giz Show came from a Jones car, Karl Reindler’s. There is work to be done in Albury. Townsville beckons. As van Gisbergen himself pointed out post-race, FNQ is not a happy hunting ground for SBR, and while there were signs that TeamVodafone was capable of a crush there last year, teams like the Kellys and Jones have lifted their game significantly in the last few rounds. It could well be a case of the Fones versus the Brothers in the sunny north.

Dirk Klynsmith

WIN

Turning Point: Lee Holdsworth and Jamie Whincup were initially in the box seat after starting on the Sprints, above, but when Karl Reindler crashed late in the race, below, it turned everything around.

WINNERS STONE BROTHERS RACING: The Sunday win was a great result for van Gisbergen but the better news is that all three SBR cars showed speed. Now, they all need to get results at the same time.

TONY D’ALBERTO: The Wilson Security Falcon is making its presence felt. Little Big Team is doing well. 7MATE VIEWERS: There was a lot of TV time on Sunday and nobody had to rush to fit in with the AFL. Is this a preview of the next TV deal? DAVID REYNOLDS: The results look nothing special but that is a far cry from the reality. DR is coming up nicely.

LOSERS HOLDEN RACING TEAM: Surely, surely, this is the recession that the team had to have. The team must be getting sick of hearing that the only way is up, but that is how it looks. BRAD JONES RACING: After the boom comes the bust. As in, busted engines. Ouch. CRAIG LOWNDES: We put him in this list because he lost 8s queuing behind JDub for tyres on Sunday. Work out where those seconds would have put him. 34

Dirk Klynsmith

KELLY RACING: Ditto. A win, some speediness, the new shop is moving towards completion. Things are moving in the right direction.

QUALI A CLOSE CALL EACH year, we all go camp in Darwin for the Skycity Triple Crown and marvel about how close V8 Supercar racing has become. So, with that in mind, we are going to do it again. For the sake of spending time reading statistics, here is what we came up with. It is close, and getting closer. eNews compared the Saturday qualifying session times (as opposed to including the shoot out times) from each of the last six trips to the Top End. Because of the fact that the size of the field has varied over the years, we included the spreads from first to 28th, the size of the current grid, and came up with the following information. 2006 Pole to last 2.71s Pole to P28 1.28s 2007 Pole to last 1.96s Pole to P28 1.58s 2008 Pole to last 1.47s Pole to P28 1.10s 2009 Pole to last 2.04s Pole to P28 1.40s 2010 Pole to last 1.31s Pole to P28 1.04s 2011 Pole to last (28th) 0.9450

On Sunday, things got even closer. From pole, Mark Winterbottom, to last, Jason Bargwanna, the gap was 0.7038s. The track was slower than on Saturday, and it was just unfair. Dean Fiore rued that fact that he was faster than he had ever been in Darwin but it looked bad because he was only 25th fastest. Here is one more reason that this is insane. At Milwaukee’s Indycar race, 25 cars qualified on Saturday, with the best of two flying laps counting on the one-mile oval. Dario Franchtti took the pole, Ed Carpenter was 25th. The gap between pole and last was 1.014s – and the pole time was 21.3826s. Over a lap time three times that duration at Darwin, the margin was 30 percent closer – and while V8 Supercars have a bunch of bits on common, all Indycars are Dallara-Hondas. The Car of The Future is on the horizon. It is going to have to be good to beat this generation car for closeness. – PHIL BRANAGAN

NASH: PD WAS IN THE RIGHT ROD Nash was not a happy man on Sunday morning. Prior to the drivers’ parade, his driver Paul Dumbrell was appearing before the race stewards. PD and Nash felt that they had been hard done by, after the Bottle-O driver was penalised 25 points for rejoining the circuit a long way from where he left it in a Race 12 incident. Nash’s point was that with a drain, a few hundred metres of NT grass (which seems to catch fire as soon as a V8 Supercar drives over

it) and a vacant track on the other side, PD not only did the only thing he could do under the circumstances, doing anything else would have been dangerous. Plus, it was not like any official action was taken during the race. “If you get a black flag, that is the officials’ call and you cop it,” said Nash. “But I don’t think Paul did the wrong thing in this case. Of course if we are wrong, we lose 50 points.” – PHIL BRANAGAN motorsport news

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HRT: SURELY, THE ONLY WAY IS UP GREAT news for Holden Racing Team fans; things cannot get any worse than they were in Darwin. Featuring revised front suspension after a recent test day at Winton, neither James Courtney nor Garth Tander made the shootout, lining up 11th and 19th, respectively. The race was equally disastrous. Tander left his pitbox with an airhose still attached, earning a pitlane penalty. At least Mike Henry, HRT’s new Racing Operations Manager, didn’t avoid the issue. “We had some issues in practice and qualifying, so when you start where we did

THERE is a lot to like about V8 Supercars being broadcast on 7mate. Okay, the whole digital TV thing hasn’t been taken up as well as the networks might like, but there’s a big ‘yet’ to go onto the end of that sentence. Eventually, digital TV will be like Google and Facebook; everyone will use it every single day, and marvel out how they ever functioned properly without it. So, why wouldn’t V8 www.mnews.com.au

you’re in trouble,” he said. “There’s been a lot of changes within our team in the past few weeks and if it was all going to go wrong then today was the day. We’ll put our hands up and say we got it wrong. We’ll cop the criticism on the chin but we’ll also learn from what happened and try and improve tomorrow.” On Sunday … well, it was worse, if anything. Tander’s race was interrupted with a bent steering arm and Courtney’s problem was a broken shock mount. Finishes of 24th and 26th are not the results works teams pursue.

Supercars get on the front foot and become a digital TV sport. It’s certainly worked for Formula 1 (ONE HD may well have dropped the ‘sport only’ concept even earlier had it not been for F1’s awesome ratings in 2010). And, the longer the football codes demand to stick with the main channels, the better headstart V8s can get in the digital world. I don’t think being on the main channel is likely to attract

Tander was philosophical on Sunday evening. “What we have been saying is, it is like the Shanghai meeting we had with the HSV Dealer Team,” he said. “Rick Kelly was last; the team was really at a low. And from that, we built two championships.” Nobody at HRT appears to be dropping their heads, which is good because there is still much to be done. As weekend’s go, HRT fans will not be wanting to see another one like this one any time soon. – PHIL BRANAGAN

FROM THE COUCH with ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN extra viewers, but I do think that doing a better job of the coverage (ie not making space for footy) on 7mate will help keep the current fans on board. And being willing to embrace digital channels might just do some wonders for the upcoming TV deal negotiations.

There is one more point to be made here; it’s important that a day’s coverage runs on one channel, by which I mean either the main channel or 7mate. It’s the switching between which confuses viewers, and that’s why the 7mate Sunday was such a cracking idea. 35

Results :: Race 12 – Hidden V

Dirk Klynsmith

Pos

Driver

Team/Car

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 DNF DNF DNF

15 17 888 33 6 3 9 14 88 49 34 11 61 18 5 7 12 2 4 55 47 19 39 30 1 21 8 16

Rick Kelly Steven Johnson Craig Lowndes Lee Holdsworth Will Davison Tony D’Alberto Shane Van Gisbergen Jason Bargwanna Jamie Whincup Steve Owen Michael Caruso Greg Murphy Fabian Coulthard James Moffat Mark Winterbottom Todd Kelly Dean Fiore Garth Tander Alex Davison Paul Dumbrell Tim Slade Jonathon Webb Russell Ingall Warren Luff James Courtney Karl Reindler Jason Bright David Reynolds

Jack Daniel’s Raci Jim Beam Racing TeamVodafone Co Fujitsu Racing GR Trading Post FPR F Wilson Security Fa SP Tools Racing Fa Jana Living Racin TeamVodafone Co VIP Petfoods Com Fujitsu Racing GR Pepsi Max Crew C Bundaberg Racing Jim Beam Racing Orrcon Steel FPR F Jack Daniel’s Raci Triple F Racing Fa Toll Holden Racin Irwin Racing Falco The Bottle-O Falco Lucky 7 Racing Fa Mother Energy Fa Supercheap Auto Gulf Western Oil C Toll Holden Racin Fair Dinkum Shed Team BOC Comm Stratco Racing Co

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Top 10 Points: Whincup 1395, Lowndes 1239, van Gisbergen 1134, R Kelly 1082, Johnson 1030, W Davison 1020, Tander 1013, A Davison 963, Winterbottom 961, Bright 920.

Valley, Darwin

ing Commodore Falcon ommodore RM Commodore Falcon alcon alcon ng Commodore ommodore mmodore RM Commodore Commodore g Commodore Falcon Falcon ing Commodore alcon ng Team Commodore on on alcon alcon Commodore Commodore ng Team Commodore ds Commodore modore ommodore www.mnews.com.au

Results :: Race 13 – Hidden Valley, Darwin Qual

Pos

Driver

Team/Car

Qual

12 4 7 6 20 14 3 17 2 9 16 8 21 22 1 25 23 19 24 10 5 26 18 28 11 27 15 13

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 DNF DNF

9 888 5 47 39 88 6 4 17 14 55 34 18 49 33 19 3 61 12 15 16 11 30 1 21 2 7 8

Shane Van Gisbergen Craig Lowndes Mark Winterbottom Tim Slade Russell Ingall Jamie Whincup Will Davison Alex Davison Steven Johnson Jason Bargwanna Paul Dumbrell Michael Caruso James Moffat Steve Owen Lee Holdsworth Jonathon Webb Tony D’Alberto Fabian Coulthard Dean Fiore Rick Kelly David Reynolds Greg Murphy Warren Luff James Courtney Karl Reindler Garth Tander Todd Kelly Jason Bright

SP Tools Racing Falcon TeamVodafone Commodore Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon Lucky 7 Racing Falcon Supercheap Auto Commodore TeamVodafone Commodore Trading Post FPR Falcon Irwin Racing Falcon Jim Beam Racing Falcon Jana Living Racing Commodore The Bottle-O Racing Falcon Fujitsu Racing GRM Commodore Jim Beam Racing Falcon VIP Petfoods Commodore Fujitsu Racing GRM Commodore Mother Energy Racing Falcon Wilson Security Racing Falcon Bundaberg Racing Commodore Triple F Racing Falcon Jack Daniel’s Racing Commodore Stratco Racing Commodore Pepsi Max Crew Commodore Gulf Western Oil Commodore Toll Holden Racing Team Commodore Fair Dinkum Sheds Commodore Toll Holden Racing Team Commodore Jack Daniel’s Racing Commodore Team BOC Commodore

12 3 1 7 10 2 6 9 8 28 19 20 26 27 4 11 5 16 25 14 13 17 24 21 22 15 23 18 37

TOURING CAR MASTERS ROUND 3 – HIDDEN VALLEY, DARWIN

MIEDECKE GETS ON THE BO

JOHN BOWE MAY HAVE WON THE OPENING TWO TOURING CAR MASTERS ROUNDS, BUT EVEN H FOR ANDREW MIEDECKE IN THE TOP END, RICHARD CRAILL REPORTS

HE third round of the 2011 Autobarn Touring Car Masters was looking like being one-way traffic for series leader John Bowe. Fastest in practice by over half a second, a pole position scored by nine-tenths and an early lead in Race 1 all pointed to another dominating weekend from the Tasmanian and his Mustang, ‘Sally’. It seemed no one could catch a break. But then along came Andrew Miedecke who did catch a break, quite literally. With an upgraded set of stoppers on his Chevrolet Camaro he passed Jim Richards and Bowe in the first race to record his first win of the season, before doing the same in the third to wrap up the round 38

victory in stunning fashion. Sure, Bowe won the second race but the domination apparent in the last round in Perth seemed far removed from the close, hard and often bruising racing that the category produced at Hidden Valley at the weekend. “That’s pretty good isn’t it?” Miedecke beamed during the post-round celebrations. “The Camaro is a good car for Darwin and with the recent brake upgrade the car was just brilliant under brakes so that really helped. JB and Jim are very tough competitors but they had a bit more of a handicap than I did this weekend. “We’ll take things where we can, as we’re taking a long view

of this season and we really want to try and have a crack at this championship.” Miedecke’s win in the third race of the weekend – the reverse top-12 affair – was perhaps one of the better in the series’ history. A staggering race from start to finish, former champion Steve Mason led early after swamping the pole-sitting Porsches at the start, before being hunted down by an inspired Brad Tilley in his bright green GTHO Falcon. As Bowe (who started 12th), Richards and the eventual winner Miedecke worked their way through from the bottom half of the top 10, Tilley was at his very best out in front as he fended off attacks, first from

Mason and then from Bowe who had got to second place by Lap 4. Lap after lap, Bowe tried to pass Tilley, and lap after lap he held on grimly to the lead, before things came to a head on the eighth of 12 laps when Miedecke passed them both at Turn 5 as the leaders fought for position, both running wide as they made contact in the braking zone before the right-hander. Tilley held on to second at the end with Bowe following in third and Richards fourth after a consistent weekend that netted him third overall. Notably, two time champion Gavin Bullas failed to feature in any of this action. After his troubled Mustang broke an oil motorsport news

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OARD

Brad Tilley’s scrap with John Bowe in the final, above, was a highlight of the weekend, with Tilley eventually holding on for second. But it wasn’t such a good weekend for Alastair MacLean, who found trouble, below.

HE HAD NO MATCH

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James Smith

line in practice he managed to qualify fifth, but was forced from the weekend before turning a racing lap when his car continually overheated, risking yet another engine failure. Behind the leading group, Trevor Talbot returned his venerable Torana to the winner’s podium by taking out Class B honours for the weekend after hovering around the top 10 in each of the three races. In Class A, the Greg Keene / Amanda Sparks battle continued, with Keene getting the advantage this time around, though fellow Porsche pilot Terry Lawler can consider himself unlucky to have not won the weekend after having sustained damage in Race 2.

V8 UTES RACING SERIES ROUND 3 – HIDDEN VALLEY, DARWIN

THE FANTASTIC FOU T O recap all of the events that took place during Round 3 of the Auto One V8 Ute Racing series at Hidden Valley last weekend you would need a much larger space than this one. But here, in a nutshell, is an overview of an incredible weekend of Ute racing. There were four races and four different winners, a substantial amount of damage, a secondgeneration driver with a big surname breaking through for a maiden triumph and a former championship leader returned to the top. And that’s just the beginning. Through it all came Kim Jane, who with a fourth and three thirds was the most consistent driver in a weekend where few could string together four strong results. That consistency delivered the Holden driver his first round victory of the year and elevated him a few positions up the order in the championship to boot, bringing him back into title calculations. “We had great pace from the first practice session,” Jane said. “We made an error in tyre pressures in race three which allowed Ryan (Hansford) and David (Sieders) to get through, however we had a great fight back to take the overall round win. I’m rapt with the win and after a slow start the championship in starting to turn for me.” That third race was memorable for the maiden victory of Ryan Hansford, the son of the late Gregg Hansford. After passing Jane on the opening lap, the Queenslander was never headed and cruised untroubled to a debut, emotional, victory. “It’s a relief to win,” he said. “It’s a big weight off my shoulders. My manager Rod Dawson really believes in me, 40

and it’s good to have someone like that. When (leader) Kim Jane ran wide I was able to get up the inside and I was just watching and concentrating hard to bring it home.” David Sieders was never far from the top of the leader board throughout the weekend and returned himself to the top of the championship standings with a trio of strong performances. After qualifying on pole, the Ford driver broke the existing lap record to a Race 1 victory but endured a slight speed-hump in the second race, the reverse grid affair. With the top 25 cars inverted, Sieders was working his way through the pack before a hefty collision with fellow frontrunners Grant Johnson and Chris Pither was triggered when the reigning champion’s move on the Kiwi kid went slightly awry at Turn 5. Bundy Racing driver Cam McConville was also caught up in the collateral damage that saw debris strewn across the circuit. But Sieders rebounded well on Sunday, a pair of seconds placing his title tilt back on track. Ryal Harris became the fourth winner from four heats when he took out Race 4, passing Sieders mid-race before slipping away for the win in a weekend that included a charge from dead last to fifth in the second race in an incredible comeback. After three rounds, Sieders regained the lead in the championship with Johnson in second despite a belowpar weekend for the reigning champion. Harris is in close company in third with Pither slipping from the series lead to fourth overall and Jane, thanks to his round win, now into the top five. Points: Sieders 393, Johnson 380, Harris 378, Pither 375, Jane 347, Jack Elsegood 338

Kim Jane, above, didn’t win a race, but capped a c Ryan Hansford, right, claimed his maiden V8 Ute r David Sieders (left of pic) and Ryal Harris were the

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UR + ONE

OVER FOUR RACES, HIDDEN VALLEY’S V8 UTE ROUND HAD IT ALL. RICHARD CRAILL WATCHED IT UNFOLD

Dirk Klynsmith Rob Lang

James Smith

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Dirk Klynsmith

consistent weekend with the round win, his first of 2011. race win, while Charlie O’Brien, below right, picked up a win as well. Below: e other victors, with Sieders moving back into the lead of the series.

FORMULA 3 ROUND 2 – HIDDEN VALLEY, DARWIN

NOTICE? WHO NEED A

IN PERHAPS THE LATEST OF LAST-MINUTE DEALS, KRISTIAN LINDBOM TOOK THE

N HOUR before the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship first turned a wheel at Hidden Valley Raceway, Kristian Lindbom wasn’t going to be on the grid. By the end of the weekend, though, he’d won the City of Darwin Cup. Lindbom picked up a last-minute drive with Team BRM for the weekend, sitting in the team’s second F307 Dallara for the first time just 10 minutes before practice kicked off. He went out and topped practice, and after qualifying fourth, moved up to second in Race 1. The second race included a high-speed off from the lead, recovering to finish third. There was no such drama in the final, grabbing the lead on the opening lap and going on to win the race and weekend. It was Lindbom’s first victory in F3, having made a pair of starts last year and one in 2009. “To be honest, it’s a bit of a dream come true,” the former Formula

Ford racer said. “45 minutes before the first practice on Friday the team were telling me what we needed to do in terms of raising the sponsorship to get in the car, and now I’ve won the biggest race of the year. It’s pretty surreal. “It’s just been an amazing weekend and so much has happened it’s pretty hard to take in. I have to thank Lucas Dumbrell and everyone at LDM for their support in making this happen, and for all the other sponsors who have come on to support it. “This has to be one of the biggest wins of my career and I can’t believe it!” James Winslow retains the lead of the championship, despite a mixed weekend. The Englishman won the opening race, but clashed with Chris Gilmour while trying to take the lead in Race 2. It ended both drivers’ races, and Winslow was sent to the rear of the motorsport news

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Dirk Klynsmith

John Magro, above, picked up his first F3 win in Race 2, leading home Bryce Moore. Moore, below leading Race 1 victor James Winslow, is now just four points shy of Winslow in the Gold Star race. Steel Guiliana, bottom, leads for Forpark National Class.

Dirk Klynsmith Rob Lang

DS THAT?

E SPOILS IN F3’S FIRST TOP END TRIP

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Dirk Klynsmith

grid for the final, advancing to finish fourth. Gilmour – who also led Race 1 early – finished second in Race 3, his best result in the championship since 2006, ahead of 2007 champion Tim Macrow, making a one-off start in an older-model F304 Dallara. After grabbing a third and a second in the two sprint races, Bryce Moore started on pole for the final, alongside Race 2 victor John Magro. But the pair both ran wide at Turn 1 on the opening lap, and eventually finished fifth and sixth. Moore leaves the Top End four points behind Winslow in the title race. After splitting the honours at Hidden Valley, Steel Guiliana and Ben Gersekowski are now split by just one point in the Forpark Australia National Class. Points: Winslow 48, Moore 44, Gilmour 38, Lindbom 37, Magro 35, Macrow 25

IZOD INDYCAR SERIES ROUND 7 - MILWAUKEE 225, WI

On Target: Dario Franchitti pulled level with Will Power in the points chase with victory at the Milwaukee Mile, above. 44

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Wauk a mile

IZOD INDYCAR Media

dia HONDA Racing Me

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The return of Indycar to the historic Milwaukee Mile got Dario Franchitti’s Championship quest back on track with a solid win.

HONDA Racing Media IZOD INDYCAR Media HONDA Racing Media HONDA Racing Media

ARIO Franchitti had felt mighty aggrieved after losing out in the lottery-grid draw for the Firestone Twin 275s in Texas, but seven days later he was all smiles – and back on top in the title chase, sharing the equal Indycar points lead with Will Power. “That was a hell of a run today,” Franchitti said after scoring his third win for the season, after starting from pole. “The first part of the race I thought I had a bit of an advantage on everybody. Very tough, as usual here. Tough on your own just balancing the car, but then you get in traffic and it gets really difficult. It’s the same for everyone. “Then Tony (Kanaan) came marching along and he looked really, really strong, and he gave me a hard time as usual. Great day. To win here at Milwaukee is always special. It’s such hard work and a such a hard race.” Ultimately Kanaan didn’t get a result, hitting the wall with 29 laps to go. He had battled hard at the front with Helio Castroneves, but the latter was

also out of luck, dropping to ninth after suffering a flat tyre. Benefitting from the two Brazilians’ woes was Graham Rahal, who claimed second place, with Newman/Haas’ Oriol Servia taking his first IndyCar Series podium in third. “We passed a lot of cars,” Rahal said. “I thought passing was going to be tough today and it was, but we were able to do it. I’m really proud of my guys. They gave me a great car, and yet again, qualifying is our weak link. But time and time again we’re proving we can compete and this is one of the toughest ovals we go to, so to have that finish is great.” For Will Power, there’d be no back-to-back celebration seven days after scoring his first win on an oval. From a lowly 17th on the grid, Power was able to come through to salvage fourth place, ahead of Danica Patrick. “A couple double file restarts were good for me, a couple were bad,” the Australian said. “I’m pretty happy to get the Verizon car up there. I guess we are equal on points now. Good job by Dario. He came back after Texas motorsport news

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HONDA Racing Media

Flat track: Dario Franchitti and Helio Castroneves lead them away on the historic Milwaukee Mile, main. Graham Rahal finished second, top left, after Tony Kanaan hit a wall, centre left. Ipad with Indycar app, centre; Will Power had a low key run into fourth, left, while Ryan Briscoe was 11th, right. www.mnews.com.au

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to teach us a lesson, so I guess we will have to be quick at Iowa. “We just have to keep fighting away, keep having good days like this and make no mistakes and we’ll be good.” In an incident-packed race, Scott Dixon tangled with Takuma Sato and Ryan Briscoe in the pits in a clash caused by Takuma Sato stopping at the wrong pit box. Dixon and Sato recovered to seventh and eighth, while Briscoe was 11th. While the race offered plenty of interest, the return to the historic Milwaukee Mile oval for the Indycars after a two-year absence resulted in only a small crowd, leading to speculation that it might be dropped permanently from the Indycar schedule.

Results :: Milwaukee 225 Pos. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

No. 10 38 2 12 7 06 9 5 3 22

Driver Dario Franchitti Graham Rahal Oriol Servia Will Power Danica Patrick James Hinchcliffe Scott Dixon Takuma Sato Helio Castroneves Justin Wilson

Nationality GB USA Esp Aus USA Can NZ Jap Br GB

Team Target Ganassi Service Central Ganassi Newman/Haas Team Penske Andretti Autosport Newman/Haas Target Ganassi KV Racing-Lotus Team Penske Dreyer & Reinbold

Qual. 1 12 10 17 15 16 3 5 2 13

Top 10 Points: Power 271, Franchitti 271, Servia 198, Dixon 195, Rahal 176, Kanaan 171, Briscoe 165, Tagliani 147, Sato 142, Patrick 141

NASCAR ROUND 15 - MICHIGAN, MI

Media TOYOTA

Michigan magician: Denny Hamlin did his thing out on the track, but he needed a little magic back in the pits, main, above.

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Michigan magic A magic adjustment for Denny Hamlin and some magic pills for Kyle Busch made all the difference for Joe Gibbs Racing at Michigan.

A NASCAR Media

LL it took was a little bit of magic from crew chief Mike Ford for Denny Hamlin to finally get a win on the board for 2011. At the final stops, Ford made what Hamlin later would only refer to as a ‘magic adjustment’, and suddenly the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was transformed from a top 15 contender into a front runner.

It helped that the fuel strategy meant that when Hamlin did resume after that ‘magic’ adjustment, he was in the lead. He did not need a second invitation from there to charge home for a win that edged him into the top 10 in the points. “We were so loose all day long, we couldn’t do anything to tighten it up,” Hamlin said. “We finally hit it about 70 laps to go. We started making our way back

forward again. “We were 15th to 10th all day long and just couldn’t get past that point until we got some clean air, a good adjustment, then our car looked like a racewinning car. That’s usually some of the best ways to win them, is when people don’t expect you and haven’t seen you all day.” Not that it was easy, with Roush Ford driver Matt Kenseth pushing the

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Heluva Good day!: Massive crowd at the monster Michigan oval watch as David Reutimann and Kurt Busch lead them away, above. Marcos Ambrose’s hopes were cruelled by ill-timed caution periods, centre. Hamlin and Matt Kenseth prepare for the crucial final restart, below. Toyota hard till the end. This was a day when the Roush Fords were very strong, with fellow Roush drivers Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards running at the front for most of the race. In the end, though, it was the Roush Fords tripping over one another that allowed Hamlin the breathing space he needed. At the final restart Kenseth got too much wheelspin, and while Hamlin skipped away, from the second row Edwards was baulked by his Roush teammate’s poor getaway. “I just couldn’t quite get Denny,” Kenseth conceded. “After restarts we were kind of slow and tight in the middle which isn’t a good

thing to be in a short shoot-out. We had a great car in the long run, though. I tried what I could to get around him but I slipped on the restart. I just needed more laps to get it going.” While it took a little crew chief magic to transform Hamlin’s Toyota into a race winner, getting Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch home in third place required Kyle’s crew chief to try his hand at the medical profession. During the race Busch had been in considerable discomfort suffering an upset stomach, prompting crew chief Dave Rogers to search the team’s sponsor list for stomach aids … “He was having some gas pains,”

Rogers said, “so we broke up some Tums and put them in his water – he asked if it was straight water – but that made him feel better. “But man, I’m really excited about working with Kyle [because] this is Michigan, we finished third and we had a shot at winning.” Marcos Ambrose never looked at shot a winning, but 23rd place was more a reflection of the way the late race caution periods worked against the Australian’s fuel strategy than his on-track performance. “It was unfortunate, we copped a raw deal on those late race cautions, but that’s racing,” Ambrose said.

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TOYOTA Media

Results :: Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400

MCS

Pos. No. 1 11 2 17 3 18 4 27 5 99 6 39

Driver Denny Hamlin Matt Kenseth Kyle Busch Paul Menard Carl Edwards Ryan Newman

Make Toyota Ford Toyota Chevy Ford Chevy

Team Joe Gibbs Roush Fenway Joe Gibbs Childress Roush Fenway Stewart Haas

7 8 9 10

Tony Stewart Clint Bowyer Mark Martin Brian Vickers

Chevy Chevy Chevy Toyota

Stewart Haas Childress Hendrick Red Bull

14 33 5 83

Sponsor Qual. FedEx Office 10 Crown Royal 3 Snickers 24 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards 9 Aflac “Now Hiring” 23 U.S. Army 236th Birthday/ 13 Bud Moore NASCAR Hall of Fame Office Depot/Mobil 1 6 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper 27 GoDaddy.com 19 Red Bull 4

TOYOTA Media

Top 10 Points: Edwards 532, Harvick 512, Earnhardt Jr. 505, Ky Busch 503, Johnson 503, Kenseth 491, Ku Busch 491, Newman 456, Hamlin 455, Bowyer 455, Ambrose 369 (21st).

NEED TO JOIN A CAR CLUB TO GET YOUR CAMS LICENSE? No matter what car you drive, Formula Ford Association membership is a cost effective way to get you on track.

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WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 7, ARAGON, SPAIN

Italy, 33 to 1

Max Biaggi scored his maiden 2011 vic – but Marco Melandri made him work f

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OUTSTANDING PIT DISPLAYS BY OCTANORM MANY OTHER DISPLAY OPTIONS AVAILABLE PLEASE CALL US TO DISCUSS REQUIREMENTS

SYDNEY (02) 9556 6012 MELBOURNE (03) 9394 3150

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ctory for it

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OD might not be Italian – but he might just ride an Italian bike. Max Biaggi and Marco Melandri were the men to beat at Aragon, the pair of Italians splitting the wins on the state-of-the-art circuit. The Yamaha rider, who has experience at the track, took out Race 1 and shadowed Biaggi in the second race, only to run wide at Turn 1 and settle for second place. It was Biaggi’s first win of the season, first as World Superbike Champion and he was backed up by Leon Camier, who came home third on the other factory Aprilia. The talking point of the races was Carlos Checa. The points leader had

a heavy fall in Race 1, and rode to a steady third in Race 2 after a rough opening to the race. Nevertheless, he would have been looking for a better result on home soil. There were many crashes during the event, with Jacub Smrz dumping his Effenbert-Liberty Ducati for the fourth race in a row, but the most notable one for Australians was that of Troy Corser (see news pages). Michel Fabrizio his best weekend of the season with fourth after crashing in Race 1, while Kawasaki showed speed, Tom Sykes taking fifth in Race 1 and Joan Lascorz doing likewise in Race 3 after Sykes crashed out of that place.

Italian versus Italian: Max Biaggi and Marco Melandri sprayed the bubbly at Aragon. Melandris bike is run by Yamaha Italy, remember ... Points: Checa 261, Biaggi 218, Melandri 195, Laverty 146, Camier 125, Haslam 120, Fabrizio 108, Rea 94, Haga 89, Badovini 86. BROC Parkes (Kawasaki) blew his chances of consecutive WSS victories when he crashed out of the lead on lap 16. The Aussie’s mistake gifted the race win to Yamaha’s Chaz Davies, who defeated Sam Lowes (Honda) and David Salom (Kawasaki).

CIK STARS OF KARTING ROUND 3 – TODD ROAD, VIC

SERA UNSTOPPABLE

AVID Sera has taken his third win from as many starts in the Castrol Edge CIK Stars of Karting Series, also claiming his 42nd state title in the process at the Todd Road circuit in Port Melbourne over the weekend. The Monster Energy-backed Arrow driver has been the one to beat since making his triumphant debut in the Pro Gearbox KZ2 class at the same

venue in 2010. Sera didn’t have things all his own way, however, with a pair of 16-year-olds keen to spoil the party. Top Kart racer Macauley Jones ran down Sera to take out Final 1 with a convincing drive, while in Final 2, Tony Kart pilot Chris Hays looked set for victory only to suffer a brake issue, which relegated him way down the order. “Macauley simply had too much pace on me in the first final, but we were happy with

second place,” said Sera “We probably got lucky in the second final as Chris Hays had us covered, but he had a bit of bad luck – I’ve probably lost more to bad luck than I’ve won from good luck, so I’ll take the win.” After missing Round 1 due to racing commitments in the USA, Sera now sits fourth in the series points, just 20 points down on series leader Scott Taylor. “This weekend was really all about points for us after missing

Round 1, so to get the win for Arrow and Monster here at my home track and to win my 42nd state title is a great result for the team. I can’t wait to get to Eastern Creek for Round 4.” Jones and Scott Taylor rounded out the podium, with Taylor’s consistency now taking him to a one-point lead in the series over CRG hard charger Kel Treseder. Meanwhile, defending champion Matthew Wall suffered

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Fully CIK: David Sera held the chequered flag – again – in the KZ2 class, taking him back into title contention. Pierce Lehane held off a tough challenge from Joseph Mawson, below, while Cian Fothergill took the spoils in KF1, right.

CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS AFTER ROUND 3 of 5

AT TODD ROAD a big blow to his title defence when he had an engine seize while running third in Final 1. Reigning Pro Light KF1 champion Cian Fothergill put in one of the drives of his life after a chaotic start saw many of the front runners well down the field in Final 2. The Kosmic driver showed great speed and skill as he carved his way back to the front of the field for a welldeserved victory over James Macken and Jake Spencer.

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Earlier in the day, Spencer took out the opening final over his Kosmic JAM Racing teammate Adam Hughes and Tony Kart driver Joel Smith. The Pro Junior KF3 class saw a mix of old and new names at the pointy end, with reigning title holder and CRG driver Pierce Lehane and Top Kart driver Joseph Mawson being joined up the front by the likes of Jake Coleman, Joseph BurtonHarris and Cameron Hill.

Final 1 saw Mawson off pole with teammate Hill alongside for the start, however when Brock Plumb ran up the back of Mawson it dropped him well down the order, allowing Lehane to take the win over Coleman, with Hill third. Mawson clawed his way back in Final 2, perhaps falling a couple of laps short of being able to claim the win finishing right on the bumper of Lehane, with Burton Harris third.

Pro Gearbox (KZ2) 1 Scott Taylor – 180 2 Kel Treseder – 179 3 Jason Pringle – 169 4 David Sera – 160 5 Matthew Wall – 159 Pro Light (KF1) 1 Jake Spencer – 211 2 Cian Fothergill – 180 3 Grant Smith – 164 4 Adam Hughes – 163 5 James Macken – 160 Pro Junior (KF3) 1 Pierce Lehane – 231 2 Joseph Mawson – 201 3 Jake Klarich – 194 4 Jake Coleman – 177 5 Brock Plumb – 169

John Morris/Mpix

HARRISON THEM ALL IN NSW NSW STATE THE third round of the NSW State Formula Ford Championship at Eastern Creek on the weekend could have been mistaken for a national series event, with a number of national competitors taking part in the weekend’s races in preparation for Round 3 of the national series in July. Cameron Waters won the weekend’s first race, but was pipped by Trent Harrison in the second. Both races were interrupted by numerous safety-car laps, due to incidents

AUSSIES OVERSEAS GEOFF Uhrhane was the best of the Australians in the MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain as he posted a second place in Race 2. Scott Malvern took both wins to take the championship lead, but he had to work mighty hard in Race 2 to score the win. Uhrhane led up to the Safety Car period and bolted away on the restart with Malvern glued to his tail. As the Brit challenged, Uhrhane made a small error on the Grand Prix loop and allowed Malvern by with the pair eventually being caught by Nick McBride at the flag. –DAVID ADDISON 56

involving Pete Major and Jesse Fenech (Race 1) and Liam Sager (Race 2). David Whitmore was the best of the state championship runners, finishing each race just outside the top-10, while Steve Charman was the best Kent Class competitor. Stuart Spry won the weekend’s first HQ Holden race, before becoming involved in a ferocious battle with Greg King in the second, 40-minute feature race. Both drivers swapped positions a number of times throughout the race, with King ultimately coming up trumps. Glenn Deering came home third in both races.

Adam Proctor dominated Supersports and Graeme Holmes looked to do the same in Racing Cars, winning the first two races before a drive-through for jumping the Race 3 start handed victory to Robert Choon. The biggest incident of the weekend occurred in Improved Production Over 2 Litre, when Tyler Dubos reported neck and back pain after crashing his Mazda RX7. The delay while Dubos was extricated from his vehicle resulted in the cancellation of the weekend’s final six races. –LACHLAN MANSELL

RAIN AND PAIN FOR PYE AT BRANDS AUSSIES OVERSEAS RAIN and tyre choice were key to success at Brands Hatch in the British F3 International Series. A wet Race 1 was won by Lucas Foresti’s Fortec Dallara after the road dried and many of his rivals pitted for slick tyres. Foresti moreover was bold, impressing all as he endured the race on wets, managing their depleting life superbly to take the win from Felipe Nasr, Australian Scott Pye meanwhile took seventh. Race 2 was affected by a startline shunt

that littered the track with debris and took many laps under the Safety Car to clear. On the restart, Harry Tincknell led from Menasheh Idafar to take his maiden F3 win in his rookie season, Scott Pye took a career best of fourth. Race 3 fell Felipe Nasr’s way, allowing him to increase his championship lead. The race began on a slippery surface but more rain mid-race allowed the teams to stay on wet tyres, preventing the need for a midrace pit stop. Nasr won from Foresti and Will Buller, with Pye eighth. –DAVID ADDISON

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WITH A CHERRY ON TOPON TOP WITH A CHERRY

James Smith

NT SUPPORTS INTERSTATE interlopers came to the Top End for some sunshine and left with the trophies from the Northern Territory’s combined Improved Production / Commodore Cup and HQ Holden class that raced with the V8 Supercars at the weekend. West Australian Steve Cherry dominated qualifying and all four races in his Improved Production Holden Monaro, winning each race by an average of nearly 15-seconds. Adam Ubergang (Mazda 808) and Ashley Barnett (Nissan 200SX) were also front-running regulars

though neither had an answer for Cherry’s mighty pace. Craig Kroonstuiver (Mazda RX-3) was the best of the locals, a regular top four runner and on course for a quartet of fourth-placed finishes, but for contact with Ubergang in Race 3 left both drivers well down the order, only to recover well to fourth in the final race of the weekend. The Commodore Cup class was a family battle between David and Steven Ling, with the son toppling the father – Steven over David – in three of the four races, though the pair were rarely split by more than a few cars in each race and were often nose-to-tail. –RICHARD CRAILL

NEIL THE PICK IN CROFT BTCC

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BTCC wins were shared between Matt Neal and Mat Jackson at Croft on the weekend as Neal took two wins in his everdominant Honda Civic. Neal claimed the honours in Race 1 on a wet, but drying track, electing to run on wets while Jackson was struggling with slicks on the front and wets on the rear of his Ford Focus. Jason Plato led briefly, but slid off the road allowing Neal to build up a lead, but when Tony Gilham (Vauxhall Vectra) fell into the gravel, a Safety Car period was needed. On the restart, Jackson was the fastest man on

the circuit and latched on to the tail of Neal. The two crossed the line in a photo-finish just 55thousandths separating the two! Neal took Race 2 from Rob Collard’s BMW with Andrew Jordan’s Vauxhall Vectra rounding out the podium. Jackson won Race 3 ahead of the two BMWs of WSR. Collard chased Jackson but was unable to make a serious bid for the lead, instead slowing to allow series rookie Nick Foster ahead for his best BTCC finish so far. Reigning champion Jason Plato started on Row 10 after a CV joint failure in Race 2 and could only climb as high as 11th. –DAVID ADDISON

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THE FOUR RINGS WIN AGAIN AT LAUSITZRING DTM MARTIN Tomczyk took his second DTM win in a row after winning at the Lausitzring for Audi. Tomczyk, whose win in the previous round ended an 11-year winless streak

WTCC

Scheider who made it an Audi one-two. Scheider had run a long first stint and moved into contention as his rivals pitted, with the German able to repel the challenge of Scheider for second place leaving the Canadian to finish third. –DAVID ADDISON

CHEVROLET DOMINATES AGAIN

WTCC Media

CHEVROLET drivers Rob Huff and Yvan Muller shared WTCC victories in Brno on the weekend, while Alain Menu collected two third places. Early on in the weekend, Huff was able to fend off the advances of team-mate Yvan Muller. However Muller battled from eighth on the grid to victory in Race 2, closing that the gap between them in the championship to only 25 points, or equivalent to a race win. This continues the trend of Chevrolet utterly dominating the 2011 WTCC season. Tom Coronel took another podium result for BMW, while Michel Nykjær and Robert Dahlgren gave SUNRED and Volvo their best results so far with the new 1.6 -litre turbo engines. –DAVID ADDISON

for the Phoenix Racing team, pulled off a brilliant move to outbrake Jamie Green’s Mercedes for second place. Tomczyk then closed in on Bruno Spenlgler’s Mercedes for the race lead. Tomczyk moved ahead in the pit stops, while Spengler fell back to third behind former champion Timo

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LOOKING KORJUS AT THE NURBURG FR 3.5 NOT even rain or an opening lap spin could stop Kevin Korjus as he took a remarkable win in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series at the Nurburgring on the weekend. Korjus made up most of his time in the pitlane after his team elected to pit him crucially before a timely Safety Car. Korjus

then managed to hold onto his Dallara in extremely adverse conditions brought about by a late shower. Remaining strong however, Korjus eased the tense mood of his Tech 1 team, crossing the line 5.6 seconds ahead of Robert Wickens in second. Scuderia Torro Rosso Friday driver Daniel Riccardo had a quiet weekend by his standards, finishing in fifth position after

24 laps of the German circuit in his ISR prepared Dallara. New Zealander Brendon Hartley meanwhile was further down the grid in seventh place overall after a lacklustre weekend for his Gravity-Charouz outfit, struggling when it counted in the pit-stops. –CALLUM BRANAGAN

ATKINSON WINS IN NEW CALEDONIA ASIA PACIFIC RALLY CHRIS Atkinson has put right all the wrongs from his disastrous home round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championships by winning his second ever APRC event at New Caledonia on the weekend. Following on from some early mechanical gremlins in his Proton Satria Neo S2000, Atkinson easily held his own ahead of his brethren with a fantastic display of speed

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on the closing day. Atkinson finished 30-seconds clear of second placed Rifat Sungkar. Teammate Alistair McRae took the final step of the podium. "Like everyone we struggled this morning when it was so slippery.” Said Atkinson. “But with the roads drying through the day its been more predictable. We had a drive-shaft problem that lost us some time, but we still have reasonably safe buffer, but you can never relax."

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ODD SPOT!

rear of grid

WE thought we might mention this ... In Michigan at the weekend, Ryan Newman ran a special paint scheme, to honour NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Bud Moore. The #39 Chevy carried an image of Moore in his youth, when he served in the US Army – which is one of Newman’s sponsors. Meanwhile in Milwaukee, Dario Franchitti won the Indycar race carrying the green hues of sponsor Ultra Downy. It was the second weekend in a row he had not run the red of usual sponsor, Target; last week in Texas, Dario was in Huggies blue. In Darwin, all 28 V8 Supercars ran their usual liveries. And not one of them got their picture here. NASCAR Media Indycar Media

ON THIS DAY 22 JUNE 1975

OKAY, we are cheating by a couple of days this week, but we have a good reason. It was 36 years ago that those most English of chappies, who went into Formula 1 because they could not win in Formula 2, won a Grand Prix. James Hunt not only won the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort in the Hesketh 308B, he had to fight off that year’s World champion, Niki Lauda, in a Ferrari 312T to do it. Hesketh never won again but, heck, that hardly seems to matter.

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